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Lakers, Spurs Discuss Kawhi Leonard Trade

June 27th, 2018 at 8:09pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers re-engaged the Spurs Wednesday in trade talks for Kawhi Leonard, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN tweets. It’s the first time the teams have discussed a Leonard deal since the Spurs “shut the door” on them after an initial call, Shelburne adds.

The Lakers reportedly feel pressure to make a deal before LeBron James makes his free agent decision, with the belief James would opt out of his contract and commit to the Lakers in free agency if he could join forces with Leonard. With Paul George no longer viewed as a lock to choose the Lakers, Leonard may represent the Lakers’ best bet to acquire another star.

If a deal goes down soon, the Lakers will have to put together an overwhelming offer. According to an ESPN story from Shelburne, Adrian Wojnarowski and Brian Windhorst, a massive package of young players and draft picks would have to go back to San Antonio. The package could include some combination of Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart, perhaps along with restricted free agent Julius Randle in a sign-and-trade scenario, as well as future first-round picks, the story speculates. The Lakers are trying to acquire another first-round pick in a separate deal through a willingness to take on one or more bad contracts, the story adds.

The Spurs are not showing any urgency to make a trade, Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports tweets. San Antonio didn’t view the draft as a deadline, so it’s unlikely they’ll view free agency as a deadline, Mannix adds.

The Celtics, Cavaliers, Sixers, and Clippers are among the teams that have made offers for Leonard, and multiple teams in that group figure to be in the mix for James as well.

Lakers Feeling Pressure To Land Kawhi Before LeBron Decision?

June 27th, 2018 at 11:29am CST by Luke Adams

Pressure appears to be mounting on the Lakers to make a deal for Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard before LeBron James makes his free agent decision, according to Adrian Wojnarowski, Brian Windhorst, and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com.

As ESPN’s report explains, there’s a belief that James would be reluctant to commit to the Lakers in free agency if he’s the only star headed to Los Angeles. With Paul George no longer viewed as a lock to land in L.A., Leonard may represent the Lakers’ best bet to acquire another star to help convince James to head west.

James’ player-option decision due on Friday, so there’s a race to acquire Leonard by then, per Woj, Windhorst, and Shelburne. The Celtics, Cavaliers, Sixers, and Clippers are among the teams that have made offers for Leonard, and multiple teams in that group figure to be in the mix for James too. If the Lakers were to lose out on Leonard to, say, the Sixers or Cavs, it could reduce L.A.’s chances of recruiting LeBron to L.A.

Of course, the Spurs have stated they won’t rush into any trade involving Leonard, since their preference would be to retain him. It’s possible that they receive an offer this week that they simply can’t refuse, but the Spurs likely won’t be eager to improve another team’s chances of landing James.

Here are several other key updates related to the Lakers, Cavaliers, James, Leonard, and more:

Although the Lakers came away from their initial conversation with the Spurs feeling like San Antonio “shut the door” on them, ESPN’s trio reports that the Spurs haven’t ruled out trading Leonard to any destination in the Eastern or Western Conference.
The Lakers have been on the lookout for a future first-round pick on the trade market and are willing to take on 2018/19 salary, per ESPN. The Lakers could keep a max-salary slot open for a free agent even if they take on some salary, and that pick could be used to sweeten a larger trade package.
While the Cavaliers have been actively exploring ways to upgrade their roster via trades or free agency, they haven’t been given the chance to meet with or discuss scenarios with James, league sources tell ESPN. With LeBron unwilling to commit to the Cavs, it will be tricky for the front office to execute a major trade in the interim. For instance, if George were to consider picking up his player option to accommodate a trade to Cleveland, he’d want to know that James was sticking around.
Although the Cavaliers have inquired about Leonard, they probably don’t have the assets to pull off a deal, given their competition for the star forward, per ESPN’s report.
James is hoping to decide on his free agent destination fairly quickly, according to ESPN.
Some league executives who spoke to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News believe that James would be willing to sign with the Lakers even if the team hasn’t made any other impact moves yet. “They’re doing enough research to suggest that he’s going to be willing to take that plunge and let the roster come together,” one GM told Deveney. “It’s what happened in Cleveland four years ago.” When James signed with the Cavaliers in 2014, he did so before the team had finalized a trade for Kevin Love.

Central Rumors: LeBron, Bucks, Stephenson, Pistons

June 26th, 2018 at 3:17pm CST by Luke Adams

LeBron James‘ player-option decision is due this Friday, and he’s “widely expected” to turn down that option, writes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. According to Vardon, James is close to making a decision and the Cavaliers are “generally aware of his thinking.”

If James does opt out, it would significantly hamstring the ability of several over-the-cap suitors to make a serious run at him. If LeBron reaches free agency, teams with cap room like the Lakers and Sixers would be his most viable landing spots, along with the Cavaliers.

For what it’s worth, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com has heard within the last week from two members of the 2017/18 Cavaliers – a player and a team official – that they believe the Cavs have the best chance of any team to sign James. Within his article, McMenamin explains why a return to Cleveland could make some sense for the future Hall-of-Famer.

Here’s more from around the Central division:

Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times hears from NBA sources and officials that Eric Bledsoe, Matthew Dellavedova, and D.J. Wilson are among the players the Bucks have been willing to discuss in trades this summer.
After declining Lance Stephenson‘s team option, the Pacers could still bring him back later in free agency. However, league sources tell Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (Twitter link) not to rule out the Bulls as a potential suitor for Stephenson.
The Pistons lack the cap space to be a major player in free agency, but the team could be in the mix for certain affordable targets. As Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes, Dwane Casey‘s presence and the Pistons’ roster stability could be selling points as the club recruits free agents.
Frank Urbina of HoopsHype.com identifies a few potential landing spots for Cavaliers guard Rodney Hood, suggesting the Heat, Pacers, and Bulls could be decent fits for the restricted free agent.

Rockets Remain ‘All In’ On Pursuing LeBron James

June 26th, 2018 at 12:59pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets are still “all in” on the idea of pursuing LeBron James this summer, a person with knowledge of the situation tells Sam Amick of USA Today. Amick suggests Houston may be a long shot for James, but makes it clear that the team hasn’t given up on the idea by any means.

The Lakers and Cavaliers have increasingly been cited as the most likely landing spots for James, with at least one report suggesting that Houston might not be a great fit for LeBron from a family perspective. For his part, the four-time MVP has been mum on his decision, so it remains unclear which teams have a realistic shot to land him.

From an on-court perspective, the Rockets make a lot of sense as a potential LeBron destination. His good friend Chris Paul is considered very likely to re-sign in Houston, and the team came within one win of knocking off the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals. Additionally, GM Daryl Morey is known for trying to find creative ways to acquire any star he can, as he did a year ago with CP3.

However, it wouldn’t be easy for the Rockets to land James. If LeBron exercises his player option for 2018/19, a trade to Houston is a possibility. If he turns down that option though, the Rockets won’t have the cap space to sign him outright, and landing him a sign-and-trade would only be plausible if team salary remains below the tax apron all year long, which would be extremely tricky for a club that wants to re-sign Paul and Clint Capela.

June 29 will be the next date to watch for James — that’s the deadline for him to pick up or decline his option.

Harden Tops James, Davis For MVP Award

June 25th, 2018 at 9:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Rockets guard James Harden was named the league’s Most Valuable Player during the NBA’s second annual awards show.

Harden topped the Cavaliers’ LeBron James and the Pelicans’ Anthony Davis for the league’s most coveted individual award. Harden finished second in the voting last season to the Thunder’s Russell Westbrook.

Harden led the league in scoring at 30.4 PPG. He was fourth in assists (8.8) and second in 3-pointers made per game (3.7) while also finishing in the top 10 in steals (1.8). Houston’s regular-season success, with its league-best 65-17 record, played a role in Harden’s victory.

The Cavaliers needed James’ Herculean efforts just to finish fourth in the East. He averaged 27.5 PPG, 8.6 RPG and 9.1 APG while appearing in all 82 contests.

Davis led the Pelicans to the playoffs, and a first-round knockout of the Trail Blazers, despite DeMarcus Cousins‘ season-ending Achilles injury. He posted averages of 28.1 PPG, 11.1 RPG and 2.6 BPG.

Here are the other awards announced on Monday night:

Rookie of the Year: Ben Simmons, Sixers
Coach of the Year: Dwane Casey, Raptors
Sixth Man of the Year: Lou Williams, Clippers
Defensive Player of the Year: Rudy Gobert, Jazz
Most Improved Player: Victor Oladipo, Pacers

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

LeBron James Not Interested In Elaborate Recruiting Pitches

June 25th, 2018 at 10:00am CST by Luke Adams

When LeBron James first reached unrestricted free agency in 2010, several suitors flew in delegations to make presentations to him, and he eventually announced his decision on a televised special. That won’t be the case this time around, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, who writes that James has “no intention” of inviting teams to make elaborate recruiting pitches.

Of course, with James’ decision on his player option for next season due by this Friday, it’s possible that the future Hall-of-Famer won’t even reach free agency. However, even if he turns down that option and hits the open market on July 1, LeBron considers it unnecessary to have interested clubs make presentations.

According to Shelburne, James may end up speaking with a team official or owner at some point during his decision-making process. But league sources believe that he and his agents – Rich Paul and Mark Termini – have a strong enough understanding of the “stakes and NBA landscape” to go through the process with little fanfare.

The Lakers and Cavaliers have increasingly been viewed as the most likely destinations for James by outside observers, though many other teams – including the Rockets, Sixers, Clippers, Celtics, and Heat – could still be possibilities.

Amick’s Latest: CP3, Rockets, Kawhi, Cavs, George

June 23rd, 2018 at 3:56pm CST by Luke Adams

There’s a “strong sense in Rockets circles” that Chris Paul isn’t go anywhere this offseason as a free agent, writes Sam Amick of USA Today. While a recent report from Chris Broussard of Fox Sports hinted at possible tension between Paul and the Rockets, Amick spoke to two sources with knowledge of the situation who disputed the idea that there’s any friction there.

Broussard’s report suggested that there might be a disparity between what sort of free agent contract Paul expected when he accommodated a trade to Houston last summer and what the Rockets are willing to offer now. According to Amick, there was indeed a “mutual understanding” in 2017 of what Paul’s next contract would look like, and it’s not clear if a five-year, maximum-salary agreement will be on the table. However, it seems likely that the two sides will reach an agreement, per Amick.

Here are a few more items of interest from Amick:

When it comes to Kawhi Leonard, the Spurs seem determined to either fix the situation or trade him to an Eastern Conference team, according to Amick, who says that Western clubs inquiring on Leonard have “been told, in essence, to get lost.” We heard earlier this week that the Spurs “basically shut the door” on the Lakers when they called about Leonard.
The Cavaliers have contacted the Spurs to ask about Leonard, but there’s no traction toward a potential deal, per Amick. San Antonio has welcomed offers for its All-Star forward, but hasn’t engaged in any trade negotiations.
Amick is the latest reporter to suggest that there’s a real possibility of Paul George remaining with the Thunder, writing that George has strong relationships with Russell Westbrook and Billy Donovan. Interestingly, Amick adds that there’s “pessimism in [LeBron] James‘ camp” that George would leave Oklahoma City — that could work against the Lakers, who are expected to try to land both George and James.

Cavaliers Rumors: LeBron, Sexton, K. Walker

June 22nd, 2018 at 2:27pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers don’t yet know what LeBron James plans to do with his 2018/19 player option or his potential free agency, but GM Koby Altman said on Thursday night that the team has established a “good dialogue” with James’ camp, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com.

“I think LeBron has more than earned the right to approach his contracts the way he does. He’s done that before, so this is nothing new for us,” Altman said. “We want to respect his space during this process, and I continue to have really good dialogue with his management team as he goes through that process. That’s probably all I can say at this point regarding him, but we don’t take him for granted. We love him, this city loves him. He means the world to us and this franchise.”

While James has yet to tip his hand on his preferred destination for the 2018/19 season, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst suggested during an appearance on the network that the family aspect of LeBron’s decision probably favors the Cavs and Lakers, as opposed to team like the Rockets. Windhorst isn’t sure that James’ family would feel comfortable going to Houston (video link via Lakers Outsiders).

Here’s more on the Cavs:

A previous report indicated that LeBron’s camp is high on Alabama point guard Collin Sexton, who was drafted eighth overall by the Cavs in last night’s draft. Although the Cavs hope that the idea of playing with Sexton could appeal to James, they were comfortable picking Sexton either way, sources tell Ken Berger of Bleacher Report. According to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com, the Cavs fully intend to keep Sexton rather than trading him.
Two league sources tell Berger that the Cavaliers continue to explore the possibility of a Kemba Walker trade with the Hornets. It’s hard to imagine such a deal being completed without the inclusion of Sexton.
Executives who spoke to Berger were extremely skeptical that the Cavaliers’ addition of Sexton would move the needle at all for LeBron. However, according to Berger, opinions among executives are split on the Cavs’ chances of retaining the future Hall-of-Famer. One Eastern Conference exec says it would take “ownership of the team” for James to stay in Cleveland, while a Western executive put the odds at 50-50.
GM Koby Altman, who said that team owner Dan Gilbert will “spare no expense” as the Cavs push for another title, spoke about the team’s next steps, per Vardon: “We have to invest in player development, we have to get better with our youth and then we have to explore opportunities to add and try to improve our talent level as well. That’s my job and we are certainly trying to attack that as we speak for sure.”

Cavaliers Not Actively Shopping Kevin Love

June 20th, 2018 at 6:15pm CST by clarkcrum

Despite previous reports indicating interest in a possible trade, the Cavaliers are not actively shopping All-Star forward Kevin Love heading into tomorrow’s NBA Draft, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPN. McMenamin further writes that the Cavs also have interest in keeping Love on the roster moving forward regardless of whether LeBron James decides to stay in Cleveland.

Love, 29, averaged 17.6 points per game on 45.8 percent shooting during the 2017/18 regular season, but saw his numbers fall to 14.9 points per game on 39.2 percent shooting during the playoffs. Upon losing in the NBA Finals for a second consecutive season, Love spoke about the uncertainty surrounding his and James’ future with the Cavaliers.

“Obviously, I’d love to play with LeBron the rest of my career, but that will be a choice that he makes… (but) anything is possible. People have been saying (I’m leaving Cleveland) for the past four years. I knew that question would come. But I like to be here. I’ve always said that. Always wanted to win here.”

Love has two years left on his contract with just over $49.7MM in salary remaining, but he possesses a player option for the 2019/20 season.

Woj’s Latest: CP3, Rockets, George, Suns, Mavs

June 19th, 2018 at 10:17am CST by Luke Adams

Having appeared on a pair of draft specials on ESPN on Monday night, Adrian Wojnarowski shared several interesting tidbits related to the draft and free agency during his segments. We’ve already passed along a few of those notes and rumors in a pair of posts this morning, but we’ve got more to round up in the space below, so let’s dive in…

Chris Paul still appears to be a virtual lock to return to the Rockets, and is focused less on his own free agency than on recruiting LeBron James to Houston, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link via Sagar Trika). Meanwhile, the Rockets would also love to re-sign Trevor Ariza, but the veteran forward will be a popular free agent who draws interest from multiple contenders, per Woj (Twitter link via Trika).
Wojnarowski is the latest to report that the Thunder still have a good chance to re-sign Paul George, despite the club’s underwhelming showing in the postseason (Twitter link via Trika).
After Wojnarowski reported that the Suns‘ No. 16 pick could be in play for a trade, GM Ryan McDonough confirmed as much during an appearance on ESPN, suggesting that his team would be willing to package the selection and another asset or two in order to acquire a second lottery pick (Twitter links via Trika).
The Mavericks are high on Luka Doncic, and are weighing whether they’ll have a shot to select the Real Madrid star at No. 5, says Wojnarowski (link via The Dallas Morning News). The Mavs have previously indicated that they have no plans to move up, but it sounds like they’d at least consider the possibility if it means landing Doncic.
According to Wojnarowski, the Sixers aren’t expected to hire a new general manager anytime soon — Woj reports the team will likely interview candidates deep into July (Twitter link via Trika).