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New York Notes: Simmons, Claxton, Brunson, Quickley

October 3rd, 2023 at 5:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Ben Simmons spent the offseason trying to show Nets coach Jacque Vaughn and his staff that he’s physically and mentally ready to be the team’s point guard, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports writes. Simmons believes he can regain the All-Star form he displayed in Philadelphia before things went sour.

“Show him that I want to play at this level and be the point guard and do these things,” Simmons said, adding “I think that comes with, we speak about it, is grace. When you put that work in, you really get grace from the surrounding people. Your teammates, your coaches and staff.”

We have more from the New York teams:

  • Nets big man Nic Claxton believes his hopes for the Defensive Player of the Year award ended last season when Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were dealt, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “I went from being top three in the Defensive Player of the Year to an end of the season, nothing at all. KD and Kyrie, when they left, it’s like my name just fell off the map. It makes my blood boil,” Claxton said with a laugh. “I was robbed of [an All-]Defensive team [spot], not even saying Defensive Player of the Year. It definitely is motivating. It’s an even bigger chip on my shoulder, and I’m ready to be there for my team to prove to everybody, proving myself who I am as a defender and as a player in this league.”
  • The Knicks didn’t add any star power so improvement will generally have to come from within, Jalen Brunson told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “It’s pretty much the same group, but we’ve got to continue to find ways to get better,” Brunson said. “It may be the little things, little mental edges, just concentration on the little things. Just our chemistry is going to get a lot better from knowing each other for a year now.”
  • One of the big questions looming over the Knicks in training camp is whether they’ll reach a rookie scale extension agreement with Immanuel Quickley. The reserve guard brushed aside questions about it on media day on Monday, according to Zach Braziller of the New York Post. “Whatever happens, happens because it’s all up to my agent and the Knicks at that point,” he said, adding “I feel like I can be better. I feel like I can be a lot better. I feel like there’s a lot of untapped potential that I have in my game. And I’m going to do everything I can, like I’ve always done, to reach that.” A recent report indicated there’s optimism an agreement will be reached.
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Raptors Notes: Rajakovic, Lillard, Siakam, VanVleet

October 3rd, 2023 at 11:03am CST by Luke Adams

The arrival of new Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic looks like a reason for optimism in Toronto, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca, who says that Rajakovic is bringing a “people-first” approach to his new role and appears to be connecting quickly with his players.

Scottie Barnes said on Monday that he loves the “energy” and “joy” Rajakovic brings to the job, while Gary Trent Jr. told reporters that the coach’s communication has been “great,” noting that Rajakovic is interested in talking to his players about topics beyond basketball.

“I’ve been in the NBA six years and I’ve had more conversations with him (outside of basketball) than with any coach I’ve ever had,” Trent said, per Lewenberg. “It’s been refreshing.”

The start of Rajakovic’s first NBA head coaching job has been marred to some extent by a lawsuit filed by the Knicks which claims that a former Knick employee shared proprietary information with Rajokovic and the Raptors after being hired by the franchise. The Raptors, who issued a statement in August disputing the claims in the suit, downplayed the case again on Monday, as William Lou of Sportsnet.ca writes.

“I know who I am. I know how my parents raised me. I know what I see in the mirror,” Rajakovic said in maintaining his innocence. “I cannot wait for this lawsuit to be over so everyone can see the truth.”

Here’s more out of Toronto:

  • Speaking to Danielle Michaud of Sportsnet, Raptors general manager Bobby Webster confirmed that the team’s interest in Damian Lillard was real. “You’d have to ask (the Trail Blazers),” Webster said when asked how close Toronto got to landing Lillard. “We were very aggressive. I’d say probably the biggest offer we’ve ever made for a player, but it’s up to them to accept it and so I think that’s, you know, you kind of never know what tilted a deal towards you or not. But maybe time will tell, we’ll find out.”
  • Pascal Siakam pushed back against any implication that he might have been one of the Raptors who played selfishly last season, as Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca relays. “I’ll speak for me, personally, I’ve never been a selfish player in my life,” Siakam said. “I’ve always played the game the right way and that’s from the first time I started playing basketball. I’ve always been a team player. All the things that I do on the basketball court is about the team and I’ve been like that my whole career.”
  • The free agency departure of veteran point guard Fred VanVleet was one of the topics Raptors president Masai Ujiri addressed on Monday, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. “Could we have traded Fred at the trade deadline? If that was a failure, we take responsibility for it,” Ujiri said. “Sometimes it depends on opportunity and respect (for) the player. We respected Fred. Fred decided to go somewhere, to better opportunities. It was good for him. Maybe it was good for us, too.”
  • The Raptors are one of five teams that John Hollinger of The Athletic is confident will beat their consensus over/under (36.5 wins) this season. While Hollinger acknowledges that going to VanVleet to Dennis Schröder is a downgrade at point guard, he notes that Toronto won 41 games in a down year last season, played better after acquiring Jakob Poeltl, and will have incentive to be as good as possible, since San Antonio owns the Raptors’ top-six protected 2024 first-round pick.
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Durant, Curry, LeBron, Other U.S. Stars Express Olympic Interest

October 2nd, 2023 at 4:08pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2024 Olympics in Paris were a popular topic of discussion on media days around the NBA in Monday, with many of the league’s biggest American stars expressing interest in representing Team USA next summer.

Suns forward Kevin Durant, who won Olympic gold medals in 2012, 2016, and 2020, was adamant in addressing his 2024 plans, telling reporters, “I will play in the Olympics next year,” according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.

Durant’s Suns teammate Devin Booker also indicated that he would accept an invite from USA Basketball, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic writes, while KD’s former Warriors teammate Stephen Curry told reporters, “(I) definitely want to be on the team,” per Reynolds.

Lakers forward LeBron James, who was rumored last month to be recruiting his fellow U.S. stars to play at next year’s Olympics, confirmed his interest, tweets Jovan Buha of The Athletic. His teammate Anthony Davis wasn’t prepared to commit yet, telling reporters that it’s too early to say whether he’ll play (Twitter link via Buha).

Of course, one of the biggest question marks for Team USA is Joel Embiid, who has yet to take part in an international competition and has citizenship in France and the U.S. in addition to his native Cameroon.

As Tim Bontemps of ESPN relays (via Twitter), Embiid said today that he’d like to play in the Olympics but is still weighing his options. While the U.S. and France have already qualified, Cameroon will compete in a qualifying tournament next summer in the hopes of earning a spot in the 12-team Olympic field. Embiid, who was reportedly given an October 10 deadline by the French team, said he hopes to make his decision “in the next few days.”

“I love all three options,” Embiid said, per ESPN. “Cameroon, I’m born there, I’m from there and I always want to represent my country. But the goal is also to play in the Olympics. If we had a chance, or if we would qualify for the Olympics, that will be an easy decision. But that’s still up in the air. And I really do want to play in the Olympics.”

Here’s more on the potential Team USA roster, which can only accommodate 12 players:

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Knicks Notes: Fournier, Grimes, DiVincenzo, Holiday, Robinson

October 2nd, 2023 at 2:09pm CST by Luke Adams

After Evan Fournier expressed his dissatisfaction over the summer about being pulled from the Knicks‘ rotation last season and not being given a chance to play for months, head coach Tom Thibodeau responded to Fournier’s complaints during a media session on Monday, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Post writes.

Thibodeau wasn’t overly sympathetic to Fournier’s gripes, pointing out that the numbers the Knicks posted without the veteran wing in the rotation speak for themselves.

“I didn’t come into (last) season thinking we were going to do the things that we did. We did it because we didn’t have success one way. So, we adjusted,” Thibodeau said. “And then the next group that went in, it’s hard to argue with 37-22 with a plus-five net rating. So, it is what it is. Your job is to stay ready. So whatever you’re doing, go out there and do it. Be part of the team.”

As Bondy writes, the Knicks went 37-45 in 2021/22 with Fournier as a full-time starter and were off to a 6-7 start last season when he was removed from the rotation. While the team’s turnaround certainly can’t be attributed solely to sitting Fournier, New York finished with a 47-35 record.

Fournier’s comments in July indicated that he didn’t expect to still be a Knick by this point, and a source tells Bondy that his representatives tried to work out a trade this summer. However, the club didn’t find a deal it liked. Fournier’s $18.9MM pseudo-expiring contract doesn’t have positive value on its own, but could be a useful salary-matching piece in the right trade.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

  • The Knicks committed approximately $47MM in guaranteed money to Donte DiVincenzo this offseason, but the plan for now is to have Quentin Grimes remain in the starting lineup at shooting guard, Thibodeau said on Monday, per Bondy. Thibodeau cited the success the club had after Grimes became a starter last season as the reason why he has earned the first shot at the job again this season. “Now of course you haven’t played any games and nothing has unfolded yet,” Thibodeau said. “So you base your decisions on the information you have. And that’s the information that we have and we’re going to go from there.” Jalen Brunson, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, and Mitchell Robinson project to be the other four starters.
  • Discussing his reasons for signing with the Knicks this offseason, DiVincenzo mentioned reuniting with his former Villanova teammates and getting to be close to family, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv. DiVincenzo also believes the Knicks are in a great position to continue their winning ways: “Ultimately, I like to win basketball games. Looking at…where I was potentially going to land, I felt most comfortable coming here.”
  • The Knicks had some interest in Jrue Holiday when Portland made him available, but the fact that they weren’t prepared to outbid Boston is indicative of the patient, cautious approach that Leon Rose has taken since assuming control of the club’s front office, Begley writes for SNY.tv. Begley still anticipates that the front office will take advantage of their extra draft assets by trading for an impact player at some point, but New York is clearly waiting for the right opportunity to push its chips into the middle of the table.
  • As an aside within a larger story about Deandre Ayton and the Trail Blazers, Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports cites sources who say that the asking price for Mitchell Robinson, if the Knicks were to make him available, would be multiple first-round picks. Goodwill was making a point about the value of centers around the league, not suggesting that Robinson is on the trade block.
  • Steve Popper of Newsday (subscription required) outlines five questions facing the Knicks entering training camp, including whether or not to extend Immanuel Quickley and which players are at risk of having their minutes cut back in a crowded rotation.
  • Having been let go by ESPN this summer, Mark Jackson may fill in for Clyde Frazier on some MSG Network broadcasts of Knicks games this season, sources tell Andrew Marchand of The New York Post. According to Marchand, MSG Network had interest in bringing in Jackson’s former broadcast partner Jeff Van Gundy for some games as well, but that’s unlikely to happen in 2023/24.
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Atlantic Notes: Tatum, Ujiri, Sixers, Lillard, Randle

September 30th, 2023 at 11:53am CST by Tristan Tucker

Celtics forward Jayson Tatum went into the offseason thinking he may have needed surgery on his non-shooting wrist, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne said on NBA Today (YouTube link). According to Shelburne, Tatum visited a bunch of specialists and opted against going under the knife.

Shelburne said that Tatum received a cortisone shot in his wrist, adding that the wrist feels “really good.”

Following the trade that sent Marcus Smart to the Grizzlies, Tatum is likely going to be seeing even more primary ball-handling duties. Shelburne reports that Tatum is “comfortable” initiating the offense and handling the ball, with his experience in the postseason helping him build confidence for that role.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

  • Raptors president Masai Ujiri‘s 10-year anniversary as the team’s top decision-maker came and went this offseason and his tenure has been marked by huge successes by the organization, including an NBA title in 2019. However, Eric Koreen of The Athletic writes that Ujiri’s record hasn’t been without misses, especially recently. Missing out on Damian Lillard is an example of a questionable decision, Koreen opines, and it leaves the franchise in a tricky situation moving forward. Importantly, Koreen notes that he doesn’t think that Ujiri is in any danger of being close to losing his position. I recommend reading the article in full, as Koreen evaluates and compares Ujiri’s tenure to other top decision-makers in the league.
  • While the Sixers didn’t land Lillard, Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports writes that Philadelphia is in a better position with Lillard on the Bucks rather than the Heat, who were heavily linked to the seven-time All-Star. Neubeck reasons that if Miami had landed Lillard, they would be firmly in the top tier of Eastern Conference teams ahead of the Sixers, along with the Bucks and Celtics. With Lillard on the Bucks, it makes Milwaukee better, but the Sixers are only behind two teams in the conference’s hierarchy, opines Neubeck. The deal also opens Philadelphia to make other moves via trade.
  • The Knicks have several storylines to watch for this upcoming season after earning the No. 5 seed and reaching the second round in the NBA playoffs in 2022/23. Zach Braziller of the New York Post argues that the biggest storyline surrounding the Knicks is the play of Julius Randle. In Braziller’s view, the Knicks will need Randle to step up in the postseason in order to increase their ceiling for next season and beyond.
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Jrue Holiday Notes: Clippers, Sixers, Kings, Pacers, Knicks

September 30th, 2023 at 9:46am CST by Tristan Tucker

After being sent to the Trail Blazers as part of the Damian Lillard blockbuster, Jrue Holiday is likely the next guard to be traded by a Portland team seeking draft capital and/or players who fit the club’s timeline. The Blazers are expected to be active in the next few days in attempting to find a landing spot for the two-time All-Star and there’s a “good chance” he’s on the move by Monday, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

The market for Holiday, a tenacious defender, is already robust. As we wrote on Thursday, the Clippers, Heat, Bulls, Celtics, Knicks, Pacers, and Sixers are among the teams that could explore acquiring him.

Sam Vecenie of The Athletic looks at several hypothetical landing spots for Holiday and considers what the trade package might look like in each scenario. In his view, the Clippers are the most viable destination for Holiday, with an easy-to-build package consisting of matching salaries, young players and draft picks. While the Clippers have been tied to Sixers guard James Harden for some time, Vecenie reasons that Holiday could be more appealing, since he’s extension-eligible while Harden is not, due to his two-year deal last offseason.

Of course, the rumors linking Harden and the Clippers make a three-team deal that sends Harden to L.A, Holiday to Philadelphia, and salaries, picks and other assets to Portland easy to imagine, Vecenie writes. However, Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports says that he’s hearing no real traction on any such move and that it will be difficult for Philadelphia to land Holiday.

The Heat, Knicks and Warriors are among other teams who can put together reasonable packages for Holiday, Vecenie writes, with Golden State providing his favorite potential landing spot for the guard.

We have more Jrue Holiday-related notes:

  • The Kings are one of the few teams who will not be in on the Holiday sweepstakes, tweets Sam Amick of The Athletic. According to Amick, the Kings “looked at” the possibility, but will not pursue the guard. While Holiday makes sense for just about every team in the league, it stands to reason that the Kings, who seem to have a set backcourt rotation, wouldn’t want to shake things up this close to the season.
  • Indiana is a dark horse candidate to trade for Holiday. IndyStar’s Dustin Dopirak explores the subject, weighing the pros and cons of the Pacers acquiring Holiday. While adding the former All-Star would give Indiana a secondary ball-handler and shooting, along with high-level defense, it might not be the best idea for the team to sacrifice draft capital and/or young players at this stage of its timeline. With Holiday potentially becoming a free agent next offseason, it’s also possible he would be a rental and, if not, he would be costly at 33 years old, Dopirak writes. Ultimately, Dopirak believes the Pacers shouldn’t get desperate to acquire Holiday, even if he would boost their playoff odds this season.
  • As noted above, New York makes some level of sense as a suitor for Holiday’s services. Fred Katz and Mike Vorkunov write about the topic, arguing that while Holiday would help in a major way on the court, the cost to acquire him would be great. Ian Begley of SNY writes that if the Knicks did acquire Holiday, they’d do so with the idea of extending him.
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Jrue Holiday Rumors: Heat, Pacers, Knicks, Celtics, More

September 28th, 2023 at 7:29pm CST by Rory Maher

The Lakers, Clippers, Heat, Celtics, Bulls and Sixers are among the teams Jrue Holiday would be interested in joining, a league source tells Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

That said, unless the Trail Blazers are willing to hold onto Holiday for at least a few months, you can scratch the Lakers from the list of possible suitors. They obviously aren’t trading LeBron James for Holiday, and the other players they could theoretically use to match salaries aren’t trade-eligible until December or January.

The Blazers are expected to prioritize young players and draft assets in exchange for Holiday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on NBA Today (YouTube link).

Holiday is expected to draw interest from a variety of teams, sources tell ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Insider link). The Heat could be among that group, but Portland “had no major interest in any individual Miami player or draft asset, and limited interest in whatever combination Miami might cobble” during negotiations for Damian Lillard, Lowe reports.

According to Chiang and Jackson, the Heat haven’t ruled out making an aggressive push for Holiday, but they didn’t do it immediately on Thursday. Miami isn’t expected to pursue James Harden, and has yet to express interest in Pacers sharpshooter Buddy Hield, who is reportedly on the trading block after failing to reach an extension, a source tells Chiang and Jackson. Free agent guard Goran Dragic is interested in returning to the Heat, but that interest doesn’t appear to be mutual, per The Herald’s duo.

Sources tell Lowe the Pacers and Knicks are expected to have a level of interest in Holiday, though it’s unclear how seriously they’ll pursue the defensive stalwart. While Lowe believes Holiday could be a good fit with both clubs, he wonders if Indiana will decide it’s too early to make a win-now move.

Boston was previously cited as a possible suitor, but multiple sources tell Brian Robb of MassLive that the Celtics will likely be outbid and aren’t expected to land Holiday. Still, the team has long been interested in the veteran guard — Boston tried to acquire Holiday a few years ago before he was traded to Milwaukee, a source tells Robb.

Here are a few more notes related to Holiday, who was sent to the Blazers from the Bucks as part of yesterday’s Lillard blockbuster:

  • Bucks star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t have a direct impact on the Lillard deal, Wojnarowski noted in the same segment. “Directly, (Antetokounmpo) literally played no role,” Wojnarowski said. “In fact, (GM) Jon Horst did not bring this trade idea or sign off on it to Giannis Antetokounmpo because Jrue Holiday was involved. And the relationship there and the reverence that this organization and these players have for Holiday. He did not want to put that to Giannis Antetokounmpo and have him have that on his conscience necessarily that he might sign off or not sign off on it.” However, as Wojnarowski observes, Antetokounmpo putting pressure on the organization by saying winning more championships was the most important thing in his career certainly played a significant indirect factor in Milwaukee trading for Lillard.
  • In addition to the previously mentioned teams that might pursue Holiday, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (Insider link) believes the Pelicans, Kings and Warriors would also benefit from the All-Star guard’s services. Over at The Athletic, John Hollinger lists the Heat, Clippers and Celtics as logical destinations for Holiday.
  • Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star considers the pros and cons of the Pacers pursuing Holiday. As Dopirak writes, head coach Rick Carlisle heaped praise on the five-time All-Defensive member during the 2022/23 season. “I’d like to somebody to name five other basketball players that are better than Jrue Holiday at the entire game,” Carlisle said. “Guy’s an amazing player, both sides of the ball. His scoring tonight was at another level obviously, but defensively, he can guard anybody. Just a nod of respect to him. He’s a guy that too often is overlooked as a truly, truly great player.” Still, Dopirak thinks it’s probably too early for Indiana to go after a 33-year-old veteran like Holiday, who can be a free agent in 2024 if he declines his player option.
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New York Notes: Simmons, Nets, Knicks, Fournier

September 28th, 2023 at 8:11am CST by Luke Adams

Count veteran guard Spencer Dinwiddie among those who are bullish on Ben Simmons‘ chances of enjoying a big comeback season in 2023/24. As NetsDaily relays, Dinwiddie heaped plenty of praise on his Nets teammate during a recent appearance on Patrick Beverley’s podcast.

“Ben at his best form is a far more athletic Draymond Green with less three-point shooting,” Dinwiddie said. “… When you talk about the defensive IQ, reading passing lanes, quarterbacking a defense, able to guard one through five. He’s one of the only people in the league who can do that, and then obviously he’s getting out on that break.

“… When Ben’s at his best, he’s getting off the rim, he’s being a monster in transition, he’s making plays for others,” Dinwiddie continued. “We hope that there’s enough shooting out there with Mikal (Bridges) … Cam Johnson obviously is elite, he’s always shooting 45 (percent) from three … Catch and shoot-wise I’ve been a good three-point shooter in my career. We hope to space the floor for him. He gets out in transition and makes plays. And obviously you’ve got Nic (Claxton) playing above the rim.”

Simmons’ comments in August about how he was eager to “come back and dominate people” after recovering from his back issues were met by many fans with skepticism and some derision. However, people who have spent time around the former No. 1 overall pick this offseason believes those quotes are “based on substance,” according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, who has heard from those sources that Simmons looks like he’s primed for a bounce-back year.

Here’s more on the NBA’s two New York teams:

  • Defensive rebounding and outside shooting look like two potential Nets weaknesses based on their current roster, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post, who suggests that how Brooklyn overcomes – or addresses – its shortcomings in both areas could go a long way toward determining what sort of season the team has.
  • Michael Pina of The Ringer lays out the case for why the Knicks are in position to target an impact player and why New York may be a more appealing landing spot for stars than it has been for years. In a related story, Adam Zagoria of NJ.com argues that the Knicks should go all-in for trade candidate Jrue Holiday.
  • After stating in July that he’d be “very surprised” if he opens the season with the Knicks, Evan Fournier sounds more resigned to that scenario, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News (subscription required), who passes along highlights from Fournier’s appearance earlier this month on French radio station RTL. The veteran wing acknowledged that he doesn’t have much control over the situation, but simply wants the opportunity to play again. “I love living (in New York), I love the franchise, I love playing at Madison (Square Garden), I love the guys on the team,” Fournier said. “So I just want to play, that’s all. It’s true that finding another club, changing franchises, if that’s what you have to do to play again, that’s what I would like to do.”
  • In his latest mailbag, Fred Katz of The Athletic fields questions on Fournier’s status, the Knicks‘ rotation, and Julius Randle‘s recent agency change. While Katz doesn’t believe Randle’s decision to leave CAA means he wants to leave the Knicks, he refers to the move as “significant,” noting that the timing (following the first season of a four-year contract) is unusual.
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More Lillard Trade Notes: Nets, Raptors, Grades, Holiday

September 27th, 2023 at 6:57pm CST by Rory Maher

Ten days ago, Aaron Goodwin — Damian Lillard‘s agent — privately informed the Bucks and Nets that his client would be interested in joining Milwaukee or Brooklyn, sources tell Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link). Spears also writes that the Raptors were a “real contender” for Lillard, who will reportedly land with the Bucks.

Appearing on 590 The FAN, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca described the Raptors’ pursuit of Lillard as being less than full throttle.

“There was always interest, determination to try to get a deal but they wanted to see if they could, knowing them, without having to give up everything,” Grange said (Twitter link).

As for the Bucks, they discretely began inquiring about Lillard a couple weeks ago, league sources tell Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. Goodwill writes that Giannis Antetokounmpo and Lillard will be under a lot of pressure to bring another title to Milwaukee after going all-in, and losing Jrue Holiday‘s defense shouldn’t be ignored.

Why would Milwaukee appeal to Lillard? In addition to being on a title contender and playing with two-time MVP and 2021 Finals MVP Antetokounmpo, Lillard will also participate in more nationally televised games (19) than any other season in his career, notes Nate Jones (via Twitter), another of Lillard’s agents.

Here’s more on the three-team blockbuster between the Bucks, Trail Blazers and Suns:

  • In grading the deal, Kevin Pelton of ESPN (Insider link) gives both Milwaukee and Portland a B-plus, while Phoenix receives a B-minus. Pelton likes the addition of Nassir Little more for the Suns than Jusuf Nurkic, noting Nurkic’s injury history, inefficiency inside the arc and lack of mobility. Zach Harper of The Athletic has identical grades for the Suns and Blazers, but is more bullish on the Bucks’ side of the deal, giving Milwaukee an A.
  • Both Bill Oram of The Oregonian (subscriber link) and Mark Medina of Sportsnaut argue that the deal is a win-win for Portland and Lillard.
  • ESPN’s Bobby Marks provides his breakdown of the deal (YouTube link). As Marks notes, Lillard’s long-term deal is actually an insurance policy of sorts for the Bucks, since Holiday can become a free agent next summer if he turns down his player option.
  • Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Twitter link) thinks it’s inevitable that Holiday — who is heading to Portland from Milwaukee as part of the deal — will eventually be traded. However, keeping him until the trade deadline isn’t a bad option, according to Highkin, as more teams might pursue the veteran guard during the season once more players become trade-eligible.
  • Don’t expect the Raptors to pursue Holiday, tweets Grange. Toronto was interested in Lillard’s elite half-court offense, while Holiday isn’t on the same level at that end of the court.
  • Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer (Twitter link) argues the Magic should pursue Holiday, while Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post believes the Knicks should trade for the All-Defensive guard, writing that head coach Tom Thibodeau would love to have him. “Thibs and Jrue,” a longtime NBA executive texted Vaccaro, “is a marriage made in basketball heaven.”
  • ESPN’s panel of insiders answer big questions after the massive trade, while Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports provides three takeaways from the Suns’ perspective.
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And-Ones: M. Johnson, Dellavedova, Bronny, International

September 26th, 2023 at 10:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Magic Johnson has turned down chances to join NBA ownership groups and says that due to his loyalty to the Lakers, he’d only consider a chance to be part of an ownership group with the Knicks, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press reports.

“I think because of the way fans love basketball you might have to think about that one, because I love coming to New York and going to the Garden and watching the Knicks play,” he said. “I love being with fans who are so passionate about their team and the Knick fans are, and they’re smart. They’re smart basketball fans and so that one I would have to think about. I think that other than that, I would probably never think about ever being a part of another franchise.”

Johnson hasn’t spoken with Madison Square Garden executive chairman James Dolan about his dream of owning a piece of the franchise. Johnson, who is a minority owner of the Washington Commanders, said he has declined opportunities to join the Warriors, Pistons, and Hawks ownership groups, but wouldn’t mind meeting with Dolan.

“That one you would really have to think about, in terms of being a minority owner of that team,” he said. “But other than that, I would just stay with the Lakers and even with my role now, just being a fan, I’m happy just doing that with the Lakers because, again, I bleed purple and gold.”

We have more from the around the basketball world:

  • Former NBA guard Matthew Dellavedova was disappointed he wasn’t part of Australia’s World Cup team this summer and is motivated to prove he belongs on its Olympic team, Olgun Uluc of ESPN reports. He’s playing for Melbourne United this season. “For me, the Boomers is the ultimate,” Dellavedova said. “I’ve never taken it for granted. I know how fortunate I’ve been to represent Australia. I still feel like my best basketball is ahead of me, so I definitely want to be part of the Boomers for as long as possible. The goal is to try to help United win a championship, and do whatever I can to make the team for Paris.”
  • LeBron James‘ son, Bronny James, didn’t participate in USC’s first practice though his coach says he’s doing well health-wise, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Bronny suffered cardiac arrest during a workout on July 24. “We anticipate him being a very valuable part of our basketball team,” coach Andy Enfield said. “But that’ll be all sorted out. He’s the ultimate teammate because he cares about winning, and he has such a personal relationship with all his teammates.”
  • Turkish team Anadolu Efes is considering making another roster addition and may be eyeing NBA free agents, Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net relays. “Of course, when it comes to players of such quality, they are waiting for the NBA before making a final decision,” GM Alper Yilmaz said. “I will not name players, but we are considering three players. Maybe two different names come to my attention every single day. We don’t want to sign a player without the head coach’s approval.”
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