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Stein’s Latest: Porzingis, Jazz, Hawks, Mavs, Pistons, Johnson

June 24th, 2023 at 1:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Rival teams were “convinced” the Jazz were going to make a run at Kristaps Porzingis in free agency if he had declined his $36MM player option, Marc Stein writes at Substack. As Stein details, the threat of losing Porzingis for nothing may have motivated the Wizards to find compensation for him before his opt-out deadline. They found a way to send him to his preferred destination — the Celtics — despite an initial roadblock after the Clippers had concerns over Malcolm Brogdon‘s health.

The Celtics are “strongly expected” to sign Porzingis to a contract extension this offseason, Stein adds.

Here’s more from Stein:

The Hawks and Mavericks, who held frequent talks about deals involving the 10th and 15th overall picks leading up to the draft, couldn’t find common ground because Atlanta wanted to include John Collins in a proposed deal, while Dallas preferred Clint Capela. According to Stein, the Hawks told the Mavs they’d move No. 15 and Capela for No. 10 and Davis Bertans if Josh Green was also included in the package, but Dallas didn’t go for it.
The Hawks remain active in trade talks and appear most motivated to move Collins, but Capela and De’Andre Hunter are drawing more interest, per Stein. The Hawks, who have been trying and failing – so far – to convince the Raptors to part with Pascal Siakam, had talks with the Pistons and Pacers prior to the draft about deals involving Hunter and the Nos. 5 and 7 picks.
With the additional flexibility they created by dumping Bertans’ salary, the Mavericks are in a better position to use their mid-level exception to pursue a wing, according to Stein, who names Bruce Brown as a possible Dallas free agent target.
Having previously reported that the Pistons are expected to be as suitor for Cameron Johnson in free agency, Stein says the Nets RFA forward continues to be cited by league sources as an “increasingly likely” target for Detroit. The Pistons will have the cap space necessary to put pressure on Brooklyn with a substantial offer sheet if they so choose.

Rory Maher contributed to this story.

Pacers To Sign Oscar Tshiebwe To Two-Way Deal

June 23rd, 2023 at 3:08pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Pacers will ink undrafted Kentucky big man Oscar Tshiebwe to a two-way deal, sources inform Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter).

The 6’9″ power forward/center was a consensus All-American Second Teamer with the Wildcats in 2023, but a consensus All-American First Teamer in 2022, probably his best college season.

That junior year in 2021/22, his first with Kentucky after spending his first two college seasons with West Virginia, Tshiebwe won the Kareem Abdul Jabbar Center of the Year Award and the Pete Newell Big Man Award. He was also named the SEC Player of the Year, an SEC All-Defensive Teamer, and the National College Player of the Year by a variety of organizations.

He was twice the NCAA’s rebounds leader, averaging 15.1 RPG in 2022 and 13.7 RPG in 2023, and a two-time All-SEC selection during his final two college seasons.

The 23-year-old averaged 16.5 PPG, the aforementioned 13.7 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.6 SPG, and 1.0 BPG across 32 contests in 2022/23.

Indiana also added several new young players during this week’s draft. The club acquired Houston forward Jarace Walker in the lottery and Belmont forward Ben Sheppard later in the first round. The Pacers then added G League Ignite guard Mojave King and Miami guard Isaiah Wong in the second round.

Fischer’s Latest: Hunter, Pistons, Collins, Jazz, Poole, Herro

June 23rd, 2023 at 12:28pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks didn’t end up making any major moves on draft day, but they continue to explore potential trade options around the league, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

According to Fischer, in addition to having talked to Indiana about a possible deal involving forward De’Andre Hunter, the Hawks also had “significant” discussions with the Pistons about a trade that would have sent the 25-year-old to Detroit.

Hunter isn’t the only Hawks forward whose name is popping up in trade talks this week. Fischer says Atlanta has also been active on the John Collins front, re-engaging the Jazz in conversations about the big man who has been consistently mentioned in trade rumors for multiple years. However, it doesn’t sound like the two sides gained serious traction in those negotiations.

Here’s more from Fischer’s post-draft report for Yahoo Sports:

Before agreeing to trade Jordan Poole to Washington, the Warriors also talked to the Celtics and Spurs about him, writes Fischer. Boston moved forward with its Kristaps Porzingis deal instead, while San Antonio “never made a significant offer” for Poole, according to Fischer, who adds that Golden State also had “serious” talks with the Pacers about a deal involving the No. 7 overall pick and Jonathan Kuminga.
Given that the Wizards were making it in a point in most of their trade discussions not to take back any long-term money, some opposing executives have wondered if they intend to flip Poole to another team, says Fischer. However, sources tell Yahoo Sports that the Warriors are under the impression that Washington plans to keep the high-scoring guard.
Golden State’s trade of Poole has increased speculation among rival executives that the Heat may take a similar path and look to deal Tyler Herro sooner rather than later, per Fischer. Herro didn’t play a role in Miami’s run to the NBA Finals this spring due to a hand injury, and his four-year $120MM+ contract is very similar to Poole’s.
People around the NBA think there may be some “atypical” trade activity before the start of free agency, according to Fischer. The new CBA will take effect in July, so teams may want to take advantage of certain old rules – like the ability of tax-apron teams to take back up to 125% of the salaries they send out in trades – before they expire.

Nuggets, Thunder, Pacers, Lakers Fold Draft-Pick Deals Into Four-Team Trade

June 23rd, 2023 at 1:59am CST by Luke Adams

Three separate draft-pick trades have been officially completed and have been turned into a single four-team deal, according to press releases from the Nuggets, Thunder, and Lakers. The reported terms are as follows:

Nuggets acquire the draft rights to Julian Strawther (No. 29 pick; from Pacers), the draft rights to Jalen Pickett (No. 32 pick; from Pacers), the draft rights to Hunter Tyson (No. 37 pick; from Thunder), and the least favorable of the Timberwolves’ and Hornets’ 2024 second-round picks (from Thunder).
Thunder acquire the Nuggets’ 2029 first-round pick (protected; from Nuggets).
Pacers acquire the least favorable of the Thunder’s, Clippers’, Rockets’ (top-four protected), and Jazz’s (top-10 protected) 2024 first-round picks (from Thunder); the draft rights to Mojave King (No. 47 pick; from Lakers); and cash (approximately $4.3MM; from Lakers).
Lakers acquire the draft rights to Maxwell Lewis (No. 40 pick; from Nuggets).

The Nuggets and Thunder reached the first of these trade agreements two weeks ago, followed by the Nuggets and Pacers agreeing to a deal on Wednesday that included one of the picks Denver had received from Oklahoma City. Indiana subsequently flipped one of the picks it got from the Nuggets to the Lakers in a third agreement on Thursday.

Each team involved in this four-way swap is “touching” at least two other clubs in the deal, so no additional pieces needed to be added to make it legal.

Wizards Trading Up To No. 7, Drafting Bilal Coulibaly

June 22nd, 2023 at 7:49pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Wizards have agreed to a trade with the Pacers, moving up in the draft one spot from No. 8 to No. 7 in order to select French forward Bilal Coulibaly, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

According to Charania (via Twitter), Washington is sending two second-round draft picks to Indiana in the deal. Per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link), those two picks are 2028 second-rounders: the Wizards’ own and an incoming pick from the Suns acquired in their Bradley Beal trade.

Jeremy Woo of ESPN tweets that the Wizards opted to move up to ensure they were able to draft Coulibaly before another club could select him, noting that the Jazz had grown intrigued by the swingman recently.

The 6’8″ small forward was a teammate of this year’s top pick, now-Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama, on Metropolitans 92 this past season. A raw, athletic swingman, Coulibaly averaged 10.0 PPG on a .532/.452/.595 slash line, in addition to 6.1 RPG, 1.6 APG and 1.5 SPG.

Per Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington, Coulibaly’s solid playoff performance alongside Wembanyama helped him move up teams’ internal pre-draft rankings. Hughes adds that he is considered a multifaceted defender, and his 7’3″ wingspan allows him to be effective on and off the ball.

Washington has been incredibly active this week, agreeing to trade away Beal, Kristaps Porzingis, and Chris Paul for younger pieces and future draft picks.

The Pacers are using the No. 8 pick to select Houston forward Jarace Walker.

Luke Adams contributed to this report.

Lakers, Pacers Swapping Second-Round Picks

June 22nd, 2023 at 11:55am CST by Rory Maher

The Lakers are trading the 47th pick and cash to the Pacers in exchange for the 40th pick in tonight’s draft, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star confirms the news (via Twitter).

As Wojnarowski tweets, the Lakers now control the Nos. 17 and 40 picks, while the Pacers control Nos. 7, 26, 47 and 55. It’s Indiana’s second trade ahead of the draft — the team previously reached a previous agreement with the Nuggets.

The Lakers sent out $2MM in cash at the trade deadline as part of the deal for Mohamed Bamba, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter), so they could send the Pacers up to $4,363,000 as part of the agreement.

A source tells Dopirak that Indiana will receive $4.3MM in cash from L.A., so it appears the Lakers have temporarily reached their cash limit (Twitter link). The cash allotment will be reset when the new league year begins July 1, Marks adds.

Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files hears the Pacers are “very active” on the trade market in search of a veteran wing, holding conversations with multiple teams (Twitter link). Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported similarly earlier today, with Indiana coming close to acquiring De’Andre Hunter from the Hawks before talks fell apart.

The Sixers might target the No. 47 pick if the Pacers aren’t able to make a consolidation trade, tweets Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com. The Sixers don’t currently own a pick, but have been looking to buy a second-rounder.

Hawks, Pacers Active On Trade Market As De’Andre Hunter Deal Breaks Down

June 22nd, 2023 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Hawks are working to shake up their roster, but a potential deal with the Pacers appears to have fallen apart after the teams were moving toward an agreement Tuesday night, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

Atlanta would have sent De’Andre Hunter to Indiana in the proposed trade, sources tell Fischer. Although more details on the deal aren’t available, the Hawks reportedly want to move into the top 10 in the draft. Sources tell Fischer that the Pacers weren’t willing to part with the No. 7 pick to acquire Hunter.

Fischer adds that Indiana is in the market for a starting forward, and he hears that the team has reached out to the Warriors about Jonathan Kuminga. He adds that the Pacers may wait until free agency and target players such as Harrison Barnes, Kyle Kuzma and Grant Williams.

The Hawks are among the league’s most active teams in pre-draft trade talks, according to Fischer. He states that Hunter appears to be involved in most of the deals, but John Collins, Dejounte Murray and Clint Capela could be available as well.

Sources tell Fischer that Dallas might be open to trading the No. 10 pick in a package involving Atlanta’s No. 15 selection, depending on who’s still left on the board. Fischer hears that the Mavericks‘ willingness to move down may change if Cam Whitmore or Taylor Hendricks is still available.

The Hawks made several offers to the Raptors for Pascal Siakam, including at least one three-team deal, sources tell Fischer. Rival teams believe Toronto’s high asking price is the biggest impediment to a deal for either Siakam or OG Anunoby.

The Raptors seem to be considering moves both up and down the draft board, Fischer adds. He hears from sources that Toronto, which holds the No. 13 pick, has talked to the Magic about No. 11, the Warriors about No. 19 and the Nets, who have Nos. 21 and 22.

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 Rumors: Miller, Hornets, Blazers, Pacers, Magic, More

June 21st, 2023 at 8:44pm CST by Rory Maher

The Hornets appear to be leaning toward selecting Alabama’s Brandon Miller with the second overall pick in tomorrow night’s draft, according to reports from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link via ClutchPoints), Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link), Jeremy Woo of ESPN (Insider link) and Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

Wojnarowski, Givony, and Woo have all heard from sources who say Miller performed much better in his second workout on Monday in front of Hornets brass, including owner Michael Jordan. Wojnarowski goes so far as to say Miller “further solidified his standing as Charlotte’s choice at No. 2.”

For his part, Miller said in a SiriusXM NBA Radio interview (Twitter video link) that he didn’t feel intimidated by working out in front of Jordan, noting that he didn’t grow up watching the Hall of Famer. He also said he had a “fun time” exchanging verbal jabs with Jordan.

Here are more rumors on the draft, which is less than 24 hours away:

It would take a “significant return” for the Trail Blazers to part with the No. 3 pick in a draft that many view as having a consensus top-three prospects, but they’ll continue to listen to offers up until it’s time to make a selection, Wojnarowski said on ESPN’s NBA Today (YouTube link). “Certainly, they want to build around Damian Lillard, Wojnarowski said, per RealGM. “That’s been their focus. Damian Lillard says he wants to continue to be in Portland. So I think they’ll go right up to the clock on Thursday night. Offers and outreach from teams tend to get more serious the closer you get to the deadline…Portland may not have gotten the best offers that will come to them, but they will here in the next 24 hours or so. This is a significant decision for this organization, for Damian Lillard’s future in Portland.” If Miller gets picked No. 2, the Blazers would almost certainly select Scoot Henderson, Woj added.
Fischer confirms a recent report that the Spurs are inquiring about adding a second lottery pick and have been linked to French wing Bilal Coulibaly, who played with projected No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama on Metropolitans 92. Interestingly, sources tell Woo that Coulibaly hasn’t unilaterally granted access to his medical details, indicating he may have a preferred destination in mind.
Cam Whitmore‘s stock may be falling due to medical concerns, sources tell Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report, who has Whitmore going No. 9 to the Jazz in his latest mock draft. Whitmore had been viewed as an option for the Rockets (No. 4) or Pistons (No. 5).
Although Ausar Thompson canceled a workout with the Pacers (No. 7) last week, he still had a meeting with team officials, he told Fischer. Indiana sent a “select group” of personnel to Atlanta to meet with Thompson over the weekend, Fischer writes.
Anthony Black‘s camp “initially showed resistance” to the idea of working out for Orlando due to the Magic‘s guard depth, sources tell Fischer. However, he wound up leaving a strong impression on the team and now thinks he could be picked No. 6 overall, he told Fischer. If the Magic do pick a guard, they’ve given rivals the impression they’d consider trading Cole Anthony, who has a “great relationship” with the front office, or Jalen Suggs. “They didn’t tell me that,” Black said, “but that’s what I figured they’d do if they picked me.”
The Lakers have been exploring all kinds of options with their first-round pick (No. 17), including possibly moving up a few slots, Fischer writes. Keyonte George could be a target — the guard has also been linked to the Raptors at No. 13, per Fischer.
According to Fischer, Jarace Walker believes he could go as high as No. 5 (Pistons), with a floor possibly being Indiana (No. 7); Taylor Hendricks believes he could go anywhere from No. 5 to No. 12 (Thunder); and Dereck Lively II has been told he could be picked anywhere from No. 10 (Dallas) to No. 20 (Houston).

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.