Month: November 2024

Lakers Rumors: Irving, Trade Targets, Westbrook

It remains to be seen whether or not the Lakers will be able to work out a trade with the Nets for Kyrie Irving, but Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN believes L.A. has at least one more major roster move up its sleeve this offseason, as he stated on Monday during the network’s latest episode of Get Up (video link).

“I think the Lakers will make a deal. Maybe more than one deal,” Wojnarowski said. “It may not be for Kyrie Irving, it may not be for an All-NBA player, an All-Star. But players like Eric Gordon in Houston, Buddy Hield in Indiana, players like Patrick Beverley, who came to the Jazz in a trade from Minnesota, who are role players are winning teams. What is the price for those kind of moves? I think they’re going to continue to be active on all those things.”

As Wojnarowski explains, the Lakers aren’t eager to part with all of their most valuable trade assets for modest short-term upgrades, but they still feel the need to add more talent to the roster to take advantage of LeBron James‘ remaining prime years.

“When LeBron’s putting pressure on the front office, on the organization, teams are asking for a lot to do a deal with the Lakers,” Wojnarowski said. Rob Pelinka‘s trying to keep from trading the 2027, 2029 unprotected first-round picks that obviously LeBron James doesn’t value greatly because he may not be around. He wants to win now. That’s the balance of being in the front office vs. having to serve the fact that you’ve got LeBron James still playing at an incredibly high level at an age we’ve never seen a player play at that level.”

Here’s more on the Lakers:

  • A potential trade sending Irving to the Lakers is “not completely dead,” per Wojnarowski, but such a deal still hinges in large part on what the Nets do with Kevin Durant. “The Nets are more focused on trying to find a deal for KD before they would even move Kyrie Irving,” Woj said. “I think there’s a good chance that Kyrie Irving is back in Brooklyn to start the season if Kevin Durant is back in Brooklyn.”
  • Russell Westbrook‘s public split with his longtime agent doesn’t bode well for the former MVP’s relationship with the Lakers, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, who says that dynamic between Westbrook and the team is becoming “more untenable with each passing week.” League sources tell Buha that the divorce between Westbrook and agent Thad Foucher caught several people around the Lakers by surprise.
  • Foucher’s statement, which hinted that Westbrook is seeking another change of scenery, may further hurt the Lakers’ leverage in trade talks, Buha writes. Multiple league sources tell The Athletic that potential trade partners are already asking for at least L.A.’s 2027 or 2029 first-round pick in order to take on Westbrook’s pricey expiring contract.
  • Marc Stein says in his latest Substack article that the Knicks and Jazz are viewed by some people around the league as possible landing spots for Westbrook if the two teams complete a Donovan Mitchell trade. Stein explains that the Knicks may be more inclined to trade away Julius Randle and his long-term contract for a big expiring deal like Westbrook’s in that scenario, though it strikes me as a long shot that New York and L.A. would be able to find a mutually beneficial swap involving those two players.

Keegan Murray Named Las Vegas Summer League MVP

Kings forward Keegan Murray has been named the Most Valuable Player of the 2022 Las Vegas Summer League, according to an announcement from the NBA (Twitter link).

Murray, the fourth overall pick in this year’s draft, averaged 23.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.3 steals in his four Summer League games. He also made 50% of his shots from the field and knocked down 40% of his 8.8 three-point attempts per contest.

It was a terrific start for a rookie who figures to play a major role for a Kings team that badly wants to end its 16-year playoff drought. The first player selected after the consensus top three prospects were off the board, Murray was rated behind No. 5 pick Jaden Ivey on some experts’ draft boards, so the two youngsters will likely be measured against one another for at least the first year or two of their professional careers.

Murray looks like he’ll be an excellent fit on a Kings roster led by De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, two talented scorers who aren’t elite defenders or reliable outside shooters. The former Iowa standout is capable of stretching the floor and handling a variety of defensive assignments, so he’ll presumably see plenty of action alongside Sacramento’s two stars.

Tari Eason (Rockets), Quentin Grimes (Knicks), Sandro Mamukelashvili (Bucks), and Cam Thomas (Nets) joined Murray on the All-Summer League First Team, according to the league (Twitter links). Thomas and another King, Davion Mitchell, shared the Summer League MVP award in 2021.

This year’s All-Summer League Second Team is made up of Santi Aldama (Grizzlies), Bennedict Mathurin (Pacers), Marko Simonovic (Bulls), Trendon Watford (Trail Blazers), and Lindell Wigginton (Bucks).

Jazz In No Rush To Move Mitchell, Expected To Reengage With Knicks

After engaging in trade talks with the Knicks about Donovan Mitchell last week, the Jazz aren’t in any rush to make a deal before further gauging his value around the NBA, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on Monday during an appearance on Get Up (video link).

“I think for the Jazz, they go out now around the league and see what else is out there for Donovan Mitchell, get a sense of what the market is, what teams are willing to do,” Wojnarowski said. “And I do think the Knicks and the Jazz will reengage at some point. Maybe it’s this week, maybe it’s next week, maybe it’s in two or three weeks. But the Jazz are not going to necessarily move quickly.”

As Wojnarowski observes, Utah’s Rudy Gobert trade discussions played out over multiple weeks – or even months – before the Jazz received an offer they couldn’t refuse from Minnesota. Although the Knicks are motivated to land Mitchell, according to Woj, they also don’t want to “just give up everything” to land him.

“Utah and New York talked last week, and I think the Jazz got a sense of what New York might be willing to do,” Wojnarowski said. “It’s not just one particular deal — I think there’s options. It’s almost like a sliding scale. The more players you put in a deal, the less draft picks you want to give up. The more draft assets you put in a deal, you want to put less players in. If you’re the Jazz, ‘I want the players and I want the picks,’ so that’s where it starts.”

Here’s more on Mitchell:

  • Wojnarowski said during his Get Up appearance that the Jazz are significantly more interested in the Knicks’ own first-round picks than the ones New York can offer from other teams. “People talk about (the Knicks being able to trade) seven or eight (first-round) picks. A lot of those picks are conditional, protected picks that are coming from places like Detroit and Washington,” Wojnarowski said. “The Jazz certainly don’t value those the way they do New York’s unprotected picks.”
  • During early discussions between the Jazz and Knicks, Utah asked about a package that would’ve included RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, other players, and at least three first-round picks, reports Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Robinson has since come off the table after officially re-signing with New York, but it’s a moot point — the Knicks felt Utah’s asking price was too high and wouldn’t have met it anyway, Begley writes, adding that he believes the Knicks have the draft capital necessary to get a Mitchell deal done without including Barrett.
  • Some members of the Knicks’ organization still felt the Jazz’s asking price was too high during the more recent talks between two teams, Begley writes. Those Knicks executives felt as if they had made competitive offers and wanted to leave it at that, rather than continuing to sweeten the pot for Utah.

NBA Teams With Hard Caps For 2022/23

The NBA salary cap is somewhat malleable, with various exceptions allowing every team to surpass the $123,655,000 threshold once their cap room is used up. In some cases, teams blow past not only the cap limit, but the luxury tax line of $150,267,000 as well — the Clippers and Warriors are among the clubs that project to have massive tax bills this season as a result of their spending.

The NBA doesn’t have a “hard cap” by default, which allows clubs like L.A. and Golden State to build a significant payroll without violating CBA rules. However, there are certain scenarios in which teams can be hard-capped, as we explain in a glossary entry.

When a club uses the bi-annual exception, acquires a player via sign-and-trade, or uses more than the taxpayer portion of the mid-level exception (up to three years and/or $6,479,000), that club will face a hard cap for the remainder of the league year.

When a team becomes hard-capped, it cannot exceed the “tax apron” at any point during the rest of the league year. The tax apron for 2022/23 was set at $156,983,000.

So far, a third of the NBA’s teams have been willing to hard-cap themselves this offseason. Some teams will have to be aware of that hard cap when they consider any roster move for the rest of the season, but for others it’s just a technicality that won’t affect their plans in any meaningful way.

Listed below are the hard-capped teams for the 2022/23 league year, along with how they created a hard cap.


Memphis Grizzlies

Miami Heat

Minnesota Timberwolves

Oklahoma City Thunder

Orlando Magic

Philadelphia 76ers

Portland Trail Blazers

Sacramento Kings

  • Used non-taxpayer mid-level exception on Malik Monk.

Toronto Raptors

Utah Jazz

Washington Wizards


This list, which could continue to grow, will continue to be updated throughout the 2022/23 league year as necessary. It can be found anytime in the “Hoops Rumors Features” menu on the right-hand sidebar of our desktop site, or in the “Features” menu on our mobile site.

Celtics’ $17MM+ TPE To Expire If Not Used Monday

The Celtics‘ $17MM+ traded player exception from last summer’s Evan Fournier sign-and-trade will expire if it’s not used on Monday, as our tracker shows.

A trade exception allows a team to acquire a player – or multiple players – without sending out anyone for salary-matching purposes. Using their Fournier TPE, the Celtics could acquire any player earning up to $17,242,857 in 2022/23.

However, Boston’s team salary is already well over the luxury tax threshold and there had been a sense following this month’s Malcolm Brogdon trade that the Celtics might not use their big exception — besides pushing team salary further into tax territory, the Brogdon deal had helped the club address one of its most pressing needs (adding a play-making guard), reducing the likelihood of another major trade.

If the Fournier TPE expires today without being used, the Celtics will still have a handful of trade exceptions – including ones worth $6.9MM and $5.9MM – that won’t expire until January or February.

A Clippers trade exception worth $8.25MM from last summer’s Rajon Rondo deal will also expire today if it’s not used. Los Angeles has a second exception worth $9.72MM that won’t expire until the February trade deadline, so losing the Rondo TPE wouldn’t be a major blow. Like the Celtics, the Clippers are also far into tax territory and don’t have any obvious roster holes to fill.

The Trail Blazers used a $21MM trade exception to land Jerami Grant earlier this month, while the $18MM+ TPE the Pacers were able to create in the Brogdon deal was renounced when the team used its cap room to make a play for Deandre Ayton. Once the Celtics’ $17MM+ exception expires, no NBA team will have a TPE worth more than $10MM.

Trade Breakdown: Jerami Grant To Trail Blazers

This is the second in our series breaking down the major trades of the 2022 offseason. As opposed to giving out grades, this series will explore why the teams were motivated to make the moves. Let’s dive into a pre-draft deal between the Trail Blazers and Pistons


One of the most anticipated – and highly-rumored – trades of the offseason came to fruition when the Trail Blazers acquired Jerami Grant from the Pistons in exchange for Milwaukee’s 2025 first-rounder (top-four protected), a second-round pick swap (No. 46 for No. 36, used on draft-and-stash sharpshooter Gabriele Procida), and two future second-rounders (2025 and 2026).

Portland used its $21MM traded player exception (created by sending CJ McCollum to New Orleans) to accommodate Grant’s $20.96MM salary for 2022/23 without having to send any back. Grant is only under contract through next season, so he’s on an expiring deal.

There were rumors that the Trail Blazers might be willing to include their lottery pick (No. 7 overall, used to select Shaedon Sharpe) in a package for Grant, but that never made sense for a number of different reasons. Grant is a good player, no doubt, but he’s 28 years old, has never been an All-Star and only has one year left on his deal – I’m not trying to imply Grant can’t improve, but one year of team control vs. a mid-lottery pick with four years of control at a friendlier rate isn’t a particularly hard choice, especially since the latter has up to nine years of potential control due to restricted free agency.

So why did Portland deal away a future first-round pick, a second-round pick swap and two future seconds for Grant?

The Trail Blazers have been looking for forwards with good size and versatility to complement star Damian Lillard for several years. They’ve gone through several iterations of forwards since Lillard entered the league in 2012, with perhaps the most successful duo being Al-Farouq Aminu and Maurice Harkless, two defensive-minded players who started when the team made the Western Conference Finals in 2019 (that’s not to say they were the “best,” but the team had the most success that season).

Like McCollum, Lillard is a below-average defensive player. Those limitations on defense made their on-court fit questionable, despite their good relationship and stellar offensive contributions. The Trail Blazers still have question marks at the second guard spot, as Anfernee Simons — who re-signed with the team for $100MM over four years as a restricted free agent — is also a defensive liability.

The club did add Gary Payton II in free agency for backcourt depth, and he’s one of the league’s top perimeter defenders. The Blazers also got Josh Hart in the McCollum trade, another solid defender and good rebounder, though he could start next season at small forward.

Which brings us back to Grant, who has proven to be a player capable of contributing on both ends of the court. He was a high-level “3-and-D” role player for the Thunder and Nuggets before signing a three-year, $60MM contract with Detroit, where he showed he was capable of packing more of an offensive punch.

Across two seasons with the Pistons from 2020-22, Grant averaged 20.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.6 APG and 1.1 BPG on .428/.353/.842 shooting in 101 games (33 MPG). While his field goal percentage wasn’t the greatest, keep in mind that he was Detroit’s leading scorer during his tenure, and got to the line (6.0 attempts per game) and converted his free throws at a good clip.

Admittedly, the fact that Grant averaged over 20+ PPG the past couple of seasons is less impressive considering the team struggled mightily during that time. He’s also not a great passer, but likely won’t be asked to do that much for Portland.

Having said that, if you actually watched him play for the Pistons, you would have seen that Grant was a three-level scorer who can create his own shot against a variety of defenses and did so with league-average efficiency (55.6% true shooting percentage). That’s no easy task when opposing teams have scouting reports specifically designed to prevent you from scoring.

The last time Lillard played with a 20-point scorer in the frontcourt was from 2012-15 (Lillard’s first three seasons) with LaMarcus Aldridge, but that was short-lived – Aldridge left for San Antonio in free agency in July of 2015. Grant likely won’t average 20+ PPG for Portland, but the fact that he’s talented enough to do so is a nice bonus.

Prior to his offensive emergence with Detroit, Grant was known as a highly versatile defensive player, capable of switching across multiple positions. He’s athletic, slides his feet well, and uses his length to deter shots. He was the Nuggets’ primary wing defender during the team’s run to the Conference Finals in 2020, frequently guarding LeBron James.

Grant is still more than capable of contributing on that end — he just wasn’t as focused on it the past couple of seasons. His primary weakness on the defensive end is that he’s a below-average rebounder, with a career mark of just 3.9 RPG in 26.0 MPG.

It’s also worth noting that Lillard and Grant have experience playing together, winning a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics last Summer with Team USA. Lillard was effusive in his praise of the move a couple of weeks ago.

I loved it. That was like the No. 1 thing I wanted to get done,” he said. “Jerami has been on winning teams in OKC and Denver. He brings something to the game that we haven’t had at that position.”

Lillard also recently signed a two-year extension with the Blazers, keeping him with the only franchise he’s ever known for the foreseeable future.

If Grant is such a solid two-way player, why did the Pistons deal him away?

Well, for starters, since Grant is 28 years old and in the midst of his prime, he fits much better on a team trying to make the playoffs again next season like the Blazers than he does with a team full of players on their rookie contracts.

As previously mentioned, Grant only has one year left on his deal, and does it really make sense for the Pistons to pay him when he’s going to be looking for a long-term contract at a higher rate than his current deal? No, not really.

Would there be benefits of keeping around a good veteran player? Sure. Part of the reason Grant signed with Detroit is because he had a good relationship with GM Troy Weaver during their time together in Oklahoma City, plus he was drawn by a bigger offensive role and the chance to play for an organization led by an African American coach (Dwane Casey) and GM.

However, having a player who is too good to not start impeding the minutes and development of your young players can be an awkward fit, particularly for a team focused on the future like Detroit. Grant was a desirable player for a number of teams, and he had good value, as evidenced by Detroit’s return package.

The Pistons later flipped the Bucks’ first-rounder in a draft-day deal with the Knicks to land the draft rights to Jalen Duren, the No. 13 pick, and Kemba Walker‘s expiring contract. At 18 years old, Duren is one of the youngest players in the draft class and is considered a rim-running center with a good amount of upside, particularly on defense. Walker is unlikely to play a game for Detroit, as he’s reportedly being bought out in order to become a free agent.

So in the end, the Pistons acquired a late-lottery pick in Duren, upgraded the No. 46 pick to No. 36, got a couple of future second-rounders, and freed up some cap space in exchange for a good player on an expiring deal who wasn’t in the team’s long-term plans. All in all, a very solid piece of business for Weaver.

James Harden Discusses Decision To Take Pay Cut

It has been 10 days since a report indicated James Harden planned to remain with the Sixers on a one-plus-one contract that would have a starting salary about $15MM lower than the $47MM+ player option he turned down for 2022/23.

Harden and the 76ers still haven’t officially finalized that agreement, but the former MVP told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports that he’s “locked in” with his new team, and offered an explanation for why he’s willing to accept a pay cut for the coming season.

“I had conversations with (president of basketball operations) Daryl (Morey), and it was explained how we could get better and what the market value was for certain players. I told Daryl to improve the roster, sign who we needed to sign and give me whatever is left over,” Harden said. “This is how bad I want to win. I want to compete for a championship. That’s all that matters to me at this stage. I’m willing to take less to put us in position to accomplish that.”

Harden’s pay cut gave the Sixers the flexibility to use their full mid-level exception and their bi-annual exception, opening the door for them to add P.J. Tucker and Danuel House, respectively. Using those exceptions triggered a $157MM hard cap for 2022/23, which Philadelphia wouldn’t have been able to stay under if the 32-year-old were earning a $47MM+ salary.

With Tucker and House now in the mix, Harden described the Sixers as a “much deeper” team, adding that he likes how Philadelphia’s roster stacks up against the NBA’s top contenders.

Of course, the 76ers’ ceiling will be determined in large part by whether Harden is once again playing at an All-NBA level next season after an up-and-down 2021/22 campaign. Harden’s averages of 22.0 PPG, 10.3 APG, and 7.7 RPG would be impressive for virtually any other player, but were slightly down by his standards, and his .410 FG% and .330 3PT% were well below his career marks. He was hampered by a hamstring issue for much of the season.

“I don’t really listen to what people are saying. I wasn’t right last season and I still almost averaged a triple-double,” Harden told Haynes. “If anybody else had those numbers, we’d be talking about them getting the max. People were used to seeing me averaging 40, 30 points, and so they viewed it as a down year. I was in Philadelphia for a couple of months and I had to learn on the fly. That’s just what it was. I’m in a good space physically and mentally right now, and I’m just looking forward to next season.”

And-Ones: CBA Negotiations, Williams, Paige, First-Round Picks

With new Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations likely around the corner, the NBA is unquestionably in a good situation, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe writes. NBA owners and the NBPA could opt out of their current labor contract in December. The league made $10 billion in revenue last season, which is more than what was expected.

“The numbers did surprise me to a certain degree because they exceeded our projections,” commissioner Adam Silver said. “So to the extent our projections represent where we think our business was going, surpassing $10 billion in revenue clearly is a record for this league.

“I think it’s quite remarkable from where we came only two-and-a-half years ago when the future of this industry was in question, in part because of the pandemic and also people questioning whether people would want to continue to assemble in arenas and stadiums the way they are.”

Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball universe:

  • Former NBA player C.J. Williams has penned a deal in Israel with Ironi Ness Ziona, the team announced on social media (Twitter link). Williams most recently played in Turkey. He appeared in 53 games with the Clippers and Timberwolves from 2017-19.
  • Free agent guard Marcus Paige has signed in Spain with Obradoiro, the team announced (via Twitter). Paige holds NBA experience with the Hornets and played in France last year, averaging 9.9 points and 3.4 assists per game.
  • Zach Lowe of ESPN.com (Insider-only link) examines why potential Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell trades could expand an unprecedented trend in the NBA. Teams appear more willing than they have been in years to include unprotected first-round picks in trade packages for impact players — deals involving Durant and Mitchell will likely involve several first-rounders, just as the Jazz-Timberwolves trade involving Rudy Gobert did.

Northwest Notes: Blazers, Watford, Hardy, Jokic, Russell, Finch

The Trail Blazers defeated the Knicks on Sunday to win the 2022 Las Vegas Summer League championship, winning the contest 85-77. Portland was led by Trendon Watford, who finished with 19 points and was named the championship game MVP.

In addition to his 19 points, Watford also recorded seven rebounds, two assists, three steals and a block, shooting 7-of-15 from the floor. The Blazers finished 4-1 during summer league play and also received a strong performance from two-way player Brandon Williams (22 points) in the final game.

There’s more from the Northwest Division this evening:

  • Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe interviewed new Jazz coach Will Hardy, who recently joined Utah after serving as an assistant with the Celtics. Hardy reflected on his experience with Boston, which included a successful trip to the NBA Finals. “It’s not lost on me that what our guys in Boston did on the floor is a huge reason why I had an opportunity to get this job,” Hardy said. “I think sometimes we can get a little bit full of ourselves as coaches thinking we’re the reason, and I think we’re a part of it. We have a role in the team, and the success of last year, I think the coaching staff had a part of that. But the players and what they did in between the lines and their winning … that’s a huge reason I got this job. So I feel very fortunate for the year in Boston for a variety of reasons.”
  • Mike Singer of the Denver Post examines how Nikola Jokic‘s super-max extension become a family reunion this summer. Jokic was joined by Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth and other staff members in his home country of Serbia before signing the extension.
  • The Timberwolves are hoping Rudy Gobert can help unlock the best version of D’Angelo Russell next season, head coach Chris Finch said, as relayed by Chris Hine of the Star Tribune. Hine and Finch also discussed a variety of other topics, including what the offense will look like, how Finch wants to see Jaden McDaniels grow, and more.

Western Notes: Suns, Ayton, Durant, McGee, Kings

The Suns matched the Pacers’ four-year, $133MM offer sheet to keep Deandre Ayton in Phoenix, but some mending is still needed between the two sides, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said during an appearance on NBA Today (video link).

Wojnarowski specifically mentioned coach Monty Williams and star guard Chris Paul, two key pieces of the Suns’ team, as figures who could help smooth things over with Ayton. Phoenix dealt with chemistry issues related to the former No. 1 overall pick toward the end of the season and ultimately lost to Dallas 4-3 in the second round.

For his part, Ayton averaged 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game last season, helping the Suns achieve the league’s best record at 64-18. Phoenix also made the NBA Finals just in 2021, so the team should still be viewed as a title contender entering next season.

There’s more from the Western Conference tonight:

  • Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (subscriber link) lists five reasons why the Suns shouldn’t give up on pursuing Nets superstar Kevin Durant despite matching the Pacers’ offer sheet for Ayton. Durant has proven he’s still a top-three player in the world, averaging 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game last season. That scoring mark was his highest since 2013/14 with Oklahoma City, when he won the league’s MVP award.
  • The Mavericks signed veteran center JaVale McGee to a three-year, $17MM deal that contains a $6MM player option in the final season, Hoops Rumors has learned. McGee is expected to start alongside Christian Wood — who was also recently acquired by the team — to begin the season. McGee was one of the league’s best backup centers last season.
  • Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee examines some summer league finale notes for the Kings. Sacramento defeated Houston on Saturday despite missing Keegan Murray and others, winning 92-81. The team was lead by Jeriah Horne‘s 20 points.