- Josh Okogie‘s busy workout schedule includes visits to the Suns, Jazz, Clippers, and Pacers, with possible returns to the Lakers and Celtics also possible, tweets Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com. Okogie is considered a potential first-round pick.
Texas A&M center Robert Williams, who previously worked out for the Bulls, Hornets, and Knicks, continues to earn looks from teams picking in the top half of the first round. According to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News (Twitter link), Williams still has workouts on tap with the Clippers, Nuggets, Wizards, who hold the picks from 12 through 15.
- Gyorgy Goloman (UCLA), Doral Moore (Wake Forest), and Matt Farrell (Notre Dame) will participate in today’s Clippers workout headlined by previously-reported participants Miles Bridges, Kevin Knox, and Aaron Holiday. The team’s official list of Wednesday’s workout participants doesn’t include Mitchell Robinson, who was expected to be part of the group.
As previously reported this weekend, the Knicks, who have long been noted to have significant interest in Michael Porter Jr. and hold the No. 9 overall selection in this month’s NBA Draft, will send “top-level” officials to Chicago this upcoming Friday for a workout with Porter.
Now, according to Ian Begley of ESPN, several teams with picks ahead of the Knicks (Suns, Kings, Hawks, Grizzlies, Mavericks, Magic, Bulls, and Cavaliers) have reached out to members of the Knicks’ organization to gauge the team’s interest in possibly trading up to draft Porter.
Per Begley, there is no indication that the Knicks have reached a consensus as to who they would pick at No. 9, but opposing teams are aware that certain members of the Knicks’ organization are big fans of Porter’s game.
In other Porter Jr. news, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer noted in his story that we reported on earlier today that the Clippers, who hold both the No. 12 and No. 13 picks in this month’s draft, are interested in possibly trading up for the chance to draft Porter or Luka Doncic.
The Clippers will bring in some first-round candidates for a pre-draft group workout on Wednesday, league sources tell Michael Scotto of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Scotto, Miles Bridges (Michigan State), Kevin Knox (Kentucky), Aaron Holiday (UCLA), and Mitchell Robinson will participate in the session.
The Clippers currently hold the 12th and 13th overall picks in the draft, presenting a number of potential opportunities and directions for the club. Bridges and Knox are viewed as two potential lottery picks who may still be on the board at No. 12, while Holiday and Robinson are ranked slightly lower on most big boards.
LeBron James would still like to finish his career in Cleveland, but the events of the past year have him wondering if he can ever win another title there, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN.
A second straight lopsided Finals is only part of the picture, Windhorst notes, as the past 12 months have seen the loss of GM David Griffin, the trade of Kyrie Irving, a health scare for coach Tyronn Lue and two extreme roster makeovers. Mental mistakes from teammates in the Finals, highlighted by J.R. Smith‘s error at the end of Game 1, led to James wonder this week, “How do you put together a group of talent but also a group of minds to be able to compete” with the Warriors.
Cleveland enters this summer with no cap room and a once-promising draft pick that landed in the middle of the lottery. The Celtics and Sixers both took huge steps forward this season and appear to be the powers in the Eastern Conference for years to come, presenting a significant obstacle for James to ever reach the Finals again if he stays in Cleveland.
On top of that, Windhorst notes, there’s a trust issue with owner Dan Gilbert and a limited relationship with GM Koby Altman, who is barley older than James. In theory, the Cavs have the advantage of being able to offer a longer and richer contract than anyone else — five years at more than $200MM. However, James hasn’t inked a deal longer than two years since returning to Cleveland and seems to prefer the power he holds with short-term arrangements.
There’s more on LeBron as free agent speculation heats up:
- Expect the Cavaliers to see what they can get for a package of Kevin Love and the No. 8 pick in an attempt to convince James to stay, reports ESPN’s Zach Lowe. The team passed on chances to deal Love at close to maximum value and will have a hard time obtaining even half of that at this point, Lowe adds.
- Matt Goul of Cleveland.com is running through several potential scenarios involving James and the team’s future. His first story involves James staying in Cleveland and the Cavs trying to improve by drafting a starter at No. 8 and adding a free agent with their $5.4MM mid-level exception. Goul identifies several unrestricted free agents 30 or younger who may be available at that price: Celtics center Greg Monroe, Nets center Jahlil Okafor, Suns center Alex Len, Mavericks center Nerlens Noel, Nuggets guard Will Barton and Grizzlies guard Tyreke Evans.
- Frank Urbina of Hoops Hype examines eight potential free agent destinations for James: the Clippers, Heat, Spurs, Warriors, Rockets, Lakers, Sixers and Celtics, as well as a potential future with the Cavaliers.
At this time last year, the Clippers still had Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan under contract, and were weighing the possibility of keeping that Big Three intact for the foreseeable future. Now, Paul is a Rocket, Griffin is a Piston, and Jordan’s future with the Clippers is very much in flux, given his pending player option decision.
A 10th-place finish in the Western Conference snapped the Clippers’ streak of six consecutive playoff appearances, a run that may very well have continued if Paul and Griffin had remained with the team. However, the franchise might be better off in the long run by not having its cap weighed down with lucrative, long-term contracts for a pair of injury-prone players who may be entering the tail end of their respective primes.
Here are five key questions facing the Clippers this summer:
1. Did the Griffin trade represent the start of a rebuild or just another path to contention?
In their trade that sent Griffin to Detroit, the Clippers acquired Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic, and Avery Bradley. Bradley is an unrestricted free agent this summer, while Harris and Marjanovic will each see their current contracts expire in 2019, so it’s possible that none of those players will become long-term pieces for the organization. If the Clippers want to drastically reshape their roster, letting Bradley walk and shopping Harris and Marjanovic in trade talks are viable possibilities.
However, there have been signs since that blockbuster deal with the Pistons that the Clippers don’t intend to tear it all down. An extension for Doc Rivers was perhaps the most obvious signal that the team is simply retooling, since Rivers has expressed distaste in the past for going through a rebuild. 31-year-old sixth man Lou Williams also got an extension, inking a new three-year, $24MM contract that will cut into the team’s projected cap room for the next summer.
If the Clippers really wanted to blow things up, they likely wouldn’t have stopped after moving Griffin. Jordan was another prime trade candidate, and one who likely could have netted the Clips another valuable draft pick if he’d been moved in February. Instead, the team held onto him, continuing to discuss the possibility of a longer-term extension.
The Clippers have some flexibility to go in a number of directions, but a full-fledged rebuild seems unlikely. This looks like a team that changed directions, but still wants to compete for the playoffs and focus on win-now moves rather than looking several years down the road.
2. Will everyone exercise their player options?
When their offseason began, the Clippers’ roster featured four veterans holding player options for the 2018/19 season. Wesley Johnson ($6.13MM) has already opted in, leaving Milos Teodosic ($6.3MM), Austin Rivers ($12.65MM), and Jordan ($24.12MM) with decisions to make.
Of the three, Rivers seems like the surest bet to pick up his option. Doc’s son has established himself as a solid defender, and was more productive than ever on offense last season (15.1 PPG, .378 3PT%), so his contract is hardly an albatross. Still, he signed during the free agent boom of 2016, and probably wouldn’t match his option salary if he opts out.
Teodosic and Jordan are trickier cases. Injuries slowed Teodosic during his first NBA season, but the longtime EuroLeague standout was effective when he played. He’s unlikely to secure much of a raise on his option salary, but he could look for a team where he’d have a clearer role. With Rivers, Williams, Patrick Beverley, and Jawun Evans set to return, and the possibility of the Clippers adding another guard in the draft, the club has no shortage of potential ball-handlers.
Meanwhile, Jordan’s decision will have the greatest impact on the Clippers’ offseason. In fact, his potential free agency deserves a question of its own…
The Nets, who currently hold the 29th, 40th, and 45th overall picks in the 2018 NBA draft, would like to move up into the teens if possible, league sources tell Michael Scotto of The Athletic.
Scotto identifies the Nuggets (No. 14), Wizards (No. 15), and Bucks (No. 17) as three teams picking in the middle of the first round who are currently in win-now mode, making them potential trade partners for Brooklyn. The Nets could dangle modestly-priced point guard Spencer Dinwiddie in trade talks, according to Scotto, who notes that veteran forward DeMarre Carroll may appeal to some teams too. Carroll played for new Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer in Atlanta.
Scotto suggests that the Nets would rather not compromise their 2019 cap flexibility, so if they take on any salary in a trade, they’d prefer expiring contracts. That could make them a match with the Denver or Washington — both teams will probably be looking to shed some salary this offseason and are carrying pricey veterans entering contract years.
According to Scotto, the Nets aren’t the only team mulling the possibility of a move up. As Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports reported earlier this week, the Clippers have weighed trading up in the lottery too.
Per Scotto, the Clips have made calls to multiple teams in the top 10 to inquire on how much it would cost to make a deal. In addition to holding the 12th and 13th overall picks, Los Angeles has some veterans entering contract years. Tobias Harris would be a particularly appealing trade chip if the team is willing to move him.
The Sixers are one more team to keep an eye on when it comes to draft-related trades, Scotto observes, pointing out that Philadelphia currently owns two first-round picks and four second-rounders. The club figures to move at least one or two of those selections, and may target draft-and-stash prospects with some others, says Scotto.
With DeAndre Jordan considering whether to turn down his 2018/19 player option and test free agency this summer, the Rockets are believed to be one of his preferred destinations, sources tell Kelly Iko of Rockets Wire.
One source tells Iko that Jordan spoke to several Rockets players throughout the 2017/18 season to express his interest in playing for his hometown team. The last time he hit free agency in 2015, Jordan agreed to play for the Mavericks, a team in his home state, before pulling out of the agreement to re-sign with the Clippers.
After a now-infamous postgame locker room altercation between Rockets and Clippers players in January, Jordan interacted with several Rockets players on their team bus to voice his frustration with Los Angeles, Iko’s source claimed. A few weeks later, Blake Griffin was shipped to Detroit as the Clippers shifted their strategy.
Jordan, 29, enjoyed a strong season with the Clippers, averaging 12.0 PPG and 15.2 RPG in 77 games. While those numbers are strong, the Rockets appear committed to 24-year-old restricted free agent Clint Capela at center. Team owner Tilman Fertitta has said that Houston will match any offer sheet extended to Capela, so unless the team has a change of heart, Jordan does not have a direct path to the Rockets.
While no trades are likely to be completed until closer to – or during – draft night, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports believes there could be a lot of movement in this year’s draft, with several teams looking to trade up or down. Appearing today on Chris Mannix’s podcast, Charania pointed specifically to the Clippers as a team that has weighed the possibility of moving up. With the Nos. 12 and 13 picks currently in hand, L.A. could put together an intriguing package, and they’ve looked “heavily” at Real Madrid star Luka Doncic, according to Charania.
Here are more highlights from Charania’s appearance on the Yahoo Sports NBA podcast:
- Addressing the Kawhi Leonard situation in San Antonio, Charania indicated that an extension or a trade are the probable outcomes for the star forward this summer — it’s unlikely that the Spurs would keep him for next season without a new deal in place. However, both sides are interested in mending fences and clearing up last season’s miscommunications. Leonard is also nearing 100% health and should be ready to go to start next season, Charania adds.
- In a look at the restricted free agent market, Charania identified Magic forward Aaron Gordon and Bulls guard Zach LaVine as two players who could command max or near-max deals and are unlikely to change teams. He also speculated that the Suns, Kings, and Pacers are among the clubs with cap room who could be fits for Celtics RFA Marcus Smart, and said that there seems to be mutual interest between the Mavericks and Julius Randle.
- Raptors guard Fred VanVleet and Bulls swingman David Nwaba are two under-the-radar restricted free agents in line for sizable raises, in Charania’s view. He expects both players to land deals worth more than $5MM, noting that Toronto may have to use its full Early Bird exception (approximately $8.5MM) to retain VanVleet.
- While outside observers around the NBA remain skeptical about the Thunder‘s chances of re-signing Paul George, Oklahoma City is still exuding confidence, according to both Charania and Mannix. Charania observes that George and Russell Westbrook have become “really close,” which could factor into the forward’s decision.
- Many people around the league don’t expect former Sixers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo to get another NBA job anytime soon, if at all, per Charania.
Miami guard Lonnie Walker IV, considered a potential lottery pick, had his first pre-draft workout on Sunday when he met with the Hornets, tweets Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. According to Bonnell, Walker indicated that he’ll audition for about six more teams, all of whom are picking in the 10-to-20 range in this month’s draft.
Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com has Walker going to the Clippers at No. 13 in his most recent mock draft, noting that the former Hurricane is a candidate to increase his stock during the pre-draft process due to his ” youth, strong frame, wingspan, and ability to shoot with his feet set or off the dribble.”
Here are more updates on pre-draft workouts, including another note on the Clippers:
- The Clippers are hosting six prospects for a workout today, with De’Anthony Melton (USC), Drew Eubanks (Oregon State), Zhaire Smith (Texas Tech), Troy Brown Jr. (Oregon), Angel Delgado (Seton Hall), and Brandon Sampson (LSU) getting a look from the club (Twitter link).
- UCF forward A.J. Davis, the son of former NBA big man Antonio Davis, will audition for the Bulls, Pacers, and Magic, a league source tells Michael Scotto of The Athletic (Twitter link).
- Jacob Evans (Cincinnati), Devonte’ Graham (Kansas), Nick King (Middle Tennessee State), Jeff Roberson (Vanderbilt), Landry Shamet (Wichita State), and Zach Thomas (Bucknell) make up the latest group of Hawks workout participants, according to the team.
- Texas A&M big man Tyler Davis is among the prospects working out for the Knicks on Wednesday, per Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (Twitter link).