Suns, Wizards Officially Complete Bradley Beal Trade
The Suns and Wizards have issued press releases confirming that the Bradley Beal trade is official. Word of the agreement first broke last Sunday afternoon, with further details trickling out on Monday and Thursday.
The Wizards’ trade with the Pacers that moved Washington up from No. 8 to No. 7 in Thursday’s draft is also being folded into this transaction, making it a three-team deal. The full terms of the blockbuster deal are as follows:
- Suns acquire Beal, Jordan Goodwin, and Isaiah Todd.
- Wizards acquire Chris Paul; Landry Shamet; the draft rights to Bilal Coulibaly (No. 7 pick); the Suns’ second-round picks in 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, and 2030; first-round pick swaps in 2024, 2026, 2028, and 2030; and cash (approximately $3.5MM; from Suns).
- Pacers acquire the draft rights to Jarace Walker (No. 8 pick), the Suns’ 2028 second-round pick, and the Wizards’ 2029 second-round pick.
Because the Suns’ 2028 second-rounder, originally committed to the Wizards as part of the Beal trade, is being rerouted to Indiana, all three teams satisfy the NBA’s “touching” rules for three-team deals.
The Wizards have now traded away their top two leading scorers from the 2022/23 season on consecutive days, having formally finalized their deal sending Kristaps Porzingis to Boston very early on Friday morning.
Wizards owner Ted Leonsis and new president of basketball operations Michael Winger issued statements within today’s trade announcement, wishing Beal well after he spent the first 11 years of his NBA career in D.C.
“Bradley leaves a legacy and impact that will continue to be felt by those he helped during the 11 seasons we watched him develop into a cornerstone of our on-court and off-court efforts,” Leonsis said. “We appreciate and respect the place he holds in our franchise’s history and we’re proud that he established himself as a star player, community leader and family man in Washington, D.C.”
“From afar, I’ve admired Bradley as an All-NBA player and a difference-maker in his communities,” Winger said. “We were pleased to work together to find a deal that moved us closer to our goal of eventually competing for championships while getting Bradley to a place where he’ll be able to do so immediately. We wish Bradley and his entire family the best of luck in Phoenix and thank him on behalf of the organization, the fans and the city of Washington for his immeasurable contributions.”
The Suns issued a statement of their own expressing excitement about the acquisition of Beal.
“We are thrilled to welcome Bradley, Jordan and Isaiah to the Phoenix Suns as we continue to build one of the premier organizations in all of sports,” Suns owner Mat Ishbia said. “Bradley Beal is one of the best players in the NBA and brings so much to our team including incredible work ethic, great character, and the mindset of a champion. Jordan and Isaiah add talent and versatility to our roster that will continue to make this team among the league’s best. We are committed to bringing an NBA championship to Phoenix and I could not be more excited about how this organization is coming together heading into the upcoming season.”
The Wizards have already agreed to a separate trade that will send Paul on to Golden State for a package headed by Jordan Poole, but referred to Shamet within today’s press release as someone who will be a “valuable contributor to our organization,” which suggests they plan to hang onto him.
For more details on the Beal trade, you can read our original story here and our Thursday follow-up here. We also have separate full stories detailing the Wizards’ move up to No. 7 and their trade agreement with the Warriors involving Paul and Poole.
Knicks To Decline Derrick Rose’s Team Option
The Knicks plan to decline Derrick Rose‘s $15,596,339 team option for 2023/24, reports Steve Popper of Newsday (subscriber link).
As Popper writes, Rose was beloved throughout the organization, particularly by head coach Tom Thibodeau, but his on-court role in ’22/23 was virtually non-existent after December. He appeared in just one regular season game after the calendar flipped to 2023.
Still, the Knicks valued his leadership and the way he handled being benched, and a reunion on a minimum-salary deal is still a possibility if Rose is unable to find an opportunity for more playing time, Popper adds.
New York had until midnight on Saturday to make a decision on Rose’s option, per Popper.
Overall, Rose averaged career lows in points (5.6) and minutes (12.5) per game across 27 contests. He posted a .384/.302/.917 shooting line in his limited opportunities this past season.
Fred Katz of The Athletic confirms the news (Twitter links), noting that it may not have been as obvious a decision as it might appear on the surface. As Katz previously wrote, picking up Rose’s option could have given the Knicks an opportunity to use him as a salary-matching piece in trades, but now that has been eliminated as a possibility.
The 2010/11 league MVP and former No. 1 overall pick will become an unrestricted free agent and will be able to sign with any team. He was previously linked to the Bulls and Bucks.
The Knicks project to have access to the full mid-level exception in free agency after declining Rose’s option, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv.
Magic’s Paolo Banchero To Play For Team USA In World Cup
Magic forward Paolo Banchero, the reigning Rookie of the Year and the No. 1 overall pick in 2022, has committed to play for Team USA during the FIBA World Cup this summer, league sources tell Shams Charania and Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
According to The Athletic, Banchero said a year ago that he would play for the Italian national team this summer, but Team USA managing director Grant Hill continued to recruit Banchero throughout the season and evidently convinced him to change his mind. Both Hill and Banchero played for Duke in college.
Banchero was born and raised in the United States but he has an Italian passport due to his father’s ancestry. As Charania and Vardon write, the 20-year-old originally planned to play for Italy during the 2020 Olympics, but the event was delayed due to the pandemic, and he wound up missing the competition a year later.
After meeting with Banchero in December, Italian Basketball Federation President Gianni Petrucci believed there was a “60% chance” the young forward would suit up for Italy internationally. However, last month he expressed pessimism about the possibility.
Banchero averaged 20.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists per game in 72 starts this past season. He’s the 11th player to commit to Team USA’s 12-man roster, per The Athletic.
The Americans will start training camp for the World Cup in early August, with their first game scheduled later that month in the Philippines.
Pascal Siakam Hopes To Spend Entire Career With Raptors
Raptors forward Pascal Siakam hopes to finish his career with the only NBA team he’s ever known, a source close to the 29-year-old tells Doug Smith of The Toronto Star.
Smith is confirming — and expanding on — Chris Haynes‘ recent report about Siakam warning off potential trade suitors by suggesting he’d refuse to re-sign with them if he was dealt. Haynes also wrote Siakam wanted to remain with Toronto long term.
General manager Bobby Webster acknowledged the Raptors saw the report, per Smith, though obviously that doesn’t necessarily mean it will impact the team’s decision-making.
“It popped right before the draft and we kind of just had a quick chat about it,” Webster said Thursday. “But, no, generally we’re not going to talk about any of that stuff publicly.”
Siakam will be entering a contract year in 2023/24, so a club that gives up a significant package to acquire him would likely want assurances that he’d be willing to stick around for more than one season, even if he doesn’t agree to an extension right away. The Hawks and Blazers are among the teams rumored to have interest in Siakam.
It’s worth noting that Siakam would qualify for a super-max contract – worth 35% of the cap instead of 30% – if he makes an All-NBA team in 2024, but would become ineligible for the super-max if he’s traded. That’s not to say that his reported desire to remain in Toronto isn’t genuine, but he’d also have contract-related reasons to want to stay put.
As Smith writes, the Raptors seem to have a “new era of enthusiasm” — seemingly due to their coaching change — and that may have played a factor in Gary Trent Jr.‘s decision to pick up his player option. New head coach Darko Rajokovic has been meeting with players individually to get to know them, Smith adds.
Having a two-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA member like Siakam putting word out that he wants to stay with the Raptors is a rarity for the organization, Smith notes, with players often spurning Toronto in free agency. It also shows the star forward believes in the team and thinks the 2022/23 season was an “aberration.” Toronto went 41-41 and was eliminated from postseason contention in the play-in tournament.
Smith argues retaining Siakam would be a prudent choice, because the Raptors could move him in the future even if he gets a lucrative extension. He also thinks having one of their best players already seemingly bought in for next season is important if the team wants more on-court success.
Siakam appeared in 71 games last season, leading the league in minutes per game (37.4) for the second straight season. He averaged career highs in points (24.2) and assists (5.8) while pulling down 7.8 rebounds and posting a .480/.324/.774 shooting line.
Woj: Sixers “Determined” To Retain James Harden
The Sixers are “determined” to retain James Harden for the 2023/24 season, but there will be negotiating between the two sides and he likely won’t get a long-term max deal, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported on SportsCenter (YouTube link).
Wojnarowski also said the Rockets are worth keeping an eye on as suitor for Harden, as has been reported multiple times, but they have a number of other players they could pursue in free agency with their league-leading cap room.
Another possibility, according to Woj? A sign-and-trade deal, with Harden joining a new team that doesn’t currently have cap space. The former league MVP has a $35.6MM player option next season, he could simply exercise it if he wanted to as well, though that seems unlikely.
ESPN’s Zach Lowe recently said on his podcast that it’s no longer widely believed around the league that Harden will return to Houston, despite rumors linking him to his former club throughout the past season, while Marc Stein reported last week that the star guard was believed to be giving “renewed consideration” to the idea of remaining with Philadelphia.
Wojnarowski’s report is similar to what Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer recently wrote as well, with the Sixers being unwilling to overpay Harden on a long-term contract and the Rockets perhaps having the same reservations.
A 10-time All-Star who was the NBA’s scoring champion for three straight seasons (averaging 33.7 points over that span), Harden, who turns 34 in August, is no longer that type of scorer on a consistent basis, but he led the league in assists (10.7) for the second time in ’22/23, serving as more of a play-maker and secondary option behind Joel Embiid.
Overall, the veteran guard averaged 21.0 PPG, 10.7 APG, 6.1 RPG and 1.2 SPG on .441/.385/.867 shooting in 58 games (36.8 MPG). Those numbers declined to 20.3 PPG, 8.3 APG, 6.2 RPG and 1.8 SPG on .393/.378/.873 shooting in 11 postseason games (38.8 MPG).
Suns’ Deandre Ayton “Very Unlikely” To Be Traded?
Deandre Ayton was rumored to be one of the bigger names on the trading block this offseason, but John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM hears the Suns‘ starting center is “very unlikely” to be dealt (Twitter link).
The news isn’t exactly surprising. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported last week that Phoenix’s efforts to trade Ayton haven’t been very fruitful so far, calling the big man’s market “lean” and saying there wasn’t an “obvious” deal to be made.
A big part of that is likely Ayton’s contract. He signed a maximum-salary offer sheet with Indiana last summer as a restricted free agent, which Phoenix quickly matched. The former No. 1 overall pick is owed $102MM over the next three seasons.
Ayton, who turns 25 next month, famously didn’t have a great relationship with former head coach Monty Williams. However, Gambadoro reported yesterday that new head coach Frank Vogel “loves” Ayton and suggested that would be a factor in favor of him sticking with the Suns.
Gambadoro previously reported that the Wizards were interested in acquiring Ayton in exchange for Bradley Beal, but the Suns weren’t interested in that deal. They ended up agreeing to trade Chris Paul and Landry Shamet (along with six second-round picks and four first-round pick swaps) to Washington, with Paul set to be rerouted to Golden State.
The Suns are expected to split Ayton’s large contract into multiple depth pieces if they do end up moving him, according to Gambadoro. Clearly, he’s pouring cold water on that possibility now.
Ayton has averaged a double-double in each of his five NBA seasons. In 2022/23, he posted 18.0 PPG and 10.0 RPG in 67 games (30.4 MPG), shooting 58.9% from the floor and 76.0% from the charity stripe.
2023 NBA Draft Results
The 2023 NBA draft is in the books, and we tracked all of this year’s picks in the space below, taking into account each trade agreed upon over the course of the draft.
Picks listed in italics are involved in trades that aren’t yet official.
Here are 2023’s NBA draft results:
First Round:
- San Antonio Spurs: Victor Wembanyama, C, Metropolitans 92 (story)
- Charlotte Hornets: Brandon Miller, F, Alabama (story)
- Portland Trail Blazers: Scoot Henderson, G, G League Ignite (story)
- Houston Rockets: Amen Thompson, G, Overtime Elite
- Detroit Pistons: Ausar Thompson, G, Overtime Elite
- Orlando Magic: Anthony Black, G, Arkansas
- Washington Wizards (from Pacers): Bilal Coulibaly, F, Metropolitans 92
- Indiana Pacers (from Wizards): Jarace Walker, F, Houston
- Utah Jazz: Taylor Hendricks, F, UCF
- Oklahoma City Thunder (from Mavericks): Cason Wallace, G, Kentucky
- Orlando Magic (from Bulls): Jett Howard, G, Michigan
- Dallas Mavericks (from Thunder): Dereck Lively II, C, Duke
- Toronto Raptors: Gradey Dick, G, Kansas
- New Orleans Pelicans: Jordan Hawkins, G, UConn
- Atlanta Hawks: Kobe Bufkin, G, Michigan
- Utah Jazz (from Timberwolves): Keyonte George, G, Baylor
- Los Angeles Lakers: Jalen Hood-Schifino, G, Indiana
- Miami Heat: Jaime Jaquez Jr., F, UCLA
- Golden State Warriors: Brandin Podziemski, G, Santa Clara
- Houston Rockets (from Clippers): Cam Whitmore, F, Villanova (story)
- Brooklyn Nets (from Suns): Noah Clowney, F, Alabama
- Brooklyn Nets: Dariq Whitehead, G/F, Duke
- Portland Trail Blazers (from Knicks): Kris Murray, F, Iowa
- Dallas Mavericks (from Kings): Olivier-Maxence Prosper, F, Marquette
- Detroit Pistons (from Grizzlies via Celtics): Marcus Sasser, G, Houston
- Indiana Pacers (from Cavaliers): Ben Sheppard, F, Belmont
- Charlotte Hornets (from Nuggets): Nick Smith Jr., G, Arkansas
- Utah Jazz (from Sixers): Brice Sensabaugh, F, Ohio State
- Denver Nuggets (from Celtics via Pacers): Julian Strawther, F, Gonzaga
- Los Angeles Clippers (from Bucks): Kobe Brown, F, Missouri
Second Round:
- Charlotte Hornets (from Pistons via Celtics): James Nnaji, C, Barcelona
- Denver Nuggets (from Rockets via Pacers): Jalen Pickett, G, Penn State
- Minnesota Timberwolves (from Spurs): Leonard Miller, F, G League Ignite
- Sacramento Kings (from Hornets via Celtics): Colby Jones, G, Xavier
- Chicago Bulls (from Trail Blazers via Celtics and Wizards): Julian Phillips, F, Tennessee
- Milwaukee Bucks (from Magic): Andre Jackson Jr., G, UConn
- Denver Nuggets (from Wizards via Thunder): Hunter Tyson, F, Clemson
- Boston Celtics (from Pacers via Kings): Jordan Walsh, F, Arkansas
- Atlanta Hawks (from Jazz via Hornets and Celtics): Mouhamed Gueye, F, Washington State
- Los Angeles Lakers (from Mavericks via Nuggets): Maxwell Lewis, F, Pepperdine
- Charlotte Hornets (from Thunder): Amari Bailey, G, UCLA
- Washington Wizards (from Bulls): Tristan Vukcevic, F, Partizan Belgrade
- Portland Trail Blazers (from Hawks): Rayan Rupert, G, New Zealand Breakers
- San Antonio Spurs (from Raptors): Sidy Cissoko, G, G League Ignite
- Memphis Grizzlies (from Timberwolves): G.G. Jackson, F, South Carolina
- Atlanta Hawks (from Pelicans): Seth Lundy, G, Penn State
- Indiana Pacers (from Lakers): Mojave King, G, G League Ignite
- Los Angeles Clippers: Jordan Miller, F, Miami
- Cleveland Cavaliers (from Warriors): Emoni Bates, G/F, Eastern Michigan
- Oklahoma City Thunder (from Heat): Keyontae Johnson, F, Kansas State
- Brooklyn Nets: Jalen Wilson, F, Kansas
- Phoenix Suns: Toumani Camara, F, Dayton
- Minnesota Timberwolves (from Knicks): Jaylen Clark, G, UCLA
- Sacramento Kings: Jalen Slawson, F, Furman
- Indiana Pacers (from Cavaliers): Isaiah Wong, G, Miami
- Memphis Grizzlies: Tarik Biberovic, G/F, Fenerbahce
Chicago Bulls (from Nuggets)- Note: The Bulls forfeited this second-round pick due to free agency gun-jumping.
Philadelphia 76ers- Note: The Sixers forfeited this second-round pick due to free agency gun-jumping.
- Golden State Warriors (from Celtics via Wizards): Trayce Jackson-Davis, F, Indiana
- Milwaukee Bucks: Chris Livingston, F, Kentucky
Lillard Won’t Rush Into Decision About Future With Trail Blazers
The Trail Blazers held onto their draft picks instead of trading them for veteran help like Damian Lillard preferred, but Shams Charania of The Athletic (video link) said the star guard doesn’t plan to make any snap judgments about his future with the team (hat tip to Real GM).
“I’m told the timeline for when the future will land with Damian Lillard likely extends now between tonight and the start of free agency and into free agency,” Charania said on Stadium’s draft show.
Portland used the No. 3 selection to take G League Ignite star Scoot Henderson, who was considered a definitive top-three pick. The Blazers received trade overtures from several teams, including the Pelicans, Charania states. However, he didn’t specify if New Orleans was willing to include Zion Williamson or Brandon Ingram in its offer.
Lillard stated after the end of the regular season that he wasn’t interested in playing another year with a young, rebuilding franchise. He hasn’t asked for a trade, but teams throughout the league are reportedly monitoring the situation and preparing offers in case he does ask to leave.
There’s more on Lillard and the Blazers:
- Lillard appears to be in control of his future in Portland, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who said on the network’s draft coverage that the Blazers will only consider moving Lillard if he asks for a trade (hat tip to Real GM). “Damian Lillard has a decision to make,” Wojnarowski said. “… If he decides he wants a trade, I think the organization will accommodate him. But they don’t want to trade him.” Woj adds that the Blazers front office believes Henderson is more valuable than any return they could have gotten through a trade.
- General manager Joe Cronin said he had a “long talk” with Lillard on Tuesday about ways to improve the team, tweets Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report. Cronin said Henderson “has a chance to be a transcendent player” and stated that he doesn’t believe Lillard is closer to leaving because of the team’s draft decisions. “He’s probably being more vocal than ever, but I don’t look at that as a negative,” Cronin said (Twitter link).
- Sources tell Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report that Lillard hasn’t been in touch with Blazers officials recently regarding the draft, free agency or his future with the team (Twitter link).
Porzingis To Celtics, Smart To Grizzlies, Jones To Wizards In Three-Team Trade
JUNE 23: The three-team blockbuster is official, according to a press release from the Celtics.
As our draft recap shows, the No. 25 and No. 35 draft picks included in this deal were both flipped to new teams in separate draft-night trade agreements.
JUNE 21: After their three-team framework with the Clippers was scrapped, the Wizards and Celtics have reached a new agreement to send Kristaps Porzingis to Boston, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
The Grizzlies will also be involved in the revamped three-team deal, with point guard Tyus Jones heading to Washington and Celtics guard Marcus Smart headed to Memphis, per Wojnarowski.
Celtics big men Mike Muscala and Danilo Gallinari will be sent to the Wizards in the trade, according to Adam Himmselbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter links). Muscala has a $3.5MM team option, which will be exercised as part of the deal.
The Celtics will be receiving Memphis’ first-round pick (No. 25) and Golden State’s top-four protected 2024 first-round pick (via Memphis) for Smart, while the Wizards will acquire No. 35 from Boston for Porzingis.
Although Boston still found a way to acquire Porzingis, who picked up his $36MM player option for 2023/24 as part of the agreement, the incoming and outgoing packages are significantly different than the ones the team discussed with Washington and the Clippers earlier on Wednesday.
Rather than sending out Malcolm Brogdon, the Celtics will lose Smart, the longest-tenured player on the roster who had appeared in nearly 700 total regular season and playoff games for the franchise since 2014. It was widely known that Boston was looking to clear a logjam in its backcourt, but it’s a surprise that Smart will be the odd man out rather than Brogdon or Payton Pritchard. Derrick White appears likely to become the new starting point guard in Boston.
According to NBA reporter Marc Stein (Twitter link), the Clippers had concerns over Brogdon’s injury status. The veteran guard tore a tendon in his right elbow this year and is reportedly hoping to avoid surgery.
Having agreed to give up Smart instead of Brogdon, the Celtics will acquire a pair of first-round picks in addition to Porzingis, who is coming off perhaps the best season of his career. He averaged 23.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 65 games (32.6 MPG) in 2022/23, posting a shooting line of .498/.385/.851.
According to Stein, Porzingis is hoping to sign an extension with the Celtics and there’s a “strong expectation” that he’ll get two years tacked onto his current contract once he becomes eligible for a new deal in July.
Assuming the Celtics hang onto the No. 25 pick, their projected 2023/24 team salary will increase by about $10MM as a result of this deal, pushing their payroll toward the second tax apron, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. It will be interesting to see what the financial outlook – and the addition of Porzingis – means for restricted free agent Grant Williams, who is hardly a lock to re-sign.
The Wizards, meanwhile, continue their roster reset following the hiring of Michael Winger to run their front office. The team previously agreed to trade Bradley Beal to Phoenix and has focused on avoiding multiyear salary commitments in both deals — Jones ($14MM expiring contract), Gallinari ($6.8MM), and Muscala ($3.5MM) are all on track to reach unrestricted free agency by 2024.
While Gallinari and Muscala look like mere salary-matching inclusions, Jones and the No. 35 overall pick are positive assets.
The Wizards could probably accumulate more draft picks if they were to flip Jones to another team, but it sounds like the plan is to make him their starting point guard in 2023/24, per ESPN’s reporting. Monte Morris and Delon Wright are also in that point guard picture for the time being, as is Chris Paul, though he may be traded to a new team or bought out.
It’s an especially interesting move for the Grizzlies, who will be without star point guard Ja Morant for the first 25 games of 2023/24 while he serves a suspension. Jones, one of the league’s top reserve point guards in recent years, projected to be the starter in Morant’s absence, but now that job may belong to Smart.
Besides being able to handle point guard duties, Smart – the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year – will provide the Grizzlies with the sort of perimeter stopper they’ll be losing when Dillon Brooks departs in free agency this offseason. As Stein writes, he should also bring some veteran leadership and stability to Memphis’ locker room.
Smart will receive a $1MM trade bonus as a result of the deal, according to Marks (Twitter link). That money will be spread out across the remaining years on his contract, slightly bumping his cap hits for each season.
The Grizzlies now project to be about $20MM below next season’s tax line, so they should have the full mid-level exception available to spend in free agency if they so choose, Marks adds (via Twitter).
Luke Adams contributed to this story.
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.