Brandon Ingram Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Charania’s Latest: Markkanen, Warriors, Ingram, Bucks, Trent, Westbrook, More

July 15th, 2024 at 10:59am CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors have been the “most engaged” trade suitor for Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen this offseason, but the two teams are divided on what a potential Golden State package would look like, writes Shams Charania of The Athletic.

According to Charania, the Warriors have discussed an offer that would center around Moses Moody and a number of draft assets, including multiple first-round picks, multiple second-rounders, and multiple pick swaps. However, Utah has sought “the bulk of young talent and capital” Golden State controls, including Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga in addition to Moody and draft assets. Sources tell Charania that idea has been a “non-starter” for the Warriors.

Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram is another notable name still on the trade market, but teams around the league believe his market is limited, according to Charania, since some potential suitors (including the Kings and Spurs) made moves for other forwards and most other teams aren’t looking to make a major trade at this point in the offseason. If the market for Ingram remains quiet, New Orleans could assess its current group to open the regular season before deciding whether a trade is necessary, Charania suggests.

With most of the NBA’s other teams focused on tweaking their rosters around the edges, one high-ranking team official told Charania, “It might be one of the more quiet summers.”

Here’s more from Charania:

The Bucks are in the market for help at shooting guard and are among the contending teams pursuing Gary Trent Jr., sources tell The Athletic. However, due to its proximity to the second tax apron, Milwaukee is limited to a minimum-salary offer, and one recent report suggested that Trent isn’t interested in accepting a minimum deal. The Bucks are hosting a free agent workout this week in Las Vegas, Charania notes, with Will Barton expected to be among the participants.
While there has been no action on the Russell Westbrook front as of late, the Clippers and the former MVP still plan to part ways this offseason, says Charania. The Nuggets are considered the favorites to sign Westbrook if he reaches free agency, Charania adds, but Los Angeles is still discussing possible trades.
The Grizzlies are exploring trade possibilities involving former lottery pick Ziaire Williams, sources tell Charania. The Grizzlies aren’t far from the luxury tax line and will likely have to shed some salary if they want to use their full mid-level exception or re-sign Luke Kennard while staying out of tax territory.

Southwest Notes: Ingram, Grizzlies, Barnes, Spurs

July 8th, 2024 at 5:17pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks were considered a possible trade suitor for Brandon Ingram this offseason, but they ended up not having much interest in giving the forward his next contract or surrendering either Clint Capela or Onyeka Okongwu in a trade with the Pelicans, league sources tell William Guillory of The Athletic.

As a result, the Pelicans and Hawks instead made a deal involving Dejounte Murray that didn’t include Ingram or either of Atlanta’ centers. Now it’s unclear whether New Orleans will be able to find a trade partner for Ingram, who will be on an expiring contract in 2024/25.

According to Guillory, both the Pelicans and Ingram would prefer not to go into training camp without an extension, since it may become a distraction. That could mean New Orleans will be looking to complete a trade by late September, but it also doesn’t sound like a new contract for the former All-Star is out of the question. Guillory cites “some optimism within the building” that Ingram and the Pelicans could work out an extension below the max that leaves both sides happy.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

The Grizzlies have officially announced Taylor Jenkins‘ new-look coaching staff for the 2024/25 season (Twitter link). Anthony Carter and Patrick St. Andrews are the only returning assistants, though one newcomer (Jason March) had been coaching the Memphis Hustle, while another (Erik Schmidt) was the Grizzlies’ head video coordinator. Joe Boylan (formerly of the Timberwolves), Patrick Mutombo (from the Bucks), Tuomas Iisalo (Paris Basketball), and Noah LaRoche are the other additions. Former assistants Blake Ahearn, Brad Jones, Scoonie Penn, Sonia Raman, and Vitaly Potapenko have all been replaced, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.
LJ Ellis of SpursTalk shares his thoughts on the Spurs‘ impending acquisition of Harrison Barnes, explains why he likes the fit and why he expects the veteran forward to be a starter in San Antonio. As Ellis notes, more minor roster moves will be necessary to open up enough cap room to accommodate Barnes’ incoming salary, so he’s reluctant to give his final assessment of the deal until it’s clear what those moves will be.
As Mike Finger of The San Antonio Express-News points out (via Twitter), the Spurs wouldn’t have been in position to add both Barnes and Chris Paul if they had kept the No. 8 overall pick in the draft, which carried a cap hit of $6.26MM.

Hawks Trade Dejounte Murray To Pelicans

July 6th, 2024 at 6:37pm CST by Tristan Tucker

JULY 6: The trade sending Murray to the Pelicans is now official, according to press releases from both teams.

“Dejounte is among the best two-way guards in the NBA and adds another dimension to our team, and we could not be more excited to welcome him and his family to New Orleans,” Pelicans head of basketball operations David Griffin said within New Orleans’ announcement.

Cody Zeller was signed-and-traded to Atlanta as part of the deal for salary-matching purposes. His exact contract details have yet to be reported, but ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link) says the veteran center will earn in excess of $3MM in 2024/25. The contract must be for at least three years, though only the first season needs to be guaranteed.

Zeller’s inclusion means Murray can earn his full $12MM trade bonus.

The 2027 pick going to Atlanta, which will be the least favorable of the Bucks’ and Pelicans’ first-rounders, is top-four protected.

JUNE 28: The Hawks are trading guard Dejounte Murray to the Pelicans, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

In exchange for Murray, the Pelicans are sending forward Larry Nance Jr., 2022 No. 8 overall pick Dyson Daniels, and two first-round picks to Atlanta, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (Twitter links). Forward E.J. Liddell will also head to the Hawks in the deal, per Christian Clark of NOLA.com (Twitter link).

According to Wojnarowski (Twitter link), the picks the Pelicans are sending the Hawks in the deal are the Lakers’ 2025 first-round selection and a 2027 first-rounder, which will be the least favorable of the Bucks’ and Pelicans’ picks.

The Hawks originally acquired Murray from the Spurs in 2022 to pair him with star guard Trae Young. Atlanta sacrificed several draft assets – including its own unprotected 2025 and 2027 first-round picks and an unprotected 2026 first-round swap – to give Young a running mate in the backcourt, but the duo never really thrived as hoped.

While Murray was individually solid — averaging 21.5 points per game across 152 appearances with Atlanta over two seasons — the Hawks floundered as a team. Atlanta went 77-87 in Murray’s two years with the team and made the playoffs just once, losing in the first round to Boston in 2023. The Hawks were eliminated in the first play-in game this spring.

With the Hawks struggling at the midpoint of the 2023/24 season, Murray’s name began to come up in trade conversations ahead of the deadline. The Lakers were among the potential destinations mentioned most frequently, but the Hawks opted to not move him at that time.

For the Pelicans, this trade signals they’re looking to continue to climb the Western Conference standings after making the playoffs this season. Murray will provide added offense for a team that went 2-14 in close games last season, and Christian Clark of NOLA.com (Twitter link) says New Orleans believes he and CJ McCollum can coexist. McCollum thrived in an off-ball role last season, Clark notes.

As Wojnarowski reports (Twitter link), the Pelicans are still trying to come to terms on a middle ground with Brandon Ingram on a contract extension. Ingram’s name has frequently come up in trade rumors this offseason, with the expectation being that he’ll end up on the trade block if he and New Orleans don’t agree to an extension. Multiple reports have indicated that the Pelicans don’t intend to offer the forward another maximum-salary deal as he enters the final year of his current max contract.

Once this deal for Murray is completed, the Pelicans will find themselves just $4.7MM under the luxury tax line for 11 players, tweets cap expert Yossi Gozlan. They’ve never paid the luxury tax before and will need frontcourt depth, with just Zion Williamson, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, and rookie Yves Missi as options for those spots, so it’s safe to assume more moves are coming, including possibly something involving Ingram.

As for the Hawks, trading Murray is a clear signal they’re willing to hear offers on most of their players. Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported this morning that everyone on the roster except for Jalen Johnson and Zaccharie Risacher are on the table. That list of trade candidates – which features veterans like Clint Capela and De’Andre Hunter – could also include Young, though there was an expectation that Atlanta would likely just trade one of him or Murray — not necessarily both.

Young, like Murray, has been brought up in trade rumors since the start of the offseason and it sounds like the Hawks have at least entertained offers for their three-time All-Star. We’ll likely get more clarity on both Ingram and Young’s situations with the Pelicans and Hawks in the coming days.

Assuming New Orleans and Atlanta complete this deal as reported, with no pieces added and no other teams involved, the Pelicans will be hard-capped at the $178.7MM first apron for the 2024/25, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, since they’re taking back more salary than they’re sending out.

The Pelicans and Hawks will also have to take into account Murray’s trade bonus, which had been the largest in the NBA — it’s worth over $12MM, tweets Marks. It will be spread out across three seasons, starting in 2024/25, increasing the guard’s cap hits by approximately $4MM per season. So instead of counting for $25.27MM toward the cap in 2024/25, he’ll have a cap hit of $29.27MM. The trade bonus bump isn’t applied to his player option year in 2027/28.

While the Pelicans must take on Murray’s larger cap hits, the Hawks will be responsible for paying the bonus, Marks notes. There’s also a possibility that Murray will agree to waive some or all of his trade bonus, which would make salary-matching simpler. If he gets his full bonus, the Pelicans will likely need to add more salary for matching purposes.

After sending AJ Griffin to Houston, the Hawks will save some more money in this deal as they acquire Nance’s expiring $11.21MM deal, Daniels’ rookie scale contract ($6.06MM in 2024/25), and Liddell’s minimum-salary pact ($2.12MM). According to Marks (Twitter link), the team’s salary now projects to be about $5.5MM below the luxury tax line with 14 players under contract.

Atlanta will hold team options on both Daniels and Liddell for the 2025/26 season.

Luke Adams contributed to this story.

Stein’s Latest: Ingram, Bridges, Cavs, Mavs, Westbrook

July 4th, 2024 at 3:45pm CST by Rory Maher

The Pelicans have “intensified” their efforts to trade Brandon Ingram in the past few days, league sources tell Marc Stein (Substack link).

Apparently the desire for a deal is mutual, as Ingram is disappointed that New Orleans has been unwilling to offer him a lucrative long-term extension. Stein hears that Ingram’s representatives have been looking at trade options.

Aside from moving Ingram, the Pels are focused on trying to sign Trey Murphy to a rookie scale extension, Stein writes. They’re also looking for depth up front after Jonas Valanciunas agreed to a three-year deal with Washington.

According to Stein, the Kings, who have explored trading for several forwards, are one potential suitor for Ingram.

Here’s more from Stein’s latest rumor round up:

The Cavaliers have been described as a “team to watch” in a possible sign-and-trade for Hornets forward Miles Bridges, though Stein isn’t sure how serious Cleveland’s interest is. Bridges is “known to be interested” in sign-and-trade scenarios, Stein adds.
The Mavericks are “sure to re-sign” free agent forward Markieff Morris, according to Stein, who says Dallas is also looking for minimum-salary backcourt depth. Morris hinted at returning to the Mavs on Wednesday.
Sources tell Stein the Mavericks offered Derrick Jones the same three-year, $27MM contract that Naji Marshall accepted, but evidently Jones was looking to maximize his earnings, which is why he agreed to a three-year, $30MM deal with the Clippers. Stein hears the Mavs weren’t sure how much money Jones would command and were wary of a bidding war, which is why they switched their attention to Marshall, a player they like.
According to Stein, the Nuggets continue to show the “most tangible” interest in Clippers guard Russell Westbrook, who is considered likely to be on another team to open the 2024/25 season.

FA/Trade Rumors: Sixers, Heat, DeRozan, Warriors, Markkanen, Lakers, More

July 3rd, 2024 at 2:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Signs are pointing toward Paul Reed being traded or waived rather than returning to the Sixers, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, who notes that waiving Reed or using his pseudo-expiring $7.7MM contract as a trade chip would allow the team to maximize its cap room. Pompey adds that Philadelphia has had discussions with free agent forward Haywood Highsmith, while Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald tweets that the 76ers have also “poked around” on Caleb Martin.

Although the Heat remain in the mix for both of their free agents and could technically make Martin and Highsmith big offers, they’ve told people they don’t intend to surpass the second tax apron due to the roster-building restrictions that second-apron teams face, says Jackson (Twitter link). That limits Miami’s ability to make a competitive offer to either player.

Despite the Heat’s financial restrictions, Jovan Buha of The Athletic has heard from league sources that Miami is viewed as the “slight” favorite to land DeMar DeRozan. The team doesn’t have the spending flexibility to make it work without additional moves, but DeRozan likes the idea of playing for the Heat and the two sides have remained in touch, tweets Jackson.

Here are a few more rumors and notes related to the trade and free agent markets:

The Warriors and Spurs are considered the most serious suitors for Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (video link), who says Golden State has been the most aggressive team in its pursuit of Markkanen.
Appearing on SportsCenter on ESPN (Twitter video link), Adrian Wojnarowski said the Lakers aren’t interested in using their tradable draft picks just to move off contracts, but would be open to including draft assets for a quality player. However, they’re not pursuing a deal for a high-salary impact player, since they’re skeptical the three-star model is feasible under the new CBA, Wojnarowski explains.
While a report on Monday suggested the Nets are open to reuniting with Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell, sources tell Brian Lewis of The New York Post that’s not expected to happen.
In an appearance on Sactown Sports 1140 (YouTube link), Sam Amick of The Athletic said that he’s skeptical the Kings will land Markkanen or Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, noting that Sacramento still appears to be taking a hard line in its desire to keep Keegan Murray off the table in trade talks. “I don’t know how long the list of guys is that they would give Keegan up for, but it’s not anybody currently available on the market,” Amick said.

Scotto’s Latest: Markkanen, Achiuwa, Knicks, Kessler, Vucevic, Sixers

July 2nd, 2024 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The expectation around the NBA, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, is that the Jazz will only seriously consider trading Lauri Markkanen if they receive a huge offer similar in value to the one Brooklyn got for Mikal Bridges, which included four unprotected first-round picks, an unprotected first-round swap, and one more lightly protected first-rounder.

The decision on Markkanen is viewed as an inflection point for the Jazz, who could accelerate their timeline by trying to find another star to join him in Utah or extend their timeline by moving the star forward and continuing to stockpile assets ahead of a loaded 2025 draft.

In addition to confirming the four teams previously reported to have interest in Markkanen (the Warriors, Spurs, Kings, and Timberwolves), Scotto adds the Pelicans to the list of potential suitors for the star forward. However, he says New Orleans has been reluctant to discuss valuable young role players like Trey Murphy and Herbert Jones.

Brandon Ingram, the most obvious trade candidate on the Pelicans’ roster, wouldn’t be a logical target for Utah in a Markkanen trade. New Orleans is including a pair of first-round picks in its deal for Dejounte Murray but could still offer as many as four first-rounders (2025, 2027, 2029, and 2031) in a package for a player like Markkanen.

Here’s more from Scotto:

Unrestricted free agent Precious Achiuwa – who is drawing interest from multiple contenders, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv – liked playing in New York and remains open to re-signing with the Knicks, Scotto writes. The Knicks’ search for help at center has also involved making trade calls to the Jazz about Walker Kessler and the Hornets about Nick Richards, according to Scotto, who says rival executives think the Jazz are more willing to listen to inquiries on Kessler than they would’ve been a year ago.
With DeMar DeRozan seemingly on the verge of leaving Chicago, there’s a belief around the league that the Bulls may look to trade Nikola Vucevic and make the roster even younger, league sources tell Scotto.
Providing several Sixers-related updates, Scotto says Philadelphia is expected to either trade or waive Paul Reed and his $7.7MM non-guaranteed contract, has exploratory trade interest in Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith, and wants to add more shooting and guard depth, with Lester Quinones and Kyle Lowry among the players on its radar. Additionally, second-round pick Adem Bona is expected to get a standard contract and a place on the 76ers’ 15-man roster, Scotto reports.

Fischer’s Latest: Markkanen, Isaac, DeRozan, Lakers, D-Lo, Nets

July 1st, 2024 at 6:51pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz are “welcoming” inquiries on Lauri Markkanen, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who wonders if Utah’s offseason could play out like Brooklyn’s has. The Nets agreed to trade Mikal Bridges after efforts to pair him with an impact player came up short. Utah has also explored the trade market for a possible second star to complement Markkanen, talking to Brooklyn about Bridges (as previously reported) and to the Hawks about both Dejounte Murray and Trae Young, sources tell Fischer.

While it’s possible the Jazz will follow the Nets’ lead, selling off their lone star after failing to land another one, they don’t appear eager to part with Markkanen. According to Fischer, the Jazz have conveyed that they remain interested in renegotiating and extending Markkanen’s contract later this offseason and that listening to every offer for the star forward is just about due diligence.

As reported earlier today, both the Warriors and Spurs have interest in Markkanen, Fischer confirms, naming the Kings and Timberwolves as a couple more teams to watch. However, Sacramento’s reluctance to put Keegan Murray on the table in trade scenarios – which NBA personnel believe would be necessary to land Markkanen – may result in the Kings shifting their trade focus to Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, Fischer writes. As for the Wolves, they’re operating over the second apron and barely have any future draft capital available, so it’s hard to envision a way for them to make a serious play for Markkanen.

Here’s more from Fischer:

The Magic may not end up using all of their cap room on free agents or trades — according to Fischer (Twitter link), they’re working on possibly renegotiating and extending forward Jonathan Isaac‘s contract. A team with cap space can use it to give a player a raise on his current-year salary, then reduce his salary by up to 40% in the first year of an extension, so Orlando may be looking at essentially giving Isaac a bonus this season to get him a team-friendly deal beginning in 2025/26.
Although LeBron James has expressed a willingness to take a pay cut if it allows the Lakers to bring in an impact player, Fischer writes that the team seems to be running out of potential targets – and time – to make that happen. The Lakers “hold an affinity” for DeMar DeRozan, but they’d likely have to incorporate a third team to move off some salary, including perhaps D’Angelo Russell or Gabe Vincent, to have a shot at DeRozan, according to Fischer.
The Nets could be a trade destination for Russell. Sources tell Fischer that Brooklyn has been open to the idea of a reunion with Russell since February’s trade deadline.
If Klay Thompson had re-signed with the Warriors, the plan was to bring him off the bench next season behind second-year guard Brandin Podziemski, according to Fischer. Thompson appears likely to be a starter in Dallas.

FA/Trade Rumors: Hartenstein, Ingram, Harris, A. Holiday

June 30th, 2024 at 6:45pm CST by Rory Maher

With free agency officially underway, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium that the Thunder are meeting with UFA center Isaiah Hartenstein in his hometown of Eugene, Oregon (Twitter link).

According to Charania, the Magic — who just agreed to a three-year, $66MM deal with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope — are prioritizing wings with their cap room, while the Knicks are trying to figure out how to avoid being hard-capped at the first apron as part of the Mikal Bridges trade, possibly opening the door for Oklahoma City. Charania also lists the Jazz as a team with interest in Hartenstein, but Utah is “focused on current roster decisions.”

Hartenstein, 26, is the top center on the open market after Nic Claxton agreed to a four-year, $100MM deal to return to Brooklyn.

Here are a few more trade and free agency rumors from around the NBA:

Sean Cunningham of Fox40 KTXL confirms the Kings have interest in trading for Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (Twitter link). As Cunningham observes, Ingram previously played under Alvin Gentry, who is now in a front office role with Sacramento. A one-time All-Star, Ingram will earn $36MM in 2024/25, which is the final year of his contract. New Orleans is reportedly unwilling to give the 26-year-old a maximum-salary extension, making Ingram a prime trade candidate.
The Pistons, Jazz, Spurs and Mavericks are among the teams interested in free agent forward Tobias Harris, who is meeting with potential suitors in California, a source tells Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. All four clubs have previously been linked to Harris, who has spent the past five-plus seasons with the 76ers. With no cap room available, Dallas would only be able to acquire Harris in a sign-and-trade, Pompey notes.
While the Rockets have interest in a reunion with veteran guard Aaron Holiday, they also recognize that he might find an opportunity for more minutes elsewhere, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic. The 27-year-old has multiple suitors in free agency, Iko adds. It’s worth noting that Houston drafted Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard with the No. 3 overall pick last week.

Trade Rumors: LaVine, Johnson, Ingram, Pacers, Carter

June 30th, 2024 at 2:18pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls don’t appear to have made any progress on the Zach LaVine trade front, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (YouTube link). Chicago has made an effort this offseason to find a taker for LaVine, but hasn’t found many teams with interest — even if a draft pick is attached to the two-time All-Star.

“Literally, there is no market for Zach LaVine,” Marks said. “They are trying to give him away and attach a first-round pick. I’ve been told that by multiple people.”

LaVine’s maximum-salary contract looks especially onerous as teams grapple with the implications of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. He’s owed $43MM next season coming off foot surgery and has a guaranteed salary of $46MM in 2025/26, with a player option worth nearly $49MM for ’26/27.

Here are a few more trade rumors from across the league:

Nets forward Cameron Johnson is generating trade interest from the Raptors and Kings, with the Pacers and Magic among the other teams to register exploratory interest, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The Cavaliers have been mentioned as another possible suitor for Johnson, but “nothing has materialized on that front” yet, according to Scotto. Brookyn is believed to be open to inquiries to most of the veterans on its roster after having agreed to send Mikal Bridges to New York.
The Kings are a team to keep an eye on as a possible suitor for Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, Scotto writes, confirming reporting from Jake Fischer. For now, Sacramento’s interest in Ingram has only been exploratory, Scotto notes.
Teams talking to the Pacers have inquired about youngsters Bennedict Mathurin and Jarace Walker, per Scotto. While there has been no indication that Indiana is looking to move either player, the team made the Eastern Conference finals without Mathurin available and has reached lucrative new free agent deals for two power forwards who are ahead of Walker on the depth chart (Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin), so it’s fair to wonder whether they’ll be available this summer.
With the Magic considered a potential suitor for Isaiah Hartenstein, teams have expressed interest in trading for Orlando center Wendell Carter, according to Scotto, who says the Pelicans are among the clubs to inquire on Carter.

Fischer’s Latest: Clippers, George, Warriors, Mavs, KCP, Klay, Nuggets, More

June 30th, 2024 at 12:53pm CST by Luke Adams

As they navigate the challenges of the second tax apron for 2024/25 and beyond, the Clippers have been adamant to this point that they don’t want to complete a contract longer than three years for any players, reports Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. Barring a change of heart, that means Los Angeles will be unwilling to go higher than three years for its own star free agents, Paul George and James Harden.

While Harden seems likely to end up on a new three-year agreement with the Clippers, per Fischer, that three-year limit has been a point of contention in negotiations with George. Both the Sixers and Magic – who are set to meet with George late on Sunday night – are willing to offer the star forward a four-year, maximum-salary contract, Fischer confirms.

Outside of the Clippers, Sixers, and Magic, there’s another team “lingering on the periphery” of the George situation, according to Fischer, who says the Jazz‘s “dreamiest plot” for the offseason would be to use their trade assets to acquire an impact player on the trade market (they pursued Mikal Bridges before Brooklyn agreed to send him to New York) and to use their cap room to land George. However, as Fischer acknowledges, it’s extremely unlikely that George will decide to sign in Utah.

Here’s more from Fischer’s latest rumor round-up, with the official start of free agency just hours away:

The trade options the Warriors have considered – using Chris Paul and/or Andrew Wiggins as outgoing pieces – range from giving up draft picks in a deal for Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram to acquiring a pick along with Bulls guard Zach LaVine, sources tell Fischer. If they don’t find a trade they like and lose Klay Thompson via free agency, the Warriors will have the full mid-level exception available. They’re considering possible targets using that MLE, says Fischer.
The Mavericks likely would have attempted to make a trade with the Nuggets to acquire Kentavious Caldwell-Pope if he had picked up his $15.4MM player option, Fischer reports. Now that Caldwell-Pope has opted for free agency, Thompson appears to be the free agent wing most likely to end up in Dallas, according to Fischer, who says Thompson also continues to be one of the Sixers‘ secondary targets if they miss out on George.
As for Caldwell-Pope, the Nuggets are preparing to lose him, with the Sixers and Magic both holding “strong” interest in the veteran swingman, per Fischer. A deal with one of those cap-room teams in the range of $50MM over two years could be a possibility for KCP, Fischer adds.
Having traded away Reggie Jackson, the Nuggets are in the market for a backup point guard. Sources tell Fischer that Russell Westbrook would have been a target using the taxpayer mid-level exception if he had opted out of his contract with the Clippers. Fischer also mentioned Hornets guard Vasilije Micic as a Denver target, noting that Zeke Nnaji – who is on the trade block – could be sent out in a deal for Micic.
The Nuggets have also long had interest in big man Dario Saric, who could be a target in free agency, Fischer says.
While it won’t be one of their top short-term priorities as free agency begins, the Clippers are expected to eventually work out an extension with center Ivica Zubac, sources tell Yahoo Sports.