Golden State Warriors Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draymond Green To Decline Player Option

June 19th, 2023 at 11:15am CST by Arthur Hill

Warriors forward Draymond Green will decline his $27.5MM player option and test the free agent market, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The decision was confirmed by Green’s agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, Charania adds.

“We will continue to talk to Golden State and explore all options,” Paul told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

The Warriors remain hopeful of signing Green to a new contact, according to Woj, who notes that Green will explore sign-and-trade possibilities as well as opportunities to sign with other teams.

Green, 33, has been Golden State’s fiery leader throughout the past decade, which has included four NBA titles and two additional trips to the Finals. He was the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2017 and was named to an All-Defensive team eight times, including this season.

Green’s versatility on offense has also played a role in the Warriors’ dynasty as he has consistently been among the NBA’s best passing big men. He averaged 8.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.8 assists this season while appearing in 73 games.

Green’s time with the Warriors has also featured controversy, with none greater than the punch he threw at Jordan Poole during training camp. That incident was believed to be at least partially motivated by the players’ contract status, with Poole in line for an extension and Green not expected at the time to receive an extension offer.

There has been speculation that Green’s future with the organization might be affected by the loss of general manager Bob Myers, who announced his resignation at the end of May. While the Warriors prefer to keep their championship core intact, Green is now in position to break it up this summer.

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.

Bob Myers Prepared Mike Dunleavy Jr. To Take Over As GM

June 17th, 2023 at 9:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

New general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. was brought to the Warriors‘ management team by his former agent, Bob Myers, shortly after he retired as a player, notes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Myers hired Dunleavy as a scout in 2018, and he worked his way up through the organization. He has been taking on more of Myers’ duties over the past two years, including attending the league’s gatherings of general managers.

Jama Mahlalela Leaves Warriors To Return To Raptors

June 17th, 2023 at 10:35am CST by Luke Adams

Pat Delany and Jama Mahlalela will be the top assistants on Darko Rajakovic‘s new staff with the Raptors, reports Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Delany is an experienced assistant who has worked for Charlotte, Orlando, and – most recently – the Wizards. Mahlalela is returning to Toronto after spending eight seasons with the Raptors from 2013-21 (six as an assistant and two as the Raptors 905 head coach). He was an assistant with the Warriors from 2021-23.

Spears: Draymond Green Expected To Decline Player Option

June 16th, 2023 at 9:35pm CST by Rory Maher

Warriors forward Draymond Green is expected to decline his $27,586,224 player option for 2023/24 and enter unrestricted free agency, Marc J. Spears of ESPN reported on NBA Today (video link).

“I’m told that (new general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr.) has already met with Steph Curry and Draymond Green. The Warriors expect Draymond Green to opt out of the final year of his contract, I’m being told, but … the Warriors are going to do everything in their power, if he does as expected, to bring him back,” Spears said.

The television segment was centered on the impact of Dunleavy’s promotion ahead of a critical offseason. Spears hears it’s been a “smooth transition” thus far, citing the executive’s “strong relationship” with head coach Steve Kerr and his long NBA history as a former player. Spears added that the Warriors are fielding trade calls for Jonathan Kuminga and Jordan Poole.

The 2016/17 Defensive Player of the Year, Green is arguably the best defender of his generation, earning All-Defensive nods in eight of the past nine seasons, including ’22/23. He has been a critical member of Golden State’s dynastic run over that span, winning four championships to go along with four All-Star berths and two All-NBA selections.

That’s not to say Green’s time with the Warriors has been without controversy. He’s often among the league leaders in technical fouls, punched Poole before training camp started last fall, and was suspended for one game in the playoffs after an incident with Kings center Domantas Sabonis, among other prior transgressions.

The 33-year-old averaged 8.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 6.8 APG, 1.0 SPG and 0.8 BPG on .527/.307/.713 shooting in 73 regular season games (31.5 MPG) this past season. The Warriors won the title in 2022, but lost their second-round playoff series against the Lakers last month.

Green has spent his entire 11-year career with Golden State, the team that selected him 35th overall in 2012. He will become one of the top names on the open market if he does indeed decline the option.

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.

Warriors Promote Mike Dunleavy Jr. To General Manager

June 16th, 2023 at 9:35am CST by Luke Adams

9:35am: The Warriors have made Dunleavy’s promotion official, issuing a press release to announce the move.

“We think Mike is the perfect fit to lead our basketball operations department,” Joe Lacob said in a statement. “He has a wealth of basketball knowledge, stemming from his family upbringing, a 15-year NBA playing career and five seasons serving under Bob Myers in our front office. He’s young and energetic, has established numerous relationships around the league and communicates well with players and coaches—all important traits in this business. Mike’s ready for this challenge and responsibility.”

8:12am: Warriors executive Mike Dunleavy Jr. has reached an agreement to become the team’s new general manager, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Dunleavy’s previous title had been vice president of basketball operations, but he’ll receive a promotion following Bob Myers‘ exit from Golden State. Myers had been the Warriors’ longtime GM and president of basketball operations.

Dunleavy, who was close with Myers and has been one of the top lieutenants in the Warriors’ front office in recent years, was repeatedly identified by reporters as the frontrunner to become the club’s new head of basketball operations if the job opened up.

Following Myers’ departure, team owner Joe Lacob told reporters that he wasn’t yet ready to name a replacement, but his talks with Dunleavy’s agents at Excel Sports Management concluded on Thursday with a new long-term deal for the former NBA forward, sources tell ESPN.

The son of former NBA player and coach Mike Dunleavy Sr., Dunleavy Jr. won a national championship at Duke in 2001 and was drafted third overall in 2002 by the Warriors. He played in nearly 1,000 regular season games from 2002-17 for six teams before transitioning into a non-playing role with his original NBA club.

Originally hired by Golden State as a scout in 2018, Dunleavy was promoted to assistant GM in 2019 and was further elevated to VP of basketball operations in 2021.

Although it’s not clear whether he’ll also receive a formal promotion, Joe Lacob’s son Kirk Lacob is also expected to take on a larger decision-making role for the Warriors going forward, Wojnarowski writes. Kirk’s current title is executive VP of basketball operations.

Pacific Notes: Paul, St. Jean, Lakers, Warriors

June 15th, 2023 at 8:43pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Suns point guard Chris Paul, a 12-time All-Star, is hoping to stick around in Phoenix for the 2023/24 season, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic .

Paul is owed $30.8MM for the 2023/24 season, but only $15.8MM of that money is fully guaranteed, and the club is reportedly weighing its various options with regard to his future. A decision will likely have to be made by June 28, which is when the rest of the 38-year-old’s salary will become guaranteed.

“Absolutely (I want to stay in Phoenix),” Paul said. “I’ve talked with my family, we’ve had conversations about what could be, what might be… I’ve talked with my agent. Talked to my brother.”

There’s more out of the Pacific Division:

New Suns head coach Frank Vogel will be adding another familiar face as he continues to round out his bench in Phoenix. Sources inform Marc Stein (Twitter link) that former Mavericks assistant coach Greg St. Jean is set to join the team. St. Jean also served under Vogel with the Lakers.
The Lakers, who possess two picks in this year’s draft, held another pre-draft workout on Wednesday. Dave McMenamin of ESPN (via Twitter) reveals that San Diego State guard Adam Seiko, Miami combo guard Isaiah Wong, Florida forward Alex Fudge, Akron guard Xavier Castaneda, G League Ignite shooting guard Mojave King, and Memphis small forward Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu auditioned for L.A. brass yesterday.
The PR team of the Warriors has been honored with the Professional Basketball Writers Association’s 2022/23 Brian McIntyre Media Relations Award, the PBWA announced in a press statement (Twitter link). The PBWA notes that the media relations staffs of the Hawks, Heat, Mavericks and Pistons comprised the other finalists under consideration this year.

Latest On Wizards, Bradley Beal

June 15th, 2023 at 3:23pm CST by Rory Maher

Although new Wizards president Michael Winger has publicly said he’s still undecided on whether or not he’s going to reshape the roster this offseason and recent reports have echoed that same sentiment, rival teams believe it’s practically a foregone conclusion that Bradley Beal will eventually be traded, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack article.

The primary obstacle in a potential deal is Beal’s full no-trade clause — he’s the only active player in the league with that provision in his contract. Not only would Beal have to approve a trade, but the no-trade clause — and the nearly $208MM he’s owed over the next four seasons — would carry over to his new team as well, which complicates matters for both the Wizards and any interested suitors. He has also been limited by injuries the past two seasons, appearing in 90 of a possible 164 games.

Both Stein and Fred Katz of The Athletic have heard that the Heat would be at the top of Beal’s list of preferred landing spots. Stein says Miami is “widely regarded” as the frontrunner to acquire the three-time All-Star.

Sources tell Katz that the Warriors and Knicks, to varying degrees, are teams that have been interested Beal in the past. According to Katz, the Knicks have made it known they would reciprocate that interest if Beal were made available.

The Kings have discussed a Beal trade with the Wizards, and he’s believed to be open to joining Sacramento, sources tell Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic (Twitter link). However, as of now, nothing seems imminent on that front.

Here’s more on the Wizards and Beal:

The Wizards are believed to be prioritizing financial relief and draft capital in a return package for Beal, according to Stein, but that doesn’t mean that will come to fruition. As Stein observes, since Beal can reject any trade proposal, he has a significant amount of power to impact the terms of a deal.
Washington’s previous front office regime unsuccessfully tried to reacquire the 2024 protected first-round pick it owes New York, sources tell Katz. That pick would hold more value to the Wizards in the event of a rebuild, Katz observes, which may work to the Knicks’ advantage if they pursue Beal.
Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports confirms previous reports that the Celtics and Sixers do not plan to pursue Beal, despite being linked to the veteran guard in the past. The Sixers also aren’t expected to go after Fred VanVleet if James Harden walks in free agency, Fischer adds.
In what figures to be an eventual offseason for the Wizards, both Stein and Fischer have heard that big man Kristaps Porzingis is still contemplating whether or not to exercise his $36MM player option for 2023/24. The 27-year-old would become an unrestricted free agent if he doesn’t pick up the option, with his decision deadline set for June 21.

Timberwolves Notes: Towns, Gobert, Christon

June 14th, 2023 at 7:35pm CST by Arthur Hill

Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns addressed trade speculation during an appearance on a podcast with former teammate Patrick Beverley.

“Future-wise, I see everyone is trying to sell my house but me,” Towns joked, which Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic explained is a reference to an erroneous report that Towns put his home on the market (Twitter link).

“I’m gonna keep it simple like this,” Towns added. “The rumors are as true or as false as Minnesota makes them to be.”

Trade rumors regarding Towns stem from his super-max extension, which will begin in the 2024/25 season. The deal has an estimated value of $224MM over four years and will place a financial strain on a team that has already committed big money to Rudy Gobert over the next three seasons and will likely be giving a hefty extension to Anthony Edwards this summer.

A recent story by Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report states that many rival executives believe Minnesota will trade Towns before the extension kicks in, with some speculating that the team will “jump at an opportunity” if one arises in the next few weeks.

There’s more on the Timberwolves:

Towns also told Beverley that when he retires, “There’s gonna be people who are gonna say that I changed the game,” referring to his unique outside shooting ability for a big man. That prompted a Twitter response from Warriors forward Draymond Green, who wrote, “Aye @patbev21, when people come on yo show they change the game!!l?!? I’m looking forward to it man.”
Gobert sent out a tweet congratulating the Nuggets after they wrapped up their first championship Monday night, but some people are interpreting it as a slight to the Jazz, per Chris Hine of The Star-Tribune. “Happy for the Nuggets, beautiful Team basketball all year around,” Gobert wrote. “Failed over and over in the previous years, didn’t quit on their guys. And Nikola Jokic will finally get the respect he deserves!” Utah traded away Gobert and Donovan Mitchell last summer after several years of its own playoff frustration.
Former Thunder player Semaj Christon has parted ways with his European team and will join Minnesota for an upcoming free agent mini-camp, according to Cesare Milanti of Eurohoops. The 30-year-old point guard averaged 15.7 PPG this season with Derthona Basket in Italy. He played 64 games for Oklahoma City during the 2016/17 season.