2023 June | Hoops Rumors

Trade Rumors: G. Williams, Hunter, Nuggets, Wizards, Ayton, More

June 21st, 2023 at 11:04am CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks are among the teams that have spoken to the Celtics about the idea of a Grant Williams sign-and-trade, a league source tells Tim Cato of The Athletic. While it’s not easy to envision a deal that gets Williams to Dallas and appeals to both teams, the Mavs are just one of many potential suitors for the restricted free agent forward.

According to Jared Weiss of The Athletic, there have been more than a half-dozen teams to inquire with the Celtics about the possibility of signing-and-trading for Williams. At this point, Boston is conveying that it wants to retain Williams, per Weiss, who notes that new Celtics assistant coach Charles Lee is a fan of the forward and could help get more out of him in 2023/24 and beyond.

Within his story, Weiss also notes that veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon, who is optimistic he can avoid surgery on a torn tendon in his left elbow, would like to remain in Boston. Brogdon’s name has come up in trade rumors early in the offseason as the Celtics reportedly explore ways to clear a backcourt logjam.

Here are a few more trade-related rumors and notes from around the NBA:

Within his latest mock draft, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report cites league sources who say the Hawks have explored the trade market for forward De’Andre Hunter. One motivating factor, Wasserman explains, would be opening up more playing time for promising young wing AJ Griffin.
The Nuggets, who worked out Trayce Jackson-Davis, Andre Jackson, Jordan Walsh, Kobe Brown, Drew Timme, and Tyree Appleby on Tuesday, continue to actively explore deals that would get them into the first round of Thursday’s draft, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post (subscription required), who says Denver is talking to multiple teams.
The Wizards asked for Suns center Deandre Ayton when the two teams were negotiating their Bradley Beal trade, but Phoenix was unwilling to include him, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7.
Gambadoro said this week during an appearance on the HoopsHype podcast that he has been told the Heat weren’t all that interested in pushing for Beal. Reports have indicated that Beal would have approved a move to Miami, and it seems as though the Heat could’ve put a stronger package on the table than the one the Wizards got from the Suns if they’d been so inclined.
While it comes as no surprise, the heads of basketball operations for the Hornets (Mitch Kupchak) and Pacers (Kevin Pritchard) both said they don’t anticipate keeping and using all of the 2023 draft picks they own, per Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link) and Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. The two teams, who each figure to make at least one draft-night trade, control five picks apiece — Indiana has three in the first round and two in the second, while Charlotte has a pair of first-rounders and three early seconds.

Nuggets’ Bruce Brown Declining 2023/24 Player Option

June 21st, 2023 at 9:45am CST by Luke Adams

As expected, Nuggets guard Bruce Brown will turn down his player option for the 2023/24 season, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Rather than locking in a ’23/24 salary worth $6,802,950, Brown will hit the free agent market, where he’ll be able to sign a new deal with Denver or a rival suitor.

Brown, who signed with the Nuggets last summer following a two-year stint in Brooklyn, averaged a career-best 11.5 points per night on .483/.358/.758 shooting in 80 games (28.5 MPG) this past season.

The 26-year-old also contributed 4.1 RPG and 3.4 APG while handling a variety of defensive assignments. In the postseason, he played the most minutes of any Denver reserve, bumping his scoring average to 12.0 PPG while shooting 51.1% from the floor.

Because Brown signed with the Nuggets just one year ago, the team only holds his Non-Bird rights, giving them the ability to offer up to about $7.8MM, a 20% raise on his previous $6.5MM salary. The club intends to offer that full raise, per Mike Singer of The Denver Post (Twitter link).

The Nuggets could theoretically offer more than $7.8MM if they had cap room or the full mid-level exception available, but they project to be over the luxury tax line, limiting their spending flexibility.

Brown is considered likely to receive an offer in the neighborhood of the full mid-level ($12MM) from another team, but spoke after the Nuggets’ championship about his desire to remain in Denver, telling reporters that “money isn’t everything.” If he’s willing to accept a below-market salary in 2023/24, he could sign another one-plus-one deal, then opt out again in 2024 and sign a more lucrative, longer-term contract with the Nuggets once they hold his Early Bird rights.

We’re tracking all of this year’s player option decisions right here.

Rockets Rumors: Core Players, Martin, Draft Picks, Thompson

June 21st, 2023 at 9:30am CST by Luke Adams

In trade talks with rival teams so far this offseason, the Rockets have held firm on their position that they don’t intend to move anyone from their young core, says Kelly Iko of The Athletic. According to Iko, that core is made up of guard Jalen Green, forwards Jabari Smith and Tari Eason, and center Alperen Sengun.

Another young Rockets player, Kenyon Martin Jr., has been “deemed attainable internally” if the team receives a strong offer, per Iko, who says that Martin has continued to draw interest from potential trade partners as of late.

Houston will soon have to decide whether to exercise Martin’s minimum-salary team option for 2023/24, which would put him on track for unrestricted free agency in 2024. Declining the option would mean paying Martin a larger salary next season, but would allow the club to negotiate with him as a restricted free agent.

Here’s more from Iko on the Rockets:

Once viewed as a decision between Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore, the Rockets’ No. 4 pick now appears likelier to come down to Amen and Ausar Thompson, sources tell The Athletic. Iko is among the reporters who has heard rumblings about Whitmore’s stock slipping as the draft nears, and says his sources are becoming “increasingly confident” that Houston will keep the No. 4 pick and draft Amen Thompson.
Although the Rockets talked to Charlotte and Portland about moving up from No. 4, that’s unlikely to happen, Iko writes. Houston remains open to moving its lottery pick, but it would take a significant offer to get the team to seriously consider it. That sort of offer hasn’t been put on the table so far, though the Rockets have been offered good “starter-level” players, according to Iko.
The more research the Rockets’ front office has done on this draft class, the more impressed they’ve been with the talent available, says Iko, adding that the club now seems more likely to keep its No. 20 pick than to trade it. That’s still very much up in the air though — according to Iko, Houston has talked about trading up into the 10-18 range. If a deal to move up doesn’t materialize and the Rockets’ preferred targets aren’t available at No. 20, trading the pick would still be an option.

Sixers’ Harrell To Decline Option, Become Free Agent

June 21st, 2023 at 8:14am CST by Luke Adams

Sixers big man Montrezl Harrell will turn down his minimum-salary player option for the 2023/24 season and become an unrestricted free agent, league sources tell Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT (Twitter link).

Harrell signed with Philadelphia last September on a two-year, minimum-salary contract that gave him the ability to opt out after the first season. The 29-year-old appeared in 57 games in 2022/23, averaging 5.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 11.9 minutes per night.

Prior to this season, Harrell had posted career averages of 12.9 PPG and 5.3 RPG in 21.5 MPG across 458 games, earning Sixth Man of the Year honors in 2020. His numbers this past season were his lowest since his rookie year (2015/16).

While Harrell’s modest production in Philadelphia won’t exactly line him up for a big payday this summer, his decision to opt out suggests he’s confident he’ll at least get another minimum-salary offer from an NBA team.

Assuming he gets a guaranteed minimum deal, the former Louisville standout will come out ahead, since his player option was worth $2,760,026 and his projected minimum salary on a new contract next season is $2,848,506.

As our tracker shows, Harrell is one of three Sixers with a player option for 2023/24. Danuel House exercised his $4.3MM option, while James Harden is expected to decline his $35.6MM option

2023 NBA Offseason Preview: Denver Nuggets

June 21st, 2023 at 8:01am CST by Luke Adams

After winning at least one playoff series for three consecutive years from 2019-21, the Nuggets were eliminated in the first round of the 2022 postseason in just five games. They subsequently opened the 2022 offseason by losing their longtime president of basketball operations, Tim Connelly, to the division-rival Timberwolves.

While it may have looked from the outside like the Nuggets were facing an identity crisis, there was no panic within the organization. Connelly’s top lieutenant, Calvin Booth, was promoted to run the front office, and he opted not to make any drastic changes to the roster, betting that a few tweaks – along with the anticipated returns of injured starters Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. – would be enough to make Denver a legitimate title threat.

After signing Bruce Brown in free agency and trading guards Monte Morris and Will Barton to Washington for a package headlined by three-and-D wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the Nuggets got off to a strong start last fall and maintained their pace for months, holding the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference from December 20 until the end of the regular season.

Denver faltered just once, losing 10 of its last 17 games entering the postseason, which raised some concerns about whether the team was prepared to make a deep playoff run. But the Nuggets quickly silenced any doubts, winning 16 of their next 20 games and capping a dream season with the first championship in franchise history.

While Booth won’t be able to rest on his laurels this summer following an unimpeachable first year on the job, he’s the only NBA general manager who will be entering the offseason looking to keep a championship team intact rather than seeking ways to upgrade a roster that fell short of that goal.

The Nuggets’ Offseason Plan

The same group of players that wins a championship one year is hardly guaranteed to win another the following season, but it still has to be encouraging for Booth and the front office that nearly the entire core of the 2022/23 Nuggets remains under contract for next season.

Nikola Jokic, Murray, Porter, Aaron Gordon, and Caldwell-Pope, each of whom started all 20 playoff games for Denver and averaged at least 32 minutes apiece, have guaranteed contracts for next season, with all but Caldwell-Pope under team control for multiple years (KCP has a 2024/25 player option).

With that foundation in place – and up-and-coming role players like Christian Braun and Peyton Watson locked up for several more seasons – the Nuggets can focus this summer on their supporting cast, starting with Brown, a jack-of-all-trades who was the club’s most-used reserve in the postseason.

Because Denver got such a bargain on Brown’s contract a year ago, the team will be limited in its ability to give him a raise for 2023/24, assuming the veteran guard declines his $6.8MM player option. The Nuggets will hold his Non-Bird rights, allowing them to offer up to 120% of his $6.48MM salary from this past season.

Brown will almost certainly get offers that feature a starting salary higher than the $7.77MM Denver can give him, but that doesn’t mean he’s a lock to sign elsewhere. The 26-year-old spoke in the wake of the Nuggets’ title win about his desire to remain with the team, suggesting that “money isn’t everything.”

And as we noted at the time, there’s a precedent for a player with Non-Bird rights accepting a below-market deal from a team he won a title with, then getting a raise on a long-term deal the following year when he has Early Bird rights. Bobby Portis took this route with the Bucks after the team’s 2021 championship.

If the Nuggets bring back Brown on a Non-Bird contract, it would push the team’s guaranteed salaries close to $171MM for 10 players, which would – barring a cost-cutting move – make it nearly impossible to use the full taxpayer mid-level exception ($5MM) and stay below the projected second tax apron ($179.5MM), since they’ll need to carry at least 14 players.

If Brown departs in free agency, that taxpayer MLE would be in play. It wouldn’t necessarily need to be used on someone who will assume Brown’s exact role, since the Nuggets are reportedly confident in Braun’s and Watson’s ability to play more backcourt minutes next season. If they have the MLE available, the Nuggets could look to add depth at virtually any position, including backup center.

Among the team’s unrestricted free agents, Thomas Bryant and Reggie Jackson didn’t play major roles after being acquired in February and may not be great bets to return. However, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the team makes an effort to bring back Jeff Green and/or Ish Smith.

Green, in particular, was part of the postseason rotation and has spoken about wanting to finish his career in Denver. And it seems safe to assume Smith would rather stick with the defending champions than join the 14th NBA team of his career if the Nuggets are willing to bring him back.

The Nuggets, having already agreed to a trade with the Thunder earlier this month, will also control a pair of second-round picks at No. 37 and No. 40, which should be used to help fill out next season’s roster in some form or another.

There have been rumblings that Denver is looking into the possibility of trading into the first round, using some combination of this year’s second-rounders and a future first-rounder. If that doesn’t happen, it’s not the end of the world — there will still be solid prospects available in the 37-40 range, and those players would cost less toward the Nuggets’ 2023/24 tax bill than minimum-salary veterans or a first-round rookie would.

With few changes expected to Denver’s roster this summer, the club’s most significant offseason move could be signing Murray to an extension, since he’ll be eligible for a new deal as of July 24. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the two sides decide to put that off for another year though. Murray remains under contract for two more seasons and could qualify for a super-max extension if he makes an All-NBA team in either of those two years.

Salary Cap Situation

Guaranteed Salary

Nikola Jokic ($46,900,000)
- Note: Jokic’s salary will be 35% of the 2023/24 salary cap. This is a projection based on a $134MM cap.
Jamal Murray ($33,833,400)
Michael Porter Jr. ($33,386,850)
Aaron Gordon ($22,266,182)
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($14,704,938)
Zeke Nnaji ($4,306,281)
Christian Braun ($2,949,120)
Peyton Watson ($2,303,520)
Vlatko Cancar ($2,234,359)
Total: $162,884,650

Dead/Retained Salary

None

Player Options

Bruce Brown ($6,802,950): Non-Bird rights
Total: $6,802,950

Team Options

None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

None

Restricted Free Agents

None

Two-Way Free Agents

Collin Gillespie: Non-Bird rights
Jack White: Non-Bird rights

Draft Picks

No. 37 overall pick (no cap hold)
No. 40 overall pick (no cap hold)

Extension-Eligible Players

Jamal Murray (veteran)
Zeke Nnaji (rookie scale)

Note: These are players who are either already eligible for an extension or will become eligible before the 2023/24 season begins.

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Ish Smith ($6,142,500 cap hold): Early Bird rights
Jeff Green ($5,850,000 cap hold): Early Bird rights
Thomas Bryant ($1,989,698 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
Reggie Jackson ($1,989,698 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
DeAndre Jordan ($1,989,698 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
DeMarcus Cousins ($1,989,698 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
Troy Daniels ($1,989,698 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
Richard Jefferson ($1,989,698 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
Markus Howard ($1,774,999 cap hold): Early Bird rights
Total: $25,705,687

Note: The cap holds for the players listed in italics remain on the Nuggets’ books from prior seasons because they haven’t been renounced. They can’t be used in a sign-and-trade deal.

Cap Exceptions Available

Taxpayer mid-level exception: $5,000,000
Trade exception: $9,125,000
- Note: Expires on July 6.
Trade exception: $3,475,000
- Note: Expires on June 23.
Trade exception: $2,201,520
Trade exception: $1,902,133
Trade exception: $370,297
- Note: Expires on July 6.

Note: The Nuggets would lose the taxpayer mid-level exception if their team salary is above the second tax apron; they would gain access to the full mid-level exception and the bi-annual exception if their team salary remains below both tax aprons.

Western Notes: Zion, Lakers, Dunleavy, Livingston, Towns, Reid

June 20th, 2023 at 10:53pm CST by Dana Gauruder

It’s unlikely that Zion Williamson will be dealt by the Pelicans before the draft, according to The Athletic’s William Guillory. While the Pelicans are enamored with G League guard Scoot Henderson, they have not included Williamson in any formal offer to the teams holding the second and third picks (Hornets, Trail Blazers).

However, there is a disconnect between Williamson and the Pelicans organization. Some of that tension, according to Guillory, is due to a frayed relationship between Williamson’s camp and Aaron Nelson, who has been in charge of the medical/training staff. Nelson won’t be leading the medical staff next season.

The Pelicans have recently tried to smooth things over with Williamson. He met with top exec David Griffin and team governor Gayle Benson last week at team headquarters and it apparently went well, Guillory writes.

We have more from the Western Conference:

The Lakers hosted a pre-draft workout for six prospects on Tuesday, Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times tweets. That group included Ben Sheppard (Belmont), Landers Nolley II (Cincinnati), Patrick Gardner (Marist), Omari Moore (San Jose State), Sidy Cissoko (G League Ignite) and K.J. Williams (LSU).
Mike Dunleavy Jr. was one of the most unpopular players in Warriors’ history, so there’s naturally skepticism from fans about him becoming the top decision-maker in the organization, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area writes.
Shaun Livingston has left the Warriors’ organization, Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets. Livingston spent the last three seasons in the front office as director of players affairs and engagement. He wants to spend more time with his family.
While Karl-Anthony Towns has been one of the prominent names on the rumor mill, the Timberwolves brass believes improved health from Towns and Rudy Gobert will solve some of the team’s offensive problems, according to The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski. Owners Glen Taylor, Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez are on board with that approach. The owners are also hoping to re-sign backup big man Naz Reid, who will be an unrestricted free agent. Reid has been hanging around the team’s practice facility since the season ended, a positive sign that he’d like to stay with the club.

Clippers Reportedly Gauging Paul George’s Trade Value

June 20th, 2023 at 10:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Clippers have given off the impression during draft week discussions that they’re attempting to gauge Paul George‘s trade value, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack post.

According to Stein, some rival teams believe the organization is giving serious consideration to breaking up the star duo of George and Kawhi Leonard, both of whom have struggled to stay on the court due to injury.

When George was on the court this past season, he posted his usually gaudy numbers — 23.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. However, George only appeared in 56 regular-season games. He has only played in 141 regular-season games over the past three seasons.

George has two years left on his contract. He’s locked into $45.64MM next season and holds a $48.8MM option for the 2024/25 season, when he’ll be 34 years old.

Stein identifies the Trail Blazers (as had previously been reported) and Rockets as potential suitors for George, who was acquired by the Clippers in the summer of 2019.

George would give Damian Lillard another All-Star level talent to work with in Portland. The Blazers could package the No. 3 pick with Anfernee Simons, among others, to match salaries in such a trade scenario.

The Rockets, who seem intent on bringing in some veteran impact players to help their young core, own the No. 4 pick and have the cap space to absorb a huge contract.

Kings Name Two Women To Lead G League Team

June 20th, 2023 at 9:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Stockton Kings, Sacramento’s G League affiliate, made history on Tuesday by naming Lindsey Harding as their head coach and Anjali Ranadivé as general manager, according to a team press release.

It’s the first time that two women will hold the top positions for a G League franchise.

Harding replaces Bobby Jackson, who left the Kings organization to join Nick Nurse’s staff with the 76ers. Ranadivé, the daughter of owner Vivek Ranadivé, replaces Paul Johnson, who will take a front office role with the NBA team after winning the 2023 G League Basketball Executive of the Year award.

Harding spent the past four seasons as an assistant/player development coach with the NBA Kings. She previously worked as a player development coach and pro personnel scout with the 76ers. Harding is also currently the head coach of the Mexican women’s national team.

Anjali Ranadivé served as assistant GM in Stockton last season. She previously worked for the Kings organization as a coordinator in the Social Responsibility department.

Atlantic Notes: Milton, Harris, Randle, Bridges, Toppin, Rajakovic

June 20th, 2023 at 7:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Shake Milton is the least likely of the Sixers’ free agents to re-sign with the club, according to Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com. Milton is looking for a opportunity to get an expanded role elsewhere, though that could change if the Sixers fail to re-sign James Harden.

There’s also no traction regarding a possible trade involving Tobias Harris and his expiring contract, Neubeck writes. There’s no sense of urgency to deal Harris, as the Sixers believe they’ll have multiple windows beyond this week to potentially move him. They’re not inclined to deal the veteran forward unless it improves their flexibility or top-end ceiling, Neubeck adds.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Julius Randle believes the Knicks are “not that far off” from being a championship team, he said on Paul George‘s Podcast P show (hat tip to SNY TV’s Ian Begley). “We got a great mixture of talent, bro. We’ve got young dudes, we’ve got guys going in their prime. So we’ve got a great mixture of guys and it’s like, ‘How do we keep getting better?’ So from a team standpoint, I think that’s where we at.”
Mikal Bridges believes that when injuries struck the Suns last season, he got a chance to showcase his offensive ability. That set him up to become a primary option after he was traded to the Nets, he told Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. “I always tell people I got traded at the right time with having pretty much the whole team out and being the guy for about a month and just going through the pains and the gains and growth throughout every day,” he said. “Having bad games and losing a lot to finally starting to get it going and start being efficient and trying to win games. And then once it kind of got to that and then that’s when I got traded. So it was perfect timing. I couldn’t have been traded at a better time.”
Obi Toppin’s trade value could be a late first-rounder in this year’s draft, a source told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. The Pacers could be a potential suitor for the Knicks’ backup power forward, Bondy suggests, since they were interested in him before last season’s trade deadline and possess two late first-round picks. However, Toppin has supporters within the organization and he would become more valuable to the Knicks if they deal Randle in a blockbuster.
Darko Rajakovic presented a straightforward approach during the interviewing process for the Raptors’ head coaching job, he told Serbian media outlet MozzartSport (hat tip to Eurohoops.net). “When I entered the whole process, I had no intention of pleasing anyone and simply wanted to present myself, who I am and what I am, what my beliefs are, and what my basketball philosophy is,’ he said. “In the end, they liked it the most, so they decided to hire me.”

Weaver: Pistons Willing To Deal Lottery Pick

June 20th, 2023 at 6:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pistons general manager Troy Weaver says he’s open to trading the No. 5 overall pick, according to Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press.

During a pre-draft press conference on Tuesday, Weaver indicated he’s intrigued by the talent level at that spot but wouldn’t rule out a swap.

“We’re still open to improving the team, absolutely,” he said. “Do we like the players that we’ve been vetting out at five? Absolutely. We’re still open to different opportunities as well. Definitely still looking at all of our options to improve the team. These top-five, top-seven picks are valuable because it’s unpredictable after one.”

Weaver said he’s ready to pounce if the right opportunity comes along. He used the Knicks’ desire to shed salary last year to work out a three-team, draft-night swap that landed the Pistons another lottery pick, which they used on Jalen Duren. Weaver could also use the team’s cap space — projected to be around $30MM — to acquire contracts from teams looking to dump salary with future assets attached.

“There could be some vulnerable situations that we could take advantage of and we want to be prepared and working hard to make sure that if those opportunities are afforded, we’re there,” Weaver said, as relayed by Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.

If the Pistons keep their pick — or even if they move down a few spots — Weaver will seek a potential star over a safer option.

“I like the long ball,” he said. “I’m not bunting or trying to slap it into short center. I take a big swing. Especially if I only have one chance at it. If I have three chances, OK, I may bunt one. But one chance at it, I’m going for the big fly. That’s me.”

Weaver added that new head coach Monty Williams has been an active participant in draft evaluations.

“Since he’s been hired, he’s been a part of everything — the interviews, the on-court workouts and watching film,” Weaver said. “He’s jumped in with two feet, he’s ready and has a lot of keen insight on players that we really value.”

Month: November 2024

The Nuggets’ Offseason Plan

Salary Cap Situation