Blazers Rumors: Beal, LaVine, Bridges, Grant, Collins
The Trail Blazers are exploring the trade market in search of veterans who can help Damian Lillard get the team back into the playoffs, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, who observes that Portland has a handful of assets in hand to offer up in possible deals.
Besides the No. 7 overall pick in this year’s draft, the Blazers also have a trade exception worth nearly $21MM, Josh Hart and his team-friendly contract, Eric Bledsoe‘s expiring deal (Bledsoe’s partial guarantee could be increased as needed for salary-matching purposes), future draft picks, and possibly Jusuf Nurkic as a sign-and-trade candidate.
Here’s more from O’Connor on the players Portland could go after this summer:
- Sources tell The Ringer that free-agents-to-be Bradley Beal and Zach LaVine are potential Blazers targets, though it’s unclear if they’ll be willing to leave the Wizards and Bulls, respectively, for Portland. Lillard and Beal are friends who played together for Team USA, O’Connor notes.
- Hornets restricted free agent forward Miles Bridges is a player worth keeping an eye on for the Blazers, sources tell O’Connor. The team is in the market for a big wing who can help on defense and be a secondary offensive play-maker, and Bridges fits the bill. Again though, it remains to be seen if Portland will be able to pry away Bridges from his current team, especially since Charlotte will be able to match any offer sheet.
- Pistons forward Jerami Grant is another two-way wing frequently mentioned as a target for Portland, as O’Connor observes. In his latest Substack article, Marc Stein writes that the Hawks continue to register interest in Grant, but the Blazers would likely be able to outbid Atlanta and other Grant suitors if they’re willing to include the No. 7 pick in their offer.
- Hawks big man John Collins is also frequently cited as a player on the Blazers’ radar, according to O’Connor, who suggests Collins would be more of a lob threat – and more versatile defensively – than Nurkic.
Bulls Reportedly Eyeing Rudy Gobert, Other Centers
The Bulls are among the teams with interest in Jazz center Rudy Gobert, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. O’Connor reports that Chicago has its eye on a number of centers who could be available this offseason, including unrestricted free agent Mitchell Robinson.
Nikola Vucevic, the Bulls’ current starting center, is coming off a 2021/22 season in which he averaged 17.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game on .473/.314/.760 shooting in 73 games (33.1 MPG). That scoring average was Vucevic’s lowest since 2017/18, though that was largely about him taking on a complementary offensive role in Chicago alongside Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan after a few years of being the go-to guy in Orlando.
If the Bulls were to make a play for Gobert, Vucevic would almost certainly have to be included in their trade offer, both for salary-matching purposes and due to their on-court incompatibility.
Gobert, of course, is a much better defender than Vucevic and less of an offensive weapon, which might be a better fit for the Bulls, especially if LaVine is re-signed. However, Gobert also represents the far more significant financial commitment — he’s under contract for nearly $170MM over the next four years, while Vucevic will have a $22MM expiring deal.
If the Bulls hang onto Vucevic this offseason, they’ll likely pursue a more affordable backup center. It’s unclear if a free agent like Robinson would be willing to accept such a role, but perhaps he’d be intrigued by the opportunity if there’s a potential path to a larger role after Vucevic’s contract expires. The Bulls will also have the option of negotiating an extension with Vucevic.
Chicago will be over the cap this offseason, assuming LaVine returns, but should have the full mid-level exception available to offer potential free agent targets.
O’Connor adds that he has also heard the rumblings – previously relayed by Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report – that the Raptors have interest in Gobert.
Rasheed Wallace To Join Lakers As Assistant Coach?
11:34am: Charania has walked back his initial report, tweeting that Wallace is a candidate for Ham’s staff, but the two sides don’t have a formal agreement in place yet.
11:22am: Former NBA forward Rasheed Wallace has reached an agreement to join Darvin Ham‘s staff as an assistant coach for the Lakers, Shams Charania of The Athletic confirms (via Twitter).
As we relayed earlier today, University of Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway had suggested to The Memphis Commercial Appeal that Wallace could be headed to Los Angeles after spending the 2021/22 season as an assistant coach for the Tigers.
Wallace, who played for six NBA teams from 1995-2013, made four All-Star teams and won a championship during that time, compiling more than 16,000 career points and over 7,400 career rebounds. He has done a little coaching since retiring, including with the Pistons in 2013/14.
Ham and Wallace were teammates in Detroit for parts of two seasons in 2004 and 2005, winning a title together in ’04.
Hornets Coaching Candidate D’Antoni To Meet With Jordan
The Hornets are set to bring in another one of their head coaching finalists, Mike D’Antoni, for a meeting that will include team owner Michael Jordan, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
A previous report, identifying Kenny Atkinson as the frontrunner for Charlotte’s coaching vacancy, indicated that Atkinson would be the first of the team’s candidates to meet with Jordan. According to Wojnarowski, that sit-down is expected to occur on Tuesday, with D’Antoni’s meeting coming later in the week.
Both Atkinson and D’Antoni have already met twice with Hornets management, but Jordan wasn’t involved in those first two rounds, Wojnarowski explains. After conducting their final round of interviews in the coming days with Jordan in attendance, the Hornets are expected to finalize a decision on who will replace James Borrego on the sidelines in Charlotte.
A pair of reports in mid-May stated that D’Antoni was believed to be the favorite for the Hornets’ job, though Marc Stein – who published one of those reports – later said he received some “push-back” on that idea. Subsequently, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report suggested D’Antoni may be Jordan’s preferred choice, while Stein stated that the team was likely to decide between Atkinson and D’Antoni.
As of Friday, Terry Stotts was also believed to be in the running for the Hornets’ position, but it remains unclear whether he’ll get an opportunity to meet with Jordan.
D’Antoni, Atkinson, and Stotts all have previous head coaching experience, and all three have helped turn lottery teams into playoff clubs. D’Antoni did it in Phoenix and New York, while Atkinson did it in Brooklyn and Stotts did it in Portland.
Pacific Notes: Kings, Lakers, R. Wallace, Payton, Poole
The Kings are willing to listen to inquires on the No. 4 overall pick in this month’s draft and are open to making a move with it if the price is right, according to James Ham of The Kings Beat, who explores a handful of options the team will have with that lottery selection.
As Ham writes, it would be an easy decision for the Kings to keep the pick if Chet Holmgren or Jabari Smith is available, but they’ll likely be gone by No. 4, along with Paolo Banchero. Jaden Ivey is widely viewed as the fourth-best prospect in the draft, but would be a risky bet alongside De’Aaron Fox in Sacramento’s backcourt, given his defensive limitations and inconsistent three-point shot.
Still, in Ham’s view, if the Kings hang onto the pick and view Ivey as the best player available in that spot, they should be willing to roll the dice on him — if he and Fox prove to be a poor match, the Kings can cross that bridge when they come to it.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- Asked today about the status of Rasheed Wallace, Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway said Wallace may be headed to the Lakers to join Darvin Ham‘s coaching staff, per Jason Munz of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link). Wallace was an assistant with the Tigers in 2021/22.
- Gary Payton II returned to the Warriors‘ rotation on Sunday for the first time since fracturing his left elbow in the Western Semifinals vs. Memphis and made an immediate impact, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. As Slater details, Payton – whose point-of-attack defense helped slow down Boston in Game 2 – looks capable of playing a major rotation role going forward.
- Through the first six quarters of the NBA Finals, Warriors guard Jordan Poole struggled against a Celtics defense he describes as “extremely lengthy,” according to Slater. However, he got going in the second half of Game 2 on Sunday and finished with 17 points. Poole, who was 5-of-9 on three-pointers, will be looking this series to put the final touches on his case for a lucrative offseason extension.
Trade Rumors App For iOS/Android
If you enjoy Hoops Rumors on your smartphone or tablet, be sure to check out our free Trade Rumors app!
Trade Rumors, available for iOS and Android, is the best way to consume our content on a mobile device. Here’s what it delivers, all for free:
- All the articles from Hoops Rumors, MLB Trade Rumors, Pro Football Rumors, and Pro Hockey Rumors in an easy-to-navigate, eye-catching format. Swipe through stories to quickly consume all the news and rumors from our four sites. Not into all four sports? No problem – any sport can be easily removed.
- Customize what you see. You can create feeds for any team or player across any of our sites.
- Notifications. For any team or player, you can set up push notifications to ensure you always get breaking news instantly. Notifications can also be set up at the sport level.
- Commenting. You can read and contribute comments on the app seamlessly.
- Customer service. If you find a bug, we’ll fix it. If you have a feature request, we’ll consider it. The app is continually evolving and improving.
- Did we mention Trade Rumors is a free app? What do you have to lose? Download it now!
Jazz Rumors: Mitchell, Gobert, Bogdanovic, Coaching Search
The Jazz are expected to be aggressive on the trade market this offseason, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic, who hears from sources that the club has no plans to pivot to a rebuild following Quin Snyder‘s departure and continues to view itself as a perennial playoff team working toward title contention.
Marc Berman of The New York Post cites league sources who believe that Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell will eventually request a trade, but Berman acknowledges those sources don’t necessarily expect it to happen this offseason. Multiple teams have called Utah to inquire about Mitchell’s availability, sources tell Jones, but the Jazz have responded with a “firm no” and have made it clear they intend to build around the three-time All-Star.
[RELATED: Donovan Mitchell Reportedly “Unsettled” Following Snyder’s Departure]
While the Jazz apparently have no intention of moving Mitchell, virtually anyone else on the roster could probably be had in the right deal, Jones writes. Sources tell The Athletic that All-Star center Rudy Gobert and forward Bojan Bogdanovic are two players who have drawn “significant” interest from potential suitors.
Here’s more on the Jazz:
- Utah wants its next head coach to “command buy-in and respect” from the players, including Mitchell, according to Jones. Most of the candidates on the Jazz’s preliminary list are highly regarded for their player development skills and defensive acumen, Jones adds.
- In Jones’ view, Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin is one head coaching candidate to keep an eye on, since he was a finalist in Utah’s previous coaching search that led to the hiring of Snyder. Former Jazz assistant and current Knicks assistant Johnnie Bryant is also worth watching due to his close relationship with Mitchell and his ability to develop talent, says Jones.
- Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune takes a deeper dive into ESPN’s report on Mitchell being “unsettled” and “unnerved” by Snyder’s exit, explaining why he believes the Jazz star is trying to send a message to the organization with the leak.
Atlantic Notes: Boeheim Brothers, Knicks, Horford, White, Kokoskov
The Knicks recently worked out a pair of brothers — Buddy Boeheim and Jimmy Boeheim — ahead of the NBA draft, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. The Boeheim brothers are the sons of Jim Boeheim, who’s served as head coach at Syracuse since 1976.
“They’re getting an opportunity,” Boeheim said of his sons. “They worked hard all their life. They’ll do workouts and see where they stand in the whole picture. It’s fun for them.
“We’ll see where they can go — anywhere from the NBA to G-League to overseas. Nobody knows. I told them: Just keep your head down, work hard, go through workouts and get on a summer league team and see what happens there.’’
Both Boeheims played for their father at Syracuse last season. Buddy averaged 19.2 points per game on 41% shooting last season, while Jimmy averaged 13.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per contest. The Knicks own the No. 11 and No. 42 picks in the draft this year.
Here are some other notes from around the Atlantic:
- Jayson Tatum praised veteran big man Al Horford for his leadership with the Celtics this season, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe tweets. Horford is in his 15th NBA campaign. “Al is the best teammate ever, just a consummate professional,” Tatum said. Horford also made the NBA Finals for the first time in his career this year.
- Celtics guard Derrick White briefly responded to Draymond Green‘s comments following Game 1, as relayed by Brian Robb of Masslive.com. Green pointed out that White, Marcus Smart and Horford combined to shoot 15-of-23 from deep in the game and seemed confident it wouldn’t happen again. “I mean, we knew what their game plan was going in, so it’s just up to us to make shots,” White said. “I mean, it is what it is. He said what he said. Just going into Game 2, just have the right mindset and whatever it takes to help us win games.” Green turned out to be right in Game 2, as White, Smart and Horford combined to shoot just 2-of-7 from deep.
- Brian Lewis of the New York Post explores what Igor Kokoskov could bring to the Nets. Brooklyn is expected to hire Kokoskov, who holds a relationship with Steve Nash and recently coached with Dallas, as an assistant coach.
2022 NBA Offseason Preview: Brooklyn Nets
The Nets entered training camp last fall as the title favorites, with their Big Three of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving all healthy and ready to play their first full season together. However, it didn’t take long for Brooklyn’s season to begin to come off the rails.
Irving’s refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19 led to him appearing in just 29 of 82 regular season games due to New York City’s local vaccine mandate and the Nets’ initial unwillingness to only play him on the road. Durant put up MVP-type numbers in the first half to help compensate for Irving’s absence, but he went down with a knee injury in January that cost him nearly two months.
Harden dealt with conditioning and hamstring issues, and reportedly became frustrated by Irving’s inconsistent availability and the Nets’ struggles in Durant’s absence, ultimately requesting a trade prior to February’s deadline. Health problems also impacted Joe Harris, who was limited to just 14 appearances due to a troublesome ankle injury, and Ben Simmons, who was acquired as the centerpiece in the Harden trade but never suited up for Brooklyn because of a back injury.
The Nets still went 44-38 and won their first and only play-in game, but they never really looked like they were firing all cylinders, and their playoff run was short-lived — they lost four straight games to the eventual Eastern champions (the Celtics) in the first round.
With Irving on track for potential free agency and Simmons recovering from a procedure on his back, Brooklyn will have to determine this offseason whether the current core is still championship-caliber, assuming everyone is available next season.
The Nets’ Offseason Plan:
Irving holds a $36.9MM player option for the 2022/23 season, but is considered likely to turn it down and seek a new contract, which would lead to some fascinating negotiations between him and the Nets.
Brooklyn can’t really afford to let Irving walk, since his exit wouldn’t open up any cap room for a replacement. That should create some leverage for Kyrie. On the other hand, Irving is on the wrong side of 30 and has a reputation as a mercurial star. And the teams with the most projected cap room – such as the Magic, Pistons, Spurs, and Pacers – aren’t likely to seriously pursue him.
If the right sign-and-trade opportunity arises, perhaps Irving and the Nets would be open to pursuing it, but Kyrie – who specifically chose Brooklyn in free agency in 2019 – has given no indication he wants to leave, and it’s unlikely that any player available in a sign-and-trade deal would possess Irving’s upside or his ability to make an immediate impact for a win-now team. The Nets and Kyrie may take some time to reach sort of compromise – a five-year, maximum-salary contract seems like a long shot – but I’d still expect them to eventually come to an agreement.
A new deal for Irving is likely to push the Nets into tax territory on its own, but the team still has several other players’ free agencies to resolve. Patty Mills (player option), Nic Claxton (RFA), and Bruce Brown (UFA) all played important roles on the 2021/22 roster and if they’re not re-signed, Brooklyn will have to seek out adequate replacements.
Of the three, Claxton is perhaps most likely to be back, since the Nets can match any offer sheet he receives. But if there’s a team particularly high on Claxton that decides to force Brooklyn’s hand with an aggressive offer, perhaps Sean Marks and his team would prefer to go bargain shopping at center and use the Claxton money to address other roster spots.
Mills shouldn’t be in line for a significant raise, so his free agency will likely come down to where he wants to play. If he turns down his $6.2MM player option, there will be no shortage of teams interested in signing him as a backup point guard — if he decides another team gives him a better shot to win a title, he could depart.
Brown is another player who figures to draw interest from a handful of playoff teams, given his versatility and defensive tenacity. The Nets were able to retain him last year at a bargain rate because he was a restricted free agent, but this time around, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get a salary closer to the full mid-level exception. It’s unclear if Brooklyn is prepared to go that high.
If the Nets lose a couple of those guys, their best path to acquiring replacements may be on the trade market, since they don’t control any 2022 draft picks and will only be able to offer the taxpayer mid-level exception or minimum salaries to outside free agents.
Harris’ stock will be down following a lost season, but if his medicals look good, the Nets could potentially dangle his contract (two years and $38.5MM) and the Sixers’ 2023 first-round pick in an effort to get a couple useful rotation players. With sharpshooter Seth Curry under contract for less than half the price, Harris has become more of a luxury than a necessity.
Of course, Simmons – who has three years left on his maximum-salary contract – could be a trade chip, but his value will be even lower now than it was when the Sixers spent months trying to move him. Brooklyn is probably better off hanging onto the 25-year-old and hoping he can regain his All-Star form in a new environment. In theory, his defensive prowess and ability to run the floor should make him a nice fit alongside Durant and Irving.
As the Nets explore the trade market, it’s worth noting that they have several trade exceptions available, including one worth $11.3MM. That should give them a little additional flexibility as they weigh their options.
Salary Cap Situation
Note: Our salary cap figures are based on the league’s latest projection ($122MM) for 2022/23.
Guaranteed Salary
- Kevin Durant ($44,119,845)
- Ben Simmons ($35,448,672)
- Joe Harris ($18,642,857)
- Seth Curry ($8,496,653)
- Jevon Carter ($3,925,000) — Waived.
- Cam Thomas ($2,138,160)
- Day’Ron Sharpe ($2,109,480)
- Total: $114,880,667
Player Options
Kyrie Irving ($36,934,550): Bird rights- Patty Mills ($6,184,500): Non-Bird rights
- Total: $43,119,050
Team Options
- Kessler Edwards ($1,563,518): Non-Bird rights
- Total: $1,563,518
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- None
Restricted Free Agents
- Nic Claxton ($2,228,276 qualifying offer / $2,228,276 cap hold): Bird rights
- Total (cap holds): $2,228,276
Two-Way Free Agents
- David Duke ($1,616,044 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Total: $1,616,044
Draft Picks
- None
Extension-Eligible Players
Note: These are players who are either already eligible for an extension or will become eligible before the 2022/23 season begins.
- Seth Curry (veteran)
- Joe Harris (veteran)
- Kyrie Irving (veteran) 1
- Ben Simmons (veteran)
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
- Bruce Brown ($8,998,596 cap hold): Bird rights
- Nikola Milutinov ($2,275,680 cap hold) 2
- LaMarcus Aldridge ($1,811,516 cap hold): Early Bird rights
- Wilson Chandler ($1,811,516 cap hold): Non-Bird rights 3
- Goran Dragic ($1,811,516 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Andre Drummond ($1,811,516 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Blake Griffin ($1,811,516 cap hold): Early Bird rights
- Mike James ($1,811,516 cap hold): Non-Bird rights 3
- Total: $22,143,372
Offseason Cap Outlook
Even if Irving walks and the Nets get nothing back in return, they’ll be operating as an over-the-cap team — opening up cap room would require jettisoning Irving and shedding more salary beyond that, which probably isn’t happening.
The most likely scenario is that Irving re-signs on a maximum-salary deal or something close to it and Brooklyn is once again a taxpayer in 2022/23.
Cap Exceptions Available
- Taxpayer mid-level exception: $6,392,000 4
- Trade exception: $11,306,904
- Trade exception: $6,267,918
- Trade exception: $3,246,530
- Trade exception: $1,669,178
- Trade exception: $1,293,680
- Trade exception: $118,342
Footnotes
- Irving would only be eligible if his option is exercised.
- Milutinov was the No. 26 overall pick in 2015, but has yet to sign a rookie contract. The Nets hold his NBA rights.
- The cap holds for Chandler and James remain on the Nets’ books from prior seasons because they haven’t been renounced. They can’t be used in a sign-and-trade deal.
- This is a projected value. The Nets could instead have access to the full mid-level exception ($10,349,000) and bi-annual exception ($4,050,000) if they remain below the tax apron.
Salary and cap information from Basketball Insiders and RealGM was used in the creation of this post.
Donovan Mitchell Reportedly “Unsettled” Following Snyder’s Departure
In the wake of Quin Snyder stepping down as head coach of the Jazz, star guard Donovan Mitchell is being described as “unsettled, unnerved and wondering what it means for the franchise’s future,” according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Snyder was a significant reason why Mitchell signed a five-year, maximum-salary extension with Utah in 2020, according to Wojnarowski, who says the coach’s decision to step down came as a surprise and a disappointment to Mitchell.
Mitchell is coming off a season where he averaged 25.9 points per game, the second-highest mark of his five-year career. He shot 45% from the floor and 35.5% from three-point range during those outings, continuing to establish himself as one of the league’s premier scorers.
Mitchell was acquired by the Jazz on the night of the 2017 NBA draft. The three-time All-Star would garner significant interest on the trade market if he became available, as he holds career averages of 23.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists at just 25 years old.
Rumors have persisted for years about possible tension between Jazz stars Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, and there has been speculation about whether the guard wants to remain in Utah long-term. Mitchell has repeatedly dismissed that speculation, but if he’s at all dissatisfied with Snyder’s exit, it likely won’t be long before those whispers start up again.
Of course, as Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune tweets, it’s possible Mitchell simply wants to have a significant say in who the team’s next head coach is. He’s reportedly close with current Knicks assistant and former Jazz assistant Johnnie Bryant, who has already been cited as a possible candidate for the job.
As Larsen observes (via Twitter), Mitchell, Bryant, and Wojnarowski are all represented by CAA.