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Kings Notes: Holmes, Trade Ambitions, Workouts

July 20th, 2021 at 5:04pm CST by Eli Cohen

Richaun Holmes had a breakout season with the Kings this year, averaging career-highs in points, rebounds, assists and blocks and emerging as one of the better defensive centers in the league. But the 27-year-old is entering unrestricted free agency, and as Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee writes, it may be difficult for the Kings to retain him without freeing up cap space via a trade of Harrison Barnes or Buddy Hield.

Anderson takes a look at some of the options GM Monte McNair could choose from to address the massive hole Holmes’ departure would leave, both in the draft – where the Kings have the ninth overall pick – and in free agency, where cheap but productive veterans such as Nerlens Noel, Daniel Theis, and others could come into play.

Jason Jones of The Athletic has similar concerns, and details why the Kings may want to look at centers Alperen Sengun and Kai Jones in this year’s draft.

We have more from out of Sacramento:

  • The Kings have been reported to be one of the more aggressive suitors for Blazers star Damian Lillard, but even if a deal between the Kings and Blazers doesn’t materialize, McNair may look to get involved from a different angle, Anderson writes. The Kings have also been linked to Sixers point guard Ben Simmons, and are generally expected to be aggressive pursuing upgrades this summer. If they don’t believe they’re in a position to land Lillard, they could try to facilitate a deal with the Blazers and Sixers, Anderson writes, in order to land Simmons in a blockbuster three-team trade.
  • The Kings worked out Isaiah Todd and Jaden Springer on Sunday, tweets James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area. While neither are expected to be in play for the ninth pick, Todd could be available at No. 39 and Springer could be a trade-up candidate. Todd, a gifted shot-creator at 6’10”, could hold interest as a home-run swing in the second round if he’s still on the board.
  • The Kings are also working out potential undrafted free agent targets. Scottie Lewis, a defensive specialist out of Florida and Jose Alvarado, the 2020/21 ACC DPoY worked out on Monday, according to Jason Jones of The Athletic, and Jason Anderson reports that the Kings will work out sharpshooter Marcus Burk on Wednesday.
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Northwest Notes: Lillard, Blazers, Hernangomez, Nuggets

July 20th, 2021 at 8:26am CST by Luke Adams

While it doesn’t look at this point like the Trail Blazers will seriously explore Damian Lillard trades this offseason, that doesn’t mean they’re not getting calls about their All-NBA point guard. Front office sources tell Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer that the Heat, Kings, Knicks, Rockets, and Sixers have been the most aggressive suitors for Lillard as of late.

With no Lillard trade request imminent, the Blazers are more likely to pursue upgrades around the star guard, though O’Connor notes that the team’s trade assets are somewhat limited. Portland doesn’t have any draft picks this year and rival teams aren’t particularly high on young players like Anfernee Simons and Nassir Little, according to O’Connor. The club’s best bet for a deal that reshapes the roster and increases its ceiling might involve CJ McCollum and Ben Simmons, O’Connor adds.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

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Draft Notes: Early Entrants, Bleijenbergh, Sengun, Hurt, Reaves

July 19th, 2021 at 7:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Senegalese center Ibou Badji and German big man Ariel Hukporti have withdrawn from the 2021 NBA draft, according to a pair of reports from Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter links).

Both players were considered potential second-round picks, ranking 59th and 63rd respectively on ESPN’s big board of 2021 prospects. However, Givony notes that Hukporti – like a number of international players who withdrew before today’s deadline – wasn’t interested in being a draft-and-stash prospect. It’s unclear if Badji felt the same way, but both players will be looking to boost their stock ahead of the 2022 draft.

Another potential second-round pick, Senegalese big man Amar Sylla, will be keeping his name in the draft, Givony tweets. The 19-year-old, who ranks 81st on ESPN’s board, is a strong draft-and-stash candidate, Givony adds.

Here’s more on the 2021 draft:

  • Belgian wing Vrenz Bleijenbergh, another one of the international prospects keeping his name in the draft, indicated (via Twitter) that he completed a workout with the Mavericks and has a meeting with the Raptors up next.
  • Turkish League MVP Alperen Sengun, who visited the Kings over the weekend, had a workout this morning with the Spurs and is on his way to meet with the Magic, reports Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link). Sengun could be a lottery pick next Thursday.
  • Duke forward Matthew Hurt worked out for the Sixers today and has the Clippers, Nets, and Magic on tap later this week, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link), who adds that Hurt also recently impressed in workouts with the Rockets and Bucks.
  • Oklahoma guard Austin Reaves is keeping busy during the pre-draft process — Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets that Reaves is working out for a total of 18 NBA teams, including the Hawks, Knicks, Sixers, Nets, and Hornets.
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2021 NBA Offseason Preview: Philadelphia 76ers

July 19th, 2021 at 5:56pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Sixers entered this season still smarting from their sweep at the hands of the Celtics in the first round of the 2020 playoffs and looking to regain their status as a Finals contender.

And for much of the year, it looked like they were on track to do just that. With a rebalanced roster and Joel Embiid playing at an MVP level, the Sixers finished the year with a 49-23 record, one game ahead of the Nets for the top seed in the East.

Though Ben Simmons had a disappointing year, averaging the fewest points, rebounds, and assists per game of his career, Tobias Harris looked rejuvenated under head coach Doc Rivers, Seth Curry finished the year sixth in the NBA in three-point percentage, and Dwight Howard and young guards Shake Milton and Tyrese Maxey shined in their limited roles.

In the first round of the 2021 playoffs, the Sixers comfortably dispatched the Wizards in five games, but Embiid suffered a meniscus tear in Game 4. While he was able to keep up his dominant level of play in the Sixers’ seven-game series against the Hawks, the team’s supporting cast was ultimately unable to provide enough to best an underdog Atlanta squad. For the second year in a row, the team was left with more questions than answers heading into the offseason following a disappointing playoff performance.

The Sixers’ Offseason Plan:

All questions regarding the Sixers offseason begin with Simmons.

Simmons didn’t just take a step back during the regular season — his lack of aggression against the Hawks in the playoffs was so notable that both Embiid and Rivers addressed it in comments to the media following the series’ end. While team president Daryl Morey spoke publicly of his faith in Simmons to address his unwillingness to shoot and to continue to be an important part of the team, reports have since indicated that the Sixers have opened up trade dialogues and are hoping to get a star in return for the 25-year-old point guard.

Despite his flaws, Simmons is a huge part of how the 76ers function, and the possibility of trading him away creates a major question mark about what the team will look like next year. Luckily, the Sixers are no strangers to offseason overhauls. Should Morey manage to trade Simmons in a blockbuster deal, it will be the fourth season in a row in which one of the team’s highest-paid players was either added or subtracted. From acquiring – then losing – Jimmy Butler to signing Al Horford to a $100+MM contract to dumping Horford for Danny Green, the 76ers have gotten into the habit of shaking up the roster on an annual basis.

The Sixers will also have to address Green’s unrestricted free agency. Although he only scored seven points per game during the playoffs, the threat of Green’s shooting and his versatile defense was important, especially given Curry’s limitations on the defensive end. And with the team paying maximum contracts to Embiid, Harris, and Simmons (or, potentially, the centerpiece of a Simmons trade), there will be very little money to replace Green on the open market.

The team will also need to rebalance its roster, as promising rookie Paul Reed represents the only bench depth at the forward/center spot. Furkan Korkmaz, the 6’7″ scoring specialist, will hit unrestricted free agency this summer, meaning Maxey, Milton, Isaiah Joe and Matisse Thybulle are the only bench players on guaranteed contracts, and all are combo guards.

George Hill, who came over in a midseason deal with the Thunder, has a partially-guaranteed deal and was largely ineffective in the series against the Hawks, though he still provided his typical brand of stout defense. With so many guards on the roster, the Sixers may decide not to guarantee the rest of his $10MM deal.

One player of interest will be Howard. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year was great for the Sixers off the bench and filled in when needed for Embiid. Philadelphia would undoubtedly like to keep him around, but it remains to be seen if Howard will be able to score one last slightly bigger payday elsewhere after two solid years of being a backup center.

Curry could potentially offer a point of flexibility. Curry was massively important to the Sixers, both in the playoffs and the regular season. But should Morey move Simmons for a scoring guard (such as CJ McCollum), it’s possible the club could view Curry as redundant and – given his bargain contract – try to move him for another wing, inserting defensive specialist Thybulle into the starting lineup to complement the newly-acquired guard.

Whatever happens, one thing is clear: given the team’s high expectations, roster holes, and lingering trade rumors, the Sixers we see on opening night of the 2020/21 season could look very different from the group we last saw walking off the floor against the Hawks.

Salary Cap Situation

Note: Our salary cap projections are based on a presumed 3% increase, which would result in a $112.4MM cap for 2021/22.

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

  • None

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Restricted Free Agents

  • None

Two-Way Free Agents

Draft Picks

  • No. 28 overall pick ($2,023,800)
  • No. 50 overall pick (no cap hold)
  • Total: $2,023,800

Extension-Eligible Players

  • Seth Curry (veteran)
  • George Hill (veteran)
  • Shake Milton (veteran)

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Offseason Cap Outlook

If they were to waive Hill, the Sixers would have $120MM+ in commitments for nine roster spots, giving the team the flexibility to remain below the tax line and even use the full mid-level exception.

However, if Philadelphia either hangs onto Hill or re-signs Green, that flexibility below the tax line will mostly disappear and the club would be limited to the taxpayer mid-level. I lean toward the front office taking that approach for now, but it’s hardly set in stone — the 76ers’ financial outlook could also change if they’re able to trim team salary at all on the trade market.

Cap Exceptions Available

  • Taxpayer mid-level exception: $5,890,000 4
  • Trade exception: $8,190,134

Footnotes

  1. Hill’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after August 3.
  2. Tolliver’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after September 4.
  3. The cap hold for O’Quinn remain on the Sixers’ books from a prior season because he hasn’t been renounced. He can’t be used in a sign-and-trade deal.
  4. This is a projected value. If the Sixers stay below the tax apron, they could have access to the full mid-level exception ($9.5MM) and the bi-annual exception ($3.7MM).

Salary and cap information from Basketball Insiders, RealGM, and ESPN was used in the creation of this post. Luke Adams contributed to this post.

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Could Wells Fargo Renovations Convince Sixers Not To Build Own Arena?

July 18th, 2021 at 4:20pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum
  • Wells Fargo Center, home court to the Sixers, is soon set to resume its $300MM renovation, which had been paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. New club level seating tweaks will be added this fall, and further improvements will be built next summer. Mike Sielski of The Philadelphia Inquirer wonders if the club will opt to remain at Wells Fargo long-term or will continue pursuing the rumored construction of their own arena. The team’s lease with Wells Fargo expires in 2031. Sielski notes that the improvements to Wells Fargo could entice Sixers ownership to stay. “I don’t want to get into speculation about how the Sixers think about this,” Valerie Camillo, Wells Fargo’s president of business operations, said. “The Sixers know we want them to stay.”
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Olympic Notes: Exhibition Game, Beal, Harris, Wood, Adebayo

July 15th, 2021 at 8:23pm CST by Dana Gauruder

There have been discussions about canceling Team USA’s exhibition game with Australia on Friday due to the U.S. team’s COVID issues, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Olgun Uluc tweet. Bradley Beal has been ruled out of the Olympics and Jerami Grant has also been placed under health and safety protocols. Australia defeated Team USA earlier in the week.

We have more on Team USA:

  • Coach Gregg Popovich is crestfallen for Beal, Joe Vardon of The Athletic writes. “I’m dying for him. We all are,” Popovich said. “Since he’s a little kid this has been a dream of his, he was playing great, he was having fun, being a big part of us coming together chemistry-wise and as a family. So for him and his family, his immediate family, it’s devastating. We just feel horrible about it.”
  • USA Basketball is checking into Tobias Harris‘ availability, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. The Sixers forward is currently out of the country but is expected to return Saturday evening. Rockets big man Christian Wood is also being considered as Beal’s replacement.
  • Heat center Bam Adebayo contributed 12 points, five assists, and five rebounds in the team’s victory over Argentina on Tuesday. Adebayo’s versatility could be a major component for the squad, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. “The one thing about it is we don’t want everybody on the court thinking too much,” Adebayo said. “So I feel like with me and (Draymond Green), we have a responsibility to do all the little stuff — the screening, getting people open, making the extra pass. And obviously go score when there’s an opportunity.”
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Hofmann, Bodner Believes Odds Of Simmons Trade Better Than 50/50

July 15th, 2021 at 8:27am CST by Luke Adams
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Fischer’s Latest: Collins, Schröder, Lowry, Green, Tucker, Dinwiddie, Oubre

July 14th, 2021 at 12:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

Sign-and-trade deals are expected to be plentiful this summer and the largest one could involve Hawks forward John Collins, writes Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. Most contenders have limited cap flexibility, so league insiders are expecting the sign-and-trade option to be used with several of the top free agents.

Collins, a restricted free agent, could be on the move because of the perception that Atlanta doesn’t view him as a max player. Team owner Tony Ressler said last week that the team is hoping to reach a “fair agreement” with Collins, which raises questions about how high the Hawks would be willing to go to match an offer.

League sources tell Fischer there will be a “sizable market” for Collins once free agency begins next month. The Mavericks have been considered a possible destination for some time, and the Timberwolves are another team to watch, according to Fischer.

He shares some more rumors involving potential sign-and-trades:

  • Dennis Schröder turned down a four-year, $84MM extension offer from the Lakers and is expected to be on the move this summer. Fischer notes that Schröder wants a bigger salary and a larger role in the offense, but he’s not likely to get either in L.A. The Bulls and Knicks are expected to have interest in the veteran point guard, according to league sources, and a sign-and-trade is the Lakers’ best opportunity to add talent this offseason. L.A. will also continue to see what it can get in return for Kyle Kuzma, Fischer adds.
  • The Sixers remain interested in Raptors guard Kyle Lowry and he’s believed to welcome the chance to play for his hometown team. Several contenders will have their eyes on Philadelphia guard Danny Green, who represents another sign-and-trade opportunity.
  • Giving P.J. Tucker a new deal with the $12MM average salary he asked for in Houston would push the Bucks over the tax apron. Fischer states that the Nets have been interested in Tucker since they started negotiating the James Harden trade, and the Heat expressed interest as well when they talked to the Rockets about Victor Oladipo. Fischer identifies the Lakers, Warriors, Nuggets and Jazz as other teams to watch, along with the Timberwolves, who are led by former Houston executive Gersson Rosas and have been trying to acquire Tucker since the 2020 draft.
  • Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie and Warriors forward Kelly Oubre are two other potential names on the sign-and-trade market, according to Fischer. Sources say Brooklyn kept Dinwiddie past the trade deadline so he could be a potential sign-and-trade asset, while Oubre offers a chance for tax-strapped Golden State to pick up talent. Fischer names the Mavericks, Knicks and Heat as teams that would be interested in both players.
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Kings Unlikely To Include De’Aaron Fox In A Ben Simmons Offer

July 14th, 2021 at 10:07am CST by Arthur Hill

The Kings are among the “known suitors” who would like to get Ben Simmons from the Sixers, but they aren’t likely to part with De’Aaron Fox, sources tell Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.

Numerous reports have stated that Philadelphia is putting a high asking price on Simmons and is hoping to get an All-Star player in return. Fox hasn’t been an All-Star yet, but he has been extremely productive in his first four NBA seasons and is part of the young foundation in Sacramento. He averaged 25.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 7.2 assists in 58 games this year while shooting 47.7% from the field and 32.2% from three-point range. He’s also under contract for the next five years.

Anderson states that the Kings are more likely to offer a package that includes shooting guard Buddy Hield, power forward Marvin Bagley III, and multiple future first-round picks. A league source told Anderson that Sacramento would have to give up at least three first-rounders to make the deal work, while another source said the Sixers wouldn’t have any interest unless Fox or rookie guard Tyrese Haliburton is part of the offer.

Hield would fill a need for the Sixers, who ranked 23rd in the league in made three-pointers this season, Anderson notes. He’s a career 40.6% shooter from beyond the arc and holds the league record for most three-pointers made in his first five seasons.

Bagley is a talented young player who so far is best known for being selected ahead of Luka Doncic and Trae Young in the 2018 draft. He has missed a combined 108 games due to injury in first three NBA seasons and has been part of public disputes with the Kings about playing time and his future with the organization.

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Southwest Notes: Draft Day Trades, W. Green, Morey, Spurs

July 13th, 2021 at 5:07pm CST by Eli Cohen

Before a Tuesday report indicated that the Rockets are trying to trade up for the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft. Kelly Iko of The Athletic, along with beat writers for other teams, took a look at some potential deals Houston could make with the No. 2 pick. Some were considered hard passes (such as a trade-down with the Kings), others were considered interesting but not good enough (including a trade with the Magic for Nos. 5 and 8, and Wendell Carter Jr.), and only a couple were deemed acceptable. The bottom line: there are deals to be made, but it won’t be easy.

Meanwhile, William Guillory of The Athletic examined four potential trades for the Pelicans with the 10th pick, with beat writers from the Kings, Magic, Cavaliers, and Wolves chiming in on the likelihood of each respective deal’s appeal.

We have more from around the Southwest Division:

  • Scott Kushner of the New Orleans Times-Picayune profiles Willie Green, who is expected to be named the next Pelicans head coach. One of the primary appeals of Green, Kushner writes, as opposed to Stan Van Gundy or Alvin Gentry, is his focus on player relationships and establishing trust, rather than instilling a rigidity and system. “The best coaches aren’t necessarily the ones that talk about Xs and Os,” Green said in an interview last year. “It’s doing everything from a place of love. People feel that.”
  • When the Rockets were sold to Tilman Fertitta, part of the agreement included guaranteed five-year extensions for GM Daryl Morey, CEO Tad Brown, and others, which had to be paid out even if those execs joined other teams before the deals expired, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. This could have helped incentivize higher-ups to step down and pursue new opportunities, Feigen notes. This report comes on the heels of Brown being named CEO of the Sixers and New Jersey Devils.
  • As two teams that have eschewed all-out tanking in order to find other ways to rebuild, the Spurs could look to Suns GM James Jones for inspiration, writes Mike Finger of The San Antonio Express-News. Jones was not without his fair share of criticism for his moves in 2019 to maintain competitiveness while retooling around star Devin Booker, Finger writes. But by following his own compass – including the surprise selection of playoff breakout Cameron Johnson with the 11th pick after trading down from No. 6 – and taking advantage of the opportunity to trade for Chris Paul, Jones has found his own way to bring the Suns to greatness. Whether the Spurs can do the same remains to be seen.
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