Royce O’Neale Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Melton, Reddish, Bronny, Suns

November 9th, 2024 at 10:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Warriors guard De’Anthony Melton said it felt “amazing” to be back on the court Friday night after missing five games due to a back strain, writes Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. He was able to play 18 minutes, contributing 10 points, two rebounds and three assists as he moved right back into coach Steve Kerr‘s expanded rotation.

“Aggravation and they wanted to be cautious about it,” Melton said of the injury. “They just want to make sure I’m staying strong right now. Staying solid in terms of everything. Not worrying about necessarily being out there all the time, but the long haul.”

Melton experienced back pain while playing for Philadelphia last season and was unavailable for 40 of the final 45 regular season games. Golden State was aware of his physical issues when it signed him in free agency this summer, and the team’s medical staff is being careful in how it’s handling him.

“I’ve got a lot of trust in what they do,” Melton said, “and they’ve gotten me this far, so I’m in it.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Lakers coach J.J. Redick considers his starting lineup to be “fluid,” per Khobi Price of The Orange County Register, so any changes like Friday’s move to replace D’Angelo Russell with Cam Reddish may not be permanent. Reddish put up modest stats with three points and five rebounds, but he impacted the game on defense, particularly in his matchups with Paul George. “Every team is different, every coach is different,” Reddish said. “I just go out there and do what (Redick) tells me to do. In my past life, I was going out there doing what I wanted to do. That doesn’t necessarily work all the time.”
Several members of the Lakers showed up Saturday night to support Bronny James in his first G League game, according to Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. The group included Redick, general manager Rob Pelinka, Russell, Anthony Davis and of course Bronny’s father, LeBron James. He posted six points, three rebounds and four assists for South Bay.
Rookie Ryan Dunn could be coach Mike Budenholzer‘s choice to replace Kevin Durant in the Suns‘ starting lineup while he’s recovering from a calf strain, suggests Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Royce O’Neale is a more experienced option, Rankin adds, but Budenholzer seems to prefer using him off the bench. Rankin states that the injury could also result in more playing time for Josh Okogie, who made his season debut on Friday, and Bol Bol, who has yet to play this season.

Pacific Notes: Powell, Russell, Lakers, Durant, Huerter

November 9th, 2024 at 8:47am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Clippers‘ replacement for Paul George appears to be Norman Powell through the early part of the 2024/25 season, The Athletic’s Law Murray writes. In a recent win over George’s Sixers, Powell hit six threes en route to 26 points.

Having never averaged more than 19.0 points per game in a season entering 2024/25, Powell is putting up 25.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists on a scorching .516/.494/.861 shooting line so far.

“I’ve always envisioned myself being in this position and wanting the opportunity,” Powell said Wednesday night. “Learning from when I was in Toronto with Kyle (Lowry) and DeMar (DeRozan), learning from Dame (Lillard) and CJ (McCollum), learning from PG and Kawhi (Leonard). Being around those top guys and just getting game and knowledge from them in the summer. Going up against them, battling, and just wanting that.”

Powell was acquired by the Clippers from the Trail Blazers at the 2022 trade deadline and he’s in the fourth year of a five-year, $90MM contract he signed with Portland. He’s on the books for $19.2MM this season and $20.5MM next year.

Powell, who finished fourth in Sixth Man of the Year voting in each of his two full seasons in Los Angeles, averaged 15.3 points on 10.9 shot attempts per game during that stretch. Through the early portion of this season, he’s taking 17.4 field goal attempts per game in the wake of George’s departure.

“I saw it as addition by subtraction,” Powell said at Clippers media day about George’s exit. “I was excited. I think what I’ve said in this media day every single year since being here is, I want to be the starting two guard, and the opportunity is in front of me. I prepared myself. I’ve always seen myself as a starter in this league. I feel like I put the work in. I feel like the numbers show for itself when I am starting and what the output is. So I’m excited to take on that role and the pressures that come with it. The good, bad and ugly.”

In a similar piece, Janis Carr of The Orange County Register details Powell’s quest for perfection. Powell recorded his first career double-double on Friday with 31 points and 12 rebounds.

“I have my own mentality and approach to the game, like nothing really changes no matter what role I’m in. I’ve said it multiple times,” Powell said. “I’ve got high expectations for myself. I always see myself as a starter, as a top guy in the league that can come out and help any team win no matter where I’m at.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

As we relayed Friday, Cam Reddish took D’Angelo Russell‘s spot in the Lakers‘ starting five. Russell was moved to the bench last season when the team began to lose too, but his connection with then-coach Darvin Ham suffered, Dave McMenamin writes of ESPN. This time with JJ Redick coaching the team, Russell is approaching the situation with a different mentality. “I left all that, all my baggage at the door this summer once we changed coaches and new staff came in,” Russell said. “I was committed to whatever it takes. That’s what y’all see now.”
The Lakers are expected to be active on the trade market after a 5-4 start with a 24th-ranked defense, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report relays. Fischer names Milwaukee’s Brook Lopez and Washington’s Jonas Valanciunas as two targets on L.A.’s “internal board,” with Russell potentially being available as outgoing salary.
The Suns are unleashing Kevin Durant by allowing him to embrace coach Mike Budenholzer‘s three-point heavy approach, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports writes. Durant has helped lead the Suns to an 8-1 record to begin the year by averaging 27.6 PPG on .553/.429/.836 shooting. He’s also averaging 5.0 points per game in clutch minutes, making 63.2% of his field goals in those situations.
While Durant’s star power is propelling the Suns, they’re getting another boost in Royce O’Neale‘s play, The Arizona Republic’s Duane Rankin writes. O’Neale is shooting 52.6% on three-pointers so far this season and is first off the bench, and Rankin writes he’s looking like an early Sixth Man of the Year candidate. O’Neale signed a four-year contract this past offseason.
Kings guard Kevin Huerter missed two games due to an illness last week and FOX40’s Sean Cunningham tweets that he’s still feeling the effects after returning. Huerter is averaging 10.4 PPG for the Kings and has played two games since returning to the team.

Tyus Jones Expected To Start At Point Guard For Suns

July 28th, 2024 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Tyus Jones is expected to take over as the Suns‘ starting point guard after reaching an agreement with the team on Saturday, writes Kellan Olson of Arizona Sports.

Jones will earn $3MM on a one-year, minimum-salary contract, opting to take less money for the chance to play for a contender. In a statement to ESPN on Saturday, he indicated that he expects to start in Phoenix.

In the same story, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports hears that Grayson Allen will likely be moved to a bench role to open up a starting spot for Jones. Allen was the NBA’s top three-point shooter last season, connecting at 46.1% on 5.9 attempts per game.

Jones, who has led the league in assist-to-turnover ratio for the past five seasons, will bring a steadying presence to a Phoenix team that played without a true point guard last season. He’ll take some of the ball-handling duties away from Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, allowing them to focus on their traditional roles on offense.

The Suns also signed Monte Morris this summer and added Collin Gillespie on a two-way deal, giving new head coach Mike Budenholzer plenty of depth at point guard.

Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic examines Phoenix’s options in the wake of the signing, noting that a team with Jones, Beal and Booker in the starting lineup would have issues with both size and defense. That’s a greater concern because Jusuf Nurkic isn’t really a shot blocker in the middle, Rankin states, and Durant would be counted on to be the best defender on the starting unit at age 36.

Rankin suggests that another option is to start Royce O’Neale, who excels as a perimeter defender, but that would likely mean bringing Beal off the bench. Beal could provide instant offense in a sixth-man role, but it might be hard to sell him on it since he’s making $50MM this season and has been a starter throughout his career.

Pacific Notes: Porter, Clippers, Lakers, Suns, O’Neale

July 16th, 2024 at 1:30pm CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers‘ decision to sign Kevin Porter Jr. to a two-year contract is “in no way (meant to) downplay, diminish or condone domestic violence,” president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank told Law Murray of The Athletic on Monday.

Porter reached a plea agreement of a third-degree reckless assault misdemeanor in January after having been originally charged last fall with felony counts of assault and strangulation following an altercation with his former girlfriend in New York. He may still face discipline from the NBA, which is investigating the case.

Frank said Porter and the team will “abide by” any decision the league makes and told Murray that the Clippers had an independent specialist evaluate the guard before deciding to bring him aboard.

“He’s had an offseason personal-development plan that he’s been committed to,” Frank said. “And then, based on our specialist recommendation, he’ll have an offseason and off-the-court personal-development plan that he’ll be held accountable to. With that being said … we thought, hey, look, positive change is possible, and here’s an opportunity for him.

“… We take these allegations very, very seriously. With that being said, we’re going to lean on people who are experts in the field to be able to advise us — whether it’s Kevin or anyone else — is worthy of a second opportunity and why. And we’ll just kind of look at every case and every individual on a case-by-case circumstance. But we’re very aware and respectful to the sensitivities that come with, you know, these allegations. And like I said, that’s why we’ve invested a lot in terms of making sure that there’s a personal-development plan where there’s a high level of accountability.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Examining what has been a quiet offseason for the Lakers, Jovan Buha of The Athletic says the team is expected to continue to remain patient as it considers possible roster moves. The Lakers will likely make a consolidation trade at some point to potentially open up a roster spot and/or more room below the second tax apron, sources tell Buha, but that may happen until closer to the start of the season.
The Suns still have some work to do to fill out their coaching staff ahead of Mike Budenholzer‘s first season in Phoenix, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. As Rankin details, former NBA big man Pero Antic – who played for Budenholzer in Atlanta and is working with the Suns’ Summer League roster, is one possible candidate for an assistant role.
After signing a new four-year contract to remain with the team, Royce O’Neale said he thinks the Suns have “an opportunity to do something special” next season, which made it an easy decision for him to stay in Phoenix, according to Rankin. The Suns dealt with a series of injuries last season and made some major roster changes before and during the season, including adding O’Neale at the trade deadline. The hope is that more continuity will help make a difference in 2024/25. “We’ll have a whole complete year to build some team chemistry and everything, get acclimated and hit the ground running and do a lot of special things,” O’Neale said.

Contract Details: George, Martin, Wiseman, Isaac, Hield, More

July 8th, 2024 at 6:49am CST by Luke Adams

Following the end of the July moratorium on Saturday, teams wasted no time in officially finalizing many of the contracts they’d agreed to up until that point.

Now that those contracts have been completed, we have the official details on many of them. Here, via several reporters – including Keith Smith of Spotrac, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, and cap expert Yossi Gozlan – as well as our own sources, are some of those notable details:

Players with trade kickers:

Lakers forward LeBron James (15%), Knicks forward OG Anunoby (15%), Sixers forward Paul George (15%), Sixers forward Caleb Martin (15%), Mavericks sharpshooter Klay Thompson (15%), and Mavericks forward Naji Marshall (5%) received trade kickers on their new free agent deals, while Celtics guard Derrick White (15%) got one on his contract extension.

As an aside, James’ exact starting salary in 2024/25 is $48,728,845, which is $1,258,873 below the maximum he could have earned.

Players who waived their right to veto a trade:

A player who re-signs with his team on a one-year contract (or two-year contract with a second-year option) is typically awarded the right to veto a trade, but has the option to waive that option.

Heat center Thomas Bryant, Rockets guard Aaron Holiday, Raptors wing Garrett Temple, and Magic teammates Gary Harris and Moritz Wagner all surrendered their right to veto a trade in 2024/25 and could be moved freely.

Unlikely incentives:

Nets center Nic Claxton ($97MM base + $3MM incentives), Pacers forward Obi Toppin ($58MM +$2MM), Suns forward Royce O’Neale ($42MM +$2MM), and Sixers forward Martin ($35,040,704 + $5,256,106) are among the players whose contracts include unlikely bonuses that would boost the total guaranteed salary if those incentives are reached.

As cap expert Albert Nahmad observes, the structure of Martin’s contract helped the 76ers maximize their cap room, since his unlikely incentives don’t count toward the cap once he signs.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Martin’s “unlikely” incentives are easier to earn than a typical player’s incentives would be — I don’t expect them to be for making an All-Star team or anything like that. An incentive is considered unlikely for cap purposes if the player wouldn’t have met the criteria the year before. For example, as Nahmad suggests, a bonus related to Martin making 24 or more starts would be considered unlikely because he started 23 games last season. Martin’s bonuses – considered “unlikely” for cap purposes but perhaps “likely” to be earned in reality – could have served as a way to strengthen the Sixers’ offer without sacrificing that extra cap room.

It’s also worth noting that a player’s unlikely incentives can’t exceed 15% of his guaranteed base salary, and Martin’s $5,256,106 in incentives represent exactly 15% of his overall $35,040,704 salary.

Partial or non-guarantees and options:

James Wiseman‘s two-year, minimum-salary contract with the Pacers is guaranteed for $500K in year one, with a team option for 2025/26. That team option would be guaranteed for $569,041 if exercised (ie. the same percentage as his first-year salary).

Luka Garza got a similarly structured two-year, minimum-salary deal with the Timberwolves, except his first year is fully guaranteed prior to his second-year team option. That 2025/26 option would be guaranteed if picked up.

As previously reported, Isaiah Hartenstein‘s three-year, $87MM deal with the Thunder includes a team option for 2026/27. It’s worth $28.5MM, with $58.5MM in guaranteed money across the first two seasons.

Magic teammates Harris ($7.5MM) and Wagner ($11MM) each have second-year team options on their two-year deals.

The Rockets used their full bi-annual exception to give Holiday a two-year deal worth $9,569,400 that includes a second-year team option ($4,901,400).

Neemias Queta‘s three-year, minimum-salary contract with the Celtics is fully guaranteed in year one with a partial guarantee of exactly 50% ($1,174,789 of $2,349,578) in year two, plus a third-year team option for 2026/27. The third-year option ($2,667,944) would be guaranteed for 50% ($1,333,972) if exercised. Since his minimum deal covers more than two years, a team wouldn’t be able to acquire Queta via the minimum salary exception if he’s traded down the road.

Jonathan Isaac‘s new long-term deal with the Magic is partially guaranteed ($8MM of $14MM) in 2026/27, with non-guaranteed salaries of $14.5MM in 2027/28 and $15MM in 2028/29. However, each of those salaries would become fully guaranteed if Isaac plays at least 52 games in the prior season. For instance, if Isaac were to appear in 54 games in 2026/27, his $14.5MM salary for ’27/28 would be fully guaranteed.

Sign-and-trade contracts:

Interestingly, Kyle Anderson‘s and Buddy Hield‘s new contracts with the Warriors have the exact same salaries for the first three seasons: $8,780,488, $9,219,512, and $9,658,536. Anderson’s three-year deal is fully guaranteed for the first two years and non-guaranteed in year three.

As for Hield, his four-year contract is fully guaranteed for the first two years, with a partial guarantee of $3MM for year three. His fourth year is a $10,097,560 player option that would be partially guaranteed for $3,136,364 if exercised.

Klay Thompson’s three-year contract with the Mavericks comes in at exactly $50MM, as reported — it starts at $15,873,016 and features 5% annual raises.

Jonas Valanciunas‘ three-year contract with the Wizards is worth $30,295,000 in total, beginning at $9.9MM (which is the amount of the trade exception generated for the Pelicans). It’s fully guaranteed for the first two seasons and non-guaranteed in year three.

Cody Zeller got a three-year, $11,025,000 deal in the sign-and-trade that sent him from New Orleans to the Hawks. The first year is guaranteed for $3.5MM, with two non-guaranteed seasons after that.

Finally, as part of the Mikal Bridges trade, new Nets guard Shake Milton got a three-year, $9,162,405 contract that has a guaranteed first-year salary of $2,875,000, with two non-guaranteed years after that ($3MM in 2025/26 and $3,287,406 in ’26/27). His teammate Mamadi Diakite, who was also sent to Brooklyn in the trade, had his $2,273,252 salary partially guaranteed for $1,392,150.

Milton’s $2,875,000 salary, Diakite’s $1,392,150 partial guarantee, and Bojan Bogdanovic‘s $19,032,850 salary add up to $23.3MM, which is equivalent to Bridges’ salary — the exact amount of outgoing salary the Knicks needed to send to avoid being hard-capped at the first tax apron.

Suns, Royce O’Neale Complete Four-Year Deal

June 29th, 2024 at 12:40pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 6: O’Neale’s new contract with the Suns is official, according to the NBA’s transaction log. It has a base value of $42MM, with an additional $2MM in unlikely incentives, Hoops Rumors has learned.

JUNE 29: Free agent forward Royce O’Neale intends to sign a four-year, $44MM contract to remain with the Suns, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

The deal won’t feature either a team or player option and will be fully guaranteed, reports Zach Lowe of ESPN (Twitter link). It will be the most lucrative contract of O’Neale’s career, topping his previous four-year, $36MM extension that’s about to expire.

The No. 19 player on our list of this year’s top 50 free agents, O’Neale has been a reliable, durable wing since entering the league in 2017, never appearing in fewer than 69 games in a season across stints in Utah, Brooklyn, and Phoenix. The Suns acquired the former Baylor standout from Brooklyn in a three-team deal at February’s trade deadline.

A versatile defender with the size to match up against bigger wings and forwards, O’Neale isn’t much of an offensive threat, having never averaged more than 8.8 points per game in a season. But he’s a solid three-point shooter, with a career rate of 38.1% from beyond the arc, and he has averaged 3.2 assists per game over the past two seasons.

Because Phoenix projects to operate over the second tax apron in 2024/25, the team would have had no means to replace O’Neale or Grayson Allen with an equivalent player in free agency, so there was an expectation that both players would be re-signed. The Suns extended Allen in April and have now reached a deal to retain O’Neale as well.

Since O’Neale was expected to receive interest on the open market from rival suitors, the belief was that Phoenix would have to go up to three or four years to beat out clubs who might offer a higher starting salary. That turned out to be the case, with the Suns making a guaranteed four-year commitment to the 31-year-old.

As cap expert Yossi Gozlan tweets, adding O’Neale’s new deal to the Suns’ books increases their projected team salary for next season to nearly $217MM. The luxury tax line is expected to come in around $171.3MM. There may be more moves to come that push the Suns’ salary in one direction or the other, but based on the current projections – and accounting for tax penalties – it would be the second-most expensive roster in NBA history, says Gozlan.

Stein’s Latest: O’Neale, George, Pelicans, Murray, Anunoby, Pistons

June 25th, 2024 at 12:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Rumors have begun to circulate that free agent forward Royce O’Neale will end up signing a four-year contract to remain with the Suns, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack story.

The Suns have long been expected to re-sign O’Neale, since they’ll be over the second tax apron and wouldn’t be in position to sign an equivalent replacement if he heads elsewhere. However, there has been a belief that they’ll likely have to go up to three or four years in order to retain the three-and-D wing to make up for the fact that other suitors may offer him a shorter-term deal with a more lucrative starting salary.

Phoenix has five more days left in its exclusive negotiating window with O’Neale. If he hasn’t agreed to terms by the time the free agent period opens on Sunday evening, he’ll be able to negotiate with other clubs.

Here’s more from Stein’s latest rumor roundup:

Securing a four-year contract is a goal for Paul George this summer, according to Stein, who suggests that chatter about George’s willingness to consider signing with a cap-room team or pushing for a change of scenery in an opt-in-and-trade scenario may be aimed at convincing the Clippers to put that fourth year on the table. There has been a sense that staying in Los Angeles would ultimately be George’s preference, but the club has seemingly only offered him a three-year deal thus far.
While it remains unclear whether the Hawks would prefer to trade Trae Young or Dejounte Murray this offseason, it’s worth noting that the Pelicans are “known to be longtime admirers” of Murray, Stein writes. New Orleans is believed to be open to a roster shake-up this summer, with forward Brandon Ingram viewed as a strong candidate to be dealt.
It’s still hard to find many people around the NBA who think OG Anunoby will leave the Knicks as a free agent, Stein writes, pointing out that Sam Rose – one of Anunoby’s agents at CAA – is the son of Knicks president of basketball operations Leon Rose.
The Pistons‘ head coaching search may move quicker than initially anticipated, Stein writes, adding that James Borrego, Sean Sweeney, and Micah Nori are the “foremost known candidates.” Borrego is believed to have a leg up due to his time together with new Pistons head of basketball operations Trajan Langdon in New Orleans, Stein notes. However, both Sweeney and Nori have spent time in the organization, having worked on Dwane Casey‘s staff from 2018-21.

Free Agency Rumors: LeBron, Clippers, Harris, Suns, Warriors, Klay

June 25th, 2024 at 7:24am CST by Luke Adams

LeBron James‘s decision on his $51.4MM player option is due this Saturday, and while the Lakers star has yet to formally make a call one way or the other on that option, at least one recent report indicated he’s leaning toward opting out. That doesn’t mean he’ll leave Los Angeles though, since the Lakers will still be in position to offer him more than any other suitor as a free agent — and it sounds like they’ll do just that.

According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, the Lakers are “committed” to retaining James and are prepared to offer the maximum three-year contract that he’s eligible for. Teams can typically re-sign their own Bird free agents for up to five years, but in LeBron’s case, the over-38 rule would trigger if he signs for four or more years, meaning a three-year agreement is his max.

A maximum-salary three-year contract for James projects to be worth nearly $162MM if he declines his option. In that scenario, he would also be in position to negotiate a no-trade clause, which is available to players who are negotiating free agent contracts if they’ve been in the NBA for eight years and with the team for four years.

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

The Clippers have “some level of interest” in free agent forward Tobias Harris, a source tells Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Harris, who played for the Clippers for about a year from 2018-19, would likely only be an option for Los Angeles if Paul George leaves, since the team otherwise wouldn’t be in position to make him a competitive offer (and wouldn’t have a pressing on-court need for a forward like Harris). Pompey suggests the possibility of a dual sign-and-trade involving George and Harris, but the Sixers have the cap room to sign George outright and the Clippers would be hard-capped at the first tax apron if they acquire a player via sign-and-trade.
While the Suns‘ top offseason priority is re-signing forward Royce O’Neale, they’re also hoping that swingman Josh Okogie picks up his $2.96MM player option and would like to re-sign forward Bol Bol, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. reiterated that the team wants to bring back free agent sharpshooter Klay Thompson (Twitter video link via NBC Sports Bay Area). However, as Tim Kawakami writes for The Athletic, Dunleavy is “definitely not shaping this whole offseason” around re-signing Thompson.
John Hollinger of The Athletic shared his list of the best point guards on this year’s free agent market, along with his top shooting guards.

Scotto’s Latest: J. Smith, Toppin, Weaver, Hartenstein, Huerter, O’Neale, More

June 15th, 2024 at 4:24pm CST by Arthur Hill

Early indications suggest that Pacers power forward Jalen Smith will decline his $5.4MM player option for next season and become an unrestricted free agent, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports in his latest aggregate mock draft. Sources tell Scotto that a final decision hasn’t been made, but Smith appears to be leaning toward testing the free agency waters. He has a June 29 deadline to opt in for 2024/25.

Smith, 24, appeared in 61 games this season and posted a career high in scoring at 9.9 PPG, along with 5.5 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 17.2 minutes per night. He was selected 10th overall by Phoenix in the 2020 draft and was acquired by Indiana at the 2022 trade deadline.

Scotto notes that rival teams are watching to see whether the Pacers will re-sign restricted free agent Obi Toppin. If the fourth-year power forward reaches a new deal, there’s a belief that Indiana might be willing to trade Jarace Walker, who was a lottery pick last June.

Scotto shares more inside information in his aggregate draft:

Washington is believed to be a potential destination for former Pistons general manager Troy Weaver, who recently parted ways with the team, Scotto writes, noting that Weaver was once part of Oklahoma City’s front office along with Wizards executives Michael Winger and Will Dawkins.
Scotto talked with some NBA executives who believe the Magic should be considered a threat to sign Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein. Orlando could have close to $50MM in cap space to work with.
Executives also expect the Kings to explore deals involving Kevin Huerter and Harrison Barnes, Scotto adds.
The Raptors plan to work out an extension with Scottie Barnes this summer, sources tell Scotto. The versatile swingman made his first All-Star appearance this year.
Scotto echoes other reports in stating that Royce O’Neale is likely to reach a new contract with the Suns. The 31-year-old forward, who was acquired from Brooklyn at the trade deadline, is expected to receive about $10MM per year, according to Scotto.
Vice president of basketball operations Brent Barry isn’t expected to return to the Spurs next season, sources tell Scotto. The longtime NBA player has been an executive with San Antonio since 2018.
Assistant coach Jason Love will likely leave the Sixers and join Doc Rivers’ staff with the Bucks, Scotto states. Love previously worked for Rivers in Philadelphia.
The Hornets are assembling a staff of assistants for new head coach Charles Lee. Scotto hears it will include Lamar Skeeter, Josh Longstaff, Chris Jent, Ryan Frazier, Zach Peterson, Matt Hill and Blaine Mueller.

Pacific Notes: LeBron, Irving, O’Neale, Ballmer

June 5th, 2024 at 9:13am CST by Luke Adams

Discussing his former teammate Kyrie Irving on his Mind The Game podcast (YouTube clip), Lakers star LeBron James said he has gotten satisfaction out of watching Irving’s success in Dallas, but admitted that he’s disappointed to no longer be playing with the star guard.

“I’m so f—ing happy and so proud to watch him continue his growth,” James said. “I’m so f—ing mad at the same time that I’m not his running mate anymore.”

As Dave McMenamin of ESPN details, Irving requested a trade out of Cleveland in 2017, in large part due to his desire to get out from under James’ shadow and to have his own team, but the mutual appreciation between the two stars seems to have grown since their days together as Cavaliers.

LeBron was known to be pushing for the Lakers to acquire Irving during multiple transaction cycles before the guard was ultimately sent to Dallas at the 2023 trade deadline. However, with Irving thriving in Dallas and under contract for up to two more seasons, it seems unlikely at this point that he and James will reunite prior to LeBron’s retirement.

James added that he doesn’t view the Mavericks as a significant underdog vs. Boston in the NBA Finals because he views Irving as a potential difference-maker.

“To have a guy like Kyrie Irving as the ultimate wild card,” James said. “It’s like having a Draw 4 in your hand every time someone deals you cards in Uno.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Responding to an ESPN report that said the Suns are expected to retain free agent forward Royce O’Neale, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 confirmed on The Burns & Gambo show (podcast link) that a new deal between the two sides is likely, but suggested that Phoenix will probably have to offer a longer-term contract to make sure it gets done. “What they’re going to have to three or four years to keep him. Other teams will probably offer him more money on a shorter-term deal,” Gambadoro said. “… What I’m expecting and what I’ve heard is that the Suns will likely go three to four years on an offer to keep Royce O’Neale.”
With the TV series ‘Clipped’ debuting this week, Law Murray of The Athletic takes a look back at how Steve Ballmer reset the Clippers‘ culture after buying the team in 2014 following the Donald Sterling scandal. “It was positive in a way,” former Clippers center DeAndre Jordan said of the Sterling situation. “Because we did end up getting one of the greatest sports owners, in my opinion, in Steve. The things that he’s done have been amazing, and I can’t wait to see what he continues to do, especially starting next year (when the Clippers move into their new arena).”
In case you missed it, the Lakers are said to be “zeroing in” on J.J. Redick as their next head coach. Get the full story here.