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LaVine’s Reps Don’t Want Him Traded To Knicks

June 22nd, 2023 at 10:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Zach LaVine‘s representative oppose a potential trade to the Knicks, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reports.

The Bulls’ star swingman is represented by superagent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, while the Knicks have a reputation of favoring clients of CAA, the agency that employed Leon Rose before he took over as New York’s president of basketball operations.

Paul has told confidants for over a year he prefers not to have a client play for the Knicks, according to former Knicks beat reporter Marc Berman (Twitter link). Cam Reddish‘s stint with the Knicks didn’t help matters, as he’s also represented by Klutch Sports. The frosty relationship between Rose and Paul developed during the LeBron James saga — Rose was James’ agent before switching to Klutch.

New York, which didn’t have a first-round pick in Thursday’s draft, has reportedly been seeking ways to acquire another star. LaVine would certainly upgrade their offense — he averaged 24.8 points and 4.2 assists. However, he also brings a huge long-term salary concern for would-be trade partners. He’s entering the second year of his five-year, $215,159,700 contract.

The Knicks can put together an impressive package of picks and young players if the right deal comes along. They were reportedly involved in negotiations with the Wizards for Bradley Beal. A source told Bondy that the Knicks were not having ongoing discussions with the Clippers regarding a potential trade for Paul George. The Knicks reportedly had interest in George, then reconsidered given his age and injury history.

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Trade Rumors: Wizards, Morris, George, Bridges, Nets, Bulls

June 22nd, 2023 at 1:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Having agreed to acquire point guards Tyus Jones and Chris Paul in separate trades, the Wizards have begun talking to rival teams about Monte Morris, league sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. According to Fischer, Washington’s front office – which has already been very active this offseason – is telling potential trade partners that the team doesn’t want to take on any long-term money.

It remains to be seen what the Wizards have in mind for Paul. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (YouTube link) said during a TV appearance earlier this week that he doesn’t get the sense that Washington is trying to “bottom out” by going into full tank mode, suggesting he can envision a scenario where Paul is on next season’s roster. However, that was before the team agreed to acquire Jones.

According to Fischer, the Wizards and Suns are tentatively planning for the Bradley Beal trade call to take place on Friday. It’s unclear whether Paul will be flipped to a new team as part of that deal or whether Washington’s three-team trade with Boston and Memphis might be folded into the same transaction.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

  • Andrew Greif and Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times provide a little more context on the recent Paul George trade rumors, suggesting that the Knicks initiated talks with the Clippers but are hesitant to pursue the star forward, who may seek an extension when he becomes eligible this offseason. There’s a sense that George’s value might not be as high as the Clippers would like, given his injury history and his contract situation, per The Times’ duo. A previous report indicated he’s unlikely to be dealt.
  • Rising star Mikal Bridges tells Brian Lewis of The New York Post that he has been informed by the Nets that they have no interest in trading him. The team has conveyed that stance both publicly and privately, according to Lewis. “As of right now they’re saying they’re not, but I think just being a good person kind of helps with that, because there’s just like you don’t want to lose a person like that, which is always a good quality to have,” Bridges said. “So, [I feel] just blessed, man; just blessed and very appreciative for that. And that just does show that love, honestly.”
  • In addition to offering four first-round picks for Bridges at the trade deadline, the Grizzlies are also said to have targeted Magic forward Franz Wagner in recent months, Fischer reports. Fischer refers to the team’s decision to surrender a pair of first-rounders for Marcus Smart as a “middle-ground” move after those more ambitious pursuits didn’t pan out.
  • While it doesn’t sound like Bridges will be going anywhere this offseason, the futures of fellow Nets forwards Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale remain uncertain. According to Fischer, Brooklyn is seeking a first-round pick in return for O’Neale and wants a pick and a player for Finney-Smith.
  • It may end up being a quiet draft night for the Bulls, who don’t currently have a pick, but they’re still exploring ways to acquire a first-rounder, reports Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. In other Bulls news, Cowley hears from sources that free-agent-to-be Nikola Vucevic may be willing to give Chicago a “hometown discount” on a new multiyear contract. The big man made $22MM this past season.
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Bulls’ Derrick Jones Jr. Declining 2023/24 Player Option

June 21st, 2023 at 5:46pm CST by Rory Maher

Bulls forward Derrick Jones Jr. plans to decline his player option for 2023/24 to become an unrestricted free agent, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Jones signed a two-year, $6.56MM contract with Chicago last summer that includes an opt-out decision after year one. His option for ’23/24 is worth a guaranteed $3.36MM.

The move comes as something of a surprise, as the 26-year-old told K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago in April that he planned to pick up the option to stay with the Bulls.

“Like I told coach (Billy Donovan) and everybody else, I’m locked in for two years. I didn’t sign for two years for no reason. So I’m here for two years,” Jones said. “I just gotta sit down with my agent and talk to him, figure things out. But I don’t see why not. I got no other plans, yet.”

As Jones implied at the end of that statement, plans can change, especially as players get closer to free agency. He must be confident he can exceed his option as a free agent — it’s worth noting that a seven-year veteran like Jones would earn a projected $2.7MM on a veteran’s minimum contract.

The Bulls have Jones’ Bird rights if they want to re-sign him to a new contract.

Jones appeared in 64 games for the Bulls this past season, averaging 5.0 points and 2.4 rebounds and shooting .500/.338/.738 in 14.0 minutes per night. With the exception of his three-point percentage, those numbers were all down from the ones he posted during his first year in Chicago in ’21/22.

In fact, Jones’ minutes, points and rebounds were all down when compared to his previous four seasons after becoming a rotation regular with Miami in ’18/19. The high-flying Jones is known as a strong, versatile defensive player, though he doesn’t provide much scoring or play-making on the other end.

Jones isn’t the only Bull with a $3.36MM player option for 2023/24. As our list of free agents by team shows, veteran center Andre Drummond will have to make a decision on an identical option.

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

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Trade Rumors: Lakers, Kuminga, Nets, LaVine, Raptors

June 21st, 2023 at 4:09pm CST by Luke Adams

There has been growing buzz in recent days that the Lakers are increasingly more likely to trade their first-round pick (No. 17) than to keep it, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic. In his latest story, Buha explores all the possibilities in play for Los Angeles, including hanging onto the pick, trading out of the draft, or trading down.

As Buha writes, the idea of the Lakers packaging the No. 17 pick with Malik Beasley ($16.5MM team option) and/or Mohamed Bamba ($10.3MM) to acquire a starter-caliber player appears more viable than ever. League sources say that Pacers center Myles Turner and sharpshooter Buddy Hield, Nets wings Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale, and Raptors guard Gary Trent Jr. are among the players who have been linked to the Lakers.

While it sounds less likely than trading down or out of the draft, Buha says the Lakers have at least considered the possibility of trying to move up from No. 17. Dereck Lively and Kobe Bufkin are among the prospects the club likes, a source tells The Athletic.

Here are more trade rumors from around the NBA:

  • Addressing a report from last week that suggested the Warriors have explored moving up in the draft using Jonathan Kuminga, Anthony Slater of The Athletic provides some additional context, writing that rumor stemmed from an inbound call from a lottery team that has long been interested in Kuminga. Multiple sources tell Slater that Golden State isn’t shopping the young forward.
  • While the lottery team that called the Warriors about Kuminga is unknown, it’s worth noting that Slater uses the Pacers as an example in his discussion of that scenario. Additionally, when ESPN updated its mock draft on Wednesday (subscription required), Jonathan Givony added Kuminga to the list of forwards the Pacers may explore acquiring via trade.
  • In the latest episode of The Lowe Post podcast (YouTube link), ESPN’s Zach Lowe said the Nets‘ asking prices for forwards Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale have been high. Brooklyn is seeking “real first-round pick equity” for those players, not just looking to move up a few spots in the draft, according to Lowe.
  • Despite reports that they’re gauging his trade market, the Bulls continue to value Zach LaVine very highly, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, who hears from one league source that the team would seek a good young player, multiple first-round picks, and salary filler if LaVine is moved. Another league source thinks a single first-rounder might be sufficient if the Bulls could get an “established, high-end” player back.
  • Toronto has been involved in a series of trade rumors so far this offseason, but a pair of sources who spoke to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca indicated that they wouldn’t be surprised if the Raptors don’t do anything drastic. “What I’m hearing now is they’re not going to trade from their core,” one source told Grange.
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Blazers Rumors: No. 3 Pick, Lillard, Adebayo, George, Zion

June 20th, 2023 at 11:08am CST by Luke Adams

Like his ESPN colleague Jonathan Givony, Brian Windhorst has been hearing that the Trail Blazers haven’t been enamored with the trade offers they’ve been getting for the No. 3 pick in this Thursday’s draft. Appearing on ESPN’s Get Up on Tuesday (YouTube link), Windhorst discussed the situation in Portland and how it could affect star guard Damian Lillard.

“In discussions with teams in the last couple of days, the Blazers have started to maybe indicate that they won’t trade the No. 3 pick and that they may end up deciding to draft a player there, whether it be Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller, because they aren’t necessarily in love with the options they’re getting offer for No. 3,” Windhorst said.

As Windhorst notes, Lillard has repeatedly expressed his loyalty to the Trail Blazers, but he has also spoken in recent months about not wanting to be part of a rebuild in Portland and his hope that the team can add impact veterans.

“I checked in on the Lillard side of things about whether or not there’d been a change of heart there and I was told unequivocally, ‘No,'” Windhorst said. “Dame does not want a youth movement. He wants to play with veterans. He wants the team to upgrade fast and immediately with veteran players that can help him now.”

There are other ways besides trading the No. 3 pick for the Blazers to add veteran talent this summer, Windhorst acknowledges, so if Portland keeps and uses its lottery pick on Thursday, that doesn’t necessarily mean Lillard will immediately make a trade request.

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports makes this point too, writing in his latest story that the Blazers “view this entire offseason as their canvas” to upgrade their roster around Lillard and don’t necessarily feel it has to happen entirely during the draft. For now, it still appears that Dame’s preference is to remain in Portland and that the club hasn’t shown any willingness to discuss trading Lillard, says Fischer.

Here’s more on the Blazers:

  • Portland is preparing what the front office considers a “compelling” offer for Heat big man Bam Adebayo, a source tells Fischer. While that may be true, it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which Miami would accept such a deal, given that the Heat view Adebayo as a long-term cornerstone and want to acquire Lillard themselves rather than help the Blazers keep him. For what it’s worth, Fischer suggests that any Portland offer for Adebayo would almost certainly have to include Shaedon Sharpe in addition to the No. 3 pick and Anfernee Simons to even get Miami to think about it.
  • While Adebayo may not be attainable, he’s the sort of “premium” player the Trail Blazers are targeting in talks involving their lottery pick, Fischer writes, naming Clippers forward Paul George as another example of a player the team would like to land.
  • League sources tell Fischer that the Blazers don’t “truly covet” either of the Raptors forwards they’ve been linked to (Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby) in a deal for the No. 3 selection. Bulls guard Zach LaVine and Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns also aren’t considered legitimate targets, Fischer adds.
  • The Blazers and Pelicans have discussed Zion Williamson, per Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, but New Orleans hasn’t made a formal offer involving Williamson and may want more than just the No. 3 pick for him, per Fischer.
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Suns Confident They Can Deal Deandre Ayton?

June 18th, 2023 at 9:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

With the Suns on the verge of acquiring Bradley Beal from the Wizards, Phoenix has virtually depleted its trade assets. They still have one more big trade chip left, if they choose to deal center Deandre Ayton.

While they may have to exercise patience,  there’s confidence within the Suns organization that they can deal Ayton, an unnamed league executive tells Heavy.com’s Sean Deveney.

Currently, interest around the league is Ayton is modest because he’s not a priority for potential trade partners. That could change after the draft and once the dominoes start to fall during free agency.

The Suns matched the Pacers’ offer sheet last year for Ayton when he was a restricted free agent. Ayton had three years left on that four-year, $132.9MM contract. He’ll make approximately $32.46MM next season, $34MM in 2024/25 and $35.55MM on 2025/26.

Ayton averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds this past season. However, he’d be an afterthought in an offense featuring Beal, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant and probably wouldn’t be thrilled with a reduced role.

Strapped by max contracts, Phoenix might try to parlay Ayton for two or more quality role players. Deveney lists the Bulls, Mavericks, Hornets, Pacers and Trail Blazers as potential landing spots, while acknowledging that acquiring Ayton isn’t of great importance for any of those franchises at the moment.

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Scotto’s Latest: VanVleet, Anunoby, Middleton, DiVincenzo, G. Williams

June 18th, 2023 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

New head coach Ime Udoka’s desire to land a veteran point guard makes the Rockets a strong contender for Fred VanVleet in free agency, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Houston will be part of a large group of teams expected to pursue VanVleet, who remains open to re-signing with the Raptors, Scotto adds.

The Suns expressed interest in VanVleet the last time he was a free agent, Scotto notes. Chris Paul appears to be on the way out of Phoenix, as Scotto’s sources say the team has discussed a number of trade scenarios, including a proposed deal reported Saturday that would send him to Washington as part of a package for Bradley Beal.

The Lakers would also like to add VanVleet, according to Scotto, but would probably need to work out a sign-and-trade with the Raptors to make it happen. That would require Toronto to have interest in D’Angelo Russell, who is also a free agent.

VanVleet has also been linked to the Magic because president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman previously worked in Toronto, but Scotto cites skepticism that Orlando is ready to make a big free agent move while the core of the team is still young.

Scotto passes along more inside information:

  • The Grizzlies are a team to watch if the Raptors decide to part with OG Anunoby, Scotto states. Memphis is offering future first-round draft picks to add a wing player, according to Scotto’s sources, and Anunoby would be an attractive target if he becomes available. Scotto notes that the Grizzlies were willing to give four first-round picks to Brooklyn in February for Mikal Bridges, and the need for wing help has increased with Dillon Brooks not expected back next season.
  • League executives tell Scotto that they expect Khris Middleton to re-sign with the Bucks for about $130MM over four years if he turns down his $40.4MM player option. Milwaukee is hoping to re-sign Brook Lopez as well, Scotto adds, but the veteran center will likely get an offer from the Rockets.
  • Donte DiVincenzo is expected to turn down his $4.7MM player option and receive better offers than the Warriors can match. One executive told Scotto that DiVincenzo is likely to be offered the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which is well above the four-year, $23.2MM deal that Golden State can give him due to cap restrictions. Scotto hears that the Warriors have also received interest in Jonathan Kuminga from several teams that believe he can be more successful with an increased role.
  • The Mavericks have expressed interest in Celtics free agent forward Grant Williams, who has the same agent as Luka Doncic, sources tell Scotto. Dallas has also considered bringing back former Maverick Harrison Barnes, Scotto adds.
  • League executives expect the Bulls to re-sign center Nikola Vucevic, likely for about $65MM over three years, according to Scotto.
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Bulls Testing Zach LaVine’s Trade Market

June 15th, 2023 at 12:18pm CST by Rory Maher

The Bulls have begun reaching out to rival teams to gauge the trade value of star guard Zach LaVine, league sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

Multiple teams have told Fischer that the Bulls highly value the 28-year-old, so it sounds like their calls have been more exploratory and that no deal is imminent. Still, it’s noteworthy that Chicago is weighing its options, as LaVine would presumably be one of the top players on the trade market.

LaVine re-signed with Chicago last summer on a five-year, $215MM contract. He’s still owed $178MM over the next four seasons, including a $49MM player option in 2026/27.

A two-time All-Star, LaVine had a relatively slow start to the 2022/23 campaign — at least by his lofty standards — following knee surgery last offseason. He averaged 22.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists on .452/.375/.813 shooting over his first 30 games (34.8 minutes per contest).

However, he regained his explosiveness and prior form over the remainder of the season, averaging 26.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists on .505/.375/.862 shooting in his final 47 regular season games (36.7 minutes).

LaVine has emerged as one of the league’s marquee scorers and shooters over the past five seasons, averaging 25.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists on .477/.388/.838 shooting over that span. That’s not to say he doesn’t have some weaknesses, however, particularly off-ball defense and on-ball decision-making.

The Bulls entered the play-in tournament as the No. 10 seed in the East in ’22/23 and won their first game in Toronto. But the club came up short in a close loss to the Heat, who went on to make the NBA Finals as the No. 8 seed.

Chicago’s front office faces a difficult offseason, as Lonzo Ball‘s career appears to be in jeopardy following a third major knee surgery. DeMar DeRozan is entering the final year of his contract, while Nikola Vucevic is an impending free agent — the Bulls have reportedly discussed an extension with the veteran center.

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Draft Notes: Rockets, Thompsons, Black, Green Room Invites, Osunniyi, Burton

June 13th, 2023 at 5:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Rockets hold the No. 4 pick and they were visited this week by three candidates who could potentially be selected at that spot. The Overtime Elite brother duo of Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson and Arkansas’ Anthony Black met with Houston’s brass. Amen and Ausar are currently ranked No. 4 and No. 5, respectively, on ESPN’s Best Available list with Black slotted at No. 8. The Thompsons reportedly met recently with the Pistons, who hold the No. 5 pick. They’ve also visited the Hornets (No. 2) and Trail Blazers (No. 3). There has been much less intel on Black’s pre-draft visits.

We have more draft-related info:

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Bulls Notes: White, Williams, Butler, Patton

June 10th, 2023 at 7:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

If the Bulls bring back their core group for next season, which vice president Arturas Karnisovas has indicated that he plans to do, someone on the roster will have to show significant improvement for the team to move up the ladder in the East. Free agent Coby White is an obvious candidate if he can provide a long-term answer at point guard after the loss of Lonzo Ball to injury, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.

White is one of the team’s best three-point shooters and a natural fit in the fast-paced style that coach Billy Donovan likes to play. He has shown improvement in his ball-handling and decision making during his four years in the NBA, Johnson adds, and he got better on defense last season.

“He’s a lot more equipped, I’d say, today to be maybe in that role than he was a few years ago,” Donovan said after the season ended. “So I’ve got a lot of confidence in Coby and just the way he’s gotten better. And he deserves all the credit. He’s the one who put all the work in.”

There’s more from Chicago:

  • Patrick Williams still has a lot of believers within the Bulls organization, but that doesn’t guarantee he’ll get a rookie scale extension this summer, Johnson said on the Bulls Talk podcast. Johnson notes that management typically takes a hard line in extension talks and suggests that the team might handle Williams the same way it did White, letting him play out his rookie contract and negotiating with him next summer as a restricted free agent.
  • Jimmy Butler‘s performance in leading the Heat to the NBA Finals is proving that the Bulls’ decision to trade him in 2017 was one of the worst moves in franchise history, claims Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Of the three players Chicago got in return, only Zach LaVine is left on the roster. Cowley states that the Bulls have missed Butler’s competitive fire, as have the Timberwolves and Sixers, who also let him go without getting equal value.
  • The Bulls plan to hire Peter Patton as a player development coach, Johnson tweets. The former DePaul standout has spent time as a shooting coach with the Timberwolves and Mavericks.
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