The first domino to fall once 2024 NBA free agency officially opened was that the Golden State Warriors and Klay Thompson will be going their separate ways.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that the two sides will be working towards a sign-and-trade.
Minutes later, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski named the Sixers as one of four teams that are planning on having discussions with Thompson to facilitate that trade.
Klay Thompson plans to have discussions with the Mavericks, Lakers, Clippers and 76ers in the opening hours of free agency, sources tell ESPN.
Given who’s reporting this, it’s certainly notable that the Sixers were one of the team’s mentioned to be interested in Thompson’s services. At the same time, with Paul George’s decision reportedly set to dictate the market, and the Sixers still being strong suitors, it’s hard to see Philadelphia making this trade before George has made a decision.
But the Sixers’ having nearly $60 million available in cap space will likely have them named in just about every high stakes negotiation until they begin to spend some of that money.
If the plan is to sign George and also work out a sign-and-trade for Thompson, it could take some serious cap gymnastics from Daryl Morey. Still, adding a shooter like Thompson — along with a shooter like George — to complement Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey is intriguing.
The Philadelphia 76ers may be all in on pursuing Paul George. And Nico Batum might already be on the way out.
But one name you’ll most certainly be familiar with is now reportedly returning. Andre “Big Penguin” Drummond is signing a two-year, $10M deal, league sources told Hoops Hype’s Michael Scotto.
Breaking: The Philadelphia 76ers and free agent center Andre Drummond have agreed to a two-year, $10+ million deal, league sources told @hoopshype. Drummond gets a player option Year 2. During his career, Drummond has been a two-time All-Star and a four-time rebounding champion. pic.twitter.com/r9Z77n844C
Scotto adds that Dummond gets a player option for the second year. The two-time All-Star played for the Sixers during the 2021-2022 season before he was included in the Ben Simmon-James Harden blockbuster, packing his bags for Brooklyn. By all accounts Drummond loved his time in Philadelphia, and the team loved the energy he brought both on and off the floor.
Moments before Scotto’s report made it official, Drummond offered us this fun clue:
It’s a terrific low-cost signing to bolster the backup center spot. As we know all too well the Sixers tend to hemorrhage points whenever Joel Embiid sits down or misses a game. Drummond’s name should already be up there with the best backups of Embiid’s career thus far. Now he’ll get another chance to prove he’s the top reserve for Joel.
Adem Bona will be the best backup in Joel Embiid’s Sixers career. Pure energy and hustle.
But Bona’s versatility could also enable him to play WITH Embiid for two-big lineups. Embiid can space on offense, Bona can handle perimeter matchups on defense. pic.twitter.com/oldR69gO7Q
Although Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer just said that No. 41 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Adem Bona, could be coming for that title as well.
All eyes are still on Paul George, but the Sixers still had the bandwidth to make some key value signings for their bench.
Last season season in Chicago, the 30-year-old averaged 8.4 points and 9.0 rebounds appearing in 79 games. For those keeping score in fantasy, that amounts to a monstrous 19 rebounds per 36 minutes. And if you’ve blocked this from your memory, the Sixers couldn’t rebound the basketball very well against the Knicks in the playoffs and got absolutely smoked whenever Embiid sat down. Drummond should plug a big roster gap in that regard.
This does leave Paul Reed’s future with the Sixers in doubt. The 25-year-old’s contract is not guaranteed for the 2024-25 season. With the reported signing of Drummond, it feels likely that the Sixers will not carry Reed’s $7.7 million cap hit on their books.
As various dominoes have fallen in recent weeks, the clearest path for the Philadelphia 76ers to improve this offseason appears to be signing Paul George. That possibility came closer to reality yesterday when George officially declined his player option with the Los Angeles Clippers and became an unrestricted free agent. The Sixers were absolutely in the mix with George reported to be taking meetings with Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Orlando. Now, the flames on the hot stove are rising even further with this reporting from NBA Insider Chris Haynes.
B/R Sources: There’s growing optimism the Philadelphia 76ers will land Paul George in free agency.
Haynes’ sourcing is generally pretty rock solid, so we can put more stock in this report than the usual musings to come across the timeline.
While people may be worried about paying max money to a 37-year-old George in four years, it’s hard to make an argument that there’s a better way to make the team better in the present. Slotting George in as a third option, 3-and-D wing between Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey would be a dream fit. With Embiid now 30 years old and the injuries continue to pile up, taking a win-now mentality makes all the sense in the world. Cap space in 2027-28 is Future Daryl Morey’s problem, and at the very least, George’s high volume, three-point shooting will age well.
We’ll see what happens in the coming hours/days as free agency officially opens. Undoubtedly, an Embiid-Maxey-George big three would be an exciting start to the roster heading into next season. Make it happen, Daryl.
ESPN Sources: Paul George is planning to take free agent meetings with the Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic beginning late Sunday night and Monday on the West Coast. pic.twitter.com/8MMStVjTGk
Paul George has opted out of his $48.7M player option and is set to take some meetings this weekend. What the SoCal native decides to ultimately do next will begin a chain of dominoes around the NBA. Reports indicate he will meet with the Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Clippers sometime after 6 p.m. Sunday once rival teams can make their pitches to UFAs.
Teams like the Sixers and Magic can offer George up to $212M on a four-year deal. Because of the NBA’s over 38 rule, the Clippers can only offer him up to a max salary beginning in the same range, although L.A. — possessing PG’s Bird Rights — can offer 8 percent raises increasing the total to $221M. But they don’t seem to have any interest in even offering him a fourth year so far. Whether or not that’s a bluff and they’ll cave to his demands is yet to be determined.
Players like Klay Thompson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, DeMar DeRozan and a handful of multi-billion dollar franchises’ fates hang in the balance of what’s the 2024 summer version of “The Decision.”
George was rumored to be considering an extension with the Clippers at multiple points during this season and offseason. More recently, we also learned that he was considering opting in and seeking a trade. Well, neither of those materialized, and perhaps Daryl Morey and the Sixers’ $60M in cap space might have appeal, along with stars in place like Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
Here we’ll track some of the latest rumors before he makes his big decision.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, appearing on Sports Center:
“Paul George has had a year to negotiate a deal with the Clippers that he wants to take and they’ve gone back and forth, certainly in the last several months…. He wants that fourth year on his contract, the Clippers have not offered it. And certainly he’s looking at that Clipper roster and asking himself too ‘are we a championship contender?’ All other factors. I think being in Southern California and being part of the Clippers as they go into the new Intuit Dome, I think those are things that are still very appealing to him but Philadelphia out in the marketplace, Orlando to an extent out in the marketplace for him, can offer him that fourth year. And Philadelphia certainly. Is there a clear path in the Eastern Conference to try to win? Although you still have to be able to go through Boston and Philly sees Paul George as a player that can help them get through the Celtics.”
According to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, there is more than a bit of room for optimism here.
Per Pompey:
“Sources believe Philly is the frontrunner to acquire the 6-foot-8, 220-pounder. However, the Orlando Magic, another potential destination, cleared up available cap space to offer the max. And you have to wonder if he’ll remain in Los Angeles if the Clippers give into his demands for a fourth year….If he comes to Philly, sources believe George will help recruit solid role players for the Sixers’ pursuit of an NBA championship-caliber roster.”
If the Sixers whiff on PG, they may continue to look at names above like KCP and Klay as free agents, although Thompson has now been connected with the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers.
Pompey adds that Brandon Ingram is another possibility via trade:
“But the Pelicans are “unlikely” to offer a maximum salary and will look to trade him if no deal is reached. However, their asking price has been steep.”
The problem there is that Ingram isn’t as good as George, and would cost them significant draft capital to acquire. What more they can add with those picks should PG sign into Philly’s cap space will definitely be part of Daryl Morey’s pitch to George this weekend.
Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report thinks the Sixers are a legitimate threat in this race.
Philadelphia 76ers are expected to aggressively pursue Paul George and is a legitimate threat in luring the star away from Los Angeles, sources say. https://t.co/c3JYzn335H
Monte Poole with NBCS, who covers the Golden State Warriors, believes the Clippers still have the inside track here.
Paul George opting out boosts already high likelihood he chooses between Clippers and Sixers. Clips have advantage – for now – per source. This gives Klay Thompson leverage with Warriors, who dread the idea of Klay and CP3 walking without a star coming in.
With this much interest around the NBA, I can’t help but wonder if the Clippers don’t find SOME number in between their current three-year bid and the four-year max Philly and Orlando will likely offer — ultimately retaining PG.
Heck, the Clippers could always sign him and then turn around and try to trade him before February’s 2025 NBA Trade Deadline in exchange for some draft picks and maybe a young player or an expiring contract at least then, right? That all seems better than nothing. But then again, maybe PG would remember what happened once to Blake Griffin (signing a max then quickly getting shipped off to Detroit) and worry he’d later land somewhere far less preferable than Philadelphia and their live title aspirations.
If I were PG, weather, and family aside, I’d head to the Sixers. He’s already considered one of the best to ever do it. A championship ring on his finger would vault him way up that all-time ladder, and since Morey would still have up to four first-round picks to play around with, this would be his best chance to get there, in our biased opinion.
Game on.
We will continue to update this post as news develops over what’s set to become a landmark weekend for the Joel Embiid era.
Well, it appears the Sixers’ Plan A is still intact.
Paul George has reportedly opted out of his contract with the LA Clippers, making him an unrestricted free agent when the bell rings Sunday evening. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was the first to report the news.
BREAKING: Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George is declining his $48.7M option and entering free agency, sources tell ESPN. He’s planning to set meetings with cap space teams and the Clippers beginning Sunday night. An opt-in/trade scenario is now gone. pic.twitter.com/kASDp58eDD
Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes adds that the Sixers will be a “legitimate threat” to sign George.
Philadelphia 76ers are expected to aggressively pursue Paul George and is a legitimate threat in luring the star away from Los Angeles, sources say. https://t.co/c3JYzn335H
The best-case scenario for the Sixers was George declining his $48.7 million player option for the 2024-25 season. Now the team has the chance to woo the six-time All-NBA pick in free agency and offer him a four-year, $212 million max deal — one the Clippers have been reportedly unwilling to offer.
George could’ve opted into his current deal and potentially been traded to the Warriors, who were reportedly ready to offer him a max contract. As we learned with the James Harden saga last year, these types of situations can linger. It’s also fair to note that LA could’ve played hardball here, not wanting to help Golden State in their quest to get Steph Curry another ring (anyone who still has PTSD from the Jimmy Butler sign-and-trade should get that).
So, what now?
Expect the Sixers to roll out the red carpet for George when free agency begins at 6 p.m. Sunday night. Geography is not the Sixers’ friend here as all indications are that the nine-time All-Star wing has a strong desire to stay on the West Coast with his family. It will be up to the team to convince the Palmdale native that moving across the country to partner with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey is the right move.
So, what happens if they whiff on PG-13?
Well, Brandon Ingram is still a Pelican even after New Orleans dealt for Hawks’ guard Dejounte Murray Friday night. While it still feels like a long shot, there’s a chance the Jazz could trade All-Star Lauri Markkanen — and the Sixers would be well positioned to give Utah its best offer. In free agency, they could pivot to elite role players, like Denver’s Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Free agency begins at 6 p.m. Sunday when teams are free to negotiate with free agents. We’ll see what Daryl Morey has up his sleeve.
The Sixers drafted a guard in Jared McCain in round one.
McCain already seems like a lot of fun, with an infectious personality and drive, reminiscent of the enchanting “he’ll smile dazzlingly while going full Mortal Kombat Kano fatality on you,” Tyrese Maxey.
McCain’s TikTok videos and nail polish all clearly belie a dude with an obvious hypomaniacal drive to perfect his footwork on movement triples. At 20 years old, the Duke product’s shooting form is already flawless, which makes it impossible not to reminisce about another Duke alum and former Sixer in JJ Redick — whose offseason and pregame form-work obsession was simply unmatched for the better part of two decades spanning the Lakers’ new head coach’s college freshman days as a Blue Devil through his final NBA season with the Dallas Mavericks.
In round two of the draft the Sixers selected big man, Adem “The Nigerian-Turkish Terminator” Bona, the hardest competitor in the entire draft (that nickname I cooked up isn’t working so you’d better help us workshop some better ones in the replies section below).
So with Joel Embiid, Maxey and McCain all penciled in, possessing options to retain Paul Reed, Jeff Downtin, Jr. and Ricky Council IV, they’ve got somewhere between 3-6 players in tow as Bona is still unsigned.
At 6 p.m. Eastern Sunday, teams can negotiate with rival free agents. Saturday is the deadline for Paul George, the NBA’s biggest story now, to opt in or out of his $48.7M player option with the Los Angeles Clippers.
What’s going to happen? Let’s get to the latest rumors.
KCP looking more and more likely to join the bell-ringing bunch
Photo by David Berding/Getty Images
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope makes a lot of sense for the Sixers. He is currently what they once hoped Danny Green could be for them.
He’s a multi-time champion who plays stalwart D and knocks down over 40 percent from distance on roughly four tries per battle. He’s willing to dive and get dirty, and doesn’t need the rock to be effective. The price won’t be cheap, but he’s a terrific fit that won’t force Daryl Morey to put all of his eggs in one basket. By signing KCP to a $20-plus million dollar deal, it would still leave room to sign another high-end free agent or two, plus a big-time trade acquisition as well — since the Sixers have over $60M to spend.
Jayson Tatum sure wouldn’t be as thrilled to have to square off against KCP as he would have facing Kyle Lowry or Tyrese Maxey; neither would Jalen Brunson.
It does not sound as if the Nuggets intend to retain the Thomaston, Georgia native’s services:
I asked Calvin Booth about retaining Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
“When you look at good teams in the past, they had to find a way to replace fourth, fifth starters.”
According to Marc Stein, via recent Substack newsletter:
“Denver’s Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is emerging as one of the focal points of NBA free agency. A difference-maker, league sources say, who suddenly appears more likely than not to switch teams. The Orlando Magic and the Philadelphia 76ers, meanwhile, appear especially well-positioned to capitalize on Caldwell-Pope’s expected availability if they choose. The Nuggets have been unable to come to terms on a contract extension with Caldwell-Pope, who is expected to decline his $15.4 million player option for next season to become a free agent before this season’s marketplace officially opens Sunday at 6 PM ET.”
Stein mentioned that the reigning West champs, the Dallas Mavericks, are also interested in landing the former Georgia Bulldog, but Denver has little interest in helping a team that recently supplanted them in the conference pecking order. Dallas almost certainly doesn’t have the cap space to make a winning KCP bid so they’d need help from the Nuggets via sign-and-trade. That seems farfetched.
With Paul George’s situation in flux, this KCP-to-Philly scenario is beginning to feel more and more realistic by the hour.
Klay Thompson ring that bell brother?
Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images
Stein continued:
“[Klay] Thompson is said to be seeking a three-year deal at a minimum. The cap space teams [Philadelphia and Orlando] are believed to prefer shorter contract structures than Thompson covets but can offset that with higher dollar amounts than teams like the Nuggets and Mavericks can muster.”
More on Klay from The Athletic.Sam Amick and Anthony Slater combined to confirm reports that the Sixers have interest in the five-time All-Star and four-time NBA Champion sniper.
Per Amick and Slater:
“A league source said Philadelphia has interest in Thompson. If the Nuggets lose free-agent-to-be Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who has decided to decline his player option and enter the market, a league source said Denver has pegged Thompson as a possible replacement. Caldwell-Pope, as it were, is believed to be a strong possibility for Orlando. There are a handful of other rival teams also in play for Thompson, depending on his price tag.”
So if the Sixers were to sign KCP, that might diminish their ability to acquire Klay, creating scenarios where The Splash Brother lands in Denver (or Orlando). But Philly does sound interested in Thompson as a fallback plan, provided they could get him on a one or two-year deal; even if that short-term deal approached similar totals as the three-year iterations.
“Overpaying” for Klay (or KCP) on purpose, heading into a potential expiring contract by summer of ’25 or ’26 might also keep Philly’s big game-hunting options open since they’d have a solid player on a hefty short-term annual deal — helping to match for the next disgruntled star to seek a trade.
These types of “fallback plans” would also likely leave the Sixers more total spend if they intend to keep Kelly Oubre, Jr., De’Anthony Melton, or Buddy Hield; names expected to command more money than a Kyle Lowry or a Nico Batum.
So if Philadelphia executed a Jimmy Butler blockbuster by February via draft picks and large short term-deals for example, they might still be able to keep a few players on their current roster in addition; something they could probably not do if they sign Paul George outright next week.
And yeah, it’s no secret that Joel Embiid is simply dominant when there’s spacing around him, and who’s to say Thompson can’t thrive in a reduced role, as his catastrophic injuries wane further into the rearview mirror?
Brandon ‘Tiny Dog’ Ingram
Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer, a Liberty Ballers alum, offered the latest on Brandon Ingram — long connected to Philadelphia this offseason as another possible fallback plan.
Per Fischer:
“Ingram has been listed among Philadelphia’s targets this offseason, sources said, somewhere below George, although it’s not exactly clear where Ingram ranks among the Sixers’ proverbial group of wing targets to slot between Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. In the event George spurns Philadelphia, the Sixers could easily acquire Ingram into their $60-plus million in cap space, but could Philly’s three first-round picks prove enough for Ingram?”
This is the first I’ve heard of a potential price tag discussed regarding Ingram to Philly.
It’s my current understanding that the Sixers can trade up to four first round-picks: 2026 (their own or the HOU/LAC/OKC pick), 2028 (their own or LAC’s), 2029, 2031.
They’d have to put some conditional language on the 2029 and 2031 picks, but there are swaps and possible second-rounders (which still occasionally hold considerable value as evidenced by day two of the 2024 NBA Draft). If Ingram could be had for three future firsts, would the Sixers pony up? If so, they’d still have some draft ammo remaining, as well as another ~$30Mish in cap space to work with. Former Lakers’ BI and KCP to P anyone?
High-stakes PG-13 game of chicken
Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
Alas, no roundup is complete without the deluge of speculation regarding Paul George’s future.
According to Hoops Hype, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst recently offered the following, on a “Brian Windhorst & the Hoop Collective” pod:
“To my mind, there’s only three real options that I know about that Paul George really has. Stay in LA, which I would still put as the highest percentage chance of happening. Stay in LA for similar to what Kawhi got. Opt-in and trade, probably to the Warriors. The Warriors I know are interested in this. Third, sign straight up with the Sixers.”
And it’s sounding more and more like the Golden State Warriors could offer PG a max extension worth north of $212M should he opt in by Saturday — then quickly extend him upon trade; as well as the opportunity to remain on the West Coast — something that is reportedly quite important to the Cali native, who has family there.
But the Clippers may not want to take on Andrew Wiggins’ lengthy and exorbitant price tag. That makes Wigz a third-team trade candidate and has the Dubs playing some real hardball with the 2022 champ, apparently barring Maple Jordan from even taking part in the Olympic games, fearing an injury that could derail trade talks.
The Golden State Warriors are playing ‘hardball’ with Andrew Wiggins, which will prevent him from playing for the Canadian national team in the Olympics this summer, per @SmithRaps
Still, Stein emphasizes that Steph Curry’s team is basically all-in on landing PG here.
Golden State has this week prioritized the trade pursuit of the LA Clippers’ Paul George above ALL OTHER business, per @TheSteinLine.
The Warriors seem to be throwing all their eggs into one basket trying to make a Paul George opt-in and trade happen by tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/wVo5NVHs8S
The Golden State Warriors could also choose to guarantee Chris Paul’s $30M 2024-2025 salary and use him as trade bait.
But that doesn’t mean Clips’ owner Steve Ballmer and Team Prez Lawrence Frank have to cooperate in helping a Conference rival.
The LA Clippers have a “gigantic price” for Paul George, per @WindhorstESPN on The Hoop Collective:
“I think it’s going to be really really hard [to put together a trade]. The Clippers are not super interested in helping out the Warriors. If they are interested, they’re going to… pic.twitter.com/UUHdCx649N
“The cleanest way to do this would be to guarantee Chris Paul and Andrew Wiggins, except that would cap the Clippers at the first apron and make it impossible for them to re-sign James Harden. A simpler pathway would be to cut Paul and aggregate Wiggins, Gary Payton II and Moses Moody; the Warriors can also trade up to two first-round picks and three pick swaps to bait the hook for LA.
However, several other options exist if you prowl deeper in the weeds; for instance, it’s possible to do a Paul-Payton-Moody deal with the Clippers for George, trade Kevon Looney to a third team and get under the apron that way. Even more options exist if a Wiggins side deal emerges. The new complication of the tax apron has made putting together blockbusters a much more tangled, confusing business than it was 12 months ago.”
So the NBA world, Golden State, L.A., Philadelphia, and Orlando, in particular (but who knows what other teams may be lying in wait to pounce) will wait and see what George does next.
His opt in deadline is now a matter of hours away and this thing could be finalized swiftly, or drag on into the season. If the Clippers call PG’s bluff and he does opt out, would they then cave in and offer him a four-year, $200M deal, and then look to shop him between July and February?
Or even just keep him in the fold, new CBA-be-damned if they like how the team looks by Christmas?
Would they just take whatever deal the Warriors come up with in order to avoid a worst-case scenario where they get nothing, George walks, and Frank has to sell Leonard on a cap-space pipe dream by 2026?
We’re watching the clock closely on PG. And we’re starting to get a sense for what fallback plans may be in place for Joel Embiid and co. I’d be lying if I said it’s safe to feel too comfy about any one scenario playing out.
But my gut says the Clippers are smart enough to find some way to get something back for PG here. That helps the Warriors who should probably considered the favorites to land PG if he moves; and that should really limit Morey’s chances of hitting a cap-space homerun here. But still we’re in a holding pattern for good reason.
“The reason this impacts so many different people are the teams that are involved in trying to get Paul George if he were to leave the Clippers. So for example, you have the Philadelphia 76ers … they are obviously interested in signing Paul George, they have to hold their other…
— Philly Sixers Galaxy (@sixers_galaxy) June 28, 2024
Well, the Sixers’ options for high-level wing players are dropping like flies.
Less than 24 hours after trading just about every possible first-round pick for Mikal Bridges, the New York Knicks bolstered up their squad by re-signing wing OG Anunoby to a five-year, $212.5 million dollar extension, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Free agent F OG Anunoby intends to sign a five-year, $212.5 million contract to return to the New York Knicks, sources tell ESPN. Deal will include a player option and a trade kicker. pic.twitter.com/q5VcjOeryW
This doesn’t come as a huge shock, as many reports in the past few days pointed to Anunoby’s return to the team that acquired him at the trade deadline. The Knicks taking a week once the season ended to get this extension done — and their hesitancy to give him a fifth year and over $40 million per year — had some believing he may look elsewhere.
The Sixers were one of the team’s rumored to be interested in Anunoby’s services.Whether they had much of a chance to sign him is another thing. SNY’s Ian Begley reported that Anunoby received max offers from other teams but chose to stay with the Knicks.
OG Anunoby had max offers from other places but saw the vision with the Knicks and wanted to help build a true contender in the Garden, SNY sources say.
It locks the Knicks into this core. After this signing and the Bridges trade, they are essentially all tapped out of assets.
The Sixers on the other hand, remain with all their cap space in place, and they don’t have to worry about paying $42 million a year to a player who’s never made an All-Star game and has nagging injury concerns every season. They will have to field a team at some point though, and time and players are running out.
Boom. In the quiet, with less than 24 hours before the start of Wednesday’s 2024 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks have pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Knicks are shipping out four future unprotected first-round picks, a protected first-round pick via the Milwaukee Bucks, an unprotected swap, a second-rounder and Bojan Bogdanovic for Mikal Bridges.
BREAKING: The Brooklyn Nets have agreed in principle on a trade to send F Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks for Bojan Bogdanovic, four unprotected first-round picks, a protected first-round pick via Bucks, an unprotected pick swap and a second-rounder, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/TEGsIpoa3b
In a follow up tweet, Woj added: “The Knicks pay a steep price to land one of the league’s most coveted trade assets and the Nets get a massive haul to replenish assets and embark on a rebuild with mass cap space and future draft picks.”
With Jalen Brunson, fresh off his first All-Star bid, the All-NBA Second team, and having finished fourth in MVP voting, along with Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo, Bridges will now round out the Villanova Knicks.
The Knicks go deeper into the Villanova national championship roster — bringing Mikal Bridges to join his old teammates and close friends Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVencenzo. pic.twitter.com/G544CT02zI
The Nets once depleted their draft warchest for James Harden, who they then traded for Ben Simmons back in 2022. So this allows Brooklyn, who has reportedly turned down numerous other offers for the quintessential 3-and-D stud in the past, to restock and then some.
The next major question for the Knicks is what this could mean, if anything, for OG Anunoby’s future?
The former Raptor recently opted out of his one-year player option. And all insiders seem to agree that he’s all but certain to re-sign in New York. Would adding Bridges, someone who essentially plays the same small forward position as OG, change the equation? Could this be a form of “insurance” should Anunoby somehow walk? There have at least been rumors that OG’s camp was not satisfied with the extension offers he received from Knicks’ President Leon Rose — fueling rumors out of Philadelphia, a team named by numerous sources as having interest.
But there is still plenty of room to keep him around in New York if they trim in other places.
According to Yossi Gozlan, previously with Hoops Hype, the Knicks are now hard-capped yet could still theoretically retain both Anunoby and Isaiah Hartenstein.
The New York Knicks are now hard capped to the $178.7 million first apron by taking back more salary than they’re sending out.
This will have roster-building implications.
They could still re-sign OG Anunoby and Isaiah Hartenstein, but they’ll need to reduce payroll elsewhere.
Where would they cut costs then? We’ve already seen rumors that Mitchell Robinson could be on the move, with the Wizards being one team named.
Another former All-NBA Second Teamer, Julius Randle, also has a hefty salary, and should offer back some value if the Knicks looked to move the former Lakers and Pelicans power forward too. If they truly want to avoid the hard cap, then it makes sense why SNY’s Ian Begley had this to add:
NYK free agent C Isaiah Hartenstein is expected to be a top target for several opposing teams in free agency. With the offers that Hartenstein is expected to command on open market, it’s become increasingly unlikely that NYK will be able to retain Hartenstein, per SNY sources
A little tidbit: Bogdanovic for Bridges would mean the Knicks taking on money in this trade, which would hard cap them at the first apron. If they found a way to guarantee Diakite and Jeffries and include them in the deal to Brooklyn, they would not be hard capped.
As far as the Sixers are concerned, well, you can figure out the bad news rather quickly. Not only does Bridges’ name go off the trade market, he lands with the very team that just knocked Joel Embiid and the squad out of the playoffs back in May.
In many ways, Mikal would have made a perfect fit playing alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey — and it doesn’t make things any easier to swallow remembering the Sixers once drafted the rangy wing before quickly trading him on Draft Day 2018.
As for Paul George? Well, the Knicks were one team that had been rumored to potentially have interest in PG should the nine-time All-Star opt in to his one-year player option. Brian Windhorst, Marc Stein and other reporters had previously named the Knicks as a team to watch should the Clippers’ former All-NBA forward pass up the chance to hit free agency — where Daryl Morey and the Sixers would almost certainly have a $212M max four-year deal waiting for the Palmdale native… assuming they don’t surprise us between now and July 1 like the Knicks just did.
With this move, George may lose one option he may have had in an opt-in and trade scenario. That is likely the one part of this move that Morey will — at least momentarily — enjoy. But the Golden State Warriors have already been named as another team to keep close watch on if PG doesn’t wind up hitting free agency but rather seeking trade from his native L.A.
The Athletic’s Fred Katz has been reminding fans that Anunoby is likely re-signing with the Knicks. And with this news bomb, Katz doesn’t appear to be changing his tune much:
One thought: A team that thinks it will lose OG Anunoby probably doesn’t trade away four unprotected first-round picks before free agency begins.
Told that Knicks’ trade for Mikal Bridges does not change their hope that they can re-sign free agent OG Anunoby. That remains a priority for the club.
If the Knicks really started to feel a cap crunch, in the instance they do keep Anunoby on a deal somewhere in the (rumored) $35M annual-range, perhaps Hartenstein would ultimately become New York’s casualty of this Bridges blockbuster.
The Nets were not done either.
More fro Woj on X:
“Another massive deal: Brooklyn has a deal with Houston to return the Nets’ 2026 first-round pick for a 2027 Phoenix Suns first-round pick, sources tell ESPN. Rockets also acquire 2025 right to swap Houston/OKC first for 2025 Suns first-round pick. More details coming on picks deal.”
Most importantly in the deal, per sources: Houston relinquishes the right to swap a Houston/OKC first-round pick for Brooklyn’s 2025 first-round pick. The Nets control their own pick as they go into a full rebuild — especially important in talented 2025 draft. https://t.co/jUR0f5lSjM
So not only do the Nets “make up” for some of the picks they lost in that Harden deal by moving Bridges to the Knicks, they recouped some of their own picks they once moved in 2020-2021.
That means… wait for it… you guessed it… the Nets can finally tank and “improve” their own picks — something they couldn’t do back when the Boston Celtics possessed Brooklyn’s lottery picks — helping Danny Ainge and subsequent execs like Brad Stevens begin building the current 2024 champs back in 2016.
On the Rockets side of things, Woj had this to add:
The implications of the Rockets landing the Suns’ picks? Houston wants to trade for Kevin Durant and that becomes far easier if they can return the Suns’ picks that they gave up in the Durant deal to the Nets. Suns have said they’re keeping Durant for now, but that could change…
Rockets possess a pick swap with Suns in 2025, Suns’ pick in 2027 and could end up with the Suns’ pick in 2029 based on contingencies. If the Suns are ever faced with breaking up team, Houston’s also in prime position to pursue a younger Devin Booker. For now, Phoenix is trying… https://t.co/p29C3XSpe2
So now Morey and co. can keep watching the clock hoping that there isn’t a news bomb that PG has opted in; unless of course the Sixers have one of these shockers brewing themselves.
And oh right, maybe Kevin Durant could be available too, I guess? Add Durant to your wish list along with PG, Jimmy Butler, Anunoby and Brandon Ingram.
Must be nice….
Nets surely didn’t want to trade Mikal Bridges to NYK but Bridges’ side was prepared to force the issue by telling teams he wanted to be w/NYK, per SNY sources. Bridges’ side made it clear to BKN that he wanted to be w/NYK, reunite w/Villanova teammates Brunson, Hart, DiVincenzo
New day, new deluge of Sixers rumors to get to. The 2024 NBA Draft is now less than a week away. Unlike last season, when Daryl Morey was going radio silent on James Harden hoping he’d opt into his one-year player option, teams are now legally allowed to negotiate with their own free agents.
But the Clippers haven’t appeared to gain any traction on keeping their nine-time All-Star, Paul George. (Emoji eyes).
Let’s do a Sixers rumor roundup focused solely on the SoCal native’s potential relocation to Philly.
Photo by Jim Cowsert/NBAE via Getty Images
Okay, so you already know Embiid stole NBA Finals headlines by recruiting PG with a dashing and mischievous smile on national TV days before Boston put the finishing touches on the Mavs.
That marked somewhat of a key change in Embiid’s offseason demeanor. He was no longer staying silent or looking for mere #dawgs like P.J. Tucker. Now he has his sights set on a much bigger fish.
Recent local L.A. reporting
According to Tomer Azarly for ClutchPoints, June 19:
“…there is no indication the Clippers are prepared to drop a max … that offer has not been on the table in recent months and there’s nothing to indicate that line of thinking has changed….George feels that he’s still worth a max contract and, as one league source told ClutchPoints, that Leonard’s three-year, $150 million shouldn’t affect his own.”
Mirjam Swanson, from the SoCal Nes Group, believes the Clippers and George are heading toward a divorce: “that’s why it’s starting to feel, after staring at the tea leaves trying to stitch together a predictive pattern for the past few months, like they’re headed for a divorce.”
The columnist working the Clips beat added, as recently as June 20:
“The 76ers, who are among the collection of teams in contention mode, could – and pretty clearly would – offer George a max deal of four years and $212.2 million. So could the Magic, with whom George could flourish, playing relatively pressure-free basketball – and, in either scenario, paying significantly less state income tax than he would in California.
The Clippers know this. And they’re letting it be known that they’re fine with it.
Perhaps they’re assuming the Palmdale product will find it in his heart to take a hometown discount? I don’t know, though. It’s not been the warmest homecoming; the guy gets booed every time he appears on a Jumbotron outside of Crypto.com Arena….”
Woj said months ago the clippers are willing to reboot this before giving kawhi and pg full max deals.
Imo it’s really about if there is another max deal out there for pg. and I think it is. And I don’t think he’ll be back. pic.twitter.com/ascqPKiXZj
Another local voice, Justin Russo, via Substack, sang a similar tune as Azarly and Swanson.
Per Russo, some sourced intel, from Juneteenth:
“[Kawhi Leonard’s January extension] left George out in the cold, awaiting his own fresh deal. It has yet to come, and sources tell Russo Writes at the time of this writing that the two sides…. have grown no closer to agreeing on a new contract for the 34-year-old.”
“…as was first reported by yours truly at Russo Writes in April, George told a rival player late in the season that money is what matters the most to him during these negotiations, not playing close to home.”
George has until June 29 to decide on his player option. At the moment of this writing, George is likely to decline it, a source not authorized to speak publicly on the matter tells Russo Writes.
“..it feels like the marriage is ready to dissolve….”
Did you catch that line? PG told a rival player late in the year that money talks, not playing close to home. (Double emoji eyes).
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst recently speculated that the Clips think PG is “bluffing” about wanting the money and being willing to leave. Russo’s report suggests otherwise.
The #Clippers seem to be playing a pretty dangerous game, playing hardball and “calling bluffs” with Paul George. First they didn’t think he was worth as much as Kawhi’s $152m extension. Now this? Could #sixers or #knicks swoop in? https://t.co/Qbi4VRJNTP
On a June 19 pod where Marc Stein hosted Chris Haynes, Haynes reminded us that with a new arena opening this coming season the Clippers “…. want all their horses in the fold. They want to have a championship-caliber team going into that arena for next season…” but Haynes adds that PG leaving would be a game changer. In that scenario, Haynes could even see the team pivoting to a name like DeMar DeRozan, another L.A. native.
Stein adds ice water: “I can’t see George leaving…but… they clearly want Paul George to come in under the max, …they clearly want George at their price….” and Stein reminds listeners that hasn’t happened yet.
From PG himself
And of course, amid all of this speculation, George, perhaps in negotiation mode, is doing little to make either side feel extra comfortable.
One nugget now going viral was delivered from PG two weeks ago on the “Podcast P with Paul George.”
Former Blazers’ star Zach Randolph references the Daryl Morey-James Harden divorce as an example of an organization not being straight up with a player.
Minutes after Z-Bo’s point, after discussing his own experiences with perceived front office betrayals, George adds, on the general subject of F.O. chicanery:
“Believe it or not like, players talk, you know what I mean. And then reputations go around, like, ‘hey man, I don’t know about going to this place, because they shit, watch yo’ back, you know what I mean?’ That’s the conversations you have.”
So no, he wasn’t directly responding to the Morey-Harden thing. But you don’t have to use mental telepathy to piece together what Harden has expressed to PG about his own recent divorce with the Sixers’ current President of B-Ball Ops. The question is, would PG care enough to take less? And if so, how much less?
Money talks
According to Spotrac, PG has about $305,332,086M in career earnings. Celebrity Net Worth has ventured he’s worth an estimated $90M.
So if C.N.W is even remotely on the scent here, it makes sense why an extra $30-$40M would sway PG. (If you had $90K in the bank, your last great chance to add an additional $30K, regardless of your career-to-date earnings, might be very important to you.)
If Morey dropped a $212M offer at the first second of free agency making clear PG is his top priority, while the Clippers came in with a significantly lower figure, adhering to some invisible pecking order where PG is beneath Leonard, maybe PG could find a way to trust Daryl. Too bad the Sixers couldn’t offer PG an expiring two-year no-trade-clause.
***OR*** maybe PG is already sick of Harden, lol, get this…
The Athletic’s Law Murray appeared on The Athletic NBA show. Murray thinks he loves L.A. and that his body performs better in warm weather but wants the team to get younger. “But I think Paul wants his money,” Murray concludes.
Law Murray who covers LAC: -Thinks PG wants to test free market. -Team doesn’t want to give max to avoid “second apron hell.” -Doesn’t think PG wants to take less and play with Harden. Relationship with Harden is not as strong as it might seem.
More Law: “We would be foolish not to think that Joel and PG haven’t talked.” -They have certainly shared about the difficulties of playing with Harden. -Other host think its Sam said that PG and Joel would be a lot of fun. -OKC could be option due to prior relationship.
PG was asked about what he’s prioritizing with FA on the horizon:
“For sure contributing to winning basketball. I mean at this point… It’s not even about… Like people are saying, ‘chasing a championship.’ Like, it’s not that. But it’s playing the right style of basketball is what I’m chasing.”
Paul George on what he’s looking for in free agency and his future:
“For sure contributing to winning basketball. I mean at this point… It’s not even about… Like people are saying, ‘chasing a championship.’ Like, it’s not that. But it’s playing the right style of basketball is… pic.twitter.com/N2TpSP9g2a
The quintessential 3-and-D wing added more context that all seems a bit “anti-Beard:”
“We started the year off rolling, we started year off hot….
“And then we traded to get James [Harden] and it’s not James’ fault of why I think we struggled, but the lost part of that was we lost [Robert Covington] we lost Nico [Batum]. Those were our glue guys….So again, it had nothing to do with grabbing James, it was more so losing those guys. KJ Martin as well…. RoCo was huge for us. Nico was huge for us. So you plug those guys around myself, Kawhi, and [Russell Westbrook] they did a lot of the dirty work. And now you grab James, who is super talented offensively, now myself, Kawhi, we become the dirty guys. Now we have to score too. I think it was just a lot that we were trying to balance and manage at that point.
“But again, it had nothing to do with James. James I thought was awesome for us.”
Lol, Not that there’s anything wrong with James! He’s a fine player!
We’ve come a long way
In early May, Shams Charania reported that “this Clippers team fully intends to keep this group together, they want to bring back Paul George as a free agent or give him an extension, but they have not been able to reach an agreement….”
A week later, Shams shared that people around the NBA “have the belief” George wants to remain a Clipper.
PG himself even noted he’d love to have his jersey retired in both Indy and L.A.
Adrian Wojnarowski also reported on May 29 that the Boats are “determined to keep” the 14-year vet.
Jake Fischer, for Yahoo, on May 24 reported:
“The Clippers, sources said, remain hopeful through continuous dialogue that George and his representatives will agree to terms with his incumbent franchise.” But Fischer added that if there is no max, PG might walk. He also reported: “Rival teams and agents are conducting business, sources said, under the impression the Clippers aren’t keen on committing to guaranteed money beyond the three-year window of Leonard’s deal that runs through 2026-27.”
Now this….
Brian Windhorst says to monitor Paul George’s situation in LA
“[The Clippers] could sign Paul George this afternoon, but the fact that they are not seemingly reacting to what his market clearly is, is something to pay attention to.”
If the Clippers are hoping or assuming PG will give them a hometown discount, it’s one very dangerous game they’re playing.
In the three-plus weeks since top dogs Woj, Shams and Fischer made clear L.A. wants to keep this group together, it feel as if everything has shifted. Or nothing has shifted, and that’s a really big deal.
Are the Clippers reluctant but secretly willing to pay full price, in mere hopes of getting him on a lower all-in number? A “Tobias Harris special” maybe? Remember, (or better yet forget) Harris in 2019 was eligible to sign a $197M five-year deal but he ultimately signed for $180M. Is that something the Clippers might have in mind? $180M for four years? What if they offered $195? Would that get it done? In similar situations with Blake Griffin and Chris Paul, the Clippers benefitted from the star player opting in then being traded — allowing L.A. to at least recoup assets and flexibility. That’s how they got Kawhi and PG in the first place. Perhaps that’s what they’d like most.
Has PG been communicating to them that there is a number below a max but he doesn’t want to play with Harden anymore? Would letting James walk and keeping PG be the cleanest way to alleviate these second-apron hell concerns?
Every day that passes (with no bomb that they’re going to make him a truly competitive offer) must ring like a silent symphony to Morey and Embiid’s star-hunting ears.
There is so much smoke to this fire that I almost feel compelled to wrap it up with a dead fish prediction: the Sixers are still highly unlikely to land PG, and if they do they’ll be highly unlikely to win a title. That’s the safest bet, sadly. If PG wants to stay, and they want him, chances are they will settle upon some large figure that satisfies all parties. And there’s always other teams lurking.
But holy shit, the Sixers might really get Paul George, and still keep some of their five draft picks. What do you think, maybe 30 percent?
So any Sixers fan with the slightest hint of a moral compass can breathe a sigh of relief.
It was reported earlier today by Matt Moore, also known as HPBasketball on X, that the Sixers could potentially be linked to free agent Miles Bridges.
“They’ve been linked to [Paul] George for months, with speculation only increasing after George appeared on ESPN’s pre-game show with [Joel] Embiid. So, George and [Jimmy] Butler are the two high-profile names. The Sixers are also expected to have interest in Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges.”
As a member of the Charlotte Hornets, Bridges averaged 21 points per game last season along with 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists.
More importantly, Bridges pled no contest to a domestic violence charge on Nov. 3, 2022 stemming from an incident the previous summer. After sitting out the entire 2022-23 season, Bridges was arrested again in October of 2023 for violating his parole.
His status as a cheap reclamation project does fit the bill of a player Sixers’ president of basketball operations Daryl Morey would be interested.
Liberty Ballers’ own Paul Hudrick threw cold water on that report, however. Hudrick said that “a source familiar with the team’s thinking says they are not expected to pursue Bridges.”
There’s been some recent reporting linking the Sixers to Miles Bridges. A source familiar with the team’s thinking says they are not expected to pursue Bridges.
Any team that brings in a player with such a troubled past will need to answer a lot of questions to their fanbase. At least it looks like that won’t be the Sixers’ problem.
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