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Free Agent Rumors: Pacers, Strus, Brown, Kyrie, Westbrook, QOs

June 29th, 2023 at 11:47pm CST by Luke Adams

After reporting on Wednesday that the Pacers are “strongly weighing” a three-year offer worth upwards of $48MM for Max Strus, Marc Stein (Twitter links) cautions that the free agent wing shouldn’t be viewed as a slam dunk to end up in Indiana. While it seems likely that Strus will leave the Heat, there still appear to be multiple suitors in play for him, according to Stein.

Who might the Pacers pursue using their cap room if not Strus? Stein says Indiana has emerged as a team to watch in the Bruce Brown sweepstakes, joining the Lakers, Mavericks, and Nuggets, among others. Indiana will have the ability to offer either Strus or Brown more than the $12.4MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception that over-the-cap teams are limited to.

Here are a few more free agent rumors and notes from around the NBA:

In addition to the Suns, Kyrie Irving has the Lakers, Sixers, and Heat on his list of teams to meet with in free agency, sources tell Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Based on Rankin’s wording, the cap situations for those teams, and a report that cast doubts on whether Kyrie’s meeting with Phoenix will actually happen, it sounds like that list of meetings may be aspirational rather than set in stone.
Russell Westbrook won’t be in a rush to make a decision when free agency opens on Friday, so he’s unlikely to be one of the first players off the board, tweets Law Murray of The Athletic, adding that the former MVP isn’t a “dead set lock” to return to the Clippers.
Johnny Juzang of the Jazz and Julian Champagnie of the Spurs are among the players on two-way contracts who received qualifying offers by Thursday’s deadline, making them restricted free agents, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter links).

Trade Rumors: Harden, Lewis, Morris, Wright, Capela, Nowell

June 29th, 2023 at 6:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Although he’s said to be “very positive” about the Sixers‘ direction, James Harden‘s preference is that Philadelphia trade him, according to Mark Medina of Sportsnaut (Twitter links). For their part, the 76ers are listening to offers, but will only move forward on a trade if it’s “really good” and keeps them in title contention, Medina says, adding that the club is comfortable hanging onto Harden if such a deal doesn’t materialize.

The Clippers and Knicks were the first two potential trade partners reported to be eyeing Harden, but Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link) hears that New York’s interest is “far from uniform throughout the organization.”

Begley believes the Clippers’ interest is stronger than the Knicks’, and it sounds like Steve Popper of Newsday agrees — he suggests (via Twitter) that New York’s preference may be to get involved as a third team alongside L.A. in the hopes of landing Paul George. I’m skeptical the Clippers would be enthusiastic about moving PG13 as part of a deal for Harden, but George’s name has come up in a few trade rumors so far this offseason.

During a television appearance (Twitter video link via Evan Sidery), Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN referred to the Clippers as Harden’s “most prominent” suitor, though he stressed that Los Angeles won’t want to give up any of its “good young players” in a deal for the Sixers guard and would prefer to build a package out of expiring contracts and perhaps a draft pick.

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

The Pelicans are exploring the trade market for a potential deal involving Kira Lewis, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who tweets that a trade could provide the former 13th overall pick with an opportunity to play more for a new team. Lewis has appeared in just 103 games for the Pelicans across three seasons, including 25 in 2022/23. An ACL tear in December 2021 limited his availability over the last two seasons, but he hasn’t been a major part of New Orleans’ rotation even when healthy. The club also reportedly made him available in trade discussions at February’s deadline.
With the Wizards believed to be seeking draft assets for guards Monte Morris and Delon Wright, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype spoke to rival executives who believe Washington could get at least one second-round pick – and maybe two – for each player.
Although Hawks star Trae Young likes playing with big man Clint Capela, the team has been open to discussing Capela in trade talks this offseason in part because it wants to open up more playing time for Onyeka Okongwu, says Scotto.
The Timberwolves are open to sign-and-trade scenarios involving guard Jaylen Nowell, league sources tell HoopsHype. Scotto doesn’t say anything about the Wolves working to re-sign Nowell, so it sounds like he won’t be a top priority for the team.

James Harden Picking Up Option, Working With Sixers On Trade

June 29th, 2023 at 3:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Sixers star James Harden has decided to exercise his $35.6MM player option for 2023/24, but he doesn’t intend to return to Philadelphia, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Charania, the plan is for Harden to work together with the 76ers to find him a new home via trade.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link) confirms that Philadelphia and Harden have begun to explore trade scenarios, adding that the expectation is that the 10-time All-Star has played his last game as a Sixer.

The news comes as a major surprise. For several months, Harden’s anticipated free agency was considered likely to be a battle between the Sixers and his former team, the Rockets.

Within the last week or two, Philadelphia had seemingly emerged as a clear frontrunner based on reporting from several outlets. However, the 33-year-old won’t actually reach free agency after all, opting into the second season of his two-year deal with the 76ers in order to make it easier to trade him.

The Clippers have expressed interest in acquiring Harden, a league source tells Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com (Twitter link). Wojnarowski (Twitter link) confirms L.A.’s interest and says the Knicks are also expected to engage in trade conversations with the Sixers.

The Clippers, armed with several movable contracts and a long-standing desire to add a backcourt play-maker, are an intriguing potential trade partner for Philadelphia. According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), Los Angeles – which has been gauging the trade market for Marcus Morris and Norman Powell – have also inquired about Sixers forward Tobias Harris.

The Knicks, meanwhile, also possess a handful of tradable contracts, including Evan Fournier‘s expiring $18.9MM deal, and control several extra future first-round picks.

Still, Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link) cautions that the Clippers and Knicks won’t be Harden’s only suitors. Philadelphia is already casting a “wide net,” according to Mannix, who says the club will be seeking a package of players who can fit alongside reigning MVP Joel Embiid.

The Rockets could make a play for Harden via trade if they so choose, but they’ve seemingly shifted their focus to free agent point guard Fred VanVleet, and Harden is focused on a move to a contender, according to Wojnarowski.

Although Harden missed out on All-Star honors this year for the first time since 2012, he still posted strong numbers during the regular season, averaging 21.0 points, a league-leading 10.7 assists, and 6.1 rebounds per game with a .441/.385/.867 shooting line in 58 appearances (36.8 MPG). He was expected to be among the top free agents available this weekend if he had opted out.

Because Harden is on a two-year contract, he won’t be eligible to sign an extension before he reaches unrestricted free agency in 2024. If he’s moved, he’ll be playing for his fourth team in four years. He was dealt from Houston to Brooklyn in January 2021 and from Brooklyn to Philadelphia in February 2022.

Clippers To Let Eric Gordon Become Free Agent

June 28th, 2023 at 10:35pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers won’t guarantee Eric Gordon‘s $20.9MM salary for next season, allowing the veteran guard to become an unrestricted free agent, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The team confirmed that Gordon has been waived.

The decision on Gordon was made with the luxury tax in mind, according to Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). He adds that management liked how Gordon performed during his brief time with the team, but they want to give more minutes to younger guards rather than committing to a 34-year-old.

Getting rid of Gordon’s contract will reduce the Clippers’ projected tax bill for next season from $169MM to $59MM, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. The team currently projects to be $18MM over the $165MM luxury tax threshold.

L.A. acquired Gordon from the Rockets in a three-team deal at the trade deadline. He averaged 11.0 PPG and shot 42.3% from three-point range in his 22 regular season games with the Clippers and put up similar numbers in the playoffs.

Gordon was in the final season of a four-year, $75.5MM contract he signed with Houston in 2020. He could have guaranteed his fourth-year salary by making an All-Star team or reaching a minutes requirement in a championship season.

Trade Rumors: LaVine, Garland, Rockets, Clippers, Blazers, Bucks

June 28th, 2023 at 11:38am CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls have engaged with “several” teams about the possibility of a Zach LaVine trade this offseason, but haven’t gotten serious about moving the high-scoring guard, reports Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

As Fischer explains, LaVine’s pricey long-term contract will make potential trade partners wary about giving up a substantial package of players and draft picks, but the Bulls would be seeking a return that far outweighs what Washington got for Bradley Beal last week.

Fischer names the Knicks and Mavericks as possible teams to watch for LaVine, but immediately throws cold water on the likelihood of either club emerging as a legitimate suitor in the near future. New York seems to be taking a more patient approach to building its roster, according to Fischer, who adds that Dallas was viewed as a more serious threat for LaVine before acquiring Kyrie Irving as a co-star for Luka Doncic.

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

Despite some speculation to the contrary, the Cavaliers haven’t had any discussions about trading Darius Garland and have no intention to move the All-Star point guard, sources tell Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). The Cavs appear focused on pursuing roster moves that don’t involve trading any of their four cornerstone players (Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen).
In addition to Kenyon Martin Jr., the Rockets have gauged potential trade interest in young players like Usman Garuba and Josh Christopher, sources tell Fischer.
Norman Powell and Marcus Morris have both been mentioned in recent days as trade candidates. According to Fischer, the Clippers have been canvassing the league to see what a package of both players might return.
No clear suitors have emerged for guard Anfernee Simons, who looks like the Trail Blazers‘ most obvious trade chip, says Fischer. According to Fischer, the Blazers and Cavaliers had some brief talks about Nassir Little prior to the draft, but didn’t gain any real traction toward a deal.
ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on the latest episode of his Lowe Post podcast that the Bucks had some “relatively serious” internal conversations about John Collins before he was dealt to Utah. “I do think Milwaukee is looking around for, like, ‘Can we get a little injection of randomness? (An) injection of, like, bounce and athleticism, and just change?'” Lowe said. “Maybe just change more than anything else. But I don’t think (the Collins interest) went anywhere serious.”

Stein’s Latest: Middleton, Lopez, Crowder, VanVleet, Harden, Poeltl, Suns, Morris

June 28th, 2023 at 10:34am CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks appear to be in a good position to re-sign several of their key free agents, Marc Stein writes at Substack. Stein gets the sense that Khris Middleton‘s return to Milwaukee is “all but assured,” and says Brook Lopez seems to be leaning toward remaining with the Bucks too, despite the fact that he’ll draw interest from rival suitors like the Rockets.

Interestingly, Stein hears that Milwaukee is considered increasingly likely to re-sign forward Jae Crowder as well. A trade deadline acquisition, Crowder had a forgettable postseason, scoring just seven points and missing all six of his 3-point attempts in 41 total minutes of action. However, he was effective in 18 regular season appearances for the Bucks, who gave up several second-round picks to land him.

Here’s more from Stein:

After he wrote earlier this week about the Rockets‘ interest in Fred VanVleet, Stein has been told by a “flurry of informants” that Houston is believed to be looking to sign the point guard to a two-year, maximum-salary contract. Such a deal would be worth just shy of $84MM based on the NBA’s latest cap projections.
The latest rumblings Stein has heard suggest that James Harden will likely return to the Sixers on a two- or three- year deal and that Jakob Poeltl is expected to re-sign with the Raptors for about $20MM per year, whether or not VanVleet remains in Toronto.
Veteran forward Yuta Watanabe and former NBA guard Mike James have been mentioned as potential targets for the Suns as they look to fill out their roster around their stars, says Stein. James, who has spent the past two seasons with AS Monaco, last played in the NBA in Brooklyn in 2021 and is close with Durant.
Clippers forward Marcus Morris remains on the trade block after a proposed three-team deal that would have sent him to Washington fell through last week, Stein says.

Cameron Johnson, Coby White Among Players Receiving QOs

June 28th, 2023 at 7:28am CST by Luke Adams

A series of players have been issued qualifying offers by their respective teams, making them restricted free agents, according to RealGM’s official NBA transaction log.

Nets forward Cameron Johnson and Bulls guard Coby White are among the most notable QO recipients within the last couple days. Johnson’s qualifying offer is worth $8,486,620, while White’s is worth $7,744,600.

For many restricted free agents, qualifying offers essentially function as placeholders, giving the team the right of first refusal on the player as long as that QO remains on the table.

It’s also a one-year contract offer that the player is free to accept at any time, which is a more viable route for some RFAs than others — Johnson, for instance, looks like a safe bet to secure a lucrative multiyear deal, so it would be a major surprise if he simply accepted his $8.5MM qualifying offer.

Besides Johnson and White, here are some of the players who have received qualifying offers this week and are now restricted free agents, per RealGM:

Ayo Dosunmu, Bulls ($5,216,324)
Jock Landale, Suns ($2,219,706)
- Note: This is a projected amount. Landale’s QO will be worth $200K more than his minimum salary.
Trent Forrest, Hawks (two-way)
Terry Taylor, Bulls (two-way)
Collin Gillespie, Nuggets (two-way)
Jack White, Nuggets (two-way)
Kendall Brown, Pacers (two-way)
Moussa Diabate, Clippers (two-way)
Saben Lee, Suns (two-way)

The deadline for teams to issue qualifying offers is Thursday, so we’ll likely get many more updates on QOs being extended to players today and tomorrow.

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.

Celtics Notes: Brogdon, G. Williams, Gallinari, Summer League

June 26th, 2023 at 11:57am CST by Arthur Hill

Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens reached out to Malcolm Brogdon after he was offered to the Clippers last week in a three-team trade for Kristaps Porzingis, writes Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston.

L.A. eventually pulled out of the deal because it didn’t have time to examine Brogdon — who suffered a right forearm strain during the playoffs — before Porzingis’ deadline to pick up his option. Stevens said he called Brogdon to let him know that he’s still a valuable part of the team, and he considers it unfortunate that word of the potential deal was leaked in the press.

“There are a lot of narratives out there because of (the failed trade) that certainly are inaccurate,” Stevens said. “The bottom line is, right now, he’s going through a period of four-to-eight weeks where he’s resting and rehabbing, as suggested by our docs, as suggested by the third-party doc that he went to see. He feels good and we expect him to be back right (at the) start of the season and have the great year that he’s had every year he’s been in the league. So we’re excited about that. But it’s hard for him. That’s the other part, being in the rumors and stuff, that stinks.”

There’s more from Boston:

The addition of Porzingis will make it much harder for the Celtics to keep Grant Williams, Forsberg adds. Even if they can work out a sign-and-trade deal involving the restricted free agent, Forsberg doesn’t expect the team to get much value in return.
Danilo Gallinari was disappointed that he never got to play for Boston because of a torn ACL, but he offered a message of thanks to the team on Twitter after being sent to Washington in the Porzingis trade, relays Souichi Terada of MassLive. “A huge thanks to the Celtics staff that helped me rehab and reach my goal,” Gallinari wrote. “It would have been even better to show it on the court.”
Mychal Mulder and Jay Scrubb are among the players with NBA experience projected to be on the Celtics’ Summer League roster, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Mulder played three seasons with the Warriors, Magic and Heat, while Scrubb spent time with the Clippers and Magic before Orlando waived him this month. A source tells Himmelsbach that Boston’s Summer League team is also expected to include 22-year-old Polish center Aleksander Balcerowski, whom Celtics officials have been monitoring for several years.

Clippers Notes: George, Leonard, Westbrook, Brown, Miller

June 25th, 2023 at 8:52am CST by Luke Adams

Paul George‘s name has surfaced in trade rumors a few times this month, but Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank told reporters this week that the team intends to continue building its roster around George and Kawhi Leonard, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.

“It’s still the plan,” Frank said. “What we are trying to do is how can we put together the best team around these guys? And we look at the different things, what has worked, what hasn’t worked, the job that we have to do better, the job that we challenge our players to continue to do better. We are trying to maximize these two and figure out ways we can get better.”

There has been some speculation that the trade rumors involving George have popped up because he’ll become extension-eligible this offseason and the Clippers may be reluctant to offer him another maximum-salary deal, given his injury history. The same thinking applies to Leonard, who will also become eligible for an extension. Asked about possible new contracts for the team’s two star forwards, Frank referred to the conversation as “premature.”

“We do talk [about] what the plan is, but we really can’t get into those specifics until the appropriate date and we will have the dialogues like we do,” he said, according to Youngmisuk. “We are very, very honest and [have] open conversations and see if there is something that makes sense for both sides.”

Here’s more on the Clippers:

Frank made it clear during this week’s press conference that the club wants to re-sign point guard Russell Westbrook, despite only having the ability to offer him a salary of $3.8MM using the Non-Bird exception. “Russ is a free agent and gets to choose,” Frank said, per Youngmisuk. “As he’s shown, he did a phenomenal job during his time with the Clippers. … We want Russ back but also respect the fact that he’s a free agent. But hopefully we can keep him a Clipper.”
Veteran NBA reporter Howard Beck is treating Frank’s comments about wanting to build around George and Leonard with a grain of salt, suggesting during an appearance on the FnA podcast that the Clippers aren’t “trying to give (George) away,” but that he’s “certainly available” via trade. “Lawrence Frank is going to say what he has to say,” Beck said (hat tip to Bleacher Report). “Team GMs and presidents always say that, ‘No, we love our guys,’ right up until the moment that they trade them. That’s just how this thing goes.”
Law Murray of The Athletic takes a look at what the Clippers are getting in No. 30 pick Kobe Brown and No. 48 pick Jordan Miller and what lies ahead for the team in free agency. As Murray notes, Los Angeles’ two draft picks reflect the team’s win-now mindset — both Brown and Miller are already 23 years old.