LeBron James and agent Rich Paul talked to the Lakers last week and conveyed that the star forward would be willing to accept a pay cut in 2024/25 in the event that the team was able to land one of the players on a “short list” of free agent targets, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst confirmed on Monday’s Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link).
Previous reporting identified three of those possible Lakers targets as James Harden, Klay Thompson, and Jonas Valanciunas. Of the three, only Thompson is still on the board after Harden reached a deal to re-sign with the Clippers and Valanciunas agreed to terms with the Wizards, and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on SportsCenter on Sunday night (YouTube link) that James called Thompson right when free agency opened.
The Mavericks continue to be considered a strong contender for Thompson, but would have to negotiate a sign-and-trade agreement with the Warriors in order to acquire him into the $16MM+ trade exception they’re creating in the Tim Hardaway Jr. deal. According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter video link), a third team may be needed in that scenario to take on an outgoing player from Dallas. While Begley doesn’t mention any specific names, that outgoing Mavs player would almost certainly be either Josh Green or Maxi Kleber.
Even if Thompson ends up in Dallas, the Lakers may still have other names on that “short list” of targets that the team discussed with James, per Windhorst.
“I think there’s more than three,” Windhorst said on the Hoop Collective podcast. “I think DeMar DeRozan is on that list as well, and there may be another one or so.”
Here are a few more trade and free agency rumors from around the NBA:
- During that same episode of the Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link), Windhorst suggested that teams who have talked to the Jazz believe Lauri Markkanen could be had for the right price. According to Windhorst, the Warriors are “definitely investigating” Markkanen and the Spurs may also be among the teams with interest. “The teams who are negotiating with the Jazz do think there’s a good chance they’re going to move him,” Windhorst said (hat tip to RealGM). “Sometimes, (Jazz CEO) Danny Ainge will act like he’s going to do a trade and then there’s no trade. Maybe that will happen again here. But the teams negotiating think (he’s available).”
- Despite not tendering him a qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent, the Hawks remain in discussions with forward Saddiq Bey, according to Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks and Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter links). Bey will likely miss most or all of next season due to a torn ACL, so if Atlanta wants to keep him, it makes more sense to discuss a longer-term deal without the risk that the 25-year-old will accept his one-year, $8.5MM QO.
- Free agent wing Reggie Bullock has met with the Suns, Nuggets, Clippers, and Sixers so far in free agency, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link), who says the veteran swingman is expected to talk to more teams in the coming days. Bullock’s market figures to be for the vet minimum.
Nobody wants to play with James
Thompson wouldn’t mind going to the lakers but the Lakers don’t want to trade any players to get a deal done but D’Lo. Warriors don’t want D’Lo at all since he failed the first time playing aside Curry. Lakers need to package some good players to make a S/T happen.
Like Rui. You offer the Dubs Rui in return, Brawny Sensation, and it’s more than likely a done deal. Be a reasonable GM for once, BS.
Vanderbilt would be a better player for the Warriors. Throw in a 2nd rounder to get it done. Lakers want to get rid of their 2 bad contracts in D’lo and Vincent. Why not they are hurting the team. Why would the Warriors take on bad contracts?
rui and jr. just to make klay happy? no chance in hell.
Let him go to Dallas if they don’t want to offer anything. No problem with that.
Derozan can score no doubt, but isn’t he going to be a spacing issue? He is 90% mid range.
Demar just averaged 25 5 and 5… he’s within reach, how is he not the Lakers priority. Just like drafting Knecht take the best player available
They can’t just “take” him. They’re going to operate as an over the cap team (obviously, unless they decide to say bye bye to LeBron) and Demar is a free agent. So right off the bat, unless he takes an MLE (good luck with that), they’ve got to sign-and-trade. Which means probably at least $30m in salary going back. So that’s, what, DeAngelo and Rui? But the Bulls would have zero interest in DAR. Any way you slice it it’s gonna cost them dearly in depth, AND it hard caps them at the lux tax.
I spent a good amount of time this past season thinking about Markkanen as a Warrior. He’d be higher on my wish list than guys like Ingram or Grant from the Blazers.
Danny Ainge is not going to trade Markkanen without getting a massive haul. Think of the Gobert deal. Kuminga, Podziemski, Wiggins and 5 unprotected firsts?
Agree Ainge will not trade him unless he gets an over pay. Why should he since there are many teams that want him.
Imagine if dubs get Markkanen. Derozen to clippers.
Wow but how the Warriors going to pull that off? I don’t see they have anything the Jazz and Danny Ainge would want?
But if they can pull off Klay to Dallas and then Lauri to the Warriors 3 teamer, that would be something special.
Can the Mavs’ offer trump what Lakers have to offer?
Note
trump: t is not capitalized, it means 4 times King
SNT 4 years $70 million contract
Mavs offer:
center piece: josh green
Lakers offer,
center piece: Vanderbilt