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NBA Rumors
The daily league-wide NBA rumors page
By InsideHoops.comTODAY'S NBA RUMORS
Updated Sunday, November 22, 2020 at 12:00 a.m. ETKings general manager Monte McNair might have a very difficult decision to make over the next couple of days. The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner reported Saturday “sources remain confident” the Atlanta Hawks are in a strong position to sign Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic to an offer sheet worth about $72 million over four years. The Kings would have 48 hours to match the offer for the restricted free agent or they would lose him to the Hawks without compensation. Sacramento and Atlanta could choose to work out a sign-and-trade agreement instead, but that will no longer be an option if the 28-year-old shooting guard signs the offer sheet. Sacramento Bee
The Knicks are bringing back a familiar face. But it isn’t Carmelo Anthony. Just two days after they declined his contract option, the Knicks agreed to re-sign point guard Elfrid Payton on a reported one-year, $5 million deal. Payton was New York’s starting point guard last season and was effective when he wasn’t injured, averaging 10 points and 7.2 assists in 45 games. NY Daily News
Gordon Hayward took time Saturday to thank Celtics fans and the organization for embracing him the past few years. Hayward, who reportedly agreed to a four-year, $120 million deal with the Charlotte Hornets, expressed his gratitude to the Celtics via Twitter. Boston.com
Former Thunder center Nerlens Noel will sign a one-year, $5 million deal with the New York Knicks, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Saturday. Noel was a valuable backup the last two seasons in Oklahoma City. Oklahoman
Tristan Thompson has agreed to a deal with the Boston Celtics, his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, told Yahoo Sports. Thompson leaves the Cavaliers after an eight-season run with Cleveland, which drafted him fourth overall in 2011. He endured highs and lows with the Cavs, capturing a title with LeBron James & Co. in 2016, only to be part of 38 combined wins with the team in the two years since James left for Los Angeles. ESPN.com
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has agreed to a 3-year, $40M deal to return to the Lakers, his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, told ESPN. Caldwell-Pope re-signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in July 2019 on a two-year, $16.6 million deal that included an $8.5 million player option for the 2020-21 season, which he declined. ESPN.com
The Knicks barely pursued VanVleet and didn’t meet with him, according to a source. The Knicks had intel he wanted to stay in Toronto where he is close with his backcourt mate Kyle Lowry. A source close to VanVleet said he wasn’t much interested in becoming the Knicks’ savior and preferred to stay put. NY Post
Free agent Jae Crowder has agreed to a three-year deal with the Phoenix Suns that is worth approximately $30 million, according to multiple media reports Saturday. Crowder, 30, was a key postseason contributor for the Miami Heat on their run to the NBA Finals in 2020. He became an unrestricted free agent after completing the last season of a five-year, $35 million contract he signed with the Boston Celtics in 2015. ESPN.com
A day after losing Derrick Jones Jr. to the Portland Trail Blazers, the Miami Heat on Saturday landed a replacement forward in New York Knicks free agent Maurice Harkless. Harkless has agreed to a one-year, $3.6 million contract that, as of now, utilizes the Heat’s biannual salary-cap exception. By extending such an offer, the Heat again will operate under a hard salary cap for 2020-21, as they did in 2019-20 after signing Jimmy Butler. Sun Sentinel
The Milwaukee Bucks have reached deals with free agent forward Bobby Portis and guard D.J. Augustin on Saturday. Portis agreed to a two-year, $7.5 million deal with the Bucks, agent Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Milwaukee, meanwhile, also reached a three-year, $21 million deal with Augustin, sources told Wojnarowski. ESPN.com
Free-agent guard Kris Dunn has agreed to a two-year, $10 million deal with the Atlanta Hawks, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The deal includes a player option for the second year, sources said. ESPN.com
NBA RUMORS FROM SATURDAY
But Washington’s dream of having Bertans play alongside Bradley Beal and John Wall may not come to fruition. Wall has made it clear that he wants a trade out of Washington, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. His desire to leave follows a report from the Athletic this week that the Wizards and the Houston Rockets had discussed a deal centering on trading Wall for Russell Westbrook. Wall’s desire puts Washington in a tricky situation. The 30-year-old, who was expected to play his first basketball game for the Wizards in two years after coming back from an Achilles’ injury, is owed more than $130 million over the next three years. Washington PostGarrett Temple’s contract is not for the full mid-level exception, which can be split among multiple players, so the Bulls still have room to add another player. But because their roster is nearly full, the Bulls would likely have to create another roster spot to do so. Temple becomes the 14th guaranteed contact on the 15-man roster as the Bulls have also extended a qualifying offer in hopes of retaining wing Denzel Valentine. If the Bulls need to create a roster spot, they could waive a little-used players on the end of the bench (Cristiano Felicio is on an expiring contract) and eat a portion of their salary for next season. Or they could clear some room in a trade. Chicago Tribune
With a league-high $35 million in cap space, the Knicks signed … Alec Burks. Indeed, the Knicks’ free-agent foray got off to a slow start, but they made one signing late Friday night, grabbing swingman Burks on a one-year, $6 million deal, according to a source. NY Post
NBA RUMORS FROM FRIDAY
The Thunder still could trade Steven Adams and his expiring contract. The Thunder could restore Al Horford’s status and raise his value, drawing interest from a contender in need of an inside presence, although gleaning another first-round pick for Horford might be Presti’s greatest magic act. The Thunder could use the trade exception they got in the Golden State deal to take on another team’s bad contract and demand a first-round pick for the service. Oubre’s trade exception is $14.4 million -- a trade exception basically is an exemption from salary-cap rules. Golden State had a $17 million trade exception, which is what allowed it to trade for Oubre (and his $14.4 million salary) without sending back similar salaries in return, even though the Warriors are over the cap. OklahomanSpencer Dinwiddie is believed to be attracting attention from several Western Conference teams. And now representing himself, the point guard – who has an opt-out after this coming season – can certainly market himself. Everybody in the NBA saw how messy Anthony Davis’ exit from New Orleans was. Marks is proud of the culture the Nets have built, but is also cognizant of being above board and open with his players. NY Post
The Toronto Raptors will begin the 2020-21 NBA season in Tampa, Florida, the team said in a statement Friday. The Raptors were unable to reach an agreement with the Canadian government on a plan to play its home games at Scotiabank Arena amid the coronavirus pandemic. ESPN.com
In a surprising development, Celtics forward Gordon Hayward opted out of the $34 million player option in the final year of his contract Thursday on the eve of free agency despite his injury history and recent less-than-All-Star form. Free agency begins at 6 p.m. Friday, and the Knicks need a starting point guard most prominently, but they also could use a solid outside-shooting threat at the small-forward position, even after the home-run drafting of scoring forward Obi Toppin. NY Post
Though he is 30 and hasn’t regained his 2017 All-Star form, the Knicks are intrigued by the 6-foot-7 Hayward for the right price, according to sources. The Knicks’ new assistant general manager, Walt Perrin, drafted Hayward out of Butler with the ninth pick in 2010 for the Jazz. NY Post
The Knicks stockpiled two more 2023 second-round picks by trading for Utah Jazz big man Ed Davis and agreeing to pay the $5 million left on his contract, according to sources. The Knicks may cut Davis but are still deciding. The Knicks now have compiled three 2023 second-rounders since Wednesday after trading the 33rd pick to the Clippers on draft night for a 2023 second-rounder via Detroit. NY Post
NBA RUMORS FROM THURSDAY
The Philadelphia 76ers acquired a historically elite 3-point shooter who happens to be married to the coach's daughter, agreeing to a draft-night trade that sent shooting guard Josh Richardson and the No. 36 pick in Wednesday's NBA draft to the Dallas Mavericks for Seth Curry, sources told ESPN. Curry, whose father-in-law is new Sixers coach Doc Rivers, addresses Philadelphia's glaring need for perimeter shooting to complement stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. He ranks second in NBA history in career 3-point percentage (44.3), behind only current Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr and four spots ahead of his brother, two-time MVP Stephen Curry. ESPN.comFive months later than it was originally scheduled, the Minnesota Timberwolves selected Anthony Edwards with the first pick of the 2020 NBA draft Wednesday night. The Golden State Warriors took center James Wiseman with the No. 2 pick, and guard LaMelo Ball followed as the third pick to the Charlotte Hornets. Edwards, a 6-foot-5, 220-pound guard from Atlanta who spent his lone collegiate season at Georgia, joins a young Timberwolves core led by star center Karl-Anthony Towns and point guard D'Angelo Russell. Edwards averaged 19.1 points per game and was the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year. ESPN.com
Sacramento Kings forward Bogdan Bogdanovic plans to enter restricted free agency on Friday at 6 p.m. ET, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The Kings and Milwaukee Bucks had hoped to bring Bogdanovic the framework of a sign-and-trade deal to negotiate a Bodanovic contract with Milwaukee on Friday, but he will move into the marketplace to find an offer sheet or seek out other sign-and-trade scenarios, sources said. ESPN.com
NBA RUMORS FROM WEDNESDAY
The Charlotte Hornets and the Knicks have registered the most substantive trade interest in Houston’s Russell Westbrook. It must be emphasized, though, that both teams have expressed conditional rather than aggressive interest. The Knicks, for starters, have weighed a trade that absorbs the three seasons and $133 million left on Westbrook’s contract, as I reported last week, but I’m told there are multiple voices in the organization that have reservations about such a move. NY TimesIn the Hornets’ case, there is a belief in some corners of the league that their appetite for a Westbrook trade increases significantly if Charlotte does not land LaMelo Ball with the No. 3 overall pick in Wednesday’s draft. Michael Jordan, Charlotte’s owner, is a known Westbrook admirer. Should the playmaking Ball be drafted before the Hornets’ turn at No. 3, according to the theory, there is a much stronger case to be made for trading for Westbrook in spite of the cost and attendant risk. NY Times
Some league insiders believe that the Hornets, at Jordan’s behest, want Ball at No. 3 should Minnesota and Golden State select Anthony Edwards and James Wiseman with the top two picks. NY Times
The Rockets’ position on Harden, for the record, hasn’t changed: They don’t want to trade him. Unappetizing as it sounds, Houston wants to play the long game and see if it can rebuild its relationship with Harden before conceding that trading him is the only alternative, even after Rafael Stone, the new general manager, made a forward-looking move in his first major trade by agreeing to send Robert Covington to Portland for Trevor Ariza and two future first-round picks. NY Times
The early signals emanating from Philadelphia suggest that Morey, the 76ers’ new president of basketball operations, wants to give Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons every last chance to click before trading one of them. Houston, just to name one non-Nets option, could decide to wait to see if the Sixers’ stance changes. As wary as the Rockets must be about doing a deal of that magnitude with Morey, we’ve seen that front offices that know each other well often find it easier to collaborate on the biggest of trades. NY Times
The New York Knicks are moving up in Wednesday's NBA draft, acquiring the Utah Jazz's pick at No. 23 in exchange for the No. 27 and No. 38 selections. ESPN.com
The odds to be the No. 1 pick in Wednesday's NBA draft have moved significantly in recent weeks, with Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball taking turns as the betting favorite at sportsbooks. As of Wednesday morning, just hours before the draft, Edwards was the favorite at -130 to go No. 1 at Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill, with Ball listed at even money. The Minnesota Timberwolves own the No. 1 pick in the draft (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). ESPN.com
Projected top-10 NBA draft pick Onyeka Okongwu has a fractured left big toe, a source told ESPN on Wednesday. The injury, which will require one to three additional weeks of rest, is not expected to affect his availability for the start of the season. ESPN.com
NBA RUMORS FROM TUESDAY
James Harden on Monday went from interested to determined in regard to making the career- and franchise-changing move of leaving the Rockets for the Brooklyn Nets. And he took an unprecedented step to prove it. Harden turned down the Rockets’ offer of a two-year, $103 million contract extension, two individuals with knowledge of the offer confirmed. ESPN was the first to report the offer that would have had Harden, 31, under contract, for five more seasons. Houston ChronicleThe extension would have put Harden in line to become the highest-paid player in NBA history. Harden made it clear that rather than finish his career with the Rockets, he wants to be dealt to the Nets to play with Kevin Durant, his former Oklahoma City teammate, and Kyrie Irving. He also indicated he has no interest in going anywhere besides Brooklyn and believes the Rockets should make the best deal with the Nets that they can, even if they do not consider it satisfactory. Houston Chronicle
NBA RUMORS FROM MONDAY
Veteran star NBA guard Chris Paul may be on the move from Oklahoma City to Phoenix. According to ESPN reporter Adrian Wojnarowski, the Suns and Thunder are close to agreeing to a trade that would send CP3 to the Suns. In return for Paul, the Thunder would reportedly receive Ricky Rubio, Kelly Oubre Jr., Ty Jerome, Jalen Lecque and a 2020 first round draft pick. Inside HoopsThe Phoenix Suns are finalizing a deal to acquire Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star guard Chris Paul, sources told ESPN. The deal sends Paul and Abdel Nader to the Suns for Kelly Oubre Jr., Ricky Rubio, Ty Jerome, Jalen Lecque and a 2022 first-round pick, sources told ESPN. ESPN.com
Dallas Mavericks star big man Kristaps Porzingis will be sidelined to begin the season as he continues to rehabilitate from surgery to repair the meniscus in his right knee, according to Mavs president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson. The Mavs have targeted Jan. 1 as the date that Porzingis would be cleared to begin on-court activity, Nelson told ESPN. ESPN.com
Former Memphis big man James Wiseman said he has not spoken to the Minnesota Timberwolves in advance of Wednesday night's NBA draft. The acknowledgement is notable because the Timberwolves have the first pick in the draft, and Wiseman is expected to be one of the first players selected. Wiseman said during a Monday conference call with reporters that the only two teams he has worked out for in person are the Golden State Warriors, who have the No. 2 pick, and the Charlotte Hornets, who have the No. 3 pick. ESPN.com
The Detroit Pistons are trading guard Bruce Brown to the Brooklyn Nets for forward Dzanan Musa and a 2021 second-round pick, sources told ESPN. The 2021 second-round pick will be via the Toronto Raptors, sources said. ESPN.com
Fresh off a championship in his first season as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, All-Star big man Anthony Davis has declined to pick up the final year on his contract and will enter free agency this week, league sources confirmed to ESPN on Sunday. Davis, 27, averaged 27.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.4 blocks per game in the postseason during the Lakers' title run. ESPN.com
The fact that Davis is not picking up the final year on his deal, worth $28.7 million, is viewed merely as a business decision to ink a longer deal with more security than one season guaranteed. It also will allow him to reenter free agency as a 10-year veteran, when his maximum salary potential will increase. ESPN.com
As Houston Rockets star James Harden considers his uncertain future with the franchise, the Brooklyn Nets are rising to the top of his list as a possible trade destination, sources told ESPN. The idea of joining Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn is resonating with Harden, sources said. ESPN.com
Durant and Harden -- past teammates with the Oklahoma City Thunder -- have recently discussed the possibility, but there have yet to be trade discussions between the two front offices. ESPN.com
Harden, 31, has been an All-Star in all eight seasons since arriving in Houston, winning MVP in 2017-18 and finishing among the top three in voting four other times in the past six years, and claiming the NBA's past three scoring titles. He is owed $131.5 million over the three seasons remaining on his maximum contract, including a $46.9 million player option in 2022-23. ESPN.com
NBA RUMORS FROM SUNDAY
Ahead of the lifting of the transaction window on Monday afternoon, the Los Angeles Lakers are expected to complete a deal to acquire Oklahoma City guard Dennis Schroder, sources tell ESPN. The Lakers are preparing to send the 28th overall pick in Wednesday night's NBA draft and guard Danny Green to the Thunder, sources said. The deal can be completed as soon as noon ET on Monday. ESPN.comSchroder has one year and $15.5 million left on his contract and would be acquired with the intention of eventually signing him to a new contract to remain with the defending NBA champions, sources said. ESPN.com
The Toronto Raptors have identified Tampa, Florida, as "an option" to be their home market for the 2020-21 season if they are unable to play in Canada, team sources confirmed to ESPN. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the globe, the Canadian government requires any "non-essential" travelers to quarantine for two weeks upon arrival in Canada. Meeting that requirement would be a challenge for teams scheduled to fly into town for a handful of days to play the Raptors. ESPN.com
The hoop Kobe Bryant molded his jump shot on as a child is set to hit the auction block ... and it can be all yours -- if you've got a small fortune lying around. TMZ Sports has learned that just before Bryant's childhood home in Pennsylvania sold for $810K this month ... the seller decided to pull the backboard and the rim from the listing after the buyer wasn't interested in paying more for its inclusion. TMZ.com
Michael Jordan's last piece of NBA laundry is hitting the auction block -- the actual jersey from his final game ... and it's gonna fetch a TON of cash! It's MJ's #23 away jersey from his final game with the Washington Wizards on April 16, 2003 ... the last time Jordan stepped on the court as an NBA player. TMZ.com
NBA RUMORS FROM SATURDAY
Canada's deputy chief of public health says the Toronto Raptors have presented a good plan to play at home during the upcoming NBA season, but concerns remain over enforcing strict health protocols and travel over the border with the United States. Dr. Howard Njoo said Friday that public health officials from Ontario, Toronto and the Public Health Agency of Canada have had discussions with the Raptors, who are hoping to play at Scotiabank Arena despite spikes in COVID-19 cases at home and in the U.S. ESPN.comThe Golden State Warriors have presented an ambitious plan to state and local officials to reopen Chase Center in San Francisco at 50% capacity for the upcoming NBA season, which owner Joe Lacob believes can be the model for all sports franchises and entertainment venues to safely bring back fans amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Lacob said the Warriors are prepared to spend upward of $30 million to test every fan, Warriors employee and player with the most accurate form of COVID-19 testing for each home game or day they come to Chase Center. ESPN.com
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