Bradley Beal Trade May Limit Market For Kyrie Irving
The Suns‘ acquisition of Bradley Beal may leave the Mavericks as the only bidder for Kyrie Irving when free agency begins, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack column.
Stein states that when Dallas traded for Irving in February, team officials were told that the Suns and Lakers were likely to pursue him this summer. Phoenix appears to have taken itself out of the race by trading for Beal, while L.A. is focused on keeping key elements of its current roster and doesn’t appear interested in bidding for Irving, according to Stein.
League sources tell Stein that the Mavs don’t seem to have any competition for Irving, although that could change before free agency kicks off in 11 days. The Rockets could get involved if they’re unsuccessful in luring James Harden back to Houston, but Stein was told that Irving would be their third choice behind Harden and Fred VanVleet.
Stein identifies the Heat as another team that could make a run at Irving after missing out on Beal, noting that Miami had interest in Irving before he was traded to Dallas. Stein is skeptical, however, believing the Heat are more focused on acquiring Damian Lillard from the Trail Blazers. Miami officials are hoping Lillard will opt for a change of scenery if Portland can’t trade the No. 3 pick for veteran help and that he would be motivated to join a team that just reached the NBA Finals.
Stein adds that the Lakers could still reverse course, but “Plan A” is to re-sign Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura while trying to add Chris Paul if he’s bought out or released once he joins the Wizards. The Clippers are reportedly trying to get their hands on Paul before that can happen, either by expanding the Beal trade or making a separate deal with Washington.
Stein notes that Mavericks haven’t wavered in their plan to re-sign Irving, and team officials believe he wants to stay in Dallas. Negotiations may still be complicated, Stein adds, because the Mavs are hoping to get Irving to agree to a team-friendly contract without alienating him. Irving can receive an estimated $210MM over four years from Dallas, but he may find himself at the bargaining table with very little leverage.
Chris Paul Could Return To Clippers As Wizards Pursue Third Team
The Wizards are fielding offers to re-route Chris Paul to a contender, which is why the blockbuster trade with the Suns may take a few days to be officially completed, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
Phoenix is in the process of acquiring star wing Bradley Beal, with the Wizards expected to receive Paul, Landry Shamet, multiple second-round picks, and multiple pick swaps in the trade. The parameters of the trade could be altered somewhat if a third team is involved.
The Clippers are expected to pursue a reunion with Paul, according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT (Twitter link). As Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype notes (Twitter link), the Clippers would need to send out $22.6MM to match salaries for Paul.
That could be achieved in a number of ways. Eric Gordon ($20.9MM non-guaranteed), Marcus Morris ($17.1MM), Robert Covington ($11.7MM), Nicolas Batum ($11.7MM), Amir Coffey ($3.7MM) and Bones Hyland ($2.3MM) are some of the salaries the Clippers could combine to make it happen.
If the Clippers were to acquire Paul, it would seemingly extinguish the possibility of re-signing Russell Westbrook, who will be an unrestricted free agent. It would also set up an intriguing three-star core group with Paul distributing to Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Paul played for the Clippers from 2011-17.
The Wizards could actually sign off on the original two-team deal and then try to flip Paul, but they have incentive to wait, John Hollinger of The Athletic tweets. A three-team swap could create a larger trade exception for Washington, particularly if one of the players they receive fits into the $6.3MM trade exception they possess as a result of trading Rui Hachimura to the Lakers last season.
Lou Williams Announces Retirement
Lou Williams is retiring from basketball after 17 years in the NBA, making the announcement Sunday morning in a YouTube video. The 36-year-old guard scored the most points off the bench by anyone in league history, and he’s a three-time winner of the Sixth Man of the Year award.
Williams last played for the Hawks during the 2021/22 season, averaging 6.3 PPG in 56 games, all as a reserve. He spent the past year as a free agent after his contract expired.
Williams was selected out of high school by the Sixers with the 45th pick in the 2005 draft. He made his first stop in Atlanta in 2012, signing there as a free agent, and was traded to the Raptors two years later. He signed with the Lakers in 2015 and was traded twice in 2017, first to the Rockets and then to the Clippers.
He had his most productive seasons with the Clippers, averaging 22.6 points per game in 2017/18 and 20.0 PPG in 2018/19 and capturing Sixth Man honors both times. Williams’ other Sixth Man award came in 2015 with Toronto. L.A. sent him back to Atlanta in a 2021 deal.
Williams embraced the role of bench scorer early in his career and defined it as well as anyone ever has. He never made more than 38 starts in a season, but his scoring average hit double figures for 14 straight seasons. He appeared in 1,123 games with six teams, averaging 13.9 PPG throughout his career and shooting 35.1% from three-point range.
Heat, Suns In Serious Talks For Wizards’ Bradley Beal
1:51pm: The Heat are trying to acquire Beal without moving Herro, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link).
Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link) says the package discussed by Miami would be built around Lowry and draft assets, with Robinson or Oladipo also included for salary matching.
The Wizards appear to be trying to avoid taking back long-term money, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. That suggests that a Suns offer would likely involve Paul rather than Ayton.
12:54pm: The Wizards are engaged in serious talks about a Bradley Beal trade with two separate suitors, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), who reports that the Heat and Suns are in the mix for the star guard.
Miami has long been viewed as a potential landing spot for Beal if he’s dealt, whereas Phoenix is more of a newcomer to the sweepstakes. Charania refers to the Heat and Suns as “finalists” for Beal, though it’s unclear if the Wizards are fully committed to moving forward on a trade or whether other clubs will still have a chance to get involved.
As first reported on Wednesday, Beal and the Wizards have begun to talk to one another about the possibility of a trade, with the team’s new front office – led by Michael Winger – considering the idea of resetting the roster. Any major changes in D.C. would almost certainly include moving Beal, who is owed nearly $208MM over the next four years.
Because Beal has a full no-trade clause, he has a significant amount of control over not only his eventual landing spot but the return the Wizards receive for him, since he could veto a deal if he thinks his new team is giving up too much. Beal’s camp – including agent Mark Bartelstein – has reportedly been granted permission by the Wizards to speak to potential suitors.
Beal’s current cap hit is $43.3MM and that number will increase to $46.7MM in 2023/24, so substantial outgoing salary will be required to match that figure and meet the NBA’s trade rules.
A Heat trade for Beal would likely start with either Tyler Herro or Kyle Lowry. Herro will make $27MM next season in the first year of his four-year rookie scale extension, while Lowry will be on a $29.7MM expiring contract. Duncan Robinson ($18.2MM), Victor Oladipo ($9.5MM), and Caleb Martin ($6.8MM) are among the other possible trade candidates for the Heat, who have up to three first-round picks available, including this year’s No. 18 selection.
As for the Suns, it’s safe to assume Kevin Durant and Devin Booker wouldn’t be included in an offer for Beal. That means a proposal would have to start with either Chris Paul or Deandre Ayton, depending on whether Washington would prioritize expiring salary (Paul) or a young building block who is under contract for multiple years (Ayton). Paul has a partially guaranteed $30.8MM salary for 2023/24 without any guaranteed money owed to him beyond next season, while Ayton will make $102MM over the next three years.
Landry Shamet ($10.3MM) and Cameron Payne ($6.5MM) are other movable Suns players for matching purposes, though Phoenix doesn’t have much to offer in the way of future draft picks after sending four first-rounders to Brooklyn for Durant in February. The Suns would only be able to sweeten an offer with second-round picks or with a first-round swap in 2024 and/or 2026.
Both the Heat (with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo) and the Suns entered the offseason expected to scour the trade market for impact players capable of complementing their star duos. The two teams project to be taxpayers going forward, so their flexibility to make major moves may be limited after the 2023/24 league year as more rules from the new Collective Bargaining Agreement take effect.
The Heat have also been linked to Damian Lillard, though there’s no indication yet that he’ll be available this summer. The Suns are said to have some interest in Malcolm Brogdon and John Collins, among others.
Spears: Draymond Green Expected To Decline Player Option
Warriors forward Draymond Green is expected to decline his $27,586,224 player option for 2023/24 and enter unrestricted free agency, Marc J. Spears of ESPN reported on NBA Today (video link).
“I’m told that (new general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr.) has already met with Steph Curry and Draymond Green. The Warriors expect Draymond Green to opt out of the final year of his contract, I’m being told, but … the Warriors are going to do everything in their power, if he does as expected, to bring him back,” Spears said.
The television segment was centered on the impact of Dunleavy’s promotion ahead of a critical offseason. Spears hears it’s been a “smooth transition” thus far, citing the executive’s “strong relationship” with head coach Steve Kerr and his long NBA history as a former player. Spears added that the Warriors are fielding trade calls for Jonathan Kuminga and Jordan Poole.
The 2016/17 Defensive Player of the Year, Green is arguably the best defender of his generation, earning All-Defensive nods in eight of the past nine seasons, including ’22/23. He has been a critical member of Golden State’s dynastic run over that span, winning four championships to go along with four All-Star berths and two All-NBA selections.
That’s not to say Green’s time with the Warriors has been without controversy. He’s often among the league leaders in technical fouls, punched Poole before training camp started last fall, and was suspended for one game in the playoffs after an incident with Kings center Domantas Sabonis, among other prior transgressions.
The 33-year-old averaged 8.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 6.8 APG, 1.0 SPG and 0.8 BPG on .527/.307/.713 shooting in 73 regular season games (31.5 MPG) this past season. The Warriors won the title in 2022, but lost their second-round playoff series against the Lakers last month.
Green has spent his entire 11-year career with Golden State, the team that selected him 35th overall in 2012. He will become one of the top names on the open market if he does indeed decline the option.
Suns Eyeing Celtics’ Malcolm Brogdon In Trade Talks
According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, the Suns haven’t found many suitors for Chris Paul‘s $30.8MM contract, which is partially guaranteed at $15.8MM.
They lack the draft capital to move off Paul’s salary, Fischer notes, and trade rules make it tricky to find a workable deal between two parties, as Paul’s outgoing salary for matching purposes is only $15.8MM, but his incoming salary for his new team would be the full $30.8MM.
That has led the Suns to explore three-team scenarios for Paul, Fischer reports, with the goal of finding a team with cap room to take on the veteran guard’s salary. Rival teams think the Spurs might be an option in that scenario, though it’s unclear whether they’d have any interest in Paul, and it seems unlikely he’d want to stick with a rebuilding club.
Despite already having Zach Collins and the No. 1 overall pick in next week’s draft, which they will use on 7’5″ French phenom Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs appear to be in the market for a starting-caliber center, per Fischer, with the goal of reducing the Wembanyama’s workload as a thin incoming rookie.
As for players the Suns are targeting in the three-team talks, sources tell Fischer that Phoenix continues to be intrigued by Hawks forward John Collins, and he adds a new name as well: Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year.
Brogdon, who has a $22.5MM cap hit in each of the next two seasons, could be on the move due to Boston’s financial situation and roster makeup, with a glut of guards that includes Marcus Smart, Payton Pritchard and Derrick White. Fischer confirms the Celtics are looking for help at other positions, and rival teams think White is the least likely of that group to be dealt.
Wolves’ Naz Reid In Search Of “Best Fit” As Free Agent
Timberwolves big man Naz Reid, who just completed his fourth NBA season, recently spoke to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune about his priorities ahead of unrestricted free agency. Financial considerations will play an important factor, but the 23-year-old says it’s not the end-all-be-all.
“I just want to be put in the best fit,” Reid said. “Obviously money plays a part, but I definitely want to be able to develop in a situation where I’m used to the best of my abilities. A place where I’m able to do things that I could do.”
Hine followed up by asking if Reid thought the Wolves could optimize his abilities, and he said they could. As Hine writes, Reid has been working out in Minnesota the past few weeks after having the cast removed from his left wrist. Reid’s season was cut short in late March following the wrist fracture, so he was unavailable for the postseason.
In April, president of basketball operations Tim Connelly expressed hope that the Wolves would be able to reach a long-term agreement with Reid, who is extension-eligible, and the two sides have had regular discussions about a new deal, with Hine referring to those conversations as “productive and amicable.” Still, Reid intends to test his value on the open market, and says the opportunity to land a starting job — which Minnesota can’t currently provide with Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert on the roster — will be a priority.
“I really value that as a person, as a player, because I feel like I worked to that potential,” Reid said. “But with my unique situation, it can go great either way, coming off the bench or starting. Whatever situation is presented. But for sure, I would prioritize that.”
Reid averaged career highs in multiple categories in 2022/23, including points (11.5), rebounds (4.9) and field goal percentage (53.7%) in 68 games (18.4 minutes per night). However, he was out of the rotation at times to start the season before Towns suffered a major calf injury. Reid ended the season on a strong note, with a larger offensive role off the bench with Towns and Gobert healthy. Would that type of role appeal to him?
“I wouldn’t mind it,” Reid told Hine. “Whatever we can do for me to be back in Minnesota would be lovely, but I also feel like I’ve grown to a higher role or situation than I was in, in the beginning of the year.
“I’m pretty sure everybody else would agree as well. As the time goes on, the years go by, you look for a higher role, better situations than you were in if you’ve obviously outgrown them. So, I would love to stay back in Minnesota, but it’s just like we got to find a position for it.”
It’s an interesting interview from Hine, with Reid also talking about growing “closer and closer” with Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels, two young franchise cornerstones who have been trying to sell Reid on returning. Both Edwards and McDaniels are eligible for rookie scale extensions this summer.
New York doesn’t currently need a center, with Mitchell Robinson, Isaiah Hartenstein and Jericho Sims all under contract next season. However, Ian Begley of SNY.tv reports that Reid has a “significant amount of fans” within the Knicks organization, and says he’s worth monitoring in the event they decide to trade Robinson or Hartenstein.
Hawks “Open To Conversations” On Anyone But Trae Young
After a tumultuous 2022/23 season saw the Hawks fire their head coach for the second time in three seasons, there was a rumor they might consider trading Trae Young, who reportedly had issues with both Lloyd Pierce and Nate McMillan.
However, Young expressed confidence in new head coach Quin Snyder after the 2022/23 season ended, and league sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports the Hawks are “open to conversations” on anyone on their roster except for their point guard, implying they plan to continue building around the two-time All-Star.
That said, Fischer cautions Atlanta isn’t actively looking to move certain players, particularly Dejounte Murray. Sources tell Fischer the Hawks highly value Murray, whom the team acquired last offseason from San Antonio. Atlanta’s front office is apparently using some sort of tiered ranking system for the roster, and the 26-year-old stands on his own just below Young, according to Fischer.
Fischer previously reported that the Hawks discussed a framework of a trade that would have sent John Collins and the No. 15 pick in next week’s draft to the Mavericks in exchange for Davis Bertans and No. 10. It sounds as though Dallas balked at that proposal, so there wasn’t much progress in the talks, but Fischer hears from sources who say the Mavs might be open to a deal if Clint Capela was the incoming player instead of Collins.
Onyeka Okongwu is the Hawks player most rival teams have expressed interest in, according to Fischer, with Capela, Collins and De’Andre Hunter also viewed as trade candidates. However, Capela has good chemistry with Young, and the Hawks value Hunter, having signed him to a lucrative rookie scale extension before ’22/23 started, Fischer notes.
The Hawks are expected to keep Saddiq Bey, whom the team acquired for five second-round picks at the February trade deadline, Fischer adds. Like Okongwu, Bey will be eligible for a rookie scale extension extension this summer.
Sources tell Fischer that Atlanta is thought to be high on Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, who has one year left on his contract. Siakam will be extension-eligible this summer, but the two-time All-NBA member could choose to hold off on that decision, as he’ll be eligible for a super-max extension with Toronto in 2024 if he makes another All-NBA team in ’23/24 (he missed out on the honor this past season).
Lakers Would Have “Strong” Interest In Chris Paul If He’s Waived
If the Suns ultimately decide to waive Chris Paul on or before June 28, when his full $30.8MM salary for the 2023/24 season becomes guaranteed, the Lakers would have “strong” interest in signing the veteran point guard as a free agent, reports Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
The Lakers have been linked to Paul since a report last week stated that he’ll likely be waived unless the Suns find a suitable trade. Buha takes Los Angeles’ interest a step further in his latest report, suggesting that CP3 looks like the team’s top target at point guard in the event that D’Angelo Russell and/or Dennis Schröder aren’t re-signed.
As Buha explains, re-signing both Russell and Schröder is the simplest, cleanest, and perhaps most likely way for the Lakers to address their point guard position this summer. However, if they decide to go in another direction, Paul is a far more realistic option than free agents like Fred VanVleet or Kyrie Irving or potential trade targets like Damian Lillard and Trae Young.
Paul’s family in based in Los Angeles and he has a long-standing friendship with Lakers star LeBron James, Buha writes, pointing out that the two future Hall-of-Famers have envisioned playing together in the past. The 38-year-old would provide the Lakers with the type of “traditional floor general” they’ve lacked in recent years, Buha adds.
Since Paul is owed $15.8MM by the Suns even if he’s waived, Los Angeles could potentially bring him in on a minimum-salary contract or something close to it, creating cap flexibility for other moves. The veteran would also represent a low-risk addition, since his deal likely wouldn’t cover more than one season.
Of course, given that the Suns haven’t yet made a decision on Paul, the Lakers are preparing for other scenarios, starting with re-signing Russell. Team sources tell Buha that one possibility the club has discussed internally is bringing back D-Lo on a front-loaded two-year deal that would put him on the same timeline as James and Anthony Davis. Buha says such a contract could include a second-year option, but an option can’t have a lower cap hit than the prior season, so if they intend to front-load their offer, the Lakers couldn’t go that route.
The Lakers have also discussed the idea of re-signing Russell and adding Paul in free agency, per Buha, who says CP3 would be the favorite to become the starting point guard in that scenario.
Re-signing Schröder and bringing in Paul is considered less likely, since L.A. doesn’t want to lose Russell for nothing and only holds Schröder’s Non-Bird rights, but it’s another possibility. As Buha writes, the team knows Paul and Schröder can coexist, since they thrived together in Oklahoma City in 2019/20. The Lakers may have to dip into their mid-level exception in order to make a competitive offer for Schröder.
NBPA Calls Morant’s Suspension “Excessive, Inappropriate”
The NBA made its long-awaited announcement on Friday regarding the investigation into Ja Morant, issuing a press release stating that the Grizzlies guard will serve a 25-game suspension to open the 2023/24 season.
The league’s announcement indicated that, in order to be reinstated, Morant will also “be required to formulate and fulfill a program with the league that directly addresses the circumstances that led him to repeat this destructive behavior.”
Morant put out a statement expressing remorse for his actions and essentially accepting his punishment. However, the National Basketball Players Association isn’t happy with the league’s decision to both suspend the 23-year-old for nearly a third of the season and require him to meet conditions in order to return. The players’ union issued a statement of its own on Friday afternoon.
“Ja has expressed his remorse and accepted responsibility for his actions, and we support him unequivocally as he does whatever is necessary to represent himself, our players and our league in the best possible light,” NBPA executive director Tamika Tremaglio said in a press release.
“As to the discipline imposed, which keeps him off the court until December and requires some unstated conditions to be met before he can return, we believe it is excessive and inappropriate for a number of reasons including the facts involved in this particular incident, and that it is not fair and consistent with past discipline in our league. We will explore with Ja all options and next steps.”
While Tremaglio doesn’t get into specifics, it’s probably safe to assume that the NBPA objects to the length of the suspension for an act that didn’t break any laws and didn’t subject Morant to any criminal charges. His history of off-court incidents clearly factored heavily into the NBA’s decision to suspend him for 25 games for briefly showing a gun in an Instagram Live video.
According to ESPN, Morant’s suspension is the eighth-longest in league history. Miles Bridges‘ 30-game ban, handed out in April, is considered one of the seven suspensions longer than Morant’s, even though Bridges will only be required to sit out 10 games once he signs a contract.
As legal expert Michael McCann observes (via Twitter), even if the NBPA doesn’t support Morant’s behavior any more than the NBA does, the union has a legal duty to ensure that the league isn’t establishing new precedents that could be used to discipline players more harshly in the future.
According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link) there’s a 30-day window in which to file a grievance, so Morant will have until mid-July to decide whether or not to fight the suspension. The grievance would have to be filed by Morant rather than the NBPA, Marks adds.
The union will meet with Morant to discuss possible next steps, tweets Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.