Kawhi Leonard Has “Cleanup” Work On Injured Knee
Kawhi Leonard underwent a “cleanup” surgical procedure on the torn meniscus in his right knee, tweets Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.
The operation carries an eight-week recovery period, but Clippers president Lawrence Frank said the surgery took place in early June so there are no concerns that Leonard won’t be ready for the start of training camp. Leonard is feeling “terrific,” Frank adds (Twitter link).
Leonard suffered the injury in L.A.’s playoff opener against the Suns and aggravated it by playing in Game 2. The Clippers split the first two games of the series with Leonard scoring 38 and 31 points, but they lost three straight once he was unable to play.
The five-time All-Star has been hampered by injuries since he signed with the Clippers in 2019. The team was extremely careful with him this season as he returned after missing a full year with an ACL tear. Leonard appeared in 52 games, averaging 23.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 33.6 minutes per night.
Leonard, who turned 32 this month, will earn $45.64MM in what could be his final season with the Clippers. He has a $48.78MM player option for the 2024/25 season and could elect to become a free agent next summer.
Spurs Trade No. 33 Pick Leonard Miller To Timberwolves
JUNE 23: The trade is official, the Timberwolves confirmed in a press release.
JUNE 22: The Timberwolves are acquiring the No. 33 pick from the Spurs, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. San Antonio will receive two future second-round picks in return, a source tells Woj (Twitter link).
Minnesota will part with its own 2028 second-round selection and Utah’s second-rounder in 2026, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The Wolves used their newly acquired pick to select the G League Ignite’s Leonard Miller.
Miller improved his draft stock in 2022/23 with a strong performance in the G League regular season. He averaged a double-double (18.0 PPG, 11.0 RPG) in 24 games (30.5 MPG), shooting 55.6% from the field.
Lakers Signing Castleton, Hodge To Two-Way Deals, Fudge To Exhibit 10 Contract
Florida center Colin Castleton and Missouri guard D’Moi Hodge will join the Lakers on two-way contracts, according to tweets from Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times.
Castleton, 23, was a first-team All-SEC selection this season after averaging 16.0 points and 7.7 rebounds as a fifth-year senior. His season ended early after suffering a broken hand in mid-February.
Hodge, 24, was a 2023 finalist for national Defensive Player of the Year honors. Also a fifth-year senior, he averaged 14.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game in his only season with the Tigers.
In addition, L.A. will sign Florida forward Alex Fudge to an Exhibit 10 contract, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN. The 20-year-old forward posted 5.8 PPG and 4.5 RPG as a sophomore.
Markquis Nowell Joins Raptors On Two-Way Deal
JULY 3: The Raptors have officially signed Nowell to a two-way contract, according to the transaction log at NBA.com.
JUNE 22: Kansas State guard Markquis Nowell, one of the stars of this year’s NCAA Tournament, has agreed to a two-way contract with the Raptors, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Nowell sparked the Wildcats to the Elite Eight and set a tournament record for assists in a game with 19. The 23-year-old spent five seasons in college and averaged 17.6 points and 8.3 assists per game as a senior.
Nowell was a first-team All-Big 12 selection this season and was named to the conference’s All-Defensive Team as well.
Toronto’s current two-way slots belong to point guard Jeff Dowtin and power forward Ron Harper Jr.
Hawks, Pacers Active On Trade Market As De’Andre Hunter Deal Breaks Down
The Hawks are working to shake up their roster, but a potential deal with the Pacers appears to have fallen apart after the teams were moving toward an agreement Tuesday night, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
Atlanta would have sent De’Andre Hunter to Indiana in the proposed trade, sources tell Fischer. Although more details on the deal aren’t available, the Hawks reportedly want to move into the top 10 in the draft. Sources tell Fischer that the Pacers weren’t willing to part with the No. 7 pick to acquire Hunter.
Fischer adds that Indiana is in the market for a starting forward, and he hears that the team has reached out to the Warriors about Jonathan Kuminga. He adds that the Pacers may wait until free agency and target players such as Harrison Barnes, Kyle Kuzma and Grant Williams.
The Hawks are among the league’s most active teams in pre-draft trade talks, according to Fischer. He states that Hunter appears to be involved in most of the deals, but John Collins, Dejounte Murray and Clint Capela could be available as well.
Sources tell Fischer that Dallas might be open to trading the No. 10 pick in a package involving Atlanta’s No. 15 selection, depending on who’s still left on the board. Fischer hears that the Mavericks‘ willingness to move down may change if Cam Whitmore or Taylor Hendricks is still available.
The Hawks made several offers to the Raptors for Pascal Siakam, including at least one three-team deal, sources tell Fischer. Rival teams believe Toronto’s high asking price is the biggest impediment to a deal for either Siakam or OG Anunoby.
The Raptors seem to be considering moves both up and down the draft board, Fischer adds. He hears from sources that Toronto, which holds the No. 13 pick, has talked to the Magic about No. 11, the Warriors about No. 19 and the Nets, who have Nos. 21 and 22.
Draft Rumors: Miller, Henderson, Pistons, Howard, Jaquez
Numerous insiders have stated that the Hornets are leaning heavily toward taking Brandon Miller with the No. 2 pick in tonight’s draft, but Miller indicated Wednesday that he hasn’t been promised anything, writes Adam Zagoria of NJ.com.
“Probably when I get drafted is when I’ll know where I’m going,” Miller said. He added that he’ll be equally happy heading to Charlotte with the second pick or Portland at No. 3.
In an updated mock draft released this morning, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic moved G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson up to No. 2 ahead of Miller. Vecenie has been skeptical of rumors that Charlotte is leaning toward Miller because he’s a better fit, and he continues to doubt leaks that the Hornets have decided on Miller after bringing both players in for a second workout on Monday.
Vecenie points out that general manager Mitch Kupchak said at a news conference Wednesday that team officials didn’t get a lot of new information from that second visit. Vecenie adds that incoming owners Gabe Plotkin and Rich Schnall will be involved in the draft decision, and they may view Henderson as the better prospect.
There’s more draft news to pass along:
- The Pistons are listening to offers for the No. 5 pick, but their asking price is “prohibitively high,” Jonathan Givony states in ESPN’s updated mock draft (subscription required). He cites the Jazz, who hold the ninth and 16th picks, as a team that would like to move up if Detroit eases its demands. Givony adds that Pistons’ ownership may be reluctant to trade down, hoping to add an exciting prospect after such a difficult season. Givony lists Ausar Thompson as his choice for Detroit, noting that Cam Whitmore has likely fallen into the 6-9 range.
- Michigan’s Jett Howard tells Sean Deveney of Heavy.com that he worked out this week for the Lakers, who hold pick No. 17. Deveney points out that the freshman guard already has a connection with L.A. general manager Rob Pelinka, who played with Jett’s father, Juwan Howard, for two seasons with the Wolverines. “Rob was there, talked to him a little bit,” Howard said of the 30-minute session with the Lakers. “I have known him so long, it was kind of an organic conversation. And yeah, if they pick me, I would be more than happy to play for them.”
- The Lakers, Heat (18) and Warriors (19) may all have interest in UCLA’s Jaime Jaquez, Deveney adds in a separate story. Jaquez credits strong workouts with helping to raise his draft stock. “I think I did well in the workouts, I went out there and showed what I can do, and hopefully teams saw what I was capable of,” he said. “There were question marks going into those workouts, I went into those workouts trying to answer those questions. I think that is why I got this invite here.”
- Jaquez is one of the final additions to the Green Room list issued by the NBA (Twitter link), along with Brandin Podziemski and Rayan Rupert.
Celtics Notes: G. Williams, Porzingis, Brogdon, Smart
The three-team trade that will bring Kristaps Porzingis to the Celtics also likely signals the end of Grant Williams‘ time in Boston, according to Brian Robb of MassLive. The team doesn’t appear to have the money or an obvious role for Williams after adding Porzingis and his $36MM salary for next season to its front line.
Sources tell Robb that the Celtics will explore sign-and-trade opportunities with Williams when free agency opens next week. The goal will be to add another guard or wing player for depth or to pick up either future draft capital or a traded player exception.
The Mavericks are among several teams that have contacted the Celtics about a potential sign-and-trade deal involving Williams, according to a report on Wednesday. Unloading Williams’ cap hold, along with others, may give Boston the option of using the taxpayer mid-level exception, while re-signing him would push the team past the second tax apron.
There’s more from Boston:
- The Celtics got rid of their logjam in the backcourt and picked up some much-needed size in one move, writes Jay King of The Athletic. King points out that Porzingis’ ability to play power forward or center provides lineup flexibility and allows coach Joe Mazzulla to continue using a five-out approach. Porzingis was effective playing alongside Wizards center Daniel Gafford, a player similar to Robert Williams, as Washington outscored opponents by 5.8 points per 100 possessions with them on the court together. Porzingis also provides a post-up option that the Celtics have been lacking, as King notes that only Nikola Jokic was more proficient at scoring from the post this season.
- The Clippers’ decision to pull out of an earlier version of the three-team deal over concerns about Malcolm Brogdon‘s health raises questions about whether the Celtics can rely on him for a full-time role next season, King adds. Brogdon reportedly suffered a torn tendon in his right elbow early in the Eastern Conference Finals, even though he was able to continue playing in the series. He indicated Wednesday that he’s hoping to avoid offseason surgery on the elbow.
- The Celtics lost an important part of their culture by sending Marcus Smart to Memphis, per Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Smart was a fiery leader on and off the court and wasn’t afraid to stand up to Mazzulla or the team’s stars when he thought it was necessary.
Draymond Green To Decline Player Option
Warriors forward Draymond Green will decline his $27.5MM player option and test the free agent market, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The decision was confirmed by Green’s agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, Charania adds.
“We will continue to talk to Golden State and explore all options,” Paul told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
The Warriors remain hopeful of signing Green to a new contact, according to Woj, who notes that Green will explore sign-and-trade possibilities as well as opportunities to sign with other teams.
Green, 33, has been Golden State’s fiery leader throughout the past decade, which has included four NBA titles and two additional trips to the Finals. He was the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2017 and was named to an All-Defensive team eight times, including this season.
Green’s versatility on offense has also played a role in the Warriors’ dynasty as he has consistently been among the NBA’s best passing big men. He averaged 8.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.8 assists this season while appearing in 73 games.
Green’s time with the Warriors has also featured controversy, with none greater than the punch he threw at Jordan Poole during training camp. That incident was believed to be at least partially motivated by the players’ contract status, with Poole in line for an extension and Green not expected at the time to receive an extension offer.
There has been speculation that Green’s future with the organization might be affected by the loss of general manager Bob Myers, who announced his resignation at the end of May. While the Warriors prefer to keep their championship core intact, Green is now in position to break it up this summer.
Wizards Notes: Beal Trade, Winger, Porzingis, Black
The Wizards‘ decision to trade Bradley Beal is a smart move that probably should have been made four years ago, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Robbins argues that Washington could have gotten much more in return for Beal in 2019 after John Wall suffered an Achilles injury that altered the future of the franchise. Beal had just finished his second All-Star season, and although the deal would have been controversial, the Wizards could have demanded a significantly higher price than what they’re getting from Phoenix.
Beal had become frustrated with the organization’s lack of progress, and former team president Tommy Sheppard had considered trading him at the 2022 deadline, according to Robbins. That plan fell through when Beal suffered a season-ending ligament tear in his left wrist, and Robbins speculates that Sheppard might still be running the team if he could have moved Beal at that point.
Sources tell Robbins that the Wizards are willing to work with the Suns to expand the trade if Chris Paul wants to be shipped to a contending team. The Clippers have been mentioned as a potential suitor for Paul, and Robbins believes Washington might be able to pick up at least one useful player and a draft pick in such a deal.
There’s more from Washington:
- New president of basketball operations Michael Winger made a similar trade when he was with the Clippers, sending Blake Griffin to Detroit when L.A.’s front office decided his contract was an impediment to building a contender, notes Ben Golliver of The Washington Post. Golliver believes trading Beal was the right move, even if the Wizards didn’t get much in return, because the franchise now has financial flexibility and a commitment to start rebuilding. Golliver expects Winger to focus on developing players and collecting draft assets, the same way he did when he worked for the Thunder.
- Kristaps Porzingis would become a valuable trade asset if he picks up his $36MM player option for next season, observes Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. Porzingis is accomplished both as an outside shooter and rim protector, connecting at 38.5% from long distance this season while averaging 1.5 blocks per game. He has become a more effective post scorer and may have moved past his health concerns by appearing in 65 games. Porzingis is only 27 and might not have a future in Washington if Winger is serious about a long-term rebuild.
- The Wizards appear to be targeting Arkansas’ Anthony Black with the No. 8 pick in the draft, tweets Krysten Peek of Yahoo Sports. Multiple sources told her that Black was impressive during his workout and interview in Washington.
Suns Notes: Beal, Paul, Ayton, Draft Picks
The Suns realized the NBA’s new second tax apron was already going to be an issue for them, so they decided not to let it stand in the way of pursuing Bradley Beal when the Wizards made him available, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN (subscription required). Phoenix reached an agreement on Sunday to trade for Beal, adding the $208MM he’s owed over the next four years to an already expensive roster.
Suns management had been considering cost-cutting moves, according to Windhorst, including a recent meeting with Chris Paul to discuss the possibility of waiving him and saving half the cost of his $30.8MM salary for next season. They decided to reverse course when the opportunity with Beal arose and will likely guarantee Paul’s entire salary before sending him to Washington, sources tell Windhorst.
New owner Mat Ishbia appears to be committed to the super-team philosophy despite a new Collective Bargaining Agreement that was designed to impose heavy sanctions against free-spending teams. The trades for Beal and Kevin Durant have created a significant jump in salary since Ishbia took over the team in February.
The Suns’ spending spree is likely to continue, according to Windhorst, who says they will try to re-sign free agents Torrey Craig, Josh Okogie, Damion Lee, Jock Landale, Bismack Biyombo and Terrence Ross. Windhorst also expects Phoenix to retain Cameron Payne, who only has a $2MM guarantee on his $6.5MM salary for next season through June 29, and the Suns may add to their roster with a $5MM trade exception that doesn’t expire until February.
There’s more from Phoenix:
- Paul was flying to New York for an appearance on “Good Morning America” when he learned about the trade, tweets Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report. “In this league, anything can happen, so you just figure out what’s next,” said Paul, who was on the morning show to promote his new book.
- The Suns could avoid the second apron by trading Deandre Ayton for little to no salary in return, which would give them access to the mid-level exception, according to Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype. However, he believes it’s more likely that Ayton will be shopped for low-salaried role players, which would help ease the potential tax bill. According to Gozlan, Phoenix is currently looking at a payroll in excess of $190MM, which would result in a luxury tax penalty of about $90MM.
- Once the Beal trade is complete, the Suns won’t control any of their first-round picks for the rest of the decade, tweets NBA writer Evan Sidery. The Nets own their selections in 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029, along with the right to swap picks in 2028. The Wizards are expected to get pick swaps in 2024 and 2026.