Clippers Gauging DeAndre Jordan’s Trade Value
With Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and J.J. Redick all eligible for free agency this summer, DeAndre Jordan appeared to be the only core piece on the Clippers who definitely wasn’t going anywhere. However, even Jordan may not be a lock to stay put. According to Chris Haynes of ESPN.com, the Clippers have gauged the market on a possible Jordan trade.
The reports on Jordan are somewhat conflicting, with Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times tweeting that the Clips aren’t actively looking to move the veteran center, and adding that no deal has been discussed. Haynes, meanwhile, says the Clippers have spoken to a few teams in “exploratory fashion.” It’s possible that both reports could be true — the Clippers may be asking around to get a sense of what Jordan might be worth, without any formal offers being made.
Nonetheless, Haynes’ report does go into a little more detail, suggesting that the Clippers and Suns discussed the possibility of a swap of Jordan for Tyson Chandler and the No. 4 pick. Phoenix is believed to have “balked” at that idea, per Haynes.
Of course, the respective futures of Paul and Griffin figure to play a large part in deciding what the Clippers do with Jordan. According to Haynes, rival executives believe that the Clippers would intensify their pursuit of a possible Jordan deal if Griffin decides to sign elsewhere as a free agent next month.
It’s also not clear how Jerry West‘s arrival will affect the team’s stance — the Clippers were surveying the landscape prior to West’s arrival, but rival clubs believe Jordan’s status hasn’t necessarily changed in recent days, says Haynes.
Haynes also notes that the Clippers are “desperate for youth and athleticism,” and are expected to be aggressive in attempting to acquire a second-round pick on Thursday.
Bulls In Mix For Milos Teodosic?
If Milos Teodosic decides to leave Europe for the NBA, the Bulls appear to be a possible landing spot, according to Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops. The Bulls are reportedly willing to offer Teodosic a multiyear contract worth more than CSKA Moscow’s reported offer of 12 million euros over three seasons.
After a weekend report claimed CSKA upped its initial offer to Teodosic, a separate report suggested that the Russian team’s offer has not been changed and is considered “final.”
Varlas quotes several NBA general managers who claim that Teodosic is the best player not signed to an NBA squad. The 30-year-old Serbian guard has been a productive player in Europe, averaging exactly 16.1 PPG the last two seasons while averaging 6.5 APG over the last three.
The Nets‘ acquisition of D’Angelo Russell earlier today may have eliminated a notable suitor for Teodosic’s services, as NetsDaily points out. Brooklyn has been mentioned all year as a possible landing spot for the Euroleague star, but with Russell and Jeremy Lin at the point guard spot, it no longer appears to be a position of need for the Nets.
Still, it seems that Teodosic will have no shortage of suitors no matter where he decides to play next season. Various reports have named the Jazz, Kings, Heat, and Nuggets as other NBA clubs that could be in the mix for the point guard’s services.
Lakers, Pacers Engage On Paul George Talks
8:40pm: The Lakers engaged the Kings on a potential trade that would have involved the No. 2 pick going to Sacramento in exchange for Nos. 5 and 10, reports TNT’s David Aldridge (Twitter links). According to Aldridge, the Lakers’ goal was to package one of those Kings’ picks with one of the Lakers’ late first-rounders and a player in an effort to get George. However, the Kings turned them down.
Meanwhile, Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News (Twitter links) hears that the Lakers and Pacers are currently at a “standstill” in their talks, though it remains “highly likely” that Indiana will move George this week.
6:11pm: In the wake of their trade agreement with the Nets, the Lakers have offered the Pacers either Jordan Clarkson or Julius Randle along with the No. 27 and No. 28 picks in exchange for George, according to Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times (via Twitter). ESPN’s Marc Stein also reported the details of that package (via Twitter).
1:56pm: The Lakers and Pacers have engaged on trade talks for Paul George, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne. No deal is imminent at this point.
Los Angeles is considered George’s likely destination in 2018, raising questions about how aggressive the Lakers would be on the trade market for him. If the Lakers expect George to sign with them as a free agent a year from now, there would be little reason for the club to pursue him now and give up key assets to land him. However, it appears the Lakers are at least kicking the tires on what it would take to acquire George and get him in the fold sooner rather than later.
As for what the Lakers may be willing to offer, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical suggested earlier this week that the club isn’t expected to put the No. 2 overall pick or Brandon Ingram on the table. Wojnarowski said that a combination of Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle, and the No. 28 pick might be the most the Lakers are open to giving up, though there’s no indication yet that those are the players being discussed by the two teams.
D’Angelo Russell is another player the Lakers could make available in George talks — ESPN’s Chad Ford reported (via Twitter) that the team may be dangling Russell in an effort to pick up another lottery pick. However, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders suggests (via Twitter) that’s not accurate, noting that Russell and George share an agent, who would likely prefer to see his two clients together in L.A. (Twitter link) — Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link) confirms as much. For what it’s worth, Randle is an Aaron Mintz client as well.
If the Lakers and Pacers make a serious effort to work out a deal, don’t expect Luol Deng or Timofey Mozgov to be involved. The Lakers are resisting that sort of salary dump at this point, since it would cost them draft picks or a young player, tweets Wojnarowski. Pincus adds (via Twitter) that removing Deng and/or Mozgov from the Lakers’ cap likely won’t become a priority until 2018, when the team goes after free agents.
While the Lakers are George’s preferred destination, a number of teams are reportedly exploring the possibility of landing the star forward, even as a one-year rental. The Clippers, Cavaliers, and Rockets have been cited as possible trade partners for Indiana, and according to Amico Hoops, the Wizards are also investigating the possibility of a deal.
Bulls Becoming More Open To Jimmy Butler Trade
8:32pm: Butler’s preference to remain in Chicago has been made clear to the Bulls’ front office in addition to the Cavs, per K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today adds (via Twitter) that a trade between Chicago and Cleveland appears unlikely at this point. Still, Johnson tweets that the Bulls remain active in Butler talks.
7:28pm: The Cavaliers have been notified that Butler would like to stay with the Bulls and would be reluctant to commit to a long-term future in Cleveland, sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com. If the Cavs are able to complete a deal for Butler, I imagine they’d do so without a long-term commitment from the forward, but his desire to remain in Chicago is still a factor they’ll have to consider.
4:33pm: Just one day after Bulls sources suggested that the team likely wouldn’t move Jimmy Butler this week, the odds of a trade appear to be increasing. The Bulls have typically just been willing to listen on Butler inquiries to gauge his value, but they’re now making outgoing calls to teams about the star forward, according to Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com.
According to Goodwill, the Celtics and Cavaliers are the frontrunners to land Butler if a deal gets done this week. The Suns have been “doing due diligence,” league sources tell Goodwill. The Nuggets were somewhat involved on Butler at the trade deadline, per CSN’s report, though it’s not clear if they’re jumping into the fray this time around. The Timberwolves were also mentioned on Monday as a possible trade partner for Chicago.
Butler has publicly expressed a desire to remain in Chicago, but Goodwill writes that the relationship between the All-NBA forward and head coach Fred Hoiberg hasn’t been “fruitful,” which is one reason the Bulls appear to be legitimately considering moving Butler. Goodwill also suggests that the club may be reluctant to pay Butler a super-max Designated Veteran Extension if he becomes eligible for one next summer.
According to Goodwill, the Bulls were “rebuffed” on an offer to the Celtics for the No. 3 overall pick, straight up. I would expect Chicago to be seeking more than just that one pick in return for Butler, so if that’s true, it’s a surprise. Goodwill adds that bringing the Cavs to the negotiating table figures to increase the quality of the offers for Butler.
An earlier report indicated that the Cavs were attempting earlier this week to work out a three-team Butler trade that would see a third team receive Kevin Love, with a high lottery pick going from that club to the Bulls.
Although the Suns were believed to be the third team in that scenario, and John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 confirms (via Twitter) that the Cavs had interest in Phoenix’s No. 4 pick, Gambadoro says those discussions didn’t involve Love (Twitter link). While that may be true, it would be virtually impossible for the Cavs to pry away a top-five pick for the Bulls without using Love, so I have to think he’d be involved somehow.
Those Butler discussions with the Cavs took place before GM David Griffin departed from the franchise. However, according to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com, Griffin left behind the framework for possible deals involving Butler or Paul George, so owner Dan Gilbert and assistant GM Koby Altman – essentially the Cavs’ acting GM – could continue to work on those deals.
Atlantic Notes: Ainge, Celtics, Morrison, Raptors
In an interesting piece devoted to what Danny Ainge and the Celtics might do next, Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald writes that the team’s trade with the Sixers doesn’t necessarily make a ton of sense to him and that Boston seems hardly better equipped to pull off a trade for a star veteran.
Still, Bulpett preaches patience. After all, the last time Bulpett had this feeling of a wasted trade – following the acquisition of Ray Allen – Ainge went ahead and dealt for Kevin Garnett, rendering that previous move more meaningful. In his piece, Bulpett also speculates that there must have been something about Markelle Fultz that gave Boston pause, since, on the surface, he is exactly the type of player the team needs.
Here’s more from the Atlantic division:
- The Celtics have named Scott Morrison an assistant coach for the 2017/18 season, says Chris Reichert of FanSided’s The Step Back (link via Twitter). Morrison had been coach of the Maine Red Claws in the NBA Development League.
- Raptors GM Masai Ujiri said that there are approximately five different paths or directions the front office has studied and is prepared to take depending on how free agency turns out, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN 1050.
- Lewenberg also tweets that Ujiri says he’s “open-minded” with his use of the 23rd overall pick. He does not expect the Raptors trade the pick, but would consider drafting a project, stashing a prospect, or nabbing a more NBA-ready player.
Draft Rumors: J. Jackson, Celtics, Giles, Mitchell
Josh Jackson is not expected to work out for the Celtics before the draft unless Boston commits to keeping the third overall pick and says it will use that pick to draft him, reports Chad Ford of ESPN (link via Twitter). On Monday, the Celtics finalized a deal that sent the No. 1 pick to the 76ers in exchange for the No. 3 and a future pick.
Jackson is also coveted by the Knicks and Bulls, as reported by ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. However, either team would have to move up to third or fourth in the draft to nab Jackson and that would almost certainly mean trading Kristaps Porzingis or Jimmy Butler, respectively.
Here’s more news concerning the upcoming draft:
- Although not all teams are sold, there has been very encouraging feedback on Harry Giles‘ medical condition after three knee surgeries, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. Giles is viewed as one of the most talented players in this year’s draft class, but health concerns may push him out of the lottery, which is perhaps why he turned down an invite to Thursday’s Green Room, per DraftExpress. The full list of Green Room invitees can be found right here, via Adam Zagoria.
- The Trail Blazers are considering trading a first-round pick, but they want to at least keep the No. 15 selection, according to Jason Quick of CSN Northwest (link via Twitter). Portland also possesses the 20th and 26th overall picks.
- Donovan Mitchell worked out for the Mavericks on Monday, according to Ian Begley of ESPN.com. Although Mitchell was scheduled to work out for the Knicks on Tuesday, his audition will now take place on Wednesday, tweets Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com. Mitchell, who also worked out for the Pistons Sunday, could be a special defender because of his athleticism and long wingspan, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News.
- Teams have started calling agents to gauge second-round prospects’ interest in signing two-way contracts, a new addition under the latest CBA, according to Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated (link via Twitter).
Dwyane Wade To Pick Up Option, Stay With Bulls
Dwyane Wade has informed the Bulls that he will pick up his player option for next season, Vincent Goodwill of CSN Chicago reports (link via Twitter). Wade’s option for 2017/18 is worth $23.8MM.
[RELATED: NBA Player Option Decisions For 2017/18]
Wade, who will turn 36 next January, remains productive, but is coming off a season in which his numbers reached their lowest point since his rookie year. The 14-year veteran averaged 18.3 PPG with a career-low .434 FG% in 60 games for Chicago, failing to earn an All-Star nod for the first time since 2003/04.
Given his declining production, Wade would have had a very hard time finding an offer on the open market that would pay him anything close to the value of his option with the Bulls, so it’s no surprise that he’ll exercise it.
Interestingly, Wade’s decision comes at a time when the Bulls are reportedly becoming more open to the possibility of trading Jimmy Butler. Reports have indicated that Wade has little interest in going through a rebuild, so if Chicago does blow up its roster by moving Butler in the coming days, it’s not out of the question that the team could look to move Wade as well — though his salary would make him a tricky trade chip.
For the time being, Wade is on track to return to a roster that features Butler and Rajon Rondo for at least one more year.
Luke Adams contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Pacific Notes: Curry, Kerr, Draft, Warriors, Kings
Stephen Curry was more valuable to the Warriors offensively this season than Kevin Durant, writes Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com. In a fascinating piece about the relative value of the pair, Pelton points to Curry’s passing ability and the game-changing effect his lethal three-point shooting has on drawing defenders. As a result, ESPN’s real plus-minus (RPM) views Curry as having been far more valuable than Durant this season. However, the writer does allow for Durant’s already high value improving next season and beyond. Adjustments were constantly being made during KD’s first year on the team.
Here’s more from the Pacific division:
- Although the Warriors presently lack a pick in this week’s draft, the team held a pre-draft workout on Tuesday, tweets Jeremy Woo. According to Woo, the participants were Canyon Barry (Florida), Sterling Brown (SMU), Chance Comanche (Arizona), Bronson Koenig (Wisconsin), Ben Moore (SMU), and Tai Webster (Nebraska).
- Warriors head coach Steve Kerr will be given time off throughout the summer to explore options for alleviating his back problems, according to Janie McCauley of The Associated Press. “I think at the point we’re at now, it’s what makes you 5-10-15 percent better? And that’s what he’s going to pursue and explore with our blessing,” GM Bob Myers said.
- In the wake of Chris Granger‘s resignation Monday as president of the Kings, Ailene Voison of The Sacramento Bee explains why the departure signifies a major loss to both the franchise and the community. Golden 1 Center stands as Granger’s crowning achievement as Kings president. About Granger, team owner Vivek Ranadive said, “I’m really sad Chris is leaving, but when I recruited him, I also knew it wasn’t going to be forever. He built the arena. He stayed a year (afterward). I told him, ‘I’d like to keep you, but I also understand you don’t want to be selling sponsorships your whole life.’ He’s a big time guy.”
- The Kings‘ top priority should be to find a point guard to grow their nucleus around, writes Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. Each team in the Pacific division is stacked at point guard, except for the Kings, who have Darren Collison and Ty Lawson, both free agents. Jones suggests that the team draft its point guard of the future, with many talented floor generals available, even if De’Aaron Fox (Kentucky) is drafted before the Kings pick at No. 5.
Latest On Kristaps Porzingis
It has been another eventful day in the NBA, as a new name has entered the rumor mill as a possible trade candidate: Kristaps Porzingis. Reports have suggested there is a “frenzy of interest” in Porzingis, and the Knicks haven’t shot down potential suitors, though their asking price is said to be very high. The Celtics are reportedly among the teams with interest.
As we wait to see how serious the Knicks are about moving Porzingis, here are a few more noteworthy updates on his possible availability:
4:48pm:
- A plugged-in source who spoke to Howard Beck of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) says to “disregard” the Porzingis buzz, telling Beck that the Knicks are taking calls but aren’t shopping the Latvian.
3:42pm:
- The Sixers and Spurs were among the teams to call the Knicks about Porzingis, a team source tells Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com.
2:38pm:
- According to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 in Phoenix (Twitter link), the Knicks asked the Suns for the No. 4 pick and Devin Booker in exchange for Porzingis. Gambadoro is as plugged in as anyone on Suns news, and asking for Booker makes sense for a team seeking a “front-line guard,” which we heard earlier. So this is perhaps an indication of New York’s asking price for Porzingis.
- One general manager tells Sean Deveney of The Sporting News (Twitter link) that the Porzingis rumor feels more like a “message” than something the Knicks are seriously considering. Deveney doesn’t speculate about the specifics of that message, but presumably it’s one aimed at Porzingis’ camp.
- League sources tell Jordan Schultz of The Huffington Post (Twitter link) that Phil Jackson would like to dump Joakim Noah‘s contract in a Porzingis deal, though it’s not clear if that’s a deal-breaker. While getting Noah off the cap would certainly be huge for the Knicks, attaching him to Porzingis would risk significantly reducing the latter’s trade value.
Atlantic Notes: Pre-Draft Workouts, 76ers, Nets
Although likely no other pre-draft workout will top the excitement of Markelle Fultz‘s with the 76ers on Saturday, followed by media availability, and the subsequent finalizing of the blockbuster trade that would bring Fultz to Philly, the Sixers held another session on Tuesday, Keith Pompey of Philly.com reports. Participants included Kris Jenkins (Villanova), Michael Young (Pittsburgh), Kadeem Allen (Arizona), Michael Ojo (Florida State), and Youssoupha Fall (France).
Here are more pre-draft workout updates from the Atlantic division:
- On Sunday, the Nets had a group workout, featuring Terrance Ferguson (Australia), Semi Ojeleye (SMU), Chance Comanche (Arizona), and JaCorey Williams (Middle Tennessee State), tweets Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders.
- Another draft-eligible player who has worked out for the Nets recently is Harry Giles, who worked out for Brooklyn last week, NetsDaily.com tweeted.