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Eastern Notes: Cavs, Atkinson, Bulls, Sixers, Knicks, Hawks

June 21st, 2024 at 8:38pm CST by Luke Adams

After previously reporting that James Borrego was viewed as the frontrunner for the Cavaliers‘ head coaching job, Marc Stein says (via Twitter) he heard multiple times on Friday that Kenny Atkinson‘s candidacy for the job is “gaining steam.”

Atkinson was identified early in the Cavs’ search process as the potential frontrunner, but multiple reporters – including Stein and Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com – have said in recent weeks that Borrego appeared to have the edge. Those two former head coaches have been linked to the job most frequently and it certainly seems like one of them will end up being hired, but that’s not a lock. According to Stein, Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori also remains in the mix for Cleveland.

If the Cavaliers wrap up their search and make a decision soon, it will have an impact on their division rivals in Detroit. Both Borrego and Nori are expected to interview for the Pistons‘ head coaching vacancy.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

  • The Bulls‘ acquisition of Josh Giddey signals that the team isn’t sold on the idea of a Lonzo Ball comeback, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, who adds that director of player development and shooting coach Peter Patton has an “important project on his hands” in Chicago’s new lead guard, a career 31.0% three-point shooter. In his own look at the trade, Jon Greenberg of The Athletic contends that it’s “inexcusable” for the Bulls to make this kind of deal without acquiring any draft picks.
  • USC guard Isaiah Collier visited the Sixers this week for a pre-draft workout, a source tells Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter link). Once considered a possible top pick in this year’s draft, Collier has slipped to No. 23 on ESPN’s big board, so he could be available for Philadelphia at No. 16.
  • Yongxi Cui (China), David Jones (Memphis), Spencer Jones (Stanford), Ajay Mitchell (UCSB), and Antonio Reeves (Kentucky) were among the players to work out for the Knicks on Friday, tweets Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Bondy adds (via Twitter) that Arizona’s Keshad Johnson worked out for New York earlier this month.
  • The Hawks are hiring Ben Peterson away from the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers and will make him their VP of player health and performance, sources tell Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). Pelissero’s report on Peterson, who was said to be “well-regarded” in San Francisco, has been confirmed by Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link).
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Trade Rumors: George, Bucks, Centers, Lakers, Murray

June 21st, 2024 at 6:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Although Paul George sits atop our list of 2024’s top 50 free agents, there’s a chance that the Clippers forward won’t actually become a free agent this offseason. George could sign an extension to remain in Los Angeles before free agency begins. There’s also another scenario worth keeping an eye on in the next week or so, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who has mentioned during multiple recent podcasts and TV appearances that an opt-in-and-trade could be an option for George (hat tip to RealGM).

George holds a $48.8MM player option for 2024/25, and if he decides he wants to join a team that doesn’t have the cap room necessary to sign him as a free agent, he could pick up his option in conjunction with a trade agreement in order to allow the Clippers to get something back for him while getting him to his preferred destination. A former Clipper, Chris Paul, took this route in 2017 in order to accommodate a trade from Los Angeles to Houston.

While it sounds more like speculation than hard reporting, Windhorst has repeatedly referred to the Knicks as a suitor who would make sense in this scenario, since they could offer a strong combination of rotation players and draft assets in a trade package for George (Twitter video link).

If George opts for free agency, a sign-and-trade deal in which the Clippers acquire multiple players for him likely wouldn’t be possible, since a new CBA rule prohibits second-apron teams from taking back salary in exchange for a signed-and-traded player.

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

  • Windhorst said during an appearance on Friday’s episode of First Take (YouTube link) that the Bucks may look to shake up their core this offseason, though neither Giannis Antetokounmpo nor Damian Lillard is considered a trade candidate. “There’s starting to be rumblings that (Bucks head coach) Doc Rivers is looking for a change or two to some of their core pieces,” Windhorst said. “Not Dame or Giannis, but potentially looking at another maneuver they could make to alter their team.” Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported earlier today that Milwaukee center Brook Lopez is viewed as a possible trade candidate.
  • The Lakers, Grizzlies, and Pelicans are a few of the teams who are “closely monitoring” the market for centers this offseason, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, who took a closer look at whether New York will consider moving Mitchell Robinson. Like Lopez, Robinson has been cited as a potential trade candidate.
  • Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show on Friday (Twitter video link), Shams Charania of The Athletic suggested that the Lakers may renew their pursuit of a Hawks guard in the coming days. “They have to be aggressive,” Charania said. “One name that they did pursue last season at the trade deadline that teams around the league expect to come up again in trade conversations over the next week or so and makes sense for the Lakers is Dejounte Murray of the Hawks.” Atlanta is widely expected to trade either Murray or Trae Young this summer — Young has also previously been mentioned as a possible Lakers target.
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Brook Lopez, Mitchell Robinson Among Centers On Trade Block

June 21st, 2024 at 2:04pm CST by Rory Maher

Bucks veteran Brook Lopez and Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson are among the prominent centers who are available for trade this offseason, reports Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. Fischer hears from sources who say Clint Capela (Hawks), Walker Kessler (Jazz) and Isaiah Stewart (Pistons) are other big men names to watch on the trade market.

According to Fischer, Milwaukee is open to roster changes and has been gauging Lopez’s market value. The 36-year-old will earn $23MM in 2024/25, which is the final season of his contract. League sources tell Fischer the Rockets warned Lopez when they pursued him last summer that returning to the Bucks could eventually lead to him being traded.

While the Alex Caruso trade wouldn’t preclude the Thunder from making a run at Isaiah Hartenstein, they seem far more focused on finding a “situational reserve” center instead of a signing a starting-caliber big man like Hartenstein, per Fischer. As of now, the Knicks seem to be in the driver’s seat to re-sign the 26-year-old, Fischer writes — that’s why New York has been discussing Robinson deals.

Ian Begley of SNY.tv has also heard Robinson has popped up in trade talks (Twitter link). Begley believes the Knicks aren’t “fully committed” to dealing Robinson, but they view his contract — he’ll make $27.3MM over the next two seasons — as a valuable trade chip.

As cap expert Yossi Gozlan observes (via Twitter), moving off Robinson’s salary would give New York more financial flexibility this offseason, perhaps to re-sign Precious Achiuwa and OG Anunoby. If the Knicks make no other cost-cutting moves, they would project to be well over the second tax apron if they bring back all their key free agents.

Capela, 30, is on a $22.3MM expiring contract. He has popped up in trade rumors for some time. While Fischer suggests the Hawks and Pistons been actively exploring deals for Capela and Stewart, respectively, his wording on Kessler is more speculative, writing that “rival teams believe” the Jazz are open to the possibility of moving the 22-year-old, who excelled as a rookie in ’22/23 but had an uneven second season.

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Draft Workouts: Spurs, Suns, Pacers, Blazers, Lakers, Wolves, Thomas

June 20th, 2024 at 9:25pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs, who are widely expected to draft at least one guard next Wednesday, recently worked out both Stephon Castle of UConn and Devin Carter of Providence, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic.

As we relayed on Wednesday, recent mock drafts from ESPN and Bleacher Report both have San Antonio drafting Castle at No. 4, and the team is said to be high on Carter as well. Iko confirms as much, writing that the Spurs have “strong interest” in Carter, Castle, and Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard, with Carter’s private workout “resonating” among the team’s decision-makers.

Here’s more pre-draft workout news from around the NBA:

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Atlantic Notes: Randle, LaVine, Sixers, Newton, Nets, Stevens

June 20th, 2024 at 8:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on the latest episode of the 7PM in Brooklyn podcast (YouTube link), Knicks forward Julius Randle spoke about the frustrating process of trying to rehab his right shoulder injury during the second half of the 2023/24 season in the hopes of making it back for the playoffs, only to ultimately opt for season-ending surgery.

“I’m rehabbing for two-and-a-half months, knowing my shoulder ain’t good,” Randle said (hat tip to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. “So it’s a situation where it’s like, ‘Do I play and know that I’m going to miss six or seven months after we’re done playing?’ So I’m probably not playing until the next year. And I’m not good. So can I help the team? I don’t think I can get a rebound. I can’t fall. I feel like if I fall my shoulder is going to come out. So I’m dealing with that.

“I’m also dealing with the part like I feel selfish, like I’m letting the guys down. Then it came to the point where I don’t even want to be around because I’m trying to work to come back but I feel like I’m a distraction. I feel like an outcast. I’m like, let me just stay away, they’re doing great, let me just be around and support when I can. So I had to get out of my own way of my own ego and be like, all right, once I made that decision, deal with it, and keep moving and support the best way you can. But that s–t was tough.”

Randle underwent surgery on his troublesome shoulder in early April, with the Knicks announcing that he would be reevaluated in five months. That would put his evaluation on track for early September, with no guarantee that the star forward will be ready for training camp a few weeks later. However, Randle suggested he feels good about the progress he’s made — and about his chances of being ready to go in the fall.

“I’m getting there. It’s a process. It’s something that’s going to take a long time. I knew that going into it,” he said. “But I’m ahead of schedule, I’m feeling good. I’m healthy. I’ll be ready when the season starts.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

  • K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago reported earlier today that the Sixers are among the teams that have talked to the Bulls about Zach LaVine, then reiterated that report in a story published this evening following Chicago’s Alex Caruso/Josh Giddey trade agreement with Oklahoma City. However, a league source tells Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter link) that Philadelphia isn’t interested in pursuing LaVine.
  • UConn’s Tristen Newton was among the prospects who took part in the Sixers‘ pre-draft workout on Thursday, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Newton is the No. 66 prospect on ESPN’s big board.
  • Eben Novy-Williams and Scott Soshnick of Sportico provide more information on the minority stake that Julia Koch and her family are buying in BSE Global, the parent company of the Nets. The deal will include $688MM in cash, per Sportico, with much of that money being put toward outstanding debts.
  • Brad Stevens coached a number of the players who helped lead the Celtics to a title this spring and acquired several of the others. Michael Pina of The Ringer takes a look at the role the head-coach-turned-executive played in Boston winning its record-setting 18th championship.
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Brunson Might Listen To Extension Offer

June 20th, 2024 at 10:58am CST by Dana Gauruder
  • Jalen Brunson is eligible for an extension this summer for a max of four years and $156MM. If he waits until next summer, Brunson would be eligible for a five-year, $270MM contract. Yet Ian Begley of SNY TV believes Brunson will be willing to listen to an extension offer from the Knicks this summer, which would give the front office more cap flexibility in future seasons.
  • Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein will get a big raise in free agency, but how much is he worth in the open market? The Athletic’s Fred Katz polled 16 front-office officials, with their answers ranging from $15MM to $22.5MM per season. The Knicks, who hold his Early Bird rights, can offer a maximum of four years and $72.5MM.
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Atlantic Notes: Knicks Offseason, New York Targets, Celtics, Marinkovic

June 19th, 2024 at 10:45pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Knicks have a busy offseason ahead of them, but have a solid foundation of returning players, led by Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle, Spotrac’s Keith Smith writes in his offseason preview. Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart, Mitchell Robinson and Miles McBride are under contract, as is Bojan Bogdanovic, though his salary is only partially guaranteed for now and he may be used as a trade chip.

Still, New York has two key free agents to take care of: OG Anunoby and Isaiah Hartenstein. The Knicks may have an easier time signing Anunoby, who is expected to explore unrestricted free agency but whose full Bird rights are held by New York. A four-year, $160MM deal makes sense for Anunoby, Smith writes, given his production and what the team sent out to trade for him (Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett and draft capital).

However, the Knicks are limited to offering Hartenstein an average annual salary of about $18.1MM, which could be topped by teams with ample cap space like the Thunder and Magic, each of whom may have interest. Nonetheless, it’s not impossible Hartenstein opts to return. The difference in what he might earn from another team and from New York might not be sizable enough for him to want to make a drastic scenery change, given his current role. Smith writes the Knicks could look to agree to a two-year deal with Hartenstein that allows him to hit free agency again before he turns 28 and gives the club full Bird rights, when the cap is expected to increase.

If the Knicks re-sign both Anunoby and Hartenstein, Smith points out they’ll almost certainly be a second apron team, which would limit their ability to trade for a star player, something they’ve seemed poised to do for some time. What New York decides to do with its two biggest free agents will also likely impact the team’s willingness to bring back free agents such as Precious Achiuwa, Alec Burks and Jericho Sims.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

  • In the second half of a two-part series, Fred Katz of The Athletic examines the names that might arise this offseason if the Knicks pursue a star, considering how realistic each player would be as a trade target. Devin Booker, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Lauri Markkanen, Brandon Ingram, Joel Embiid and Zach LaVine are the names mentioned by Katz, but only a Markkanen deal feels like it might make sense for both sides.
  • The Celtics almost made a number of massive moves in the build-up to what led to their 2024 title team. They had trade talks over the years about Anthony Davis, Jimmy Butler, Paul George, Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard, and had a godfather offer out to the Hornets with an eye toward moving up to No. 9 in the 2015 draft to select Justise Winslow. Any of those moves could have drastically altered Boston’s timeline. In a piece exploring Boston’s process to building a championship team, ESPN’s Zach Lowe (ESPN+ link) reports that the Celtics tried to acquire a second lottery pick in 2017 in order to select Donovan Mitchell, and again attempted to trade for him after Utah selected him.
  • Vanja Marinkovic will return to Partizan Mozzart Bet, with whom he has played 119 career games, after signing a two-year deal with them on Monday, the team announced. Marinkovic’s draft rights are held by the Nets after Brooklyn acquired them in the three-team deal that sent Royce O’Neale to the Suns. Marinkovic was the No. 60 overall pick in 2019.
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Draft Notes: Green Room, Mock Drafts, Samuel

June 19th, 2024 at 6:57pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Four more players have received green room invites for the 2024 NBA draft. Dayton’s DaRon Holmes II, Indiana’s Kel’el Ware, Colorado’s Tristan Da Silva and Pittsburgh’s Carlton Carrington have all accepted invitations to attend the draft in person, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (all Twitter links here).

Holmes, the A-10 Player of the Year, averaged 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.1 blocks per game last season while shooting 54.4% from the field and 38.6% from three. He’s listed at No. 39 on ESPN’s big board and is the lowest-ranked prospect on that list to be invited.

Ware (No. 24 on ESPN’s list) averaged 15.9 points and 9.9 rebounds this season in 30 games with Indiana after transferring from Oregon. Da Silva (No. 17 on ESPN) is a toolsy forward who spent all four seasons of his college career at Colorado. He averaged 16.0 PPG this season while making 39.5% of his 4.8 three-point attempts per game. Carrington (No. 19) made the ACC’s All-Freshman Team this season after averaging 13.8 PPG and 4.1 APG, establishing himself as a premier pull-up mid-range shooter.

Holmes, Ware, Da Silva and Carrington join France’s Zaccharie Risacher, Alex Sarr and Tidjane Salaun, Serbia’s Nikola Topic, UConn’s Donovan Clingan and Stephon Castle, Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham, Duke’s Jared McCain and Kyle Filipowski, Colorado’s Cody Williams, Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht, Providence’s Devin Carter, Baylor’s Yves Missi and Ja’Kobe Walter, Kansas’s Johnny Furphy, Miami’s Kyshawn George, USC’s Isaiah Collier and the G League Ignite’s Matas Buzelis and Ron Holland as the 24 players who accepted invitations to the green room. Purdue’s Zach Edey also received an invite, which he declined.

We have more draft-related notes:

  • There’s plenty of room for change in the next week leading up to the draft, but for now James L. Edwards of The Athletic sees Sarr as the best prospect in this class and believes he’s the player the Hawks should take at No. 1 if they don’t trade down. In a new mock draft that also involves Kelly Iko and Josh Robbins, The Athletic has Risacher going second to the Wizards and Castle going third to the Rockets. Carter going No. 8 to the Spurs and Holland falling to No. 11 to Chicago are among some of the more intriguing picks in the mock.
  • The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor doesn’t view Sarr or Risacher as the best players in this class, according to his latest big board, but still has Atlanta selecting Risacher in his latest mock. O’Connor lists Castle, Clingan and Buzelis as the best three players in the class, in that order. He has Holland as the 13th-best player and Bobi Klintman as the No. 18 prospect in the class. Terrence Shannon Jr., Nikola Djurisic and Trentyn Flowers are other prospects O’Connor has first-round grades on, deviating from the consensus. As for his mock, O’Connor has Sarr going second to Washington, Sheppard going third to Houston and Buzelis going fourth to San Antonio.
  • Former Florida and Seton Hall forward Tyrese Samuel has worked out for the Knicks, Spurs, Nets, Heat, Jazz, Bulls, Pelicans, Cavaliers, Raptors, Suns, Lakers and Pistons, NJ.com’s Adam Zagoria tweets. The 6-10 Samuel averaged 13.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks last season for Florida.
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Begley’s Latest: Lakers, Pistons, Carrington, Scheierman

June 18th, 2024 at 5:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Look for the Lakers to target at least one big man this offseason. They’re mulling their options to give Anthony Davis more opportunities to play his natural power forward position, according to SNY TV’s Ian Begley.

The Lakers have the No. 17 pick in the draft and could grab a center at that spot. Purdue’s Zach Edey, Baylor’s Yves Missi and Indiana’s Kel’el Ware are considered the top center options after UConn’s Donovan Clingan, who is expected to go in the top five. The Lakers could also look to free agent centers to fill that need. A list of all free agent centers can be found here.

Here’s more from Begley:

  • The Pistons, who are expected to have approximately $60MM in cap space, have made it known to teams looking to dump salaries they’re open for business. They would look to get draft capital and/or young talent in those deals. The punitive tax aprons confronting some organizations could lead to numerous trades on that scale this offseason.
  • The Magic are intrigued by Pittsburgh point guard Carlton Carrington. He’s rated No. 19 on ESPN’s Best Available list and Orlando holds the No. 18 pick. Carrington worked out for Orlando last week and has improved his stock during the pre-draft process, so it’s possible the Magic may have to move up to take him.
  • The Knicks haven’t announced who’ve they’ve worked out during the pre-draft process but Creighton wing Baylor Scheierman recently visited as part of a group workout. Scheierman (No.  27 on ESPN’s list) is considered a late first-round prospect and the Knicks have back-to-back picks at Nos. 24 and 25.
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Free Agency Notes: Anunoby, Negotiations, Sixers, Sirvydis

June 18th, 2024 at 2:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on ESPN’s Get Up on Monday (YouTube link), Brian Windhorst said that while there’s a widespread expectation that veteran forward OG Anunoby will ultimately end up back with the Knicks, it’s a situation worth keeping an eye on now that teams are permitted to negotiate with their own free agents.

“Most people believe that Anunoby will stay with New York, but there have been indications that he may want to test the market because he’s not thrilled with what the Knicks (may offer),” Windhorst said.

As Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports points out (via Twitter), Anunoby is a CAA Sports client, so it’s worth noting that ESPN’s Jay Williams – who is also represented by CAA – responded to Windhorst’s comment by stating, “I’ve heard that internally as well.”

A report on Monday suggested that the floor for Anunoby’s next contract is $35MM per year, meaning his non-Knicks suitors would be limited to teams that could create significant cap room or who are in position to pull off a sign-and-trade. That list isn’t extensive, but the Sixers are among the cap-room clubs that could have interest, especially if they miss out on top target Paul George.

Here’s more on free agency:

  • John Hollinger of The Athletic considers which high-profile free agents might end up with agreements in place before the league-wide free agent period begins on June 30, naming Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, Pacers forward Pascal Siakam, and a handful of others as candidates to strike deals early. Since Hollinger’s story was published, a report came out indicating that Siakam and the Pacers are nearing a long-term agreement.
  • In an Insider-only story for ESPN.com, Bobby Marks shares the contract offers he’d make to the top free agents of 2024, including three-year, $90MM deals for James Harden and DeMar DeRozan and a two-year, $50MM contract to try to lure Isaiah Hartenstein away from the Knicks.
  • The Sixers recently held a free agent workout that featured a handful of former NBA players, including Sam Dekker, Stanley Johnson, Jarrett Culver, and Tony Bradley, according to John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia and Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter links). The 76ers will have significant cap room this offseason, but if they use that room to sign just two or three players, they’ll have plenty of minimum-salary roster slots to fill.
  • Former Pistons wing Deividas Sirvydis, who appeared in 23 games across two seasons from 2020-22, has signed a new deal with Zalgiris Kaunas that includes two guaranteed years and a third-year option, the Lithuanian club announced in a press release. According to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com (Twitter link), the contract will feature an NBA opt-out clause, leaving the door open for the 24-year-old to potentially return stateside before the term expires.
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