Damian Lillard

Central Notes: Drummond, Pistons, Bucks, Rivers, Garland, Carlisle

October 18th, 2024 at 11:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Sixers center Andre Drummond spent the first seven-and-a-half seasons of his NBA career in Detroit, earning a pair of All-Star nods and leading the league in rebounding four times during his tenure with the Pistons. Even though the team only made the playoffs twice during that time and was swept out of the first round in both instances, Drummond looks back fondly on his stint with the franchise and hopes to eventually return.

“I call Detroit home to this day,” Drummond said on the Run Your Race podcast (YouTube link). “I still have a house in Detroit, just because of the connection that I have with the city. I feel like I became a man in that city. … I grew up so much there. I met some of my best friends there. I built a relationship with the fanbase and the community in Detroit.

“I’ve always said it, I want to finish my career there. The year I’m trying to retire, I want to finish in Detroit. Because that’s where I started and I want to finish there.”

Drummond is the second all-time rebounder in Pistons history, behind only Bill Laimbeer. He also ranks third in blocked shots on the franchise leaderboard.

Here’s more from around the Central:

Sam Amick of The Athletic spoke to Bucks stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard and head coach Doc Rivers to get a sense of why the team is confident it will be better in 2024/25 than it was in ’23/24. “This year, a challenge for me is to be healthy,” Antetokounmpo said. “A challenge for me is to play in the playoffs, to get out of the f—ing first round. Assert myself even more. Every year for me is important because one day, I’m going to be 35 or 36 or 38 and I’m going to be like, ‘Oh, my prime just went, and I wasn’t able to do something.’ So dominate.”
In a separate interview with Eric Nehm of The Athletic, Rivers spoke about his enthusiasm for the upcoming season with the Bucks and defended his coaching record, pointing out that he’s constantly been in situations where he knows he’ll be criticized for anything less than a championship. “If you look at my path since leaving Boston, I’ve intentionally put myself in win-or-failure positions, knowing that in a lot of cases that if we fail, it’s on me,” Rivers said. “But if I’ve learned anything from my journey with Boston and how long it took me as a coach to get there, I want that position more than the, ‘Well, we can be fifth seed if some things go right’ position.”
After a trying 2023/24 season that included the death of his grandmother and a broken jaw that left him drinking out of a straw for weeks, Cavaliers guard Darius Garland says his “joy is back” ahead of the 2024/25 campaign. Chris Fedor has the story in a subscriber-only feature for Cleveland.com.
A resolution has been reached in a civil lawsuit filed by former agent Jarinn Akana against Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, reports Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Akana alleged that Carlisle breached their contract by refusing to pay the full commission owed to the agent as a result of his 2018 extension with the Mavericks. A trial had been scheduled for April 28, 2025, but that court date will be avoided as a result of the resolution (the terms of which are confidential).

Eastern Notes: Stewart, Raptors, Dick, Lillard, Martin

October 4th, 2024 at 11:15pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons‘ usage of Isaiah Stewart in recent years – and the players they’ve put around him – reflected the fact that they viewed him as a power forward rather than a center. Detroit used a lottery pick on center Jalen Duren in 2022 and encouraged Stewart to shoot more from outside. While the big man has gamely accepted that role, making a career-best 1.5 three-pointers per game last season on 38.3% shooting, he couldn’t hide his enthusiasm this week about playing more at the five, his preferred position, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press.

“(New head coach) J.B. (Bickerstaff) loves my physicality and me playing strong down low, like in my early years in the league with my offensive rebounding and stuff like that,” Stewart said. “I spent a lot of time this offseason at the five and I’m looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to getting back down in the paint, banging and doing what I do because at the end of the day, that’s what I love to do. That’s who I am.

“Playing the four, that was something that I had to work on and add to my game because I was being asked of it. Now I’m happy I get to play some five.”

As Sankofa explains, there are a few factors contributing to the Pistons’ desire to have Stewart spend more time at center this season. The arrival of power forward Tobias Harris is one. Stewart also has the ability to make more of an impact as a rebounder and rim protector if he’s spending more time in the paint.

As excited as he is about spending more time at center, the 23-year-old stressed that he’s willing to play wherever the team needs him.

“I don’t mind at all playing the four, because it’s something I can do,” Stewart said. “I can knock down the 3-point shot, I can space the floor, but we all know it’s something that’s new to me. … The four, it ain’t nothing wrong with it. But me, I love to bang. I love to be physical. I love to set the tone. I love to set great screens for my teammates. I like playing the five. But I don’t mind at all playing the four. I can do both.”

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

While Bruce Brown would’ve been an option to start at shooting guard for the Raptors if he were healthy, Michael Grange of Sportsnet views second-year sharpshooter Gradey Dick as the most logical candidate for that spot. As Grange outlines, besides looking like a good fit for spacing purposes, Dick is Toronto’s most recent lottery pick and has the potential to raise the club’s long-term ceiling if he develops into a reliable starter.
In interviews with Alex Squadron of SLAM and Melissa Rohlin of FOX Sports, Bucks point guard Damian Lillard spoke about why he’s optimistic about the upcoming season in Milwaukee after going through what he called the “toughest year of my life” on both a personal and professional level last season. “I think a lot of times people talk about revenge seasons, it’s like they’re going out for blood with everybody else,” Lillard told Rohlin. “But I think it’s the revenge of something I need to go take back for me, not for anybody else. I know what went into last season. And I know what goes into me being my best. That’s all I’m focusing on.”
Hornets forward Cody Martin sustained a laceration on his thumb and sprained his right wrist while attempting to block a shot at the rim in training camp, the team announced today (via Twitter). It doesn’t sound like either injury is considered serious – he’s listed as day-to-day – but Martin has been ruled out of Charlotte’s preseason opener.

Bucks Notes: Lillard, Giannis, Free Agent Signings, Middleton

October 2nd, 2024 at 8:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

After the Bucks traded for Damian Lillard late in September of 2023, there were only a few days for him and Giannis Antetokounmpo to get acquainted before the start of training camp. There’s hope that a year of playing together will help the two stars push the team back into title contention, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic.

“I think now we’re in a very, very good place,” Antetokounmpo said. “Before, we never had a player like him. It’s just something that slowly, slowly with time you understand. It’s definitely hard when I’m 29 and he’s 34 at this moment of our careers to kind of change the habits you’ve created, but if you want to win, you have to do so. I think we both — me, him and the rest of our team — are willing to do whatever it takes to win.”

After Milwaukee’s first-round playoff exit, Antetokounmpo told reporters that he planned to travel to Portland during the offseason to spend some time with Lillard. Antetokounmpo’s summer was filled with recovering from a left calf strain that forced him to miss the playoff series, representing Greece in the Olympics, and getting married. The Portland trip never happened, but Lillard told reporters at media day that their level of communication is fine.

“I think subconsciously, we are who we are because of how stubborn we are and how much we believe in what we believe,” Lillard said. “And I’ve never played with a player of his level. He’s never played with a point guard like me. So I think it just took time for it to get to this point where I’m going to say what I need to say to you and it doesn’t have to be negative or like I’m coming at you, but I can say it, know that you’re going to take it as what I think the best thing is and vice versa.”

There’s more from Milwaukee:

One of Doc Rivers’ first ideas after taking over as head coach in late January was to have his players travel somewhere for this week’s training camp, Nehm adds. They’re at the University of California-Irvine in an effort to build team unity. “I think it’s important that they’ll be riding in the car together to and from practice, going to dinners, spending time,” Rivers said. “I wish it was longer, honestly. … But from a team standpoint, the longer they’re together, (the better). It’s nice that our first game is on the road, so it kind of extends it, you know? No families. No friends around. Just us. I think that’s good for our team.”
General manager Jon Horst believes the Bucks’ reputation around the league helped them attract Gary Trent Jr., Taurean Prince and Delon Wright, who all came to Milwaukee on veteran’s minimum contracts, per Jim Owczarski of the Journal Sentinel. “It’s really a credit to those players for choosing us,” Horst said. “They weren’t short of options, and in most cases, honestly, they chose less money to come play for us for a chance to win and for a chance to really compete and improve their careers.”
For a team that’s used to being part of the Christmas Day showcase, it was surprising to see the Bucks left off this year’s schedule, notes Jamal Collier of ESPN. The snub was a topic of conversation as players gathered for media day. “I think, somewhat, we’ve been overlooked,” Khris Middleton said. “We should have had a Christmas Day game, I believe. But the NBA felt different. I don’t need that as extra motivation … but disappointed a little bit.”
Middleton continues to make progress following offseason surgery on both ankles, Owczarski tweets. “Everybody’s healthy. Nobody’s limited,” Rivers said after the second day of camp. “Khris did a lot, nothing live, but he did everything else. He even did a couple little live drills. He kind of slipped in there on us, so all good there.”

Bucks Notes: Middleton, Lillard, Giannis, Wolf

September 28th, 2024 at 6:07pm CST by Arthur Hill

With training camp about to open, Bucks swingman Khris Middleton still hasn’t received medical clearance for 5-on-5 action, sources tell basketball reporter Chris Haynes (Twitter link). Middleton is “progressing nicely” after offseason surgical procedures on both ankles, Haynes adds, but the team plans to be careful with him in camp.

Middleton had been bothered by pain in his left ankle since spraining it in February, so he underwent arthroscopic surgery to fix the issue. He also had an arthroscopic procedure performed on his right ankle, which he sprained during the playoff loss to Indiana.

Middleton, 33, was limited to 55 games last season, averaging 15.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists per night. He played just 33 games the year before, and the Bucks will need him to have a strong bounce-back season to have a chance to compete for a title.

There’s more from Milwaukee:

In a recent appearance on Marshawn Lynch’s “Get Got” podcast, Damian Lillard reflected on the surprise of being traded to the Bucks last September after spending the summer expecting to be headed to Miami (hat tip to The Sports Rush). “I’m in a great situation, but when I had my mind thinking I was going, you know, one place and then I ended up going somewhere else, it changed that experience for me,” Lillard said, adding that he doesn’t have any regrets about how the situation played out.
On the one-year anniversary of the three-team Lillard trade, Jim Owczarski of The Journal-Sentinel looks at how it affected the Bucks, Trail Blazers and Suns to see if a clear winner has emerged.
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo offered pointers to incoming Rutgers freshmen and projected 2025 lottery picks Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper on Friday during a workout arranged by Nike (Twitter link).
The Bucks organization is mourning the loss of Joe Wolf, who served as an assistant coach with the G League’s Wisconsin Herd. Wolf unexpectedly passed away this week. “Throughout his life, Joe touched many lives and was a highly respected, adored and dedicated coach and player across the NBA,” the team said in a statement. “His well-regarded talent was instrumental for the Bucks and Herd over eight years with the organization, including as a player and coach.” Wolf, 59, was a standout at North Carolina and played for seven teams during his 11-year NBA career.

And-Ones: WBD Lawsuit, Top Storylines, G League Trade, More

September 25th, 2024 at 3:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The legal battle between the NBA and Warner Bros. Discovery took another step forward in recent days. Responding to the NBA’s motion to dismiss their lawsuit, TBS and WBD filed a 33-page memorandum last Friday attempting to convince New York Judge Joel M. Cohen to deny that motion, per Michael McCann of Sportico.

The parent company of TNT Sports, filed a lawsuit against the NBA in July, alleging that the league was in breach of contract after it refused to recognize TNT’s right to match Amazon’s new broadcast deal with the NBA.

The latest filing from TBS/WBD insists that the league acted in bad faith to “circumvent” the network’s matching rights by including certain terms in its deal with Amazon that it knew TBS/WBD couldn’t specifically match. For instance, one clause in the NBA/Amazon agreement requires NBA games to be aired on a platform that also broadcasts NFL games. Amazon has a deal with the NFL, whereas TBS/WBD does not.

If the case continues to advance through the legal system, court records suggest a trial would be held sometime in April 2025, according to McCann.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Paul George‘s impact in Philadelphia and the Knicks’ potential hole at center are among the key storylines to monitor in the Eastern Conference this season, in the view of Fred Katz and Sam Amick of The Athletic. Katz and Amick also took a look at the top storylines to watch in the West, including whether Victor Wembanyama is ready to take the leap to superstardom, Ja Morant‘s potential redemption tour, and which second-tier team could move into the top group of contenders.
The South Bay Lakers, College Park Skyhawks (Hawks), and Texas Legends (Mavericks) have completed a three-team trade, with South Bay acquiring the returning rights to forward Chris Silva and center Jake Stephens in the deal, per a press release. The Skyhawks received Joirdon Nicholas‘ rights, while the Legends received multiple G League draft picks from the Lakers’ affiliate.
Responding to a pair of U.S. senators who criticized the NBA for partnering with Rwandan dictator Paul Kagame, deputy commissioner Mark Tatum wrote in a letter that the league has followed “the lead of the U.S. government as to where it’s appropriate to engage in business around the world,” according to Mark Fainaru-Wada of ESPN. “If American policies were to change regarding business activities in and relating to Rwanda or any other BAL (Basketball Africa League) market, our actions would of course change accordingly,” Tatum said, adding that the NBA has promoted multiple social impact initiatives in Rwanda.
Sixers center Joel Embiid, Bucks guard Damian Lillard, and Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman are among the individuals across the NBA who are facing the most pressure entering the 2024/25 season, according to Michael Pina of The Ringer, whose top five is rounded out by Knicks forward Julius Randle and Heat wing Jimmy Butler.

Eastern Notes: Council, Celtics, Lillard, ’24/25 Standings

August 21st, 2024 at 1:23pm CST by Luke Adams

As he prepares for his second NBA season, Sixers swingman Ricky Council has been participating this summer in the private runs held in Los Angeles by Sixers assistant Rico Hines, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Council is working on fine-tuning his game in the hope of earning rotation minutes in Philadelphia in 2024/25.

“This summer has been a whole lot of work, maybe even more than last year,” Council said. “Keeping my shooting touch up, working on different finishing moves, just learning the game, playing against good competition every day. All that’s going to help me in the long run.”

Having spent most of his rookie season in 2023/24 on a two-way contract, Council didn’t see a ton of action at the NBA level, but he impressed in his limited minutes, averaging 5.4 points in 32 outings (9.0 MPG), with a shooting line of .482/.375/.746. He knows that in order to get more playing time in ’24/25, he’ll have to show he can excel in a complementary role.

“We have Paul George. We have Tyrese Maxey and we have Joel Embiid,” Council said. “I don’t expect they’ll need much off the dribble in that nature. So I just need to be able to hit open shots and guard people.”

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

There’s “zero truth” to rumors that billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is interested in bidding on the Celtics, a source close to Bezos tells Nick Wingfield of The Information. As Kurt Helin of NBC Sports notes, there has been speculation in league circles that Bezos may have interest in being involved in an expansion franchise in Seattle, but it doesn’t sound like he’s looking to gain control of the defending champions, whose majority ownership group put its stake up for sale earlier this summer.
Appearing on the Club 520 Podcast (YouTube link), Bucks guard Damian Lillard admitted that his first year in Milwaukee last season was a “harder transition” than he expected. In addition to going through a tumultuous period in his personal life at the time, he also found it challenging to adjust to playing alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton after being traded from Portland to Milwaukee just days before training camp. “I’m having to get used to playing with two (great) players and I don’t want to stop them from doing what they do,” Lillard said (hat tip to HoopsHype). “But I got to find how to be the best version of me within this too, so it was just a lot of moving parts. It was more difficult than I thought it would would be.”
The Celtics sit atop ESPN’s predictions for the 2024/25 Eastern Conference standings, followed by the Knicks, Sixers, Cavaliers, and Bucks, in that order. The Magic round out ESPN’s projected group of top-six playoff teams, followed by the Pacers, Heat, Hawks, and Bulls in the play-in group. For what it’s worth, ESPN’s panel sees a big disparity between the the top two and bottom two play-in teams, projecting 46 wins for Indiana and 45 for Miami, compared to 31 for Atlanta and 30 for Chicago.

Damian Lillard: ‘I’m Not A Player That’s Breaking Down’

August 16th, 2024 at 9:13pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Perennial All-Star Damian Lillard insists he’s still the same player that carved out a Hall of Fame career in Portland despite a disappointing first season with the Bucks.

“I’m not a player that’s breaking down,” Lillard told Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in a subscriber-only story. “I live a clean, good, healthy life, so I can do it. I can do the same (expletive) I did two, three years ago. I can do it right now.”

The uncertainty surrounding Lillard was the biggest story of last offseason. Lillard was expected to be traded to his preferred destination, Miami. Instead, the Trail Blazers dealt him to Milwaukee.

After averaging a career-best 32.2 points per game in 2022/23, his scoring output dropped to 24.3 PPG in his first season with the Bucks. That was to be expected, considering he was teaming up with another superstar in Giannis Antetokounmpo but his shooting percentage was just 42.4%, including 35.4% on 3-point tries, well below his career averages.

“I think when the trade happened everybody was like, ‘Well, Milwaukee’s gonna win it,’ and I think when it didn’t always look the way they wanted it to look or thought it was gonna look, and I wasn’t looking how I looked in Portland, it was like, oh, what’s going on with Dame? Why is Dame not doing this?” he said. “But when for a greater part of the season I was still averaging about 26 points. Like, if you really think about that – what standard do y’all hold me to if I’m scoring 26 points and averaging seven assists and I’m not feeling great? I’m going through a lot of stuff. That’s just the truth.”

Injuries took a toll. During various points of the season, Liullard was dealing with calf, ankle, groin, adductor and Achilles issues. He was also going through a divorce and had to deal with playing and living in a new city after the trade finally came to fruition.

“There was a lot of change, a lot of stress, you know?” he said. “I think now, having an opportunity to get myself in order and kind of start pushing forward to next season.”

The oddsmakers peg the Bucks fourth among Eastern Conference teams heading into 2024/25, behind the defending champion Celtics, Sixers and Knicks. That’s just fine by Lillard as he continues to chase his first ring.

“The fact that we’re there and we’re under the radar is perfect because they’re gonna think nothing of us and then they’re gonna be like…You gotta face the truth, eventually. That’s how that usually works,” he said.

Bucks’ Jon Horst Discusses Trent, Wright, Pistons’ Interest, More

July 26th, 2024 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

In addition to declaring that the Bucks have no interest in trading starting center Brook Lopez, general manager Jon Horst touched on several more topics in a wide-ranging interview with Eric Nehm of The Athletic, expressing no regrets about last fall’s trade for Damian Lillard and conveying optimism about Milwaukee’s chances of being a title contender in 2024/25.

Asked by Nehm if the Bucks belong in the conversation with the defending champion Celtics and other Eastern Conference contenders like the Sixers and Knicks, Horst said there’s no question Milwaukee is in that tier.

“Yeah. I mean, honestly, it’s just whether or not those other teams belong in the conversation with us,” Horst said. “We’re the winningest team in the league and the conference the last seven or eight years. We still have our place there. We still have the best player in the world. We’ve got two top-75 players (of all-time) as our lead duo. We gotta be healthy. We gotta be lucky. We gotta be good. We’re definitely good enough. The guys are going to put in the right work. Hopefully we’re healthy enough and lucky enough and we’ll see.”

Horst also discussed the Bucks’ cap and tax situation, suggesting that the front office has no concerns about operating over the second tax apron and noting that it wouldn’t be hard to get out of apron territory if ownership wanted to do so. For now though, the goal is championship contention, which means spending well into the tax.

“When you have a team that is as talented as ours — I don’t say this boastfully, I just say this more matter-of-factually — we don’t have a bad contract on our roster,” Horst said. “All of our players are good players, good people on good-to-great contracts. So we can get anywhere at any time we want in the CBA, anywhere from a room team to a second-apron team. I think it’s never an issue for us to go where we want in terms of the CBA limits or aprons or thresholds. But the goal is not that. The goal has been, and will continue to be, to try to figure out how to win, to be the best team and organization in professional sports.”

Here are a few more highlights from Horst’s Q&A, which is worth checking out in full if you’re a subscriber to The Athletic:

On being able to sign Gary Trent Jr. to a minimum-salary contract:

Gary is a legit starting two-guard option that we’re very fortunate to be able to add to our group in a position of need. … He’s an almost 40-percent three-point shooter for his career. … He has a defensive component to his game that I think we can help flourish and grow more in our system. We’ve been able to do that with players, not only grow players offensively, but grow them defensively. And I just think he’s a great fit.

“He didn’t have the market that he probably wanted, but he also wasn’t a minimum player. Gary could have signed for more money elsewhere. He chose us for the opportunity that he thinks that we can give him, but also, he wants to win. So, it says a lot about him that we were able to secure him here in free agency.”

On why the Bucks prioritized Delon Wright in free agency:

“Delon is a really successful, versatile player. We targeted him because he can start at or back up two positions, maybe even three. He’s a big guard. He’s a defensive-minded guard. He’s playoff proven. He’s able to kind of generate turnovers, which is another thing that Gary does also. Both those guys are guys that generate turnovers on the ball and off the ball in the backcourt, something that we struggled with last year and we think helps in the playoffs. He’s capable of playing on the ball in pick-and-roll. He’s capable of playing off the ball as a catch-and-shoot threat from three. He can finish around the rim.

“So, for us, the versatility of Delon being able to play at either backcourt positions as a starter, as a backup, just with his experiences, was an absolute no-brainer. He was a high, high target for us and we were very fortunate that we were able to get him early.”

On the Pistons’ reported interest in talking to Horst about their president of basketball operations job:

“I never spoke to the Pistons. The Bucks didn’t allow me to, but they also expressed why they made that decision and how much they value me and want me here in Milwaukee, so it was pretty quick on my end. When the Pistons came to the Bucks about their interest in me, I had a brief conversation with our ownership group, they told me how they felt and how they were going to approach it and very quickly, our conversation shifted to the team this offseason.

“(Bucks co-owner) Wes (Edens) and I actually ended up talking for 45 minutes about how we were going to have a killer offseason and the types of guys we need to get and how we don’t want to be in this position again, and how much it sucks watching someone else play. We just talked about our team and that honestly was about the depth of the entire Detroit thing between me and the ownership group.”

Northwest Notes: Trail Blazers, Mitchell, Topic, Nuggets

July 24th, 2024 at 9:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Trail Blazers’ rebuilding process is happening at a fortunate time in light of the NBA’s new restrictive apron provisions, writes Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report. With so many young players on the roster, Portland doesn’t face the immediate decisions that other teams have to deal with, but it’s only a matter of time until its recent draft picks become eligible for extensions.

Highkin doesn’t believe the Blazers would have gotten nearly the same return for Damian Lillard if they had waited another year to trade him. Teams are placing a greater value on draft picks and are becoming less willing to gamble on older players with multiple years remaining on expensive contracts. Highkin points to Dejounte Murray, whom Atlanta traded for far less than it gave up to acquire him two years ago, along with Trae Young, Brandon Ingram and Zach LaVine, who may all have been dealt by now if the old rules were still in effect.

Highkin also notes that max extensions for rookie scale contracts don’t seem as automatic as they used to be. He states that Orlando’s Paolo Banchero and Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams appear to be the only “locks” to get those extensions next summer, when Portland will have to decide whether Shaedon Sharpe is worthy of a long-term commitment in excess of $200MM.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Ajay Mitchell‘s Summer League performance showed why the Thunder were willing to trade up to the 38th pick to acquire him, observes Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman. The Santa Barbara guard, who recently signed a two-way contract, showed an ability to change speeds and finish around the basket, posting an 11-point, 10-assist double-double early in Las Vegas. First-round pick Dillon Jones displayed “flashes and flaws” in his first Summer League experience, while 2022 lottery pick Ousmane Dieng was held out of the games in Vegas after playing in Salt Lake City.
Nikola Topic could turn out to be a steal for the Thunder at No. 12 when he returns next season from his partially torn ACL, Rylan Stiles states in a Sports Illustrated piece. Oklahoma City was willing to wait a year for Topic to get healthy, and he could develop into a lead guard for the second unit.
The Nuggets will open their preseason schedule with a pair of games against the Celtics Oct. 4 and 6 in Abu Dhabi, tweets Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports. Denver will host the Suns Oct. 13 and the Thunder Oct. 15 before traveling to face the Timberwolves Oct 18.

Trade Rumors: George, Bucks, Centers, Lakers, Murray

June 21st, 2024 at 6:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Although Paul George sits atop our list of 2024’s top 50 free agents, there’s a chance that the Clippers forward won’t actually become a free agent this offseason. George could sign an extension to remain in Los Angeles before free agency begins. There’s also another scenario worth keeping an eye on in the next week or so, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who has mentioned during multiple recent podcasts and TV appearances that an opt-in-and-trade could be an option for George (hat tip to RealGM).

George holds a $48.8MM player option for 2024/25, and if he decides he wants to join a team that doesn’t have the cap room necessary to sign him as a free agent, he could pick up his option in conjunction with a trade agreement in order to allow the Clippers to get something back for him while getting him to his preferred destination. A former Clipper, Chris Paul, took this route in 2017 in order to accommodate a trade from Los Angeles to Houston.

While it sounds more like speculation than hard reporting, Windhorst has repeatedly referred to the Knicks as a suitor who would make sense in this scenario, since they could offer a strong combination of rotation players and draft assets in a trade package for George (Twitter video link).

If George opts for free agency, a sign-and-trade deal in which the Clippers acquire multiple players for him likely wouldn’t be possible, since a new CBA rule prohibits second-apron teams from taking back salary in exchange for a signed-and-traded player.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

Windhorst said during an appearance on Friday’s episode of First Take (YouTube link) that the Bucks may look to shake up their core this offseason, though neither Giannis Antetokounmpo nor Damian Lillard is considered a trade candidate. “There’s starting to be rumblings that (Bucks head coach) Doc Rivers is looking for a change or two to some of their core pieces,” Windhorst said. “Not Dame or Giannis, but potentially looking at another maneuver they could make to alter their team.” Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported earlier today that Milwaukee center Brook Lopez is viewed as a possible trade candidate.
The Lakers, Grizzlies, and Pelicans are a few of the teams who are “closely monitoring” the market for centers this offseason, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, who took a closer look at whether New York will consider moving Mitchell Robinson. Like Lopez, Robinson has been cited as a potential trade candidate.
Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show on Friday (Twitter video link), Shams Charania of The Athletic suggested that the Lakers may renew their pursuit of a Hawks guard in the coming days. “They have to be aggressive,” Charania said. “One name that they did pursue last season at the trade deadline that teams around the league expect to come up again in trade conversations over the next week or so and makes sense for the Lakers is Dejounte Murray of the Hawks.” Atlanta is widely expected to trade either Murray or Trae Young this summer — Young has also previously been mentioned as a possible Lakers target.

Load More Posts