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Trade Rumors: Lillard, Valanciunas, N. Powell, Wizards, K. Martin

June 27th, 2023 at 11:47am CST by Luke Adams

Following Monday’s meeting with Damian Lillard and his agent, Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin put out a brief statement indicating that the team remains committed to building around its star point guard. Appearing on ESPN’s Get Up on Tuesday morning (YouTube link), Brian Windhorst provided some additional information on how that meeting went.

“This was the meeting that a lot of the league was watching to see if Damian Lillard requested a trade, and he absolutely did not,” Windhorst said (hat tip to RealGM). “From what I understand, the tenor of the meeting was that he doesn’t want to put pressure on the Blazers, that he wants to see what they do in free agency, and he’s going to give them that time do that.

“This is an interesting strategy move. He said at the end of the season ‘Get me veterans.’ The draft came and went, no veterans. He’s still not pressing, from what I have been told. He’s still going to give the Blazers every opportunity to work through this free agency process this week, whether it’s through trades or signing players.”

As Windhorst points out, given that no trade request from Lillard seems imminent, teams like the Heat – who were reportedly preparing to make a trade offer for the Blazers star – might have to move forward with their other offseason moves rather than hoping that Lillard’s situation will change.

“This is going to potentially cause some teams that were going to make offers for him to have move on with business,” Windhorst said. “They were waiting to see whether Dame Lillard was going to be on the market before they started to make moves this week. Now, some teams are going to have to make a decision either go forward or wait around. Lillard is going to wait around.”

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

The Pelicans have made center Jonas Valanciunas available in trade talks as they seek out a big man who is more mobile and more of a rim protector, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who says New Orleans inquired with the Cavaliers about Jarrett Allen‘s availability. Cleveland has reportedly rebuffed all inquiries for Allen.
Clippers swingman Norman Powell is another veteran who is considered available on the trade market, Fischer reports, adding that Powell’s name popped up in rumors when L.A. was trying to acquire Chris Paul from Washington.
Speaking of the Wizards, even after flipping Paul to Golden State, they’re still looking to move on from one or two more of their veteran point guards. Sources tell Fischer that Washington is seeking draft assets for Monte Morris and/or Delon Wright.
The Rockets have been engaging in more trade talks involving Kenyon Martin Jr. since last week’s draft, Fischer writes. While it’s not clear exactly which teams Houston has talked to recently, Fischer says the Hawks, Suns, and Nets have been cited as possible suitors for Martin dating back to the trade deadline in February.

Suns, Jazz, Mavericks Join Pursuit Of Tobias Harris

June 24th, 2023 at 9:36pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers‘ options for a potential Tobias Harris trade are growing, but they seem more inclined to keep him, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Pompey hears that the Suns, Jazz and Mavericks have expressed interest in acquiring the veteran forward, joining the Cavaliers, Pacers and Pistons, who Pompey mentioned as possible trade partners prior to the draft.

A source tells Pompey that Phoenix views Harris as an ideal complement to its new Big Three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. The Suns are hoping to get a deal done before the new Collective Bargaining Agreement takes effect on July 1 to avoid restrictions involving the second tax apron.

The main impediment to a deal with Phoenix is that the Sixers would have to take Deandre Ayton in return, Pompey adds. Philadelphia doesn’t have any use for another center with Joel Embiid on the roster, especially with Ayton owed $102MM over the next three years.

The Sixers wouldn’t be interested in any other trade package the Suns could offer, according to Pompey. His source says Phoenix wants to add a third team to facilitate the deal, but Philadelphia hasn’t been willing to pursue that option.

The Pacers made overtures about Harris during Thursday’s draft, but sources tell Pompey they don’t have enough assets to make a deal work. Pompey is skeptical that Indiana can change that in light of Harris’ $39.2MM salary for the upcoming season.

Pompey also hears that Sixers management is overvaluing Harris in trade talks and asking for outrageous compensation in return. A source tells him that when the Cavaliers inquired about Harris, Philadelphia responded by asking for Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley and a draft pick. A source told Pompey that Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey “isn’t negotiating in good faith.”

Philadelphia appears determined to keep Harris, Pompey adds, knowing that more trade opportunities will arise before the deadline in February. A source told Pompey that Nick Nurse is looking forward to coaching Harris and plans to give him a larger role in the offense than Doc Rivers did.

Pete Nance To Sign Exhibit 10 Contract With Cavaliers

June 24th, 2023 at 10:21am CST by Rory Maher

Pete Nance has agreed to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Cavaliers after going undrafted on Thursday night, sources tell Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscriber link).

As Fedor writes, Nance has ties to the organization — he’s the son of former Cavs legend Larry Nance and the younger brother of Larry Nance Jr., who spent parts of four seasons with Cleveland.

After spending four seasons with Northwestern, Nance transferred to North Carolina for his final “super senior” season in 2022/23, averaging 10.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks on .422/.320/.816 shooting in 30 games (30.1 minutes) for the Tar Heels. He had a larger offensive role with the Wildcats in ’21/22, posting 14.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 blocks on .497/.452/.768 shooting in 30 games (27.2 minutes).

Nance is expected to play for the Cavs’ Summer League squad, Fedor adds, and will be present for training camp. His Exhibit 10 contract could potentially be converted to a two-way deal, but if he’s waived by the Cavs before the 2023/24 season starts, he’ll be eligible for a bonus worth up to $75K if he spends at least 60 days with the Cleveland Charge, the team’s G League affiliate.

Cavs Exercising Lamar Stevens’ 2023/24 Team Option

June 23rd, 2023 at 9:36am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers are picking up their minimum-salary team option on forward Lamar Stevens for the 2023/24 season, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The option will pay Stevens a $1,930,681 salary for next season, though he’s still not necessarily assured of that full amount. His salary will remain non-guaranteed until January 10 even after Cleveland exercises the option, so the club could go in a different direction later in the offseason – or early in the regular season – and avoid being on the hook for his entire cap hit.

Still, Stevens looks like a good value at that price, so it would be a surprise if he’s cut. The 6’6″ wing appeared in 62 games for the Cavs last season, starting 25 of them and averaging 18.1 minutes per night. He recorded 5.3 PPG and 3.3 RPG on .448/.316/.702 shooting and was one of the team’s most reliable perimeter defenders.

While most team option decisions are due on June 29, today is the deadline to make a call on Stevens, which is why it was reported early.

Stevens is now on track to reach unrestricted free agency in 2024, assuming he doesn’t sign an extension before then.

Craig Porter Jr. Joining Cavaliers On Two-Way Deal

June 23rd, 2023 at 1:03am CST by Arthur Hill

Craig Porter Jr. has reached an agreement with the Cavaliers on a two-way contract, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

The Wichita State point guard conducted workouts with at least 10 teams and had been considered a possible late second-round pick. Instead, he will try to earn a roster spot with Cleveland through the two-way route.

Porter, 23, is a fifth-year senior who played three seasons with the Shockers after transferring from Vincennes. He had by far his best season in 2022/23, averaging 13.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 31 games and earning third-team All-AAC honors.

Mamadi Diakite and Isaiah Mobley finished this season as Cleveland’s two-way players. Mobley will likely return for another season on a two-way contract, and the Cavs may sign second-round pick Emoni Bates to a two-way deal with the intent of keeping him in the G League for most of his first season, Fedor adds in a full story.

Trade Rumors: Siakam, J. Allen, Mavs, Suggs, Suns

June 22nd, 2023 at 4:56pm CST by Luke Adams

There’s a “growing sentiment” that Pascal Siakam wouldn’t re-sign with a team that trades for him, according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT (Twitter link), who reports that the forward’s preference is to remain with the Raptors for the long term.

Siakam will be entering a contract year in 2023/24, so a club that gives up a significant package to acquire him would probably want assurances that he’d be willing to stick around for more than one season, even if he doesn’t agree to an extension right away.

It’s worth noting that Siakam would qualify for a super-max contract – worth 35% of the cap instead of 30% – if he makes an All-NBA team in 2024, but would become ineligible for the super-max if he’s traded. That’s not to say that his reported desire to remain in Toronto isn’t genuine, but he’d also have contract-related reasons to want to stay put. Either way, his apparent stance figures to reduce his trade value for the Raptors.

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

The Cavaliers are receiving trade inquiries and offers for center Jarrett Allen, but have rebuffed those overtures, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who reports that the Mavericks are among the teams that have reached out to Cleveland about Allen. As Fedor notes (via Twitter), the Cavs are scouring the trade market for a two-way wing and don’t have a ton of assets to offer for one without including a core player like Allen, but they don’t appear inclined to go that route at this point.
The Lakers would be among the teams with interest in Magic guard Jalen Suggs if the team were to make him available, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. There’s no indication that Orlando is considering moving Suggs, but if the club drafts a guard or two in the lottery tonight, its backcourt would be getting a little crowded.
The Suns had the option of trading Chris Paul to the Warriors for a Jordan Poole-centric package like the one the Wizards received, says John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link). However, according to Gambadoro, Phoenix determined that Bradley Beal was a better fit for what the club wanted.
Deandre Ayton isn’t a lock to open the 2023/24 season in Phoenix, but new Suns head coach Frank Vogel “loves” the young Suns center, who reminds him of a more skilled Roy Hibbert, according to Gambadoro (Twitter link). Vogel’s fondness for Ayton is a factor in favor of him sticking with the Suns, Gambadoro adds.

Sixers Rumors: Harris, Harden, Harrell, Centers

June 22nd, 2023 at 7:53am CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons, Cavaliers, and Pacers are among the teams that have inquired about Sixers forward Tobias Harris, with Indiana showing the most interest, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. However, a source tells Pompey that a draft-night trade involving Harris is unlikely.

As Pompey explains, a separate source said the Sixers will likely only make a deal involving Harris if they get an offer that’s “hard to pass up.” Pompey has heard that teams around the NBA believe Philadelphia is overvaluing the veteran and is seeking “outrageous” packages in return for him.

Harris’ outsized contract has long made him a tricky piece to move in a trade, but he’s entering the final year of that deal in 2023/24. His $39MM+ expiring salary could appeal to teams looking to create cap flexibility beginning in 2024.

According to Pompey though, the Sixers view Harris as a good fit with new head coach Nick Nurse. If they keep him through this offseason, they could explore trading him at the 2024 deadline or could even try to re-sign him at a lower price next summer.

Here’s more on the 76ers:

It seemed earlier this year that the consensus among rival executives was that James Harden would leave Philadelphia for Houston. That consensus no longer seems to exist, ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on a recent episode of The Lowe Post podcast. “The brakes have now been pumped, like slammed on, around the league to the point that I bet if you poll 50 front office executives, the majority of them would guess he’s going back to Philly,” Lowe said, per RealGM. According to Pompey, the Sixers don’t want to compromise their future by overpaying Harden on a long-term deal, but the Rockets also have reservations about committing huge money to him.
The Sixers face two significantly different paths this offseason depending on whether Harden decides to stay or go, Pompey writes in a separate story for The Inquirer, exploring how the former MVP’s decision will affect the organization in the short and long term.
Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com explores the impact of Montrezl Harrell‘s decision to turn down his player option for the 2023/24 season. While Neubeck believes a separation is in both sides’ best interests, he notes that the Sixers will need to address the backup center behind Joel Embiid, with Harrell expected to depart and Paul Reed headed for restricted free agency.
In case you missed it, the 76ers are reportedly attempting to acquire a second-round pick in Thursday’s draft.

Draft Notes: Nuggets, Appleby, Wembanyama, Tshiebwe, Dick, Clippers

June 19th, 2023 at 10:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nuggets agreed to a draft-pick trade with the Thunder during the Finals, acquiring this year’s No. 37 selection, the least favorable of the Thunder’s 2024 first-round picks, and a 2024 second-rounder in exchange for a 2029 first-round pick. They are continuing to look to add a first-round pick in this year’s draft, Mike Singer of the Denver Post tweets, using the 2024 first-round pick they received from Oklahoma City as bait.

With salary-cap concerns, Denver is trying to add low-cost options to round out its bench as it pursues a repeat. In another draft-related development, the Nuggets will work out Wake Forest point guard Tyree Appleby on Tuesday, Singer reports in another tweet.

We have more updates with the draft approaching on Thursday:

Victor Wembanyama, a mortal lock to be the first player off the board, has arrived in the United States from France, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press reports. He flew into Newark (N.J.) Airport on Monday. Wembanyama has a scheduled pre-draft media session on Wednesday before the Spurs officially secure his services on Thursday night.
Kentucky star forward Oscar Tshiebwe has been one of the busiest prospects over the past month. He’s finishing up his workout schedule by visiting the Cavaliers and Celtics, Adam Zagoria tweets. Tshiebwe’s visit with Boston’s brass will be his second there. He has worked out for approximately half the teams in the league.
Kansas wing Gradey Dick, who is projected to go in the second half in the lottery, told The Athletic’s Shams Charania that he will be a team player wherever he winds up (Twitter link). “I’m going to go into any organization, any city, and really just buy into the team. I’m the type of player where I honestly don’t care what my role is,” Dick said.
The Clippers’ staff had a busy Monday, evaluating 10 prospects in two separate workouts, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times tweets. The visitors included Tyger Campbell (UCLA), Mouhamed Gueye (Washington State) Seth Lundy (Penn State), Nathan Mensah (San Diego State), Mike Miles (TCU), Omari Moore, (San Jose State), Julian Phillips (Tennessee), Ben Sheppard (Belmont), Grant Sherfield (Oklahoma) and Jordan Walsh (Arkansas).

Draft Rumors: Cavs, Pacers, Jazz, Warriors, Suns, Bucks

June 16th, 2023 at 3:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers currently only hold a second-round pick (No. 49) in the 2023 NBA draft, but they’ve been exploring ways they might be able to move into the first round, reports Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Sources tell Fedor that the Cavs have an “organizational desire” to trade up in the draft and have made calls to teams in the 20-30 range to determine what it would cost to move up.

As Fedor explains, there’s a belief that there will be some older prospects available in that range who might be ready to claim NBA rotation roles as rookies. Several of those players are wings, which would appeal to a Cleveland team that has been on the lookout for help at that spot for the last year. Fedor identifies UCLA’s Jaime Jaquez as one of several prospects who could intrigue the Cavaliers.

It may be tricky for the Cavaliers to put together a package capable of getting them into the first round, however. They dealt several future first-rounders away in last year’s Donovan Mitchell blockbuster and would probably only be able to offer second-rounders along with a player or two. Lamar Stevens, Cedi Osman, Dean Wade, and Ricky Rubio are among the Cavs players who could be moved, Fedor writes, but none of them are likely to have substantial value on the trade market.

Here are a few more draft-related rumors from around the league:

The Pacers and Jazz are among the teams with multiple first-round picks who are worth keeping an eye on as the draft nears, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. According to Fischer, rival teams continue to mention that Indiana is interest in packaging some combination of No. 26, No. 29, and No. 32 in order to move up. Utah has talked to teams about various trade scenarios involving the No. 9, No. 16, and No. 28 picks, Fischer adds.
Sources who spoke to Sam Vecenie of The Athletic believe the Warriors may be focused on landing an older, more experienced prospect at No. 19 after getting mixed results when investing in young lottery picks in recent years. Meanwhile, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer has heard that Golden State have some interest in trading down from No. 19 or out of the draft entirely.
Sources around the NBA have named the Suns and Bucks – in addition to the Cavaliers – as teams interested in trading up into the late-20s or early-30s to draft an NBA-ready player, Vecenie writes for The Athletic. Phoenix and Milwaukee would have to move up even further than Cleveland — their second-round picks are at No. 52 and No. 58, respectively.

Ricky Rubio Talks About Winding Down NBA Career

June 11th, 2023 at 10:30am CST by Arthur Hill

In a TV interview during the Spanish ACB semifinals, Cavaliers guard Ricky Rubio was asked about recent comments that he hopes to finish his career in Europe, according to a Eurohoops report. “The idea when I left Europe to play in the NBA was to come back at some point,” said Rubio, who’s expected to represent Spain in the FIBA World Cup this summer. “I don’t know where I will be mentally and physically and if I will continue to play, but yes, my NBA days are coming to an end!”