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Northwest Notes: Lillard, Thunder, Bol, Barton

July 10th, 2021 at 10:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard plans to keep any further discussion about his future in Portland private, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN. There has been speculation that Lillard might request a trade from the organization where he has spent his entire nine-year career in the wake of a disappointing first-round playoff exit and a coaching change.

Asked to comment on the rumors this week at Team USA’s training camp in Las Vegas, Lillard said he will handle the situation behind closed doors.

“Anything that I have to say, I’m going to say directly to (Blazers general manager) Neil (Olshey) and I’m going to address it directly with my team,” Lillard said. “There’s really nothing else I have to say about it.”

Lillard, who will turn 31 this week, is a six-time All-Star and one of the most prolific scorers in the league. However, Portland has been bounced from the playoffs in the first round in four of the past five seasons and may be entering a transition phase. Even so, Lillard pointed out that he hasn’t made any negative public comments about the franchise.

“There’s a lot of things being said and sometimes words being put in my mouth, and I haven’t said anything,” he said. “If there is something to be said or if I think something or have something to say that I’m going to say it and I’m going to stand on it.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

  • The Thunder have collected draft assets by taking on large contracts from other teams, and Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman wonders if the Sixers‘ Ben Simmons could become a target. Mussatto suggests offering Philadelphia Kemba Walker, who was recently acquired from the Celtics, along with Ty Jerome and the 16th and 18th picks in this year’s draft. Simmons, whose future with the Sixers is uncertain after a shaky shooting performance in the playoffs, is owed more than $146MM over the next four seasons.
  • In a mailbag column, Mike Singer of the Denver Post speculates on the future of Nuggets big man Bol Bol, who barely played after signing a two-year contract last offseason. Singer notes that Bol only saw a combined 26 minutes in April and seemed to fall behind Zeke Nnaji and Vlatko Cancar on the depth chart.
  • Singer also cites “chatter” about a possible extension for Nuggets guard Will Barton, who has a July 17 deadline to decide on a $14.6MM player option for next season. Singer states that there’s a lot of “goodwill” between the organization and Barton, who is projected to be a starter if he returns.
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Atlantic Notes: Toppin, Sixers, Knicks, Raptors, Baxter

July 8th, 2021 at 10:39am CST by Luke Adams

Knicks forward Obi Toppin had an underwhelming rookie season after being selected with the No. 8 pick in last year’s draft. The former Dayton standout played just 11.0 minutes per game, averaging 4.1 PPG and 2.2 RPG on 49.8% shooting.

However, Toppin is determined to take a major step forward in his second NBA season, and views participating in the pre-Olympics training camp as part of the U.S. Select Team as an important part of that process, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post.

“The message, (the coaches) told me coming here is just be a sponge,” Toppin said on Wednesday from Las Vegas. “There’s great coaches and players out here and just get better and develop my game. I’m working really hard in this offseason to be better for my second season coming up. It’s going be a lot different than the first season.

“I was super excited to have opportunity to come out here work out with these guys,” Toppin added. “It’s the best players in the world on this Olympic team. Having the opportunity to learn under the coaches here and playing with these players, I’m learning a lot and I’m going to translate it into my game for the upcoming season.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

  • Over at The Athletic, Derek Bodner and Rich Hofmann provide an in-depth primer for the Sixers‘ offseason, Mike Vorkunov and John Hollinger preview what’s ahead this summer for the Knicks, and Blake Murphy identifies six guards the Raptors could consider selecting with one of their two second-round picks (Nos. 46 and 47).
  • Speaking of those two Raptors second-rounders, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca suggests (via Twitter) that most of the prospects Toronto has worked out so far in the pre-draft process are either candidates for those picks or potential UDFA targets. The lottery prospects who could be in play at No. 4 figure to start coming through next week, per Lewenberg.
  • Morgan State forward Troy Baxter Jr. is drawing interest from a handful of Atlantic clubs. He has already worked out for the Celtics and Nets and is auditioning for the Knicks later this week, he said on Wednesday (Twitter link via Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington).
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Suns, Hawks Show Teams Don't Need A "Process"

July 4th, 2021 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill
  • The quick turnarounds by the Suns and Hawks, who both missed the playoffs last season, shows that teams don’t need to go through years of losing like the Sixers did with “The Process,” argues Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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Central Notes: Sexton, Cavaliers, Antetokounmpo, Brogdon

July 3rd, 2021 at 7:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat are the best trading partner if the Cavaliers are looking to move guard Collin Sexton, contends Nekias Duncan of BasketballNews.com. Sexton is only 22 and is coming off his best season, averaging 24.3 points per game, but he will be eligible for a rookie-scale extension this summer. Cleveland is focused on re-signing restricted free agent center Jarrett Allen and may not want to hand out a second large contract.

Duncan likes the fit for Sexton in Miami because the Heat need another scorer who can attack the rim. Sexton’s limitations as a play-maker wouldn’t matter as much with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo handling the ball, Duncan adds, while coach Eric Spoelstra could find ways to overcome Sexton’s defensive issues.

Duncan suggests it would be easy to include Kevin Love in the potential trade and get his contract off Cleveland’s books. Miami could match salary by picking up its options on Goran Dragic and Andre Iguodala and possibly including Tyler Herro and KZ Okpala in the deal.

Duncan mentions the Raptors, Celtics and Lakers as other possible destinations for Sexton.

There’s more from the Central Division:

  • The Cavaliers have gotten calls from teams interested in their No. 3 pick, but nothing has moved beyond “cursory conversations,” according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The Magic, who own the fifth and eighth selections, and the Warriors, who have No. 7 and 14, could be teams to watch if talks get more serious.
  • Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo was able to do on-court work today for the first time since hyperextending his left knee Tuesday night, tweets Malika Andrews of ESPN. Coach Mike Budenholzer confirmed the workout in a pre-game session with reporters, adds Eric Nehm of The Athletic (via Twitter), but said he wasn’t able to watch it.
  • A source tells J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star that the Pacers haven’t had any trade talks with the Sixers involving the 13th pick (Twitter link). A report Friday said Philadelphia declined an offer of Malcolm Brogdon and the pick for Ben Simmons. The Pacers tend to avoid large contracts like Simmons has, Michael adds, noting that owner Herb Simon vetoed a trade for Mike Conley two years ago. Indiana is open to moving the pick, according to Michael, but he says there have been no talks with the Sixers, who are hoping to land Damian Lillard from the Trail Blazers.
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Draft Notes: Early Entrant Decisions, Mintz, Obanor, Duarte

July 2nd, 2021 at 3:28pm CST by Luke Adams

Kentucky guard Davion Mintz has withdrawn from the draft and will return to the Wildcats for another year, per an ESPN report.

Jalen Wilson (Kansas), Orlando Robinson (Fresno State), Josh Mballa (Buffalo), Moussa Cisse (Memphis), Stanley Umude (transferring to Arkansas from South Dakota), and Alex Morales (Wagner) are also pulling out of the draft in order to return to school, according to a series of tweets from Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.

The NCAA’s early entrant deadline is July 7, so players who declared for the draft and are testing the waters will have until next Wednesday to either withdraw or keep their names in the pool.

Here’s more on the draft:

  • Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports takes a look at a dozen college programs whose rosters for 2021/22 will be affected by key decisions made on or before the July 7 early entrant withdrawal deadline.
  • Nebraska guard Dalano Banton will remain in the 2021 draft, he told Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link). Iowa forward Joe Wieskamp and Evansville wing Sam Cunliffe are staying in the draft too, while Coppin State wing Koby Thomas has also signed with an agent and will go pro rather than returning to school, according to Rothstein (Twitter links).
  • Illinois big man Kofi Cockburn and Oral Roberts forward Kevin Obanor have entered the transfer portal but are remaining in the draft for now, according to reports from Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com and Jeff Goodman of Stadium (Twitter link). Obanor has worked out for the Warriors and Cavaliers and has auditions lined up with the Sixers and Magic, per Goodman.
  • Oregon guard Chris Duarte tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype that he believes he should be a lottery pick in this year’s draft.
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Sixers Reportedly Rejected Pacers’ Offer For Ben Simmons

July 2nd, 2021 at 12:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers are listening to offers for Ben Simmons, but weren’t willing to accept a recent trade proposal from the Pacers, tweets Jason Dumas of KRON4 News.

According to Dumas, Indiana offered guard Malcolm Brogdon and a first-round pick in a deal for Simmons. He doesn’t specify that the pick would be this year’s, but the Pacers hold the 13th selection in the July 29 draft.

Brogdon, 28, is coming off a career-best season in both scoring (21.2 PPG) and rebounding (5.3 RPG). He can play either guard position and is known as an efficient shooter and an intelligent play-maker.

Brogdon is under contract for two more seasons and is set to earn $21.7MM next year and $22.6MM in 2022/23. The deal would provide some cap flexibility for Philadelphia, which owes Simmons more than $146MM over the next four seasons.

Trade rumors have been swirling around Simmons ever since his poor shooting performance in the playoffs. Sixers officials are saying they prefer to keep him and work to improve his shot, but they have been fielding offers, according to Dumas, who adds that they are continuing to insist on a star player in return.

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Lakers Notes: Third Star, Schröder, K. Walker, Sale

July 2nd, 2021 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Adding a third star this summer won’t be easy for the Lakers, even if there are a few on the market, writes Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. L.A.’s season was derailed by injuries to LeBron James and Anthony Davis, showing the need for another elite player, but the team may not have enough valuable assets to offer.

The Lakers own the 22nd pick in this year’s draft, but don’t have another tradable first-rounder until 2027. They’ve still got their selections in 2023 and 2025, but are limited by the league rule preventing future first-round picks from being traded in back-to-back years.

Goon cites the Trail Blazers‘ Damian Lillard and the Sixers‘ Ben Simmons as players who might be available, but he isn’t convinced that the Lakers can match salaries with a competitive offer, which would mean sending $31.4MM to Portland or $24.5MM to Philadelphia. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kyle Kuzma will each make $13MM next season, but a package with them and the two draft picks may not be the best deal the Sixers can get. The Lakers could have another trade chip if Montrezl Harrell opts in at $9.7MM, but that still may not be enough for Philadelphia.

Getting the Blazers to trade Lillard for a similar package seems nearly impossible, and Goon sees L.A.’s best chance as a sign-and-trade involving Dennis Schröder. However, Schröder has expressed a desire to re-sign with the Lakers and there’s no guarantee that Portland would want him in return for Lillard.

There’s more from L.A.:

  • Schröder is expecting to get offers in the range of $100MM to $120MM in free agency, VP of the German Basketball Federation Armin Andres said, according to TalkBasket. Andres confirms that Schröder isn’t playing for Germany this summer because the cost of insuring his future earnings is too high.
  • The Lakers and Clippers will be the most interested teams in acquiring Kemba Walker from the Thunder, ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on his latest podcast (hat tip to Justin Leger of Yahoo Sports). Walker, who was traded from the Celtics last month, was plagued by knee problems all season and still has two years and nearly $74MM left on his contract.
  • The NBA’s board of governors gave unanimous approval to the sale of 27% of the Lakers to Todd Boehly and Mark Walter, according to Scott Soshnick of Sportico. The deal is expected to be finalized next week.
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Atlantic Notes: Dinwiddie, Smart, Knicks, O’Neil

July 1st, 2021 at 4:08pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Nets have come to a crossroads with Spencer Dinwiddie, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post, and now they’ll have a decision to make. Fortunately, they have options.

One option would be to re-sign the 28-year-old guard, but between their depth at the position and Dinwiddie’s vocalized desire for either a big payday or a return to his home of Southern California, that may not be in the cards. Dinwiddie has been very open about the process.

“If Brooklyn wants to use my Bird Rights and sign me, I’d be thankful to be back and be able to go and try to win,” he said. “And if not, then as an unrestricted free agent you can kinda choose where you wanna go. It’s an interesting situation to be in.”

If the Nets don’t re-sign him, there are two choices: let him walk, potentially across the bridge to the Knicks, who have the cap space to sign him, or try to sign-and-trade him to a destination of his choice, though it’s unlikely such a move would bring back equal value, Lewis writes.

We have more from around the Atlantic Division:

  • NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg examines whether the Celtics should extend Marcus Smart this summer, in the wake of head coach Ime Udoka‘s comments referring to Smart as a “foundational piece.” Smart is the only starting-caliber guard currently on the Celtics’ roster, and is eligible for a four-year extension worth up to a maximum of $77.2MM.
  • The Knicks have struggled for years to match their ambitions in superstar-hunting with their ability to attract such talent. That may be changing, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. “I think having [head coach Tom] Thibodeau there will help the Knicks a great deal in free agency,’’ former Magic coach Steve Clifford said. “He has a great reputation connecting with players and, of course, winning.”
  • Scott O’Neil, CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, the company that owns the Sixers, has stepped down from his position after eight years, the team announced on Wednesday. “I would like to thank (Sixers owners) Josh Harris and David Blitzer for inspiring, engaging and empowering me to bring together the most talented executive team in sports and entertainment,” O’Neil said. “Josh and David are extraordinary leaders, partners and friends.” O’Neil is also selling his silent limited partnership, reports Marcus Hayes of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
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Roster Announced For U.S. Select Team

July 1st, 2021 at 12:26pm CST by Arthur Hill

The roster has been released for the U.S. Select Team, which will help Team USA prepare for the Olympics, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

The Select Team, which will practice with and scrimmage against the national team during the upcoming training camp in Las Vegas, is made up mostly of first- and second-year NBA players. It will be coached by Erik Spoelstra of the Heat.

Making up the roster are:

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Wizards Interview Sam Cassell For Coaching Job

June 30th, 2021 at 8:07am CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards interviewed Sixers assistant Sam Cassell for their head coaching job on Tuesday, sources tell Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link). The team is seeking a replacement for Scott Brooks after failing to reach an agreement on a new deal with him earlier this month.

Cassell was identified last week as one of the leading candidates to fill Washington’s coaching vacancy, but this is the first we’ve heard of his interview with the club. One report earlier in June suggested Cassell also may be on the Magic’s radar.

If Cassell were to be hired by the Wizards, it would be a reunion for the two sides and a homecoming of sorts for the former NBA point guard. A Baltimore native, Cassell began his coaching career with the Wizards in 2009, spending five years as an assistant with the franchise, first under Flip Saunders, then on Randy Wittman‘s staff.

Cassell subsequently worked as an assistant on Doc Rivers‘ staff with the Clippers from 2014-20, then joined Rivers in Philadelphia for the 2020/21 season. The veteran assistant has been a candidate for a handful of head coaching openings within the last couple years. He was linked to the Rockets and Clippers in 2020, and was said to receive some interest from Boston earlier this month before the team hired Ime Udoka.

While Cassell appears firmly in the mix for the Wizards’ job, the team is considering several other options, including Nuggets associate head coach Wes Unseld Jr., Mavericks assistant Jamahl Mosley, and Celtics assistant Scott Morrison.

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