Wade Baldwin won’t be given the Grizzlies backup point guard role, but he has a chance to earn it this offseason in summer league, Michael Wallace of NBA.com writes. Baldwin, who the team selected in the first round of last year’s draft, is an excellent athlete and he has the potential to have a promising future in the league.
- If the Clippers are going to bring Luc Mbah a Moute back next season, it will likely mean finding a taker for Wesley Johnson on the trade market, Bobby Marks of The Vertical speculates. Marks notes that Johnson, who has two years and slightly over $12MM remaining on his contract, no longer has a meaningful role on the team.
- The Clippers should learn a lesson from the Knicks and avoid giving Blake Griffin or Chris Paul no-trade clauses in their respective contracts, Marks cautions in the same piece. Carmelo Anthony received the clause in his deal and it has suppressed his trade value on the market.
- Derrick Rose is more likely to join the Spurs than Chris Paul is, Kurt Helin of NBC Sports contends. Helin notes that the Spurs will have difficulty carving out max cap room in order to bring Paul to the team.
I really don’t think a no trade clause is the reason people don’t want Carmelo.
It’s 100% the reason he hasn’t been traded yet. Plenty of teams would trade for Melo, especially now that Phil has destroyed his trade value, but there are only a couple he will accept a trade to.
Melo isn’t a top 5 player or the main centerpiece of a championship team but he’d still be a huge boost to many teams.
Melo’s not even a top 20 player in the NBA. That, along with his contract and his reputation, make him difficult to trade. Phil Jackson is a mediocre executive, but him calling out Melo by stating what is commonly known by thinking people isn’t to blame.