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Draft Rumors: Thunder, Pistons, Rockets, Pelicans, Raptors, More

July 26th, 2021 at 9:52am CST by Luke Adams

Armed with the Nos. 6, 16, and 18 picks in the first round of this year’s draft and a huge stash of future first-rounders, the Thunder are expected to start “knocking on the door” to try to move into the top three of the 2021 draft, Adrian Wojnarowski said on Sunday’s Woj & Lowe special on ESPN (video link).

In his latest mock draft, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Insider link) confirms that the Thunder have been actively exploring the idea of trading up, with Cade Cunningham and Evan Mobley among the prospects they’re said to be high on.

It would take a substantial package for the Thunder to move up into the top three from No. 6, and it remains to be seen whether they’re be willing to eat into their stockpile of draft assets to make such a move, especially if there’s a player they like outside of the top five. James Bouknight could be that player, according to Givony, who says Oklahoma City has “long been high” on the UConn guard, having inquired last year about the possibility of him entering the 2020 draft.

Here are several more draft-related rumors from ESPN’s reporters:

It’d be extremely surprising if the Pistons do anything with the No. 1 pick other than select Cade Cunningham, says Givony. Wojnarowski says that decision isn’t finalized yet, but the Pistons are “getting there” on Cunningham, and Woj expects the Oklahoma State guard to be the pick.
Jalen Green is increasingly likely to be the No. 2 pick, according to Givony, who writes that the Rockets have been “stonewalled” in their attempts to host Evan Mobley and Jalen Suggs for workouts.
The Kings‘ (No. 9) and Pelicans‘ (No. 10) picks continue to be among the most available lottery selections, per Givony. New Orleans is attaching Eric Bledsoe to the No. 10 pick in most trade discussions involving that selection, says Wojnarowski (video link). Givony adds that Franz Wagner has gained traction as a possible target for Sacramento if the club stays in the lottery, despite his “mysterious” pre-draft process — Wagner skipped the combine and hasn’t worked out for many teams.
While the Raptors are still widely expected to draft Jalen Suggs, they’ve taken long looks at other top-10 prospects, including Jonathan Kuminga, Scottie Barnes, James Bouknight, and Franz Wagner, says Givony. Wojnarowski and ESPN’s Zach Lowe (video link) expect Toronto to have several more conversations about either moving up or down from No. 4, but also view Suggs as the club’s likeliest choice.
The Cavaliers continue to be active in trade talks and are rumored to be discussing the possibility of acquiring a second top-10 pick, according to Givony. Wojnarowski (video link) is skeptical that Cleveland is looking to add more draft assets though, suggesting he doesn’t “see a scenario” in which the club trades Collin Sexton or Darius Garland to get even younger.
People around the league have “locked into the idea” that Scottie Barnes is the favorite to be picked at No. 5 by the Magic, reports Givony.

Raptors May Pursue RFA Jarrett Allen

July 25th, 2021 at 3:40pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen, a restricted free agent this summer, could be a target for the Raptors, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who says Toronto is expected to be one of Allen’s “strong” suitors. The Raptors are in clear need of an upgrade at the five spot.

Charania hears that the Cavaliers and Allen are both interested in a long-term agreement, so the Raptors may have to overpay if they hope to pry the 23-year-old Allen away from Cleveland. Charania notes that Toronto has tried to trade for Allen on prior occasions.

The Raptors could create upwards of $25MM in cap room this summer to make a run at Allen, but that would require the team to renounce Kyle Lowry and likely waive Chris Boucher.

After being dealt to Cleveland courtesy of the Nets early in the 2020/21 season as part of the trade that sent All-Star James Harden to Brooklyn, Allen thrived while with the underperforming Cavaliers. He averaged 13.2 PPG, 9.9 RPG, and 1.4 BPG across 51 contests.

Having let veterans Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol depart for the two Los Angeles teams during the 2020 offseason, the Raptors pivoted by adding Aron Baynes and Alex Len to shore up the middle. Len was eventually waived. When Baynes proved overtaxed, the Raptors opted for small-ball lineups with Boucher frequently playing center.

Fischer’s Latest: Simmons, Lillard, Warriors, Ingles, Draft Deals, More

July 25th, 2021 at 11:57am CST by Arthur Hill

There has been little movement on the Ben Simmons situation, as none of the interested teams are offering an All-Star level player to the Sixers in return, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. He adds that many observers believe president of basketball operations Daryl Morey is waiting for Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard to return from the Olympics to see if he makes a trade request.

The Cavaliers, Pacers, Timberwolves, Kings and Raptors have all shown interest in trading for Simmons, sources tell Fischer. Executives from several of those teams said they view him as a play-making forward, rather than a point guard as he has been used in Philadelphia.

Simmons remains under contract for four more seasons, so there’s no urgency for the Sixers to make a move right away. Still, the “overwhelming expectation” across the league is that he will be traded during the offseason after struggling with his shot during the playoffs.

Fischer shares more inside information from around the NBA:

The Warriors would like to swap their two lottery picks for veteran help, but president of basketball operations Bob Myers isn’t finding many impact players available on the trade market. The Jazz could emerge as a possibility, Fischer adds, as Utah is hoping to shed some salary before re-signing point guard Mike Conley. Joe Ingles might be moved in such a deal, and Bojan Bogdanovic and Royce O’Neale are also possibilities.
The Kings, who hold the No. 9 pick in Thursday’s draft, may be the highest option for teams hoping to trade into the lottery. Sacramento and the Pelicans, who have the 10th selection, have been active in trade talks involving those picks, sources tell Fischer, as both teams are looking for veterans who will give them a better chance to make the playoffs next season. New Orleans, which is hoping to unload Eric Bledsoe‘s salary, has talked to the Grizzlies about a deal that would send the veteran guard and the No. 10 pick to Memphis in exchange for the 17th choice.
The Hornets at No. 11 and the Pacers at No. 13 may also make their picks available. Fischer confirms that Indiana has talked to the Rockets about a deal involving Eric Gordon and the 23rd pick, and Myles Turner is believed to be on the trade market as well.

Atlantic Notes: Siakam, Raptors, Simmons, Knicks’ Draft

July 24th, 2021 at 5:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

Sources around the league believe the Raptors will make Pascal Siakam available in trade talks this summer, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. The 27-year-old power forward averaged 21.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists this season and has emerged as one of the team leaders since Kawhi Leonard left in free agency two years ago. He is under contract for three more years at $33MM, $35.4MM and $37.9MM.

Toronto has been among the NBA’s most active teams in trade discussions leading up to the draft, Fischer adds, and is exploring a wide variety of options that include trying to trade the No. 4 pick for an All-Star or trading back for future draft picks to rebuild in case they can’t re-sign Kyle Lowry.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Raptors remain interested in acquiring Ben Simmons from the Sixers, states Marc Stein (hat tip to Tim Daniels of Bleacher Report). Appearing Friday on Chad Ford’s podcast, Stein said Toronto would like to add the three-time All-Star, but the 76ers’ asking price is still very high.
The Sixers haven’t been impressed by the offers they’ve received for Simmons so far, writes Justin Grasso of Sports Illustrated. Philadelphia wants an All-Star player in his prime and no teams are offering that.
Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic examines seven draft prospects the Knicks might consider with the 19th and 21st picks. The names include Kentucky’s Isaiah Jackson, Virginia’s Trey Murphy III, Florida’s Tre Mann, Tennessee’s Jaden Springer, Oregon’s Chris Duarte, West Virginia’s Miles McBride and Auburn’s Sharife Cooper.

DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry Reportedly Have Interest In Lakers

July 23rd, 2021 at 12:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran guard DeMar DeRozan has interest in the possibility of joining the Lakers, as does his former Raptors teammate Kyle Lowry, reports Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Both DeRozan and Lowry will be unrestricted free agents this offseason.

Turner cites sources not authorized to speak publicly on the matter who say that DeRozan – a Compton native who played his college ball at USC – would be willing to accept less than the $27.7MM he earned with the Spurs this past season in order to play for his hometown team.

The Lakers are said to be seeking a veteran play-maker, having been linked earlier in the week to Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook, so it stands to reason the team would have interest in DeRozan and Lowry as well. Lowry was a target at the March trade deadline. However, as we noted when we discussed L.A.’s interest in Paul and Westbrook, the club’s cap limitations won’t make it easy to land an impact player this summer.

Unless DeRozan or Lowry is willing to accept a deal in the range of the mid-level exception to join the Lakers, a sign-and-trade would likely be necessary to accommodate one or the other. The Lakers would need the cooperation of the Spurs or Raptors to complete a sign-and-trade and would be hard-capped at the tax apron for the 2021/22 season as a result.

That scenario would also likely require the Lakers to dump some of their current guaranteed contracts besides LeBron James and Anthony Davis, then fill out their roster primarily with minimum-salary players. It’s not inconceivable, but it would be a challenge — and it’s not a given that sacrificing multiple role players to land a single veteran would improve the team’s title chances.

Turner also reports that Spencer Dinwiddie – who may be less expensive in 2021/22 than DeRozan or Lowry – has interest in joining the Lakers too. That echoes a previous report that stated Dinwiddie would be interested in playing for either Los Angeles team.

We’ll have to wait to see what happens with the Lakers and their various targets, but as Marc Stein points out in his latest newsletter, it’s noteworthy that there has been “seemingly daily discussion” about the possibility of L.A. pursuing guards with All-Star résumés. While it’s possible the team is just doing its due diligence and creating some leverage in its Dennis Schröder negotiations, it feels increasingly likely that Schröder could end up signing elsewhere.

Scottie Barnes Worked Out Tuesday

July 22nd, 2021 at 9:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Projected lottery pick Scottie Barnes worked out for the Raptors on Tuesday, Jonathan Givony and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports. Toronto holds the No. 4 pick and Florida State’s Barnes is the top-rated small forward on ESPN’s Best Available list, though he’s ranked No. 6 overall.

The Raptors have back-to-back second-round picks at No. 46 and No. 47 and Blake Murphy of The Athletic takes a look at a dozen prospects the front office might consider at those spots. Georgia Tech’s Moses Wright and Michigan’s Isaiah Livers are among the players profiled.

Warriors’ Stars Pushing For Beal Trade

July 22nd, 2021 at 8:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Warriors’ star players are pushing management to acquire a top-level talent in pursuit of another championship, with Bradley Beal as the top target, Marcus Thompson of The Athletic reports.

The Warriors have the No. 7 and 14 picks in next week’s draft to dangle and would likely have to add more picks along with Andrew Wiggins‘ salary to make the salaries match. Golden State would prefer to keep last year’s No. 2 overall pick, James Wiseman, but it’s speculated that Washington would also want the young center as part of any package.

Of course, Beal has never indicated he wants to be traded and the Wizards have repeatedly said they’re not interested in dealing their high-scoring All-Star. In fact, Washington is hoping to sign Beal to another extension. His current one begins in 2021/22 — it’s a two-year deal worth $71.8MM with a player option in the second year.

Beal and the Wizards would need to have a change of heart quickly with the draft just a week away.

Golden State’s trio of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green has made it clear to the team’s front office it wants a player who can help the franchise make another serious run at a title.

Beal, who was chosen for Team USA but didn’t travel to Tokyo after entering health and safety protocols, is viewed as the ideal player for Golden State’s offense due to his scoring and play-making ability. That would ease the load on Curry, who edged Beal for the league scoring title this season.

Damian Lillard could also fit that mold, but multiple sources told Thompson it’s unlikely the Trail Blazers’ perennial All-Star would want to join the Warriors. Beal is preferred over Raptors star forward Pascal Siakam, another player rumored to be a potential trade target for the Warriors.

Draft Rumors: Warriors, Kings, Pacers, Cavs, Raptors, Magic, OKC

July 22nd, 2021 at 10:35am CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors, Kings, and Pacers are among the late-lottery teams that are exploring trade scenarios involving their first-round picks, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer.

As O’Connor writes, the Warriors remain “highly active” in trade talks involving the No. 7 pick — Golden State also holds the No. 14 selection and would presumably be open to moving it as well. As for the Kings, they’ve shopped the No. 9 overall pick for players capable of helping them right away, sources tell The Ringer.

O’Connor describes the Pacers as “incredibly active” in trade discussions, having talked about scenarios that would move them into the top 10 or out of the draft entirely. Currently, Indiana holds the No. 13 pick.

Here are a few more draft-related rumors from O’Connor latest mock:

The Cavaliers have received “significant” trade interest in the No. 3 overall pick, according to O’Connor, who says the Raptors (No. 4) and Magic (No. 5) are among the clubs that have made offers to move up. Evan Mobley is considered the favorite to be the third player off the board, though it’s not entirely clear that he’s the player that Toronto, Orlando, and other interested teams are targeting.
If the Raptors remain at No. 4, they’re not a lock to select Jalen Suggs, says O’Connor. Executives around the NBA tell The Ringer that Toronto’s interest in forward Scottie Barnes is legitimate.
O’Connor’s newest mock draft has the Thunder selecting Jonathan Kuminga at No. 6, and may execs have the young forward penciled in at that slot. However, league sources tell O’Connor that Oklahoma City is high on both Barnes and James Bouknight, so there’s a chance Kuminga could slip further.

Southeast Notes: Magic, Kuminga, Unseld, Oladipo, Hawks

July 21st, 2021 at 8:23am CST by Eli Cohen

Projected top-eight pick Jonathan Kuminga worked out for the Magic on Tuesday, writes Josh Cohen of OrlandoMagic.com. Kuminga has also worked out for the Cavaliers, Raptors and Thunder, and has an upcoming workout with the Warriors.

According to Chris Hays of The Orlando Sentinel, Kuminga said that the workout with Orlando went well and that his shooting is better than he showed during his time with the G League Ignite.

“I’m not for sure if I’m a top-five pick, but I’m not worried about that,” Kuminga said. “That’s just the rankings. We don’t know where I might end up, so I don’t really be concerned about draft picks.”

We have more from around the Southeast Division:

New head coach Wes Unseld Jr. has already been in touch with Wizards stars Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “I felt like I was talking to the same person, and I say that because the message was clear: They want to be coached, they are looking for the accountability,” Unseld said. According to David Aldridge of The Athletic, Unseld has spent his years as an assistant learning how to balance his natural calm with the ability to challenge star players and stand his ground when necessary.
Heat unrestricted free agent Victor Oladipo has changed agents, reports Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. He will now be represented by Jeff Schwartz and Javon Phillips of Excel Sports Management. Oladipo is currently rehabbing from surgery on his right quad.
Jason Preston, Matt Mitchell, DJ Funderburk, DeJon Jarreau, Herb Jones, Austin Reaves, and Ariel Hukporti are among the prospects the Hawks have worked out, tweets The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner. Hukporti has since withdrawn from the draft.
Darren Wolfson of SKOR North tweets that the Hawks will also work out Boston College forward Steffon Mitchell before the draft.

Raptors Notes: Lowry, S. Adams, Draft Options, Lawson

July 20th, 2021 at 2:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kyle Lowry‘s free agency decision will probably determine whether the Raptors operate above or below the salary cap in free agency, writes Blake Murphy of The Athletic. Demand is expected to be high for the 35-year-old point guard, with the Sixers and Heat among the contending teams likely to make offers.

If Lowry opts to stay in Toronto, where he has been for the past nine seasons, the team won’t have to be concerned with creating cap space. Murphy notes that the Raptors already have about $78MM committed to five players for next season, along with $32.18MM for seven non-guaranteed contracts and $66.3MM in cap holds. With a projected salary cap of $112.41MM, any new deal for Lowry would virtually ensure that the Raptors operate over the cap.

If he opts to go elsewhere, Toronto would be faced with the choice of taking the open cap room or trying to work out a sign-and-trade. Murphy points out that the Raptors can get to nearly $28MM by waiving and renouncing everyone without guaranteed money, which would be almost enough for a max offer for a player who has been in the league less than seven years. A sign-and-trade would likely make operating above the cap a better option, Murphy adds, but it would depend on how much salary the Raptors are willing to take back in return.

There’s more from Toronto:

The Pelicans have been rumored to have interest in Lowry, and Steven Loung of Sportsnet.ca examines what a potential sign-and-trade deal might look like. Assuming Lowry signs with New Orleans for at least $20MM a season, Loung sees Steven Adams as a potential target. He would address Toronto’s issues at center, and the Pelicans reportedly have interest in getting rid of his $17MM contract for the upcoming season. Loung could envision a deal involving Adams and a young player such as Jaxson Hayes or Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
In a separate story, Murphy reassesses the projected top four players in draft and considers the Raptors’ chances of trading up into the top three.
South Carolina shooting guard A.J. Lawson had a workout for the Raptors this week, tweets Canadian basketball scout Wes Brown. Lawson, who grew up in Ontario, is ranked 77th on ESPN’s big board.