While we saw a trade on Sunday, it feels like NBA free agency is on pause waiting for LeBron James to make his free agency decision, which will come… eventually. Everyone — the front offices involved, other players, fans — is ready for LeBron to end his dragged-out free agency process, but he will do it on his own time. Until then, stars keep making their pitches, but other free agency rumors are flying around. Here are some of the latest.
Harden, Edwards make LeBron pitches
Among the most predictable, tedious, frankly clickbait things about LeBron’s free agency has been players, coaches and front-office people from every team that might land him — and a few that haven’t — being asked about him and asked to make their public pitches. The fact that 76ers owner Josh Harris had a quick, private conversation with LeBron made news.
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If you care about such things, here are the latest from James Harden and Anthony Edwards.
Lakers considering other trades
The Lakers remade their roster this offseason to better fit around Luka Doncic this summer — LeBron is out, Walker Kessler and a group of new role players are in — but they may not be done, reports Sean Deveney of Heavy.com, based on a conversation with a league executive.
“When it comes to moving contracts, the Lakers have found teams more receptive to take on Jake LaRavia’s remaining $6 million for one year than the $25 million over two years for Jarred Vanderbilt.
“Vanderbilt is a guy who has probably gotten a bad rap there because he has had injuries and has not fit in well and all of that,” the exec said. “He can still play, just not at that number. (LaRavia) is a guy who you can ride when he is hot, but it gets tough when he is not. But he is tough, he plays every game, he hustles. You’d like to see better defense but he hustles. And $6 million, most people would take what he gives you for that.”
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This is likely a training camp or in-season thing, but keep an eye on those two, particularly LaRavia.
If it feels like Daniel Gafford has been available via trade for years, you’re not far off, and the Mavericks are still listening to offers, reports Marc Stein of The Stein Line.
“Daniel Gafford, they’re still fielding offers on him. We’ve also discussed they’d rather trade Klay Thompson rather than buy Klay out…
“I reported this on June 14th. Teams calling for Kyrie Irving are being told Kyrie’s not available, but Gafford, Klay, and P.J. [Washington] are regarded as the most available of the Mavs vets…
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“Is Daniel Gafford going to be on this team by season’s end? It’s not an answerable question at this point. We know he’s available. Is someone going to put an offer together that interests the Mavs or are the Mavs going to keep holding out for a for a first round pick in exchange? Time will tell.”
Thompson, 36, is set to make $17.5 million in the final year of his deal. Thompson may be headed to the Hall of Fame someday but he is not that player now. He averaged 11.7 points per game, shot 38.3% from 3 but shot just 41.8% inside the arc, and is not the same defender he once was. While there might be teams interested in him in a reserve role, they don’t want to pay his current salary.
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