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Pistons Have Interest In Kyrie Irving

August 4th, 2017 at 12:05pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons are interested in star point guard Kyrie Irving, a person with knowledge of the team’s front office tells Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. As Ellis notes, Detroit’s interest shouldn’t come as a major surprise, considering approximately 20 teams are believed to have inquired with the Cavaliers about Irving.

[RELATED: At Least Six Teams Have Made Offers For Irving]

Pistons head coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy confirmed that the Pistons have had “some level of conversation” with the Cavs about Irving, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com wrote earlier this week.

In discussing the subject, Langlois says he doesn’t see a logical match between the Pistons and Cavaliers, and Ellis is also skeptical that Irving will land in Detroit. Still, it’s not impossible to envision a package that might interest the Cavaliers.

As Langlois notes, Reggie Jackson or Avery Bradley could make some sense as a point guard replacement for Cleveland, and Tobias Harris may have some appeal to the Cavs. Stanley Johnson, who just recently turned 21, may also be an intriguing long-term piece. The Pistons also still hold all their future first-round picks, and Andre Drummond‘s name has come up in trade rumors multiple times this year.

Although the Pistons could potentially put together a viable trade offer for Irving, it almost certainly wouldn’t be an overwhelming one, so the Cavs will probably look elsewhere unless the other incoming offers for Irving are unimpressive. Nonetheless, it’s worth noting that the Pistons aren’t necessarily satisfied to stand pat with their current roster — particularly if an All-Star caliber player becomes available.

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Timberwolves Rumors: Wiggins, Thibodeau, FAs

August 4th, 2017 at 10:28am CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves’ trade offer for Kyrie Irving doesn’t include Andrew Wiggins, and that appears unlikely to change. According to Sid Hartman of The Star Tribune, team owner Glen Taylor has “made it clear” that the club intends to lock up Wiggins to a five-year, max extension in the near future. Hartman adds that the former top pick “is not available to anybody in a trade.”

While that news doesn’t come as a huge surprise, it’s hard to imagine the Wolves being putting together a viable package for Irving without including Wiggins, so Minnesota looks to be a long shot to acquire the Cavaliers’ star point guard.

Here’s more from out of Minnesota:

  • Taylor owns about 70% of the Timberwolves, and while a pair of minority stakeholders are looking to sell their shares in the franchise, that’s not the case for Taylor, as Hartman details. “We have a couple of my limited [owners] that have indicated that they’re going to sell, and we have another limited [owner] that is going to buy them,” Taylor said. “I won’t be selling any of my stock. Whatever I have, I’m keeping.”
  • Although Taylor would have liked to see the Timberwolves play better in 2016/17, he remains confident in Tom Thibodeau‘s long-term vision for the team, per Hartman. “I brought him in here for the long run,” Taylor said of Thibodeau. “We tried it with the young players, and it appears that we need more experience on the team to get where we want to get. [Thibodeau] is flexible and he’s trying his best to bring in the quality guys we need to get to the championship, so I’m happy.”
  • Taylor’s sights for 2017/18 are set higher, according to Hartman. “Well, of course we have to get into the playoffs,” Taylor said. “And where we get into … the playoffs is probably very important for us. To get into fourth place so you have home-court advantage would really be the super position.”
  • The Wolves expect to sign three more players to veteran minimum contracts, according to Taylor, via Hartman. Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News indicated earlier this week (via Twitter) that the club had a contract offer out to a shooter.
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Kyler’s Latest: Irving, Suns, Wolves, Melo, Rockets

August 3rd, 2017 at 10:27am CST by Luke Adams

As we enter the dog days of the NBA offseason, two All-Star trade candidates remain on the block — the Cavaliers and Knicks continue to explore trades involving Kyrie Irving and Carmelo Anthony, respectively. Nothing appears imminent on either front, but Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders checks in on both situations to see where they stand, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights from Kyler…

  • The Cavaliers aren’t operating with a sense of urgency to find an Irving deal. One source from a team interested in Irving tells Kyler that Cleveland doesn’t seem to be operating with a deadline when it comes to getting something done. The source described the Cavs as still being in “fact-finding mode” at this point.
  • The Suns and Timberwolves are viewed as two strong candidates for Irving, but they’ve been reluctant to include Josh Jackson and Andrew Wiggins, respectively, and are unlikely to win out unless they relent on that stance. While Phoenix doesn’t want to move Jackson or Devin Booker, there’s a sense that anyone else on the roster could be had, says Kyler. That may not be enough for the Cavaliers, however.
  • The “prevailing thought in NBA circles” is that the long-rumored Anthony deal between the Knicks and Rockets isn’t going to happen unless Houston finds a way to improve its offer. As Kyler details, the idea of the Knicks accepting a package made up entirely of players they don’t view as long-term pieces isn’t “appealing or agreeable” to the team’s front office.
  • The Knicks seem as if they’re willing to bring Anthony to training camp if he doesn’t expand his list of preferred landing spots or if the Rockets don’t improve their offer, according to Kyler, who describes the Carmelo situation as “more like a standoff” than the Cavaliers‘ situation with Irving.
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Latest On Kyrie Irving

August 2nd, 2017 at 7:56pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kyrie Irving doesn’t want to be in Cleveland as long as LeBron James is around, though that doesn’t mean he’s willing to commit long-term to another franchise should the Cavs trade him. According to Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com, Irving, who has two years before he can become a free agent, wants to keep his options open for the summer of 2019. Pluto adds that the former No. 1 overall pick isn’t ready to commit to any team at this point.

While an extension with a new team was never a likely outcome for Irving, the latest news could potentially suppress his trade value. Any team giving up a haul to acquire the point guard would want him around long-term and without that assurance, teams may think twice about mortgaging their futures to bring in the Duke product.

Here’s more from Pluto’s piece on Irving:

  • The Suns would be willing to deal Eric Bledsoe to the Cavaliers for Irving even if Irving makes no commitment to stay in Phoenix past his current deal. However, they would not want to include Josh Jackson in that scenario.
  • The Cavs would love to take back Devin Booker in an Irving-to-the-Suns deal, but Phoenix is unlikely to trade Booker since it already told the shooting guard that he wasn’t going anywhere. Phoenix would like to send a package of Bledsoe, T.J. Warren, and Brandon Knight to the Cavs for Irving and additional salary (Iman Shumpert or Channing Frye). That proposal is underwhelming to Cleveland’s front office.
  • The Nuggets remain a threat to trade for Irving, but Pluto hears that Denver will not give up both Jamal Murray and Gary Harris in a deal. Pluto adds that there are players on Denver’s roster who are attractive to Cleveland and because of that, the Nuggets could be involved in an Irving trade as a third team even if they don’t land the point guard themselves.
  • If Andrew Wiggins signs an extension with the Wolves, it’s unlikely that he gets dealt to Cleveland, a source tells Pluto.
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Players Who Can Veto Trades In 2017/18

August 2nd, 2017 at 2:34pm CST by Luke Adams

No-trade clauses are rare in the NBA, but one such provision has been the subject of much discussion so far in 2017, as Carmelo Anthony made use of his NTC to block the Knicks from sending him to an undesirable destination. For much of the offseason, Anthony was focused on joining the Rockets, but he eventually agreed to a deal that sent him to Oklahoma City.

Anthony is one of just two NBA players whose contract includes an explicit no-trade clause, but there are still several players each year who have the ability to veto trades. A player who re-signs with his previous team on a one-year contract – or a two-year deal with an option year – is given no-trade protection, and so is a player who signs an offer sheet and has that offer matched by his previous team. Players who accept qualifying offers after their rookie deals expire can also block deals.

Taking into account that list of criteria, here are the players who must give their consent if their teams want to trade them during the 2017/18 league year:

No-trade clauses

Players whose offer sheets were matched

  • Otto Porter (Wizards)
    • Note: Even with his consent, Porter cannot be traded to the Nets during the 2017/18 league year.

Players accepting qualifying offers

Players re-signing for one year (or two years including an option)

In addition to the players listed above who can veto trades through the 2017/18 league year, there’s another small handful of players who can’t be dealt under any circumstance until at least next July. The following players signed a Designated Veteran Extension this season, which precludes them from being traded for a full calendar year:

Information from Basketball Insiders and ESPN was used in the creation of this post.

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Knicks Notes: Carmelo, Irving, Sessions

August 1st, 2017 at 5:00pm CST by marksuleymanov

Wielding a no-trade clause, Carmelo Anthony can dictate his future: He can play out the remainder of his contract with the Knicks or waive the NTC in a potential trade elsewhere. The Rockets, who have NBA MVP runner-up James Harden and free agent acquisition Chris Paul in the fold, remain Anthony’s preferred destination, with the Cavaliers no longer a real priority. As Marc Berman of the New York Post writes, Anthony’s preference is handcuffing the Knicks as a potential trade with the Rockets may have too many hurdles to accomplish a trade of Anthony and receiving quality assets in return.

Berman notes that Anthony has yet to publicly speak on the trade rumors, but since he’s scheduled to appear at Coppin State for The Basketball Tournament, Anthony will likely speak in some form soon. Until then, the multiple time All-Star’s mindset is anybody’s guess; the only thing known is the reports citing his desire to play in Houston with his close friends. Even playing for ex-Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni, who Anthony feuded with in New York and now coaches the Rockets, would not be an issue. D’Antoni’s brother, Dan, a former Knicks assistant coach, spoke to the Post about his brother and the Knicks star joining forces again.

“There were a lot of things that went wrong, but Carmelo is a heckuva player,’’ D’Antoni said. “All I’m saying is Mike’s a good person. He understands people change, things change. Two things you can’t deny: Mike’s a helluva coach. Carmelo is a very good player. If those two see eye-to-eye, Mike and I are always optimistic things are meant to be. The next day is going to be better than the day before.”

It’s unclear when and if a trade is consummated this offseason but Anthony will remain a fixture in trade rumors.

Below you can read other news and notes around the Knicks:

  • In the same piece, Berman notes that the Knicks’ signing of veteran point guard Ramon Sessions last week was because he connects better with Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis better than Derrick Rose did. Sessions is expected to provide a veteran presence and mentor the team’s first round pick, Frank Ntilikina, during the season and be another veteran if Melo stays.
  • In a separate piece, Berman of the Post profiles Sessions’ career, revealing that the aforementioned Dan D’Antoni lobbied for the team to acquire him a decade ago. A decade into his career, Sessions will bring an unselfishness with the basketball that the team lacked with the score-first mentality of Rose last season.
  • While Kyrie Irving and his name value would generate excitement in New York City, the Knicks should avoid mortgaging their future to acquire him, Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders and Dan Favale of Bleacher Report both write in separate articles. The sentiment from both scribes is similar: trading away future first round picks, this year’s first rounder, and current budding star like Willy Hernangomez will only handcuff the team forward. Also, as Beer mentions, Porzingis will likely not pass up a max deal in New York whereas Irving can hit the market in two years and is no sure bet remain with the Knicks if he gets there.
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Poll: When Will Kyrie, Carmelo Be Traded?

July 31st, 2017 at 3:45pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s offseason moves at a rapid pace, with the draft typically taking place just a week or two after the NBA Finals end, then free agency getting underway about a week after that. By late July, things have often quieted down, as NBA executives and reporters take some vacation time before training camps resume in September.

This year though, things are a little different. The pace of free agent signings and trades has certainly slowed down as August approaches, but two very notable trade candidates remain on the block: Carmelo Anthony in New York and Kyrie Irving in Cleveland.

Anthony has been mentioned in trade rumors for the entire offseason, so it’s somewhat surprising that he remains with the Knicks. Still, a number of factors have complicated a potential deal, including Anthony’s no-trade clause, exorbitant salary, and trade kicker. Carmelo is reportedly focused on joining the Rockets, having not shown much enthusiasm about waiving his no-trade clause to go to another team, such as the Cavs. But the Knicks have been unable to work out a deal with the Rockets, since New York has no interest in taking back Ryan Anderson‘s contract.

The Knicks put Anthony trade talks on hold when they hired Scott Perry as their new general manager and promoted Steve Mills to president of basketball operations. But there’s still a belief that the rebuilding franchise would like to move on from the standout forward, even with Phil Jackson no longer around to create tension by lobbing thinly-veiled criticisms at Melo in the press.

Meanwhile, Irving wasn’t considered a trade candidate until about a week and a half ago, when word broke that he had asked the Cavaliers to move him. The star point guard has two more guaranteed years left on his current contract, and unlike Carmelo, he doesn’t have a no-trade clause. As such, his leverage is somewhat limited. Nonetheless, the Cavs appear dedicated to finding Irving a new home.

A Friday report indicated that at least six teams had made an offer for Irving, though one of those teams – the Heat – denied doing so. About 20 clubs reportedly inquired with the Cavs to express some level of interest in the process. Cleveland’s asking price is high for now, and many of those teams won’t be able to put together a viable package, but there appears to be optimism that something will get done.

What do you think? Will a trade involving Anthony or Irving happen soon, or will these situations continue to drag on into the fall? Can you picture either player sticking with his current team for training camp and perhaps even to start the 2017/18 season?

Submit your vote below and head to the comments section to weigh in with your thoughts!

When will Kyrie Irving and Carmelo Anthony be traded?
Both traded before training camp 38.81% (1,221 votes)
Neither traded before training camp 32.29% (1,016 votes)
Kyrie traded before training camp 19.33% (608 votes)
Carmelo traded before training camp 9.57% (301 votes)
Total Votes: 3,146
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Agent: Rose Had No Interest In Rejoining Knicks As Veteran Mentor

July 31st, 2017 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

Derrick Rose is now a Cavalier, but in the months leading up to free agency, there were several reports indicating that he hoped to return to the Knicks, and there was a belief that the franchise may have reciprocated that interest. However, after the Knicks drafted Frank Ntilikina and signed Tim Hardaway, Rose’s interest in returning to New York faded, and the team appeared prepared to go in another direction, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post.

[RELATED: Cavaliers sign Derrick Rose]

B.J. Armstrong – Rose’s agent – tells Berman that the Knicks and his client were on different short-term paths, with Rose wanting to contend immediately, while the Knicks could still be “three [or] four years” away.

“Did we miss something?,” Armstrong said of the Knicks. “Is there something going [on] in New York we didn’t see? We all would agree they are on a different timeline than Derrick — a young team with great young talent there and trying to build something for the future. They’re not on the same timeline as players who are a little older and experienced.”

The Knicks entered free agency intent on finding a veteran mentor for Ntilikina, who just turned 19 and may not be ready to take on major minutes right away. Rose was believed to be a candidate, but the club ultimately signed Ramon Sessions, and Armstrong suggests that his client was never interested in that sort of mentor role.

“You’re a mentor when you no longer can play,” Armstrong said. “This league you get paid to perform. You don’t get paid to be a mentor.”

While Rose seemingly had little interest in the Knicks before joining the Cavs, New York also wasn’t making the former MVP a high priority. Although the Knicks kept in contact with Rose until the end, the team never offered him even the veteran’s minimum, a source tells Berman.

According to the Post, the Knicks’ front office believes Sessions will be better suited to mentor Ntilikina. Knicks brass also thinks Sessions could develop better chemistry with Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis than Rose ever did (assuming Anthony isn’t traded).

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Heat Notes: Richardson, Clark, Rose, Winslow

July 30th, 2017 at 11:41am CST by Arthur Hill

Starting Thursday, the Heat will be able to offer a contract extension to third-year guard Josh Richardson, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. The offer can be as much as $43MM over four years, and Richardson would have until the start of the regular season to accept it. If he doesn’t, he will become a restricted free agent next summer.

Richardson has been valuable when he’s been in the lineup, but he was limited to 53 games last year because of injuries. Knee surgery forced him to miss training camp and the first four regular season games, then ankle problems sidelined him in midseason.

Jackson expects the Heat to offer at least $30MM over three years, with a player option for the final season. Given the decline in money going to mid-level free agents this summer, Richardson might find that offer appealing.

Here are some more Heat-related notes, courtesy of Jackson:

  • Miami seems likely to hold onto its $4.3MM mid-level exception for the buyout season. The Heat like former Warrior Ian Clark, who once played for Miami’s summer league team, but he’s looking for $8MM, well out of their price range. There’s also not an obvious role for Clark in an already-crowded backcourt.
  • The Heat also didn’t have playing time to give Derrick Rose, which is why they didn’t try to top Cleveland’s $2.1MM offer. Miami’s front office had interest in Rose, but the team is already committed to Goran Dragic as its starter as point guard.
  • Justise Winslow held a press conference this week and said his injured right shoulder will be fully healed by training camp. The second-year forward played just 18 games last year and had season-ending surgery in early January.
  • Free agent big man Luke Babbitt, who was acquired from the Pelicans in a trade last summer, is examining his options for next season. He made $1.227MM last year.
  • Willie Reed probably wouldn’t have opted out of his contract with the Heat if he knew he wouldn’t be getting a raise. The 27-year-old center agreed to a minimum-salary deal with the Clippers worth $1.5MM for one year, roughly the same amount he would have gotten in Miami. Reed said L.A. wants him to provide a defensive presence as a backup to DeAndre Jordan. “I felt like it was a comfortable position and it was kind of similar to the role that I played in Miami,” Reed said, “so it wouldn’t be difficult for me to adjust.”
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Price For Irving Too High For Nuggets?

July 30th, 2017 at 9:09am CST by Arthur Hill
  • The Nuggets‘ trade of Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks in 2011 set the standard for what teams expect in return for a star like Kyrie Irving, writes Nick Kosmider of The Denver Post. He believes Denver is among the reported 20 teams that have reached out to the Cavaliers since the news broke that Irving wanted to be dealt. However, Kosmider suggests the Nuggets would have to part with Gary Harris, Jamal Murray and several other pieces to make a deal work, which he states is too high a price for Irving.
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