Heat Notes: LeBron, T. Johnson, Draft Picks, Leonard
The Heat are sometimes listed as a potential free agency destination for LeBron James, but team officials don’t believe there’s any chance he will return to Miami, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Among the entities that could see James back on South Beach is the WestGate Las Vegas sports book, which recently gave the Heat the fifth-best odds of winning next year’s title because of that possibility.
While Miami wouldn’t turn James away, there are too many obstacles to make the move realistic, Jackson notes. The Heat enter this summer with no cap space, so they would have to clear more than $55MM in salary while taking none in return to create the room to offer James a max contract. Cleveland could theoretically agree to a trade, but it’s hard to picture Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert working out a deal to ship James back to Miami.
Here are a few more Heat tidbits, courtesy of Jackson:
- Tyler Johnson‘s contract will escalate to $19.2MM in each of the next two seasons, and the Heat are probably stuck with that deal. Jackson states that there is little optimism in the organization about moving Johnson, whose contract includes a 15% trade kicker that would be worth an extra $2.9MM. Miami matched a back-loaded offer sheet from the Nets in 2016 that was structured to make Johnson much more expensive in the final two years.
- Also holding a trade kicker is Kelly Olynyk, who has a 5% bonus that would pay him $1.1MM if he’s traded. That money would be split over the next two seasons.
- The Heat, who don’t have a pick in either round of this year’s draft, are trying to acquire a second-rounder, according to a Western Conference executive whose team has spoken to Miami about a potential deal. This year’s first-round choice was sent to the Suns in the Goran Dragic trade, and the second-rounder was shipped to Memphis in a 2016 deal to clear cap room.
- Miami continues to monitor the Kawhi Leonard situation in San Antonio in hopes of pouncing if the Spurs decide a trade is necessary.
Atlantic Notes: Horford, Bridges, Draft Strategy, Leonard
As the Celtics prepare for a Game 7 showdown against the Cavaliers, Al Horford‘s story of redemption in the postseason is an intriguing storyline, Chris Mannix of Yahoo! Sports writes. In 2015, then a member of the Hawks, Horford thought he was headed for the NBA Finals after two quick postseason series victories. A sweep at the hands of the Cavaliers that year ended those dreams.
Horford has now become a key part of the Celtics’ core and once again, he will need to get past LeBron James and the Cavaliers if he wants to reach the NBA Finals. A disappointing series aside, Horford has been a positive influence on a young Celtics roster that has faced injuries to several of its star players.
“He’s been such a stabilizing force since he walked into our locker room,” head coach Brad Stevens said. “He provides a very calming influence to the younger players.”
Check out more news and notes from the Atlantic Division:
- While injuries to Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward put a damper on the Celtics‘ original plans, the team is still one win away from the NBA Finals. Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel writes that with a healthy roster next season, the Celtics are poised to become the latest NBA super team. One scout Winderman quotes in the story compared a healthy Celtics roster to what the Warriors assembled out west.
- Both Mikal Bridges and Miles Bridges fit the bill for the type of player the Knicks are seeking in the NBA Draft. Both players are roughly the same size, have similar names and are expected to be available when the Knicks select a player with their ninth overall pick. Marc Berman of the New York Post breaks down both players, examining which one is a better fit for New York’s roster.
- Ian Begley of ESPN has several notes pertaining to the Knicks’ draft strategy for next month. League officials have said that Missouri’s Michael Porter Jr. and Wendell Carter Jr. have been mentioned by Knicks officials as possible targets but it’s unlikely either is available by the time the Knicks’ turn comes. Also, Begley notes Mikal Bridges is currently ranked ahead of Miles Bridges by the Knicks.
- Derek Bodner of The Athletic (subscription required) answers several Sixers-related questions in his latest mailbag. In particular, Bodner addresses the possibility of Philadelphia pursuing Kawhi Leonard and how he would fit on the current roster.
Danny Green: Kawhi Leonard Wants To Be With Spurs
Kawhi Leonard‘s future with the Spurs remains a mystery as the organization ponders whether or not to keep its superstar player in San Antonio beyond next season. Leonard is set to hit free agency after 2018/19 and if he reaches the open market, he will have no shortage of suitors.
However, at least one teammate believes that the two-time Defensive Player of the Year wants to stay in San Antonio. Spurs guard Danny Green recently made an appearance on ESPN’s Get Up!, where he addressed his mercurial teammate (via San Antonio Express-News).
“It’s up in the air right now,” Green said of Leonard’s status with the Spurs. “But I think he wants to be in San Antonio. He’s let me know that, he let me know verbally he wanted to be there, so we’ll see what happens.”
Leonard, soon to be 27 years old, appeared in just nine regular season games with the Spurs as he battled a troublesome right quadriceps injury. There were various points where it seemed Leonard was on the verge of an on-court return late in the season, but it never happened. Instead, Leonard rehabbed his injury in New York — with little to no contact with the Spurs — while under the care of his own doctors.
As the Spurs were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Warriors, Leonard was not even on the bench as a spectator.
Most recently, we relayed a report that the Spurs do not intend on trading Leonard and hope to mend the relationship. A healthy Leonard is a difference maker; he finished third in NBA Most Valuable Player award voting last season while averaging 25.5 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 4.7 APG in 74 games.
Southwest Rumors: Jordan, Anderson, Leonard, Mavs Pick
The Mavericks are unlikely to pursue DeAndre Jordan again, according to Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News. Jordan was listed among the big men Dallas would seek out in free agency in a story from The Ringer. Sefko cannot imagine owner Mark Cuban going after the Clippers center after Jordan backed out on a verbal agreement with the Mavs three summers ago.
Seth Curry‘s return to the Mavericks seems less likely than it did late in the season, Sefko adds, speculating that the Warriors or another legitimate contender will secure the guard’s services. Curry will be an unrestricted free agent in July.
In other developments around the Southwest Division:
- Ryan Anderson continues to be the odd man out in the Rockets‘ rotation, Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle reports. The high-priced power forward has only played 14 minutes during the first three games of the Western Conference Finals and his status is unlikely to change. “Ryan’s ready to go, but it’s a different type of series,” coach Mike D’Antoni told the media. “So he’ll just have to wait until his time.”
- Kawhi Leonard‘s image has taken a big hit but it won’t be difficult to repair, according to Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express News. Marketing experts believe Leonard can patch things up with Spurs fans if he remains with the team and tells them that his past issues with the staff and front office are behind him. Doing charitable work in the community would also hel mend fences, Orsborn adds. Leonard only played nine games this past season due to a quad injury, even though the team’s medical staff cleared him to play the second half of the season.
- The Mavericks are in a tricky spot in the lottery, Sefko writes in a separate piece. Deandre Ayton, Luka Doncic, Marvin Bagley III and Jaren Jackson are likely to be drafted ahead of Dallas’ pick at No. 5, Sefko continues. If that’s the way the draft it unfolds, there’s no obvious choice at No. 5 and Dallas doesn’t have the assets to move up, Sefko adds.
Southwest Notes: Rockets, Kawhi, Grizzlies, Pelicans
While Rockets general manager Daryl Morey has deservedly received much of the praise for shaping Houston’s roster into a title contender, Morey credit his star guard James Harden for his ability as a recruiter and a pitchman, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com.
“James was everything,” Morey said in discussing the Rockets’ roster building and the addition of Chris Paul. “Not only is he a great player on the floor, but he’s someone who’s just focused on winning and is willing to do anything to make it happen, whether it be meet with people, call them, text them, whatever is required. He makes my job easy.”
As MacMahon details, Harden and Paul were both instrumental in convincing P.J. Tucker to sign with the Rockets last summer. The veteran forward turned down a larger offer from the Raptors in order to join Harden and Paul in Houston, and he showed on Wednesday night how valuable he can be for the Rockets. Tucker, who scored 20 points in his first game with the team last October, hadn’t reached that mark again until he poured in 22 against Golden State in Game 2.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- Within a larger article on LeBron James‘ free agency, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer touches on the Kawhi Leonard situation in San Antonio. O’Connor says he has heard from multiple NBA executives that if the Spurs decide to make Leonard available, they wouldn’t trade him for anything less than a “grand-slam offer.”
- Having slipped from No. 2 to No. 4 in the draft lottery, the Grizzlies are probably no longer in play for Deandre Ayton and Luka Doncic. However, there should be plenty of appealing options available. Chris Herrington of The Memphis Commercial Appeal examines a few likely targets for the Grizzlies at No. 4 — and at No. 32, with their second-round pick.
- The Pelicans‘ first-round pick belong to the Bulls, meaning New Orleans will be seeking internal growth from youngsters like Cheick Diallo and Frank Jackson this offseason. William Guillory of The Times-Picayune has the story.
Sixers Will Pursue Top Free Agents
Luxury tax concerns won’t scare the Sixers away from chasing elite talent this summer, relays Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
LeBron James tops the list of targets and is rumored to be considering Philadelphia as a possible destination. GM Brian Colangelo estimates the team will have about $25MM in cap room, but more could be opened to meet James’ demand for a maximum deal starting around $35MM a year.
“I think the bar is very high for us in terms of who we are going to put on this team,” said Sixers co-managing partner Josh Harris. “But on the other hand, for a certain small number of players, like we are going to go after them hard. People have asked me about the luxury tax. I don’t have any problem spending for good players.”
Pompey shares a few other notes about the Sixers’ offseason:
- The franchise is planning to pursue Oklahoma City’s Paul George as well as James. George has expressed a desire to play in Los Angeles, but could be swayed by the young talent in place in Philadelphia. His defense and outside shooting would make him an attractive fit alongside Ben Simmons.
- The Sixers will make a play for Spurs star Kawhi Leonard if he becomes available in trade. Leonard has a good relationship with coach Brett Brown, but Pompey cites the risk of trading for him without a guarantee that he will sign an extension. Leonard can opt out of a $20.1MM salary next summer.
- Creating room for a max contract means renouncing the rights to free agents J.J. Redick, Amir Johnson, Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova. The Sixers could try to bring them back with the mid-level exception and minimum contracts, but they may all get better offers elsewhere. Redick signed a one-year, $23MM deal to come to Philadelphia last summer and is probably seeking a longer arrangement at age 33. Pompey expects him to get an offer in the $12MM to $15MM range. Johnson, 31, will also be searching for a long-term contract.
Northwest Notes: Anthony, Leonard, McCollum, Favors
After a disappointing first season with the Thunder, Carmelo Anthony‘s future with the organization is unclear. He wields a $28MM option he figures to utilize, which would extend his Thunder tenure for one more season. However, Oklahoma City could pursue some sort of buyout with Anthony, which may put his NBA future in doubt.
Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman writes that one option for Anthony — if he leaves the Thunder this summer — is a career in China. The 33-year-old has already said he will not accept a bench role next season and it may be hard for him to secure a job with consistent playing time and scoring opportunities. Carlson writes that Anthony, if he goes to China, would automatically become the best player on any team he joins and be the focal point.
Carlson specifically points out the success that Stephon Marbury enjoyed in the China Basketball Association, becoming a sports legend in the country who was honored with a statue. Despite his struggles, Anthony still played in more games (78) than he has since the 2005/06 season while averaging 16.2 PPG. In contrast, Marbury averaged 3.8 PPG in his final NBA season. Nonetheless, if Anthony’s Thunder career is over, he will have options.
Check out more Northwest Division notes:
- If the Trail Blazers can enter the hypothetical Kawhi Leonard sweepstakes, the team should offer C.J. McCollum in trade talks for the Spurs superstar, John Canzano of The Oregonian opines.
- During an appearance on ESPN’s First Take this week, McCollum discussed the possibility of either him or teammate Damian Lillard being traded by the Trail Blazers this summer, per Sean Meagher of The Oregonian. “If you trade one of us, it’s lateral movement,” McCollum said.
- Jazz big man Derrick Favors spoke about his time in Utah in the past tense while cleaning out his locker this week but he wasn’t necessarily shutting the door on a return this summer, Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News writes. Favors will have plenty of suitors in free agency and he is ready for the experience. “We’ll see how it goes,” he said. “There will be a lot of things to think about this summer, but I can wait for that.”
Spurs Not Fielding Offers For Leonard, Hope To Mend Relationship
Despite a tumultuous regular season, highlighted by a persistent quadriceps injury, the Spurs are brushing off trade interest in Kawhi Leonard and hope to repair the relationship between both sides, Ken Berger of Bleacher Report writes in an in-depth feature.
Leonard appeared in just nine games this season as he dealt with a right quadriceps injury. He was absent from the team during the first round of the postseason, where the Spurs lost to the Warriors in five games. With Leonard set to hit unrestricted free agency after next season, it seems plausible for San Antonio to consider shopping its superstar — after a troublesome season — to get something of value in return.
Berger quotes several executives who believe Leonard wants out of San Antonio and that the Spurs would be smart to deal him now. The team also does not like the idea of its best player seeking outside medical help, which he did for most of the season in an effort to return. However, Berger also points to the last offseason when LaMarcus Aldridge, after a disappointing season, wanted out of San Antonio. Berger reported that Aldridge even reached out to former teammate Damian Lillard about possibly returning to Portland.
Head coach Gregg Popovich took control and mended the situation; Aldridge ended up signing an extension and enjoyed his best season with the Spurs.
“You can never say done because everybody thought that the Aldridge thing was over and that there was no chance to salvage that,” a person with knowledge of the situation said. “Pop went in and smoothed it over. You can’t underestimate the power of the Pop in these situations.”
Leonard, 26, remains an elite player with a third-place Most Valuable Player finish and two Defensive Player of the Year awards on his resume. It’s possible the Spurs change direction but for now, the team wants to repair the rift.
Kawhi Leonard Back In San Antonio, No Spurs Meeting Set Yet
After spending nearly six weeks in New York rehabbing his quad injury, Kawhi Leonard is back in San Antonio, along with his advisor, according to Chris Haynes of ESPN.com (Twitter link). However, for now, there’s no set date lined up for Leonard to meet with the Spurs’ brass.
As we’ve detailed ad nauseam over the last few weeks and months, Leonard and the Spurs have been somewhat at odds this season over the diagnosis and treatment of his troublesome quad issue, with Leonard’s own doctors disagreeing with team doctors about the nature of the injury. That disagreement has been a source of tension between the Spurs and Leonard’s camp.
As we relayed on Tuesday, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Michael C. Wright shared several new details on the Leonard situation this week, and their piece is worth reading in full. Shelburne and Wright provided some specifics on why both sides are frustrated — the Spurs don’t like injury treatment for their franchise player being out of their hands, while Leonard’s camp was bothered by the team’s resistance to outside opinions and by Gregg Popovich‘s apparent public questioning of their handling of the situation.
While it appears a meeting between the Spurs and Leonard has yet to be formally scheduled, it’s expected to happen at some point, and the club remains confident that fences can be mended. However, as Shelburne and Wright detailed in their report, it’s not clear whether team ownership will sign off a super-max contract offer following this season’s drama, and it’s also not known whether Leonard would accept such an offer.
Still, Leonard being back in San Antonio is a first step — we should hear in the not-too-distant future about plans for a sit-down between the two sides.
Latest On Kawhi Leonard, Spurs
While there has been tension between the Spurs and Kawhi Leonard‘s camp this season, the relationship between the two sides used to be strong. According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Michael C. Wright, Spurs sources point to the departure of agent Brian Elfus in 2016 as a turning point in the relationship between the two sides.
As Shelburne and Wright detail, Elfus co-represented Leonard along with Mitch Frankel up until 2016. Since then, Frankel and Leonard’s uncle Dennis Robertson have handled matters, and the relationship hasn’t been nearly as healthy, Spurs sources tell ESPN.
According to Shelburne and Wright, the Spurs have become worried that Leonard’s group has an ulterior motive to fray the relationship between the player and team, perhaps pushing the star forward to a larger market such as Los Angeles, New York, or Philadelphia. L.A. is Leonard’s hometown, while Robertson lives in New Jersey.
ESPN’s in-depth look into the Leonard situation in San Antonio includes several more interesting details, and should be read in full. However, here are a few highlights from the piece, via Shelburne and Wright:
- As Shelburne and Wright note, one root issue of the tension between the Spurs and Leonard’s camp is their disagreement over the nature of his quadriceps injury. Leonard’s group believes the issue is “an ossification or hardening in the area” where he has endured multiple quad bruises, which in turn has affected the tendons connecting the muscle to the knee. The Spurs have referred to the injury as quadriceps tendinopathy, a disease of the tendon that has a degenerative effect on the muscle. The two diagnoses call for different treatments.
- When Leonard returned for nine games in the middle of the season, he was only shut down again after seeing Dr. Jonathan Glashow, a New York-based orthopedic surgeon. Frankel and Robertson arranged that consultation, and Glashow’s team has guided Leonard’s rehab ever since, leaving the Spurs frustrated at having lost control of the forward’s medical care. “It’s out of our hands,” one Spurs staffer told ESPN.
- Leonard’s advisors – who felt that the Spurs resisted considering outside opinions – have also been frustrated by their belief that Gregg Popovich has public questioned their handling of the situation. “They’re alienating him,” one Leonard confident told ESPN. “They’re making him look bad. You have this seamless transition from the [Tim] Duncan era to the new era, this homegrown superstar. Like why would you alienate him?”
- A source close to R.C. Buford told ESPN that the Spurs’ GM is “losing sleep” over how and why the team’s relationship with Leonard has frayed.
- Although the Spurs remain internally optimistic that Popovich and Leonard can work things out during the offseason, Shelburne and Wright suggest it remains unclear whether team ownership would approve a super-max contract offer, given how things played out in 2017/18. There’s also no clear answer yet on if Leonard would accept such an offer.
- Following the death of Erin Popovich, Leonard was ready to leave New York and attend a Spurs game to support Gregg Popovich if the head coach had returned to the team’s bench. However, when Popovich didn’t return, Leonard ultimately stayed in New York to continue his rehab.