World Cup Notes: Murray, Brissett, Schröder, Haliburton, Luka
It’s still unclear whether or not Nuggets guard Jamal Murray will play for Team Canada when the World Cup tips off later this month, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca, who reports that sources in Murray’s camp say the matter remains undecided.
Due to his championship run with Denver that extended into mid-June, the expectation was that Murray would be brought along slowly after reporting to the Canadian national team. But he’ll likely have to play in at least one or two of the team’s pre-World Cup exhibition games in order for Canada to feel comfortable having him suit up in Indonesia, Grange writes.
The Canadian team is currently in Germany for a series of three tune-up contests, then will travel to Spain to play two more exhibition games before continuing on to Jakarta. Murray didn’t accompany the team to Germany.
Here are a few more World Cup notes:
- Within his Sportsnet.ca story, Grange says that new Celtics forward Oshae Brissett experienced some tightness during Team Canada’s practices and was held out as a precautionary measure, but didn’t suffer a knee injury as some reports suggested. Brissett simply wants to play it safe and focus on getting ready for training camp with a new team.
- Raptors guard Dennis Schröder, a member of the German national team, is still recovering from an Achilles issue that he dealt with at the end of last season and isn’t 100%, he told reporters (story via BasketNews.com). However, he believes he’ll be ready to go for the World Cup.
- Joe Vardon of The Athletic takes a closer look at the role that Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton is playing for Team USA and the feedback Haliburton got from Chris Paul, who visited the club’s training camp in Las Vegas. “The way he plays just empowers everybody,” Austin Reaves said of his backcourt mate, lauding Haliburton’s ability to get everyone else involved.
- Mavericks star Luka Doncic, who will play for Slovenia in the World Cup, already looks to be in midseason form. He poured in 34 points to go along with 14 assists and 13 rebounds in an exhibition win over Montenegro on Tuesday, as The Dallas Morning News relays.
Brandon Ingram Talks Team USA, Trade Rumors, Future
Although he’ll only turn 26 next month, Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, who has seven years of NBA experience, is one of the elder statesmen on a relatively young Team USA squad this summer.
Asked by William Guillory of The Athletic why he felt compelled to accept an invitation to this year’s World Cup roster, Ingram explained that he believes it will benefit him to get a head-start on the 2023/24 season — and to play a different role than the one he has in New Orleans.
“I heard a lot of voices. People said it would be good for me,” Ingram said. “I think it’s a great challenge for me, being able to play with so many talented players. You don’t do what you usually do on the basketball floor. You’ve got to adjust. That’s what life is about. That’s going to make me better for the Pelicans: making adjustments on the fly and trying to be the best I can be. Adapting in different moments.”
While Steve Kerr‘s lineups are subject to change, Ingram was part of Team USA’s starting five in training camp scrimmages and in the club’s first exhibition game on Monday vs. Puerto Rico. He tells Guillory that he’s looking forward to proving he’s one of the best players in the upcoming tournament.
“That’s the mentality that follows me everywhere I go. I’m always trying to prove that,” Ingram said. “We’ve got a lot of great players on this team. I think a lot of us are coming in trying to prove something.”
Here are a few more of the most notable quotes from Guillory’s interview of Ingram, which is worth checking out in full if you’re a Pelicans fan and an Athletic subscriber:
On how he reacted to his name coming up in trade speculation when the Pelicans were rumored to be considering a move into the top three of the draft:
“With me, I’m not on social media that much. So people will make a joke about it sometimes, or hit me up and ask me what’s going on with this thing they saw on TV. Most of the time, I’ll hear from the front office when that stuff pops up and they’ll tell me exactly what’s going on and how to feel about it. Any information that’s out there, they’ll clarify it and tell me if it was true or false.
“I’ve got a good relationship with (Pelicans executive VP of basketball operations David Griffin). He’ll come straight to me and tell me anything. I’m not too into what everybody was putting out there, but none of it bothered me. I also know this is a business, though, and I’ve got to be prepared for anything.”
On his response to fan frustration to his missed time due to injuries:
“At the end of the day, nobody wants to be out there more than me. No matter what fans say, or what anybody else says, nobody wants to be out there more than me. I put in the work. I’m preparing and I’m always ready.
But I also know when my body feels good, how I can push it and when I can push it. Every year, I go into the season preparing like I can play 100 games in the season. I’ve just had some injuries where I couldn’t. But I want to push through. I want to play basketball. … I know their frustration. But I want to play as much as they want me to play.”
On whether he envisions a long-term future with the Pelicans beyond the two years left on his contract:
“For me, I love New Orleans. It’s perfect for me and the way I want to operate. Less distractions. I can go play basketball whenever I want to. I’ve got direct access to the facility. I’ve got people close to me who can come to the gym and help me at any time. I feel connected with New Orleans and the people around me.
“I know my payday is coming around, so I don’t think too much of it. I’m just making sure I carry myself the right way. I’m sticking with what I know: If I stay in the gym, good things will come. I see the big money everybody else is getting, which is exciting. (But) I just want to keep my focus on my team. The most important thing for me is just winning. I know when you win, that takes care of everything else. I get more excited seeing stuff like my guy Herb (Jones) get his contract.”
Traded First Round Picks For 2024 NBA Draft
The 2024 NBA draft is still over 10 months away, but a number of teams have already traded away their first round picks for ’24, and more clubs may do so before this season’s trade deadline.
We’ll use the space below to keep tabs on each team’s first round pick for 2024, continually updating it as necessary throughout the year.
We’ve listed all 30 teams here, so even if a team hasn’t traded its first round pick, that will be noted. We’ll also provide details on the protections for each traded pick, including what happens to the pick in 2025 if it doesn’t change hands in 2024.
Here’s the full breakdown on the status of each 2024 first round pick:
Note: Teams marked with an asterisk (*) have traded away their 2025 first round pick (either unprotected or with protection) and can’t freely trade away their 2024 first-rounder due to the Stepien Rule.
Atlantic
- Boston Celtics: Own pick.
- Brooklyn Nets: Traded to Rockets (unprotected).
- New York Knicks: Own pick.
- Philadelphia 76ers (*): Own pick.
- Toronto Raptors: Traded to Spurs (top-six protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Raptors would owe the Spurs their 2025 first round pick (top-six protected).
Central
- Chicago Bulls (*): Own pick.
- Cleveland Cavaliers (*): Own pick.
- Detroit Pistons: Traded to Knicks (top-18 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Pistons would owe the Knicks their 2025 first round pick (top-13 protected).
- Indiana Pacers: Traded to Raptors (top-three protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Pacers would send the Raptors a 2024 second-round pick and their 2025 second-round pick.
- Milwaukee Bucks (*): Traded swap rights to Pelicans (unprotected).
Southeast
- Atlanta Hawks (*): Own pick.
- Charlotte Hornets: Traded to Spurs (top-14 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Hornets would owe the Spurs their 2025 first round pick (top-14 protected).
- Miami Heat (*): Own pick.
- Orlando Magic: Own pick.
- Washington Wizards: Traded to Knicks (top-12 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Wizards would owe the Knicks their 2025 first-round pick (top-10 protected) and would have the right to swap their own 2024 pick for the Suns’ 2024 first-rounder. Details on swap rights outlined below.
Northwest
- Denver Nuggets (*): Own pick.
- Minnesota Timberwolves (*): Own pick.
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Possibly traded to Jazz or Wizards.
- Details outlined below.
- Portland Trail Blazers: Traded to Bulls (top-14 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Trail Blazers would owe the Bulls their 2025 first round pick (top-14 protected).
- Utah Jazz: Possibly traded to Thunder or Wizards (top-10 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Jazz would owe the Thunder their 2025 first round pick (top-10 protected).
- Thunder/Jazz details outlined below.
Pacific
- Golden State Warriors: Traded to Trail Blazers (top-four protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Warriors would owe the Trail Blazers their 2025 first round pick (top-one protected).
- Los Angeles Clippers: Traded to Thunder, Jazz, or Wizards (unprotected).
- Details outlined below.
- Los Angeles Lakers: Traded to Pelicans (unprotected).
- The Pelicans will have the right to defer this traded pick to 2025.
- The Pelicans will have the right to defer this traded pick to 2025.
- Phoenix Suns (*): Traded swap rights to Wizards and Grizzlies (unprotected).
- Details outlined below.
- Sacramento Kings: Traded to Hawks (top-14 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Kings would owe the Hawks their 2025 first round pick (top-12 protected).
Southwest
- Dallas Mavericks: Traded to Knicks (top-10 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Mavericks would owe the Knicks their 2025 first round pick (top-10 protected).
- Houston Rockets: Traded to Thunder, Jazz, or Wizards (top-four protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Rockets would owe the Thunder their 2025 second round pick.
- Thunder/Raptors details outlined below.
- Memphis Grizzlies: Own pick.
- The Grizzlies have the ability to swap their pick for a more favorable first-rounder. Details outlined below.
- New Orleans Pelicans: Own pick.
- The Pelicans have the ability to swap their pick with the Bucks’ 2024 first-rounder.
- San Antonio Spurs: Own pick.
Details on Wizards/Grizzlies/Suns swap rights:
If the Wizards‘ pick lands within the top 12, they’ll hang onto it and would have the ability to swap it with the Suns‘ first round pick. If the Wizards’ pick lands outside the top 12, it would be sent to the Knicks, who would not have the right to swap it with the Suns’ first-rounder.
The Grizzlies will subsequently have the right to swap their own first round pick for the Wizards’ or Suns’ first-rounder, whichever is least favorable. If the Wizards’ pick is traded to the Knicks, the Grizzlies would simply have the ability to swap their own first round pick for the Suns’ first-rounder.
Details on Thunder’s picks:
The Thunder control four first-rounders:
- Their own first round pick.
- The Clippers’ first round pick (unprotected).
- The Rockets’ first round pick (top-4 protected).
- The Jazz’s first round pick (top-10 protected).
Of those picks, the Jazz will receive the least favorable and the Wizards will receive the second-least favorable, while the Thunder will receive the others.
For instance, if the Rockets’ and Jazz’s picks both fall within their protected range, the Wizards would receive the most favorable of the Thunder’s pick and the Clippers’ pick, while the Jazz would receive the least favorable of the two.
If the Rockets’ pick lands outside of the top four and the Jazz’s pick lands outside of the top 10, Utah would receive the least favorable of the four picks, Washington would receive the second-least favorable, and the Thunder would receive the two most favorable.
Information from RealGM was used in the creation of this post.
Cavs’ Bickerstaff Talks Strus, Niang, Mitchell, More
Cleveland’s 51-31 record in 2022/23 was the best mark for a Cavaliers team without LeBron James since 1992/93 and resulted in the franchise’s first playoff berth since James’ most recent departure in 2018. Unfortunately for the Cavs, their postseason run was short-lived, as the Knicks quickly dispatched them in a one-sided first-round series.
Speaking to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff admitted that the playoff loss “took some time to process.” But now that he’s a few months removed from it, Bickerstaff is more willing to focus on the Cavaliers’ regular season success and to find silver linings in their early postseason exit.
“I think when you sit back, look at the regular season – and I think the regular season was a test that was passed – and then you get to the playoffs where things ramp up a notch, it was the greatest learning experience our guys could have had, that I could have had,” Bickerstaff said. “It’s the opportunity to be in a position you have never been in before and a responsibility that you’ve never had before. Nothing worth having has ever come easy to anybody.
“At the end of the day, you sit back and look at it and the season was successful. The experience our young guys gained in the playoffs is only going to make them better. That’s the reality of it. We get caught up in the emotion of it all in the moment because we are all so competitive. But in reality, we’re not above the process either. There are steps that just can’t be skipped.”
As Bickerstaff notes, many of the Cavaliers’ core players – such as Evan Mobley and Darius Garland – are still young and were experiencing a playoff environment for the first time. He believes they learned important lessons during that five-game series and will benefit from the experience going forward.
Here are a few more highlights from Fedor’s interview with Bickerstaff:
On how adding Max Strus and Georges Niang as free agents will impact the Cavaliers’ playing style in 2023/24:
“I don’t want to give away too much. But the spacing on the floor becomes different. The attention that goes to those two guys because of Georges’ career 40% 3-point shooting and Max Strus’ ability to make shots off the move, defenses have to make different decisions now than they had to last year. Those are different dynamics that we added.
“Our offense can improve and be more dynamic and difficult to guard — even though we were a top-10 offense in the regular season. You learn from the playoffs about how to become more difficult to guard in that setting. I think there is a more dynamic nature that we can have offensively. Those are things I’m studying now and we will implement this coming season.”
On Donovan Mitchell‘s potential long-term future in Cleveland:
“He was with us in Las Vegas and stayed longer than most. He worked out with the guys and went to dinners. … There were conversations we had with him during free agency about trying to get the people we needed in here. There were conversations he had with the guys we were able to bring in.
“All those things tell you that Donovan is all in. If a guy is not attentive to free agency and how we are going to get better as a team, if he is not attentive to his teammates over the summer, if he is not attentive to working on the individual things that may make him uncomfortable but also are best for the team moving forward, to me that would be a guy who is not engaged. I have seen the opposite. I have seen a guy who is all in.”
On whether he’s feeling pressure to live up to increased expectations in 2023/24:
“Pressure from what? I think the funny thing for us coaches when it comes to pressure is you want to have a good team and you want expectations. If you have a team with no expectations, as a coach, competitor, and player, that is ultimately not the job you’re looking for. The word pressure is kind of comical, to be honest with you, because you have a good team and that’s what you want.
“… Pressure isn’t a word that coaches really think about because it’s our job to continue to get better. I think we have done that here. From where we started with this team to where we are now, there is no way to say we haven’t done the job building this the right way. Look at the environment. Look at individual development. Look at team development. There are no holes. Our job is to continue to do what we’ve already done but also continue to get better. That’s what we want.”
Pistons Sign Stanley Umude To Camp Contract
The Pistons have officially signed free agent guard Stanley Umude, per RealGM’s transaction log. According to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link), it’s a non-guaranteed training camp contract.
Umude, who went undrafted out of Arkansas in 2022, signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Detroit last September and was waived before the regular season began. He spent most of his rookie year as an affiliate player for the Motor City Cruise, the Pistons’ G League team, earning a brief NBA call-up when he signed a 10-day contract with Detroit in February.
Umude appeared in just one NBA game, but was a rotation regular for the Cruise throughout the NBAGL’s Showcase Cup and regular season. He played in 43 total games for Motor City, averaging 15.4 points and 5.1 rebounds in 27.5 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .414/.369/.775.
The Pistons are carrying 14 players on guaranteed standard contracts and a pair on two-way deals, so it’s possible Umude will given the opportunity to compete for the final 15-man or two-way spot on the regular season roster. If he’s waived before the season begins, the 24-year-old looks like a good candidate to rejoin the Cruise as a returning rights player.
Team USA Notes: Edwards, Hart, Banchero, Young
After completing its five-day training camp in Las Vegas, Team USA played its first official exhibition game ahead of this year’s World Cup on Monday and defeated Puerto Rico by a score of 117-74. The U.S. squad was up by just seven points at the half, but outscored the Puerto Ricans by 36 in a dominant second half.
As Tim Bontemps of ESPN writes, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards earned a spot in the starting five for Team USA alongside Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Brandon Ingram, and Jaren Jackson Jr., and showed why he belonged in that group. Edwards scored a team-high 15 points on 7-of-13 shooting while also adding four assists and four steals.
“Anthony was great,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “He fits the FIBA game really well because of his physicality at both ends. He can get through contact. They allow a lot of contact on drives, so he can get through that contact with his strength and then using that same strength defensively, body people up and keep them from penetrating. So I thought he was great, but I thought the whole team really played well.”
The U.S. roster lacks an established scorer with FIBA experience whom the team could turn to for an important late-game basket, leading to speculation that Edwards could emerge as that player. Monday’s performance was a promising start.
Here’s more on Team USA as it prepares for upcoming tune-ups against Slovenia and Spain this weekend:
- As Bontemps notes, Knicks forward Josh Hart was the only player who didn’t see any action on Monday vs. Puerto Rico. Team USA said he was out for “rest” purposes, but it’s probably no coincidence that Hart will become extension-eligible later this week — it will be interesting to see if he has an agreement on a new deal in place with New York by the time the U.S. faces Slovenia on Saturday.
- Magic forward Paolo Banchero spent some time at center during Monday’s exhibition, and it sounds like Kerr plans to continue using him in that role going forward, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “He’s going to play some five,” Kerr said. “One of the things we really found in ’21 in the Tokyo Olympics was having a 5 that can push the ball in transition (as Bam Adebayo did) and create plays is very difficult for FIBA teams to handle. He can play some four, as he showed, but he’ll play plenty of five as well.”
- In a separate ESPN.com story, Bontemps shares some early observations about Team USA’s starting five, its plan to lean on smaller lineups, and how using Banchero at the five could help create a “devastatingly effective” second unit offensively.
- Within a larger discussion about Team USA during the latest episode of The Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link), Bontemps, Tim MacMahon, and Brian Windhorst of ESPN express some skepticism that Trae Young will be part of the 12-man roster that represents the U.S. at the Paris Olympics next year, despite his desire to do so. “I heard Trae Young did not make a great case for himself during his previous time in the Team USA program,” MacMahon said.
Mavs Agree To Camp Deals With Greg Brown, Joe Wieskamp
Free agent forward Greg Brown and wing Joe Wieskamp have agreed to sign training camp contracts with the Mavericks, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The 43rd overall pick in the 2021 draft, Brown spent his first season-and-a-half as a pro in Portland, appearing in 64 games for the Trail Blazers during that time. He didn’t establish himself as a regular rotation player, averaging just 4.0 points and 2.4 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per night with a shooting line of .422/.294/.636.
Because the Blazers didn’t have a G League affiliate of their own during Brown’s time with the team, they couldn’t send him to their own NBAGL program for developmental purposes. The 21-year-old ended up being waived in February to accommodate Portland’s trade deadline moves, then finished the season with the Ontario Clippers in the G League.
Wieskamp was drafted two spots ahead of Brown in 2021 and appeared in 29 games for the Spurs as a rookie, but he wasn’t retained for a second season in San Antonio. He inked a pair of 10-day contracts with the Raptors in January of this year, then signed a multiyear deal in February. That contract was only guaranteed for the rest of the 2022/23 season though, so he was waived by Toronto last month before his 2023/24 salary became guaranteed.
Wieskamp, who will turn 24 later this month, has only made 30.9% of his 55 three-point shots at the NBA level in 38 appearances, but has shown his ability to stretch the floor at the G League level, hitting 38.0% of 237 attempts across 32 NBAGL regular season contests.
Dallas currently has 14 players on guaranteed standard contracts and a pair on two-way deals, so adding Brown and Wieskamp on camp deals would bring the team’s total roster count to 18 players, leaving three open spots.
Hawks Have Reportedly Offered Hunter, Griffin, Draft Compensation For Siakam
The Hawks have been the strongest suitor to date for star forward Pascal Siakam, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports that Atlanta has offered the Raptors a package that includes forward De’Andre Hunter, swingman AJ Griffin, and draft compensation in exchange for Siakam.
The Raptors have resisted the Hawks’ overtures and are “believed to have upped the price on any possible deal at each turn,” Charania says.
As Charania outlines in his story, it has become increasingly rare for a player of Siakam’s caliber to enter a contract year without some sort of clarity on his long-term future. However, he and the Raptors have yet to seriously engage in negotiations on a potential contract extension, and the 29-year-old also hasn’t requested a trade, sources tell The Athletic.
Siakam has been considered a trade candidate since well before February’s deadline due to his contract situation and his positional and skill-set overlap with rising star Scottie Barnes, the 2022 Rookie of the Year.
Charania suggests that Siakam’s trade value has been limited to some extent by the fact that the two-time All-NBA forward has privately expressed a desire to remain in Toronto and an unwillingness to sign an extension with any team that acquires him.
Siakam is currently eligible for a maximum-salary extension worth up to 30% of the cap — earning another All-NBA nod in 2024 would make him eligible for a super-max contract that starts at 35% of the cap, but he would only be able to sign such a deal with the Raptors. A trade would make him ineligible for a super-max contract.
Atlanta isn’t the only club to express interest in Siakam, Charania notes, but it doesn’t appear that any other suitor has made significant headway with the Raptors. The Pacers are among the other clubs previously reported to be interested.
For what it’s worth, the Hawks’ offer for Siakam as described by Charania appears incomplete, since Hunter’s and Griffin’s combined salaries ($23.8MM) wouldn’t be nearly enough to match Siakam’s $37.9MM cap hit for 2023/24.
There has been some chatter about the possibility of Atlanta sending Clint Capela ($20.6MM) to a third team – like the Mavericks – as part of a trade for Siakam, but such a structure would require that third team to send at least one player to Toronto. Dallas doesn’t have a big expiring contract to close that salary gap and would likely have to include some combination of Tim Hardaway Jr. ($17.9MM), Richaun Holmes ($12MM), and JaVale McGee ($5.7MM), each of whom has two years left on his respective deal.
As for the Hawks’ movable draft assets, they owe two of their own future first-round picks to San Antonio as part of the Dejounte Murray trade, but they could offer Sacramento’s lottery-protected 2024 first-rounder as well as their own first-rounder in either 2029 or 2030.
For now, trade talks between Toronto and Atlanta are “at a complete pause,” according to Charania, who says the Hawks are “fully prepared” to enter the 2023/24 season with their current roster.
Contract Details: Watford, Ntilikina, Boum
Trendon Watford‘s one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Nets is non-guaranteed for the time being, but the third-year forward could earn partial guarantees if he makes the opening night roster and holds his spot on the team for at least a couple months.
Watford will receive a partial guarantee of $200K if he isn’t waived on or before the first day of the regular season in October, Hoops Rumors has learned. That partial guarantee would increase to $700K if he remains under contract through December 19.
Watford’s full $2.02MM salary would become guaranteed if he isn’t cut on or before January 7. That’s the date that all players on non-guaranteed contracts must be waived by if their teams want to avoid paying their full salaries.
Here are a few more details on recently signed contracts:
- The one-year, minimum-salary deal that Frank Ntilikina signed with the Hornets is partially guaranteed for $200K, Hoops Rumors has learned. Ntilikina would have to remain under contract through the league-wide salary guarantee deadline of January 7 in order to earn his full $2.53MM salary.
- Souley Boum‘s non-guaranteed training camp contract with the Nuggets includes Exhibit 10 language, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. Boum would receive a bonus worth $75K if he’s waived before the regular season begins and then spends at least 60 days with the Grand Rapids Gold, Denver’s G League affiliate.
- In case you missed it, Anthony Davis‘ three-year, maximum-salary contract with the Lakers includes a third-year player option for the 2027/28 season, as Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported on Sunday when the deal was officially finalized.
Poll: James Harden’s Team On Opening Night
One of two longtime All-Star guards to request a trade this summer, James Harden – like Damian Lillard – has a one-team wish list. While Lillard is trying to make his way from Portland to Miami, Harden is hoping for a deal that will send him from the Sixers to the Clippers.
As similar as the two situations are, there are two key factors that differentiate them.
For one, Harden’s contract situation is more typical of what we’ve historically seen for a player on the trade block — he’s on a $35.6MM expiring contract and will reach unrestricted free agency in 2024. That means any team acquiring him will only be assured of having him for one year. Harden’s new team would acquire his Bird rights and might be pretty confident about its ability to re-sign him next summer, but he won’t be extension-eligible before becoming a free agent, so there are no guarantees.
Secondly, Harden is at a slightly different point in his career than Lillard, who averaged a career-high 32.2 points per game last season and appears to still be very much in his prime. Harden, who will turn 34 later this month, is only a year older than Lillard, but he has seen his production dip since he left Houston. After averaging 35.3 PPG across two seasons from 2018-20, Harden has put up more modest numbers (22.3 PPG on .436/.358/.870 shooting) while playing for three different teams in the three years since then.
That drop-off is partly related to an adjustment in role(s) for Harden, who was the go-to scorer in Houston and has played second fiddle to stars like Kevin Durant and Joel Embiid in Brooklyn and Philadelphia. But he also doesn’t have the same explosiveness he showed when he was geetting to the basket and drawing fouls during his prime Rockets years. Harden averaged over 10 free throw attempts per game during his eight seasons in Houston, but went to the line just 6.2 times per night last year in Philadelphia.
Harden, the NBA’s assists leader in 2022/23 (10.7 APG), is still an All-Star caliber player and one of the league’s best offensive guards. But given his age, his declining production, and his contract situation, it’s perhaps no surprise that the Clippers have been reluctant to make the Sixers a substantial trade offer so far.
The fact that the Sixers want to contend for a title rather than enter another rebuild complicates matters. They won’t be content to accept a package of draft picks and/or young players that won’t make them better – or at least make them just competitive – in the short term.
In theory, the Clippers make sense as a trade partner for that reason. They have a handful of veterans earning between $11-18MM who could be used as salary-matching pieces and who could fit the Sixers’ roster. Marcus Morris ($17.1MM), Nicolas Batum ($11.7MM), and Robert Covington ($11.7MM) are on expiring contracts, while Norman Powell ($18MM) has three years left on his deal.
But the 76ers are reportedly hoping to maintain significant 2024 cap room, reducing the appeal of Powell. And a package of, say, Morris, Covington, and Amir Coffey ($3.7MM) wouldn’t move the needle much. Terance Mann, an improving 26-year-old guard who’s a career 38.3% three-point shooter, would be a nice get for Philadelphia, but the Clippers are said to be reluctant to include Mann in an offer for Harden.
Los Angeles could theoretically offer up to two future first-round picks, but the team can’t trade a first-rounder earlier than 2028 due to prior trade obligations and I suspect L.A. would want to include protections on any pick it moves. As noted above, draft picks wouldn’t appeal to the Sixers much anyway, unless they could immediately flip them for a win-now asset.
While the Clippers could make a viable offer for Harden, there’s no indication they’re eager to put Mann and/or an unprotected first-rounder on the table, and Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has shown in the past that he’s comfortable dragging these situations into training camp or even the regular season.
Perhaps the Clippers will feel more urgency as the season approaches or maybe a new suitor will emerge for Harden, but for now, no deal appears close.
With all that in mind, we want to know what you think: Will Harden open the regular season with the Sixers, the Clippers, or another team?
Weigh in below our poll, then head to the comment section to share your predictions!
Whose opening night roster will James Harden be on?
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Philadelphia 76ers 57% (845)
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Los Angeles Clippers 26% (387)
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Another team 17% (252)
Total votes: 1,484