Atlantic Notes: Achiuwa, Irving, Embiid, Sixers
Precious Achiuwa could be a strong candidate for Most Improved Player next season, Raptors coach Nick Nurse said in a recent appearance on the Rapcity Keleten-Nyugaton podcast (hat tip to Aaron Rose of All Raptors).
“Wait till this year because every time I see him this summer on the court it’s total focus, total intensity,” Nurse said. “I mean, something happened to him where he now understands what playing in the NBA is about and he is on a mission.”
The 22-year-old center got off to a rough start in his first season with Toronto, but he seemed like a different player after the All-Star break. He averaged 12.2 points per game over the last part of the season and shot 39% from three-point range.
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- There may be a thaw in the relationship between Nets management and Kyrie Irving, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Lewis notes that owner Joe Tsai recently retweeted a post praising Irving after the paper reported that he plans to play the upcoming season in Brooklyn. Tsai retweeted another post related to the “NYC Point Gods” documentary that suggested Irving would have excelled in the old era of New York City playgrounds and added the word “truth.” Irving responded with a video of burning sage, which is used by Native Americans to get rid of negative energy.
- Thumb and finger surgery prevented Sixers center Joel Embiid from playing for the French national team this summer, per Basket News. Former NBA player Boris Diaw, who serves as general manager for the French team, said Embiid is in the process of being registered as a player for the national team. “His request for naturalization has been accepted,” Diaw said. “We know that he’s still waiting for the French passport. When he obtains it, then he can start the process and apply for a FIBA license for the national team.” Embiid is expected to make his debut with France during the 2023 World Cup.
- Kyle Neubeck of The Philly Voice examines the options for the Sixers‘ fifth starter and compares how the team would look with P.J. Tucker, Danuel House, Matisse Thybulle or De’Anthony Melton in a starting role alongside Embiid, James Harden, Tobias Harris, and Tyrese Maxey.
Latest On Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant‘s trade request could push owners to seek new language in the collective bargaining agreement that protects teams with unhappy stars, even if that leads to a lockout, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. The NBA is coming off a record-breaking season with $10 billion in revenue for the first time in its history, and neither side wants to see that interrupted. However, owners are determined to do something to stop the trend of players demanding to be traded with multiple years left on their contracts.
The current CBA runs through the end of the 2023/24 season, but either the owners or players can opt out by December 15 of this year. If that happens, negotiations would have to begin on a new deal.
Commissioner Adam Silver said Durant’s trade request wasn’t discussed during this month’s Board of Governors meeting, but Lewis expects it to become a very significant topic for the league. Silver recently commented on the Durant situation, saying contracts should be a “two-way street” and players need to “meet their end of the bargain.”
There’s more Durant news to pass along:
- The market for Durant seems to be contracting and the Nets are in no hurry to get the situation resolved, observes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Phoenix appears out of the running after matching an offer sheet for Deandre Ayton, and Toronto remains unwilling to part with Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes. The Heat don’t have the assets to help Brooklyn remain competitive and may have shifted their attention to a potential Donovan Mitchell deal. Washburn adds that unless Durant decides to hold out, the Nets’ best strategy is to let the situation simmer until camps open.
- Sources around the league tell Zach Lowe of ESPN that it’s virtually “impossible” to trade Durant because of the difficulty in establishing a fair value. A player of Durant’s caliber with four years left on his contract has never been on the trade market before. Lowe also hears from sources that Brooklyn hasn’t given up hope that Durant will realize this and retract his trade demand. Lowe recommends that the Celtics shouldn’t get too aggressive with trade offers unless they believe Jaylen Brown will leave as a free agent in two years.
- Tim Bontemps and Bobby Marks of ESPN examine why things became stagnant so quickly after Durant asked to be traded. Marks says the Nets are in a difficult position because they owe so many future draft picks to Houston, teams are generally satisfied with their rosters and aren’t looking for a major deal at this point of the summer, and Brooklyn’s front office is trying to make a “perfect” trade with an asking price that no one can meet.
Celtics Notes: Tatum, Brown, Ryan, Roster Spots
The Celtics are among the teams that have made a trade offer for Kevin Durant, but their pursuit of a talent upgrade may put team chemistry at risk. In a brief interview posted by NBC Sports Boston, Jayson Tatum talked about how long it took for the team to come together last season and how fragile chemistry can be.
“Chemistry is half the battle,” he said (video link). “You can have a great team with great talent, and not necessarily jell well together. You guys saw, we figured it out in January and never looked back.”
The Celtics struggled through the first part of last season, but were dominant over the second half on their way to the NBA Finals. They have been able to upgrade their roster so far this offseason by adding Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari without giving up significant rotation players.
There’s more from Boston:
- The Celtics need to “tread very carefully” with the idea that they’re willing to trade Jaylen Brown, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon says on Brian Windhorst’s Hoop Collective (video link). Brown was the most valuable asset in Boston’s reported trade offer, which was turned down by the Nets. MacMahon notes that Brown is underpaid for his production, and the size of his contract doesn’t make an extension worthwhile. MacMahon also warns that Brown will have “several attractive options” when he hits free agency in 2024.
- Matt Ryan is coming off a strong Summer League performance, but his options for making the roster are limited now that the Celtics have filled both two-way slots, Brian Robb of MassLive writes in his latest mailbag column. Ryan, who ended last season on a two-way deal, can hope for an Exhibit 10 contract, but Robb notes that he’ll be competing for roster spots with Brodric Thomas, Justin Jackson and whatever free agents the team adds before the start of training camp.
- Like many teams, the Celtics are moving slowly in filling out their roster, Robb adds. Boston still has three spots open, and most of the free agents remaining on the market will likely sign veteran’s minimum contracts. Robb suggests Boston might keep a roster spot open past the cutdown date in hopes of landing someone who gets waived by another team.
International Notes: Irving, Adams, Bey, Dominican National Team
Nets guard Kyrie Irving is already thinking about his career beyond the NBA. In response to a fan’s tweet about “gassing up” for the regular season, Irving speculated about his future several years down the road, saying he eventually expects to play overseas.
“I don’t ever have to Gas myself up,” Irving wrote (Twitter link). “I am going on my 12th year in the best league in the world and I am only getting better. When I am 38 years old and have time to reflect on my career truly, I will do so, but until then, I am enjoying every moment.”
“And no I won’t be done playing basketball at 38 years old lol,” he added (Twitter link). “I’ll be in leagues all over the world playing and teaching the youth all that was taught to me.”
Irving just turned 30 in March, so the future he’s talking about is several years away. He’s under contract to Brooklyn for one more season after picking up his $36.9MM option last month.
Here are some more notes related to international basketball:
- Jaylen Adams, the Most Valuable Player in Australia’s NBL last season, has signed with KK Crvena Zvezda in Serbia, according to Hoops Rumors’ JD Shaw (Twitter link). Adams, who appeared in seven games with the Bucks during the 2020/21 season, attended a mini-camp with the Lakers last month.
- Former NBA small forward Tyler Bey is receiving interest from Ironi Ness Ziona in Israel, tweets Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Bey held a two-way contract with the Rockets in training camp last year, but he was waived before the start of the season and wound up playing for Houston’s G League affiliate. A former star at Colorado, Bey played 18 games with the Mavericks in 2020/21.
- Al Horford, Karl-Anthony Towns and Chris Duarte are the most prominent names on the Dominican Republic’s preliminary 25-man World Cup roster, according to Cancha Latina. The team has qualifying games next month against Panama and Venezuela. Horford has been a member of the national team since 2008, and Towns has represented the country since 2012.
Heat Notes: Adebayo, Tampering Penalty, Herro
Heat center Bam Adebayo is hoping for a career path similar to teammate Udonis Haslem‘s, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Speaking today at his youth basketball camp, Adebayo said he not only wants to play his entire career in Miami, he hopes to be a community leader in South Florida just as Haslem has been.
“If I could, I would,” Adebayo said of the prospect of playing for just one team. “Just to have that opportunity to be around this community for my whole career. A lot of the community has seen me grown up. Going from a random 14th draft pick to being a cornerstone in this organization and to become something bigger. It’s just one of those things that’s dope when people grow with you.”
That decision isn’t entirely in Adebayo’s hands, and teams have inquired about him as Miami seeks to add another star on the trade market. The Nets would be interested in Adebayo as part of a Kevin Durant deal, but multiple sources told Chiang that Miami hasn’t included him in any of its offers and isn’t willing to part with him to get Durant.
“It’s the faith they got in me,” Adebayo said. “I feel like they know what they have. You get a guy who’s hard-nosed, who’s going to get it out the mud, who’s not going to quit on his teammates. It’s just mutual respect. I feel like a lot of teams want me, but it’s just a respect thing. Also, it’s (team president) Pat (Riley) believing in me, it’s (owner) Micky (Arison) believing in me, it’s (general manager) Andy (Elisburg) believing in me that we can make that next step to bring this city another championship.”
There’s more from Miami:
- Adebayo may push for a larger role in the offense when training camp opens in September, suggests Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. While the Heat could benefit from more consistent scoring out of their starting center, Winderman notes that Jimmy Butler will still carry a large share of the offense and plenty of shots have to be allocated for the team’s three-point specialists.
- In a separate story, Winderman wonders whether the tampering penalty assessed against the Heat last year — loss of a second-round draft pick — will also be directed at the Sixers, who are currently under investigation, and the Knicks, who may be investigated as well.
- The Heat front office should remain patient unless there’s an immediate chance to add a star such as Durant or Donovan Mitchell, contends Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Jackson explains that means holding onto first-round draft picks and not extending Tyler Herro‘s contract this offseason.
Pacific Notes: Curry, Ballmer, George, Kings
Stephen Curry is under contract through the 2025/26 season and he hasn’t considered finishing his career with anyone other than the Warriors. In an interview during this afternoon’s Oakland A’s baseball game (video link), Curry talked about his love for the Bay Area and his plans for the future.
“I’ve been out here … I just finished my 13th year,” Curry said, “and to be able to say I’ve played for one team my entire career, and also to say between the 10 years in Oakland and these last three years in San Francisco, I can honestly say how special this place is. Also, there’s a huge need here that we can really kind of tackle some of those challenges, and do it in a meaningful way. Honestly, I don’t want to leave ever. I want this to be my one and only home, and even thinking about what happens after basketball is done.”
With four championship rings and two MVP trophies, Curry is among the most popular and successful athletes in the history of the Bay Area. He’ll be 38 when his current deal expires and hasn’t given any indication about whether he plans to continue playing after that.
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- In a tour of the Inuit Dome construction site, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer tells Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN that he wants to have the premier team in Los Angeles (Twitter link). “You said this is a Laker town. No, Laker-Clipper,” Ballmer said to Youngmisuk. “And someday I want to be able to say Clipper-Laker.” Of the new arena, Ballmer said, “I think it’s another statement that says, ‘Hey look, we’re nobody’s little brother. We’re a real team.’”
- Clippers forward Paul George will be the latest NBA star to make an appearance at the Drew League, tweets Law Murray of The Athletic. The pro-am league in Los Angeles has attracted numerous NBA players this summer, including LeBron James, DeMar DeRozan, Trae Young and John Collins. This will be George’s first Drew League appearance since 2014.
- James Ham of Kings Beat offers four suggestions on how the Kings can improve their defense for the upcoming season.
Trade Rumors: Brown, Durant, Smart, G. Williams, Irving
The Celtics‘ Jaylen Brown is the best individual talent the Nets could hope to get in a Kevin Durant trade, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype says in a discussion with Jared Weiss of The Athletic. News that Boston made an offer to Brooklyn that included Brown, Derrick White and a draft pick shook up the rumor mill on Monday, about a month after Durant made his trade request.
Brown is a potential All-Star over the next few seasons, Scotto adds, and could become a cornerstone for the Nets long after Durant has retired. White, meanwhile, is easier to part with after the Celtics acquired Malcolm Brogdon from the Pacers.
Scotto also notes that there’s an element of risk with Durant, who will turn 34 in September and has been through two significant injuries. He adds that some teams are starting to question the value of paying exorbitant salaries to stars in their 30s, and the four years remaining on Durant’s contract might not be universally seen as something positive.
Scotto and Weiss address trade rumors involving a few more players:
- Replacing White with Marcus Smart might make the Nets more willing to take the Celtics’ offer, even if it means getting fewer draft picks. Sources tell Scotto that Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks has been an admirer of Smart for years and would love the chance to add him to Brooklyn’s roster. Weiss questions whether the Celtics can afford to give up the fiery guard, who represents a large part of the team’s defensive identity, and said he’s probably worth more to Boston than he would be to just about anyone else.
- The Celtics are interested in an extension for Grant Williams, but they may hold off to see if he’s needed in a Durant deal, according to Weiss. Another factor, Weiss adds, is how high Boston is willing to go on a raise for Williams considering the expected rise in the salary cap.
- Scotto is among the observers who believe the Nets would prefer to hold onto Durant and Kyrie Irving and see how the season plays out, which is part of the reason they’re keeping the price for Durant so high. With a healthy Ben Simmons and Joe Harris, plus a full season of Seth Curry and the addition of T.J. Warren, the Nets might be in a position to contend as long as Durant and Irving are still around. Weiss supports Brooklyn trading Irving for Russell Westbrook, but only if the Lakers include two first-round picks in the deal.
Northwest Notes: Beverley, Mitchell, Lillard, Thunder
After working to create a culture change in Minnesota last season, Patrick Beverley was looking forward to helping the Timberwolves take the next step. Although he was caught off guard by the team’s decision to send him to the Jazz in the Rudy Gobert trade, Beverley told Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston he wouldn’t call the move a surprise (video link).
“Surprised, no not in this business,” Beverley said. “Understood it. Never personal, always business. We did some great things in Minnesota. We kind of revamped the environment there. Gave the fans something to be happy about.”
Beverley brought a veteran presence to a young Wolves team that reached the playoffs for just the second time in the past 18 seasons. He hopes to fill a similar role for Utah, but admits that things are unpredictable in the midst of Donovan Mitchell trade rumors.
“We’ll see what happens in the next couple of weeks. It’s a lot going on right now,” Beverley said (video link). “We’ll see where the dust clears. Hopefully Donovan Mitchell stays and the team is competitive. If that’s the case we’re very excited.”
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- The Knicks are still in position to make the best offer for Mitchell, but Jazz CEO Danny Ainge has the advantage of being able to wait until someone meets his price, notes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. Larsen examines the trade assets from the Hawks, Hornets, Heat, Kings, Raptors and Wizards – all rumored Mitchell suitors – to see what they could potentially offer.
- Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard considers himself fully recovered from abdominal surgery in January, according to Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report. Lillard played 29 games last season before deciding to have the operation, but he admits that the pain had been bothering him for nearly five years. “I feel 100 percent healthy,” Lillard said. “I got a break from playing and going out there knowing I didn’t feel good, and the burden of, ‘We have to win. I have to perform well.’ That’s a little bit stressful. So the last seven-and-a-half, almost eight months without having to think about none of those things, it kind of cleared my mind. Physically, I feel great.”
- Longtime Sixers executive Vince Rozman will join the Thunder as vice president of identification and intelligence, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Lakers Notes: Anthony, Reaves, Bryant, Westbrook, Handy
Carmelo Anthony may return to the Lakers for another season, but a decision isn’t expected quickly, according to Sean Deveney of Heavy. Like many NBA veterans, Anthony’s status is on hold while teams wait to see what happens with this summer’s trade rumors.
“They have a lot to sort out obviously,” an unidentified general manager said of the Lakers. “But as more things get set, they’ll probably get back around to bringing him in. It’s just, at this point, you don’t know what might happen with (Russell) Westbrook and whether you might need to take on players, so you see that around the league a lot — teams have 10, 11, 12 players signed and there’s no hurry to fill in the last spots until you see how the other stuff plays out.”
A return to the Knicks has been mentioned as a possibility for Anthony, and Deveney sees the Nets as a potential landing spot as well. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving reportedly wanted Brooklyn to sign Anthony when they joined the team in 2019, and adding him to the roster might be a way to mollify them if they’re both still with the Nets when training camp opens. The GM also mentions the Warriors, who would give Anthony his best chance to win a ring before he retires.
There’s more on the Lakers:
- Austin Reaves has a strong case for a starting spot heading into camp, writes Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Reaves will need to improve his outside shooting, but he can serve as a secondary ball-handler and his defensive abilities make him an ideal backcourt mate for Westbrook, Buha adds. He also notes that Thomas Bryant could become a starter if L.A. is determined to play Anthony Davis at power forward rather than center.
- Westbrook will face a “moment of truth” if the Lakers can’t find a way to trade him, states Dan Devine of The Ringer. If Westbrook plays another season in L.A., he’ll either have to adapt to a different role or get out of the way of his star teammates, Devine adds.
- Assistant coach Phil Handy recently signed an extension with the Lakers, tweets Marc J. Spears of Andscape. Handy had been heading into the final year of his contract.
Sixers Notes: Harden, Morey, Melton, Queen, Joe
With James Harden‘s new contract complete, the Sixers will be able to get a long-term look at what he can do for the organization. Harden played just 21 regular season games after being acquired from Brooklyn at the trade deadline, and there were concerns about his conditioning during that time. He dealt with a hamstring injury that affected his workout schedule last summer, but now he has the benefit of a full, healthy offseason and some familiarity with his teammates heading into training camp.
President of basketball operations Daryl Morey, who was determined to reacquire Harden after having him in Houston, expressed his delight about the new deal in a press release distributed by the Sixers.
“He is one of the best scorers and passers to ever play, and his knowledge of the game allows him to dissect defenses and make everyone around him better,” Morey said. “James’ commitment to winning continues to resonate throughout our organization, and I believe we’ve only scratched the surface of what’s possible in his partnership with Joel (Embiid) and this talented roster. This is an exciting time for our franchise.”
There’s more from Philadelphia:
- Kyle Neubeck of the Philly Voice sets some goals for Harden for the upcoming season, which include helping the Sixers build a top-eight offense, playing at least 70 games, and leading the NBA in assists. Neubeck notes that Harden was second in assists last season and should benefit from the additional shooting provided by P.J. Tucker and Danuel House.
- De’Anthony Melton, who was acquired from the Grizzlies in a draft-night trade, could be a major bargain, Neubeck adds in a mailbag column. Melton’s ability to guard multiple types of players and his versatility on offense make it easy to fit him into numerous lineups. Neubeck notes that Melton was extremely effective in Memphis when he was paired with another ball-handler, and he figures to see a lot of minutes beside both Harden and Tyrese Maxey.
- Isaiah Joe and Trevelin Queen are likely to battle for the final roster spot in training camp, Neubeck adds. Queen holds a $330K guarantee for the upcoming season, along with a non-guaranteed deal for 2023/24. Joe will have a fully guaranteed $1.78MM salary if he remains on the roster through October 23.