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Trade Rumors: Brogdon, Ayton, Blazers, Zion, CP3, More

June 19th, 2023 at 2:08pm CST by Luke Adams

With Bradley Beal headed to Phoenix, the Suns are no longer likely to be players for Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon, whom they were linked to last week, writes Brian Robb of MassLive.com.

As Robb notes, the Suns still have Deandre Ayton as a trade chip and could theoretically send him out in a Brogdon trade. But the Celtics aren’t interested in Ayton due to his pricey multiyear contract, Robb says, so a third team would have to be involved to take Ayton and send something to Boston. Even if the Suns and Celtics could find a third team, it seems unlikely that Phoenix would want to trade Ayton for another guard, given the current make-up of the team’s core.

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

Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer has gotten the sense from league sources that if the Trail Blazers were to make a trade with the Pelicans involving the No. 3 pick, they’d rather acquire Zion Williamson than Brandon Ingram. Shams Charania of The Athletic previously reported that the Hornets (at No. 2) would likely prefer Ingram to Williamson.
Although he expects Williamson to open the 2023/24 season with the Pelicans, Ian Begley of SNY.tv explores potential pathways for the Knicks to acquire the former No. 1 overall pick.
During an appearance on FanDuel TV (Twitter video link), Charania says the Warriors were among the teams to discuss a Chris Paul trade with the Suns before Phoenix agreed to acquire Beal from Washington. With the Wizards exploring the possibility of flipping Paul to a third team, it’s unclear whether or not they’ve touched base with Golden State.
The Clippers, previously identified as a possible trade partner for Paul, wouldn’t shut the door on re-signing Russell Westbrook if they were able to land CP3, according to Law Murray of The Athletic, who hears from sources that the Clips would still offer Westbrook the biggest deal they can using his Non-Bird rights (120% of the veteran’s minimum).

Wizards Notes: Beal Trade, Winger, Porzingis, Black

June 19th, 2023 at 11:05am CST by Arthur Hill

The Wizards‘ decision to trade Bradley Beal is a smart move that probably should have been made four years ago, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Robbins argues that Washington could have gotten much more in return for Beal in 2019 after John Wall suffered an Achilles injury that altered the future of the franchise. Beal had just finished his second All-Star season, and although the deal would have been controversial, the Wizards could have demanded a significantly higher price than what they’re getting from Phoenix.

Beal had become frustrated with the organization’s lack of progress, and former team president Tommy Sheppard had considered trading him at the 2022 deadline, according to Robbins. That plan fell through when Beal suffered a season-ending ligament tear in his left wrist, and Robbins speculates that Sheppard might still be running the team if he could have moved Beal at that point.

Sources tell Robbins that the Wizards are willing to work with the Suns to expand the trade if Chris Paul wants to be shipped to a contending team. The Clippers have been mentioned as a potential suitor for Paul, and Robbins believes Washington might be able to pick up at least one useful player and a draft pick in such a deal.

There’s more from Washington:

New president of basketball operations Michael Winger made a similar trade when he was with the Clippers, sending Blake Griffin to Detroit when L.A.’s front office decided his contract was an impediment to building a contender, notes Ben Golliver of The Washington Post. Golliver believes trading Beal was the right move, even if the Wizards didn’t get much in return, because the franchise now has financial flexibility and a commitment to start rebuilding. Golliver expects Winger to focus on developing players and collecting draft assets, the same way he did when he worked for the Thunder.
Kristaps Porzingis would become a valuable trade asset if he picks up his $36MM player option for next season, observes Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. Porzingis is accomplished both as an outside shooter and rim protector, connecting at 38.5% from long distance this season while averaging 1.5 blocks per game. He has become a more effective post scorer and may have moved past his health concerns by appearing in 65 games. Porzingis is only 27 and might not have a future in Washington if Winger is serious about a long-term rebuild.
The Wizards appear to be targeting Arkansas’ Anthony Black with the No. 8 pick in the draft, tweets Krysten Peek of Yahoo Sports. Multiple sources told her that Black was impressive during his workout and interview in Washington.

Bradley Beal Trade May Limit Market For Kyrie Irving

June 19th, 2023 at 9:03am CST by Arthur Hill

The Suns‘ acquisition of Bradley Beal may leave the Mavericks as the only bidder for Kyrie Irving when free agency begins, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack column.

Stein states that when Dallas traded for Irving in February, team officials were told that the Suns and Lakers were likely to pursue him this summer. Phoenix appears to have taken itself out of the race by trading for Beal, while L.A. is focused on keeping key elements of its current roster and doesn’t appear interested in bidding for Irving, according to Stein.

League sources tell Stein that the Mavs don’t seem to have any competition for Irving, although that could change before free agency kicks off in 11 days. The Rockets could get involved if they’re unsuccessful in luring James Harden back to Houston, but Stein was told that Irving would be their third choice behind Harden and Fred VanVleet.

Stein identifies the Heat as another team that could make a run at Irving after missing out on Beal, noting that Miami had interest in Irving before he was traded to Dallas. Stein is skeptical, however, believing the Heat are more focused on acquiring Damian Lillard from the Trail Blazers. Miami officials are hoping Lillard will opt for a change of scenery if Portland can’t trade the No. 3 pick for veteran help and that he would be motivated to join a team that just reached the NBA Finals.

Stein adds that the Lakers could still reverse course, but “Plan A” is to re-sign Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura while trying to add Chris Paul if he’s bought out or released once he joins the Wizards. The Clippers are reportedly trying to get their hands on Paul before that can happen, either by expanding the Beal trade or making a separate deal with Washington.

Stein notes that Mavericks haven’t wavered in their plan to re-sign Irving, and team officials believe he wants to stay in Dallas. Negotiations may still be complicated, Stein adds, because the Mavs are hoping to get Irving to agree to a team-friendly contract without alienating him. Irving can receive an estimated $210MM over four years from Dallas, but he may find himself at the bargaining table with very little leverage.

Chris Paul Could Return To Clippers As Wizards Pursue Third Team

June 18th, 2023 at 5:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Wizards are fielding offers to re-route Chris Paul to a contender, which is why the blockbuster trade with the Suns may take a few days to be officially completed, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.

Phoenix is in the process of acquiring star wing Bradley Beal, with the Wizards expected to receive Paul, Landry Shamet, multiple second-round picks, and multiple pick swaps in the trade. The parameters of the trade could be altered somewhat if a third team is involved.

The Clippers are expected to pursue a reunion with Paul, according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT (Twitter link). As Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype notes (Twitter link), the Clippers would need to send out $22.6MM to match salaries for Paul.

That could be achieved in a number of ways. Eric Gordon ($20.9MM non-guaranteed), Marcus Morris ($17.1MM), Robert Covington ($11.7MM), Nicolas Batum ($11.7MM), Amir Coffey ($3.7MM) and Bones Hyland ($2.3MM) are some of the salaries the Clippers could combine to make it happen.

If the Clippers were to acquire Paul, it would seemingly extinguish the possibility of re-signing Russell Westbrook, who will be an unrestricted free agent. It would also set up an intriguing three-star core group with Paul distributing to Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Paul played for the Clippers from 2011-17.

The Wizards could actually sign off on the original two-team deal and then try to flip Paul, but they have incentive to wait, John Hollinger of The Athletic tweets. A three-team swap could create a larger trade exception for Washington, particularly if one of the players they receive fits into the $6.3MM trade exception they possess as a result of trading Rui Hachimura to the Lakers last season.

Pacific Notes: Westbrook, Vezenkov, Suns, Dunleavy, Lakers

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

Russell Westbrook will have to balance money vs. playing time when he makes his decision in free agency, write Law Murray and Danny Leroux of The Athletic.

Westbrook took over as the starting point guard after he signed with the Clippers in February and raised his value by averaging 15.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 7.6 assists in 21 games. Leroux speculates that there may not be another team willing to give him a starting role, although opportunities exist if he’s willing to be the first guard off the bench.

The Clippers would prefer to keep Westbrook, but without his Bird rights, they’re limited to an offer of 120% of the veteran’s minimum. Although L.A. could theoretically trim enough salary below the $179.5MM second apron to offer Westbrook the mid-level exception, that wouldn’t be a huge raise because it’s being lowered to $5MM in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. Leroux suggests that owner Steve Ballmer could try to re-sign Westbrook with an unspoken understanding that he’ll get a bigger deal next summer when the team will have his Early Bird rights.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

The Kings are determined to bring Sasha Vezenkov to Sacramento next season, according to Christos Tsaltas of Sportal. High-ranking team officials traveled to Greece this season to watch Vezenkov in action and to learn more about his character and work habits. The Kings see Vezenkov as a back-up to Keegan Murray and believe they’re versatile enough to play together, Tsaltas adds.
Miles Simon and John Lucas III are the latest additions to Frank Vogel‘s coaching staff with the Suns, tweets Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report. Simon was the head coach of the South Bay Lakers in the G League, and they both worked under Vogel in L.A.
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.
The Lakers hosted six players for a pre-draft workout on Saturday, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN. On hand were UConn’s Andre Jackson Jr., Stetson’s Sam Peek, Chattanooga’s Jake Stephens, Overtime Elite’s Jazian Gortman, Texas’ Timmy Allen and Arizona’s Azuolas Tubelis. L.A. has the 17th and 47th picks in this year’s draft.

Haynes’ Latest: Beal, Pacers, Lue, McMillan, Henderson, Hornets

June 16th, 2023 at 12:51pm CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards have given Bradley Beal and his representatives – including agent Mark Bartelstein – permission to talk to rival teams about a potential trade, sources tell Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.

While Beal has not requested a trade, per Haynes, the Wizards are reportedly mulling the idea of a roster reset that would involve moving the star guard. Since Beal has a no-trade clause, he’ll be very much a part of any trade negotiations, so it’s no surprise that his camp has been granted permission to talk directly to potential suitors.

The Heat and Bucks are among the teams expected to speak with Bartelstein, sources tell Haynes. The Heat and Beal have been linked in the past and appear to have mutual interest, but the 29-year-old isn’t attempting to force his way to Miami or to any other specific team, a source tells Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

As for Milwaukee, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports confirms there have been rumblings about the Bucks having interest in Beal, as others have reported. But a Bucks trade for Beal would probably have to include Khris Middleton, according to Fischer, who says all indications are that Milwaukee intends to bring back Middleton and free agent center Brook Lopez.

Here’s more from Haynes’ latest rumor round-up:

The Pacers have made the No. 7 pick available and are in the market for a starting-caliber wing, per Haynes, echoing a report from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (Twitter video link via Evan Sidery of Forbes). According to Fischer, Indiana previously explored trade scenarios for Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter (for Chris Duarte and draft capital) and Raptors forward OG Anunoby. The Pacers are also expected to be among the suitors for Celtics restricted free agent forward Grant Williams, Fischer adds.
The Clippers are considered unlikely to reach an agreement on a contract extension with head coach Tyronn Lue this offseason, Haynes reports. Lue has one more guaranteed year on his contract, with a team option for 2024/25. Haynes adds that the Suns never officially made contact with the Clippers about their interest in Lue this spring, since L.A. would have wanted draft assets to release Lue from his contract, and Phoenix used most of its draft picks at the trade deadline to acquire Kevin Durant.
Nate McMillan turned down an offer to join the Mavericks‘ coaching staff and intends to take a year off from coaching to spend time with his family, sources tell Haynes.
Scoot Henderson will return to North Carolina on Monday to meet with Hornets owner Michael Jordan, writes Haynes. Fischer previously reported that Charlotte wanted to bring both Henderson and Brandon Miller back early next week to meet with Jordan. It’s unclear whether or not Miller will also return to Charlotte.

And-Ones: Irving, VanVleet, Lakers’ Arena, Jackson, Crawford, Gelfand

June 12th, 2023 at 8:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kyrie Irving and Fred VanVleet — who is declining his player option — are the top free agent point guards, John Hollinger of The Athletic opines. According to Hollinger, they’re the only max or near-max point guards on the market. Hollinger rates D’Angelo Russell and Tre Jones as the only other free agent floor leaders worth more than the mid-level exception, with Russell Westbrook and Dennis Schröder warranting a mid-level investment.

We have more from the around the basketball world:

Crypto.com is closing part of its business but it won’t impact its naming rights deal for Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reports. AEG, which owns and operates the home arena for the Lakers and Clippers, entered into a 20-year, $700MM naming rights agreement with Singapore-based Crypto.com in November 2021.
ABC and ESPN analyst Mark Jackson deserves another shot at coaching, an unnamed general manager told Marc Berman in a Casino.org story. Jackson, the Warriors’ head coach before going into broadcasting, interviewed for the Bucks’ head coaching job that went to Adrian Griffin. He has also been passed over for a number of other head coaching jobs in recent years. “He needs to be open to be an associate head coach,” the GM said. “If he was on the bench in Memphis or New Orleans, he’d be perfect for Ja Morant or Zion Williamson.’’
The Suns are looking to hire Mavericks assistant Quinton Crawford as an assistant on Frank Vogel‘s staff, Marc Stein of The Stein Line tweets. In another coaching note, the Wizards are close to hiring Pelicans analytics expert Sammy Gelfand.

California Notes: George, Leonard, Warriors, Johnson, Hachimura

June 10th, 2023 at 1:45pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Following yet another injury-plagued regular season and postseason, the Clippers are once again confronted by an uncertain future this offseason. The team has just the Nos. 30 and 48 picks in this year’s draft, but in a breakdown from The Athletic’s Law Murray and Sam Vecenie of the team’s tenuous fate, Vecenie proposes a possible solution for Los Angeles to get further draft equity.

Vecenie opines that it might behoove the Clippers to offload All-Star forward Paul George now, suggesting the 33-year-old vet could become one of the most appealing trade targets on the market. Vecenie believes that a rival club might even take a flyer on pricey former All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard, who doesn’t seem capable of staying healthy long enough to help L.A. win meaningful games. Vecenie notes that Leonard is only signed through the 2024/25 season and still has quite a ceiling when he is available.

Should Los Angeles run things back for a fifth season with George and Leonard, however, Vecenie posits that the club could probably net a rotation player, perhaps an athletic veteran with size, by offloading its first-rounder.

There’s more out of California:

Rebuilding the Warriors’ disrupted team chemistry has emerged as the most important element of its summer, writes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Poole notes that head coach Steve Kerr and departing team president Bob Myers both acknowledged that the team’s championship culture took a hit this season, with Kerr specifically pointing to the moment forward Draymond Green punched shooting guard Jordan Poole in the face during a preseason altercation. One year removed from winning its fourth championship with Green, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala, Golden State dropped 30 of its 41 road games in the regular season and was booted from the playoffs in the second round by the Lakers.
Kansas State swingman Keyontae Johnson could be an ideal culture fit for the Warriors, opines Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. Johnson recently worked out for the Warriors along with five other players in front of team coaches and front office members. Johnson missed all but five games across his last two NCAA seasons at Florida due to heart inflammation, but had an eventual 2022/23 comeback upon transferring to the Wildcats.
Lakers power forward Rui Hachimura, a restricted free agent, discussed his upcoming free agency during a recent appearance on ESPN’s “Hoop Streams” show with hosts Cassidy Hubbarth, Gary Striewski, and Tim Legler (YouTube video link). While Hachimura is uncertain about his future, he was clearly appreciative of his postseason experience with the Lakers. “Back at that time (of the trade to L.A.), we didn’t even know we were going to make the playoffs,” Hachimura said. “So we made the playoffs and the playoff run was pretty good, we lost to Denver but it was pretty good for us. I don’t know my future but I just want to be somewhere I can be happy. The Lakers have been good and we’re going to see.”

Woj: Suns Taking “Flurry” Of Trade Calls For CP3

June 9th, 2023 at 9:10pm CST by Rory Maher

Phoenix has received a “flurry” of trade calls regarding Chris Paul after the rest of the NBA discovered that the Suns wouldn’t be waiving the future Hall of Famer, at least not yet, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported on NBA Countdown (YouTube link).

“There are teams that would like to see if they could stack up enough contracts to take on (Paul’s cap hit) for this season and keep him, perhaps even flip him at the trade deadline.

“There are other teams who would trade for him and treat it like salary-cap savings,” Wojnarowski said. “They would not guarantee his contract before that June 28 deadline, and then he would become a free agent.”

As Wojnarowski noted, Paul’s $30.8MM contract for 2023/24 is only partially guaranteed for $15.8MM at the moment, but will become fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before June 28.

If Paul does reach free agency, Wojnarowki once again cites the Lakers and Clippers as teams that would have interest in pursuing the veteran point guard. However, he also adds two new clubs — the Knicks and the Warriors — to the list of Paul’s possible free agency suitors.

The Suns are reportedly exploring three options regarding Paul: Trading him; waiving him and perhaps re-signing him (which is far from a guarantee, since he would be free to sign with any team); and waiving him and then using the stretch provision to spread out his $15.8MM partial guarantee over five years (he would be ineligible to re-sign with Phoenix in that scenario).

For what it’s worth, new head coach Frank Vogel recently said he’s “very interested” in working with Paul next season, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic relays.

“I think he’s got a great opportunity to win a championship,” Vogel said in a SiriusXM NBA Radio interview Friday with hosts Amin Elhassan and Eddie Johnson, who does color commentary for the Suns. “I know he’s very motivated by that and I’m very motivated to be the guy that helps him get there. I’m very interested in coaching Chris and Chris being back with us. I’ve communicated that to him. There’s just that, an intangible piece that you cannot overlook when you’re talking about a guy like Chris Paul, right?“

Suns Rumors: Harden, Lillard, Paul, Irving, Russell, More

June 9th, 2023 at 8:04pm CST by Rory Maher

There have been rumors linking James Harden to Phoenix. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM shut down that notion (via Twitter), writing that there’s a “zero percent chance” the Suns would pursue the former MVP.

Gambadoro also said it was “highly unlikely” the Suns would have interest in Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard, pointing out that his large salary might be unpalatable for a roster that’s already top-heavy (Twitter link). On his Burns and Gambo radio show (Twitter link), the plugged-in local reporter stated in stronger terms that the Suns won’t pursue Lillard.

“They’re not getting James Harden, and they’re not getting Damian Lillard,” Gambadoro said.

Here are more rumors on the Suns:

Gambadoro’s reporting on Lillard was seemingly in response to a new piece from Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who hears from sources who say that the Trail Blazers have shown interest in Deandre Ayton in the past. However, Fischer also downplays Phoenix’s chances of landing Lillard, noting that the Suns don’t have the requisite assets to land a player of his caliber. The Blazers, meanwhile, still hope to build a contender around their all-time leading scorer, and remain intent on re-signing Jerami Grant, sources tell Fischer.
Fischer’s article focuses on Chris Paul‘s uncertain future with the Suns and how it might have a ripple effect around the NBA. Although Lillard and Harden might be unrealistic targets, Fischer writes that the Suns remain intrigued by Kyrie Irving, who is entering unrestricted free agency. As Fischer notes, Irving would basically have to ask the Mavericks for help in a sign-and-trade. Dallas hasn’t shown any interest in helping the Lakers land Irving in a sign-and-trade for D’Angelo Russell, but Fischer wonders if Paul might be more appealing.
Could the Lakers and Suns explore a sign-and-trade involving Russell and Paul? The Suns pursued the 27-year-old impending free agent ahead of the February trade deadline when he was still on the Timberwolves, sources tell Fischer. Big man Naz Reid, who’s also set to hit unrestricted free agency, was another player Phoenix desired in talks with Minnesota, Fischer adds.
Hornets guard Terry Rozier has been linked to Phoenix in the past, but the Suns didn’t pursue him ahead of the trade deadline, sources tell Fischer. Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley, Celtics guard Payton Pritchard, Kings guard Davion Mitchell, and Heat guard Gabe Vincent are among the other backcourt options the Suns have monitored, per Fischer.
Agents that Fischer has talked to believe Paul could get at least part of — if not the full — mid-level exception if he’s waived and becomes an unrestricted free agent. While Paul has been linked to his former club, the Clippers, Fischer notes that they can only offer the veteran’s minimum, and there’s “mutual interest” in a reunion between Russell Westbrook and the Clips.