Tag: ballers

Explaining Sixers ‘waning interest,’ Paul George considered likely to opt in and seek trade explaining,sixers,waning,interest,paul,george,considered,likely,to,opt,in,and,seek,trade,liberty,ballers,front-page,76ers-free-agency-rumors-news

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Finally, we have another key piece to this puzzle. Just as it felt like “Paul George to the Sixers” might actually have some legs, Shams Charania dropped off the turnbuckle to elbow-drop superteam-hungry Sixers fans.

Charania tweeted that suddenly the Sixers’ interest in Paul George has “significantly waned.”

So wait? That nine-time All-Star we’ve heard was your primary option all offseason long? Ya’ll just WANED like a crescent moon?! What happened? Did you finally listen to his whining on podcasts about having to do too much heavy lifting and too much dirty work and also not having enough help? Just too much Doc Rivers energy for ya’ll?

Many of us spent some time Thursday evening working through possibilities because no further context was provided from Shams or any other top reporters.

Did the team just get a hard ‘no’ from PG’s camp and decide to get ahead of the news cycle with some you can’t dump us we’re dumping you jawn? Is it remotely possible Daryl Morey and the Sixers actually just lost interest?

Did another more exciting player suddenly drop in price? But even still, why not leave the idea you can go grab PG using cap space alive while you haggle with Danny Ainge for Lauri Markkanen?

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst has been our go-to for intel over the last few weeks on this situation. Here is what Windy had to say on Friday morning on “Get Up,” per Austin Krell on Twitter:

“So, this is sort of setting up to the Clippers basically are positioning themselves to call Paul George’s bluff here. They have not been willing to meet Paul George’s price. He remains un-signed. You can’t just look at teams with salary cap space. If Paul George changes teams, it’s very likely going to be a situation where he opts into his contract and requests a trade. The Clippers have an offer on the table that is believed to be similar to what they gave Kawhi Leonard, which is a 3-year deal at just below the max. They believe he doesn’t want to leave LA. They believe he wants to stay in his hometown under those terms. That’s where we’re at. Is Paul George going to actually walk over getting an extra year and more money or does he want to stay where he’s comfortable alongside Kawhi Leonard? That is one of the biggest questions in the NBA as we head toward July 1. The Clippers, they have had a great opportunity here to close this deal with a full offer. They have not made it. We’ll watch how it plays out.

Prior to hearing this, I think many of us concluded the team had simply received some sort of clear signal from PG’s camp he’s not interested. And so they thought about jumping in front of the news bomb to maybe twist the narrative.

Mimics annoying talking head: the Sixers couldn’t sell Paul George or LeBron James on playing in Philadelphia back in 2018 (pauses annoyingly long for emphasis, before basically screaming into your living room) and they STRUCK OUT AGAIN in 2024!!! Daryl Morey’s stubborn pursuit of stars backfires and you in that chair are a loser for cheering for this team! Now Brandon Ingram is the fallback plan! WOMP WOMP.

Maybe they could at least spare us all, themselves, and Ingram 3 percent of that stuff?

But now it seems a lot more nuanced.

If a $221M max offer is not coming fom the Clippers, PG could still position himself for a total all-in number approaching that total if he opted in and then received a max (or near max) extension from an acquiring-via-trade team.

As of now Philly can offer him $212M. If he opted in and they traded for him then extended him the sum would be around that $220M mark.

So this hypothetical new team, if he opts in and gets moved, would then possess PG’s Bird Rights so they could offer him 8% raises — instead of the 5% raises a team like Philadelphia or Orlando can offer. The difference may “only” be about $12M, and would add some injury risk (he wouldn’t be eligible for extension for another six months so he’d have to survive through January at the earliest), but from PG’s POV, maybe you’d prefer the idea of having lots of options instead of just two or three.

Allowing teams like the New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, or perhaps Miami Heat to jump into the mix along with L.A., Philly and Orlando can’t hurt the cause, right? Then the Clippers would at least get some assets too.

So in essence, PG may be saying: I do want a max. But I don’t reallllly want to play in Philly. I think I can get as much or even more money by steering my way to a team like the Knicks or Heat.

And in order to do so, he may have to convince the Clippers that he’d leave them if they did not trade them.

For example, “either sign-and-trade me to the Knicks for Julius Randle and picks, or I sign outright in Philly or Orlando.”

Viewed through that type of lens, assuming the Sixers offered Shams some intel yesterday, maybe you’d describe the “waning interest” bomb as both nearly true and playing some Conference Rival defense.

Throws Morey voice: “Yes, if you’re opting in we do have much, much less interest. We loved the idea of maxing you but not maxing you AND giving L.A. our draft war-chest.”

But the public messaging — leaning on Shams’ voice— also serves (using Windy’s poker bluff metaphor) as a blocking bet.

Throws Elton Brand’s voice: “if he won’t commit to us, we’re not going to let PG leverage our $212M to steer himself to the Heat or Knicks. So Shams, you tell em’ we’re probably moving on.”

Elton hangs up the phone as Morey explains the whole play to Josh Harris: “again that’s IF he opts in. If he opts in, then we’re not involved. They’ll want too many picks. But of course, we’re hoping he opts out and that our Shams bomb here decreases his leverage…then he can still take our money (winks).”

So if you’re weird like me and you have an eight-foot abacus and Ouija board you use to predict this stuff, and you enact imaginary little plays where your stuffed animals are Daryl Morey and Elton Brand talking into cell phones, then I think you have lots more to work with today than you did yesterday.

2024 NBA Draft: Baylor Scheierman is one of the oldest players in the draft, but he can really play nba,draft,baylor,scheierman,is,one,of,the,oldest,players,in,the,draft,but,he,can,really,play,liberty,ballers,front-page,nba-draft,76ers-draft-rumors-news

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Before the 2024 NBA Draft, we’ll take an in-depth look at different prospects here at Liberty Ballers and try to figure out which players would be the best fit for the Sixers at Nos. 16 and 41. Next up in this series is Creighton’s Baylor Scheierman.

Baylor Scheierman destroyed the Summit League during his time at South Dakota State, becoming the conference’s Player of the Year for the 2021-22 season. That led to a transfer to Creighton, where he changed from being a jumbo-sized point guard to more of a playmaking — and high-volume shooting — wing.

Profile

2023-24 Stats: 35 games, 36.8 minutes, 18.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.1 blocks, 44.8% FG, 38.1% 3P, 87.6% FT

Team: Creighton

Year: Fifth-year senior

Position: Wing

Height (without shoes) & Weight: 6’6.25” | 201.6 lbs

Born: September 26, 2000 (23 years old)

Hometown: Hastings, Nebraska

High School: Aurora

Strengths

Scheierman fit right into Creighton’s offense as a high-volume three-point shooter. He hit a preposterous 45.6% from deep in his sophomore and junior seasons at South Dakota State. His efficiency went down in a tougher league on a higher volume, but he still hit 38.1% on over eight attempts per game last season. He’s not just a shooter though. His experience as a point guard showed as a secondary playmaker for the Bluejays. He has a methodical style with the ball in his hands, but he often makes good decisions and delivers crisp passes.

He’s not the greatest athlete, but he fights on defense. He often took on difficult defensive assignments for Creighton and acquitted himself well against stiff competition in the NCAA Tournament. He’s also an excellent rebounder, pulling down over nine a game last season.

Weaknesses

Scheierman is one of the oldest players in this draft. He’ll turn 24 before the 2024-25 season begins. He was excellent for the Bluejays, but was also playing at 23 years old. The other concern is going to be a lack of elite athleticism. He actually tested decently at the combine, but there could be concerns when it’s time to go against NBA athletes.

Positional Fit

Scheierman’s experience as a point guard at 6-foot-6 makes him intriguing. The player I see the most is Joe Ingles — a big lefty that can handle, pass and shoot the hell out of the ball. Ingles has never been an explosive athlete, but he fights on defense and uses his savvy to make up for those limitations. It’s easy to see a similar NBA path for Scheierman.

Draft Projection

Late first, early second round

Bottom line, Scheierman can really play. He can shoot, has high-level feel and plays his butt off on defense. He doesn’t have any type of star ceiling, but he projects as a really intriguing role player. If he’s still there at pick 41, he should absolutely be in play for the Sixers.

Report: Sixers’ interest in signing Clippers’ Paul George ‘has significantly waned’ report,sixers,interest,in,signing,clippers,paul,george,has,significantly,waned,liberty,ballers,front-page,76ers-free-agency-rumors-news

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Well, the smoke that was surrounding Paul George and him possibly signing with the Sixers might not produce a flame.

Shams Charania of The Athletic is reporting that the Sixers’ interest in pursuing the nine-time All-Star “has significantly waned in recent days.”

Numerous reports have surfaced this week that appear to be pointing towards a divorce between George and the Los Angeles Clippers, making this latest news fairly surprising. It appeared as if the Sixers had a legitimate shot at landing the veteran wing that Joel Embiid seemed to covet.

That leads us to one obvious question: What does Daryl Morey have up his sleeve?

Almost immediately after the Sixers were eliminated by the Knicks, ESPN Insider Brian Windhorst named three star-level players the team would pursue: George, Jimmy Butler and Brandon Ingram. With George seemingly crossed off the list, are we looking at a pivot to these trade options? While there hasn’t been much noise surrounding the Heat and a trade of Butler, a report from The Athletic’s Kelly Iko said that the Pelicans shopped Ingram to both the Rockets and Sixers.

If you’re looking at other free agents, the Sixers have also recently been linked to the Knicks’ OG Anunoby and Nuggets’ Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Anunoby is seemingly destined to re-sign with New York considering the president of basketball operations is the father of Anunoby’s agent, but perhaps the Sixers see a path to reuniting the veteran wing with his former coach, Nick Nurse. Caldwell-Pope has proven to be one of the better perimeter defenders in the NBA and has two championship rings on his resume. With Denver approaching the vaunted second apron in a hurry, KCP could hit the open market.

Perhaps the Alex Caruso-Josh Giddey trade will open the floodgates on trade season or maybe we’ll have to wait until next week’s draft to get a clearer picture of the Sixers’ plan.

Report: Former Sixer JJ Redick agrees to deal to become Lakers’ head coach report,former,sixer,jj,redick,agrees,to,deal,to,become,lakers,head,coach,liberty,ballers,front-page,nba-rumors-news

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The Lakers’ head coach hunt has been a long and somewhat messy process. After their top target, Connecticut head coach Dan Hurley, turned down their massive six-year, $70 million offer, the Lakers have had to shift their focus to other candidates.

Now, the candidate who’s frequently popped up in rumors connected to the team has finally been confirmed as their new hire. Former Sixers guard and current ESPN NBA analyst JJ Redick has agreed to a four-year deal to become the Lakers’ head coach, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Redick’s always been a high-IQ player, and has demonstrated his impressive understanding of the game ever since he’s gotten into podcasting and working as an analyst. Taking over as Lakers head coach without any previous assistant experience is obviously a massive gig for someone’s very first coaching job, but it’s clear how highly he’s regarded around the NBA. It’ll be interesting to see how he leads the team and what staff L.A. assembles around him.

While this hire doesn’t really affect the Sixers, it probably cools off the fun (albeit fairly unlikely) theory that LeBron James could potentially head elsewhere in free agency and maybe even land up in Philadelphia. LeBron obviously has a good relationship with Redick, someone he’s friends with and they co-host their Mind the Game podcast together.

The most realistic major target for the Sixers this offseason remains Paul George, and our David Early has all the latest rumors rounded up right here.

Sixers free agency rumor roundup: An absolute gallon of fuel dumped on the PG-to-the-Sixers’ fire sixers,free,agency,rumor,roundup,an,absolute,gallon,of,fuel,dumped,on,the,pg,to,the,sixers,fire,liberty,ballers,front-page

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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….”

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.

National voices weigh in

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.

So is PG sick of Harden already?

PG on play style

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.”

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….

Conclusion

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?

Dare we ask: Should the Sixers take USC’s Bronny James? dare,we,ask,should,the,sixers,take,usc,s,bronny,james,liberty,ballers,front-page,nba-draft,76ers-draft-rumors-news

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Before the 2024 NBA Draft, we’ll take an in-depth look at different prospects here at Liberty Ballers and try to figure out which players would be the best fit for the Sixers at Nos. 16 and 41. Next up in this series is USC’s Bronny James.

Most of the talk surrounding Bronny James involves his dad LeBron (who you might have heard of). But let’s address the question at hand: Should the Sixers draft Bronny James with likely no commitment from his dad to join him?

Profile

2023-24 Stats: 25 games, 19.4 minutes, 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.2 blocks, 36.6% FG, 26.7% 3P, 67.6% FT

Team: USC

Year: Freshman

Position: PG/SG

Height (without shoes) & Weight: 6’1.5” | 210 lbs

Born: November 27, 2002 (21 years old)

Hometown: Akron, Ohio

High School: Sierra Canyon

Strengths

Bronny James checks a lot of boxes in the intangibles department: he has NBA-level athleticism, a selfless passing ability, and defensive tenacity at his size. James’ time at USC was limited due to health concerns and playing time, but he did show potential on several fronts. He made 43.8 percent of his pull-up jumpers at USC, albeit only on 32 attempts. Defensively, he has a wide, chiseled frame that he uses well. If he’s able to get playing time early, it’ll likely be for his defensive ability. He has quick hands and good reaction time that allows him to rack up deflections. Bronny’s young age and lack of experience could suggest that there’s plenty of room for him to grow.

Weaknesses

Above all basketball skills, Bronny James’ health is a serious question mark — he missed time earlier in the year, going into a sudden cardiac arrest as a result of a congenital heart defect. He’s been healthy since said incident, but heart issues are nothing to joke about. Switching back to on-court ability, and Bronny’s shooting and efficiency leave a lot to be desired. He struggled shooting the ball and shot a measly 19.6 percent on catch-and-shoot threes at USC, per Synergy. Bronny’s shooting woes date back to his high school days, where he only made 33.8 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes. While he is a willing passer, he doesn’t have the skills to be a primary playmaker at the next level.

Positional Fit

Bronny’s age and genetics suggest he could grow in size, but as is he’s almost certainly locked into being a point guard at the next level. USC listed him at 6-foot-4, but his recent draft combine measurements say he’s under 6-foot-2 without basketball shoes. His defensive ability is his best shot at getting quick playing time, with guys such as Davion Mitchell or Norris Cole being the best-case scenario comparisons.

Draft Projection

Second round

Most people across the NBA would agree that Bronny James is far from being NBA ready and that spending a year or two in the G League or at USC would do him some good. He’ll likely be a project player for whichever team drafts him.

Report: New Orleans Pelicans contacted Sixers to discuss a Brandon Ingram trade report,new,orleans,pelicans,contacted,sixers,to,discuss,a,brandon,ingram,trade,liberty,ballers,front-page,76ers-news,76ers-trade-rumors,nba-rumors-news

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The Sixers’ offseason flexibility has had them tied to numerous big names — Paul George, LeBron James and Jimmy Butler. Along with these stars, Brandon Ingram was linked as a potential trade option if they were to strike out in free agency. We now have news that the New Orleans Pelicans have reached out to the Sixers regarding Ingram.

The Athletic’s Kelly Iko had the latest scoop on Ingram, along with other Houston-centric storylines in his latest draft notebook:

“…New Orleans’ Brandon Ingram was mentioned as a player seen in a lower tier than Mitchell and in recent days, rumors have swirled about the Pelicans dangling Ingram in trade talks and in one iteration, a hypothetical Ingram-for-Alperen Şengün swap was mentioned, but the Rockets have no interest, team sources said. League sources said New Orleans also contacted the Philadelphia 76ers concerning a possible Ingram trade.”

Recent rumors and reports out of NOLA have suggested that extension talks with Ingram are at a complete standstill, so it makes sense that they’re making calls ahead of next week’s draft. We can get a feel for what the current ask might be if they suggested a straight up swap for Houston’s Alperen Sengun, a rising star who was in the conversation for Most Improved Player this season.

While NOLA’s preference might be getting back a contributor, it’s unlikely that’ll be the case if the Sixers agree to an Ingram deal. An Ingram-Philly trade framework would likely revolve around draft capital, as the Sixers can offer up to five first-round draft picks on draft night.

The current ask isn’t monstrous for a former All-Star such as Ingram, and it’s likely to drop until an actual deal takes place. Around the NBA, teams are looking to shed salary, not add it. Not only is Ingram’s salary large now, but his future team will also need to work out an extension, as he’ll be an unrestricted free agent after next season — another factor that could cause the ask to drop even further. Whether you’re an Ingram fan or not, the appeal of adding him becomes even more intriguing if you’re able to do it for a low price.

It seems like the Paul George smoke has intensified over the past few days, and this Ingram news will only add speculation to what should be a busy offseason for the Sixers.

2024 NBA Draft: Sixers linked to Duke’s Jared McCain, Colorado’s Tristan Da Silva nba,draft,sixers,linked,to,duke,s,jared,mccain,colorado,s,tristan,da,silva,liberty,ballers,front-page,76ers-draft-rumors-news,nba-rumors-news

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’Tis the season for NBA mock drafts! ESPN’s Draft Analysts, Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo, posted their latest mock which includes updated intel from around the league — including your Philadelphia 76ers. Givony linked the Sixers to two prospects: Duke’s Jared McCain and Colorado’s Tristan Da Silva.

Starting off with McCain, who Givony mocks to the Sixers at No. 16 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, now just one week away:

“McCain appears to be firmly inside the top 20 at this point, earning a green room invitation and having enjoyed a positive pre-draft process. There’s interest in him from teams in the late lottery, and the Heat, 76ers and Lakers are all possibilities, creating what looks like a narrow range.

As an excellent shooter with impressive intangibles that have bolstered his case in the short and long term, McCain is well-prepared for an NBA adjustment and could be on a faster track to making an impact than your typical freshman. His ability to play both backcourt spots intelligently and provide immediate spacing has plenty of appeal to any team in need of shooting or guard depth.

If the 76ers keep this pick — which they may instead use as a trade chip — that type of skill set would make a lot of sense next to Tyrese Maxey. — Woo”

To get familiar with McCain, check out our draft profile found here.

McCain would be a solid pick for the Sixers, especially if the bigger names don’t fall. McCain is one of the best shooters in this draft and has a well-rounded offensive skillset. He’s more of a shooting guard than a traditional point guard, but he’d be an excellent fit offensively alongside Tyrese Maxey. Defensively, there are some concerns on how that theoretical backcourt would fare in big minutes due to a lack of size but it’s not something that the Sixers would be concerned with in the short-term.

Givony and Woo linked the Sixers to one other prospect in the first round, Colorado’s Tristan Da Silva, who they had going to the Los Angeles Lakers just one pick later:

“Da Silva was a surprising omission from the NBA’s early green-room list, but he may still earn an invitation, with firm interest in inside the top 20. He has interest as high as Memphis at No. 9, but will likely fall into the next range, where an array of playoff-caliber teams, including the Kings, Heat, Sixers, and Lakers, are all interested in his services.

Da Silva’s versatility at either forward spot on both ends and reliable 3-point shooting give him a good pathway to minutes next season, although his ceiling isn’t perceived quite as high as some of the younger players in this range.”

For info on Da Silva, check out our draft profile found here.

Da Silva is arguably one of the safer candidates in the top-20, presenting a higher floor and lower ceiling than other prospects in said range. For his size, he’s a gifted shooter and has drawn comparisons to Cam Johnson. However, he lacks athleticism and defensive tenacity to label him a true 3-and-D forward.

I wouldn’t put Da Silva at the top of my Sixers-centric draft board, but he presents a safe option if the big names go and the Sixers can’t find a deal for a veteran. He’d slot in nicely as a forward next to Embiid, offering floor spacing and a small splash of playmaking.

We’re mere days away from the NBA draft, so expect to get an even better understanding of what the Sixers could do in the near future.

2024 NBA Draft: Bobi Klintman has elite size and intriguing skill as a prospect nba,draft,bobi,klintman,has,elite,size,and,intriguing,skill,as,a,prospect,liberty,ballers,front-page,76ers-draft-rumors-news

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Before the 2024 NBA Draft, we’ll take an in-depth look at different prospects here at Liberty Ballers and try to figure out which players would be the best fit for the Sixers at Nos. 16 and 41. Next up in this series is Cairns Taipans Bobi Klintman.

Swedish native Bobi Klintman had an interesting path heading into the 2024 NBA Draft. He moved to the U.S. as a teenager and went to high school in Kansas. He eventually committed to playing at Wake Forest as a four-star recruit, but spent just one season with the Demon Deacons. In 2023-24, he played professionally in Australia as part of the NBL’s Next Stars program.

Profile

2023-24 Stats: 26 games, 21.6 minutes, 10.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.5 blocks, 43.4% FG, 33.7% 3P, 81.3% FT

Team: Cairns Taipans

Year: N/A

Position: Forward

Height (without shoes) & Weight: 6’8.75” | 212.2 lbs

Born: March 6, 2003 (21 years old)

Hometown: Malmo, Sweden

High School: Sunrise Christian Academy

Strengths

The biggest thing that stands out about Klintman is his size. He’s a legitimate 6-foot-9 with shoes on and boasts a 6-11 wingspan. That’s a jumbo-sized wing. Though he didn’t shoot it great in his lone NBL season, he has a pretty stroke and was known for his shooting as a college recruit. With his size and a high release, he’s able to simply shoot over defenders, reminiscent of Marcus Morris, Sr. While he didn’t show much creation ability, there is definitely potential as a slasher. He also has decent feel, understanding spacing and excelling as a cutter. He looks like a nightmare to handle in transition, able to pull down rebounds and start a break.

The size again shows up in a big way defensively. He seemingly uses length to bait opponents into passes before stepping into the lanes for steals. He has flashes as a weakside rim protector, making him a potential fit as a small-ball five down the road. If he really dedicates himself to improving on the defensive end, he can be a really versatile weapon.

Weaknesses

The shot looks good and he fires confidently, but the fact is he shot 33.7% from deep in an inferior league. The free throw percentage is encouraging, but there’s still a bit of a projection there. Offensively, he’ll have to tighten his handle up a bit if he wants to be more than just a spot-up shooter. He shows flashes, but there are inconsistencies.

He tested just OK athletically at the combine. He relied heavily on his length in the NBL, often getting blown by and then recovering. Will he be able to get away with that in the NBA? He’s also a bit skinny at 212 pounds. He’ll need to add functional strength to compete with bigger threes and fours at the next level.

Positional Fit

Klintman’s positional versatility is what makes him so intriguing. He looks like a big combo forward, but if he can capably guard up and down while tightening up his handle, it could open so much more.

Draft Projection

Late first round, early second

Klintman feels like a modern NBA player. He has elite size but enough skill to dream on. As is the case with so many young wings, shooting is going to be the swing skill. If he can hit from deep consistently, the floor is a hyper-versatile 3-and-D wing.

Source: Sixers not expected to pursue Miles Bridges in free agency source,sixers,not,expected,to,pursue,miles,bridges,in,free,agency,liberty,ballers,front-page,76ers-free-agency-rumors-news

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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.”

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.