Los Angeles Clippers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Stein’s Latest: Ingram, Bridges, Cavs, Mavs, Westbrook

July 4th, 2024 at 3:45pm CST by Rory Maher

The Pelicans have “intensified” their efforts to trade Brandon Ingram in the past few days, league sources tell Marc Stein (Substack link).

Apparently the desire for a deal is mutual, as Ingram is disappointed that New Orleans has been unwilling to offer him a lucrative long-term extension. Stein hears that Ingram’s representatives have been looking at trade options.

Aside from moving Ingram, the Pels are focused on trying to sign Trey Murphy to a rookie scale extension, Stein writes. They’re also looking for depth up front after Jonas Valanciunas agreed to a three-year deal with Washington.

According to Stein, the Kings, who have explored trading for several forwards, are one potential suitor for Ingram.

Here’s more from Stein’s latest rumor round up:

The Cavaliers have been described as a “team to watch” in a possible sign-and-trade for Hornets forward Miles Bridges, though Stein isn’t sure how serious Cleveland’s interest is. Bridges is “known to be interested” in sign-and-trade scenarios, Stein adds.
The Mavericks are “sure to re-sign” free agent forward Markieff Morris, according to Stein, who says Dallas is also looking for minimum-salary backcourt depth. Morris hinted at returning to the Mavs on Wednesday.
Sources tell Stein the Mavericks offered Derrick Jones the same three-year, $27MM contract that Naji Marshall accepted, but evidently Jones was looking to maximize his earnings, which is why he agreed to a three-year, $30MM deal with the Clippers. Stein hears the Mavs weren’t sure how much money Jones would command and were wary of a bidding war, which is why they switched their attention to Marshall, a player they like.
According to Stein, the Nuggets continue to show the “most tangible” interest in Clippers guard Russell Westbrook, who is considered likely to be on another team to open the 2024/25 season.

Free Agent Rumors: DeRozan, Kings, Spurs, Morris, Bridges, Jones

July 3rd, 2024 at 9:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Following up on a report from Marc J. Spears stating that Sacramento is a “dark horse” suitor to watch for DeMar DeRozan, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald confirms (via Twitter) that the Kings and Bulls have had discussions about a possible sign-and-trade deal involving the free agent forward.

The Spurs have also emerged as a possibility for DeRozan, Jackson adds. The 34-year-old previously spent three seasons playing for Gregg Popovich in San Antonio from 2018-21.

While Jackson (Twitter link) isn’t entirely ruling out the Heat for DeRozan, he notes that the club’s cap situation makes it impossible to give the forward the kind of contract he’s seeking, so the front office seems more likely to preserve its assets in case a better trade opportunity arises — as a first-apron team, Miami would be in a better position to acquire a player who is already under contract than a free agent like DeRozan via sign-and-trade.

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

The Sixers have expressed interest in the possibility of a reunion with free agent forward and Philadelphia native Marcus Morris, multiple sources tell Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. However, the 76ers aren’t the only team eyeing Morris. The Pistons, Hornets, Cavaliers, Mavericks, Heat, and Timberwolves have all expressed some level of interest too, Pompey writes.
It’s unclear where Miles Bridges will end up, according to Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer, who says that the Pistons‘ interest seems to have dwindled following their front office and coaching changes, while the Sixers were “never in” on the free agent forward. The Hornets and Bridges publicly expressed interest in a new deal earlier in the offseason, but they’ve had over two weeks to talk and still don’t appear to have momentum toward an agreement. “I think they end up signing and trading Bridges,” a rival executive told Boone.
The Clippers continue to have interest in bringing back Kai Jones, but the free agent big man has an ankle injury that will prevent him from suiting up for Summer League, a source tells Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The Pistons are one of the only teams that still has significant cap room available and they’ll need to at least reach the minimum salary floor before the season begins. Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required) suggests a few potential free agents targets for Detroit, including Malik Beasley and Gary Trent Jr., while James L. Edwards III of The Athletic considers trade scenarios that might make sense for the club’s cap room.

Clippers, Mo Bamba Finalize One-Year Deal

July 3rd, 2024 at 7:17pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 3: Bamba has officially signed with the Clippers, according to the transaction log at NBA.com.

JULY 1: The Clippers and free agent center Mohamed Bamba have reached an agreement on a one-year deal, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

It’ll be worth the veteran’s minimum, tweets Law Murray of The Athletic. That’ll work out to a $2.61MM salary for Bamba and a $2.09MM cap hit for the team.

Bamba, the sixth overall pick in the 2018 draft, spent his first five-and-a-half seasons in Orlando before being traded to the Lakers at the 2023 deadline. After finishing that season in Los Angeles, he signed with the 76ers last summer and averaged 4.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 13.0 minutes per game across 57 appearances (17 starts) for Philadelphia. He’s a career 36.1% three-pointer shooter on 2.3 attempts per game.

Ivica Zubac is the Clippers’ starting center, but both of the team’s backups at the five – Mason Plumlee and Daniel Theis – entered free agency this weekend. While Theis remains unsigned, Plumlee has committed to join the division-rival Suns, so L.A. had been in the market for at least one big man.

Outside of the 2021/22 season, when he started 69 games in the middle for Orlando, Bamba has primarily played a modest reserve role across his six years in the NBA, with a career average of 17.2 minutes per contest.

The Clippers have been busy during the first couple days of free agency, reaching contract agreements with James Harden (two years, $70MM), Derrick Jones (three years, $30MM), Nicolas Batum (two years, $9.6MM), Kevin Porter Jr. (two years, minimum salary), and Kris Dunn (terms unknown). They’re also reportedly scouring the market for a possible Russell Westbrook trade and, of course, saw Paul George depart for Philadelphia.

L.A. Notes: Bridges, George, Tucker, Gentry, Thompson, Bronny James, Hood-Schifino

July 2nd, 2024 at 8:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Clippers have some interest in free agent forward Miles Bridges, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times reports. Bridges averaged 21.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists last season for the Hornets but his history of domestic violence allegations may have turned off some potential suitors. A sign-and trade would likely be required for the Clippers, with Norman Powell ($19.2MM) and Terance Mann ($11.5MM) among the potential trade pieces if something comes to fruition, Turner writes.

Law Murray of The Athletic confirms that the Clippers are exploring the possibility of adding Bridges, but he believes that the forward has more interest in the potential union than the team does. According to Turner, people close to Bridges view the Clippers as a fit due to the organization’s apparent willingness to give players second chances.

Los Angeles reached a deal earlier in free agency with guard Kevin Porter Jr., who also faced domestic violence allegations, and previously signed Joshua Primo, who was waived by the Spurs after he was accused of exposing himself to multiple women.

We have more on the Los Angeles teams:

An interesting side note on the failed Clippers-George negotiations, which led to his departure to Philadelphia: George, a California native, was “increasingly turned off” by the Clippers’ belief that he would stay with the team just so that his family could attend the games, according to The Athletic’s Murray.
In the same story, Murray reports that the Clippers are expected to part ways with P.J. Tucker this offseason, either by trading or waiving him. Tucker picked up his $11.54MM option for next season. Using the stretch provision to reduce his impact on the 2024/25 cap would be an option if he’s waived, Murray notes.
The Lakers are interested in adding longtime NBA coach Alvin Gentry to J.J. Redick’s staff, Turner of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Gentry coached Anthony Davis and Redick in New Orleans.
Klay Thompson upset a member of his family by choosing to go the Mavericks instead of the Lakers, ESPN relays. Father Mychal Thompson, who played for the “Showtime Lakers” in the 1980s, wanted Klay to follow in his footsteps, he said in a SiriusXM NBA interview. “I’m really disappointed. I was hoping, as you can assess, that he would be a Laker,” Mychal said. “And it was close. It came down to the Lakers and the Mavs, but the Mavs won out. But you know me, I was hoping and praying he’d finish his career with the Lakers.”
There are many skeptics, but Redick said second-round pick Bronny James “earned” his way onto the Lakers, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “Rob (Pelinka) and I did not give Bronny anything,” Redick said. “Bronny has earned this. … Bronny has earned this through hard work.” LeBron James‘ son said he’s ready for the spotlight. “For sure, amplified amount of pressure,” Bronny said. “I’ve already seen it on social media and stuff, and the internet and stuff and talking about that I might not deserve an opportunity. But I’ve been dealing with st life. So it’s nothing different, but it’s more amplified, for sure. But I’ll get through it.” Bronny will sign a standard contract.
Lakers 2023 first-rounder Jalen Hood-Schifino won’t be on the club’s Summer League roster, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times tweets. He’s still rehabbing from back surgery.

A Closer Look At How Paul George Wound Up In Philadelphia

July 2nd, 2024 at 1:54pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bad weather caused a two-hour flight delay for Sixers owner Josh Harris and franchise legend Julius Erving as they headed to Los Angeles to meet with Paul George on Sunday, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. But they found a pleasant surprise when they arrived, as their No. 1 free agent target showed up wearing a T-shirt featuring another Sixers icon, Allen Iverson.

George’s other options were mostly exhausted by that point, so the late-night meeting was more or less a formality. The Clippers weren’t willing to give him the four-year contract he wanted, and the Magic, who were the other team George agreed to meet with, had already reached an agreement with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope that limited their remaining cap space.

George happily accepted the four-year max offer, giving Sixers brass the player they had been hoping to acquire since James Harden demanded a trade last summer. Sources tell Shelburne that when Clippers executive Lawrence Frank originally called to ask about Harden, Philadelphia president of basketball operations Daryl Morey asked for George in return. Frank wasn’t willing to consider it because L.A. was trying to compete for a title, but the team’s concerns about a long-term stay in the second apron eventually made George available in free agency.

Shelburne hears that after Kawhi Leonard agreed to a three-year, $150MM extension in January — after being eligible for four years at $221MM — there was pressure on George to accept a similar deal. At age 34, George was hoping to maximize what could be his final NBA contract, so he began to consider other options.

Sources tell Shelburne that the Clippers’ offers to George were for less guaranteed money than what Leonard received. She adds that George was aware that other teams were willing to give him a four-year max contract and he was disappointed by the Clippers’ resistance.

Shelburne confirms a weekend report that the Warriors made a serious effort to trade for George on Saturday as the deadline for picking up his $48.8MM option approached. Chris Paul‘s agreement to push back the guarantee date on his $30MM salary for next season was done in case Golden State needed to include all or part of that money in a deal with L.A.

Shelburne’s sources say there were talks at both the ownership and executive levels as the Warriors made numerous offers consisting of expiring contracts, young players and a 2027 first-round pick that would have been unprotected. The Clippers asked for Jonathan Kuminga to be included, but Shelburne hears that Golden State was unwilling to part with the talented young forward because they feared George’s interest in joining the Warriors would dip if they gave up too much to acquire him.

The trade ultimately died because of the Clippers’ reluctance to take back contracts that would push them into the second apron unless the talent level justified it.

L.A. Notes: Lakers, Klay, DeRozan, Clippers, George, Batum

July 2nd, 2024 at 7:53am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers are believed to have made a bid for Klay Thompson that would’ve been for more years and more overall money than the three-year, $50MM deal he accepted from the Mavericks, according to reports from Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times and Tim MacMahon of ESPN on the Hoop Collective podcast (hat tip to RealGM). Los Angeles would have had to send out salary and assets in a sign-and-trade to make such an offer.

The Lakers were “extremely intriguing” to Thompson, says ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. However, sources tell Wojnarowski that the Mavericks’ NBA Finals run and the financial advantages of living in Texas were among the deciding factors for the veteran sharpshooter, who will be joining a new team for the first time since entering the NBA in 2011.

LeBron James reportedly made a recruiting call to Thompson when free agency opened and the Lakers had a face-to-face meeting with the 34-year-old on Sunday night, per Marc Stein (Twitter link). But, as Stein writes, the Mavs had Thompson’s former USA Basketball teammate Kyrie Irving on their side for recruiting purposes and were able to secure Thompson’s commitment following their own face-to-face meeting.

Here’s more out of Los Angeles:

Having missed out on Thompson, the Lakers shifted their focus to DeMar DeRozan, Jovan Buha of The Athletic confirms. LeBron James would reportedly be willing to accept a pay cut to accommodate the acquisition of DeRozan, so L.A. could theoretically offer the free agent forward more than the full mid-level exception via a sign-and-trade. But negotiating such a deal would be tricky, since the Bulls will want assets in return and likely won’t be open to taking back much – if any – salary due to their own financial situation.
It’s unclear if there are any other free agent targets left on the board for whom James would take a discount, so if the Lakers are unable to land DeRozan, LeBron would likely be on track to sign a maximum-salary contract with the team, Buha notes.
Buha adds that the Lakers have been active in trade talks in recent days, discussing possible deals with the Trail Blazers, Nets, and Jazz, among other clubs. Previous reporting has suggested the Lakers have some level of interest in Jerami Grant (Portland) and Cameron Johnson (Brooklyn); Utah has plenty of cap room available and could potentially take on salary as a third team in a sign-and-trade for DeRozan, though that’s just my speculation. The Jazz are also believed to be open to listening to inquiries on some of their veterans, including Lauri Markkanen (to be clear, the Lakers aren’t among the teams that have been linked to Markkanen so far).
Besides being unwilling to offer Paul George a fourth year, the Clippers also didn’t include a no-trade clause in their proposal to the star forward, ESPN’s Wojnarowski said during a SportsCenter appearance (hat tip to RealGM). George would have been eligible for a no-trade clause with the Clippers because he was signing a free agent contract, had at least eight years of NBA experience, and had spent at least four years with the team.
Sixers star Joel Embiid was pushing for a return to Philadelphia for Nicolas Batum, who also drew interest from the Bucks, among other teams, reports Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints. However, Batum – who played for the Clippers from 2020-23 – still has family in Los Angeles and considers it home, per Azarly. Azarly adds that the forward’s relationships with head coach Tyronn Lue and some front office members also factored into his decision to return to L.A. on a two-year deal.

Clippers To Sign Kris Dunn

July 1st, 2024 at 8:36pm CST by Luke Adams

8:36pm: The Clippers are exploring possible sign-and-trade scenarios to bring in Dunn from the Jazz, reports Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). A sign-and-trade would open up a wider salary range for Dunn.

7:38pm: The Clippers have agreed to sign free agent guard Kris Dunn, league sources tell Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report (Twitter link).

The fifth overall pick in the 2016 draft, Dunn didn’t live up to his draft billing in Minnesota or Chicago during the early years of his career, but has evolved into a solid rotation piece in recent years. He spent the past two seasons in Utah, where he provided solid, versatile defense in the Jazz’s backcourt and earned praise from head coach Will Hardy for his voice in the locker room.

In 88 total appearances (35 starts) across two seasons in Utah, Dunn averaged 7.4 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.3 rebounds in 20.6 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .497/.395/.741.

Dunn was frequently mentioned within the last week as a potential free agent target for the Suns, with Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports reporting (via Twitter) that the 30-year-old was atop the club’s wish list as it sought a point guard. Instead, he’ll head to one of Phoenix’s division rivals, joining a Clippers team that seems prepared to move on from backup point guard Russell Westbrook.

While the details of Dunn’s contract aren’t known, the over-the-cap Clippers are believed to be devoting most of their mid-level exception to Derrick Jones and their bi-annual exception to Nicolas Batum. Unless Los Angeles plans to negotiate a sign-and-trade deal for one or more of its free agent additions, that would leave either the leftover portion of the MLE or a minimum-salary contract for Dunn.

Trade/FA Rumors: Markkanen, Westbrook, DeRozan, Achiuwa, Trent

July 1st, 2024 at 3:44pm CST by Rory Maher

Appearing on SportsCenter, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski confirmed a report from his ESPN colleague Brian Windhorst stating that the Warriors are among the teams with interest in trading for Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (YouTube link).

“Utah is not sure it wants to trade (Markkanen), but they have to listen; they’ve been listening,” Wojnarowski said. “And a lot of the teams that missed out on Mikal Bridges from Brooklyn have transferred over to try and see if they can land Lauri Markkanen from Utah. Golden State is one of those teams.”

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

According to Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports (Twitter link), three-time MVP Nikola Jokic has “pushed behind the scenes” for the Nuggets to trade for Clippers guard Russell Westbrook, himself a former NBA MVP. Wind hears Jokic has wanted to play with Westbrook for multiple seasons. Joey Linn of Sports Illustrated confirms (via Twitter) Wind’s reporting, adding that DeAndre Jordan has been supportive of the idea of adding Westbrook as well. According to Linn, the Clips are exploring “several” trade possibilities for Westbrook, and even if he isn’t traded to Denver directly, it’s possible he might eventually land with the Nuggets.
The Bulls and DeMar DeRozan appear destined to part ways, with a source telling Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times that the six-time All-Star will be landing elsewhere. According to Cowley, DeRozan made up his mind to leave once Chicago traded Alex Caruso to Oklahoma City for Josh Giddey. The Bulls have been targeting younger players in free agency, re-signing restricted free agent Patrick Williams and agreeing to a three-year deal with big man Jalen Smith.
While the Knicks chose not to tender a qualifying offer to forward/center Precious Achiuwa, they are still open to a potential reunion with the 24-year-old, a source tells Fred Katz of The Athletic. Ian Begley of SNY.tv hears (via Twitter) interest in a reunion is mutual, but the young big man is also drawing interest from “several” contenders, so he could have multiple options to choose from.
There hasn’t been much news related to Raptors guard Gary Trent Jr., a 25-year-old unrestricted free agent who earned $18.6MM last season. As Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca writes, GM Bobby Webster said before free agency opened that a return to Toronto was still possible, assuming the terms were agreeable for both sides. “You want to be strategic about what’s tradable, what’s not tradable,” Webster said of Trent. “We have some big contracts coming up in the future, so it’ll just have to be something that makes sense for everyone.”

Clippers Sign Nicolas Batum To Two-Year Deal

July 1st, 2024 at 1:42pm CST by Rory Maher

JULY 9: Batum’s new deal with the Clippers has been finalized, per the NBA’s official transaction log. In case you missed it, the veteran forward said he received interest from 17 teams as a free agent.

JULY 1: Free agent forward Nicolas Batum is returning to Los Angeles, having agreed to a two-year, $9.6MM contract with the Clippers, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Veteran reporter Marc Stein first reported (via Twitter) that the Clips were a “strong contender” to land the 35-year-old, who also drew interest from the Spurs and Warriors, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter links).

Based on the reported terms, it seems very likely that L.A. will use the bi-annual exception to sign Batum. If that’s the case, the exact value of the two-year pact will be $9,569,400.

Batum has long been a highly versatile player who can fulfill multiple roles on both ends of the court. He has a great feel for the game and is a very smart ball-mover and passer, on top of being a strong three-point shooter — he has converted 39.8% of his long-distance looks over the past four seasons.

After an ill-fated yet highly lucrative stint with Charlotte from 2015-20, Batum had a career renaissance with the Clippers from ’20-23. He spent most of last season with Philadelphia, however, after he was traded to the Sixers in the James Harden deal. Kelly Iko of The Athletic reported yesterday that Batum would not be returning to Philly.

The 25th pick of the 2008 draft, Batum spent his first seven NBA seasons in Portland. The 16-year veteran will be playing for his native France in the Paris Olympics later this month.

FA/Trade Rumors: Lakers, Klay, Mavs, DeRozan, Markkanen, Bey, Bullock

July 1st, 2024 at 11:05am CST by Luke Adams

LeBron James and agent Rich Paul talked to the Lakers last week and conveyed that the star forward would be willing to accept a pay cut in 2024/25 in the event that the team was able to land one of the players on a “short list” of free agent targets, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst confirmed on Monday’s Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link).

Previous reporting identified three of those possible Lakers targets as James Harden, Klay Thompson, and Jonas Valanciunas. Of the three, only Thompson is still on the board after Harden reached a deal to re-sign with the Clippers and Valanciunas agreed to terms with the Wizards, and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on SportsCenter on Sunday night (YouTube link) that James called Thompson right when free agency opened.

The Mavericks continue to be considered a strong contender for Thompson, but would have to negotiate a sign-and-trade agreement with the Warriors in order to acquire him into the $16MM+ trade exception they’re creating in the Tim Hardaway Jr. deal. According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter video link), a third team may be needed in that scenario to take on an outgoing player from Dallas. While Begley doesn’t mention any specific names, that outgoing Mavs player would almost certainly be either Josh Green or Maxi Kleber.

Even if Thompson ends up in Dallas, the Lakers may still have other names on that “short list” of targets that the team discussed with James, per Windhorst.

“I think there’s more than three,” Windhorst said on the Hoop Collective podcast. “I think DeMar DeRozan is on that list as well, and there may be another one or so.”

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

During that same episode of the Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link), Windhorst suggested that teams who have talked to the Jazz believe Lauri Markkanen could be had for the right price. According to Windhorst, the Warriors are “definitely investigating” Markkanen and the Spurs may also be among the teams with interest. “The teams who are negotiating with the Jazz do think there’s a good chance they’re going to move him,” Windhorst said (hat tip to RealGM). “Sometimes, (Jazz CEO) Danny Ainge will act like he’s going to do a trade and then there’s no trade. Maybe that will happen again here. But the teams negotiating think (he’s available).”
Despite not tendering him a qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent, the Hawks remain in discussions with forward Saddiq Bey, according to Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks and Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter links). Bey will likely miss most or all of next season due to a torn ACL, so if Atlanta wants to keep him, it makes more sense to discuss a longer-term deal without the risk that the 25-year-old will accept his one-year, $8.5MM QO.
Free agent wing Reggie Bullock has met with the Suns, Nuggets, Clippers, and Sixers so far in free agency, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link), who says the veteran swingman is expected to talk to more teams in the coming days. Bullock’s market figures to be for the vet minimum.