Lauri Markkanen Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Western Notes: Markkanen, Warriors, Podziemski, Strawther, Holmes, Clippers

July 16th, 2024 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

After sharing some reporting on Monday about the trade talks between the Warriors and Jazz concerning star forward Lauri Markkanen, Shams Charania of The Athletic appeared on SiriusXM NBA Radio later in the day to provide some additional insight into where things stand between the two Western Conference clubs.

“I don’t think (the Jazz) want to move Lauri Markkanen,” Charania said (Twitter video link; hat tip to Ali Thanawalla of NBC Sports Bay Area). “But if the Golden State Warriors put in a Brandin Podziemski and – from what I’m told – three first-round picks, three or four unprotected pick swaps, three or four second-round picks…”

Asked at that point if Jonathan Kuminga is a player the Jazz are seriously pursuing in their discussions with the Warriors, Charania’s downplayed the forward’s importance in getting a deal done, suggesting that Kuminga – who is eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason – isn’t as high a priority for Utah as Podziemski is.

“From everything I’ve been told, the Jazz are more focused on Brandin Podziemski and his inclusion in the deal (and) all the picks being in the deal,” Charania said. “And I think from the Warriors’ perspective, (if) it’s Podziemski, then there’s not all the picks, and if it’s all the picks, then there’s not going to be a Podziemski.

“… Both sides are kind of entrenched right now at where they’re at. (I’m not) saying nothing is going to change. Only time will tell. But I think the Jazz are very comfortable with extending Lauri Markkanen, and at that point you’ll see more suitors potentially as well in on him — not just teams that feel like, ‘OK, we’ll be able to re-sign him.”

As we’ve previously outlined, Markkanen becomes eligible on August 6 for a renegotiation and extension. If the Jazz extend him on that day, he would become trade-eligible on February 6 – the day of the 2025 trade deadline – whereas if he were to sign an extension on August 7 or later, he would be ineligible to be dealt until the 2025 offseason.

Here’s more from around the West:

Tim Kawakami of The Athletic takes a look at where things stand for the Warriors after an eventful few weeks, noting that – with Klay Thompson and Chris Paul gone – Podziemski could have a chance to become the starting shooting guard and Stephen Curry‘s primary backup at point guard. As Kawakami observes, given the significant role the 21-year-old may play in Golden State going forward, it’s no surprise the team would prefer to keep him out of an offer for Markkanen.
Despite dealing with a sore right ankle, second-year Nuggets forward Julian Strawther has been a Summer League standout, averaging 28.5 PPG with a .409 3PT% in two games in Las Vegas. Strawther averaged just 10.9 MPG across 50 appearances as a rookie, but teammate Peyton Watson is optimistic that the 2023 first-rounder will play a larger role in 2024/25. “He obviously has a gift shooting the rock,” Watson told Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “He’s a big-time shooter. That’s gonna be big for us this coming year. I’m super excited for him. He already showed flashes of what he can do this season, and he’s had some big games for us already. So I expect him to have plenty more, and I can’t wait to play a lot more with him.”
The Nuggets confirmed in a brief announcement on Monday that rookie forward DaRon Holmes has undergone a surgical repair of his right Achilles tendon. The team didn’t provide a specific recovery timeline for Holmes, but the expectation is that he’ll miss the entire 2024/25 season after tearing his Achilles in his Summer League debut.
The Clippers will return to Seattle for a third consecutive preseason, having announced on Monday in a press release that they’ll host the Trail Blazers on October 11 at Climate Pledge Arena.

Charania’s Latest: Markkanen, Warriors, Ingram, Bucks, Trent, Westbrook, More

July 15th, 2024 at 10:59am CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors have been the “most engaged” trade suitor for Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen this offseason, but the two teams are divided on what a potential Golden State package would look like, writes Shams Charania of The Athletic.

According to Charania, the Warriors have discussed an offer that would center around Moses Moody and a number of draft assets, including multiple first-round picks, multiple second-rounders, and multiple pick swaps. However, Utah has sought “the bulk of young talent and capital” Golden State controls, including Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga in addition to Moody and draft assets. Sources tell Charania that idea has been a “non-starter” for the Warriors.

Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram is another notable name still on the trade market, but teams around the league believe his market is limited, according to Charania, since some potential suitors (including the Kings and Spurs) made moves for other forwards and most other teams aren’t looking to make a major trade at this point in the offseason. If the market for Ingram remains quiet, New Orleans could assess its current group to open the regular season before deciding whether a trade is necessary, Charania suggests.

With most of the NBA’s other teams focused on tweaking their rosters around the edges, one high-ranking team official told Charania, “It might be one of the more quiet summers.”

Here’s more from Charania:

The Bucks are in the market for help at shooting guard and are among the contending teams pursuing Gary Trent Jr., sources tell The Athletic. However, due to its proximity to the second tax apron, Milwaukee is limited to a minimum-salary offer, and one recent report suggested that Trent isn’t interested in accepting a minimum deal. The Bucks are hosting a free agent workout this week in Las Vegas, Charania notes, with Will Barton expected to be among the participants.
While there has been no action on the Russell Westbrook front as of late, the Clippers and the former MVP still plan to part ways this offseason, says Charania. The Nuggets are considered the favorites to sign Westbrook if he reaches free agency, Charania adds, but Los Angeles is still discussing possible trades.
The Grizzlies are exploring trade possibilities involving former lottery pick Ziaire Williams, sources tell Charania. The Grizzlies aren’t far from the luxury tax line and will likely have to shed some salary if they want to use their full mid-level exception or re-sign Luke Kennard while staying out of tax territory.

Warriors Showing Patience In Pursuit Of Lauri Markkanen

July 9th, 2024 at 6:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Warriors haven’t given up in their pursuit to acquire Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen but they’re willing to wait and see how the process plays out, Anthony Slater of The Athletic reports.

Markkanen, who has an expiring $18MM contract, becomes extension-eligible on Aug. 6. From what Slater is hearing, the Jazz plan to renegotiate-and-extend Markkanen by using their remaining cap space.

If Markkanen signs that type of contract on that date, he would still be eligible to be traded at the February deadline. However, if he signs any time after that (beginning on Aug. 7), he’d be ineligible to be dealt during the season due to the league’s six-month trade restriction on renegotiated contracts. That provides some extra leverage for Markkanen, which could dictate whether he gets moved this offseason to the Warriors or another suitor.

The Kings made a strong push to acquire Markkanen last week but they were unwilling to give up Keegan Murray in a proposed deal. Instead, they made a substantial picks-based offer. They put a deadline on pursuing a trade with Utah and the Jazz didn’t meet it, so Sacramento pivoted to a sign-and-trade for DeMar DeRozan.

The Warriors don’t feel that type of urgency, Slater continues. They’re comfortable with the 14-man roster they current have with the free agent additions of De’Anthony Melton, Kyle Anderson and Buddy Hield. There’s no room financially under the hard cap to fill the 15th spot.

Golden State appears, on paper, to need one more impact player to be a legitimate contender again. But Slater’s sources tell him that the front office and ownership don’t feel compelled to make that type of move right away unless the right opportunity comes along. It’s also noted that the front office is increasingly willing to add future first-round picks and make pick swaps in trade offers.

The Warriors are currently below the tax aprons but above the tax line. Owner Joe Lacob is still willing to spend to remain competitive.

Lindy Waters III and Gui Santos have non-guaranteed deals but the Warriors currently plan to keep both of those reserves. Second-round pick Quinten Post is expected to sign a two-way contract, Slater adds.

Kings Notes: Monk, DeRozan, Triano, Markkanen

July 7th, 2024 at 5:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Malik Monk might have found a better offer on the open market but he was content to stay with the Kings on a four-year, $78MM contract. Monk choose comfort over a few more dollar signs.

“It just felt right. Everything felt right,” Monk told Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee and other media members. “I don’t go anywhere and feel uncomfortable. I go everywhere and feel comfortable, and that’s a home, I feel like, so I’m back.”

Monk might have received close to $25MM per year and a starting role with some teams. Instead, he’ll likely resume his role as sixth man on the Kings. Monk informed the team 10 days before free agency began that he was staying put.

“Being a team player,” Monk said. “I could have took my money somewhere, but it felt like home here. Letting the organization know early was the least I could do, for sure, because we need a few more pieces and they’re looking for a few more pieces, so I think they’re doing their job.”

We have more on the Kings:

The Athletic’s John Hollinger is conflicted over the Kings’ decision to pursue a sign-and-trade for DeMar DeRozan. The addition of DeRozan probably doesn’t vault them into the top five in the Western Conference, even during the regular season, Hollinger opines. However, they’re too good to tank, so there’s nothing wrong with upgrading the team methodically for a future run at the title.
The team’s recruitment of DeRozan included having Jay Triano, the Kings’ lead assistant coach and DeRozan’s first NBA head coach, at the airport, according to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater. De’Aaron Fox also played a key role in DeRozan’s recruitment. DeRozan agreed to a three-year, $74MM deal with the third season partially guaranteed.
In the same story, Slater notes that the Kings made a strong pitch early last week to acquire the Jazz’sLauri Markkanen in a trade. However, they were unwilling to give up Keegan Murray in a proposed deal. Instead, they made a substantial picks-based offer. They put a deadline on pursuing a trade with Utah and the Jazz didn’t meet it. There’s growing skepticism league-wide that Jazz executive Danny Ainge will actually move Markkanen, Slater adds.

Trade Rumors: Markkanen, DeRozan, Young, Cavaliers

July 5th, 2024 at 4:09pm CST by Rory Maher

The Jazz continue to listen to trade offers for Lauri Markkanen, according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe (subscriber link), who hears from sources who say the Heat are among the teams interested in the star forward.

As Lowe writes, Markkanen’s situation is complicated because he’s on a below-market contract that will pay him $18MM in 2024/25, which is the final season of his contract. That makes a standard contract extension – which can’t start above 40% of his current salary – unlikely. Rival teams may not be willing to give up a major haul of assets with no guarantees that the 27-year-old would stick around beyond next season.

Utah could potentially get more value in return for Markkanen in several months if the team renegotiates and then extends his contract. However, that scenario is also tricky.

As Marc Stein details (Substack link), Markkanen becomes eligible for a renegotiation and extension on August 6, but he won’t be trade-eligible for six months if he signs a new deal. That means if he signs the extension on the first day he’s eligible to, he would only be eligible to be traded for one day during the season: February 6, the day of the deadline. If the extension is signed on August 7 (or later), Markkanen would not be eligible to traded during the upcoming season.

While it’s not surprising that the Heat have shown interest in the Finnish star, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald casts doubt (via Twitter) on the feasibility of the team actually acquiring him. As Jackson notes, Utah has placed a high asking price in previous talks with Miami, which lacks future first-round picks to offer.

One team interested in Markkanen seems confident that he’ll eventually be traded, per Stein. Utah’s own 2025 first-round pick is top-10 protected, so the Jazz could be incentivized to tank ahead of a strong draft class. Utah has also struggled to acquire a second star to build the roster around him.

Here are some more trade rumors from around the NBA:

The Kings appear to be the frontrunner to acquire DeMar DeRozan in a sign-and-trade with the Bulls, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who made the comments on SportsCenter (Twitter video link; hat tip to RealGM). However, Wojnarowski said a third team would likely to be need to be involved to absorb salaries, as Chicago is reluctant to add to its payroll. A six-time All-Star, DeRozan remains the top free agent left on the market.
According to Lowe, the trade market for Hawks point guard Trae Young “is as chilly as it has ever been.” Sources tell Lowe that the Spurs and Lakers — two teams linked to Young — haven’t expressed much recent interest in the three-time All-Star. Lowe says San Antonio appears unmotivated to help Atlanta regain control of its own first-round picks in a deal for Young.
Lowe hears rumors of Darius Garland potentially requesting a trade from the Cavaliers following Donovan Mitchell‘s extension have “quieted,” which confirms a report from his ESPN colleague Brian Windhorst. According to Lowe’s sources, the Cavs are still on the hunt for a 3-and-D wing, with Nets forwards Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith worth monitoring, though Cleveland only has one tradable first-round pick (2031). Stein has also heard that center Jarrett Allen will likely be difficult to acquire after Kenny Atkinson was hired as head coach, which means the Cavs could have the same core together entering next season.

Latest On Lauri Markkanen

July 4th, 2024 at 8:16am CST by Luke Adams

A report earlier this week indicated that the Warriors and Spurs are considered the most serious trade suitors for Lauri Markkanen, but they’re not the only teams in the running for the Jazz forward, as Tony Jones of The Athletic confirmed on Wednesday during an appearance on Sactown Sports 1140 (Twitter video link).

“Sacramento is very interested. Sacramento has what the Kings think is a strong offer on the board,” Jones said (hat tip to Bleacher Report). “But at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is what the Jazz think. Utah’s stance on Lauri is the same and it has been the same for a long time: We don’t want to trade Lauri, so you’re going to have to make us trade him.”

In the latest episode of the No Cap Room podcast, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (YouTube link) also mentioned the Kings as a legitimate suitor for Markkanen.

“The Sacramento Kings, to my knowledge, earlier this week were close to a deal. I do think that, based off of conversations I’ve had,” Fischer said. “I can’t say more than that, but there were calls made to people around the NBA that would have indicated that talks have been legitimate there.”

Utah pursued Mikal Bridges before Brooklyn agreed to send him to New York and envisioned adding more impact talent in free agency if they were able to land the Nets’ standout three-and-D forward and pair him with Markkanen, according to Jones. But with Bridges off the board and no obvious opportunities left to upgrade the roster in the short term, Jones wouldn’t be surprised if Utah pivots to trying to keep its top-10 protected pick in a strong 2025 draft.

Still, that wouldn’t necessarily mean trading Markkanen. As Jones points out, even with the former All-Star on the roster, the Jazz project to be among the worst teams in a competitive Western Conference, so they could extend him while continuing to add and develop young talent around him.

Rival teams, recognizing that the Jazz could benefit long-term from leaning even further into their rebuild, are pursuing Markkanen in the hopes of convincing Utah to make a deal, but the price will be high. A previous report suggested the return would probably have to be similar in value to what Brooklyn got for Bridges (four unprotected first-round picks, an unprotected pick swap, and one more lightly protected first-rounder, with only expiring salary attached).

The Warriors and Kings aren’t in position to offer that many draft picks, but they have young players who could be included to strengthen their bids (though Sacramento reportedly remains resistant to including former No. 4 overall pick Keegan Murray in any deal).

“There’s been a lot of noise the last few days and that’s because teams have ramped up,” Jones said. “They’ve actually put tangible offers on the table. Sacramento has a tangible offer on the table; the Golden State Warriors have a tangible offer on the table. The San Antonio Spurs, they’ve expressed a lot of interest.

“To my knowledge, 20 teams around the league have called one way or another about Lauri in the offseason for the Jazz. Interest obviously is there, obviously the noise is there. It’s just a matter of does it meet Utah’s threshold? And it’s going to be a very, very high threshold to have to meet to get the Jazz to trade him.”

Fischer agreed that actually prying Markkanen out of Utah will be difficult.

“I’ve still been told that Utah prefers to keep Lauri and renegotiate and extend him,” he said. “They can’t do that though until August 6, so why not spend the next month fielding offers, and telling the Kings, ‘Yeah, we’d do it if you give us Keegan Murray,’ and telling the Warriors, ‘Yeah, give us three picks and Podz (Brandin Podziemski) and whatever.’ … It doesn’t hurt to listen.

“I still don’t think he’s going to get traded. As someone told me (Jazz general manager) Justin Zanik told them, Utah is conducting their business with a 10% chance they’re going to move him.”

FA/Trade Rumors: Sixers, Heat, DeRozan, Warriors, Markkanen, Lakers, More

July 3rd, 2024 at 2:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Signs are pointing toward Paul Reed being traded or waived rather than returning to the Sixers, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, who notes that waiving Reed or using his pseudo-expiring $7.7MM contract as a trade chip would allow the team to maximize its cap room. Pompey adds that Philadelphia has had discussions with free agent forward Haywood Highsmith, while Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald tweets that the 76ers have also “poked around” on Caleb Martin.

Although the Heat remain in the mix for both of their free agents and could technically make Martin and Highsmith big offers, they’ve told people they don’t intend to surpass the second tax apron due to the roster-building restrictions that second-apron teams face, says Jackson (Twitter link). That limits Miami’s ability to make a competitive offer to either player.

Despite the Heat’s financial restrictions, Jovan Buha of The Athletic has heard from league sources that Miami is viewed as the “slight” favorite to land DeMar DeRozan. The team doesn’t have the spending flexibility to make it work without additional moves, but DeRozan likes the idea of playing for the Heat and the two sides have remained in touch, tweets Jackson.

Here are a few more rumors and notes related to the trade and free agent markets:

The Warriors and Spurs are considered the most serious suitors for Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (video link), who says Golden State has been the most aggressive team in its pursuit of Markkanen.
Appearing on SportsCenter on ESPN (Twitter video link), Adrian Wojnarowski said the Lakers aren’t interested in using their tradable draft picks just to move off contracts, but would be open to including draft assets for a quality player. However, they’re not pursuing a deal for a high-salary impact player, since they’re skeptical the three-star model is feasible under the new CBA, Wojnarowski explains.
While a report on Monday suggested the Nets are open to reuniting with Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell, sources tell Brian Lewis of The New York Post that’s not expected to happen.
In an appearance on Sactown Sports 1140 (YouTube link), Sam Amick of The Athletic said that he’s skeptical the Kings will land Markkanen or Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, noting that Sacramento still appears to be taking a hard line in its desire to keep Keegan Murray off the table in trade talks. “I don’t know how long the list of guys is that they would give Keegan up for, but it’s not anybody currently available on the market,” Amick said.

Scotto’s Latest: Markkanen, Achiuwa, Knicks, Kessler, Vucevic, Sixers

July 2nd, 2024 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The expectation around the NBA, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, is that the Jazz will only seriously consider trading Lauri Markkanen if they receive a huge offer similar in value to the one Brooklyn got for Mikal Bridges, which included four unprotected first-round picks, an unprotected first-round swap, and one more lightly protected first-rounder.

The decision on Markkanen is viewed as an inflection point for the Jazz, who could accelerate their timeline by trying to find another star to join him in Utah or extend their timeline by moving the star forward and continuing to stockpile assets ahead of a loaded 2025 draft.

In addition to confirming the four teams previously reported to have interest in Markkanen (the Warriors, Spurs, Kings, and Timberwolves), Scotto adds the Pelicans to the list of potential suitors for the star forward. However, he says New Orleans has been reluctant to discuss valuable young role players like Trey Murphy and Herbert Jones.

Brandon Ingram, the most obvious trade candidate on the Pelicans’ roster, wouldn’t be a logical target for Utah in a Markkanen trade. New Orleans is including a pair of first-round picks in its deal for Dejounte Murray but could still offer as many as four first-rounders (2025, 2027, 2029, and 2031) in a package for a player like Markkanen.

Here’s more from Scotto:

Unrestricted free agent Precious Achiuwa – who is drawing interest from multiple contenders, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv – liked playing in New York and remains open to re-signing with the Knicks, Scotto writes. The Knicks’ search for help at center has also involved making trade calls to the Jazz about Walker Kessler and the Hornets about Nick Richards, according to Scotto, who says rival executives think the Jazz are more willing to listen to inquiries on Kessler than they would’ve been a year ago.
With DeMar DeRozan seemingly on the verge of leaving Chicago, there’s a belief around the league that the Bulls may look to trade Nikola Vucevic and make the roster even younger, league sources tell Scotto.
Providing several Sixers-related updates, Scotto says Philadelphia is expected to either trade or waive Paul Reed and his $7.7MM non-guaranteed contract, has exploratory trade interest in Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith, and wants to add more shooting and guard depth, with Lester Quinones and Kyle Lowry among the players on its radar. Additionally, second-round pick Adem Bona is expected to get a standard contract and a place on the 76ers’ 15-man roster, Scotto reports.

Free Agency Rumors: Theis, Magic, Heat, Raptors, Rockets

July 2nd, 2024 at 9:19am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran center Daniel Theis has received interest in free agency from several suitors, including the Grizzlies, Pelicans, and Bucks, reports Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Theis won the 2023 FIBA World Cup with Germany last year, then joined the Clippers in the fall after negotiating a buyout with the Pacers. He served as the backup center in Los Angeles while Mason Plumlee missed time due to an injury and averaged 6.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks in 17.1 minutes per game across 59 outings.

A second-apron team, Milwaukee is limited to offering minimum-salary contracts to outside free agents, while Memphis and New Orleans have financial constraints of their own to consider, so Theis is unlikely to secure a big payday from any of those suitors. Still, they could certainly offer him a path to playing time.

The Grizzlies traded away Steven Adams and Xavier Tillman last season, while New Orleans lost Jonas Valanciunas and Larry Nance Jr. this summer. Milwaukee has Brook Lopez manning the middle, but his name came up in trade rumors last month.

Here are a few more free agency notes from around the NBA:

Although the Magic still have a chunk of cap room left over, they don’t appear to be aggressively pursuing outside free agents using that room. Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required) hears that there continues to be mutual interest in new deals for free agents Moritz Wagner and Joe Ingles — if both players return, Orlando would have 15 players on standard contracts. A report on Monday suggested the team is also exploring using some cap room to renegotiate and extend Jonathan Isaac‘s contract.
Caleb Martin doesn’t have a deal in place with a new team yet, but Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link) still views him as “all but gone” from the Heat. Re-signing Haywood Highsmith remains a possibility for Miami, per Winderman, who says the team may also sign another veteran free agent for the minimum. Winderman names Dennis Smith Jr. as a possible Heat target.
Free agent wing Gary Trent Jr. appears likely to leave the Raptors, according to Eric Koreen of The Athletic. As Koreen details, Toronto’s agreement with Garrett Temple means there are already 15 players projected to be on guaranteed contracts if second-round picks Jonathan Mogbo and Jamal Shead are signed using the second-round exception, as expected. In other words, the team’s free agent business might be just about done.
Kelly Iko of The Athletic hears that Trent had some interest in reuniting with former teammate Fred VanVleet in Houston, but the Rockets are another team who likely won’t do much more free agent shopping. Following the additions of Reed Sheppard and AJ Griffin, along with a new deal with Aaron Holiday, Houston projects to have 15 players under contract. While the Rockets would certainly still be interested in acquiring a young star, the two players they’ve been monitoring most closely, per Iko – Donovan Mitchell and Devin Booker – aren’t available, and the asking price for Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen was considered too high.

Fischer’s Latest: Markkanen, Isaac, DeRozan, Lakers, D-Lo, Nets

July 1st, 2024 at 6:51pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz are “welcoming” inquiries on Lauri Markkanen, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who wonders if Utah’s offseason could play out like Brooklyn’s has. The Nets agreed to trade Mikal Bridges after efforts to pair him with an impact player came up short. Utah has also explored the trade market for a possible second star to complement Markkanen, talking to Brooklyn about Bridges (as previously reported) and to the Hawks about both Dejounte Murray and Trae Young, sources tell Fischer.

While it’s possible the Jazz will follow the Nets’ lead, selling off their lone star after failing to land another one, they don’t appear eager to part with Markkanen. According to Fischer, the Jazz have conveyed that they remain interested in renegotiating and extending Markkanen’s contract later this offseason and that listening to every offer for the star forward is just about due diligence.

As reported earlier today, both the Warriors and Spurs have interest in Markkanen, Fischer confirms, naming the Kings and Timberwolves as a couple more teams to watch. However, Sacramento’s reluctance to put Keegan Murray on the table in trade scenarios – which NBA personnel believe would be necessary to land Markkanen – may result in the Kings shifting their trade focus to Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, Fischer writes. As for the Wolves, they’re operating over the second apron and barely have any future draft capital available, so it’s hard to envision a way for them to make a serious play for Markkanen.

Here’s more from Fischer:

The Magic may not end up using all of their cap room on free agents or trades — according to Fischer (Twitter link), they’re working on possibly renegotiating and extending forward Jonathan Isaac‘s contract. A team with cap space can use it to give a player a raise on his current-year salary, then reduce his salary by up to 40% in the first year of an extension, so Orlando may be looking at essentially giving Isaac a bonus this season to get him a team-friendly deal beginning in 2025/26.
Although LeBron James has expressed a willingness to take a pay cut if it allows the Lakers to bring in an impact player, Fischer writes that the team seems to be running out of potential targets – and time – to make that happen. The Lakers “hold an affinity” for DeMar DeRozan, but they’d likely have to incorporate a third team to move off some salary, including perhaps D’Angelo Russell or Gabe Vincent, to have a shot at DeRozan, according to Fischer.
The Nets could be a trade destination for Russell. Sources tell Fischer that Brooklyn has been open to the idea of a reunion with Russell since February’s trade deadline.
If Klay Thompson had re-signed with the Warriors, the plan was to bring him off the bench next season behind second-year guard Brandin Podziemski, according to Fischer. Thompson appears likely to be a starter in Dallas.