Philadelphia 76ers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Harden, Wizards, Keefe, Bucks, Grimes

July 16th, 2023 at 8:14am CST by Luke Adams

Daryl Morey‘s asking price for Sixers star James Harden so far has been “exorbitant,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said during a Friday appearance on NBA Today (YouTube link). However, according to Wojnarowski, that’s not an uncommon starting point for Morey, who generally exercises patience when dealing with a high-profile trade candidate.

“That’s where Daryl Morey always starts in trade talks, really high,” Wojnarowski said. “And then over time, perhaps, you work him back down.”

Wojnarowski reiterates, as others have reported, that the Sixers seem to be holding out hope that Harden will reconsider his trade request and decide to remain in Philadelphia for the 2023/24 season. However, the former MVP has reportedly maintained his desire to be traded, so if he hasn’t been moved by the time training camps open in September, it may result in an unpleasant situation.

“They may get to training camp and it may look different to Philly,” Wojnarowski said. “They may have a James Harden who’s not as enthusiastic about his return as they are. And then maybe they get more serious about (trading him). But right now, I think the Harden talks – like (the Damian Lillard ones) – are going to linger into the summer.”

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Brian Keefe, who spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach in Brooklyn, is joining the Wizards‘ staff under Wes Unseld Jr., sources tell Wojnarowski (Twitter link). As our tracker shows, Keefe was among the candidates to interview for Detroit’s head coaching job this spring.
In a conversation with Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, general manager Jon Horst discussed several Bucks-related topics, including how the club is navigating the second tax apron, Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s health, Bobby Portis‘ role on Team USA, MarJon Beauchamp‘s outlook, and more. Horst said that Antetokounmpo’s knee is “doing great” following a clean-up procedure in June.
Following the signing of Donte DiVincenzo, Zach Braziller of The New York Post wonders if Quentin Grimes – who started 66 games and averaged 29.9 MPG last season – will still play a significant role for the Knicks going forward or if he might become more valuable to the team as a trade chip in a deal that would help balance the roster and/or add an impact player.

No Obvious Targets On FA Market For Sixers

July 14th, 2023 at 2:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com surveys the free agent market to see whether any of the available veterans would make sense as targets for the Sixers, considering players like Christian Wood, Jaylen Nowell, and Kelly Oubre. Neubeck isn’t convinced that anyone on the free agent market would be a great addition for Philadelphia, but acknowledges that some could become better fits depending on whether James Harden‘s trade request ultimately shakes up the roster.

Atlantic Notes: Siakam, Wieskamp, Anunoby, Harden, Walsh

July 13th, 2023 at 6:01pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Raptors forward Pascal Siakam is still a potential trade candidate for Toronto, but the club is taking its time and showing no urgency to make a move, writes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star.

There’s “more smoke than fire” around Siakam, according to Star, who says the Raptors do not feel a particular obligation to move their veteran star, who at present appears happy to remain with the only NBA team he’s ever known.

The 6’9″ forward submitted his most prolific scoring season yet on a middling 41-41 club in 2022/23, averaging 24.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 5.8 APG, 0.9 SPG and 0.5 BPG.

Smith adds that the $1.9MM non-guaranteed contract of sharpshooter Joe Wieskamp is due to be fully guaranteed Monday, but predicts that Wieskamp is more likely be released than retained.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

The Knicks, who boast one of the best collections of assets in the league, may have the inclination and the pieces to make a trade for Raptors 3-and-D swingman OG Anunoby, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Anunoby was one of the most coveted players to not be moved during this past season’s trade deadline. The 2022/23 All-Defensive Second Teamer averaged 16.8 PPG on .476/.387/.838 shooting splits, 5.0 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.9 SPG across his 67 available contests last year.
Although rival front offices believe the Sixers are hoping to hold on to star point guard James Harden, a source close to the 2018 MVP says he still wants to be traded for the third time in three seasons, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Celtics rookie forward Jordan Walsh has been solid enough during his Summer League run with Boston that it’s conceivable he could eventually slot into the team’s rotation as a possible Grant Williams replacement this year, opines Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Williams, of course, was sent to Dallas in a three-team sign-and-trade earlier this week.

Trade Rumors: Harden, Bogdanovic, Mavs, Zion, Blazers

July 12th, 2023 at 1:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Although James Harden hasn’t backed off the trade request he made in June, there’s no indication that the Sixers are on the verge of dealing the former MVP, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne said during an appearance on NBA Today on Tuesday (YouTube link).

“(Harden and the Sixers) have spoken again, and he still reiterated he wants to be traded,” Shelburne said. “Now, this isn’t a demand, it’s a request. I think the Sixers have said, ‘Okay, we will try to trade you,’ but there is no hurry to do this. I think the Sixers understand that they have the leverage here. James has picked up his option… He’s going to be a free agent after this season, so at some point he needs to play, whether that’s in Philadelphia or elsewhere.”

The situation in Philadelphia, as Shelburne portrays it, isn’t acrimonious. While Harden would prefer to play elsewhere, it’s not necessarily a sure thing that he’ll be wearing another uniform when the 2023/24 season begins.

“There is a sense that if they can give it some time – and he’s cool with his teammates, he’s been talking to Joel Embiid, he’s been talking to Patrick Beverley, P.J. Tucker – that eventually maybe those fences can be mended, and there is a path to reconciliation with James Harden,” Shelburne said. “But for now, he has reiterated his trade request.”

Here are a few more trade-related items from around the NBA:

In the latest episode of his Howdy Partners podcast (YouTube link; hat tip to The Smoking Cuban), ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said he has “heard some rumblings” about the Mavericks circling back to Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic, who was linked to Dallas prior to the draft. MacMahon cautions that he’s not sure the Mavs have the assets to land Bogdanovic, given Detroit’s high asking price, and suggests Dallas’ priority may be to trade for a starting-caliber center.
According to Jake Madison of Locked on Pelicans (Twitter link), Chris Haynes of TNT said on a TV broadcast last Friday that league executives got the sense this offseason that Pelicans forward Zion Williamson could be had “for the right situation and the right package.” However, sources have told Zach Lowe of ESPN (Insider link) that New Orleans wasn’t prepared to “pivot away” from Williamson on draft day, and ESPN’s Andrew Lopez said in the latest Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link) that the Pelicans’ trade offers for the No. 2 and No. 3 picks in this year’s draft were heavily based around future picks, not players.
Within that same ESPN.com story, Lowe says he hasn’t heard compelling evidence that a “sensible” trade was available for the Trail Blazers with the No. 3 overall pick last month. The Nets never showed any interest in giving up Mikal Bridges for a package based around the No. 3 pick and Anfernee Simons, according to Lowe, who says the Heat “chuckled” at the idea of Portland asking for Bam Adebayo. The Raptors also weren’t ready to move off of Pascal Siakam or OG Anunoby as of draft day, Lowe adds, though it’s unclear if the Blazers would have moved the No. 3 pick in a deal for either player.

Latest On Filip Petrusev; Bamba Discusses Joining Sixers

July 12th, 2023 at 10:18am CST by Luke Adams

Will draft-and-stash prospect Filip Petrusev sign his first NBA contract with the Sixers this offseason? Head coach Nick Nurse seemed to suggest as much during an appearance on Tyrese Maxey‘s Maxey on the Mic podcast, referring to the 2021 second-rounder as a player “who’s going to be on the roster this year” (hat tip to Eurohoops). With James Harden‘s trade request still unresolved and Philadelphia bringing back Paul Reed and Montrezl Harrell to go along with new addition Mohamed Bamba, it would be a little surprising if the team is fully committed to bringing Petrusev – another center – stateside for 2023/24, but it sounds like it might happen.
Speaking of Bamba, he spoke to reporters on Monday about his decision to sign with the Sixers and the role he expects to play with his new NBA team. As Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer details, the former lottery pick will be looking to show that he can be relied upon as a regular rotation player. “The next step for me is just consistency,” Bamba said. “Barring any injuries, just being out there and, you know, doing what I do best, protecting the rim, touching the floor and being so much more of a lob threat.”

Atlantic Notes: Beverley, Harden, J. Brown, Duke, Knicks

July 11th, 2023 at 10:05am CST by Luke Adams

Patrick Beverley played with James Harden in Houston for five seasons from 2012-17 and is hoping to get the opportunity to reunite with his old backcourt mate in Philadelphia. Acknowledging that the decision on how to handle Harden’s trade request is “above my pay grade,” Beverley said during his introductory press conference on Monday that he’d love it if Harden is still with the Sixers when the season begins.

“One of my decisions coming here was because James Harden was here,” Beverley said, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “So I hope he stays. Hope that everybody can kind of work something out and put that behind us and kind of move forward. I think it’s important.

“… I love him. James, I love you, bro. Stay. … I’m very familiar with James. And I’m excited. I’m excited to get it going. He knows I’m here. So we’ll see.”

Beverley officially signed his one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Sixers over the weekend. Harden’s future – or lack thereof – in Philadelphia will be one of the factors that determines what Beverley’s role looks like in 2023/24.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Extension discussions between Jaylen Brown and the Celtics have progressed as expected so far, and the two sides appear to be moving closer to an agreement, potentially within the next week, writes Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Weiss adds that the three teams involved in the Grant Williams sign-and-trade – Boston, Dallas, and San Antonio – are still finalizing the details on all the draft picks involved in that complex deal, which should become official soon.
Although he didn’t receive a qualifying offer from the Nets in June, David Duke has been playing for their Summer League team and remains hopeful about returning to Brooklyn, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Duke, who finished the season on a standard contract with the Nets after being promoted from his two-way deal, admitted that he was a little surprised not to be given a QO. “You know, things don’t always happen as you really expect it. So yeah, I can say that I was expecting (a qualifying offer),” he said. “But my whole career I feel like there’s been things that have kind of been thrown at me that I didn’t expect, so it’s not really something that shook me or anything like that. … I think if I take care of the stuff on the court, everything will fall into place.”
In a story for The Athletic, Fred Katz examines the impact Donte DiVincenzo could have on the Knicks‘ defense, outlines the unlikely incentives in DiVincenzo’s new contract, and weighs the value of the second-round picks the team got back in the Obi Toppin trade with Indiana.

Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Harden, Lillard, Reed, Wall, Knicks

July 10th, 2023 at 8:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Sixers center Joel Embiid admitted being disappointed in James Harden‘s trade request during an interview Sunday with Rachel Nichols of Showtime (Twitter link). Embiid also said he understands that it’s the “business” side of the league and expressed hope that Harden’s “mindset can be changed.”

It was Embiid’s first public comment on the situation since Harden expressed a desire to be traded after deciding to pick up his $35.6MM option for next season. The Clippers are reportedly his preferred destination, although there has been little indication of any progress in trade talks.

Embiid also said he and Harden will remain friends no matter what happens with the trade request, but he would like to have him stay in Philadelphia and see what they can accomplish under new head coach Nick Nurse.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Sixers don’t have the assets for a Damian Lillard trade, even if president of basketball operations Daryl Morey decides to include Tyrese Maxey in his offer, argues David Murphy of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Murphy points out that recent trades involving the NBA’s top stars have involved parcels of draft assets, which Morey doesn’t have available. The Sixers are limited to offering one future first-round pick, plus four pick swaps, which is unlikely to interest a team like the Trail Blazers, who will be hoping to build around young talent if they move Lillard.
The decision to match Utah’s offer sheet for Paul Reed leaves the Sixers $6.6MM over the tax threshold with 13 players holding guaranteed contracts, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN.
The Celtics were among the teams that attended John Wall‘s private workout Sunday in Las Vegas, tweets Kelly Iko of The Athletic. However, Brian Robb of MassLive doesn’t see Wall as a good fit in light of the team’s recent moves. Boston signed free agent point guard Dalano Banton this summer and already has Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon and Payton Pritchard on the roster. The Celtics are already facing a significant tax bill, Robb adds, and any free agent addition would bring millions more in tax penalties. Iko identifies the Trail Blazers as another team that sent representatives to watch Wall.
Knicks officials were at a private workout for free agents Alize Johnson and Ben McLemore, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link). Johnson played four games for the Spurs last season before being waived in December, while McLemore most recently played in China.

Sixers Match Jazz’s Offer Sheet To Paul Reed

July 9th, 2023 at 9:39pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Sixers are matching the Jazz‘s offer sheet to restricted free agent Paul Reed, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. Philadelphia put out a press release confirming the decision.

Utah offered a unique three-year, $23MM contract to Reed, who was Joel Embiid‘s primary backup last season.

Only the first year of the contract is guaranteed. The Jazz used their $7.7MM room exception to complete Reed’s offer sheet.

The last two years of the contract, totaling $15.7MM, will become guaranteed if the Sixers reach the conference semifinals next season. The same unusual contract clause of reaching the conference semifinals would have applied to the Jazz if Philadelphia had declined to match.

Considering that the Sixers have gotten past the first round in five of the last six seasons, it’s more likely they will advance past the first round next season than the Jazz — though Utah is on the upswing after shaking up its roster last offseason.

The approach used by the Jazz certainly gave Philadelphia more pause to match the offer sheet but the team ultimately decided to hold onto a valuable reserve.

By matching, the Sixers have created more luxury tax issues for themselves. They’ll exceed the $165MM luxury tax threshold at a cost of an estimated $14MM in tax penalties. Reed will also have the option to veto trades for a year, due to the Sixers’ decision to match.

The Sixers now have a crowded frontcourt behind Embiid after agreeing to re-sign Montrezl Harrell and signing free agent Mohamed Bamba.

Reed saw his role expand in his third NBA season as he averaged 4.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in 69 regular-season games.

Sixers Sign Mohamed Bamba To One-Year Deal

July 9th, 2023 at 12:52pm CST by Rory Maher

JULY 9: Bamba’s deal is official, the Sixers announced on Twitter.

JULY 5: Mohamed Bamba is signing a one-year deal with the Sixers, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). It will be for the veteran’s minimum, according to Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice (Twitter link).

The 76ers still plan on keeping restricted free agent Paul Reed, according to Wojnarowski, who notes that Bamba will be an insurance policy at backup center if Reed were to depart.

The sixth overall pick of the 2018 draft, Bamba spent his first four-plus seasons with the Magic, who sent him to the Lakers ahead of the trade deadline. He sprained his ankle shortly after being moved to L.A. and rarely played for the Lakers off the bench even before the injury. They wound up waiving his $10.3MM contract for 2023/24 before it became guaranteed.

In total, Bamba appeared in 49 games in 2022/23, averaging 6.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in 15.7 minutes per contest. He posted a shooting line of .485/.387/.661.

Although he has flashed the ability to stretch the floor and protect the rim, he hasn’t done either very consistently. Despite being 7’0″ with an enormous 7’10” wingspan, Bamba is very much a jump shooter offensively, rarely finishing in the paint or getting to the free throw line. He also makes a lot of mistakes in attempting to block shots he shouldn’t defensively, leaving the weak side open behind him.

Bamba saw his role with the Magic decline last season after the team added Wendell Carter and Paolo Banchero. He was outplayed by Moritz Wagner for the backup center job (Wagner re-signed with the Magic on a two-year, $16MM deal), and that’s partly why they moved Bamba.

Still just 25, Bamba could have some untapped upside. He’s blessed with enviable physical tools and he’s a low-risk signing at the league minimum.

Even if Reed does return, it’s possible Bamba could outplay him and become the team’s backup center behind Joel Embiid, though based on playing style, I would favor Reed’s aggression for the job, especially with Nick Nurse as head coach.

Patrick Beverley Signs One-Year Deal With Sixers

July 9th, 2023 at 12:34pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 9: The signing is official, the Sixers announced (via Twitter).

JULY 1: Free agent point guard Patrick Beverley is joining the Sixers. The news was broken by Beverley himself, via his podcast’s Twitter account, with Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com reporting (via Twitter) that it’ll be a fully guaranteed one-year, minimum-salary deal.

A former second-round pick out of Arkansas, Beverley has enjoyed a productive 11-year career in the NBA by thriving as a perimeter defender and solid three-point shooter (.373 PT%).

While his shooting has been up and down in recent years (33.9% since the start of the 2021/22 season), Beverley still has a reputation as a terrific veteran leader and a strong defender. After signing with Chicago on the buyout market in February, he helped stabilize the Bulls’ point guard rotation and drew praise from his teammates for his presence in the locker room.

Splitting his 2022/23 season between the Bulls and Lakers, the 6’1″ vet averaged a modest 6.2 PPG on .400/.335/.723 splits, 3.7 RPG, 2.9 APG and 0.9 SPG, across 67 contests. Until his Chicago stint, he had qualified for the playoffs in all of his first 10 NBA seasons.

Though the upper echelon of the Sixers’ roster is currently very much in flux with starting guard James Harden having requested a trade out of town earlier this week, Beverley seems likely to be a stabilizing energy bench piece. He can operate as a supplemental point-of-attack defender who remains a threat on the perimeter. Philadelphia recently lost another rotation guard, Shake Milton, who inked a two-year deal to join the Timberwolves.

As Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com notes, Beverley will join several former Rockets teammates in Philadelphia. Team president Daryl Morey served as the head man in Houston when Beverley and Harden were Rockets. Sixers power forward P.J. Tucker, wing Danuel House, and center Montrezl Harrell were also rostered with both squads.

Beverley may no longer be the three-time All-Defensive talent he was in his prime, but even during his age-35 season, he still seems very capable of being a two-way contributor on a playoff club.

Alex Kirschenbaum contributed to this post.

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