Blockbuster trades to shake up NBA; $54m bargain in Lakers’ statement: Offseason storylines
The NBA Summer League is over, with the Cavaliers topped champions as basketball followers acquired their first glimpse at Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson, Brandon Miller and a number of different stars on the rise.
Now consideration turns in the direction of one other intriguing offseason, with potential James Harden and Damian Lillard trades on the playing cards.
Plus — the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns have emerged as huge winners from free company to this point, whereas the Houston Rockets made some peculiar strikes in the summertime.
With all that in thoughts, listed here are just a few key storylines to come back out of the offseason to this point.
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‘Bulls***’ – Landale will get trolled by dad | 00:24
WHAT HAPPENS WITH JAMES HARDEN?
Starting off with Harden, all indicators level in the direction of there being no commerce on the horizon within the short-term not less than, not that that may be a shock anyway with Daryl Morey in cost.
After all, Morey was very happy to stay affected person on the Ben Simmons commerce entrance earlier than ultimately putting a deal to reunite with James Harden in Philadelphia.
Now it appears like Harden is heading for the exit door, reportedly sad with the way in which the Sixers dealt with his potential free company.
That is in response to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, who wrote late final month that Harden was “extremely upset” and “made his dissatisfaction clear”.
It seemed clear for some time although that Simmons’ days in Philadelphia have been numbered, however that didn’t cease Morey from holding out for the very best worth earlier than buying and selling the Australian.
By all reviews the Clippers, Harden’s most popular vacation spot, may be made to attend as Morey kicked off negotiations with an asking worth which Adrian Wojnarowski described as “exorbitant”.
“Teams are not engaging the Sixers with the kind of asks that Daryl Morey is asking for James Harden,” Wojnarowski mentioned throughout a latest look on ESPN’s ‘NBA Today’.
“That’s where Daryl Morey always starts in trade talks, really high. Over time, perhaps, you work him back down.”
Although it’s no positive factor at this level that Harden even finally ends up being traded, with rival executives telling The Athletic at Summer League that they’re “universally convinced” Philadelphia is now attempting to maintain the 10-time All-Star.
That is in keeping with reporting from Wojnarowski, who predicted the Harden talks will “linger into the summer” because the 76ers maintain out hope of discovering a possible decision.
“But like Ben Simmons, there’s hope on the Sixers’ side that eventually, at some point, they can get James Harden on board about being in Philadelphia in the last year of this deal,” the ESPN insider mentioned.
“This opt-in that he did at $35.6 million. Now they may get to training camp and it may look different in Philly. They may have a James Harden who is not as enthusiastic about his return as they are. And then maybe they get more serious about it.”
One identify that’s extremely unlikely to be significantly thought of by the Sixers in any potential Harden bundle is younger guard Tyrese Maxey, who’s extensively seen as untouchable.
Kyle Neubeck of Philly Voice reported late final month that the 76ers usually are not anticipated to signal Maxey to any extension this offseason.
However, as Neubeck wrote: “This is not viewed as a condemnation of Maxey or a reflection of how the team values him”.
Rather, the Sixers nonetheless see the 22-year-old as a key a part of their future however are hoping to ensure future monetary flexibility for potential strikes in free company subsequent summer season.
AND WHAT ABOUT JOEL EMBIID?
Well, primarily based on his latest feedback, we are going to solely be capable of reply that query if Harden is traded.
Should his Sixers co-star be dealt to the Clipper as anticipated, whether or not Embiid stays or forces his approach out will largely rely upon what Philadelphia will get again in return.
“I just want to win a championship,” Embiid mentioned final week.
“Whatever it takes. I don’t know where that’s going to be, whether that’s in Philly or anywhere else.”
Obviously dropping Harden can be fairly the setback to Embiid’s hopes of contending for a championship, so the Sixers are mentioned to need an “All-Star level return” for the 33-year-old.
That is in response to a report from Philly Voiceby which Kyle Neubeck writes that the Sixers “would prefer to be able to make or keep the team as competitive as possible as soon as possible”.
That is in keeping with feedback from 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, who instructed 97.5 FM that the crew is “attempting to honour” Harden’s commerce request however solely on the proper worth.
“If we don’t get either a very good player or something we can turn into a very good player, we are not going to do it,” Morey mentioned.
For what it’s value, Embiid’s feedback aren’t a sign that he needs to be traded. Ian Begley of SNY reported as a lot this week.
Begley wrote that Embiid and Morey met within the wake of the previous’s feedback, with the Sixers famous person making it clear he needs to be in Philadelphia and ship a title to town.
“The Sixers have absolutely no plans to trade Embiid,” Begley added, per sources conversant in the matter.
Of course, this once more may all change relying on a possible Harden commerce however in the intervening time Sixers followers can breathe straightforward.
WILL DAME GET HIS WISH?
Philadelphia will not be the one crew anticipated to play the ready sport with regards to a famous person commerce, with Portland nonetheless but to discover a deal for veteran guard Damian Lillard.
Every man and his canine is aware of at this level that Miami is Lillard’s favoured touchdown spot, though the Heat’s potential finest supply isn’t one thing the Blazers are prepared to simply accept — for now.
Miami has three first-round picks it may stump up, though that will additionally require the Heat getting the Thunder to alter the safety on their 2025 first that they owe them.
A 3rd crew may then add in one other first-round decide whereas the Heat even have three first-round swaps they may add to the desk.
Whether they’re prepared to half methods with all three stays to be seen and for now there is no such thing as a actual incentive to take action with different groups not posing an excessive amount of of a risk.
The Blazers are reportedly after 4 first-round picks and some younger rotation gamers for Lillard, with Nikola Jovic and rookie Jaime Jacquez Jr. incessantly talked about in mock trades.
Veteran Duncan Robinson, who’s owed $18.1 million subsequent season and has three years left on his present contract, or Caleb Martin may be dealt in a attainable Lillard commerce.
Of course, Tyler Herro is the opposite identify on the centre of a take care of the Blazers however he would probably find yourself at a 3rd crew versus being despatched to Portland in a straight-up deal.
So, what’s the newest on how shut both aspect could possibly be to a commerce?
Well, in response to Wojnarowski, there is no such thing as a cause for the Blazers to hurry up the method with no looming deadline they need to make a transfer earlier than.
“I think for the Portland Trail Blazers, they don’t want to rush into what they consider a bad deal,” Wojnarowski mentioned on ESPN’s ‘NBA Today’.
“The Miami Heat, the team that is most motivated to trade for Damian Lillard, where Damian Lillard wants to end up, they don’t want to be in a situation where they’re bidding against themselves right now.
“They know that the market doesn’t love the idea of paying Damian Lillard a $60 million average at 35 and 36 years old, the last two years of that deal.
“There’s no rush for either side to be real aggressive in their conversations with each other, and for Portland, they’re motivated to wait this out and continue to see, ‘How do we get the most back for Damian Lillard?’
“They don’t see it as moving quickly on a deal unless Miami came with all of their assets, you know what they’re able to trade for Damian Lillard. They’re not motivated to do that now, they’d be bidding against themselves.”
Brooklyn has been floated as a 3rd crew to be included in a Lillard deal whereas Michael Pina of The Ringer lately argued Toronto ought to go “all in” for the famous person guard.
Speaking of which, the Raptors look to be one of many extra intriguing groups to comply with this offseason with the potential for just a few huge strikes nonetheless on the playing cards.
ARE THE LAKERS BIG WINNERS FROM FREE AGENCY?
The Lakers’ entrance workplace hasn’t precisely been the topic of a lot reward beforehand.
That’s what buying and selling for Russell Westbrook does to you, though on a extra broader observe they made a giant mistake in not higher prioritising continuity within the aftermath of their championship run.
This summer season although Rob Pelinka and the Lakers are getting their flowers, and rightly so.
The Lakers had already taken a step in the best course earlier than final season’s commerce deadline, ending the Westbrook experiment and making shrewd strikes to construct round LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
That noticed L.A. make a shock run all the way in which to the Western Conference Finals, the place the Lakers fell brief in opposition to this yr’s eventual champions — the Denver Nuggets.
While the Nuggets will nonetheless be deserved favourites heading into subsequent season, the Lakers have solely constructed on that profitable run with a sequence of intelligent calls this summer season.
First and most significantly, they didn’t repeat the identical mistake they made with Westbrook by taking pictures for the larger identify and sacrificing their depth within the course of.
The Lakers added Jaxson Hayes, Cam Reddish, Taurean Prince and Gabe Vincent, with the latter providing a greater choice than the departing Denis Schroder.
Prince isn’t a nasty 3-point shooter both, going 38 per cent from deep in his previous three seasons and shaping as the proper 3-and-D wing for the Lakers to fill out the second unit.
Then, after all, there’s essentially the most spectacular transfer of the lot — re-signing the quickly bettering Austin Reaves on a four-year, $54 million deal.
There was discuss that Reaves may obtain supply sheets as much as $100 million this summer season, with the Lakers so determined to increase him that they have been very happy to match these figures.
Instead, Reaves returns to L.A. on a team-friendly deal after a breakout 2022-23 marketing campaign that noticed him emerge because the crew’s third-most necessary participant behind James and Davis.
Speaking on his ‘The Old Man and the Three’ podcast, JJ Redick referred to as the Lakers one of many greatest winners of the free company interval.
“Now, if you look and you’ve got Gabe Vincent coming, Taurean Prince coming on a very favourable one-year contract. Gabe Vincent is making 11 [million] — not even the full mid-level. You bring [D’Angelo] Russell back. You bring [Rui] Hachimura back, they’ve got a really good basketball team,” Redick mentioned.
“So much of their success ultimately, in the regular season specifically, will be based on health… we’re talking about one of the best teams in the Western Conference for sure.
“… I think Hachimura signed for 17, Russell signed for 18.5 … there’s nothing against those guys at those numbers, but Austin Reaves at 12 starting out? Gabe Vincent at 11?
“I cannot believe they got those two guys next season for about $23 million between them. You can make an argument that both those guys are worth $20 million a year. Just a fantastic value add with Gabe Vincent.”
Whether it is sufficient to take the Lakers one step additional subsequent postseason, ought to they make it that far, stays to be seen.
But it’s actually a greater place to be in than the place the Lakers discovered themselves final summer season.
As it stands, if something, L.A. continues to be in want of a bit extra depth in its frontcourt and Pelinka admitted as a lot earlier within the month.
The Lakers GM instructed reporters the crew can be “actively in the market to add another big” with particular strengths.
“I think dimensional-izing the skills at that position would be important,” Pelinka mentioned.
“So we don’t want to sign someone who replicates the skills that Jaxson Hayes has. So, if we can diversify the big position and have different looks, that would be good.”
Beyond Hayes, Pelinka mentioned L.A. is “actively in the market to add another big,” and hinted that the Lakers would pursue a participant with stretch 5 capabilities.
“I think dimensional-izing the skills at that position would be important,” Pelinka mentioned. “So we don’t want to sign someone who replicates the skills that Jaxson Hayes has. So, if we can diversify the big position and have different looks, that would be good.”
Sam Quinn of CBS Sports floated Christian Wood as a possible choice and it sounds just like the Mavericks could possibly be prepared to strike a deal.
That is not less than in response to the most recent reporting from NBA insider Marc Stein, who reported in his newest Substack that: “League sources say Dallas has not ruled out participating in a sign-and-trade deal that lands Christian Wood with a new team if it is presented with such a scenario”.
WHAT TO MAKE OF HOUSTON’S FREE AGENCY HAUL?
While the Lakers are one of many larger winners to come back from the free company interval to this point, nobody is aware of fairly what to make of the Rockets after just a few head-scratching strikes.
Houston, who already had a powerful younger core headlined by Jabari Smith Jr., Jalen Green, and Alperen Sengun, tasted early success at this yr’s draft.
First, the Rockets took Amen Thompson fourth total earlier than snapping up Cam Whitmore after the high-upside the Villanova freshman dropped all the way in which to the No. 20 decide.
It was anticipated Houston would then be aggressive within the free company interval with practically $61 million in cap house and an apparent want so as to add veterans to its younger roster.
The Rockets did simply that, making two of the most important strikes of free company. Just who they signed and the way a lot they gave as much as get them, nonetheless, was a degree of competition.
First, Houston agreed to signal Fred VanVleet to a three-year, $128.5 million max contract with a third-year crew choice earlier than providing Dillon Brooks a four-year, $80 million deal.
These are two gamers who have been two of essentially the most inefficient scorers within the NBA final season, with Brooks taking 991 pictures and making simply 39.6 per cent of them.
According to The Ringer’s Chris Vernon, there was just one participant within the league who took extra pictures and hit much less: VanVleet.
That could also be a priority given how a lot the Rockets paid to get the 2 gamers to Houston, though a struggling crew is at all times going to must pay extra to land big-name free brokers.
Plus, the hope for VanVleet can be that this was simply an outlier for a man who has loads of different strengths that the Rockets really want, together with 3-point taking pictures.
For all the problems VanVleet had in his mid-range sport, he nonetheless made 44 per cent of his open catch-and-shoot 3s and shot 34.2 per cent total from deep.
In truth, VanVleet has made 37.0 per cent or extra of his 3-pointers in 5 of seven seasons within the NBA. For context, Kevin Porter Jr. (36.6 per cent) was Houston’s finest 3-point shooter final season.
Of course, VanVleet may also take up a distinguished position on the ball in Houston’s offence because the crew’s beginning flooring common after averaging a career-high 7.2 assists final season.
Meanwhile, his management is a price add for a younger crew whereas the 29-year-old can also be disruptive on the defensive finish having averaged the second-most steals (1.8) within the league final season.
As for Brooks, for all of the issues about his effectivity on the offensive finish there’s little doubting he’ll assist handle the problems Houston has on the defensive aspect of the ball.
Plus, the Rockets are banking on the addition of VanVleet opening the sport up for Brooks — and all of their gamers — to be improved shooters within the 2023-24 season.
Houston beat author Kelly Iko wrote in The Athleticthat Brooks instructed him at Summer League that he was assured VanVleet would carry the very best out of him.
“When I spoke to Brooks in Las Vegas last week, one thing he noted was the impact the former Raptors point guard would have on his offensive efficiency, an area he’s fully aware he struggled with last season in Memphis,” Iko wrote.
“VanVleet is one of the game’s premier passers and has elite court vision. There’s a reason Houston’s brass felt it necessary to pay big money to land his services. VanVleet’s gravity and drive-and-kick ability are two much-needed lifts to this team’s floor and ceiling.”
In much less high-profile however nonetheless necessary strikes, the Rockets additionally signed Australian Jock Landale to a four-year, $32 million contract with solely the primary yr assured.
Jeff Green, in the meantime, will carry veteran management to the locker room after Houston signed the championship-winning ahead on a one-year, $6 million deal.
As an entire, these strikes make Houston higher within the short-term and may give the crew a correct probability to judge which of its younger gamers are the very best bets to proceed constructing round.
It value the Rockets so much although and whether or not it is going to be value it in the long term stays to be seen.
HOW DID PHOENIX MANAGE THAT?
And simply rapidly, whereas the Lakers emerged as one of many larger winners from free company, how in regards to the Phoenix Suns?
Adding Bradley Beal alongside Devin Booker and Kevin Durant noticed the delivery of a brand new NBA superteam. But normally that comes as a price, particularly beneath the brand new collective bargaining settlement.
It meant the Suns had restricted wiggle room as they tried so as to add some much-needed depth round their star-studded trio who, together with Deandre Ayton, are right down to earn a mixed $162 million subsequent season.
As Phoenix is projected to exceed the $182.5 million second apron, it additionally meant they have been unable to make use of the $5 million taxpayer mid-level exception to construct their crew in free company.
Instead, the Suns have been solely in a position to supply veteran-minimum contracts. But as an alternative of struggling to make any actions across the margins, Phoenix was in a position to carry again Josh Okogie and Damion Lee whereas including Eric Gordon, Yuta Watanabe, Keita Bates-Diop, Drew Eubanks and Chimezie Metu.
There was an fascinating element in lots of Phoenix’s free company strikes this summer season although — the very fact it signed six gamers to two-year contracts with second-year participant choices.
It is one thing that undoubtedly didn’t go unnoticed by ESPN’s entrance workplace insider Bobby Marks whereas Brian Windhorst additionally identified one other advantage of the form of provides Phoenix made.
“They won battles for some of these guys that had two or three offers by being like, ‘Hey listen we’ll give a player option,’” Windhorst mentioned on ‘The Old Man and the Three’ podcast. “If you have a player option on a minimum contract, it means you can’t be traded without your permission. Functionally, Eric Gordon (and the others) has a no-trade clause.
“So, if the Suns come to him mid-season and say, ‘Hey we want to trade you to the Charlotte Hornets for so and so,’ he could be like, ‘Nope.’
“… If you’re trying to weigh where you’re going to go and you’re like, ‘Wait a minute I can go play in Phoenix for a title in good weather with two per cent state income tax, and I can block a trade,’ I could see the strategy [in] what they were doing. And it made sense to me and I respected it.”
