- Obi Toppin‘s future with the Knicks seems cloudy and the New York Post’s Peter Botte speculates on potential landing spots for the backup power forward. Botte lists the Pacers, Clippers, Kings and Hawks among the potential trade partners for Toppin, who is eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason.
The Jazz‘s trade for John Collins and the Timberwolves‘ extension agreement with Naz Reid are two transactions that could have a ripple effect on other offseason activity, Jake Fischer writes in his latest story for Yahoo Sports.
As Fischer explains, the Jazz were expected to be a player for forwards in free agency, with Celtics RFA Grant Williams among Utah’s rumored targets. The Jazz still project to have cap room available, especially if Jordan Clarkson doesn’t remain with the team, but after adding Collins to a frontcourt that now features Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, and lottery pick Taylor Hendricks, it’s hard to see them spending big on another forward or center, Fischer observes.
As for Reid, the Cavaliers were among the teams that hoped to take a run at him in free agency, sources tell Fischer. It’s unclear whether Cleveland – which should have the full mid-level exception available – will pivot to pursuing another significant frontcourt addition to complement Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley or whether the club specifically valued Reid highly, Fischer writes.
Meanwhile, opposing executives are curious about how the Timberwolves’ new deal with Reid might affect the rest of their roster. In particular, Fischer says, rival teams are wondering if Minnesota might waive veteran wing Taurean Prince, whose $7.5MM salary for 2023/24 is non-guaranteed.
With Prince on the books, the Wolves likely won’t have access to the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception, and they’re believe to be in the market for a combo guard with size using that MLE, according to Fischer, who names Bruce Brown and Donte DiVincenzo as two possible targets.
Here’s more of Fischer’s latest reporting:
- Minnesota is hardly the only team with interest in DiVincenzo. There has been “growing noise” among league personnel about the possibility of DiVincenzo joining the Knicks and teaming up with fellow Villanova alums Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, says Fischer.
- Teams with cap room, including the Pacers, Magic, and Pistons, are believed to be eyeing players like Grant Williams (RFA) and Max Strus, according to Fischer, though he has heard the same rumblings that Marc Stein has about Detroit potentially using its room to make a room at Cameron Johnson. If the Nets bring back Johnson, rival executives are prepared for Brooklyn to make a cost-cutting trade to help accommodate Johnson’s increased salary.
- The Wizards are considered likely to reach a buyout agreement with Danilo Gallinari, freeing up the veteran forward to pursue a deal with a team closer to contention, Fischer reports. Gallinari would be ineligible to re-sign with the Celtics in that scenario.
- The Rockets are considering high-salary, short-term deals in order to land their preferred targets in free agency, per Fischer, who suggests it might take a maximum-salary offer to lure Fred VanVleet away from the Raptors. VanVleet is rumored to be one of Houston’s top priorities in free agency.
- In case you missed it, we passed along more of Fischer’s latest tidbits in a pair of stories earlier today.
The Spurs were among the teams who were interested in signing Timberwolves big man Naz Reid before he agreed to a three-year, $42MM extension, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack article.
San Antonio was seeking a veteran center to ease the burden on No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama during his rookie season. However, the Spurs may have only planned to offer Reid a one-year deal.
The Mavericks were among the teams with the full $12.4MM mid-level exception available who were known to have interest in Reid, Stein adds.
Here are some more tidbits from Stein:
- The Pistons’ interest in Nets restricted free agent Cameron Johnson, which has previously been reported by Stein, is genuine, he reiterates. There’s rising belief around the league that he’s their No. 1 free agent target, even though the Nets have the right to match. Detroit is projected to have over $30MM in cap space.
- The Suns, Bucks and Bulls have been mentioned as potential landing spots for Derrick Rose, according to Stein. The Knicks declined to pick up their $15.6MM option on Rose for next season. However, Rose’s time in New York isn’t necessarily over — the Knicks may re-sign him at a lower number if his other options don’t pan out, Stein says.
- If Kristaps Porzingis had chosen to decline his player option, the Jazz were prepared to make offer for more money than the Celtics can give him via a two-year, $77MM extension, per Stein. They were also interested in being the third party to facilitate the trade between the Wizards and Celtics. Boston was Porzingis’ preferred destination, however.
- Fred Katz of The Athletic explores 10 potential targets for the Knicks with their non-taxpayer mid-level exception. Katz cites Nuggets swingman Bruce Brown as one possibility, although Brown might be able to exceed the MLE on the open market and he doesn’t solve the team’s need for more outside shooting.
Josh Hart has reached an agreement with the Knicks to extend the deadline on his $12.9MM player option, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Hart’s decision was originally due by midnight ET today, but that deadline has been pushed back until Thursday.
Re-signing Hart remains a priority for New York, Wojnarowski adds, so the two sides could be working out the details of a long-term contract that would require him to turn down the option. If he declines it without reaching a new agreement with the Knicks, Hart will be unrestricted when free agency begins on Friday.
Hart also has the choice of picking up his option and negotiating an extension off that, Wojnarowski adds, stating that he can start the extension at 140% of his $12.9MM salary. Doing that would enable the Knicks to use their $12.4MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception, Woj points out, adding that New York has about $149MM in guaranteed salary for next season (including Hart’s option), which is $16MM below the projected luxury tax.
If Hart exercises the option without a new deal, he would become eligible for an extension in August that could be worth up to $81MM over four seasons, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic.
The 28-year-old swingman became a valuable part of coach Tom Thibodeau‘s rotation after being acquired from Portland at the trade deadline. Hart appeared in 25 games after arriving in New York, averaging 10.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 30.0 minutes per night. He also shot 51.9% from three-point range and brought a fiery style that fits in well with Thibodeau’s philosophy.
The Knicks plan to decline Derrick Rose‘s $15,596,339 team option for 2023/24, reports Steve Popper of Newsday (subscriber link).
As Popper writes, Rose was beloved throughout the organization, particularly by head coach Tom Thibodeau, but his on-court role in ’22/23 was virtually non-existent after December. He appeared in just one regular season game after the calendar flipped to 2023.
Still, the Knicks valued his leadership and the way he handled being benched, and a reunion on a minimum-salary deal is still a possibility if Rose is unable to find an opportunity for more playing time, Popper adds.
New York had until midnight on Saturday to make a decision on Rose’s option, per Popper.
Overall, Rose averaged career lows in points (5.6) and minutes (12.5) per game across 27 contests. He posted a .384/.302/.917 shooting line in his limited opportunities this past season.
Fred Katz of The Athletic confirms the news (Twitter links), noting that it may not have been as obvious a decision as it might appear on the surface. As Katz previously wrote, picking up Rose’s option could have given the Knicks an opportunity to use him as a salary-matching piece in trades, but now that has been eliminated as a possibility.
The 2010/11 league MVP and former No. 1 overall pick will become an unrestricted free agent and will be able to sign with any team. He was previously linked to the Bulls and Bucks.
The Knicks project to have access to the full mid-level exception in free agency after declining Rose’s option, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv.
JULY 3: Martin’s two-way contract with the Knicks is now official, per NBA.com’s transaction log.
JUNE 23: Undrafted former Overtime Elite guard Jaylen Martin has agreed to a two-way contact with the Knicks, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The 19-year-old averaged 14 points, 5.9 dimes, 1.6 steals, 1.4 rebounds and 0.7 blocks a night across 23.3 minutes per during his lone season with the Atlanta-based developmental league, per Overtime Elite’s official website.
As a two-way signing, the 6’6″ prospect is expected to split his time between New York and the club’s NBAGL affiliate, the Westchester Knicks.
With New York having already agreed to sign former Kentucky forward Jacob Toppin, younger brother of Knicks power forward Obi Toppin, to a two-way contract earlier tonight, two of the team’s three available two-way slots are now accounted for.
It remains to be seen whether or not New York will decide to bring back either of last year’s two-way players, shooting guard Trevor Keels and combo guard Duane Washington, to occupy that third and final two-way contract.
Zach LaVine‘s representative oppose a potential trade to the Knicks, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reports.
The Bulls’ star swingman is represented by superagent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, while the Knicks have a reputation of favoring clients of CAA, the agency that employed Leon Rose before he took over as New York’s president of basketball operations.
Paul has told confidants for over a year he prefers not to have a client play for the Knicks, according to former Knicks beat reporter Marc Berman (Twitter link). Cam Reddish‘s stint with the Knicks didn’t help matters, as he’s also represented by Klutch Sports. The frosty relationship between Rose and Paul developed during the LeBron James saga — Rose was James’ agent before switching to Klutch.
New York, which didn’t have a first-round pick in Thursday’s draft, has reportedly been seeking ways to acquire another star. LaVine would certainly upgrade their offense — he averaged 24.8 points and 4.2 assists. However, he also brings a huge long-term salary concern for would-be trade partners. He’s entering the second year of his five-year, $215,159,700 contract.
The Knicks can put together an impressive package of picks and young players if the right deal comes along. They were reportedly involved in negotiations with the Wizards for Bradley Beal. A source told Bondy that the Knicks were not having ongoing discussions with the Clippers regarding a potential trade for Paul George. The Knicks reportedly had interest in George, then reconsidered given his age and injury history.
Having agreed to acquire point guards Tyus Jones and Chris Paul in separate trades, the Wizards have begun talking to rival teams about Monte Morris, league sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. According to Fischer, Washington’s front office – which has already been very active this offseason – is telling potential trade partners that the team doesn’t want to take on any long-term money.
It remains to be seen what the Wizards have in mind for Paul. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (YouTube link) said during a TV appearance earlier this week that he doesn’t get the sense that Washington is trying to “bottom out” by going into full tank mode, suggesting he can envision a scenario where Paul is on next season’s roster. However, that was before the team agreed to acquire Jones.
According to Fischer, the Wizards and Suns are tentatively planning for the Bradley Beal trade call to take place on Friday. It’s unclear whether Paul will be flipped to a new team as part of that deal or whether Washington’s three-team trade with Boston and Memphis might be folded into the same transaction.
Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Andrew Greif and Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times provide a little more context on the recent Paul George trade rumors, suggesting that the Knicks initiated talks with the Clippers but are hesitant to pursue the star forward, who may seek an extension when he becomes eligible this offseason. There’s a sense that George’s value might not be as high as the Clippers would like, given his injury history and his contract situation, per The Times’ duo. A previous report indicated he’s unlikely to be dealt.
- Rising star Mikal Bridges tells Brian Lewis of The New York Post that he has been informed by the Nets that they have no interest in trading him. The team has conveyed that stance both publicly and privately, according to Lewis. “As of right now they’re saying they’re not, but I think just being a good person kind of helps with that, because there’s just like you don’t want to lose a person like that, which is always a good quality to have,” Bridges said. “So, [I feel] just blessed, man; just blessed and very appreciative for that. And that just does show that love, honestly.”
- In addition to offering four first-round picks for Bridges at the trade deadline, the Grizzlies are also said to have targeted Magic forward Franz Wagner in recent months, Fischer reports. Fischer refers to the team’s decision to surrender a pair of first-rounders for Marcus Smart as a “middle-ground” move after those more ambitious pursuits didn’t pan out.
- While it doesn’t sound like Bridges will be going anywhere this offseason, the futures of fellow Nets forwards Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale remain uncertain. According to Fischer, Brooklyn is seeking a first-round pick in return for O’Neale and wants a pick and a player for Finney-Smith.
- It may end up being a quiet draft night for the Bulls, who don’t currently have a pick, but they’re still exploring ways to acquire a first-rounder, reports Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. In other Bulls news, Cowley hears from sources that free-agent-to-be Nikola Vucevic may be willing to give Chicago a “hometown discount” on a new multiyear contract. The big man made $22MM this past season.
Evan Fournier‘s representatives are working to find a trade involving their client, a source tells Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News (Twitter link). As Bondy notes, the news is hardly surprising, given that Fournier spoke after the Knicks‘ season ended about his expectation that he wouldn’t be back with the team in 2023/24, despite being owed a guaranteed salary of $18.9MM.
Finding a taker for Fournier won’t be easy for his reps, given that the veteran wing doesn’t have positive trade value even though he’s on a pseudo-expiring contract (his deal includes a 2024/25 team option). The Knicks will almost certainly have to package him with more valuable assets to get anything worthwhile in return.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- The Knicks and Clippers have been in touch about a possible Paul George trade, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link). However, the star forward is unlikely to be moved, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who says the Trail Blazers also expressed interest in building a deal around the No. 3 pick and George, and failed to gain any traction. The Clippers remain focused on building their roster around George and Kawhi Leonard, Fischer says.
- Begley believes that the Knicks and Obi Toppin‘s camp may work together to find him a new home this offseason, unless the team makes other moves that open up more regular minutes for the former lottery pick (Twitter video link).
- According to Fred Katz of The Athletic, Toppin and Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau had an “intense verbal altercation” following Game 4 of the club’s playoff series vs. Miami after the forward was held out of action for the entire second half. However, Katz clarifies that there doesn’t seem to be any lingering resentment related to that incident, and says the team didn’t show any interest in moving Toppin at the 2023 trade deadline. Katz also polled 15 executives about Toppin’s potential value on a rookie scale extension — 10 of those respondents suggested an annual salary between $10-15MM.
- Several “influential” people within the Knicks organization are fans of swingman Donte DiVincenzo, who is expected to reach unrestricted free agency this offseason, per Begley.
- Knicks guard Miles McBride has generated some interest from rival teams, according to Begley, who adds that McBride’s minimum-salary team option for 2023/24 looks like a lock to be exercised with or without a trade.