There is all sorts of buzz about how this could be one of the biggest, wildest NBA offseasons ever. Here are just some of the latest rumors.
“Mutual interest” between Raptors, Antetokounmpo
It’s no secret that Toronto Raptors decision maker Masai Ujiri has long had an interest in bringing Giannis Antetokounmpo north of the border, but that has never been an option.
Until now. Maybe. Antetokounmpo has yet to sit down and discuss his future with the Bucks, but other teams around the league are gearing up for him to request a trade out of Milwaukee. That includes Toronto, and there is mutual interest, according to Doug Smith of the Toronto Star.
“I don’t know if it will happen but I do know there is mutual interest between Antetokounmpo and the Raptors. The wild card is cost.” Add to that this comment from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst on his Hoop Collective Podcast:
“The Raptors are a team that is starting to make noise within the league about looking for a big fish… There are some teams that sniff the ability to make a move and I think Toronto is one of those teams.”
If Antetokounmpo demands a trade but wants to stay in the East (one of the rumors out there), then the Raptors have a chance. Their offer can pair a bigger-salaried player, such as Brandon Ingram or RJ Barrett, with some promising young players, such as Grady Dick and Ochai Agbaj. Additionally, the Raptors control all their own picks, so they could potentially select three (or more). I’m not sure if that offer would win the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes (and a third team likely gets involved to make the numbers work), but it’s a legitimate offer.
The ball is now in Antetokounmpo’s court. Does he demand a trade at all? If he does, what, if any, restrictions does he put on it? Stay in the East? Does he give a list of specific teams it has to be? There are more questions than answers, but Toronto could be a landing place for Antetokounmpo.
Pistons interested in Naz Reid, Myles Turner
The Detroit Pistons are looking for a floor spacing big man to run some pick-and-pop plays with Cade Cunningham, and they have their eyes on Minnesota’s Naz Reid and Indiana’s Myles Turner, reports Marc Stein in his newsletter.
Turner is about to play in the NBA Finals and is a key part of the Pacers’ offense with his pick-and-pop play off Tyrese Haliburton. The league-wide expectation is that he won’t really hit the open market and will re-sign in Indiana (likely on an Isaiah Hartenstein-sized deal).
Reid is a more interesting case. He is expected to opt out of his $15 million player option for next season, seeking a raise and the security of a multi-year contract. Minnesota is battling cap issues and would go deep into the second apron to bring back its three major free agents Reid, Julius Randle and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. That has led to considerable speculation that Reid could hit the open market, as he is also seeking a larger role. In that context, Detroit appears to be a good fit. It’s something to watch.
Rockets looking to trade No. 10 pick
You can never have too many good young players… except the Houston Rockets kind of feel like you can. This is a team so deep that last year’s Summer League standout Reed Sheppard had a hard time finding minutes. So when it comes to the No. 10 pick, the Rockets would rather trade it than keep it, reports Kevin O’Conner of Yahoo Sports.
“League sources expect the Rockets to look into trading this pick, whether it’s a trade way up, a trade out for a star, or a trade out for a group of future picks similar to what the Spurs received from the Timberwolves when they moved up for Rob Dillingham last year.”
The Rockets have a wealth of young players and picks to trade in order to go after Giannis Antetokounmpo or any other star that becomes available. The No. 10 pick is likely a part of any of those packages.
Zion Williamson not untouchable. Maybe.
The vibe from people close to the Pelicans is that new decision-maker Joe Dumars plans to keep Zion Williamson and become the latest executive to try and build around him. However, don’t think of Zion as untouchable, reports Kevin O’Conner of Yahoo Sports.
“There are no untouchables in New Orleans. League sources say the Pelicans are gauging the market for everyone on their roster. They very well could end up keeping their core pieces, namely Zion Williamson, but it appears the Pelicans are looking into taking different paths this summer depending on what opportunities become available.”
While there is trade interest in Zion, it’s not expected to be a strong market, considering his contract and injury history, plus the latest personal life scandal surrounding him does not help matters. Some teams would take him in a favorable deal, but they are not willing to go all-in to acquire him. Which means expect Zion to be in New Orleans next season. Still, the door to a trade is open if one of the teams that misses out on Antetokounmpo comes calling with a big offer.
Bulls eying Egor Demin in draft
BYU’s Egor Denim is maybe the most polarizing player in the draft. His supporters will point out he is the best passer in this class and as a 6’8″ point guard with an excellent feel for the game he could lead a team. His detractors were not impressed with his 10.6 points a game on 27.3% from 3 — his shot needs a lot of work.
Apparently count the Bulls as backers as they reportedly are eyeing him as the No. 12 pick, reports Joe Cowley at The Chicago Sun-Times. That is a lot higher than we had Demin going in the latest NBC Sports Mock Draft, where he fell to the Wizards at No. 18. (For the record, we had the Bulls taking French forward Noa Essengue as someone who could play well off Josh Giddey.) However, by No. 12 in the draft teams should consider taking a big swing, and if the Bulls believe in Demin’s potential, then go for it. We can discuss the Bulls’ quality of player evaluation in recent years another day.
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