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Manners are important, but forget about trade requests. Let’s get some trading stimulate!
Let’s start the week with an update from the Sun.
The latest from Shams
Highlight Lillard, Hardin
The rush is now behind us after an eventful opening of the free agency window this weekend that saw NBA teams commit more than $1 billion to players on Opening Day.
Most of the big names are off the board and while we still have more moves in the days ahead that will bolster the rosters with pivotal players who can make the difference, all the attention right now is on Damian Lillard and James. hardened.
Days after Harden and the Sixers agreed to work together to find his next trade destination, Lillard officially requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers. As I first reported on Saturday, the day of his request, his only focus now remains a move to the Miami Heat, according to multiple league sources involved in the discussions.
The seven-time All-Star, who will complete 33 later this month, is coming off the most productive offensive season of his career. In 2022-23, he finished with career highs in points per game (32.2), field goal percentage (46.3), free throw attempts per game (9.6), 3 made (4.2) and attempted (11.3) per game.
As Sam Amick reported over the weekend, league sources indicate that the Blazers are fielding entertaining offers from all over the league to look for the best possible deal for them, although there is still a strong belief that the Miami deal remains the most likely outcome. It is expected that Lillard’s openness with his preference would keep other teams at bay with no guarantee that Lillard would be happy to join them.
Back to you, Zack.
waiting game
What would the Harden and Lillard deals look like? It can be as simple or as complex as the thriving front office chooses. We know where both players want to end up. Harden wants to go home to Los Angeles and join Kawhi Leonard and Paul George on the Clippers. Lillard wants to join Bam Adebayo, who has ostensibly complimented him as someone he’d like to play alongside someday, and Jimmy Butler in Miami.
Should Blazers CEO Joe Cronin and Sixers CEO Daryl Morey acquiesce in those preferences?
For Harden, there are reasons to believe the Clippers trade is achievable.
- Hardin and Morey’s relationship may have been strained, but no executive has supported a star so publicly as Morey has done Harden. The soft spots in the core need not be…hardened. (Please do not opt out after that pun.)
- Harden only has a year left in his deal, so he can threaten teams that he won’t sign again if they trade for him.
- The Sixers can always share ownership and want this resolved before the start of the regular season after the Ben Simmons debacle.
There are also reasons to believe that a line will be drawn in the sand.
- It’s Maury. He has a reputation as a tough negotiator. If he didn’t want the Clippers trade package, it would be very difficult to talk him out of it.
- We’ve seen the Sixers do that with Simmons. They were comfortable being uncomfortable until the right trade came along (Harden).
- Some of the team might not care, treat it similarly to the Raptors and Kawhi Leonard and just see what happens.
My guess is Harden gets what he wants, but it’s never a guarantee.
For Lillard, there’s the matter of the return of the trade packs and whether the Blazers owe it to Lillard to get him where he wants to go. That Miami is Lillard’s favorite destination shouldn’t mean anything to the Blazers. If the Tyler Herro plus package he ultimately chose doesn’t do it for them, the third or fourth team will probably need to get involved to make it palatable.
Brooklyn can offer a lot of draft picks but not necessarily an attractive player in return (Mikal Bridges isn’t going anywhere). Knowing that they already have their star of the future (Scoot Henderson), the Blazers can feel confident that they do indeed have direction.
Could there be a fear of driving Lillard mad and affecting future free agent courts? maybe. But it’s not like Portland was really a destination for free agents. Again, Portland has to make the best decision on her own and see if that includes helping the lady.
A solution to both cases may not be forthcoming.
Jason Quick: Order Signs of the End of the Age in Portland
John Hollinger: Some business ideas
Huge paydays
Biggest deals yet
There were a lot of huge paychecks handed out during the first two days of free agency. Here are the most important things to know moving forward:
- Kyrie Irving agrees to re-sign with the Mavericks for three years, $126 million: People are already wondering if this signing will lead to a trade request for Irving or Luka Dončić in the near future.
- Draymond Green agrees to re-sign with Warriors for four years, $100 million: The Warriors save a lot of money with this team-friendly deal, and the team can now focus on competing for another ring.
- Bruce Brown Jr. agrees to sign a two-year, $45 million contract with the Pacers: People made fun of him wanting $20 million a season, and now that’s low for him. The Pacers had a great performance to make them a potential playoff team.
- Desmond Bean agrees to a five-year, $208 million extension with Memphis: The big money for the third man in the Grizzlies family means the clock is ticking for them to be contenders. A second tax yard is on its way.
- Chris Middleton agrees to re-sign with Bucks for three years, $102 million: If Middleton can stay healthy, the Bucks have enough runway to fight for titles for at least another two years. They kept Brook Lopez for two years, $48 million, too.
My free agency degrees: Day 1 | the second day
Most questionable deals
These are my four biggest head scrapers after one weekend:
- Jerami Grant agrees to re-sign with Portland to five years, $160 million: Portland agreed to this contract prior to Lillard’s trade request, and the Blazers stuck to the agreement despite the move toward rebuilding.
- The Rockets commit Fred Van Fleet and Dillon Brooks for a total of $210 million: Houston is starting to spend recklessly, and we don’t even know if she can make it to the Play-In Championship… VanVleet’s $130 million is incredible.
- Seth Curry agrees to sign with Dallas for two years, $9.2 million: I can’t believe one of the best roleplayers and best shooters in the world took this low-key deal for Dallas. Mavs need defense, but you can’t miss this value.
- Donte DiVincenzo agrees to sign the Knicks to a four-year, $50 million contract: When you break it down, it basically costs them Obi Toppin (sort of) and Derrick Rose (a rejected team option) to bring in DiVincenzo. It’s a Villanova class reunion destination now.
Bounce passes
Cover space is no longer great, John Hollinger explains.
Jovan Poha explains how the Lakers gave up chasing stars for smart acquisitions.
VanVleet went in Toronto. Should the Birds of Prey now trade Pascal Siakam?
Getting Kyrie Irving back to Dallas was easy. Now comes the hard part.
Summer league screen game
All times are oriental
- main screen: Tottenham Hornets (8 p.m. EST). There is no Victor Wimpanyama, but Brandon Miller is expected to play in the California Classic tonight.
- Second screen: Grizzlies-76ers (7 p.m. NBA TV). Always watch Kenneth Lofton Jr get buckets against unsuspecting defenders.
- night view: “Good Gems” (Max). This is your last chance to watch the final episode without spoilers.
(Photo by Damien Lillard: Soobum Im / USA Today)