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Raptors Re-Sign Garrett Temple

July 5th, 2024 at 2:57pm CST by Luke Adams

July 5: Temple’s minimum-salary contract is official, according to the transactions log at NBA.com.

July 1: Veteran swingman Garrett Temple is returning to the Raptors for the 2024/25 season, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that it’ll be a one-year deal for Temple.

While Wojnarowski’s report doesn’t provide any additional details on the agreement, it would be surprising if Temple signs for a salary higher than the veteran’s minimum.

Temple, 38, played for 11 teams across 13 NBA seasons before joining Toronto as a free agent last summer. He played sparingly for the Raptors, averaging 3.3 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 10.7 minutes per game across 27 appearances.

While Temple’s on-court contributions were modest, he was an “important voice in the locker room” for the young Raptors, says Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter links). With the club seemingly prepared to get even younger after drafting four prospects last week, Temple’s role behind the scenes will be “essential,” Lewenberg adds.

Over the course of his 14-year NBA career, Temple has averaged 6.1 PPG, 2.3 RPG, and 1.7 APG in 743 regular season games. He serves as a vice president on the National Basketball Players Association.

Timberwolves Notes: Gobert, Ingles, Clark, Young Players

July 5th, 2024 at 1:26pm CST by Rory Maher

Chris Hine of The Star Tribune recently asked president of basketball operations Tim Connelly if the Timberwolves have discussed a veteran contract extension with center Rudy Gobert (Twitter link).

“We’d love Rudy to be here for a very long time,” Connelly replied. “We’re still in the middle of free agency. We haven’t jumped in deeper beyond that. Obviously we’re not here without Rudy … and we hope this is Rudy’s last stop.”

Gobert, 32, claimed his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award in 2023/24. He’ll earn $43.8MM in ’24/25 and holds a $46.7MM player option for ’25/26.

Here’s more on the Wolves:

Veteran forward Joe Ingles spoke to Olgun Uluc of ESPN about agreeing to a one-year deal with Minnesota. Ingles, who previously played with Mike Conley and Gobert in Utah, said the Wolves recruited him last year as well. “It’s exciting. It’s obviously a really good team,” said Ingles, who will play in his fifth Olympic games later this month with Australia. “Western Conference finals this year. Just going in there fully understanding the role they have for me. Trying to help Rudy, trying to help Ant (Anthony Edwards), trying to help all these guys get better and hopefully go further. When the opportunity came up and you speak more in depth about the basketball side, especially with the stuff I’m saying – you still wanna play, you still wanna compete – it’s a basketball opportunity that was too good to give up.”
The Wolves have a number of young players — including second-year guard Jaylen Clark — who will by vying for rotation minutes next season, writes Patrick Reusse of The Star Tribune (subscriber link). 2024 first-round picks Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr., former second-rounders Clark, Josh Minott, and Leonard Miller, and fourth-year center Luka Garza are among the names to watch. Clark missed the entire 2023/24 season after tearing his Achilles tendon at UCLA, but he’s fully healthy now and was technically active by the end of Minnesota’s second-round playoff series with Denver, Reusse adds.
Minnesota appears to be in a strong position in the West entering the ’24/25 season, according to Michael Rand of The Star Tribune (subscription required), who praises Connelly for acquiring Dillingham, Shannon and Ingles, particularly given the limitations of being over the second tax apron.

Lakers Notes: LeBron, Team USA, Las Vegas, Bronny

July 5th, 2024 at 11:50am CST by Rory Maher

The Lakers have agreed to a new two-year contract with LeBron James that features a player option for 2025/26 and a full no-trade clause. It will likely either be for the maximum salary or just under the max.

Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times argues James’ lucrative new contract is a mistake from a team-building perspective and confirmation that the club’s offseason has been a failure to this point. Plaschke points to L.A.’s fruitless pursuits of Dan Hurley and Klay Thompson — both of whom reportedly accepted less money than the Lakers were offering — as evidence of how negatively the team is currently viewed, particularly when it comes to championship contention.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

Will James be a starter for Team USA at the Olympics in Paris? Joe Vardon of The Athletic explores that question, writing that while there’s a case to be made that the 39-year-old would be better suited to come off the bench, two sources close to the situation “cast serious doubt” on the possibility. Those same sources told Vardon that James will likely be the Americans’ starting point forward, allowing Stephen Curry to play more off the ball. Vardon also ponders which other players from the star-studded roster will start and the potential roles for the reserves.
There have been several reports indicating that James’ playing career could end in a year or two. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (Twitter video link via First Take), James will be weighing a couple of factors as he decides how long he wants to play. “The biggest thing, other than health, that we’re gonna see that is going to determine when the end of LeBron’s career is when the owners of the league set forth a timeline about when they’re gonna establish that expansion team in Las Vegas,” Windhorst said, per RealGM. “Now, nothing is assured … but I suspect once the TV rights deals get wrapped up … they’re gonna bring expansion to the table. … (James) wants to join up with partners to become the face of the franchise in Las Vegas.” Windhorst acknowledges that several factors would have to line up perfectly for that scenario to come to fruition.
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report considers five paths the Lakers could take to improve their roster, with some scenarios more plausible than others.
The Lakers expect second-rounder Bronny James to spend most of his rookie season in the NBA G League, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on SportsCenter (YouTube link). LeBron’s eldest son was the No. 55 pick of last month’s draft.

Cavaliers Hiring DeMarre Carroll As Assistant Coach

July 5th, 2024 at 9:45am CST by Rory Maher

The Cavaliers plan to hire former NBA forward DeMarre Carroll to be an assistant on new head coach Kenny Atkinson‘s staff, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

The 27th overall pick in 2009 out of Missouri, Carroll spent the next 11 seasons in the NBA, appearing in a total of 578 regular season games and 64 playoff contests for the Grizzlies, Rockets, Nuggets, Jazz, Hawks, Raptors, Nets, and Spurs. Notably, he played for Brooklyn from 2017-19 when Atkinson was head coach.

Carroll, who turns 38 later this month, transitioned to coaching a couple years ago when he was hired by Milwaukee as an assistant. He spent the 2023/24 season on Darvin Ham‘s staff with the Lakers.

Carroll is the second assistant coach who will reportedly be hired on Atkinson’s staff in Cleveland, joining Jordan Ott. Ott coached Carroll in Brooklyn and the two worked together again last season in Los Angeles.

Eastern Notes: LaVine, Maxey, Vezenkov, Knicks, Prince

July 4th, 2024 at 11:00pm CST by Luke Adams

As the Bulls continue to explore the trade market for a possible Zach LaVine deal, agent Rich Paul wants it known that his client is handling the situation professionally and isn’t agitating for a move or taking issue with the team’s actions, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.

“I want to make this clean and clear: This whole idea that Zach has been anything but professional in this situation is false,” Paul told Johnson over the phone. “This guy has played hurt. He has represented the franchise with class. A lot has taken place during his time with the Bulls and he’s taken the high road every time. Does every player get frustrated at times? Yes. But Zach has been the ultimate professional and deserves better. The Bulls have business to do. And we’re letting them handle their business.”

LaVine’s trade value is at an all-time low, primarily due to his contract — the three years and $138MM left on his deal look especially onerous in the NBA’s tax apron era. He’s also coming off foot surgery that ended his season in January, but Johnson reports that LaVine is healthy and going through his typical offseason routine after having beaten the estimated recovery timeline of four-to-six months following his procedure.

The Bulls have presented “upwards of 15” LaVine trade proposals to various teams this offseason, according to Johnson, who hears that the Kings and Golden State have shown the most interest in the two-time All-Star. However, the Warriors‘ imminent additions of De’Anthony Melton, Buddy Hield, and Kyle Anderson probably signal that they’re going in a different direction, Johnson acknowledges.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Speaking to Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey said management is “doing a good job so far” in free agency adding players who will help the team win, adding that he was happy his willingness to wait a year for his own long-term contract helped Philadelphia open up enough cap room to land Paul George. “When we talked about it last year, it’s a trust thing,” Maxey said. “I trusted (the front office), and I feel like it worked out for us so far. It’s a cool deal. I wasn’t too worried about it.”
Rumors about a possible return to Europe continue to swirl around Sasha Vezenkov. According to Michalis Stefanou of Eurohoops, Vezenkov and his former EuroLeague team Olympiacos have agreed in principle on a lucrative long-term deal, but the 28-year-old forward remains under contract with the Raptors (with a $6.66MM cap hit in 2024/25), so his return to Greece would likely be contingent on negotiating a buyout with Toronto. Recent reporting indicated the Raptors expect Vezenkov to be with them in camp in the fall.
Ever since they agreed to an early version of the Mikal Bridges trade last week, the Knicks sought to expand it, making it clear to the Nets that they’d eventually circle back with more details, writes Fred Katz of The Athletic. Now that New York has amended the Bridges deal to ensure its hard cap is at the second apron instead of the first apron, Katz explores what’s next for the team, suggesting that re-signing Precious Achiuwa and adding another player using the taxpayer mid-level exception should be doable, assuming Achiuwa’s price is modest enough.
Following up on news that the Bucks have agreed to sign Taurean Prince, Eric Nehm of The Athletic considers what the veteran forward will bring to Milwaukee, opining that Prince looks like a good fit for the roster and should see regular minutes next season.

International Notes: Olympic Qualifiers, Robinson, Australia, Canada, Hayes-Davis

July 4th, 2024 at 9:28pm CST by Luke Adams

A pair of NBA superstars will match up this weekend in Greece as they look to keep their home countries’ Olympic hopes alive. The Greek national team, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, will take on Luka Doncic and the Slovenians in the semifinals of one of four ongoing Olympic qualifying tournaments (link via ESPN). The winner of Greece vs. Slovenia will go on to face the winner of Croatia vs. Dominican Republic for a spot in the men’s basketball Olympic tournament in Paris.

In total, four Olympic berths still remain up for grabs. The other semifinal matchups in Olympic qualifying tournaments around the globe are as follows:

Riga, Latvia:
- Latvia vs. Cameroon
- Brazil vs. Philippines
Valencia, Spain:
- Spain vs. Finland
- Bahamas vs. Lebanon
San Juan, Puerto Rico:
- Puerto Rico vs. Mexico
- Lithuania vs. Italy

While none of the other teams fighting for a spot in the Olympics has a perennial MVP candidate like Antetokounmpo or Doncic on its roster, there are many NBA players competing in the qualifying tournaments, including All-NBA center Domantas Sabonis for Lithuania and Deandre Ayton, Buddy Hield, and Eric Gordon representing the Bahamas.

Here are a few more updates from around the international basketball world:

Former NBA lottery pick Jerome Robinson has signed with Saint-Quentin in France, the team officially announced (via Twitter). Robinson, who was drafted 13th overall in 2018, has appeared in a total of 135 NBA regular season games, including 22 with Golden State last season while on a two-way contract with the Warriors.
The Australian national team has set its 12-man roster for the Olympics, according to Olgun Uluc of ESPN, who notes that eight active NBA players – Josh Giddey, Josh Green, Dante Exum, Jock Landale, Duop Reath, Dyson Daniels, Patty Mills, and Joe Ingles – made the cut, along with former NBA guard Matthew Dellavedova. Trail Blazers forward Matisse Thybulle is the most surprising omission, Uluc adds.
Team Canada hasn’t set its Olympic roster yet, but pared it down a little on Wednesday, with Oshae Brissett among the cuts. According to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter links), Brissett – who is coming off a championship season as a Celtics reserve – asked to withdraw to focus on his NBA free agency. It looks like there are 10 NBA players who are safe bets to be on the Canadian squad, with two roster spots still up for grabs, as Lewenberg outlines in another tweet.
Nigel Hayes-Davis, the former NBA forward who is part of the U.S. Select Team and was rumored this spring to be drawing NBA interest, has re-upped with Fenerbahce, signing a three-year contract with the Turkish team, according to a press release.

Heat Notes: Martin, Adebayo, Two-Ways, Swider

July 4th, 2024 at 8:23pm CST by Luke Adams

Before he officially passed on his $7.1MM player option for the 2024/25 season, the Heat offered Caleb Martin an extension that would have been contingent on him picking up that option, according to Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. While the exact details of that offer are unclear, Miami could have given Martin a starting salary as high as about $18.1MM in 2025/26 based on the NBA’s rules for veteran extensions.

The Heat haven’t given up hope of retaining Martin, but they’re only about $7MM below the second apron and have no desire to surpass that threshold, so their ability to make a competitive offer is extremely limited. Although the club could technically come close to matching the $7.1MM option the 28-year-old declined for 2024/25, that significant raise for ’25/26 is no longer possible, since free agent contracts can’t increase by more than 8% annually.

A source close to Martin tells the Miami Herald duo that the forward had been hoping to secure a deal worth more than $15MM per year. While some teams have expressed interest, it doesn’t appear that any offers in that range are on the table for Martin at this point.

Here’s more on the Heat:

It has been a fairly quiet offseason for the Heat so far, but that’s not because the team is reluctant to spend up to the second apron or use assets in trades, according to Jackson and Chiang. Three people who have been in contact with the team say Miami is maintaining its flexibility for now in case an opportunity to acquire an impact player opens up — it’s possible that sort of player could hit the trade market in the coming days or weeks, and the Heat don’t want to close the door on that possibility.
The Heat have had some trade talks with teams, including one club with “substantial” cap room, according to Jackson and Chiang. The Herald reporters don’t have details on the potential trade partner or the players who were discussed, but the Jazz and Pistons are the only clubs who still have the sort of cap room that could be considered substantial.
Bam Adebayo intends to sign the three-year contract extension that he and the Heat agreed to last week “pretty quickly” after he becomes eligible to do so on Saturday, per Jackson and Chiang. The deal will tack on three years to the two seasons left on Adebayo’s current contract and will run through 2028/29. If the cap increases by 10% in each of the next two offseasons, the star center would earn $165,348,864 on the three-year extension after making a total of $71,944,960 across the next two seasons.
In a separate story for The Herald, Chiang explores the Heat’s two-way logjam, with Dru Smith, Zyon Pullin, and Keshad Johnson currently occupying the three slots and two-way qualifying offers still out to Cole Swider and Alondes Williams. If Miami wants to bring all five players to camp, at least two would have to be there on standard or Exhibit 10 deals. Swider, who is part of the Heat’s Summer League roster, says he’s focused on developing his game, not his contract situation. “Obviously, the Heat have my rights as a restricted free agent,” Swider said. “I want to be here. But at the same time, it’s all up to the things that I can control and I’m going to bring the energy, the effort and try to lead this summer league team to have a great summer league.”

2024 NBA Draft Pick Signings

July 4th, 2024 at 7:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Free agent and trade news has generated the biggest NBA headlines over the last few days, but teams around the league are also taking care of the rookies they drafted on June 26 and 27, signing them to their first NBA contracts. Because cap holds for first-round picks count for 120% of the rookie scale instead of 100% in the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, there’s little incentive for teams to wait to lock up their first-rounders.

For first-round picks, rookie contracts are fairly rigid, having essentially been predetermined. The NBA’s rookie-scale structure dictates that first-rounders will be signed to four-year deals, which include two guaranteed years, then team options in years three and four.

The value of those contracts depends on where a player was drafted. This year, No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher is in line for a four-year deal worth in excess of $57MM, which represents the maximum allowable 120% of his scale amount. No. 30 pick Baylor Scheierman, on the other hand, is eligible for a four-year contract worth about $12.8MM.

The full breakdown of this year’s first-round rookie salaries and contracts can be found right here — if you see a first-rounder listed below as “signed,” you can assume his contract looks like that, unless otherwise indicated.

Second-round picks, meanwhile, aren’t assured of two guaranteed seasons, though some players will receive them. The NBA’s latest Collective Bargaining Agreement introduced a new salary cap exception for second-rounders, which will allow teams to sign those players to contracts of up to four years with a starting salary worth up to the equivalent to the minimum for a two-year veteran. In the past, such a deal would have required cap room or another exception, such as the mid-level.

Some second-rounders won’t sign standard NBA deals immediately. They may get two-way contracts, play in the G League, or head overseas to refine their games while their NBA teams retain their rights. We’ll make note of that below too, wherever it’s applicable.

Here’s a breakdown of 2024’s draft pick signings. This list will continue to be updated as more draftees sign their first NBA contracts:

First Round:

Atlanta Hawks: Zaccharie Risacher, F, JL Bourg: Signed
Washington Wizards: Alex Sarr, F/C, Perth: Signed
Houston Rockets: Reed Sheppard, G, Kentucky: Signed
San Antonio Spurs: Stephon Castle, G, UConn: Signed
Detroit Pistons: Ron Holland, F, G League Ignite: Signed
Charlotte Hornets: Tidjane Salaun, F, Cholet: Signed
Portland Trail Blazers: Donovan Clingan, C, UConn: Signed
Minnesota Timberwolves: Rob Dillingham, G, Kentucky: Signed
Memphis Grizzlies: Zach Edey, C, Purdue: Signed
Utah Jazz: Cody Williams, G/F, Colorado: Signed
Chicago Bulls: Matas Buzelis, F, G League Ignite: Signed
Oklahoma City Thunder: Nikola Topic, G, Crvena Zvezda: Signed
Sacramento Kings: Devin Carter, G, Providence: Signed
Washington Wizards: Carlton Carrington, G, Pittsburgh: Signed
Miami Heat: Kel’el Ware, C, Indiana: Signed
Philadelphia 76ers: Jared McCain, G, Duke: Signed
Los Angeles Lakers: Dalton Knecht, F, Tennessee: Signed
Orlando Magic: Tristan Da Silva, F, Colorado: Signed
Toronto Raptors: Ja’Kobe Walter, G, Baylor: Signed
Cleveland Cavaliers: Jaylon Tyson, G, California: Signed
New Orleans Pelicans: Yves Missi, C, Baylor: Signed
Denver Nuggets: DaRon Holmes, F/C, Dayton: Signed
Milwaukee Bucks: AJ Johnson, G, Illawarra: Signed
- Johnson accepted approximately 114% of the standard rookie scale amount in year one of his contract.
Washington Wizards: Kyshawn George, G, Miami: Signed
New York Knicks: Pacome Dadiet, G/F, Ratiopharm Ulm: Signed
- Note: Dadiet accepted 80% of the standard rookie scale amount in year one of his contract.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Dillon Jones, G/F, Weber State: Signed
Minnesota Timberwolves: Terrence Shannon, G, Illinois: Signed
Phoenix Suns: Ryan Dunn, F, Virginia: Signed
Utah Jazz: Isaiah Collier, G, USC: Signed
Boston Celtics: Baylor Scheierman, G/F, Creighton: Signed

Second Round:

Toronto Raptors: Jonathan Mogbo, F/C, San Francisco: Signed
- Three years, $6,113,913. First two years guaranteed. Third-year team option.
Utah Jazz: Kyle Filipowski, F/C, Duke: Signed
- Four years, $12,000,000. First two years guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.
Milwaukee Bucks: Tyler Smith, F, G League Ignite: Signed
- Four years, minimum salary ($7,895,796). First two years guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.
New York Knicks: Tyler Kolek, G, Marquette: Signed
- Four years, $9,062,682. First three years guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.
Indiana Pacers: Johnny Furphy, G, Kansas: Signed
- Four years, $8,589,485. First three years guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.
San Antonio Spurs: Juan Nunez, G, Ratiopharm Ulm: Will play overseas
Detroit Pistons: Bobi Klintman, F, Cairns: Signed
- Four years, $7,995,796. First two years guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Ajay Mitchell, G, UC Santa Barbara: Signed
- Two-way contract.
Memphis Grizzlies: Jaylen Wells, G, Washington State: Signed
- Four years, minimum salary ($7,895,796). First two years guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.
Phoenix Suns: Oso Ighodaro, F, Marquette: Signed
- Four years, minimum salary ($7,895,796). First two years guaranteed. Third year partially guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.
Philadelphia 76ers: Adem Bona, C, UCLA: Signed
- Four years, minimum salary ($7,895,796). First year guaranteed. Second year partially guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.
Charlotte Hornets: KJ Simpson, G, Colorado: Signed
- Two-way contract. Two years.
Atlanta Hawks: Nikola Djurisic, G, Mega Basket
Miami Heat: Pelle Larsson, G, Arizona: Signed
- Three years, minimum salary ($5,408,801). First year guaranteed. Second year partially guaranteed. Third-year team option.
Toronto Raptors: Jamal Shead, G, Houston: Signed
- Three years, $6,113,913. First two years guaranteed. Third-year team option.
Los Angeles Clippers: Cam Christie, G, Minnesota: Signed
- Four years, minimum salary ($7,895,796). First two years guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.
New Orleans Pelicans: Antonio Reeves, G, Kentucky: Signed
- Three years, minimum salary ($5,408,801). First year guaranteed. Third-year team option.
San Antonio Spurs: Harrison Ingram, F, UNC: Signed
- Two-way contract.
Indiana Pacers: Tristen Newton, G, UConn: Signed
- Two-way contract.
Indiana Pacers: Enrique Freeman, F, Akron: Signed
- Two-way contract.
Dallas Mavericks: Melvin Ajinca, G, Saint-Quentin: Will play overseas
Golden State Warriors: Quinten Post, C, Boston College: Signed
- Two-way contract.
Memphis Grizzlies: Cam Spencer, G, UConn: Signed
- Two-way contract.
Boston Celtics: Anton Watson, F, Gonzaga: Signed
- Two-way contract.
Los Angeles Lakers: Bronny James, G, USC: Signed
- Four years, minimum salary ($7,895,796). First two years guaranteed. Third year partially guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.
New York Knicks: Kevin McCullar, G/F, Kansas: Signed
- Two-way contract.
Toronto Raptors: Ulrich Chomche, C, NBA Academy Africa: Signed
- Two-way contract.
New York Knicks: Ariel Hukporti, C, Melbourne: Signed
- Two-way contract.

Note: The Sixers and Suns forfeited second-round picks due to free agency gun-jumping. They would have been No. 49 and No. 58, respectively.

Free Agent Notes: Cancar, Suns, Lowry, Sixers, Martin, Hield

July 4th, 2024 at 5:54pm CST by Luke Adams

When the Nuggets declined their team option on Vlatko Cancar for the 2024/25 season, multiple reports indicated that the two sides would likely work out a new minimum-salary deal that would both increase the forward’s salary (from the $2.35MM the option would have paid to $2.43MM) and reduce Denver’s cap hit (from $2.35MM to $2.09MM).

That deal hasn’t happened yet, but Cancar – who is representing Slovenia at the Olympic qualifying tournament in Greece after missing the 2023/24 season with a torn ACL – expressed a desire to return to Denver, per Antonis Stroggylakis of Eurohoops.

“I’m still waiting on their decision, We’ll see,” Cancar said. “… I want to be back. My goal is to be back. Hopefully there’s room.”

As Harris Stavrou of SPORTS24 tweets, Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth was at the Olympic qualifiers on Thursday watching Cancar and the Slovenians secure a spot in the semifinals by defeating New Zealand. Nuggets scout Marty Pocius was also in attendance with Booth, tweets Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports.

Here are a few more notes on free agency:

Even after signing Monte Morris, the Suns are still believed to have interest in veteran point guard Kyle Lowry, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7. However, Gambadoro says Lowry may be a long shot for Phoenix since the team can only offer the veteran’s minimum to outside free agents. The Suns are also still working on a new deal for their own free agent Josh Okogie, Gambadoro adds.
The Sixers definitely have interest in free agent forward Caleb Martin, according to Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter link), but he may be out of range of what they can realistically offer him. Philadelphia is expected to continue to monitor Martin’s market, says Neubeck.
The Pistons and Lakers were among Buddy Hield‘s other free agent suitors before he decided to join the Warriors, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. According to Charania, the veteran sharpshooter chose Golden State “because of the opportunity to win.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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