Latest On The Anthony Davis Trade
The addition of David Griffin in New Orleans and the lottery fortunes of both teams enabled the Lakers and Pelicans to work out an Anthony Davis trade yesterday after negotiations failed in February, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. Griffin, whom the Pelicans hired in April as executive vice president of basketball operations, was “the biggest difference” this time around, a source tells Shelburne, adding that he had the freedom to “negotiate fairly and frankly.”
Although they made a show of dealing with the Lakers before the deadline, the Pelicans weren’t willing to entrust a franchise-altering deal to former GM Dell Demps, whom they were about to fire. Ownership in New Orleans resented the way the Lakers tried to force them into a deal and never gave serious consideration to any offers from L.A., Shelburne adds. Demps would only talk to former Lakers president Magic Johnson, not GM Rob Pelinka, then would write down the names being offered and leak them to the press, which led to chemistry issues in the L.A. locker room.
In addition to bringing Griffin into the equation, the situation changed when the Lakers landed the No. 4 pick in the lottery, giving them another valuable asset to include in their offer. The Pelicans might use that selection to add another top rookie to team with Zion Williamson or they might deal it to increase a haul that already includes three picks and three talented young players.
There’s more this morning on the NBA’s first blockbuster trade of the offseason:
- Although the Lakers got the best player in the deal, they only receive a C-plus grade from ESPN’s Kevin Pelton, while the Pelicans get an A-minus. With the Celtics refusing to part with Jayson Tatum because they weren’t sure of a long-term commitment from Davis, the return of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart plus the draft picks was the best they were going to do, Pelton contends. They already have better talent to surround Williamson with than there were able to amass around Davis. Pelton states that the Lakers had to move on Davis because they were in danger of striking out in free agency, but they gave up a lot of cost-controlled young talent and now have a top-heavy roster that will have to be filled with bargain signings.
- Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated sees the deal as a huge win for the Lakers, who now return to relevancy after six years of missing the playoffs. LeBron James is about to turn 35 in December and L.A. was running out of time to surround him with stars. Mannix calls the deal a “career-defining moment” for Pelinka.
- After the trade was announced, the Lakers became clear betting favorites to win next year’s title. BetOnline.ag lists them as +350, well ahead of the second-place Bucks at +700.
Atlantic Notes: Grousbeck, Leonard, Durant, Workouts
The feeling that the Celtics were done in by selfishness goes all the way to the top of the organization, writes Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald. Co-owner Wyc Grousbeck admits to being “frustrated and disappointed” with this season, which began with Boston as a heavy favorite to reach the NBA Finals and ended with a loss in the conference semifinals.
“We had free agents who wanted minutes, and players who wanted to be All-Stars,” Grousbeck said. “I don’t know. There was a lot of ‘I want this, I want that,’ I guess. I’m not in the huddles or the locker room on a daily basis, but it’s frustrating.”
The most prominent name among those free agents is Kyrie Irving, who is rumored to be headed to Brooklyn when free agency kicks off at the end of the month. Grousbeck said management has discussed some “exotic scenarios” if the Celtics lose Irving and can’t trade for Anthony Davis. He adds that he hasn’t directly asked Irving to remain in Boston.
“I haven’t talked to Kyrie in those terms,” Grousbeck said. “Our two free agent negotiators are (coach) Brad (Stevens) and president of basketball operations Danny (Ainge). But Kyrie knows how we feel about him, that we feel very positive about him, and the discussions will go on over the next few weeks.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- No one should regret not making a strong play for Kawhi Leonard last summer more than the Celtics, argues Zach Lowe of ESPN. Boston had plenty of assets to offer when the Spurs put Leonard on the market, but wasn’t willing to part with Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown unless there were more assurances about Leonard’s health and willingness to re-sign with the organization. Lowe notes that the Celtics thought they already had a championship team in place and that adding another maximum-salary player to go with Irving, Gordon Hayward and Al Horford wouldn’t have been sustainable for long.
- A max deal for Kevin Durant would be too risky unless another star is joining him on the Knicks, contends Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. The concerns lie beyond just missing all of next season, Bondy adds. With load management likely in effect, it’s hard to see how Durant plays more than 65 games in 2020/21 or beyond. He will be 32 when he returns and could plunge New York into a repeat of Kristaps Porzingis situation.
- Miami center Dewan Hernandez is working out for the Knicks today, tweets Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. Shaw guard Amir Hinton had a session for New York.
- The Sixers are hosting six players for a workout today, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. On the schedule are Kyle Alexander (Tennessee), Daulton Holmes (Point Loma Nazarene), Mahir Johnson (Goldey-Beacom), Nick Mayo (Eastern Kentucky), Jordan Poole (Michigan) and Isaiah Roby (Nebraska).
Knicks Exercise Team Option On Allonzo Trier
The Knicks have decided to exercise Allonzo Trier‘s option for next season, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The rookie guard will make $3.5MM for 2019/20.
Trier had a surprisingly successful first season after going undrafted out of Arizona. He signed a two-way deal with New York shortly after the draft, then quickly proved he was ready for the NBA, averaging 10.9 PPG in 64 games while shooting .394 from 3-point range.
The decision will have little effect on the Knicks’ hopes of signing two elite free agents this summer, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Even with Trier’s salary in place, New York has $69.8MM in cap space, which is enough to add two players at 30% of the max and about $130K short of adding a 35% and a 30% player.
With his option decision out of the way, Trier can now be traded, Marks adds.
Wizards Denying Masai Ujiri Rumor
The Wizards have “no imminent plans” to make an offer to Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri, tweets Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. A source close to the organization is downplaying reports that Washington will offer Ujiri up to $10MM a season to run the front office.
The Wizards have not named a new permanent head of basketball operations since Ernie Grunfeld was dismissed in April. There was a failed attempt last month to lure Nuggets president Tim Connelly, but otherwise the search for a new executive has been quiet, leading to speculation that the Wizards were waiting for the NBA Finals to end so they could make a play for Ujiri.
Ujiri was considered among the league’s top executives even before adding an NBA title to his resume last night. He built successful teams in Denver prior to coming to Toronto and transforming that team into a championship contender through a series of bold moves.
Ujiri is also under contract for the next two seasons, meaning the Raptors could demand compensation from any team that tries to poach him. Fred Katz of The Athletic recently noted that Toronto set the price at two first-round picks when Ujiri had discussions with the Knicks a few seasons ago.
Larry Tanenbaum, owner of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, the parent company of the Raptors, told Michael Grange of Rogers Sportsnet last night that he’s not worried about losing Ujiri (Twitter link).
“I know Masai. He’s like my son. There’s no chance he’s leaving Toronto,” Tanenbaum said. “… I think if you ask Masai, he’s got everything he wants.”
Warriors Notes: Thompson, Looney, Cousins, Livingston
The Warriors expect Klay Thompson to be sidelined nine to 10 months with the torn ACL in his left knee that he suffered last night, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). That would put his projected return sometime from mid-March to mid-April, possibly late in the season but definitely in time for next year’s playoffs if there are no unexpected setbacks.
Golden State will remain Thompson’s first option in free agency this summer, but he could listen to other teams if the Warriors don’t offer a max contract, sources tell Haynes. It’s not clear if Thompson’s injury will have any effect on what the organization plans to do.
Thompson’s was hurt in the third quarter of Game 6 when he landed awkwardly on his left leg after being fouled on a fast break. After being helped off the court, he returned to make two free throws, but wasn’t able to play any more. Thompson didn’t realize the severity at the time, telling coach Steve Kerr, “Just a two-minute rest and I’ll be ready,” relays Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
There’s more Warriors news to pass along:
- Re-signing Kevon Looney and possibly DeMarcus Cousins will be priorities this summer, Vardon adds. Looney will be looking for a significant raise on the one-year, $1.6MM contract he had this season, while Cousins could receive as much as $6.4MM from the Warriors via his Non-Bird rights if there’s not a strong demand for him in free agency. Cousins told Anthony Slater of The Athletic that he’s “open” to coming back (Twitter link).
- The Warriors’ fighting spirit may have sunk their future, Slater notes in a full story. If Golden State had lost in the conference semifinals after Kevin Durant‘s injury in Game 6 or hadn’t pulled out a close victory in Game 2 in Toronto, the catastrophic events of the past two games never would have happened.
- Veteran guard Shaun Livingston will seriously consider retirement, but said he could “possibly” return for another year, tweets Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. Livingston, who will turn 34 this summer, has just a $2MM guarantee on his $7,692,308 contract for next season. It won’t become fully guaranteed until June 30.
- Owner Joe Lacob wasn’t ready to address free agency questions last night, but admitted that he talked with GM Bob Myers about what the Warriors do next, relays Tim Kawakami of The Athletic. “We’ll have to assess and then talk,” Lacob said. “Obviously, we still have a very good team. And a great organization. So we’ll take it one step at a time.”
Raptors Notes: Leonard, Green, Siakam, Frye
Kawhi Leonard didn’t feel like discussing his upcoming free agency after leading the Raptors to their first-ever NBA championship, but he did talk about trust, relays Sam Amick of The Athletic. Leonard completed a comeback story by being named NBA Finals MVP a year after being limited to nine games because of a quad injury. That led to a messy divorce with the Spurs, whose team doctors disagreed with the diagnosis of Leonard’s personal physicians.
“Last year, a lot of people were doubting me,” Leonard said. “They thought I was either faking an injury or didn’t want to play for a team. That was disappointing to go me that that was out in the media, because I love the game of basketball. Like I always say, if we’re not playing this game, if we’re hurt, I mean you’re down. So me just going through that, and I just knew that I would have to make myself happy and no one else. And I have to trust myself. And whatever, it doesn’t matter what anybody has to say about me. I know who I am as a person, I know how I feel, and always just trust yourself. And that was my goal and my focus. And that’s why one of the things that I take on the floor.”
There has been speculation about Leonard’s next move since he was traded to Toronto last July, and Amick acknowledges that originally that’s not where he wanted to go. There’s no guarantee that leading a team to a title will make Leonard interested in a longer relationship, but he now has a bond with the city and the organization that wasn’t there before.
“You bring a championship to this country, man – not just this city, but this country and this organization – within one year, that’s legendary type stuff,” longtime teammate Danny Green said.”Regardless of what he does, he did his job.”
There’s more this morning from Toronto:
- The Raptors will give Leonard and his representatives freedom to pick whatever contract length they want, ranging from one to five years, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Leonard is eligible for a five-year deal worth $189.7MM, but there have been rumors he might want a shorter commitment. Marks speculates that he may seek a three-year pact worth $106MM with a player option after the second year, putting him back into free agency in 2022 with 10 years of service.
- Marks believes the team should wait before giving an extension to Pascal Siakam, who will be eligible this offseason. A strong contender for Most Improved Player, Siakam would have just a $7MM cap hold next summer without an extension, roughly $22MM less than the first year of a max salary. If Leonard doesn’t re-sign, Toronto projects to have $69MM to $86MM in cap space available for 2020.
- The Raptors tried to sign the recently retired Channing Frye last summer, but he opted to stay with the Cavaliers because of his familiarity with the organization and a pledge from the front office to try to contend, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
Weekly Mailbag: 6/2/19 – 6/9/19
We have an opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap or the NBA draft? Drop us a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com.
Do you think there’s a chance Kevin Durant will stay put next season with the Warriors if they lose the NBA crown? KD’s reason might be to prove the Warriors can’t win the crown without him. — Greg Dizon
A consensus has built over the past few months that Durant is headed to the Knicks. He hasn’t done anything to confirm the rumor and has scolded the media several times for focusing on free agency rather than the season at hand. Still, the scenario has been in place since New York traded Kristaps Porzingis and cleared enough cap room for two max offers.
Nobody knows for sure what Durant will do, and it’s possible he won’t decide until after he meets with a few suitors. This year’s Finals have killed any speculation that the Warriors are better without him, so there’s nothing left to prove on that front. With Durant’s Bird Rights, Golden State can offer a longer contract and more money than anyone else, which might appeal to Durant now that he has turned 30. It will come down to what Durant decides is most important. It could be money, security and the chance to be part of a dynasty. Or it could be a fresh challenge with a different franchise.
I’m hearing that Kemba Walker is going to the Pacers? — Mark Kinder, via Twitter
Walker won’t go anywhere if Charlotte makes a super-max offer. He loves the team and the city, and no one else can offer him anything close to $221.3MM over five years. If Hornets management decides that would result in too much luxury tax for a team that missed the playoffs, then Indiana will be a strong competitor on the open market. With six free agents, the Pacers can clear a lot of cap room and they will be looking for an upgrade to Darren Collison. Once Victor Oladipo returns from a ruptured quad tendon, he and Walker could take their place among the league’s best backcourts.
Any hope for the Wizards this year? — TypicalDMVFan, via Twitter
“Hope” can mean many things. Washington probably won’t see the postseason again until John Wall comes back, which appears to be the 2020/21 season. But there are still ways the Wizards can improve. Owning the No. 9 pick in the draft will help, and they will have enough cap flexibility to compete for mid-level free agents.
This will be a pivotal summer in Washington with a decision on whether to keep Bradley Beal and try to compete for a low-level playoff spot or work out a trade and go into full rebuilding mode. Unfortunately, there’s no one running the organization right now to make that choice. The best hope for the Wizards may be their expected pursuit of Raptors president Masai Ujiri, who has built successful teams in Toronto and Denver.
Kevin Durant Medically Cleared To Practice
Kevin Durant will practice today for the first time since straining his right calf, tweets Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr made the announcement this afternoon, saying Durant will participate in a workout with some of the team’s younger players, adds Marc J. Spears of ESPN (Twitter link). “He’s doing more today,” Kerr told reporters. “We’ll know more after that.”
It’s not a guarantee that Durant will be ready for tomorrow’s Game 5, but it’s welcome news for the Warriors, who face a 3-1 deficit as the series heads back to Toronto. The practice will include a lot of running up and down the court to see how the injured area responds, relays ESPN’s Nick Friedell (Twitter link).
“What he’s going to do today, he hasn’t done,” Kerr said. (Twitter link from Ben Golliver of The Washington Post)
Knicks Notes: Barrett, Walker, Durant, Robinson
Kevin Knox, the Knicks‘ first-round pick last season, is lobbying for R.J. Barrett to get that designation this year, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. Knox, who attended Game 4 of the NBA Finals with a small Knicks contingent, may be on hand tomorrow for Barrett’s workout in New York. They have faced each other before as high school opponents in Florida.
“If we get the opportunity (to be teammates), I think we’d jell really well,’’ Knox said. “He’s a great player. He can pass well, score the ball well. I think we’d complement each other.’’
Barrett is generally considered the third best player in the draft and the likely selection for the Knicks with the No. 3 pick. It’s also possible that Knox and Barrett could be teammates with the Pelicans if both are included in a trade for Anthony Davis.
There’s more today from New York:
- It appears Kemba Walker won’t be the solution for the Knicks’ backcourt, according to Ian Begley of SNY.TV. Rival executives tell Begley they don’t believe going to New York is a likely outcome for Walker if he decides to leave Charlotte. The three-time All-Star recently said that the Hornets are his “first priority” in free agency. They have the ability to offer Walker a five-year super-max deal worth up to $221.3MM, while other teams will be limited to four years at $140.6MM.
- The Knicks have become so “brazen” in their belief that they are landing Kevin Durant that other free agents are getting upset, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. He states that the organization is behaving as though a deal is already in place, even though Durant has strongly denied making a decision, and the Warriors seem resigned that he will be gone after the playoffs.
- New York should try to avoid giving up Mitchell Robinson in a trade for Davis, states Zack Rosenblatt of NBA.com. The second-round pick had a remarkable rookie season, averaging 2.4 blocks per night in 66 games. Rosenblatt sees Robinson as a perfect complement to play alongside Davis if the Knicks can make a deal happen without him.
Frustration Builds Over Durant’s Playing Status
There’s “some internal optimism” in the Warriors‘ camp that Kevin Durant will be able to return for Game 5, but the day-to-day uncertainty regarding his status is frustrating his teammates, reports Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Sources tell Amick that many in the organization expected Durant to come back for Game 4 and play through the pain like Klay Thompson (hamstring), DeMarcus Cousins (quad), Andre Iguodala (calf) and Kevon Looney (collarbone fracture) are all doing. Amick points out that the decision isn’t Durant’s to make. His availability is determined by trainer Rick Celebrini, who hasn’t deemed him ready to play.
Two sources say that Game 5 has always been the earliest realistic date for Durant’s return. He still hasn’t been able to practice since straining his left calf May 8 in the conference semifinals.
Still, there was tension in the locker room Friday night among some players who didn’t understand why Durant didn’t try to take the court in such a pivotal game. The Warriors had a chance to tie the series on their home court, but now they head into tomorrow night with their season on the line.
Looney describes the difficulties Golden State has faced throughout the playoffs as a series of injuries repeatedly disrupted the rotations.
“It’s never knowing who’s going to play the next game, not knowing who’s going to be out there, what rotations we’re going to do,” he said. “That’s tough, but the character of our team is that whatever happens, whoever’s out on the court, we’re all accountable to get the job done. We’ve got great leaders in Steph, KD and Draymond (Green), and there ain’t no excuses. If we’re out there, we’re going to try to win.”
Looney insists the Warriors have remained united through all the trials, and said Green gave a strong rallying speech after the Game 4 loss.
“He made sure we had our heads up,” Looney said. “Said ‘Stay confident, know who we are. We didn’t get here by quitting and pouting or giving up. We always believe, and we’ve got a bunch of guys who have been underdogs and who have been counted out before.’ I think we’re going to embrace this challenge more. Everybody probably thinks we’re going to lose now. And being the underdog again, like we haven’t been in a long time, it’s fun. We’ll try to go out there and prove everybody wrong.”