Deandre Ayton Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Kuzma, Beal, Oladipo, Snyder, Hornets

June 17th, 2023 at 5:01pm CST by Luke Adams

As the Bradley Beal trade rumors percolate, Ian Begley of SNY.tv says some people within the Wizards organization “voiced concerns” last season about the fit between Beal and forward Kyle Kuzma. While Begley acknowledges that the team has revamped its front office and may view things differently now, it appears increasingly unlikely that Beal and Kuzma will play together next season, with one on the trade block and one headed for free agency.

Meanwhile, David Aldridge and Josh Robbins of The Athletic weighed in on the latest Beal trade rumors, taking a closer look at the Wizards’ talks with the Suns and Heat. According to The Athletic’s duo, Washington would have interest in acquiring Tyler Herro in a deal with Miami, but the Heat are instead offering Duncan Robinson (along with Kyle Lowry and multiple first-round picks).

Despite rumors indicating that Chris Paul – and not Deandre Ayton – would need to be included in the Suns’ offer for Beal in order to satisfy all parties, Aldridge and Robbins suggest that Ayton could still be the centerpiece of Phoenix’s offer.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

Heat guard Victor Oladipo is accusing his business manager of taking money from his bank accounts to buy a condo in Florida and a strip club in New York City, per Justin Rohrlich of The Daily Beast. Oladipo has filed suit in New York against James B. Henderson for stealing at least $1.3MM. Oladipo filed a separate lawsuit last year in Florida’s Orange County Circuit Court.
While some observers believed that Quin Snyder wouldn’t have joined the Hawks unless he was given ultimate control of the roster, he adamantly denies that’s the case, according to Jeff Schultz of The Athletic. “The only role (general manager) Landry (Fields) and (assistant GM) Kyle (Korver) and I talked about when I agreed to come to Atlanta is me coaching the team,” Snyder said. “That’s what I like and it’s also what I’m passionate about. Any speculation about me having a more significant role than providing input on personnel decisions is just not accurate. I have total confidence in Landry and his group to make those decisions. As I see it, my job is to maximize the potential of the personnel, whatever the personnel is. That’s where my focus lies. That speculation is erroneous.”
A number of draft experts expect the Hornets to select Brandon Miller at No. 2 in next Thursday’s draft, but Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer makes a case for Scoot Henderson to be the pick. The guard’s stock has been on the rise as of late, Boone writes, with rumors circulating that teams want to trade up for Henderson, not Miller.

Arthur Hill contributed to this post.

Heat, Suns In Serious Talks For Wizards’ Bradley Beal

June 17th, 2023 at 1:51pm CST by Luke Adams

1:51pm: The Heat are trying to acquire Beal without moving Herro, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link).

Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link) says the package discussed by Miami would be built around Lowry and draft assets, with Robinson or Oladipo also included for salary matching.

The Wizards appear to be trying to avoid taking back long-term money, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. That suggests that a Suns offer would likely involve Paul rather than Ayton.

12:54pm: The Wizards are engaged in serious talks about a Bradley Beal trade with two separate suitors, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), who reports that the Heat and Suns are in the mix for the star guard.

Miami has long been viewed as a potential landing spot for Beal if he’s dealt, whereas Phoenix is more of a newcomer to the sweepstakes. Charania refers to the Heat and Suns as “finalists” for Beal, though it’s unclear if the Wizards are fully committed to moving forward on a trade or whether other clubs will still have a chance to get involved.

As first reported on Wednesday, Beal and the Wizards have begun to talk to one another about the possibility of a trade, with the team’s new front office – led by Michael Winger – considering the idea of resetting the roster. Any major changes in D.C. would almost certainly include moving Beal, who is owed nearly $208MM over the next four years.

Because Beal has a full no-trade clause, he has a significant amount of control over not only his eventual landing spot but the return the Wizards receive for him, since he could veto a deal if he thinks his new team is giving up too much. Beal’s camp – including agent Mark Bartelstein – has reportedly been granted permission by the Wizards to speak to potential suitors.

Beal’s current cap hit is $43.3MM and that number will increase to $46.7MM in 2023/24, so substantial outgoing salary will be required to match that figure and meet the NBA’s trade rules.

A Heat trade for Beal would likely start with either Tyler Herro or Kyle Lowry. Herro will make $27MM next season in the first year of his four-year rookie scale extension, while Lowry will be on a $29.7MM expiring contract. Duncan Robinson ($18.2MM), Victor Oladipo ($9.5MM), and Caleb Martin ($6.8MM) are among the other possible trade candidates for the Heat, who have up to three first-round picks available, including this year’s No. 18 selection.

As for the Suns, it’s safe to assume Kevin Durant and Devin Booker wouldn’t be included in an offer for Beal. That means a proposal would have to start with either Chris Paul or Deandre Ayton, depending on whether Washington would prioritize expiring salary (Paul) or a young building block who is under contract for multiple years (Ayton). Paul has a partially guaranteed $30.8MM salary for 2023/24 without any guaranteed money owed to him beyond next season, while Ayton will make $102MM over the next three years.

Landry Shamet ($10.3MM) and Cameron Payne ($6.5MM) are other movable Suns players for matching purposes, though Phoenix doesn’t have much to offer in the way of future draft picks after sending four first-rounders to Brooklyn for Durant in February. The Suns would only be able to sweeten an offer with second-round picks or with a first-round swap in 2024 and/or 2026.

Both the Heat (with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo) and the Suns entered the offseason expected to scour the trade market for impact players capable of complementing their star duos. The two teams project to be taxpayers going forward, so their flexibility to make major moves may be limited after the 2023/24 league year as more rules from the new Collective Bargaining Agreement take effect.

The Heat have also been linked to Damian Lillard, though there’s no indication yet that he’ll be available this summer. The Suns are said to have some interest in Malcolm Brogdon and John Collins, among others.

Trade Rumors: Lillard, Simons, Ayton, Beal, Nets

June 17th, 2023 at 12:00pm CST by Luke Adams

With the draft less than a week away, the Trail Blazers continue to focus on trying to acquire pieces to complement Damian Lillard rather than seeking a trade involving their franchise point guard, according to reports from veteran basketball journalists Marc Stein and Brian Windhorst.

Stein wrote on Friday at Substack that Portland continues to convey a willingness to package the No. 3 overall pick with guard Anfernee Simons in a deal for win-now talent. Windhorst, meanwhile, said on ESPN’s Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link) that the Blazers are trying to get creative as they seek roster upgrades.

“Portland is trying some pretty aggressive moves, from what I’ve been able to glean,” Windhorst said (hat tip to RealGM). “I have no idea how accurate everything is, but they are swinging.”

As Stein observes, the teams with interest in acquiring Lillard are hoping the Blazers don’t find a trade they like using their lottery pick. There’s a belief that Dame will consider asking out of Portland if the club simply keeps and uses that No. 3 selection, since he has spoken about wanting to contend for a title.

In that scenario, Windhorst notes, the Blazers would be in a good position to reset their roster, with a couple young players to build around, but he doesn’t get the sense that’s a path the front office is exploring yet.

“They have Shaedon Sharpe… This year they have the No. 3 pick. If they wanted to, they’re primed (to rebuild),” Windhorst said. “They could get a haul for Dame, whatever it is, and they’d have two lottery picks to rebuild around. But that is not the direction that they’re going at all. That is not the intel that I’m (receiving) at all. If that’s being considered, it’s not being discussed outside the family.”

Here are a few more recent NBA trade rumors:

Having previously reported that the Suns were expected to gauge Deandre Ayton‘s trade value this offseason, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN indicated during an appearance on the Ryen Russillo Podcast (YouTube video link) that those efforts haven’t been especially fruitful so far. According to Wojnarowski, the trade market for Ayton is “lean,” so Phoenix should prepare for the possibility of bringing back the former No. 1 pick. “They’ve gone through the marketplace and I don’t think there is an obvious deal for Deandre Ayton out there,” Woj said, per RealGM.
A rival Eastern general manager tells Sean Deveney of Heavy.com that the Wizards shouldn’t rush into a Bradley Beal trade, even if they intend to reset their roster, since his value is “as low as it has ever been” at the moment. “Right now, you can get him for cap relief but you’re not going to a big package of picks,” the GM said. “They’d be better off waiting, let him get on the floor and let him shine a little bit.”
In the latest episode of their #thisleague UNCUT podcast, Stein and Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report both said they’d be surprised if Beal is still with the Wizards at the start of next season. Haynes also added the Nets to the list of teams that may get involved in the Beal sweepstakes if the star guard is open to being sent to Brooklyn.

Pacific Notes: Ayton, VanVleet, Paul, Lakers’ Workouts

June 13th, 2023 at 4:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Deandre Ayton is believed to be a prime trade candidate but new Suns coach Frank Vogel feels he can get more out of the enigmatic center, he told Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated.

“I have history with having great success with the elite rim protectors and with bigs in general. And I feel like I can take a lot of those lessons and use them to help restore Deandre to a place of prominence in this organization and in this league,” Vogel said. “He obviously has an immense amount of talent, and the talent fits the way I have played throughout my career. So I think he can be in an elite, dominant, defensive center in my system.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Fred VanVleet‘s decision to decline his player option could influence how the Suns handle the Chris Paul situation, according to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. The Suns could have a dynamic backcourt for years to come if they could land VanVleet in a sign-and-trade with the Raptors, but they first have to figure whether they’ll waive, retain, or trade Paul, who has a partially guaranteed contract.
Speaking of Paul, Gerald Bourguet of GoPhnx.com explores 10 hypothetical trades the Suns could make involving their aging future Hall of Famer. Bourguet ultimately concludes it’s more likely that teams would rather wait to see if Paul is waived and then bid for his services.
Big man Adama Sanogo of national champion UConn was among the draft prospects who worked out for the Lakers on Tuesday, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin tweets. Taevion Kinsey (Marshall), Taylor Funk (Utah St), Tosan Evbuomwan (Princeton) and Nathan Mensah (San Diego State) were among the other visitors.

Suns Rumors: Harden, Lillard, Paul, Irving, Russell, More

June 9th, 2023 at 8:04pm CST by Rory Maher

There have been rumors linking James Harden to Phoenix. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM shut down that notion (via Twitter), writing that there’s a “zero percent chance” the Suns would pursue the former MVP.

Gambadoro also said it was “highly unlikely” the Suns would have interest in Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard, pointing out that his large salary might be unpalatable for a roster that’s already top-heavy (Twitter link). On his Burns and Gambo radio show (Twitter link), the plugged-in local reporter stated in stronger terms that the Suns won’t pursue Lillard.

“They’re not getting James Harden, and they’re not getting Damian Lillard,” Gambadoro said.

Here are more rumors on the Suns:

Gambadoro’s reporting on Lillard was seemingly in response to a new piece from Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who hears from sources who say that the Trail Blazers have shown interest in Deandre Ayton in the past. However, Fischer also downplays Phoenix’s chances of landing Lillard, noting that the Suns don’t have the requisite assets to land a player of his caliber. The Blazers, meanwhile, still hope to build a contender around their all-time leading scorer, and remain intent on re-signing Jerami Grant, sources tell Fischer.
Fischer’s article focuses on Chris Paul‘s uncertain future with the Suns and how it might have a ripple effect around the NBA. Although Lillard and Harden might be unrealistic targets, Fischer writes that the Suns remain intrigued by Kyrie Irving, who is entering unrestricted free agency. As Fischer notes, Irving would basically have to ask the Mavericks for help in a sign-and-trade. Dallas hasn’t shown any interest in helping the Lakers land Irving in a sign-and-trade for D’Angelo Russell, but Fischer wonders if Paul might be more appealing.
Could the Lakers and Suns explore a sign-and-trade involving Russell and Paul? The Suns pursued the 27-year-old impending free agent ahead of the February trade deadline when he was still on the Timberwolves, sources tell Fischer. Big man Naz Reid, who’s also set to hit unrestricted free agency, was another player Phoenix desired in talks with Minnesota, Fischer adds.
Hornets guard Terry Rozier has been linked to Phoenix in the past, but the Suns didn’t pursue him ahead of the trade deadline, sources tell Fischer. Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley, Celtics guard Payton Pritchard, Kings guard Davion Mitchell, and Heat guard Gabe Vincent are among the other backcourt options the Suns have monitored, per Fischer.
Agents that Fischer has talked to believe Paul could get at least part of — if not the full — mid-level exception if he’s waived and becomes an unrestricted free agent. While Paul has been linked to his former club, the Clippers, Fischer notes that they can only offer the veteran’s minimum, and there’s “mutual interest” in a reunion between Russell Westbrook and the Clips.

Suns Rumors: Harden, Paul, Ayton, Vogel

June 9th, 2023 at 9:03am CST by Luke Adams

With Chris Paul‘s future in Phoenix up in the air, the Suns may be in the market for a point guard this summer. According to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, there have whispers around the NBA in recent weeks about the possibility of the team making a run at one of the top free agents on this year’s market.

“I want you to keep your eye on James Harden,” Shelburne said during an ESPN LA Radio appearance (hat tip to HoopsHype). “I don’t want to report anything, but that was in the wind for the past month or so. Everybody thinks it’s Philly or Houston (for Harden), but I don’t know, there have been discussions in the wind.”

While the latest reporting from Shams Charania of The Athletic indicates that Harden’s decision may come down to the Sixers or Rockets, Shelburne isn’t the only reporter linking the former MVP to Phoenix. Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer agrees that the Suns will be “trying to do something big” this offseason, suggesting during an appearance on FanDuel TV (Twitter video link) that Harden and Kyrie Irving may both be on the club’s radar.

As for Paul, O’Connor hears from sources that the Clippers, Lakers, and Spurs would be the teams to monitor as potential destinations for the veteran point guard if he’s waived. Although the Sixers aren’t one of the teams mentioned by O’Connor’s sources, he views Philadelphia as a possible fit for Paul too, and wonders if there’s a scenario where the Suns and 76ers essentially swap point guards.

Of course, it’s worth reiterating that Paul hasn’t been waived yet, and even if he is, he could still return to Phoenix as long as the Suns don’t stretch his remaining guaranteed money across multiple seasons. NBA analyst Isiah Thomas, who is close with Suns owner Mat Ishbia, said this week during a TV appearance not to “close the door” on the possibility of CP3 remaining in Phoenix.

Here’s more out of Phoenix:

In a podcast with ESPN colleague Brian Windhorst (YouTube link), Zach Lowe said he believes the Suns’ hiring of Frank Vogel as head coach increases the odds of Deandre Ayton remaining with the team by “a non-trivial amount.” Lowe adds that he has heard Ishbia is a fan of Ayton. “I think part of the reason why Frank Vogel got the job was because when he came in he had an idea of what to do with Deandre Ayton,” Windhorst said. “It does not mean it’s going to work. They obviously, as an organization, have a complicated relationship there, they did not want to pay him the max. But for the last year, he was in an adversarial relationship with his coach.”
For his part, Vogel told reporters this week that he’s looking forward to working with the former No. 1 overall pick, as Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports relays (via Twitter). “There’s still areas that he can grow offensively, but I’m intent on really connecting with him and restoring him to an All-Star level player,” Vogel said of Ayton.
Speaking to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic, Suns general manager James Jones outlined his vision for what he wants the 2023/24 Suns to look like. “A team that shoots it, off-ball movement,” Jones said. “A team that can rebound well and put pressure on the rim. I know that seems very generic, but those are the areas of the game that if you’re effective in those areas, you give yourself a chance really good chance at winning with just good players. If you can do that with great players like we have… you increase your odds and that’s all you want to do. You want to tilt the odds in your favor.”
Vogel has the support of Suns stars Devin Booker and Kevin Durant and has spoken to both of them since being hired by the team, Rankin writes for The Arizona Republic. Vogel said he’s looking forward to seeing what Booker and Durant will bring defensively in addition to their elite play on offense. “I really love how Kevin and Devin compete on the defensive end,” he said. “KD even hit me when we were talking, he said, ‘I can’t wait to guard in your system.’ He wants to get after it on both sides of the ball and feels like that’s something that really gets him going on the other end and I love that.”

Suns Notes: Ayton, Vogel, Young, Paul

June 8th, 2023 at 5:43pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Suns center Deandre Ayton enjoyed yet another promising regular season run in 2022/23, followed by a second consecutive disappointing playoff performance. Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic unpacks three reasons Phoenix should retain Ayton for 2023/24, along with three reasons to trade him.

Ayton signed a four-year, $133M offer sheet from the Pacers last summer, which the Suns promptly matched. Rankin believes that Ayton’s scoring versatility and his solid work as a screen-setter make him a good fit alongside stars Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, adding that working with a new head coach could be good for him.

The 6’11” big man averaged 18.0 PPG and 10.0 RPG across 67 contests with the Suns during the regular season, but took a step back as a scorer and defender in the playoffs. He averaged 13.4 PPG and 9.7 RPG overall in Phoenix’s 10 postseason contests this year.

There’s more out of Phoenix:

New Suns head coach Frank Vogel made an instant impression on new majority owner Mat Ishbia, per Doug Haller of The Athletic. “Right away, he puts you at ease,” Ishbia told Haller. Haller details how Vogel, who won a title with the Lakers in 2020, got the gig, and how he’ll help the team take the next steps in its championship chase. Haller reveals that Ishbia and team president James Jones kept Booker and Durant looped into their coaching search as they narrowed down their candidates. “Sometimes you need an injection of something, a different message, a different focus, a different perspective,’’ Jones told Haller. “You just need a different message and someone to carry the message differently. That’s sports.” Haller notes that Vogel’s previous experiences winning it all, managing star players, and being able to adjust his defensive schemes to accommodate different rosters particularly stood out.
Jones viewed the retention of assistant coach Kevin Young, a finalist for the head coaching position, as imperative to the team. Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports unpacks Jones’ comments and more from the introductory press conference of Vogel. “Throughout the entire process, we’ve had frank discussions with Kevin around his desire to be in Phoenix,” Jones said. “He wanted to be here, we wanted him to be here, because he’s a great coach and he wants to win. So given the opportunity to stay here and continue to build with us, it was an easy decision for him, and it was an easy decision for us.”
As the Suns continue to consider whether they will waive veteran starting point guard Chris Paul, stretch and waive him, or trade him, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports weighs the various positives and negatives surrounding each potential decision.

Latest On Suns, Chris Paul

June 7th, 2023 at 6:26pm CST by Rory Maher

There are conflicting reports on what the Suns intend to do with future Hall-of-Famer Chris Paul.

Although Chris Haynes recently reported that the Suns plan to waive Paul’s partially guaranteed contract, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic hears from sources who say Phoenix is still evaluating its options with the veteran point guard. Paul remains on the roster for now.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Suns spoke to Paul’s agent on Wednesday and let him know they want to find a mutually beneficial resolution. Charania reports that a trade, waiving and stretching Paul’s contract, and waiving Paul outright and possibly re-signing him are among the options being considered.

One notable option that Charania did not mention is fully guaranteeing Paul’s $30.8MM contract for 2023/24, which is currently partially guaranteed for $15.8MM (it’s non-guaranteed for $30MM in ’24/25). The 38-year-old’s salary would become fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before June 28, but that doesn’t sound like it’s on the table for the Suns.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Suns intend to explore trade possibilities for Paul and Deandre Ayton, which could obviously have a profound impact on the team’s roster.

As of now, sources tell Wojnarowski that Paul wants to return to Phoenix and play with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. However, Paul and his representatives would like the Suns to find a quick solution, particularly if he’s waived, even though they’re technically under no obligation to do so.

There’s an expectation that the Suns will use the stretch provision on Paul’s deal if he does end up getting cut, Wojnarowski writes. That would spread his $15.8MM cap hit over five seasons, for annual charge of $3.16MM. Paul would be ineligible to re-sign with Phoenix in that scenario.

Plugged-in local radio host John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM also disputes Haynes’ report, tweeting that the Suns haven’t yet decided what they’re going to do with Paul.

Northwest Notes: Caldwell-Pope, Nuggets, Jazz, Ayton

May 30th, 2023 at 5:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope credits superagent Rich Paul for engineering the trade that brought him to Denver. The Nuggets acquired the sharpshooting guard from the Wizards, giving Caldwell-Pope — who won it all with the Lakers three years ago — another shot at a title, Mike Singer of the Denver Post writes.

“It was a breath of fresh air,” he said. “I got a chance to compete for a championship again. Just knowing this team from playing them, I knew what we had and what I was coming into.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

The Nuggets held training camp in San Diego last fall and look back at those days as their beginning of their championship run. They forged chemistry during those days, leading to trust and unselfishness on the court, according to Harrison Wind of TheDnvr.com. “I could tell from Day 1 of training camp in San Diego that this group was going to be special,” coach Michael Malone said.
Illinois State wing Seneca Knight and North Carolina State guard Jarkel Joiner are among the prospects who will work out for the Jazz on Thursday, Eric Walden of the Salt Lake Tribune reports. Knight averaged 12.3 points and 5.9 rebounds last season, while Joiner averaged 17.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists.
The Suns may look to deal center Deandre Ayton and the Jazz have been mentioned as a potential landing spot. With Walker Kessler entering his second season after a strong rookie campaign, Walden explains in a separate Salt Lake Tribune story why there’s no reason for Utah to expend draft capital on Ayton.

“Handshake Deal” For Kyrie Irving In Dallas?

May 22nd, 2023 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Representatives of rival teams at last week’s NBA Draft Combine expect Kyrie Irving to re-sign with the Mavericks this summer, writes Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. Dallas missed the playoffs after acquiring Irving from Brooklyn in a February trade and he often appeared to be an awkward fit alongside Luka Doncic, but sources tell Pincus that the Mavs didn’t trade for Irving as a short-term experiment.

“I hear they had a handshake deal before the trade,” one of Pincus’ sources said. “And Kyrie wouldn’t have said yes to anything less than the max.”

Irving will be eligible for a new five-year contract in Dallas that could be worth $272MM, Pincus adds. Although he was an All-Star this season for the 10th time in his career, off-court incidents in Brooklyn — and Boston and Cleveland before that — may limit the number of teams interested in signing him.

“I’m not sure what the market is for Kyrie, but no one with cap room is giving it to Kyrie,” another source told Pincus. “He comes with too much drama.”

Pincus talked to an agent who expects Irving to receive a four-year deal with a player option on the final season. It would be worth about $201MM in guaranteed money and would line up with Doncic, who can opt out of his current contract in 2026.

In an appearance Monday on ESPN’s “Get Up,” Brian Windhorst suggested that the Lakers shouldn’t be dismissed as a possible Irving suitor (video link). L.A. was reportedly interested in Irving when he considered opting out of his contract last summer and again when he submitted a trade request to the Nets in February.

Windhorst admits the Lakers would have to give up most of the assets they just acquired in order to sign Irving outright, but he says the landscape could be more favorable if Dallas would agree to a sign-and-trade. Regardless, Windhorst added that it helps Irving’s negotiating position if he can convince the Mavericks that L.A. is interested.

Pincus also talked with several sources who expect Dallas to be a potential landing spot for Suns center Deandre Ayton, who shares an agent with Doncic.

“The Suns need depth,” a source told Pincus. “I can see them getting Tim Hardaway Jr., JaVale (McGee) back, Josh Green and No. 10 (draft pick). Phoenix would probably flip the pick to another team for depth, or maybe it’d be a big multi-team deal.”

Pincus lists Maxi Kleber, Davis Bertans, Reggie Bullock and Jaden Hardy as other players who might be moved in a hypothetical Ayton trade, but he notes that Kleber is among Doncic’s best friends on the team, which gives Dallas incentive to keep him.