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Damian Lillard To Meet With Trail Blazers Officials About His Future

June 26th, 2023 at 1:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

1:37pm: The meeting will take place on Monday, tweets Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT. Lillard’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, will also be present.

8:51am: The Trail Blazers’ lottery luck and the addition of a strong rookie class weren’t enough to change Damian Lillard‘s mind about playing with a young team, sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic.

General manager Joe Cronin said over the weekend that he’ll talk with Lillard once the star guard returns from a vacation in France (Twitter link from Danny Marang of 1080 The Fan in Portland). That meeting is expected to take place early this week, giving Lillard and the Blazers time to map out their future before the start of free agency on Friday.

Portland landed the No. 3 pick in this year’s lottery and was able to add a potential future star in Scoot Henderson. The Blazers also picked up Kris Murray at No. 23 and Rayan Rupert at No. 43, adding three more prospects to the collection of young talent already on hand.

However, it’s not the type of team that Lillard prefers as he nears his 33rd birthday next month. Lillard declared after the regular season ended that he wants Cronin to add some veterans who will help turn the Blazers into a contender, and he has repeated that stance in subsequent interviews.

Amick hears that Lillard’s dream scenario is to re-sign Jerami Grant and add Draymond Green in free agency. The Warriors are reportedly confident about their chances to keep Green, but Amick states that the size of his contract could still become an issue.

Amick also points out that the Blazers don’t currently have enough cap room to sign Green, who’s believed to be seeking a new deal with a starting salary in the $20MM range. A sign-and-trade could be possible, although Amick believes a third team would have to be involved to make the financial aspects work.

Amick mentions Raptors forwards Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby as other possibilities, but he notes that Toronto has numerous teams that are interested in both players.

An important part of this week’s meeting will be for Lillard to gauge the front office’s commitment to upgrading the roster in time for next season, sources tell Amick. If he believes Cronin and owner Jody Allen are serious about building a contender, then he’ll hold off a decision about his future through at least the early part of free agency. If he’s not convinced, Lillard could decide to ask for a trade, possibly before free agency begins.

If that happens, Amick singles out the Heat as the main team to watch. Lillard has “serious interest” in going to Miami, sources tell Amick, and the Heat are believed to be equally interested in acquiring him.

Lillard’s desired destination will factor into any trade because of his years of service in Portland and the size of his contract, Amick adds. With four seasons left at $216MM, including a $63MM player option for 2026/27, Amick states that it’s hard to imagine any team trading for Lillard unless he wants to go there.

Damian Lillard Trade Would Cost Miami Most Of Its Remaining Assets

June 26th, 2023 at 11:02am CST by Arthur Hill

If the Heat acquire Damian Lillard, it will probably be the last significant move the team can make for a while, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer writes in an examination of the trade market for the Trail Blazers star. A deal with Portland would likely require Miami to give up most of its remaining assets, which include first-round picks in 2028 and 2030 and pick swaps in 2027 and 2029, along with Tyler Herro, Nikola Jovic and Jaime Jaquez. Either Kyle Lowry or Duncan Robinson will have to be involved if a trade happens after July 1, O’Connor adds. O’Connor also looks at a potential deal with the Nets, but states that there aren’t many other teams in need of a point guard who have the assets to make a serious offer for Lillard.

Blazers Notes: Scoot, Fit, Contention, Lillard

June 25th, 2023 at 3:00pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

New Trail Blazers rookie point guard Scoot Henderson, selected with the third pick out of the G League Ignite on Thursday, raved about his fit in Portland and aspires to play alongside incumbent Blazers point guard Damian Lillard, writes Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.

“I feel like Portland was the best situation for me,” Henderson said. “[Former Ignite teammate] Pooh Jeter is there right now with the G League and stuff like that, and then me texting Dame two years ago. It all came full circle.”

“I think it would be great just to learn from him, just to sit back and really observe a great player,” Henderson said of Lillard. “Especially just being that close to him and going there. Especially just the guard he was coming into the league and how he was fearless. Fearless of anybody. And how he kind of came in and impacted the game at a high level. Yeah, just to learn from that, it would be great.”

There’s more out of Portland:

Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin defended the club’s decision to draft Henderson in lieu of trading the selection for more experienced help, writes Jason Quick of The Athletic. “I would say we made the biggest move possible by drafting Scoot Henderson,” Cronin said. “He’s going to be better than any player that would maybe be perceived as that big move. And then you start to factor in other things that matter in this league — the salary cap, (Henderson) on a rookie scale — that allows us to build a lot more depth than we would have been able to otherwise.”
No trade exists to transform Portland into a true title contender this season, Adrian Wojnarowksi of ESPN suggested during a TV appearance (Twitter video link). If he truly wants to win a title with the team that drafted him, Lillard will need to wait a bit longer, in Wojnarowski’s view. “There’s no magic trade out there for them [to carve out a championship path in 2023/24],” Woj said. “I think Portland did what was right by their organization, and their front office trading out of No. 3 for whatever the best available veteran would’ve been [instead of drafting Henderson], it would’ve been malpractice.”
After Lillard was seen on his Instagram Live blasting Will Smith’s “Miami” on Friday, his agent Aaron Goodwin told Sam Amick of The Athletic that the song was in no way Lillard’s choice, and wasn’t an indication that he wants the Trail Blazers to move him to the Heat this summer. The seven-time All-Star was enjoying his offseason in a Parisian club when a local DJ decided to poke fun at his situation by playing the song, Goodwin explained. “The music was just a coincidence,” Goodwin told Amick. “Damian’s not disrespectful… That’s why he laughed (in the video). It’s a funny coincidence that a DJ would put that on.”

Fischer’s Latest: Hunter, Pistons, Collins, Jazz, Poole, Herro

June 23rd, 2023 at 12:28pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks didn’t end up making any major moves on draft day, but they continue to explore potential trade options around the league, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

According to Fischer, in addition to having talked to Indiana about a possible deal involving forward De’Andre Hunter, the Hawks also had “significant” discussions with the Pistons about a trade that would have sent the 25-year-old to Detroit.

Hunter isn’t the only Hawks forward whose name is popping up in trade talks this week. Fischer says Atlanta has also been active on the John Collins front, re-engaging the Jazz in conversations about the big man who has been consistently mentioned in trade rumors for multiple years. However, it doesn’t sound like the two sides gained serious traction in those negotiations.

Here’s more from Fischer’s post-draft report for Yahoo Sports:

Before agreeing to trade Jordan Poole to Washington, the Warriors also talked to the Celtics and Spurs about him, writes Fischer. Boston moved forward with its Kristaps Porzingis deal instead, while San Antonio “never made a significant offer” for Poole, according to Fischer, who adds that Golden State also had “serious” talks with the Pacers about a deal involving the No. 7 overall pick and Jonathan Kuminga.
Given that the Wizards were making it in a point in most of their trade discussions not to take back any long-term money, some opposing executives have wondered if they intend to flip Poole to another team, says Fischer. However, sources tell Yahoo Sports that the Warriors are under the impression that Washington plans to keep the high-scoring guard.
Golden State’s trade of Poole has increased speculation among rival executives that the Heat may take a similar path and look to deal Tyler Herro sooner rather than later, per Fischer. Herro didn’t play a role in Miami’s run to the NBA Finals this spring due to a hand injury, and his four-year $120MM+ contract is very similar to Poole’s.
People around the NBA think there may be some “atypical” trade activity before the start of free agency, according to Fischer. The new CBA will take effect in July, so teams may want to take advantage of certain old rules – like the ability of tax-apron teams to take back up to 125% of the salaries they send out in trades – before they expire.

Heat To Sign Justin Powell To Exhibit 10 Contract

June 23rd, 2023 at 10:53am CST by Rory Maher

The Heat plan to sign Washington State guard Justin Powell to an Exhibit 10 contract, a source tells Jake Weingarten of Stockrisers.com (Twitter link).

Powell, who is ranked No. 21 on ESPN’s best available undrafted players list, had stints with Auburn and Tennessee before finishing out his college career with Washington State. As a junior for the Cougars in 2022/23, he averaged 10.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG and 2.8 APG while shooting 42.6% from three-point range in 34 games (33.8 MPG).

Powell’s Exhibit 10 deal should give him an opportunity to suit up for the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, as a rookie in ’23/24. He could earn a bonus worth up to $75K if he’s waived by the Heat and then spends up to 60 days with the Skyforce. Powell’s Exhibit 10 deal could also be converted into a two-way contract if Miami decides it wants to keep him on the NBA roster.

Western Rumors: Suns, Jazz, Pelicans, Zion, Rockets

June 22nd, 2023 at 8:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Despite trading away all of their second-round picks for the next seven years after this one, the Suns do still hold the No. 52 selection in tonight’s draft. According to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link), Phoenix has been exploring trade options with that pick. Dealing it for a player is one option — moving up in the second round using cash as a sweetener is another path the team has considered, says Gambadoro.

Here’s more from around the West:

The Jazz had some discussions about trading the No. 9 and/or No. 16 pick, but ultimately hung onto both, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Utah continues to explore deals involving No. 28, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), who reports that the team’s decision on whether or not to keep it will depend on who’s still on the board at that point.
Wojnarowski said on ESPN’s draft broadcast that he couldn’t find a team that was offered Zion Williamson in trade talks with the Pelicans leading up to the draft. While New Orleans did try to move up from No. 14, the club was focused on using future draft assets in those efforts rather than offering a star like Williamson.
The Rockets, who are picking at No. 20, have made trade inquiries with the Lakers (No. 17), Heat (No. 18), and Warriors (No. 19), but haven’t revealed which prospect they’re looking to move up for, tweets Fischer.

Draft Rumors: Miller, Henderson, Pistons, Howard, Jaquez

June 22nd, 2023 at 10:10am CST by Arthur Hill

Numerous insiders have stated that the Hornets are leaning heavily toward taking Brandon Miller with the No. 2 pick in tonight’s draft, but Miller indicated Wednesday that he hasn’t been promised anything, writes Adam Zagoria of NJ.com.

“Probably when I get drafted is when I’ll know where I’m going,” Miller said. He added that he’ll be equally happy heading to Charlotte with the second pick or Portland at No. 3.

In an updated mock draft released this morning, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic moved G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson up to No. 2 ahead of Miller. Vecenie has been skeptical of rumors that Charlotte is leaning toward Miller because he’s a better fit, and he continues to doubt leaks that the Hornets have decided on Miller after bringing both players in for a second workout on Monday.

Vecenie points out that general manager Mitch Kupchak said at a news conference Wednesday that team officials didn’t get a lot of new information from that second visit. Vecenie adds that incoming owners Gabe Plotkin and Rich Schnall will be involved in the draft decision, and they may view Henderson as the better prospect.

There’s more draft news to pass along:

The Pistons are listening to offers for the No. 5 pick, but their asking price is “prohibitively high,” Jonathan Givony states in ESPN’s updated mock draft (subscription required). He cites the Jazz, who hold the ninth and 16th picks, as a team that would like to move up if Detroit eases its demands. Givony adds that Pistons’ ownership may be reluctant to trade down, hoping to add an exciting prospect after such a difficult season. Givony lists Ausar Thompson as his choice for Detroit, noting that Cam Whitmore has likely fallen into the 6-9 range.
Michigan’s Jett Howard tells Sean Deveney of Heavy.com that he worked out this week for the Lakers, who hold pick No. 17. Deveney points out that the freshman guard already has a connection with L.A. general manager Rob Pelinka, who played with Jett’s father, Juwan Howard, for two seasons with the Wolverines. “Rob was there, talked to him a little bit,” Howard said of the 30-minute session with the Lakers. “I have known him so long, it was kind of an organic conversation. And yeah, if they pick me, I would be more than happy to play for them.”
The Lakers, Heat (18) and Warriors (19) may all have interest in UCLA’s Jaime Jaquez, Deveney adds in a separate story. Jaquez credits strong workouts with helping to raise his draft stock. “I think I did well in the workouts, I went out there and showed what I can do, and hopefully teams saw what I was capable of,” he said. “There were question marks going into those workouts, I went into those workouts trying to answer those questions. I think that is why I got this invite here.”
Jaquez is one of the final additions to the Green Room list issued by the NBA (Twitter link), along with Brandin Podziemski and Rayan Rupert.

Trade Rumors: G. Williams, Hunter, Nuggets, Wizards, Ayton, More

June 21st, 2023 at 11:04am CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks are among the teams that have spoken to the Celtics about the idea of a Grant Williams sign-and-trade, a league source tells Tim Cato of The Athletic. While it’s not easy to envision a deal that gets Williams to Dallas and appeals to both teams, the Mavs are just one of many potential suitors for the restricted free agent forward.

According to Jared Weiss of The Athletic, there have been more than a half-dozen teams to inquire with the Celtics about the possibility of signing-and-trading for Williams. At this point, Boston is conveying that it wants to retain Williams, per Weiss, who notes that new Celtics assistant coach Charles Lee is a fan of the forward and could help get more out of him in 2023/24 and beyond.

Within his story, Weiss also notes that veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon, who is optimistic he can avoid surgery on a torn tendon in his left elbow, would like to remain in Boston. Brogdon’s name has come up in trade rumors early in the offseason as the Celtics reportedly explore ways to clear a backcourt logjam.

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

Within his latest mock draft, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report cites league sources who say the Hawks have explored the trade market for forward De’Andre Hunter. One motivating factor, Wasserman explains, would be opening up more playing time for promising young wing AJ Griffin.
The Nuggets, who worked out Trayce Jackson-Davis, Andre Jackson, Jordan Walsh, Kobe Brown, Drew Timme, and Tyree Appleby on Tuesday, continue to actively explore deals that would get them into the first round of Thursday’s draft, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post (subscription required), who says Denver is talking to multiple teams.
The Wizards asked for Suns center Deandre Ayton when the two teams were negotiating their Bradley Beal trade, but Phoenix was unwilling to include him, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7.
Gambadoro said this week during an appearance on the HoopsHype podcast that he has been told the Heat weren’t all that interested in pushing for Beal. Reports have indicated that Beal would have approved a move to Miami, and it seems as though the Heat could’ve put a stronger package on the table than the one the Wizards got from the Suns if they’d been so inclined.
While it comes as no surprise, the heads of basketball operations for the Hornets (Mitch Kupchak) and Pacers (Kevin Pritchard) both said they don’t anticipate keeping and using all of the 2023 draft picks they own, per Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link) and Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. The two teams, who each figure to make at least one draft-night trade, control five picks apiece — Indiana has three in the first round and two in the second, while Charlotte has a pair of first-rounders and three early seconds.

Heat Notes: Offseason Plan, Luxury Tax, Herro, Butler, Draft

June 20th, 2023 at 5:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Heat president Pat Riley will look for additions that could bring a title to Miami but he pledged not to make drastic roster changes, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes.

Riley met the media for his annual postseason press conference on Tuesday.

“We’re not going to take a wrecking ball to a good team that had some real adversity this year that I felt built some strength. We have a good team, and probably a great team,” Riley said. “And so, running it back? Yes. Doing something that can help you with that last step? Yes, if it’s a possibility and if there’s an opportunity without setting you back while you’re moving forward. It’s just onward with us. It’s onward.”

Of course, the Heat could still make a big trade. They’ve been linked to Damian Lillard and would be considered a strong candidate to land him if the star guard asks out of Portland. They were also considered a possible destination for Bradley Beal before the Suns swooped in for the Wizards’ All-Star wing.

Riley wasn’t at liberty to speak about Lillard or Beal due to tampering rules, nor could he talk about specific free agent targets. However, the Heat could move some big salaries (Kyle Lowry, Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson) if a superstar talent becomes available.

Riley addressed a number of other topics:

The Heat are projected to be over the luxury tax threshold next season, which is projected to be $162MM. Riley said that team owner Micky Arison and CEO Nick Arison are willing to pay the penalty for a championship team. “They’re committed to winning championships,” Riley said. “And we’re in the tax. (GM) Andy [Elisburg] has been already making sure that we’re working around the edges of the tax, trying to put together a competitive team, and we have. … [The Arisons are] committed to doing whatever it takes to fulfill his championship dream. It’s been 10 or 11 years, so we’re getting a little anxious here. We’d like to win another one.”
With Herro’s four-year, $130MM extension kicking in next season, Riley labeled him as one of the franchise’s young anchors along with Bam Adebayo, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “Tyler is just an extraordinary scorer and fourth-quarter player, big-time shot-maker. He’s 23 years old. You got to watch (it) with these guys.”
Riley admits he’d like to take some of the pressure off Jimmy Butler shoulders on offense: “I would love to be able to go out there and pick who I want as a perfect complement to him. It’s not that easy, but we will work toward that and I will pat him on the back the next time I see him.”
Ideally, Riley would like to get a versatile player with the Heat’s first-round pick at No. 18. “Probably I would say more overall wing size and length. I mean, that’s what I think everybody is looking for and multiple-position players, especially ball-handling players that are two-way kinds of players.”

Blazers Rumors: No. 3 Pick, Lillard, Adebayo, George, Zion

June 20th, 2023 at 11:08am CST by Luke Adams

Like his ESPN colleague Jonathan Givony, Brian Windhorst has been hearing that the Trail Blazers haven’t been enamored with the trade offers they’ve been getting for the No. 3 pick in this Thursday’s draft. Appearing on ESPN’s Get Up on Tuesday (YouTube link), Windhorst discussed the situation in Portland and how it could affect star guard Damian Lillard.

“In discussions with teams in the last couple of days, the Blazers have started to maybe indicate that they won’t trade the No. 3 pick and that they may end up deciding to draft a player there, whether it be Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller, because they aren’t necessarily in love with the options they’re getting offer for No. 3,” Windhorst said.

As Windhorst notes, Lillard has repeatedly expressed his loyalty to the Trail Blazers, but he has also spoken in recent months about not wanting to be part of a rebuild in Portland and his hope that the team can add impact veterans.

“I checked in on the Lillard side of things about whether or not there’d been a change of heart there and I was told unequivocally, ‘No,'” Windhorst said. “Dame does not want a youth movement. He wants to play with veterans. He wants the team to upgrade fast and immediately with veteran players that can help him now.”

There are other ways besides trading the No. 3 pick for the Blazers to add veteran talent this summer, Windhorst acknowledges, so if Portland keeps and uses its lottery pick on Thursday, that doesn’t necessarily mean Lillard will immediately make a trade request.

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports makes this point too, writing in his latest story that the Blazers “view this entire offseason as their canvas” to upgrade their roster around Lillard and don’t necessarily feel it has to happen entirely during the draft. For now, it still appears that Dame’s preference is to remain in Portland and that the club hasn’t shown any willingness to discuss trading Lillard, says Fischer.

Here’s more on the Blazers:

Portland is preparing what the front office considers a “compelling” offer for Heat big man Bam Adebayo, a source tells Fischer. While that may be true, it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which Miami would accept such a deal, given that the Heat view Adebayo as a long-term cornerstone and want to acquire Lillard themselves rather than help the Blazers keep him. For what it’s worth, Fischer suggests that any Portland offer for Adebayo would almost certainly have to include Shaedon Sharpe in addition to the No. 3 pick and Anfernee Simons to even get Miami to think about it.
While Adebayo may not be attainable, he’s the sort of “premium” player the Trail Blazers are targeting in talks involving their lottery pick, Fischer writes, naming Clippers forward Paul George as another example of a player the team would like to land.
League sources tell Fischer that the Blazers don’t “truly covet” either of the Raptors forwards they’ve been linked to (Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby) in a deal for the No. 3 selection. Bulls guard Zach LaVine and Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns also aren’t considered legitimate targets, Fischer adds.
The Blazers and Pelicans have discussed Zion Williamson, per Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, but New Orleans hasn’t made a formal offer involving Williamson and may want more than just the No. 3 pick for him, per Fischer.