Latest On Kyrie Irving
Kyrie Irving‘s request to be traded is the latest story to rock the league during an eventful offseason. The news broke Friday, but Irving’s meeting with Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert took place about two weeks ago, according to Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com.
The Cavs tried to keep it quiet so they could work on a deal without the distractions that are starting to happen now. Apparently some players learned about the news and started talking, which is how the trade request became public.
Pluto also speculates that Irving’s demand validates rumors last month that former Bulls star Jimmy Butler was warned by Cavaliers players not to push for a trade to Cleveland. They have a close friendship, so Irving may have told Butler that he was planning to leave the team. Butler was subsequently traded to the Timberwolves, one of the teams Irving included on his list of preferred destinations, along with the Spurs, Knicks and Heat.
There’s more today on the Irving trade front:
- The Wolves have a strong interest in acquiring Irving, even though they just signed former Pacers point guard Jeff Teague, Pluto adds in the same story. Pluto believes the Cavs should ask for Andrew Wiggins, whom the Cavs made the overall No. 1 draft pick in 2014, as part of the deal. Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns are untouchable, but Wiggins will be a free agent next summer if he doesn’t sign an extension before the October deadline.
- The Knicks have offered Carmelo Anthony and a parcel of draft picks, adds Pluto, who says Cleveland should insist on Kristaps Porzingis. Other teams that have expressed interest include Sacramento, with rookie De’Aaron Fox as part of the offer, and Phoenix, with a package centered around Eric Bledsoe.
- Pluto also notes that a trade would take away Irving’s opportunity to sign a super-max extension like the one John Wall just agreed to with the Wizards. The move could cost Irving between $50MM and $70MM.
- Butler and Towns have done some recruiting work with Irving and have made it clear to Wolves management they would like to acquire him, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who first broke the story of Irving’s trade request. Windhorst believes Teague would likely be included in any Minnesota-Cleveland deal and notes that as a newly signed free agent he can’t be traded until December 15th.
- The Spurs would be Irving’s first choice if he could pick a team, writes Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.
- The Cavaliers had a deal on the table involving Irving before the draft, according to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. The trade was put together by former GM David Griffin, but the Cavaliers didn’t pull the trigger because they didn’t know that Irving wanted to leave.
Hawks Claim Nicolas Brussino Off Waivers
The Hawks have added Argentinian forward Nicolas Brussino on a waiver claim, tweets Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The-24-year-old was placed on waivers Thursday by the Mavericks, who parted ways with him before his $1.31MM salary for next season became guaranteed. Brussino was set to make $1.55MM in 2018/19, also non-guaranteed.
He signed with the Mavericks last summer and saw modest playing time during his rookie season. Brussino averaged 9.6 minutes in 54 games, scoring 2.8 points per night.
He played for six years in Argentina before coming to the NBA and was reportedly considering offers from Europe before the Hawks claimed him.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 7/15/17 – 7/22/17
Every week, the Hoops Rumors writing team compiles original content to complement our news feed. Here are some of our favorite segments and features from the past seven days:
- This is Hoops Rumors’ 2017 NBA Free Agent Tracker.
- Here is Hoops Rumors’ 2017/18 NBA Two-Way Contract Tracker.
- Luke Adams explores Andrew Wiggins‘ candidacy for a contract extension.
- Adams rounded up a summary of NBA Teams With Hard Caps For 2017/18.
- This is how teams are using their 2017/18 Bi-Annual Exceptions.
- These are the 2017 NBA Draft-And-Stash Signings.
- Arthur Hill discussed the logistics of extending Isaiah Thomas to a max contract, the implications of exceeding the salary cap, and Carmelo Anthony‘s predicament in his weekly Sunday mailbag. Submit your questions via Twitter (@HoopsRumors) or by sending us an email (hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com).
- Check out our free Trade Rumors app available for IOS and Android.
- Here are the questions we asked you in our Community Shootaround discussions and polls this week:
- Should the Trail Blazers make a trade for Carmelo Anthony?
- Will LeBron James remain on the Cavaliers beyond this season?
- What fate do you expect awaits the remaining restricted free agents?
- How do Kyrie Irving‘s 2017 and Kobe Bryant‘s 2007 trade requests compare and contrast?
- Where should Derrick Rose sign?
Five Key Stories: 7/15/17 – 7/22/17
Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the past week at Hoops Rumors:
Kyrie Irving has requested that the Cavaliers trade him. Irving’s trade request left running mate LeBron James “blindsided and disappointed.” According to the ESPN report, Irving prefers to be the focal point of his team. Irving provided Cleveland with four preferred landing spots: New York, Miami, San Antonio, and Minnesota. The star point guard does not, however, possess a no-trade clause. The Knicks would consider a package involving Carmelo Anthony and future first-round picks.
The Cavaliers will be promoting Koby Altman to general manager. Altman’s promotion from assistant general manager is considered “imminent.” Earlier this summer, general manger David Griffin parted ways with the organization and Chauncey Billups turned down an offer for the vacant position. Altman’s first order of business will almost certainly be handling Irving’s trade request. Since Griffin left the Cavs, Altman has been performing the duties of G.M. Mike Gansey is expected to be named the new assistant general manager following Tony Leotti‘s announced departure.
The Houston Rockets franchise is up for sale. Team owner Leslie Alexander is also putting Clutch City Sports & Entertainment on the market. Ownership prefers the sale occur “sooner rather than later.” While Yao Ming and Daryl Morey reportedly will not seek to purchase the franchise, Dikembe Mutombo is trying to put together a group to buy the team.
The Wizards will sign John Wall to a four-year extension. The extension will be worth $170MM and will include both a fourth-year player option and a 15% trade kicker. It will take effect in 2019, when Wall’s current contract is set to expire. In the summer of 2013, Wall signed a five-year max extension.
Pau Gasol will re-sign with the Spurs. The agreement was expected all along, but now contractual details are becoming clear. The veteran big man will sign a three-year contract with the third year being partially guaranteed. Gasol opted out of the final year of his contract earlier this summer to facilitate the team’s offseason, leaving $16.2MM on the table in the process.
Ten More Stories
- The Spurs are finalizing a contract with Manu Ginobili.
- Timberwloves coach Tom Thibodeau indicated that the team is working on an extension for Andrew Wiggins.
- The Rockets have signed Luc Mbah a Moute to a one-year, minimum-salary contract.
- Free agent Nerlens Noel is “very disappointed” with his negotiations with the Mavericks.
- Carmelo Anthony is reportedly willing to waive his trade kicker if the Knicks can trade him to the Rockets.
- Here’s the latest on Derrick Rose, who is expected to make his free agency decision next week.
- James Jones will retire and join the Suns front office, where he will report to general manager Ryan McDonough, who has just received a multiyear contract extension.
- The Celtics have signed draft-and-stash prospect Guerschon Yabusele and will sign Shane Larkin, who played in Spain last season.
- The Grizzlies have re-signed Mario Chalmers to a one-year, partially guaranteed contract.
- The Rockets will re-sign Troy Williams and Bobby Brown.
Jared Sullinger Eyes NBA Comeback
Jared Sullinger, who was cut by the Suns in February, is looking to return to the NBA. This weekend Sullinger will display his skills and recent weight loss in Brooklyn at The Basketball Tournament, with several professional teams in attendance, including the Nets, Dan Hope of Eleven Warriors (link via Twitter) passes along, from the mouth of Fran Fraschilla.
Rob Oller of The Columbus Dispatch interviewed Sullinger about the power forward’s struggles, progress, and aspirations. Sully says he weighed as much as 320 pounds when he was with the Celtics. “I lost a year of basketball directly because of what I have done — my weight and my eating habits,” he said. Sullinger explained that his unwillingness to lose weight led Boston to release him in 2016 and the Raptors to trade him to Phoenix in late February. The Suns released him the next day.
Sullinger has now been a vegan for three weeks and is down to a svelte 285 pounds. The grand prize of The Basketball Tournament for many is $2MM, but for Sullinger, the true treasure could be an NBA or overseas contract.
In five NBA seasons, the Ohio State product has averaged 10.8 PPG and 7.5 RPG. In two consecutive seasons for the Celtics, Sully averaged a career-high 13.3 points per contest.
Poll: Where Should Derrick Rose Sign?
Former first overall draft pick and the 2011 NBA Most Valuable Player Derrick Rose is nowhere near the player he used to be thanks to a litany of devastating leg injuries. However, he is coming off a productive offensive season and is easily the most coveted unrestricted free agent on the market.
Rose averaged 18.0 PPG, 4.4 APG, and 3.8 RPG last season with the Knicks, while shooting 47.1% from the field. The point guard also logged 32.5 minutes per his 64 contests, the most playing time he has had in the past four seasons. Despite Rose’s solid season, the rebuilding Knicks appear unlikely to bring him back.
Reports suggest that the leaders for Pooh’s services are the Cavaliers and Lakers. Cleveland will meet with Rose in the coming days and reportedly are offering him a starting position, either alongside Kyrie Irving or in Irving’s place if Cleveland’s point guard is traded. As for the Lakers, Rose had an approximately three-hour meeting with the purple and gold and reports indicate that the meeting went well for both sides. While it is unclear whether Rose would start for the Lake Show, he would be expected to mentor rookie Lonzo Ball on a much improved team.
Two other squads that have met with Rose in recent weeks are the Bucks and Clippers. The Bucks could appeal to Rose’s desire to win, boasting several rising stars in Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jabari Parker. Milwaukee is also coached by legendary point guard Jason Kidd and is situated very close to Chicago, where the family-minded Rose’s family resides. The Clippers already have Patrick Beverley and Milos Teodosic at point guard, as well as Austin Rivers, who is more of a combo guard, but when replacing Chris Paul, can a team ever really do too much?
What do you think? Where should Rose end up signing? Place your vote in our poll and then catapult into the comments section below to share your thoughts.
Where should Derrick Rose sign?
-
Cavaliers 44% (1,687)
-
Lakers 21% (829)
-
Bucks 19% (738)
-
Other 10% (382)
-
Clippers 6% (241)
Total votes: 3,877
Community Shootaround: Kyrie And Kobe’s Trade Requests
A bombshell report from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst yesterday revealed that Cavaliers superstar point guard, Kyrie Irving, met with team officials recently and expressed his desire to be traded. Subsequent reports have indicated Irving’s request steams from his preference to be the focal point of a team’s offense and escaping LeBron James‘ towering shadow.
It was shocking news that resonated throughout the NBA; James can be included among those surprised by Irving’s request as Windhorst noted that the four-time MVP was “devastated” to hear his teammate wants out (via Twitter). Since James returned home to Cleveland in 2014, he has taken the reigns both on and off the court, as he’s reportedly been a key influence over the Cavs’ roster moves. In Irving’s case, however, James has elected to defer to the Cavaliers and operate under their discrection, per USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt (via Twitter).
While the Spurs have been named as Irving’s preferred destination, the former Rookie of the Year also listed the Heat, Timberwolves, and Knicks as potential destinations. Yet, without a no-trade clause, Irving has no say over where Cleveland can trade him. Still, the 25-year-old could command a kings ransom on the trade market and Cleveland figures to at least keep one ear open.
Irving’s request has evoked memories of when Kobe Bryant demanded a trade from the Lakers during the 2007 offseason. The Lakers legend, speaking to Stephen A. Smith on 1050 ESPN Radio in New York, made it clear he wanted out of the situation.
“I would like to be traded, yeah,” Bryant said. “Tough as it is to come to that conclusion there’s no other alternative, you know?” In the same interview, Smith pressed Bryant on if anything could change his mind, to which he response was a flat “no.”
“I just want them to do the right thing,” Bryant added.
ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne tweeted that Bryant asked for a trade in May 2007, it never happened, and he went on to appear in three NBA Finals (winning two). However, Irving and Bryant’s situations are completely different: Bryant wanted to win and the Lakers were off back-to-back poor seasons where he had to average over 30 PPG to keep the Lakers competitive; Irving has been to three straight NBA Finals (winning one) and would be on another championship contender if he stays in Cleveland.
However, Irving has become a secondary figure to James and despite their collective success, Irving clearly wants the same credit and responsibility. In Bryant’s case, he was already the key player; the Lakers acquiesced to Bryant’s demands and upgraded the team into a multiple-time NBA champion.
That brings up several pertinent questions: Does Irving’s request make sense for both him and the team? Can Bryant’s frustration over a poor team in 2007 compare to Irving wanting to leave a championship contender in 2017? Do any of Irving’s preferred destinations make sense for his future? Are there any moves the Cavaliers can make to keep everybody happy?
Northwest Notes: Westbrook, Crawford, Singler, OKC
Russell Westbrook can sign a supermax Designated Veteran Player Exception deal with the Thunder worth over $235MM over six years, which would make him the highest paid player in NBA history. However, money is not the determining factor over Westbrook’s future, Erik Horne of The Oklahoman writes.
For starters, uncertainty surrounding the Thunder’s roster in future seasons makes Westbrook signing a longterm contract uncertain — despite the Thunder being optimistic it will get done. As Horne explains, Westbrook does not have the option to sign another shorter-term pact like he did last year, signing a three-year, $85.7MM extension. As Horne mentions, under the new collective bargaining agreement, Westbrook cannot extend his current deal unless it’s a five-year max: meaning it’s max or nothing.
The reigning Most Valuable Player has set himself up to be paid handsomely — whether it is this offseason or next, when he can hit free agency and pursue other options. Westbrook will earn $28.5MM in 2017/18 but that could prove to be chump change if and when he signs a longterm max deal.
Below are additional notes surrounding the Northwest Division:
- In separate piece for The Oklahoman, Horne suggests that Kyle Singler may be an optimal candidate for the stretch provision. The 29-year-old has averaged less than four points per game in Oklahoma City in two seasons and is owed $9.66MM over the next two seasons. To save cap space, the stretch provision could stretch out Singler’s salary over seven seasons and open up a roster spot for the Thunder, Horne notes.
- Once again for the Oklahoman, Horne answers four key questions surrounding the Thunder. Among the burning questions include when 2017 draft pick Terrance Ferguson will sign, if and when the Thunder hires a new assistant coach, if any additional moves will be made, and Westbrook’s aforementioned contract dilemma.
- Newest member of the Timberwolves, Jamal Crawford, pursued a deal with an up-and-coming contender rather than a perennial championship contender. The 37-year-old briefly spoke to the Star Tribune’s Jerry Zgoda about his decision to sign with Minnesota, stating that it “made sense on every level.”
- Michael Rand of the Star Tribune looks at five potential free agent signings for Minnesota. On the list are three players who have connections to head coach Tom Thibodeau (C.J. Watson, Mike Dunleavy, and Tony Allen) and two productive veterans (Anthony Morrow and Andrew Bogut).
- Justin Zanik and David Morway are joining the Jazz as high-ranking front office executives, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Ryan McDonald of Deseret News breaks down the move and provides information on both men and their ties to Utah.
Pacific Notes: Ingram, Beverley, KCP
The Lakers have been active and persistent this offseason, from drafting UCLA product Lonzo Ball, to shipping out former first round pick D’Angelo Russell to the Nets, to signing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to a one-year deal. While trade talks persist, the team is adamantly against trading last year’s second overall pick Brandon Ingram, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News writes.
Ingram, soon-to-be 20 years old, did not post eye-popping numbers in his rookie season, averaging 9.4 PPG, 4.1 RPG and shot 40.2 % from the floor. However, his work ethic and potential is the reason why Lakers brass has been abruptly ending phone calls once opposing teams inquire about his availability. Team president Magic Johnson‘s endorsement is a glowing one for the Duke product.
“The guy only cares about winning and basketball,” Johnson said. “He’s quiet and doesn’t do anything else. He is a very intelligent young man and is our hardest worker.”
As the Lakers continue their drift toward youth, Ingram figures to crack the starting lineup next season. Alongside the hotshot prospect Ball, veteran acquisition Lopez, and other youngsters, Ingram’s development remains a crucial point and goal for the Lakers.
Below are additional notes surrounding the Lakers and the Pacific division:
- The Lakers‘ signing of KCP is a risk for both sides but one that could pay dividends, Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times writes. Caldwell-Pope signed a one-year, $18MM deal with Los Angeles and was introduced earlier this week. The Lakers’ hope is that the 24-year-old, who is technically considered a veteran as he enters his fifth NBA season, will be a leader for a young team.
- Conversely, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press ponders whether KCP’s decision to reject a four-year, $80MM offer from the Pistons last season was a wise move. While KCP will do fine financially this season, injuries, poor performance, and a change in the market could harm his value after 2017/18. Caldwell-Pope’s hope will be to have a strong season and hit the market at 25 years old looking for security.
- Mark Medina adds in a separate piece that the Lakers are looking to fill out their roster in the next few weeks.
- One of the Clippers‘ many acquisitions in the Chris Paul sign-and-trade was defensive standout Patrick Beverley. USA Today highlighted Beverly and his desire to not be compared with Paul and rather let his game speak for itself. Many Clippers officials are also quoted in stating their longtime appreciation of Beverley’s talents.
Thunder Sign Dakari Johnson To Two-Year Deal
JULY 22: The Thunder have made the signing of Johnson official via a press release.
JULY 20: The Thunder have signed Dakari Johnson to a two-year deal, sources tell Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). Charania adds that Johnson’s salary will be guaranteed.
Johnson has played for the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s G-League affiliate, in each of the past two seasons. During the 2016/17 campaign, he averaged 18.5 points and 7.9 rebounds while shooting 55.6% from the field.
The center spent two seasons in the collegiate ranks at the University of Kentucky where he saw just 15.2 minutes per contest. He entered the 2015 draft and was selected by the Thunder with the No. 48 overall pick.