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Pacific Notes: Lakers, Draymond, Preston, Duarte, Kings

July 1st, 2023 at 10:58am CST by Rory Maher

The Lakers made some roster changes yesterday, agreeing to free agent deals with guard Gabe Vincent and forwards Taurean Prince and Cam Reddish. They’re also signing big man Jaxson Hayes to fortify their frontcourt depth.

Vincent will replace Dennis Schröder, who wound up signing with Toronto after the Raptors lost Fred VanVleet in free agency. That transaction came after the Vincent deal was reported.

Team sources tell Jovan Buha of The Athletic that the Lakers contemplated re-signing Schröder, but believe Vincent is a better player and will provide more value. According to Buha, head coach Darvin Ham was one of the people “strongly in favor” of bringing Schröder back.

Despite waiving Mohamed Bamba before his $10.3MM salary became guaranteed, the center is still interested in returning to Los Angeles, a source tells Buha. However, Buha’s article was released before the team agreed to sign Hayes, and the Lakers still have Wenyen Gabriel and Tristan Thompson as free agents.

Here’s more from the Pacific:

Draymond Green and the Warriors both had negotiating wins for his new four-year, $100MM contract, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. As Slater explains, the Warriors got significant tax savings for 2023/24 by Green taking a first-year pay cut compared to his declined player option, while Green got a fourth year tacked on to the end of the deal.
Clippers and guard Jason Preston mutually agreed to push back his salary guarantee date to July 18, a source tells Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). The 33rd pick of the 2021 draft out of Ohio University, Preston missed his entire rookie season after undergoing right foot surgery. Preston only appeared in 14 regular season games for a total of 124 minutes this past season. The 23-year-old spent most of ’22/23 in the G League with the team’s G League affiliate. His salary will remain non-guaranteed for now.
The Kings and Pacers were reportedly nearing an agreement Friday morning on a trade that would send wing Chris Duarte to Sacramento in exchange for draft compensation. However, as of Friday night, the two teams had yet to agree to terms, a league source tells Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.

Pre-FA Updates: Toppin, Cavs, Niang, Strus, Draymond, Warriors, More

June 30th, 2023 at 4:55pm CST by Luke Adams

With just minutes before free agency begins and a flurry of contract agreements are reported, we have a few items to pass along:

The Pacers have emerged as the leading candidate to trade for Knicks forward Obi Toppin, league sources tell Marc Stein (Twitter link). Ian Begley of SNY.tv, who confirms that the two sides have recently been in contact about a potential Toppin deal, says New York is seeking draft compensation and notes that Indiana could potentially acquire the forward and his $6.8MM expiring contract using cap room, so the Knicks wouldn’t have to take a player back.
A scenario in which the Cavaliers sign Georges Niang and acquire Max Strus – either via sign-and-trade or by signing him outright – is being viewed as “increasingly likely,” according to Stein (Twitter link).
The latest whispers Stein from has heard from his sources suggest Draymond Green may get a four-year, $100MM deal to re-up with the Warriors (Twitter link).
Former No. 2 overall pick Jabari Parker is back with the team that drafted him, at least for a few games in July. The Bucks announced today that Parker is on their Las Vegas Summer League roster.
The Timberwolves have hired former NBA forward Corliss Williamson as an assistant coach, they announced today in a press release. Williams was previously a member of coaching staffs in Sacramento, Orlando, and Phoenix.

Warriors Rumors: Green, DiVincenzo, Kuminga, Poole, Paul, Thompson

June 30th, 2023 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors are optimistic about re-signing Draymond Green and have been discussing a three-year deal with his representatives, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype and Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Slater says trading for Chris Paul was a win-now move that the team wouldn’t have made without a level of confidence that Green will return. He projects a new contract for Green starting close to the range of the $27.6MM player option that he declined, but adds that every $1MM the Warriors can save is important because of their inflated tax bill.

There may not have been a realistic market for Green in free agency, Scotto adds. The Kings were floated as a possibility because their head coach is former Warriors assistant Mike Brown, but Scotto points out that they’re hoping to sign Kyle Kuzma and had to work out a new deal with Harrison Barnes. The Pistons and Grizzlies were also mentioned, but Slater states that Memphis dropped out of consideration with the Marcus Smart trade.

There’s more on the Warriors:

Donte DiVincenzo is expected to sign elsewhere and may be able to land a non-taxpayer MLE, which would be more than twice what Golden State can offer him, according to Scotto. Sources tell C.J. Holmes of The San Franciso Chronicle that the Knicks have emerged as the favorite to land DiVincenzo, who prefers to play on the East Coast and is hoping to receive a contract starting at $9-12MM. However, Scotto isn’t convinced that DiVincenzo would be a good fit in New York considering the number of guards already on the roster.
The Pacers were among the teams that inquired on Jonathan Kuminga, offering mainly draft assets in return, sources tell Scotto. Slater also cites interest from the Raptors and says Golden State began asking about OG Anunoby before the trade deadline. However, Slater doesn’t believe the Warriors have been shopping Kuminga, saying the organization still has confidence in him and he’ll likely be on the team when next season begins.
The decision to part with Jordan Poole in the trade for Paul was necessary to unload his contract, but coach Steve Kerr welcomed the chance to move on from a player who was fourth in the league in turnovers last season and often took poor shots, Slater states. Slater envisions Paul as the leader of the second unit, helping to develop young players such as Kuminga and Moses Moody.
Getting rid of Poole’s contract increases the chances for a Klay Thompson extension, according to Slater. Paul’s $30MM salary for 2024/25 is non-guaranteed, so more long-term money is available for Thompson. Slater doesn’t believe the Warriors have started negotiating a salary with Thompson yet, but he expects the veteran guard will have to accept a reduction from his current $43MM.

Free Agency Rumors: Brown, Temple, Green, Suns

June 28th, 2023 at 10:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers are strongly interested in signing versatile Nuggets free agent Bruce Brown, multiple sources tell Mike Singer of The Denver Post (Twitter link). Brown, who is in line for a substantial raise after playing an important role in Denver’s first NBA championship, turned down his $6.8MM player option last week.

The Nuggets only hold Non-Bird rights on Brown, which limits them to an offer around $7.8MM — a 20% raise on what he made last season. L.A. may have access to its full non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which will be approximately $12.4MM.

Brown was an ideal addition when Denver picked him up as a free agent last summer. He averaged a career-high 11.5 points per game during the regular season and logged the most minutes of any Nuggets bench player in the postseason.

There are more free agency rumors to pass along:

The Pelicans have reached an agreement with Garrett Temple to extend the deadline for guaranteeing his $5.4MM contract for next season, moving it from Thursday to July 7, according to Andrew Lopez of ESPN (Twitter link). New Orleans is currently $2.8MM below the luxury tax, and pushing back Temple’s guarantee date provides time for other cost-cutting moves, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. Temple only appeared in 25 games last season, averaging 6.5 minutes per night. The Pelicans still face several decisions by Thursday, Lopez notes, as they have to determine whether to pick up team options for Herbert Jones ($1.8MM), Naji Marshall ($1.9MM) and Willy Hernangomez ($2.6MM), along with whether to make a qualifying offer to Jaxson Hayes.
Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian (Twitter link) is dismissing an internet rumor that Draymond Green traveled to Portland to meet with Damian Lillard about signing with the Trail Blazers. Fentress’ sources say Green is still considered very likely to re-sign with the Warriors.
Spurs forward Keita Bates-Diop and Nets forward Yuta Watanabe are free agents who might be interested in joining the Suns on minimum deals, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7FM.
The Sixers aren’t expected to give Louis King a qualifying offer, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). The 24-year-old forward, who played in just one NBA game last season, will become an unrestricted free agent.

Kings Rumors: Barnes, FA Targets, Kuzma, Lyles, Sabonis

June 27th, 2023 at 11:12am CST by Luke Adams

Harrison Barnes‘ departure from Sacramento this offseason appears increasingly likely, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who identifies the Pacers as a “strong contender” to sign the Kings‘ free agent forward.

As previously reported, Barnes’ connections to Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton and head coach Rick Carlisle could make Indiana an appealing landing spot for him. Fischer says Barnes is close with Haliburton, who played with him in Sacramento, and has support from Carlisle, who coached him in Dallas.

Here’s more on the Kings:

Sacramento’s decision to trade Richaun Holmes and the No. 24 pick in Thursday’s draft to Dallas in order to generate additional cap room has rival executives speculating that the Kings have a specific move in mind for free agency, says Fischer. While Khris Middleton and Draymond Green have been floated as possible targets, those veterans are considered likely to remain with the Bucks and Warriors, respectively, according to Fischer, who hears that the Trail Blazers and Pistons may nonetheless make a run at Green.
The name gaining the most traction as a possible Kings free agent target is Kyle Kuzma, according to Fischer. The Jazz‘s trade for John Collins should take a rival suitor for Kuzma off the market, Fischer explains, since Utah is unlikely to pursue another significant frontcourt piece in free agency after adding Collins.
Besides using their $33MM+ in cap room to pursue Kuzma, the Kings will also likely look to bring back free agent forward Trey Lyles and renegotiate and extend Domantas Sabonis‘ contract, Fischer reports, estimating that a new deal for Sabonis could be worth in the neighborhood of $120MM over four years.

Damian Lillard To Meet With Trail Blazers Officials About His Future

June 26th, 2023 at 1:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

1:37pm: The meeting will take place on Monday, tweets Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT. Lillard’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, will also be present.

8:51am: The Trail Blazers’ lottery luck and the addition of a strong rookie class weren’t enough to change Damian Lillard‘s mind about playing with a young team, sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic.

General manager Joe Cronin said over the weekend that he’ll talk with Lillard once the star guard returns from a vacation in France (Twitter link from Danny Marang of 1080 The Fan in Portland). That meeting is expected to take place early this week, giving Lillard and the Blazers time to map out their future before the start of free agency on Friday.

Portland landed the No. 3 pick in this year’s lottery and was able to add a potential future star in Scoot Henderson. The Blazers also picked up Kris Murray at No. 23 and Rayan Rupert at No. 43, adding three more prospects to the collection of young talent already on hand.

However, it’s not the type of team that Lillard prefers as he nears his 33rd birthday next month. Lillard declared after the regular season ended that he wants Cronin to add some veterans who will help turn the Blazers into a contender, and he has repeated that stance in subsequent interviews.

Amick hears that Lillard’s dream scenario is to re-sign Jerami Grant and add Draymond Green in free agency. The Warriors are reportedly confident about their chances to keep Green, but Amick states that the size of his contract could still become an issue.

Amick also points out that the Blazers don’t currently have enough cap room to sign Green, who’s believed to be seeking a new deal with a starting salary in the $20MM range. A sign-and-trade could be possible, although Amick believes a third team would have to be involved to make the financial aspects work.

Amick mentions Raptors forwards Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby as other possibilities, but he notes that Toronto has numerous teams that are interested in both players.

An important part of this week’s meeting will be for Lillard to gauge the front office’s commitment to upgrading the roster in time for next season, sources tell Amick. If he believes Cronin and owner Jody Allen are serious about building a contender, then he’ll hold off a decision about his future through at least the early part of free agency. If he’s not convinced, Lillard could decide to ask for a trade, possibly before free agency begins.

If that happens, Amick singles out the Heat as the main team to watch. Lillard has “serious interest” in going to Miami, sources tell Amick, and the Heat are believed to be equally interested in acquiring him.

Lillard’s desired destination will factor into any trade because of his years of service in Portland and the size of his contract, Amick adds. With four seasons left at $216MM, including a $63MM player option for 2026/27, Amick states that it’s hard to imagine any team trading for Lillard unless he wants to go there.

Stein’s Latest: Green, Kings, Grizzlies, Brooks, Harden

June 25th, 2023 at 7:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

While there’s speculation the Kings might make a run at Draymond Green in free agency, it would be shocking if Green didn’t re-sign with the Warriors, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack post.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst floated the idea that Sacramento could pursue Green with the additional cap space it opened up by shedding Richaun Holmes‘ contract on draft night. Sacramento could have $33MM or more in cap room to play with and Sacramento’s coach Mike Brown was Steve Kerr‘s top assistant with the Warriors. Owner Vivek Ranadivé has always had a deep admiration for the Warriors and acquiring Green would be a proverbial feather in his cap.

However, Green remains intent on retiring as a Warrior, despite declining his $27.6MM option, with a three-year deal considered the most likely outcome, according to Stein.

Stein provides some additional tidbits:

Despite limited resources, the Grizzlies were planning to make a run at Green until they traded for Marcus Smart in a draft-night blockbuster. Memphis could only dangle its $12.4MM mid-level exception — which seems like a non-starter, given the money Green is leaving on the table — yet the team had serious interest in him until acquiring another defensive stalwart, says Stein.
The addition of Smart makes it more obvious the Grizzlies won’t bring back Dillon Brooks, Stein writes. Despite some poor playoff performances that included an ejection during the Grizzlies-Lakers series, Brooks is still expected to seek a contract with a starting salary above the non-taxpayer mid-level.
It’s increasingly likely that James Harden will remain with the Sixers rather than bolt in free agency and return to Houston. Harden apparently had a positive introductory meeting with new coach Nick Nurse and was intrigued by Nurse’s vision for making the Sixers a championship team, per Stein.

Kings Notes: Sabonis, Cap Space, Flexibility, Green

June 23rd, 2023 at 9:45pm CST by Rory Maher

The Kings made a salary-dump trade on Thursday, agreeing to send the No. 24 pick (Olivier-Maxence Prosper was selected) and reserve center Richaun Holmes to the Mavericks. Holmes is owed $24.9MM over the next two seasons, including a player option in 2024/25.

The move could give Sacramento about $33MM in cap room this summer if they renounce most of their cap holds. A league source tells James Ham of TheKingsBeat.com that one option the team has considered with that financial leeway is renegotiating Domantas Sabonis‘ $22MM expiring contract in ’23/24 in order to give him an immediate raise and thus a larger extension offer.

As Ham details, if the Kings were to increase Sabonis’ deal to $30MM, they could offer him a four-year extension worth about $189MM (with a starting salary of $42MM in ’24/25, which is close to his projected maximum), plus the $8MM increase to his ’23/24 salary.

Here’s more on the Kings:

At his post-draft press conference, GM Monte McNair declined to say whether or not Sabonis had thumb surgery, but suggested the expectation is he’ll be “good to go” for ’23/24, tweets Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Sabonis sustained an avulsion fracture to his thumb in December, but decided to play through the injury.
The flexibility the Holmes trade created was key for McNair, per Anderson. “I think, for us, we always value the optionality and flexibility when we can acquire it,” McNair said. “This was a great season for a lot of reasons and we want to have a long playoff run here and continue to compete. To do that in today’s NBA, you have to be able to build your team out, not just in the very near term, but over the course of many years. So, we’re always having that balance.”
Could the Kings pursue their playoff nemesis Draymond Green in free agency with their extra cap room? ESPN’s Brian Windhorst speculated on his Hoop Collective podcast that it shouldn’t be dismissed (YouTube link). “(Coach) Mike Brown is extraordinarily close to Draymond Green — extraordinarily close,” Windhorst said (hat tip to Anderson of The Sacramento Bee). “Mike Brown was the Draymond Green whisperer with the Warriors. Draymond Green is a free agent. They now have the money, if they want, to give him a premium over what he opted out of in Golden State. … The Kings can now go hunting for Draymond Green if they wish and that would be extraordinarily interesting because it is the exact — exact — type of player they need. … To be continued.” As Windhorst noted, owner Vivek Ranadive was a former part owner of the Warriors and has often tried to model the Kings after Golden State, as there are numerous ties between the organizations. Green recently declined his player option for 2023/24.
Windhorst isn’t the only reporter to take note of the trade. As John Hollinger writes for The Athletic, the Kings need a power forward and need to upgrade their defense, so Green is a logical fit in some ways. The move should have the Warriors “sweating,” says Hollinger, because the Kings are a “highly plausible rival Green bidder.” Sacramento could also potentially pursue a number of other power forward free agents, such as Jerami Grant, Kyle Kuzma, Grant Williams, Cameron Johnson or P.J. Washington, according to Hollinger, who notes that re-signing Harrison Barnes and Trey Lyles and operating as an over-the-cap team while creating a trade exception for Holmes and having access to the full mid-level exception is another option.
Yossi Gozland of HoopsHype examines options Sacramento could pursue after the trade.

Woj: Warriors, Draymond Green Appear “Destined To Reunite”

June 20th, 2023 at 7:51am CST by Luke Adams

When new Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. talked on Monday about the team’s determination to retain Draymond Green, he wasn’t just speaking in platitudes, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Appearing on SportsCenter on Monday evening (YouTube link), Wojnarowski says the Warriors and Green have strong mutual interest in working out a new contract agreement after the forward decided to turn down his player option for 2023/24.

“These are two sides who very much want to get a deal done,” Wojnarowski said. “Draymond and (agent) Rich Paul, they’re not really posturing here and threatening that they’re going to go somewhere else.”

Wojnarowski went on to say that there would be “great options” on the open market for Green if he does want to seek a change of scenery. The 33-year-old’s hometown Pistons will have cap space, and there are over-the-cap contenders who would have interest in trying to negotiate a sign-and-trade with the Warriors, according to Wojnarowski. But for the time being, it doesn’t sound like Green is eager to explore other destinations.

“I think there’s certainly a desire on both sides to stay together. They want each other,” Woj said. “I think (for) Draymond Green, the idea of continuing with Steph Curry and with Klay Thompson and certainly (head coach) Steve Kerr, I think it means the world to him. It’s just a matter of negotiation. Is it a four-year deal? Is it a three-year deal?

“I don’t sense at all any real sense on either side that this could get sideways. It could happen, he becomes a free agent. But I think these sides are destined to reunite.”

Green’s scoring contributions remained limited in 2022/23, as he averaged single-digit points per game (8.5) for a fifth straight season. However, he’s a talented offensive play-maker (6.8 APG) and one of the NBA’s best defenders, having earned All-Defensive honors for an eight time this spring.

The player option that Green turned down was worth $27.6MM, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be pushing for a larger 2023/24 salary in a new contract. He and the Warriors could negotiate a multiyear deal that reduces his cap hit for next season but gives him a more significant overall guarantee. That would help keep the team’s rising payroll in check for ’23/24, at least to some extent.

Even after they resolve Green’s contract situation, the Warriors will have to make some major roster decisions this offseason. Jordan Poole and Jonathan Kuminga are among the players who have been cited as possible trade candidates, while Thompson will be extension-eligible as he enters a contract year.

Warriors Determined To Retain Draymond Green

June 19th, 2023 at 6:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Warriors don’t plan to let Draymond Green walk without making a substantial push to retain him. Green is declining his $27.5MM option for next season so that he can become an unrestricted free agent.

New GM Mike Dunleavy Jr.. said during his introductory press conference on Monday that the Warriors are committed to keeping Green, Janie McCauley of The Associated Press reports.

“Until we get the paperwork and the filing we can’t really comment or say much,” Dunleavy said. “I will say it – I think Steve (Kerr) has said it, I’ll reiterate – we really want Draymond back. What he means to this organization and this team in terms of trying to win at the highest level, we feel like we have to have him. So that’s very important.”

Owner Joe Lacob said the “good overwhelms the bad” when it comes to Green and the controversies he’s been involved in, including punching teammate Jordan Poole just before last season began.

“He’s a bit of a controversial player perhaps in some corners around the league, certain things that have happened over the years. He knows that. We know that. But the good overwhelms the bad is what I would say,” Lacob said, adding, “I think if he does come back that he will be very important to our success certainly going forward in the next few years.”

Here’s more from Dunleavy’s first press conference as the Warriors’ new head of basketball operations:

Lacob indicated that he didn’t consider outside candidates to replace former top executive Bob Myers, ESPN’s Kendra Andrews relays. Dunleavy Jr. has been in the Warriors’ organization since 2018. He became VP of basketball operations in 2021. “Did I interview other people? No, not really. We didn’t go outside,” Lacob said. “We believe in continuity. We believe we have a really well-oiled machine, a well-running organization. Mike gets along fabulously with all the parties inside.”
Regarding Poole, his four-year, $125MM extension kicks in next season and Dunleavy said he’s not looking to deal the guard, despite his disappointing 2022/23 season. There are also questions about whether Green and Poole can continue to coexist.
Dunleavy believes Jonathan Kuminga can make more of an impact with expanding playing time, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets in a video clip. “Obviously, a lot of rumors come up this time of year but we’re happy with those guys (Poole and Kuminga),” Dunleavy said.
Dunleavy added “you’re always running things by” Stephen Curry but Curry is more concerned with working on his game than influencing roster decisions, Slater relays via another video clip.