- The Spurs want to retain restricted free agent Kyle Anderson and intend to work on a deal for him, Wojnarowski said in his podcast.
While no Kawhi Leonard trade appears imminent, reports on the star forward continue to surface. Already this week, we’ve heard that several suitors that have inquired on Leonard are reluctant to give up key young players, as the Spurs’ asking price for their two-time Defensive Player of the Year remains very high.
Here are a few more of the latest rumblings on Leonard:
- Adrian Wojnarowski and Bobby Marks discussed the Leonard situation at length in an ESPN podcast, with Wojnarowski suggesting that teams making offers for Kawhi don’t necessarily hear back from the Spurs, who simply put each offer up on their “board” for evaluation.
- Leonard’s lack of a traditional agent may complicate his situation, according to Wojnarowski, who notes that Kawhi is being represented by Mitch Frankel – primarily a football agent – and Leonard’s uncle Dennis Robinson. As Wojnarowski and Marks explain, a veteran NBA agent can often provide an effective back channel in trade talks as potential suitors assess how likely a player is to re-sign after being acquired. In Leonard’s case though, interested teams don’t really have a relationship with Kawhi’s camp and haven’t built a certain level of trust with Frankel and/or Robinson.
- While potential Leonard suitors will be wary of his health, the Sixers may be best positioned on that front, says Wojnarowski: “Philly’s unique because one of their primary team physicians was the doctor that Kawhi went to for a second opinion in New York. I think on the surface, people go, ‘How could that be?’ But it just is. So I think it’s very conceivable that Philly has more medical knowledge of Kawhi Leonard than the Spurs do because their doctors had more access to him.”
- Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports suggested this week that LeBron James‘ decision to sign with the Lakers may make Leonard more interested in joining the Clippers. However, Wojnarowski isn’t so sure that the idea of going head-to-head with LeBron in Los Angeles as a member of the city’s less iconic franchise would be all that appealing to Kawhi, who might feel dwarfed in that situation.
- The Spurs aren’t yet resigned to having passed a point of no return with Leonard, according to Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News (link via NBA.com), who says that as long as Kawhi hasn’t been traded, there’s still some hope from the Spurs’ side that the relationship can be repaired.
- More from Young on the situation (via RealGM.com): “Obviously [Leonard] is probably being kept in the loop as far as what the Spurs are trying to do trying to trade him, which he’s requested. They’re also sending signals like, ‘Listen, we still want to try to work this out, so if we get down to the wire and all of a sudden, Kawhi, you have a change of heart, let’s sit down. Let’s talk. Let’s try to work it out.'”
Former Spurs big man Joffrey Lauvergne officially has a new team, according to agent Misko Raznatovic, who tweets that his client has signed a two-year contract with Turkey’s Fenerbahce. The club has officially confirmed the signing as well (via Twitter).
Lauvergne, who signed a minimum-salary contract with the Spurs a year ago, played just 9.7 minutes per contest in 55 games for the club, averaging 4.1 PPG and 3.1 RPG.
Although Lauvergne had a player option for 2018/19 and could have remained in San Antonio, he turned down that option, with reports at the time suggesting he was on track to complete a deal with Fenerbahce. While it’s not clear how his new salary will compare to his $1.656MM option, Lauvergne will be on track for a larger role in Turkey.
Lauvergne has had a well-traveled professional career since 2009, playing for teams in France, Spain, Serbia, and Russia before arriving in the NBA in February 2015. Over the course of his four-season NBA career, Lauvergne was unable to find a long-term home or a consistent role, having spent time with Denver, Oklahoma City, and Chicago in addition to San Antonio.
The Spurs continue to seek a high price from the Lakers in exchange for Kawhi Leonard, salary cap expert Larry Coon said in an appearance today on Spectrum SportsNet (Twitter link). Sources tell Coon that San Antonio is asking for Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, Kyle Kuzma, two first-rounders and the right to swap two other draft choices. “They’re just saying give us everything,” Coon said.
There have been plenty of huge NBA headlines during the first few days of July, with LeBron James agreeing to become a Laker, Paul George deciding not to become a Laker, and DeMarcus Cousins lining up a deal with the defending-champion Warriors, among others.
However, for the most part, all has been quiet on the Kawhi Leonard front.
After Leonard’s camp made a public trade request earlier in mid-June, the Spurs forward seemed likely to dominate the offseason rumor mill, but for now, the primary suitors for the two-time Defensive Player of the Year may be playing it safe.
As Jordan Schultz of Yahoo Sports tweets, the Celtics and Sixers appear to be “playing the long game” on the Leonard front, not wanting to do anything rash with their rosters in great shape and LeBron finally out of their conference.
As for James’ new team in Los Angeles, the Lakers‘ other deals this offseason have suggested the club is retaining flexibility for the 2019 offseason, leaving the door open for Leonard to sign as a free agent and for the Lakers to keep all their young players and picks.
While the Lakers – wary of being too patient after what happened with George – may increase their efforts to land Leonard in a trade at some point, they “aren’t keen” on giving up Brandon Ingram, tweets Schultz. Meanwhile, the Celtics won’t give up Jayson Tatum and aren’t enthusiastic about moving Jaylen Brown, and the Sixers prefer to keep Markelle Fultz, Schultz adds.
While Schultz believes Leonard – who is unhappy in San Antonio and reportedly wants to play in Los Angeles – will be dealt eventually, he’s not sure where the star forward will end up. So we’re opening up that question to you.
What team to do you expect Leonard to be with to start the 2018/19 season? Will he get his wish to join the Lakers? Can the Spurs convince him to stick around a little longer? Will a budding Eastern powerhouse like the Celtics or Sixers go all-in for him? Could L.A.’s other team, the Clippers make a surprise play to land him? Or will a wild-card suitor enter the fray and steal him away?
Vote below in our poll and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
- A report from French outlet L’Equipe (hat tip to Amico Hoops) suggests that Tony Parker isn’t necessarily a lock to return to the Spurs, with the Nuggets and Hornets among the “five or six” teams that could make a play for the veteran point guard.
The Spurs have reached an agreement with undrafted free agent Drew Eubanks on a training camp deal, reports Michael Scotto of The Athletic (Twitter link). Eubanks will attend camp this fall as a member of San Antonio’s 20-man offseason roster, but won’t be assured a regular-season roster spot.
Eubanks, who entered the 2018 draft following his junior year at Oregon State, averaged 13.2 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 1.7 BPG in 2017/18. The 6’10” forward/center ranked 80th on Jonathan Givony’s big board at ESPN.com, and didn’t hear his name called on draft night last month.
While the terms of Eubanks’ agreement aren’t known, camp deals often include Exhibit 10 language, which allow for a guaranteed bonus of up to $50K if the player is cut by the NBA team and joins the club’s G League affiliate. Exhibit 10 contracts can also be converted into two-way deals.
Eubanks will also participate in the Summer League with the Spurs.
While he didn’t play a part in revealing LeBron James‘ new home this time around, Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated has penned another excellent piece on LeBron’s latest decision. According to Jenkins, James initially narrowed down his preferred landing spots to the Lakers, Cavaliers, Sixers, and Rockets, instructing agent Rich Paul to research those organizations and give him feedback when he returned from a June vacation.
While the Rockets became a long shot after James opted out of his previous contract, the four-time MVP planned communications with the Cavaliers and Sixers at the start of free agency. The Lakers were his primary focus though, according to Jenkins, who notes that LeBron spoke to Kobe Bryant on the phone before meeting with Magic Johnson on Saturday night.
As Jenkins details, despite speculation that a second star like Kawhi Leonard or Paul George might be required to lure James to the Lakers, the future Hall-of-Famer had no problem being “the first headliner through the door.” Per Jenkins, LeBron believes that the Lakers have the recruiters, assets, and cap space necessary to build a lasting contender.
Here’s more on the Lakers’ and LeBron’s arrival:
- Although he was strongly considering the Lakers before sitting down with Johnson on Saturday night, James wanted to meet face-to-face and see if he and the Lakers’ president of basketball operations could “find a trust” before he made a final decision, sources tells Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times has more details on that Saturday meeting between the former and future Lakers stars.
- The Lakers‘ status as an iconic franchise and the ability to live full time in Los Angeles with his family were important factors in James’ decision, two people with knowledge of the situation tell Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Zillgitt also notes that the Sixers worked hard to trade for Leonard as a selling point while recruiting James, but never made serious traction with the Spurs.
- Kevin O’Connor latest article for The Ringer cites multiple league sources who say that the Lakers‘ offers for Leonard have been “underwhelming.” However, O’Connor acknowledges that could change now that the team has secured a commitment from James. A package that sends Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle (via sign-and-trade), multiple first-round picks, and possibly Josh Hart to the Spurs could work, in the view of O’Connor’s sources.
- James’ business and basketball worlds will come together in Los Angeles, as Sam Amick of USA Today details in his piece on LeBron’s decision.
- Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com takes a closer look at how good the Lakers can be with their current roster and how they can become legit title contenders.
- We examined the Lakers‘ cap situation for 2018/19 earlier today.
6:20pm: According to Jordan Schultz of Yahoo Sports, the Spurs sought three first-round picks and two current players. Schultz later clarified that neither Joel Embiid nor Ben Simmons were requested.
1:37pm: Multiple people with the Sixers are confident that Leonard would strongly consider re-signing with Philadelphia in 2019 if the club can acquire him, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN. Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News confirms (via Twitter) that Leonard would entertain the possibility of sticking in Philadelphia if he’s traded to the Sixers rather than his preferred destination of L.A.
11:33am: The Sixers are set to meet with LeBron James‘ representatives in Los Angeles, and one of their top selling points will be a belief that they have a real chance to win the Kawhi Leonard sweepstakes and acquire the star forward from the Spurs, reports Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link).
We heard earlier this week that the 76ers were weighing possible trade packages for Leonard, having run a few ideas by team ownership. Dario Saric, Robert Covington, and the Heat’s 2021 first-round pick were cited as potential trade chips for Philadelphia that would appeal to the Spurs.
Now that James is officially a free agent, it’s a little simpler for a team like the Sixers – or the Lakers – to know where they stand in regard to both Kawhi and LeBron. Teams pursuing Leonard were in the dark last week prior to James’ option deadline, but it would be easier now for a club to overpay to acquire the Spurs forward if that club could be confident that doing so would convince LeBron to sign, as Derek Bodner of The Athletic tweets.
There’s no guarantee that’s the case for the Sixers, but even without Leonard, the franchise could make a strong pitch to James’ reps today. The pitch will likely center on the culture that Brett Brown has built, the presence of elite defenders like Covington and Joel Embiid, and a style of play that could challenge the Warriors, tweets TNT’s David Aldridge.
The Thunder and Paul George agreed to a four-year deal worth $137MM at the start of free agency and according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com (Twitter link), the team will have the option to offer George an even bigger raise in two years.
Under the new CBA, the team can offer George an extension after the second anniversary of the deal, meaning PG13 can sign a four-year max deal in 2020 that locks him in for seven seasons. The total value of the potential seven-year pact would come in at an estimated $290MM based off of future salary cap projections.
The team’s ability to re-sign George was shocking to some, as many expected the 5-time All-Star to leave OKC for Los Angeles, a city he’s been linked to for quite some time. It’s possible that the team’s ability to offer the max extension at the halfway point of the four-year contract was part of George’s motivation to stick around, though that’s merely my speculation.
Here’s more from around the league:
- The Rockets will meet with Michael Carter-Williams, league sources tell ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Twitter link). While Houston appears to be looking into ancillary parts for its team, the franchise hasn’t given up hope on pursuing LeBron James.
- The Jazz and Pelicans have both expressed interest in Trevor Booker, Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype reports (Twitter link). The Wolves, Rockets, Knicks, and Spurs also have an eye on the big man.
- The Bulls have interest in Jabari Parker, Kennedy tweets. Chicago is one of several teams expected to pursue the former No. 2 overall pick.
- The Wolves are looking to sign Dante Cunningham, sources tell Chris Haynes of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Minnesota has eyes for a bevy of veteran free agents to fill it’s five open roster spots.