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Latest On Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving
With no indication that the Nets have made any recent progress on a trade involving Kevin Durant, Ian Begley of SNY.tv says multiple people familiar with those discussions were pessimistic late last month about the odds of a deal getting done anytime soon.
As Begley explains, those sources suggested that teams around the NBA aren’t eager to be the third or fourth team in a trade that sends Durant to another club.
“No one wants to help (Brooklyn get a deal done),” one team told Begley.
While some of Durant’s potential suitors – including the Celtics and Raptors – have the pieces necessary to get a deal done without bringing in a third team, others would be hard-pressed to do so.
The designated rookie extension rule that prevents the Nets from acquiring certain players while Ben Simmons is on their roster further complicate certain straight-up trade scenarios — for instance, even if the Heat are willing to send Bam Adebayo to Brooklyn in a package for Durant, the two teams would likely need to bring in another team to take Simmons.
According to Begley, one source he spoke to near the end of July described the Durant talks as being in a “holding pattern.” It’s unclear if the meeting reported to be taking place between Durant and Nets owner Joe Tsai has occurred yet or if it will help the situation move forward at all.
Meanwhile, there have been no reports as of late indicating that the Nets have been actively pursuing a trade involving Kyrie Irving. According to Begley, a source close to the star point guard said this week that Irving is in a good place with the team and is comfortable remaining in Brooklyn to begin the 2022/23 season.
Jazz Notes: Mitchell, Bogdanovic, Beverley, Conley
As we relayed earlier today, the Jazz reportedly spoke to the Knicks and Lakers a few weeks ago about the possibility of a three-team trade that would involved Donovan Mitchell and Russell Westbrook. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who reported those trade discussions, passed along several other Jazz-related tidbits in his latest roundup of rumors from around the NBA. Here are a few highlights:
- As they explore the trade market for Mitchell, the Jazz aren’t prioritizing win-now players at all, according to Scotto, who says the team is seeking as many first round draft picks as possible. After acquiring four future first round selections and 2022 first rounder Walker Kessler in the Rudy Gobert blockbuster, Utah is hoping to exceed that return by acquiring five or six first rounders for Mitchell, Scotto adds.
- The Knicks remain the frontrunners to land Mitchell, but they’ve been reluctant to give up the draft assets Utah is seeking, both in terms of quantity and quality, per Scotto. Besides debating the number of picks in a potential deal, the two teams have haggled over how many of them would be protected, and to what extent.
- Rival executives believes that if the Jazz move Mitchell, they’ll be in “fire sale” mode and more veterans will likely follow him out of town. Playoff-caliber teams are keeping a close eye on Bojan Bogdanovic and Patrick Beverley, says Scotto.
- While Mike Conley is also a trade candidate, his contract (two years, $47MM) makes him a longer shot to be moved in the near future, Scotto writes. Bogdanovic and Beverley, conversely, are on expiring deals.
Lakers Talked To Knicks, Jazz About Possible Three-Team Trade
The Lakers spoke to the Jazz and Knicks a few weeks ago about a hypothetical three-team trade scenario that would see Donovan Mitchell land in New York, with Russell Westbrook going to Utah, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
As Scotto explains, the proposed deal would involve at least two Jazz players (likely some combination of Bojan Bogdanovic, Patrick Beverley, Jordan Clarkson, and Malik Beasley) going to Los Angeles, while the Knicks would send out players to both teams for salary-matching purposes. New York would need to trade at least $24.2MM in outgoing salary to match Mitchell’s $30.35MM cap hit.
The Jazz – who would buy out Westbrook if they acquired him, according to Scotto – would receive significant draft compensation from both the Lakers and Knicks for trading Mitchell and taking on Westbrook’s $47MM+ salary.
According to Scotto, the Lakers have had interest in Knicks forward Cam Reddish in the past. Additionally, New York previously expressed interest in Beasley and now employs Gersson Rosas, who acquired and re-signed Beasley when he was working in the Timberwolves’ front office. So if the three teams were able to work out a deal, it would be worth keeping an eye on whether the Lakers could land Reddish or the Knicks could get Beasley.
However, it sounds like it’s probably a long shot that the Jazz, Lakers, and Knicks will be able to reach an agreement.
Utah, of course, wants a substantial haul for Mitchell, having reportedly asked the Knicks for three players and six draft picks last month. And teams that have talked to Los Angeles about Westbrook are believed to be seeking the Lakers’ 2027 and 2029 first-round picks (with as little protection as possible) to accommodate the salary dump. According to multiple reports, L.A. has thus far resisted attaching more than one first-rounder to Westbrook in any proposed trade.
For the Lakers, Jazz, and Knicks to make a deal, they’d have to find common ground on the price tags for both Mitchell and Westbrook, which will be extremely challenging.
It’s unclear, based on Scotto’s report, whether or not the three clubs are still actively exploring this scenario or how viable they consider it to be.
Community Shootaround: Should LeBron Sign Extension With Lakers?
Now that LeBron James is officially eligible to sign a contract extension that would keep him with the Lakers through the 2024/25 season, the question we’re positing today is: should he? Does it make sense to his basketball legacy for James to continue with the Lakers’ current personnel, or even a roster without the contract of embattled starting point guard Russell Westbrook?
Team president Rob Pelinka met with James and his agent Rich Paul today for what Paul called a “productive” discussion surrounding a possible extension for the 37-year-old vet. Due to the NBA’s Over-38 rule (outlined in our glossary), the 18-time All-Star is limited to signing, at most, a two-year extension with Los Angeles.
Though James enjoyed a strong individual statistical season during 2021/22, injuries limited the forward to just 56 games, marking the third time in his four seasons with Los Angeles that James has missed 26 or more games. Big man Anthony Davis appeared in just 40 games last year due to his own health problems.
After L.A. traded much of its depth to secure the services of max-salaried point guard Westbrook in the summer of 2021, the Lakers were counting on their new “big three” to win with sheer talent, surrounded mostly by veterans on minimum contracts. The erratic availability of the team’s two best players, plus a disappointing (but mostly healthy) season from Westbrook, doomed the club to an underwhelming 33-49 record. The Lakers did not perform well enough to even qualify for a play-in game. This marked a precipitous fall for the team, which won the title behind stellar performances from James and Davis, surrounded by quality role players, in 2020.
While he is no longer the same defender he was during his Cavaliers and Heat prime, James remains a powerhouse on offense. Beyond his excellent ability to muscle his way inside the paint and an elite passing touch, James has also developed into a decent volume long-range shooter. Last season, he averaged 30.3 PPG, his highest total since 2005/06, plus 8.2 RPG, 6.2 APG, 1.3 SPG, and 1.1 BPG. The 2022 All-NBA Third Teamer posted shooting splits of .524/.359/.756.
The Lakers have pivoted from their 2021 team-building approach. First, L.A. fired its championship-winning head coach Frank Vogel this summer, opting to replace him with former Bucks assistant Darvin Ham. In addition to the team’s three highly-paid stars, Los Angeles is set to bring back wing Talen Horton-Tucker, guard Kendrick Nunn, athletic forwards Stanley Johnson and Wenyen Gabriel, and second-year shooting guard Austin Reaves. Nunn missed the entire 2021/22 season, which would have been his first with the Lakers, due to a knee injury. He claims to be fully recovered at this point.
New Lakers additions like mid-level signing Lonnie Walker IV, centers Damian Jones and Thomas Bryant, and swingmen Troy Brown Jr. and Juan Toscano-Anderson seem to suggest the Los Angeles front office is looking to youth, defense and athleticism over experience and shooting to complement its three stars. The team also drafted rookie guard Max Christie out of Michigan State with the No. 35 pick and signed intriguing undrafted rookies Scotty Pippen Jr. and Cole Swider to two-way contracts.
As for the fate of Westbrook, the Lakers have reportedly received overtures from the Knicks, Jazz, and Pacers. Los Angeles has also had conversations about a potential swap of Westbrook to the Nets for Brooklyn’s own embattled point guard, Kyrie Irving. All of those teams would want at least one and perhaps two future first-round picks to take on Westbrook.
Following a recent split with Westbrook, longtime agent Thad Foucher appeared to indicate that the root of their break-up stemmed from his belief that the point guard should remain with the Lakers, rather than seeking out a trade. Westbrook has since signed Jeff Schwartz to represent him, and one wonders if this new duo will work to relocate Westbrook away from his hometown team this year.
The Lakers would be well-served to offload future assets if they are part of a larger package that will help them also move on from Westbrook. No longer his peak athletic self, the 33-year-old nine-time All-Star proved to be an awkward on-court fit with James as both thrive on the ball and Westbrook, a poor shooter and apathetic cutter, fails to provide much value off it. James and the Lakers could significantly benefit on the floor if the team opted to bring in, say, Pacers veterans Myles Turner and Buddy Hield in exchange for Westbrook and future draft picks.
Even if such a transaction happened, would that – in combination with the club’s new additions and, hopefully, a healthier James and Davis – be enough to effectively move the needle and help Los Angeles return to something approaching title contention, after two straight disappointing seasons? Given the All-Star duo’s time served in the league and injury history, this writer is skeptical.
The West is looking loaded this year, with the reigning champion Warriors poised to hit the ground running, the veteran-laden Nuggets and Clippers finally set to have all their stars healthy, and clubs like the Grizzlies, Suns and Mavericks hoping to continue to build on their recent playoff runs.
James has won four Finals MVP awards and four titles with three different clubs. He has led his teams to 10 Finals appearances all told, including eight straight from 2011-18. There’s no question that, as he enters the twilight of his career, the 6’9″ forward would like to at least have a chance of adding to his championship pedigree and Hall of Fame legacy.
Would James be better served by holding off on agreeing to a Lakers tenure beyond 2023? This way, he could let the team court him in unrestricted free agency instead, where he would be able to simultaneously take stock of what the rest of the league has to offer. At present, only a handful of clubs are expected to have the necessary cap space to sign a player to a maximum contract next summer, though that could certainly change were James to become available.
We want to know what you think. Should James opt to extend sooner rather than later, so that the Lakers could be more inclined to package future draft equity in trades for current help? Should LeBron even opt in at all? Where should he go if he does walk in 2023?
Alternately, if James does return to the Lakers, should he just sign a one-year deal with a player option for the second season, in the hopes of aligning the timing of his free agency with the first season his son Bronny James becomes NBA-eligible? Head to the comments section below to weigh in!
Western Notes: LeBron, R. Paul, Lakers, Jensen
Newly extension-eligible Lakers All-Star forward LeBron James and his agent Rich Paul met with team president Rob Pelinka today at the team’s El Segundo practice facility to discuss their future, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPN. In remarks to McMenamin, Paul called the conversation “productive.”
The Lakers could now ink James to a two-year, $97.1MM extension, which would keep the 19-year veteran under contract with Los Angeles through the 2024/25 season. McMenamin adds that James may decide to sign a single-season extension with a player option for the second year. This way, LeBron can sign on to any club that drafts his son Bronny James when the younger James becomes draft-eligible during the 2024 offseason.
Here are some other notes from the Western Conference:
- The Lakers appear to be hesitant to trade for players with multiple years left on their contracts, per Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times. Woike believes the front office would be more amenable to acquiring players on longer deals should James opt to sign an extension keeping him in L.A. beyond 2023.
- Jazz assistant coach Alex Jensen is set to serve as Team USA’s head coach for the 2022 AmeriCup next month, USA Basketball announced in a press release. Steve Wojciechowski, Marquette head coach, and Mike Williams, head coach of the Wizards’ NBAGL affiliate (the Capital City Go-Go), will work as assistants under Jensen. “I’m honored to have the opportunity to coach the 2022 USA AmeriCup Team and look forward to working with Mike and Steve as well as a talented group of players,” Jensen said of his new NBA offseason gig. “I always enjoy my time with USA Basketball and am excited to be selected for my first head coaching assignment.” Sarah Todd of the Deseret News notes that Jensen was initially hired as an assistant for former Utah head coach Quin Snyder in 2013, but will be sticking around under new head coach Will Hardy this season.
Southwest Notes: KPJ, Bane, McCollum, Nance
Rockets point guard Kevin Porter Jr. appears to have earned a long-term look with the franchise. Houston and Porter have had initial discussions about the future of the extension-eligible 22-year-old, prompting Kelly Iko and Danny Leroux of The Athletic take a deep dive into what a new deal might look like for the fourth-year guard.
Leroux projects an annual number in the range of $10-15MM for Porter. Should the Rockets opt to not extend Porter and instead let him reach restricted free agency in the summer of 2023, Leroux notes that the market for the 6’4″ guard’s services could be dampened. Currently, just seven NBA clubs, including the Rockets, project to have cap space available to sign Porter for more than the mid-level exception.
There’s more out of the Southwest Division:
- Third-year Grizzlies shooting guard Desmond Bane has evolved into a reliable locker-room leader, despite his relative greenness, writes Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “I’ve always been a vet [in terms of personal comportment], but now I’m a vet for real,” Bane said. “I don’t really think that too much has to change. I’ve always been the guy to lead by example, put my best foot in front of the other. That’s half of leadership right there.”
- Pelicans veteran players CJ McCollum and Larry Nance Jr., new additions to the team at the 2022 trade deadline, are extension-eligible this summer. Will Guillory and Danny Leroux of The Athletic consider potential extension contracts for both New Orleans players. Christian Clark of NOLA.com writes that McCollum contributed as a versatile scorer and consistent ball-handler, while Nance helped the team in the less-glamorous role of flexible bench big. Clark notes that both players have shown interest in sticking around long term with an exciting young Pelicans club hot off its first playoff appearance in four years.
- In case you missed it, the lucrative new extension inked by Pelicans power forward Zion Williamson includes a caveat that requires him to get consistent weigh-ins by New Orleans. Should the total of his body fat percentage and weight exceed 295, the team will be able to reduce the guaranteed portion of his salary.
Atlantic Notes: Grimes, Vonleh, Nurse, Maxey, Rivers
In an effort to upgrade his skills on the ball and as a play-maker, second-year Knicks guard Quentin Grimes trained with four-time NBA All-Star and current University of Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway for a second consecutive offseason, per Zach Braziller of the New York Post (subscription required).
“He’s kind of like a big uncle to me,” Grimes said of Hardaway. “Just took me under his wing and helped me play the point guard position a lot better, because that’s what I was in high school… Last year, they didn’t necessarily need me to do that — got to come in, play extremely hard on defense, knock down shots. I feel like next year my role will be expanded a little bit more. … I’m a scorer, really. I love getting to the mid-range, getting all the way to the rim, getting fouled. I like having an all-around game.”
The 6’5″ shooting guard out of Houston was selected with the No. 25 pick in the 2021 draft. A right kneecap injury and a bout with COVID-19 limited his on-court availability to just 46 contests. In 17.1 MPG, he averaging 6.0 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 1.0 APG and 0.7 SPG. As Braziller writes, Grimes shone bright during Summer League in Las Vegas last month, averaging 21.4 PPG on 41% field goal shooting, plus 4.2 RPG and 4.0 APG.
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- Jared Weiss of The Athletic explores how 2014 lottery pick Noah Vonleh could help the Celtics if he makes the team’s 15-man regular season roster following his training camp audition. Weiss thinks Boston could benefit from Vonleh’s abilities as a screener with some defensive versatility as a post presence. In 339 games played for seven teams, the 26-year-old holds averages of 4.9 PPG and 5.1 RPG. He spent last year with the Shanghai Sharks of the CBA. In terms of NBA action, Vonleh most recently suited up for the Nets during the 2020/21 season.
- Raptors head coach Nick Nurse is preparing to juggle the challenge of doling out time for three exciting bench players who are still in early phases of their NBA development, per Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. When it comes allocating rotation minutes for Malachi Flynn, Dalano Banton and Justin Champagnie, Nurse spoke candidly about his approach. “I can envision sitting in front of [media members] a lot here coming up in these press conferences, pre- and post-game, asking me about why he played and why he didn’t,” Nurse said. “I think there will be some serious finessing about it, but it’s turning in my head a little bit and I can see us using a lot of them different ways.”
- During an appearance on the Vince Carter Show podcast, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers heaped praise on breakout shooting guard Tyrese Maxey (h/t to Adam Herman of NBC Sports Philadelphia for the transcription). “He’s the most impressive young player I’ve ever had, in 21 years of coaching,” Rivers said. “His work ethic, Vince, is beyond belief.” As Herman notes, Rivers has coached All-Stars like Blake Griffin, Al Jefferson, Ben Wallace, and Rajon Rondo in similarly early phases of their NBA careers. Maxey enjoyed an excellent second season in 2021/22. His 17.5 PPG, 4.3 APG, and 3.2 RPG are all almost double his rookie season output.
Suns Re-Sign Ish Wainright To Two-Way Deal
AUGUST 4: The Suns’ two-way deal with Wainright is now official, according to a press release from the team.
AUGUST 3: Ish Wainright will return to the Suns on a two-way contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The deal was confirmed by Wainwright’s agents, Jim Tanner and Deirunas Visockas of Tandem.
The 27-year-old power forward made his NBA debut last season after three years of playing overseas. He went to training camp with the Raptors, but was waived before the start of the season. Five days later, Phoenix signed him to a two-way contract, which was converted to a standard deal on the final day of the regular season.
The former Baylor star appeared in 45 games as a rookie and averaged 2.4 points and 1.2 rebounds in 8.0 minutes per night. He got into seven playoff games, but saw just 3.7 minutes per contest.
The Suns filled their other two-way opening earlier today when they signed Duane Washington Jr.
And-Ones: Shumpert, Tampering, 2023 Free Agency
Veteran NBA guard Iman Shumpert was arrested last Saturday at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, according to The Associated Press. Shumpert allegedly tried to bring six ounces of cannabis past security, leading to his arrest.
Shumpert also had a magazine with 14 rounds in his backpack, but no gun was found, the report states. The call came in around 3:40 pm local time and he was arrested for felony possession of marijuana.
Shumpert has played 10 NBA seasons, making stops with New York, Cleveland, Sacramento, Houston and Brooklyn. He didn’t play this season, but at 32 years old, he could make a return to the league one day.
Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- The NBA’s investigations into the Sixers and Knicks‘ potential tampering need to produce clarity, John Hollinger of The Athletic opines. Hollinger notes it’s difficult to determine what constitutes tampering and the league’s actions will impact future teams. Both the Sixers and the Knicks’ deals with respective free agents P.J. Tucker and Jalen Brunson appeared to be finalized before free agency officially began, which may result in tampering penalties.
- Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider-only) previews what to watch for during the 2023 free agency period. Marks examines Lakers superstar LeBron James (who’s now extension-eligible), the Warriors‘ tax bill and much more. Among the other topics Marks explores are former teammates Kyrie Irving and James Harden, as both players can become free agents next summer and are hoping to re-establish themselves as max players before then.