Hoops Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript: 4/2/2026
Hoops Rumors’ Arthur Hill will hold a live chat Thursday at 11 am Central time (noon Eastern) exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers. Use the link below to ask a question in advance, participate in the live event and read the transcript afterward.
Mavericks Notes: Flagg, Kidd, Cuban, Williams, Welts
Cooper Flagg has lived up to the hype of being the No. 1 pick in last year’s draft, but he admits the Mavericks‘ poor record has taken some of the joy out of his first NBA season, Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal writes in a subscriber-only piece. Flagg played with dominant teams in high school and college, so it’s been an adjustment to be part of a 24-52 Dallas squad that’s far removed from the playoff race.
“Obviously, it’s been tough,” Flagg said Wednesday in an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show (Twitter video link). “I only lost four games last year [at Duke]. There’s been times through the season where it’s been mentally taxing on me, not having success that I would’ve hoped for.”
There was reason to believe the Mavs might be at least a play-in contender at the start of the season with Flagg teaming with Anthony Davis in the front court and Kyrie Irving expected to return from a torn ACL around the All-Star break. However, Davis’ continued injury issues led to a trade to Washington in February, and Irving’s comeback was delayed until the fall.
Flagg has still been brilliant overall and is locked in a tight race for Rookie of the Year honors with former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel. Afseth notes that he’s just the fifth teenager in NBA history to average 20 points per game.
“Obviously, we’ve had a lot of injuries and unfortunate things happen throughout the year,” Flagg said. “It’s obviously not been ideal, but I’ve had growth along the way, and I’ve had to get better and learn on the fly. It’s definitely not the start I would’ve looked for, but hopefully I’ll be able to look back on it and know that I was able to learn a lot from it.”
There’s more from Dallas:
- The controversy over trading Luka Doncic was revived on Tuesday during a podcast appearance by former Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, per Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required). Among Cuban’s comments was, “That doesn’t justify it for our coach and our general manager to stand up and trade our best player.” Coach Jason Kidd said he called Cuban in response, but declined to elaborate before Tuesday’s game. “When are we going to move on?” Kidd asked. “We have to move forward. We’re focused on the present and the future and we’ve got an incredible opportunity to build.”
- Brandon Williams displayed his full offensive game in the first half Tuesday by scoring 11 points in the first quarter and handing out six assists in the second quarter, states Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. The Mavs will face a decision this summer on the free agent guard, who has seen his role expand since Irving’s injury. “I think everybody knows that I can really score the ball and use my speed, as well, but just organizing the floor, getting the floor set up before I even make an attack is pretty much the main key,” Williams said. “I have a Hall of Fame coach, so picking his brains, seeing what he sees and molding that into my game.”
- In an interview with Curtis, CEO Rick Welts talks about Flagg’s rookie season, Kidd’s future as head coach and his desire to have a new head of basketball operations in place before the draft.
Lakers Notes: LeBron, Doncic, Centers, Smart
The amount of money LeBron James is willing to accept in his next contract will help determine where he plays next season or if he plays at all, according to Dave McMenamin and Tim Bontemps of ESPN. James will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, which is an unusual position as he typically holds a player option that gives him leverage in determining his future.
“Will he play for the midlevel exception? For the minimum?” one scout asked the authors. “A big part of this is knowing what he will be willing to do [financially].”
McMenamin and Bontemps point out that if James is willing to accept a veteran’s minimum deal just to continue his career, he becomes an attractive option for any team in the league. If he demands the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which will be about $15MM, or tries to work out a sign-and-trade, his next team may have to make other roster moves to get below the first apron.
The Lakers will hold James’ Bird rights and won’t face the same salary restrictions as their competitors. However, the need to re-sign free agent Austin Reaves, who could be in line for a max deal, will affect how much L.A. might be willing to spend in other areas. Sources tell the authors that along with Reaves, the Lakers are hoping to reach new deals with Jaxson Hayes, Luke Kennard and possibly Rui Hachimura if he can be re-signed at a reasonable price.
McMenamin and Bontemps list the Warriors, Cavaliers, Knicks, Nuggets and Clippers as teams to watch if James decides to go elsewhere.
There’s more on the Lakers:
- Coach JJ Redick is touting Luka Doncic for Most Valuable Player honors, McMenamin adds in a separate story. L.A. went 15-2 in March with Doncic scoring 600 points, making him one of 10 players in NBA history to reach that total in any month. “He’s the engine that’s driving all of our winning,” Redick said. “Certainly, we have a ton of guys starring in their roles, but he’s the driver.” Doncic declined a chance to campaign for himself as MVP, per Melissa Rohlin of The California Post (Twitter video link).
- The Lakers have been getting improved play at center with the postseason approaching, notes Khobi Price of The California Post. It’s a welcome change from last year, when Redick was sometimes forced to use centerless lineups in a first-round loss to Minnesota.
- Marcus Smart will miss his sixth straight game with an ankle contusion when the Lakers travel to Oklahoma City on Thursday, per Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link).
NBA Europe Venture Attracting Plenty Of Interest
The effort to line up teams for NBA Europe has been getting an enthusiastic response, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
With the deadline for non-binding proposals passing at midnight Tuesday, two sources tell Vardon that multiple bidders submitted offers of at least $1 billion, while numerous others matched or exceeded the $500MM range. Vardon’s sources cite “serious” interest from more than 120 investors, and he hears that commissioner Adam Silver’s office is delighted with the results.
Several existing European teams are among the bidders, Vardon adds, including some that currently compete in the EuroLeague. Vardon suggests that could have dire consequences for the league as the NBA moves into its territory.
“We have received significant interest from a range of prospective teams and investors for permanent franchise spots in a new league in Europe,” NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum said. “The level of engagement and the scale of the bids reflect the marketplace’s belief in our proposed model and the enormous, untapped potential for European basketball. We will now review the bids in more detail and shortlist the partners who share our vision and commitment to accelerating the growth of the game across the continent.”
Potential investors signed non-disclosure agreements with the NBA, two sources tell Vardon. One source describes the initial submissions as “declarations of interest” rather than actual offers. The teams detailed how much they would be willing to spend to be part of the new venture, with investments in potential new arenas factored in.
Vardon hears that the NBA hopes to receive $500MM to $1 billion from each team admitted to the new league, with the amount varying depending on the size of the market. Another source cautions that some European bidders are questioning the NBA’s business plan and that “weeks of contentious negotiations” could be upcoming.
The Athletic has previously cited interest from the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund in submitting a bid for a team based in London. In addition, Qatar Sports Investments hopes to own a franchise in Paris, and Gerry Cardinale’s RedBird Capital is eyeing a club in Milan.
The NBA is focusing on a dozen cities for the league, and sources tell Vardon that there’s “competition across each of (the) 12 target cities from a variety of investor types.” Along with London, Paris and Milan, Vardon states that the preferred locations are Rome, Barcelona, Madrid, Athens, Istanbul, Berlin, Munich, Lyon and Manchester.
AEK Athens submitted a bid to be the Athens franchise, according to Stefan Acevski of Eurohoops.
With the bids now in hand, the NBA and its partners will begin narrowing the field to the most qualified groups, Vardon adds. Final approval is required from the Board of Governors, but Vardon sees that as a formality.
Vardon reports that the NBA plans to announce the license holders in waves, rather than all at once. Silver remains focused on having the new league begin playing in October 2027.
Brandon Clarke Arrested On Drug, Fleeing Charges
Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke was arrested Wednesday afternoon in Cross County, Arkansas, on charges of trafficking a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, fleeing in a vehicle exceeding the speed limit and improper passing, Lucas Finton and Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal write in a subscriber-only story.
The sheriff’s department refused to comment on the arrest, with Chief Deputy Larry Jones emailing a statement to the authors that read, “At this time, there is no additional information that can be released.”
Head coach Tuomas Iisalo also offered little insight during a session with reporters before tonight’s home game against New York, according to Finton and Cole. “I’m aware of the report but don’t have any comments,” Iisalo said.
Clarke was only available for two games this season, as he missed the start of the campaign while recovering from a procedure on his right knee and then quickly suffered a right calf strain. After recent medical imaging, he was declared out for the season last week.
Injuries have derailed a promising career for the 29-year-old Clarke, who finished fourth in the Rookie of the Year race in 2020 and was a reliable big man off the bench for the successful Grizzlies teams earlier this decade. He was limited to six games during the 2023/24 season, and then rebounded for 64 a year ago before hurting his knee.
Clarke is earning $12.5MM this season and has the same amount fully guaranteed for next year before becoming a free agent in the summer of 2027.
Warriors Star Stephen Curry Targeting Sunday Return
April 1: The Warriors issued an update Wednesday on Curry’s condition (Twitter link), stating that he participated in in a five-on-five scrimmage on Tuesday and “continues to make progress in his return-to-play protocol.” He’s expected to take part in another scrimmage later this week before being reevaluated over the weekend.
March 31: Warriors star guard Stephen Curry is targeting Sunday’s game against the Rockets for his long-awaited return to action, The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Nick Friedell report.
Curry has been out since January 30 due to patellofemoral pain syndrome (runner’s knee) in his right knee. Curry, who went through his first full practice in two months on Tuesday, was scheduled to take part in five-on-five scrimmaging after practice. As long as he continues to progress, the tentative plan is for him to return against Houston.
“He went through a full practice, but it was very light,” coach Steve Kerr said. “We didn’t do anything live.”
A team source later told Amick and Friedell that Curry handled the scrimmage well, but his status will continue to be assessed daily. Curry has appeared in 39 games, averaging 27.2 points and 4.8 assists in 31.8 minutes per night.
Golden State has a back-to-back this Wednesday and Thursday. After Sunday’s contest, the team will have four regular season games remaining.
The Warriors are currently in 10th place in the Western Conference, holding the last play-in spot. They’re a game-and-a-half behind the No. 9 Trail Blazers and three games behind the No. 8 Clippers.
Warriors forward Gui Santos said the team was excited to have Curry participate in practice.
“It’s amazing, man,” Santos said. “Just to have him out there with us, it’s always great. We have a lot more confidence when we have a guy like Steph on the court. There’s no doubt about it.”
Trail Blazers Fined $100K For Illegal Contact With Yang Hansen; Two Execs Suspended
The NBA has imposed a $100K fine against the Trail Blazers for illegally contacting Yang Hansen in December 2023 before he was eligible for the draft, the league announced (via Twitter). In addition, assistant general managers Sergi Oliva and Mike Schmitz have been suspended for two weeks without pay.
The Blazers issued a response to the penalty, stating, “When this was brought to our attention the Portland Trail Blazers self reported to the NBA. The team cooperated fully with the investigation and accept the league’s determination,” relays Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Twitter link).
It was somewhat surprising when Hansen was selected with the 16th pick in last year’s draft, but Blazers officials said they had been watching him closely for some time and were convinced he has star potential. The 20-year-old center was a standout with the Qingdao Eagles in the Chinese Basketball Association and had drawn comparisons to Yao Ming and Nikola Jokic.
Hansen has seen limited action during his rookie season, appearing in 41 games with the Blazers and averaging 2.3 points and 1.6 rebounds in 7.2 minutes per night. He’s been much more productive with Portland’s G League affiliate, the Rip City Remix, where he averaged 17.1 points and 9.1 rebounds in 14 regular season contests.
Hansen was selected to participate in the Rising Stars event at All-Star Weekend.
Tom Izzo Says Suns Offered Him Head Coaching Job
Jordan Ott has done a remarkable job of turning around the Suns, but the team had a much bigger target in mind during last year’s coaching search. Appearing Wednesday on the Dan Patrick Show (Twitter video link), Michigan State legend Tom Izzo revealed that he was offered the position and gave it strong consideration before declining.
“I’ve had more than a couple job offers in the NBA, looked at one last year with Phoenix – my former player (Suns owner) Mat Ishbia,” Izzo said. “That was hard, that was a hard thing to turn down … we talked seriously about it.”
Ishbia played for the Spartans from 1999-2002 and was part of the national championship team in 2000. Hiring Izzo is the type of splashy move that Ishbia tended to make after buying the Suns in 2023, but he has found success with Ott, another Michigan State alum, who had no previous NBA head coaching experience before accepting the job last June.
Izzo’s remarks came during a discussion about Connecticut’s Dan Hurley, who received an offer to coach the Lakers in 2024. Izzo, who was contacted by the Cavaliers and Hawks earlier in his career, advised Hurley to consider the unstable nature of college sports and admitted the current environment made him ponder a move to Phoenix, relays Doug Haller of The Athletic.
“No. 1, because I kind of wanted to go with (Ishbia). … And then, No. 2, I’ve been pretty vocal about it: I don’t like what’s going on in college athletics,” Izzo said. “And by the way, neither do 99.8 percent of the football and basketball coaches in America.”
Izzo, 71, has been the Spartans’ head coach since 1995 and has taken the team to eight Final Fours. His 764 career wins are the most in school history, and his teams have reached the NCAA Tournament in 28 consecutive seasons.
In his discussion with Patrick, Izzo said he has no plans to retire from coaching and reiterated his concern about the changes affecting the college game, such as the arrival of NIL money and relaxed transfer rules that make it easy for players to move from one school to another.
“I think something has to be done with the insanity that we’re going through,” he said. “I don’t think anyone else cares, so I’ll just keep plucking along and see if I can get to a Final Four again.”
Sixers Notes: Embiid, Payne, Playoff Rotation, Jessup
Joel Embiid‘s status for Wednesday’s game in Washington has been a source of some confusion over the course of the day. The Sixers added the star center to their 11:15 am injury report, ruling him out due to an illness, which was apparently news to Embiid.
“Must be APRIL FOOLS joke????” Embiid wrote on Twitter. “Played against Miami in the same conditions and I’m planning to play tonight!!! #SweatItOut”
Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required) reached out to Sixers president of basketball Daryl Morey, who provided some clarity on the situation, explaining that Embiid was unable to attend Wednesday morning’s film session, prompting the team to rule him out and get his him checked out by a doctor. Embiid, who scored 26 points in 34 minutes while playing through the illness in a loss to Miami on Monday, hopped back on social media to respond to the news.
“I guess they won’t let me play basketball!!” he tweeted.
Here’s more on the 76ers:
- Veteran point guard Cameron Payne played just two minutes on Saturday in Charlotte. On Monday, he got his first DNP-CD since joining the Sixers in February. Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice examines Payne’s declining role, noting that the 76ers appear to be experimenting with using rookie VJ Edgecombe as the point guard during the rare moments when Tyrese Maxey is off the court.
- In a mailbag for PhillyVoice, Aaronson considers whether Nick Nurse is in danger of losing his job this offseason and points out that the Sixers are missing Jared McCain‘s three-point shooting, having ranked 29th in the league in 3PT% since trading him to Oklahoma City.
- Mizell also fielded questions in a mailbag for the Inquirer, including one on what Philadelphia’s playoff rotation will look like. Andre Drummond, Justin Edwards, Trendon Watford, Jabari Walker, and Payne are among the players who may not see a ton of action in the postseason, Mizell writes.
- Justinian Jessup, the 51st overall pick in the 2020 draft whose NBA rights are held by the Sixers, has signed a multiyear contract extension with Bayern Munich and is now under contract with the German team through 2028, per a press release. The former Boise State shooting guard once looked like a candidate to sign an NBA contract, but he’s now 27 years old and six years removed from being drafted, so that seems increasingly unlikely. Philadelphia acquired his rights in this year’s Eric Gordon trade with Memphis.
Hoops Rumors Glossary: Non-Bird Rights
Players and teams have to meet certain criteria to earn Bird rights and Early Bird rights, but Non-Bird rights are practically a given.
They apply to a player who has spent a single season or less with his team, as long as he finishes the season on an NBA roster and is on a standard contract (rather than a hardship or 10-day deal). Even a player who signs a rest-of-season contract right before the regular season finale and spends just a single day with his club would have Non-Bird rights in the offseason.
Teams can also claim Non-Bird rights on Early Bird free agents if they renounce them. The primary motivator to do so would be to allow the team to sign the free agent to a one-year contract or a one-year deal with a second-year option, a move that’s not permitted via Early Bird rights.
Teams are eligible to sign their own free agents using the Non-Bird exception for a salary starting at 120% of the player’s previous salary, 120% of the minimum salary, or the amount of a qualifying offer (if the player is a restricted free agent), whichever is greatest. Contracts can be for up to four years, with 5% annual raises.
The cap hold for a Non-Bird player is 120% of his previous salary, unless his previous salary was the minimum. In that case, the cap hold is equivalent to the two-year veteran’s minimum salary. If a Non-Bird free agent only has one year of NBA experience, his cap hold is equivalent to the one-year veteran’s minimum salary.
The salary limitations that apply to Non-Bird rights are more severe than those pertaining to Bird rights or Early Bird rights, so in many cases, the Non-Bird exception may not be enough to retain a well-regarded free agent. For instance, the Sixers held Guerschon Yabusele‘s Non-Bird rights last summer, but couldn’t have used them to match or exceed the offer the veteran big man received from the Knicks.
Because Yabusele was on a minimum-salary contract in 2024/25, Philadelphia’s ability to offer a raise using the Non-Bird exception was extremely limited — the Sixers would have only been able to offer 120% of Yabusele’s minimum salary using his Non-Bird rights, which worked out to $2,854,644. New York used its taxpayer mid-level exception to give him a two-year, $11.3MM contract, comfortably topping Philadelphia’s maximum Non-Bird offer.
The Warriors may end up in a similar situation this offseason with De’Anthony Melton, who will only have Non-Bird rights after playing out a one-year, minimum-salary contract. Golden State will only be able to offer him up to 120% of his 2026/27 minimum salary using the Non-Bird exception. That would work out to a projected $4.21MM.
Given how well Melton has performed when healthy this season, that likely won’t be enough to retain him, meaning the Warriors would have to be willing to use another cap exception – such as the mid-level – to make a competitive offer.
Holding Non-Bird rights on a free agent didn’t help the Sixers with Yabusele and might not be enough for the Warriors with Melton, but there are cases in which the exception proves useful.
The Sixers, for instance, only had Non-Bird rights on Justin Edwards last offseason, but that gave them the ability to offer him a three-year contract, exceeding the one- or two-year minimum-salary offer they could have made if he were an outside free agent. Non-Bird rights were also used to sign Nicolas Batum (Clippers), Jaxson Hayes (Lakers), Ajay Mitchell (Thunder), Gary Trent Jr. (Bucks), and Fred VanVleet (Rockets) — VanVleet had his Early Bird rights knocked down to Non-Bird rights so that Houston could give him a second-year player option.
The higher a player’s previous salary is, the less restrictive his Non-Bird rights are. For example, Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga will only have Non-Bird rights this summer if his team option is declined, but Atlanta would have significantly more flexibility with him than Golden State will with Melton, since Kuminga has a $22.5MM base salary this season. The Hawks could offer Kuminga a starting salary of up to $27MM (120% of $22.5MM) using the Non-Bird exception.
Finally, it’s worth noting that a player who re-signs with his previous team on a one-year deal (or a two-year deal that includes a second-year option) and will have Early Bird or Bird rights at the end of that contract would surrender those rights if he consents to a trade. In that scenario, he’d only finish the season with Non-Bird rights. Kuminga and Cavaliers guard James Harden are among the players who fit that bill this season.
Note: This is a Hoops Rumors Glossary entry. Our glossary posts will explain specific rules relating to trades, free agency, or other aspects of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ was used in the creation of this post.
Earlier versions of this post were published in previous years by Luke Adams and Chuck Myron.