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Pacific Notes: Ball, Randle, Reed, Williams

July 28th, 2017 at 4:51pm CST by marksuleymanov

Before he even suits up for a regular season game with the Lakers, Lonzo Ball has already made an impact on the team, J.A. Adande of ESPN writes. The scribe notes that the Lakers just sold the rest of its season ticket inventory and a recent season ticket viewing open house — which only yielded 175 sales last season — sold over 600 available seats for next season.

Ball certainly made an impression in the Las Vegas Summer League, taking home Most Valuable Player honors and generating headlines by simply wearing different brands of sneakers. Also, Adande notes that five summer league contests that generated the highest ratings were Lakers games. Despite being just 19 years old, Ball has become a polarizing figure and, in the early stages, living up to the hype generated by his outspoken father, LaVar Ball.

It will not be an easy feat to secure Rookie of the Year honors, or speak his father’s words of bringing the Lakers to the playoffs in 2017/18 into existence. However, playing a city and for a team that prides itself on Showtime, Ball has given the organization and its fans something to get excited about.

Here are additional notes from around the Pacific Division:

Julius Randle is entering his fourth NBA season and coming off a season where he averaged 13.2 PPG and 8.6 RPG in 74 contests. Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News writes that Randle is hoping to find improvement next season after altering his conditioning program and trimming down his body weight.
The Clippers signed Willie Reed to a team-friendly one-year, $1.5MM deal and he’s happy to be with the team, Basketball Insiders’ Cody Taylor writes. Blake Griffin and Patrick Beverley were among the teammates to welcome Reed to L.A. and he’s excited to begin playing with the club.
Alan Williams has parlayed a lack of college interest, international play, and shoddy NBA workouts into a three-year, $17MM deal with the Suns. As Scott Bordow of Arizona Central Sports writes, Williams is grateful to have both cashed in with the deal and remained with the team he rooted for as a kid.
Speaking of Williams, the Suns’ cap space after the signing is $6.3MM though the team also owns a $12.1MM hold on 24-year-old international talent Alex Len, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter).

At Least Six Teams Have Made Kyrie Trade Offers

July 28th, 2017 at 10:37am CST by Luke Adams

10:37am: The Heat have made no offer to the Cavs for Irving, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link). Wojnarowski is as reliable as NBA reporters come, so this may simply be a question of semantics — perhaps the Heat conveyed to Cleveland what they’d be willing to give up for Kyrie without officially putting an offer on the table. Either way, Miami looks like a long shot.

8:37am: The Spurs, Clippers, Heat, Knicks, Suns, and Timberwolves are among the teams that have made trade offers to the Cavaliers for Kyrie Irving, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

According to Wojnarowski, about 20 teams have inquired with the Cavs about Irving, but far fewer have made legit proposals — some clubs are just monitoring the proceedings, while others don’t have the assets necessary to make a deal happen.

As Wojnarowski explains, there’s a discrepancy between the sort of package the Cavaliers are seeking and what Irving’s potential suitors are currently willing to offer. New GM Koby Altman is looking at the package Denver received in 2011 for Carmelo Anthony as a point of reference. The Nuggets acquired young players, win-now veterans, and draft picks in that swap. However, Cleveland’s potential trade partners prefer a “scaled-down” version of that structure, with fewer players and picks, like what the Bulls received for Jimmy Butler.

Here’s more from Woj:

According to Wojnarowski, the Cavaliers haven’t ruled out the possibility of bringing Irving to training camp, or even extending the process beyond December 15, when most free agent signees become trade-eligible. However, other clubs are skeptical that the Cavs will let the Irving saga continue well into the fall.
Teams around the league view the Suns and Celtics as the teams best equipped to make a deal for Irving. However, Phoenix hasn’t been willing to include Josh Jackson, and it’s not clear how aggressive Boston would be with its assets.
The Heat are open to parting with Goran Dragic and Justise Winslow in an offer for Irving, sources tell Wojnarowski. Still, Miami would likely have to make an “overwhelming” offer to get something done, given the history between the two franchises, Woj adds.
The Pacers had Irving as the No. 1 target on their trade board when they were shopping Paul George, and would have done a one-for-one deal, but the Cavaliers declined that option multiple times, sources tell Woj. The ESPN scribe also notes that a separate deal for George – involving Kevin Love instead of Irving – fell apart when the Cavs insisted on including lottery protection on a first-round pick they’d send to the Pacers. Indiana wanted the pick unprotected.
Team executives around the NBA are doing a ton of homework on Irving, and have been encouraged by what they’ve found — there’s a consensus that Irving has a history of late nights and partying, but it never affected his play and he has curbed those tendencies into his mid-20s, says Wojnarowski.

LBJ Angling For Cavs To Acquire Josh Jackson?

July 27th, 2017 at 10:41pm CST by ChrisCrouse

LeBron James is aware of Kyrie Irving‘s trade request and it appears he’s not going to sit around and be passive in the situation. According to ESPN’s Pablo Torre (h/t Carter Rodriquez of SB Nation), James is “hustling on behalf” of the Cavaliers in regards to finding an Irving trade.

“LeBron James is doing some LeBron James offseason work,” Torre said on ESPN’s first take. “And my understanding is it’s not just Derrick Rose, it’s not just Eric Bledsoe. LeBron James happens to know a guy named James Jones . . . LeBron James is hustling behind the scenes, is my understanding, asking ‘Is Josh Jackson available for Kyrie Irving?’ And the answer back that I heard is ‘no, he is not.’ But LeBron James is hustling on behalf of the Cleveland Cavaliers, at least for this one year.”

Phoenix recently named Jones, who is a longtime friend and teammate of LBJ’s, as its vice president of basketball operations. The first time executive played for the Cavs alongside James and Irving over the last three seasons.

The Suns are not on Irving’s short list of teams of which the Duke product would prefer. However, Irving does not wield a no-trade clause, so the team could ship him anywhere it finds a deal without the point guard’s permission.

If Phoenix relents on its unwillingness to include Jackson in an Irving trade, a deal centered around Bledsoe and this year’s No. 4 overall pick arguably could be Cleveland’s best option on the market. Bledsoe, who shares an agent with James, recently worked out with Rose and the 4-time NBA MVP.

Bledsoe Working Out With James, Rose

July 26th, 2017 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Suns guard Eric Bledsoe is adding fuel to the rumors of a possible deal to Cleveland by working out with LeBron James and newly signed Cavaliers guard Derrick Rose this week in Las Vegas, according to ESPN.com. Bledsoe is among several players who have been tied to Cleveland in the past week in rumored trades involving Kyrie Irving, but he has a unique connection by being a client of Klutch Sports, just like James and teammates Tristan Thompson and J.R. Smith. “I love everything about [the Phoenix area],” Bledsoe told Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic this week. “At the same time, I want to win.” A report Tuesday said the Suns wouldn’t be willing to part with first-round pick Josh Jackson in an Irving deal.

Suns Re-Sign Alan Williams

July 26th, 2017 at 2:18pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 26: The Suns have formally re-signed Williams, the team announced today (Twitter link). The deal will now officially eat into a portion of the cap room Phoenix had available.

JULY 10: The Suns have agreed to a deal with restricted free agent Alan Williams, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical, who reports that Williams will remain in Phoenix on a three-year, $17MM contract.

[RELATED: 2017 NBA Free Agent Tracker]

Williams, 24, took on a bigger role in his second season with the Suns in 2016/17, though he only averaged 15.1 minutes per contest in 47 games overall. Still, he was very productive when he played, recording 17.6 points and 14.8 rebounds per 36 minutes.

A report last weekend indicated the the Suns had made Williams an offer in the neighborhood of $5-6MM annually over four years. His new deal is in that salary range, albeit for three years instead of four. Assuming he plays out the contract, the big man will be on track to return to free agency when he’s 27, perhaps setting himself up for a bigger payday at that point if he continues to develop.

The Suns entered the free agent period this month with an eye on a couple top-tier power forwards, but after missing out on Blake Griffin and Paul Millsap, the franchise decided to focus on retaining its own young players and perhaps accommodating salary dumps to add more assets.

With Williams locked up, Phoenix may shift its focus to getting something done with its other restricted free agent, Alex Len, assuming he remains in the club’s plans.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Suns Will Not Include Josh Jackson In Kyrie Irving Offer

July 25th, 2017 at 5:34pm CST by Joshua Fischman

The Suns will not include Josh Jackson in any trade for Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving, reports John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link).

Ramona Shelburne of ESPN (Twitter link) adds that the team has reassured Jackson of this as well.

Phoenix has been rumored to be interested in the disgruntled Cleveland point guard, but it will not be entertaining offers that include its top 2017 draft pick. Jackson was selected fourth overall by the Suns as a forward out of the University of Kansas. The Suns clearly view Jackson as a critical part of their future if they are not willing to discuss trading him for a star of Irving’s caliber.

In Jackson’s lone season at Kansas, he averaged 16.3 PPG and 7.4 RPG, while shooting 51.3% from the field. Last season for the Cavs, the 25-year-old Irving scored 25.2 PPG and dished out 5.8 APG, while boasting an extremely impressive slash line of .473/.401/.905. Irving’s career playoff figures are even more impressive, as he has averaged 23.9 PPG, 4.7 APG, and 1.5 SPG in 52 career playoff games with a slash line of .465/.415/.876. Irving’s numbers in the past two playoffs are much higher still.

Since the Cavaliers do not need to trade Irving any time soon, although one could argue it would be awkward if they didn’t before training camp, it appears less likely that the Suns could nab him without agreeing to part with Jackson. Still, the Cavaliers may have interest in Eric Bledsoe as the centerpiece of a potential Irving trade.

Brandon Knight Expected To Miss Season

July 25th, 2017 at 4:23pm CST by Joshua Fischman

Suns guard Brandon Knight has suffered a torn ACL in his left knee, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. An official announcement from the Suns states that Knight will undergo surgery and is expected to miss the entire 2017/18 season.

In six career seasons with three different teams, Knight has averaged 15.2 PPG and 4.3 APG on 41.5% shooting. Knight played by far the least minutes of his career this past season, averaging just 21.1 minutes per game and starting only five of the 54 games in which he played. His scoring average was also a career low at 11.0 PPG.

Knight was acquired by the Suns in February of 2015 in a three-team trade. Two years earlier, the guard had been traded from the Pistons to the Bucks. Knight’s best scoring season came with the Suns in 2015/16 when he averaged 19.6 PPG. However, he shot just 41.5% from the floor during the campaign.

With near-All-Star Eric Bledsoe and up-and-coming Tyler Ulis at point guard for the Suns and Knight likely to miss the entire 2017/18 season, it will be interesting to monitor the Kentucky product’s future in Phoenix. After an incredibly disappointing performance last season, Knight had already been on the outs with the Suns. This injury may have solidified the young guard’s future elsewhere.

Knight is owed $13.6MM this season, $14.6MM next, and $15.6MM more the following season.

Latest On Kyrie Irving

July 25th, 2017 at 12:35pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns were “very” close to acquiring Kyrie Irving on draft day, reports John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (via Twitter). Irving’s trade request reportedly didn’t happen until early July, but it appears the Cavaliers were having discussions about their star point guard as they explored ways to upgrade their roster in June, before he formally asked to be moved.

According to Gambadoro (Twitter links), the Suns still have the pieces to land Irving, but any deal would require the team to part with Eric Bledsoe, Josh Jackson, and more. Gambadoro isn’t sure exactly what else the Cavs would ask for in addition to Bledsoe and Jackson, but the price may be too steep for Phoenix.

Here’s more on Irving:

According to ESPN’s Zach Lowe and Brian Windhorst on The Lowe Post podcast, the Pacers offered Paul George for Kyrie Irving around the time of the draft (hat tip to Dan Feldman of Pro Basketball Talk). Cleveland likely wouldn’t have accepted George straight up for Irving even after he made his trade request, given George’s expiring contract, but if they’d known Kyrie wanted out at that time, it could have made those discussions with Indiana much more interesting.
The Cavaliers have heard from virtually every team in the league in some capacity, though some are more interested in Irving than others, a source tells Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. According to Kyler, the situation is unlikely to get resolved quickly.
Kyler also suggests that Cleveland would like to reduce its projected tax bill in an Irving deal, with one source predicting that any team acquiring Irving will have to take on at least Iman Shumpert‘s contract.
Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com suggests that LeBron James is “eager to see [Irving] off,” but the four-time MVP denied that report in a tweet, suggesting that it needs “another source.”
Appearing on The Rich Eisen Show on Monday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver suggested that the Irving drama in Cleveland is “not necessarily the kind of drama that the league wants.” Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com has the details and the quotes from Silver, who called the situation “upsetting.”
Here are several of Monday’s Irving-related notes and updates.

Latest On Kyrie Irving

July 24th, 2017 at 12:25pm CST by Luke Adams

There’s little chance that the Cavaliers will salvage their relationship with Kyrie Irving, according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, who says the team is “acting as if a trade is almost inevitable.” Per Lowe, the Cavs also seem confident that they’ll be able to land a significant haul for Irving, despite the fact that stars like DeMarcus Cousins, Paul George, and Jimmy Butler have returned underwhelming hauls so far this year.

Lowe’s latest piece on Irving explores possible trade scenarios involving the Suns, Celtics, Heat, Knicks, Hawks, Bucks, Nuggets, Timberwolves, Pelicans, and more. While many of those proposed scenarios appear to be speculation on Lowe’s part, they give the impression that the Cavs certainly won’t be limiting themselves to Irving’s reported wish list of four teams as they seek out the best possible deal.

Here’s more from Lowe, along with other updates on Irving:

The Cavaliers‘ highest priority in an Irving trade is to get a “blue-chip” young player in return, sources tell Lowe. Cleveland’s ideal scenario would be a deal that nets the club that blue-chip player, plus a veteran or two, plus draft picks. In other words, the Cavs are aiming for a trade package that provides the best of both worlds — players that can help the team contend for a championship in the short term, and valuable long-term assets.
Since Irving made his trade request, the Cavaliers‘ front office has studied every trade involving a star player over the last decade, per Lowe. One particular deal that caught the club’s eye was the one that sent Goran Dragic from Phoenix to Miami for a package that included multiple first-round picks.
Many teams, including the Celtics, have called the Cavaliers to let them know they want to be kept in the loop as trade talks progress, writes Lowe.
The Nets still have a chunk of salary cap room remaining and could be an interesting trade partner in a multi-team scenario, but there have been no rumblings yet about their potential participation, according to Lowe.
The Kings have no interest in moving De’Aaron Fox in a deal for Irving, reports James Ham of CSNBayArea.com.
One Western Conference team executive tells Chris Mannix of The Vertical that he thinks the Cavaliers may end up having to wait until after December 15 to make a deal, after this year’s free agent signees become trade-eligible. If that happens, it might create an awkward few months in Cleveland, with Irving still on the roster when the season begins.

Western Notes: Bledsoe, George, Rondo

July 23rd, 2017 at 10:49pm CST by Austin Kent

While his name has been consistently floated in trade rumors over the course of the past season, Eric Bledsoe wants to remain in Phoenix. That said, the Suns guard recently told Scott Bordrow of azcentral that he also wants to win.

Most recently linked to the Cavaliers in a move that would help Cleveland honor a recent Kyrie Irving trade request, Bledsoe has once again been earmarked as a potential trade chip. If the Cavs are seeking established veterans capable of contributing to a contender, then a player like Bledsoe could be an appealing part of a larger Suns package.

There’s no denying Bledsoe’s value in the NBA — he posted a career best campaign with the Suns in 2016/17, averaging 21.1 points, 6.3 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game. He just doesn’t line up with Phoenix’s “timeline” built around a young, rebuilding roster.

If the Cavaliers do choose to seek a buyer for Irving, then the question becomes whether or not the Suns are willing to package Bledsoe with enough assets to make a deal palatable for the Eastern Conference champions.

There’s more out of the West:

The Thunder shocked the NBA when they managed to trade for Paul George earlier this summer. It’s already easy to see the swingman’s impact on the franchise. Erik Horne of the Oklahoman details how George can help the team’s offense, defense and even second unit.
The decision to sign Ronnie Price to a two-year deal last summer has come back to haunt the Thunder. Fred Katz of the Norman Transcript has broken down the significant luxury tax impact the since-waived guard will have in 2017/18.
The Pelicans are excited about the addition of point guard Rajon Rondo, particularly big man Anthony Davis who will be one of the prime beneficiaries of Rondo’s playmaking abilities. “He and I will do very well in pick-and-rolls, especially the way I dive to the basket, or I can pick-and-pop,” Davis told Jim Eichenhofer of the Pels’ official website. “He’s great at finding guys at the right times with the ball. Anyone who’s been in pick-and-rolls with him has been very successful. Hopefully we can do the same thing.“