The NBA draft comes next week, free agency opens a few days after that, and that has the rumors flying fast and furious around league circles. Here is a roundup of some of the bigger names and more interesting rumors out there.
• Orlando only offering Klay Thompson two years? The reported sticking point between Golden State and Klay Thompson is years — Golden State is only offering two, and Thompson wants at least three. The thought was Thompson had leverage because other teams, such as Orlando, were out there and would give him that third year, but Jake Fischer at Yahoo says not so fast, my friends.
Orlando, sources said, indeed holds intentions of pursuing a veteran guard/wing who can space the floor around Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, without commanding too much on-ball oxygen. Orlando appears to have an appetite to only offer a short-term deal, similar to the two-year, above-market contract the Magic awarded Joe Ingles a season ago.
All things being equal, it’s hard to see Thompson leaving Golden State, but is another team out there with cap space — Detroit, San Antonio — going to step up with a three-year offer? (Oklahoma City has cap space, too, but after trading for Alex Caruso it needs to keep cap space to re-sign him in six months, which rules out the size and length of offer Thompson wants.)
• Mavericks’ off-season priority is re-signing Derrick Jones Jr. Dallas only brought this core together at the trade deadline, and it took them to the NBA Finals, so, of course, the plan is to run it back next season. That starts with re-signing wing Derrick Jones Jr., GM Nico Harrison said on Friday.
Nico Harrison says re-signing Derrick Jones Jr. is priority “1A and 1B” for Mavs this off-season. “We’ll do everything we can to get that done.”
— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) June 21, 2024
• Doc Rivers wants to “shake up” Bucks roster with a change or two. Could defensive anchor Brook Lopez be on his way out in Milwaukee? Another core player? There’s growing buzz around the league that Rivers has the Bucks looking to make changes. Here is Brian Windhorst of ESPN on “First Take”.
“There’s starting to be rumblings that Doc Rivers is looking for a change or two to some of their core pieces. Not Dame or Giannis, but potentially looking at another maneuver they could make to alter their team. I think they could be active in the trade market coming up. “
That echoes what Fischer wrote, that the Bucks are testing the trade market for Brook Lopez. He is in the final year of his contract at $23, and at age 36 Rivers might want to get younger and more athletic. Which sounds great, but with Damian Lillard on this roster they need some high level rim protection as well.
• Lakers to make a push for Dejounte Murray? How good a coach J.J. Redick is or isn’t will not matter if the Lakers don’t upgrade their roster. The Lakers need another playmaker to take some of the load off LeBron James and Shams Charania says the pressure is on the front office — and Dejounte Murray of the Hawks might be the target (not Trae Young).
"The pressure is on the Lakers front office to make changes to this roster..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 21, 2024
They have to be aggressive and I think Dejounte Murray will come up in trade conversations"@ShamsCharania #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/xegZkMdKzu
• Could Paul George opt-in and look for a trade? Paul George has until June 29 to opt into $48.8 million for next season. His preference was to opt out and sign an extension with the Clippers — four years, $221 million is the max he is seeking — but the Clippers are reportedly only offering three years at a little below the max. Philadelphia’s interest in George is reportedly fading (although that feels as much a negotiating tactic as a genuine leak). George’s other option is to opt-in and ask for a trade, Windhorst of ESPN said on “First Take”.
The Clippers are just chilling, letting the rumors race around, waiting for George to find a better offer. That hasn’t happened yet and they remain confident, but unlike Kawhi Leonard, George isn’t willing to take a discount to stay at home. Expect a lot more drama in this soap opera in the next week.
• Is Sacramento the ultimate Zach LaVine destination? With Alex Caruso traded, next up on the list to deal for Chicago is Zach LaVine. While the Bulls are talking to basically any GM who will pick up their phone, Sacramento may be the landing spot, Fischer states.
If there’s any suitor for LaVine that seems most likely at this juncture, it would be the Kings. Sacramento remains active in exploring trade opportunities for Harrison Barnes and Kevin Huerter, league sources told Yahoo Sports, with Huerter receiving a healthy amount of external interest. The Kings, at this juncture, are still considering trade possibilities for their No. 13 overall pick in Wednesday’s draft as well, sources said.
That should be the kind of trade package that would interest Chicago.
