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Trade Rumors: Harden, Clippers, Lillard, Embiid

July 19th, 2023 at 7:07pm CST by Rory Maher

While the Sixers may be holding out hope that James Harden will rescind his trade request and return to Philadelphia next season, the former league MVP remains steadfast in his desire to be dealt to the Clippers, league sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

According to Fischer, Harden and his camp are confident he’ll end up playing for Los Angeles in 2023/24. Sources tell Fischer that the Sixers have discussed Harden trades with teams other than the Clippers, but none of those talks were serious, as rivals are aware of Harden’s “unwavering focus” on joining L.A.

The Sixers haven’t shown any interest in a potential Clippers deal though, and the Clippers aren’t interested in parting with Terance Mann, Fischer writes. Daryl Morey‘s recent comments suggest that the two sides aren’t natural trade partners.

If Harden is still on the roster by media day in early October, the 10-time All-Star is expected to join the Sixers in training camp. That might not be ideal for Philadelphia, however, as Fischer notes that Harden successfully forced his way out of Houston and Brooklyn in recent seasons when he was unhappy without needing to hold out.

Here are more trade rumors from around the NBA:

In his analysis of Fischer’s story, Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com wonders if Morey will eventually cave on his high asking price and accept an offer from the Clippers, as having Harden cause problems — in training camp or during the season — could hurt the Sixers‘ on-court results. The fact that Harden is on an expiring contract and Philadelphia is firmly in win-now mode makes it a complicated situation, because the team can’t afford to punt on a year of Joel Embiid‘s prime, Neubeck adds. That much was clear even before Embiid’s recent comments about wanting to win a championship no matter what team he’s on.
Talks between the Trail Blazers and Heat on a Damian Lillard trade are “stagnant,” according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. While the two sides have spoken, Charania hears the conversations weren’t serious. Portland has told Miami to make its best offer, Charania writes, but the Heat don’t appear to be in any rush to do so.
As Sam Amick of The Athletic wrote a couple days ago, there’s no indication that Embiid has any desire to leave the Sixers at this point, and Philadelphia certainly doesn’t want to trade him, to the Knicks or any other team. Ian Begley of SNY.tv reports that when Embiid and Morey met after the comments went viral, both sides envisioned a “Derek Jeter-type trajectory” for Embiid, with the reigning MVP remaining the face of the organization until he retires. In short, don’t expect an Embiid trade anytime soon, says Begley.

Los Angeles Notes: Christie, Plumlee, Leonard, Harden

July 18th, 2023 at 9:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Austin Reaves was a breakout performer for the Lakers last season. Could second-year guard Max Christie make similar strides?

After a strong showing in the Summer League, he feels he’s ready to step into the Lakers’ rotation, he told Heavy.com’s Sean Deveney.

“I feel a lot more comfortable, feel a lot more confident out here, just having the ball in my hands and being able to just play my game,” he said. “And so it’s kind of crazy what one year can do for you one year of experience. And so I think I’m reaping the benefits of just sort of staying even-keeled last year and learning a lot and being able to showcase it out here.”

Christie, who averaged 19 points per game in three appearances in Las Vegas, could carve out second-unit minutes behind Reaves at shooting guard.

We have more on the Los Angeles teams:

Mason Plumlee re-signed with the Clippers on a one-year, $5MM contract this month and the veteran big man said his experience with the club last season was a motivating factor, per Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times. “Just believing in the roster and having a little bit of playoff experience playing for (Tyronn Lue) and the staff,” he said. “To me, we were playing really well those first couple games even without Paul [George] yet into that and I just have a personal belief in this group and it’s something I wanted to be a part of.” Plumlee was acquired from Charlotte at last season’s trade deadline.
Kawhi Leonard is extension-eligible, and The Athletic’s Law Murray says the “dialogue is healthy,” but he still doubts that a deal will be reached anytime soon. Murray anticipates Leonard will once again opt for free agency as soon as next summer, when he must make a decision on his $48.8MM option for the 2024/25 season. Murray notes Leonard did not sign an extension with San Antonio after he was named the league’s MVP and also walked away from Toronto after winning a championship there.
Should the Clippers trade for James Harden? Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times believes so, opining that it’s the last chance for Leonard and Paul George to seriously chase a championship with the franchise.

Jason Preston’s Salary Guarantee Date Moved To October

July 18th, 2023 at 7:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jason Preston‘s salary guarantee date has been pushed back to October 1, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times tweets.

The Clippers agreed at the start of the month to move Preston’s guarantee date to July 18. If they hadn’t pushed it back for a second time, they would have had to decide on Tuesday whether to fully guarantee his $1,836,096 salary for next season.

The early second-round pick in 2021 has been sidetracked by injuries during his first two seasons. He missed his entire rookie campaign after undergoing right foot surgery, then appeared in just 14 NBA games last season. He recently revealed he underwent LASIK eye surgery and had another procedure to fix a deviated septum.

Preston, who spent most of ’22/23 playing for the Clippers’ G League affiliate, averaged 9.0 points, 6.0 assists and 5.2 rebounds in Summer League competition this month.

The Clippers, of course, are rumored to be James Harden‘s preferred destination in a potential trade with Philadelphia. That possibility could have played a role in the team’s decision to delay Preston’s guarantee.

Rockets’ Cam Whitmore Named Summer League MVP

July 17th, 2023 at 2:46pm CST by Rory Maher

Rockets forward Cam Whitmore has been named the Las Vegas Summer League Most Valuable Player, the NBA announced (via Twitter).

The NBA also announced its All-Summer League First and Second Teams, which are as follows (Twitter links):

First Team

Keyonte George, Jazz (Backcourt)
Sam Merrill, Cavaliers (Backcourt)
Orlando Robinson, Heat (Frontcourt)
Hunter Tyson, Nuggets (Frontcourt)
Cam Whitmore, Rockets (Frontcourt)

Second Team

Max Christie, Lakers (Backcourt)
Javon Freeman-Liberty, Bulls (Backcourt)
Xavier Moon, Clippers (Backcourt)
Emoni Bates, Cavaliers (Frontcourt)
Jabari Smith, Rockets (Frontcourt)
Jalen Wilson, Nets (Frontcourt)

According to the NBA (Twitter link), Christie and Moon received the same amount of votes, which is why there is an additional backcourt player on the second team.

Whitmore, a projected lottery pick in last month’s draft who fell to Houston at No. 20, averaged 20.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.2 APG and 3.0 SPG on .465/.293/.625 shooting in his five Vegas Summer League games, per NBA.com.

Houston faces Cleveland at 8 p.m. CT tonight in the Summer League championship game. Both teams are undefeated, holding identical 5-0 records.

Moussa Diabate Signs Two-Way Deal With Clippers

July 17th, 2023 at 1:23pm CST by Rory Maher

Moussa Diabate is signing a two-way deal with the Clippers, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). The move is official, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

A French big man who spent his lone college season at Michigan, Diabate spent his rookie season on a two-way deal with the Clippers after being selected 43rd overall in the 2022 draft. He received a qualifying offer last month, making him a restricted free agent.

As a rookie in 2022/23, Diabate appeared in 22 games with L.A., holding most averages of 2.7 PPG and 2.3 RPG in 8.9 MPG. He received much more playing time for the team’s G League affiliate, the Ontario Clippers, averaging 15.9 PPG, 12.4 RPG, 1.8 SPG and 1.1 BPG in 18 regular season games (32.6 MPG), earning a spot on the NBAGL All-Rookie Team for his efforts.

As our roster counts show, once Diabate’s signing is official, he will fill the first of the team’s three two-way slots. Jordan Miller, a second-round pick last month who remains unsigned, is a candidate for another.

The Clippers currently have 16 players on standard deals, with 15 of those contracts guaranteed. Jason Preston‘s non-guaranteed deal is set to be fully guaranteed tomorrow if he isn’t waived.

L.A. Notes: Plumlee, Brown, LeBron, Wood

July 15th, 2023 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mason Plumlee might have landed more money or a starting spot with another team, but he was willing to accept a one-year, $5MM contract because he wanted to stay with the Clippers, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. The 33-year-old center settled into a reserve role behind Ivica Zubac after being acquired from the Hornets in February. He made just four starts in 23 games while averaging 7.5 points and 6.9 rebounds in about 20 minutes per night.

“I was very comfortable,” Plumlee said. “It’s an easy system to get comfortable with and they (front office) were just very clear and what they were looking for so that made (my decision) smooth.”

Plumlee also admitted it’s hard to leave an organization that has a chance to be a title contender. He believes the Clippers will be back in the race for the top after losing in the first round of the playoffs last season.

“That was the biggest thing, to be honest with you,” Plumlee said of the Clippers’ title aspirations. “You know, I think a lot of teams talk about it, but there are a few teams that believe it, and this is one of those teams. So that was a major factor.”

There’s more from Los Angeles:

Clippers rookie Kobe Brown thought he should have been taken higher than 30th in the draft, and he’s been showing why at Summer League, per Steve Reed of The Associated Press. Brown sank seven three-pointers on his way to a 35-point night in Friday’s win over the Sixers.
Lakers star LeBron James will change his number from 6 back to 23 next season in deference to the late Bill Russell, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “It’s LeBron’s decision,” said James’ agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group. “He chose to out of respect for Bill Russell.”
Financial constraints may be keeping the Lakers from reaching out to free agent big man Christian Wood, Marc Stein suggests in a Substack chat. L.A. only has 13 players with guaranteed contracts and reportedly wants to add more size, but the team doesn’t have the available funds to make a competitive offer to Wood, who earned $14.3MM with the Mavericks last season.

Eight 2023 Draft Picks Have Yet To Sign NBA Contracts

July 15th, 2023 at 7:49am CST by Luke Adams

Of the 58 players who were selected in last month’s draft, 50 have signed their first NBA contracts during the first two weeks they’ve been permitted to do so.

As our tracker shows, the breakdown is as follows:

First-round picks signed using the rookie scale exception: 29
Second-round picks signed using the new second-round pick exception: 13
- Note: Of these 13 players, 12 received four-year contracts, while one (Rayan Rupert) signed a three-year deal.
Second-round picks signed to two-way contracts: 8

That leaves eight players from the 2023 draft class who have yet to sign with their respective NBA teams. Those players are as follows:

Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Mavericks
James Nnaji, Hornets
Tristan Vukcevic, Wizards
Sidy Cissoko, Spurs
G.G. Jackson, Grizzlies
Mojave King, Pacers
Jordan Miller, Clippers
Tarik Biberovic, Grizzlies

Not all of these players will sign an NBA contract in 2023/24. King and Biberovic are each expected to spend at least one season playing overseas before coming stateside. Vukcevic is another candidate to become a draft-and-stash prospect.

It’s also unclear whether the Hornets plan to sign Nnaji right away or let the 18-year-old big man continue developing his game in Europe. For now, Charlotte only has 12 players on guaranteed contracts for 2023/24, but depending on which restricted free agents (P.J. Washington, Theo Maledon) and players on non-guaranteed deals (JT Thor, Kobi Simmons) return, there might not be a spot for Nnaji, who remains under contract with FC Barcelona and – as a No. 31 overall pick who would require an international buyout – wouldn’t be a candidate for a two-way deal.

Prosper is the only unsigned first-rounder in this year’s class, but the delay doesn’t seem like anything to worry about. The Mavericks, who continued this past week to explore the trade market and consider how to fill out their roster, have taken their time getting around to signing a handful of players, with deals for free agents like Seth Curry and Dante Exum only becoming official on Friday. I’d expect Prosper’s contract to be finalized soon.

That leaves Cissoko, Jackson, and Miller, each of whom look like candidates to receive two-way contracts. Some of the other players drafted in their range, including No. 41 pick Amari Bailey and No. 46 pick Seth Lundy, have received two-way deals, and the Spurs, Grizzlies, and Clippers all have roster logjams, meaning there may not be room on their 15-man rosters for their unsigned second-rounders.

The Spurs will have 17 players on standard contracts once they officially re-sign Tre Jones and Sandro Mamukelashvili. The Grizzlies also have 17 players under contract and would have a full 15-man roster even if they trade or waive Josh Christopher and Isaiah Todd. The Clippers have 16 players on standard contracts (15 guaranteed). However, all three teams have at least one two-way slot available.

What Can Moon Provide Clippers Or Other Teams?

July 13th, 2023 at 3:59pm CST by Rory Maher

Law Murray of The Athletic examines what free agent guard Xavier Moon could provide to the Clippers or another NBA team, writing that he has been impressive in the fourth quarters of Summer League action. “I’ve been playing this game for a while, at a high level,” Moon said Wednesday. “So, I understand when to get to my spots and when I need to take shots and make shots. I feel like our guys do a great job of keeping us in the game, throughout the game. But, in the fourth quarter, I know I can really take over.” After making several international stops, Moon has spent the past two seasons with the Clippers organization.

Should They Extend Leonard And George?

July 13th, 2023 at 1:08pm CST by Rory Maher

Should the Clippers offer contract extensions to Kawhi Leonard and Paul George? Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times spoke to rival executives and an agent to solicit opinions on what path the Clippers should take with their oft-injured star duo.

Northwest Notes: Lillard, T. Brown, Milton, J. Collins, OKC

July 11th, 2023 at 12:16pm CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on ESPN’s SportsCenter (YouTube link) on Monday night to provide an update on the Damian Lillard trade talks, Adrian Wojnarowski said it’s still “very early” in the process, pointing out that there’s no deadline looming to force the Trail Blazers into action — or to push potential Lillard suitors to submit their best offers.

While the Clippers would “love to be part of this process,” they don’t necessarily have the sort of assets the Blazers are seeking for Lillard, according to Wojnarowski. Portland also isn’t particularly moved by what what the Heat has to offer, but that Miami package may be the best the Blazers can get, Woj suggests.

“Now it’s going to be a process over perhaps this month, August, maybe into September, for Portland to try to extract as much as they can from Miami,” Wojnarowski said. “It isn’t like Miami comes to the table and says, ‘Here’s everything we have for Damian Lillard. Here you go.’ It doesn’t start that way. They’re gauging what Portland has (had) offered to them elsewhere.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Troy Brown‘s two-year, $8MM deal with the Timberwolves is only guaranteed for one year, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Brown’s $4MM salary for 2024/25 is non-guaranteed. The Wolves used the same structure when they signed Shake Milton, whose $5MM salary for ’23/24 is guaranteed while his $5MM salary for ’24/25 isn’t, Hoops Rumors has learned. Nickeil Alexander-Walker‘s two-year, $9MM contract, on the other hand, is fully guaranteed.
After being the subject of trade speculation for years in Atlanta, John Collins is looking forward to getting a fresh start with the Jazz, he said during an interview on the team’s official website. “I was excited going to a place that I knew really wanted me and was trying to have me in the organization,” Collins said. “It’s always very nice to hear and know coming to a place that really wants you and really wants you to excel here. It’s a big sigh of relief knowing that all the trade talks are over and I can go to my new home and start anew.”
The Thunder‘s decision to use their cap room to accommodate salary dumps like Davis Bertans, Victor Oladipo, and Patty Mills this offseason reflected the team’s focus on its young core, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman writes. As Mussatto explains, with potentially pricey extensions coming down the road for players like Josh Giddey, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City didn’t want to compromise future cap flexibility by signing a free agent to a long-term deal.