Tag: target

Pelicans trade for Hawks’ Dejounte Murray; what’s next for possible Sixers’ target Brandon Ingram? pelicans,trade,for,hawks,dejounte,murray,what,s,next,for,possible,sixers,target,brandon,ingram,liberty,ballers,front-page,76ers-analysis,nba-rumors-news

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Just days after the 2024 NBA Draft, and days before the free agency period, the Atlanta Hawks and the New Orleans Pelicans have made a big trade.

After two seasons, the Hawks are pulling the plug on the Trae Young-Dejounte Murray backcourt. And the New Orleans Pelicans have swooped in, sending out draft capital and Larry Nance Jr. in exchange for the former Spurs’ 2022 All-Star, Murray.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski broke the story in bits and pieces on X: “Full trade on ESPN: Dejounte Murray for Larry Nance Jr., Dyson Daniels, 2025 first-round pick (via Lakers), 2027 first-round pick (least favorable of Bucks-Pels),” Woj reported.

In a follow up tweet, Woj added:

“New Orleans was 0-24 when trailing entering the fourth and 2-14 in close games and see Murray as a player who can generate offense late in games. Pels remain committed to core that includes Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum. Pels are trying to find common ground with Brandon Ingram contract.”

Woj said there is still more work to be done in Atlanta, remaking the young core in place there. Is Nance Jr. now a name the Sixers could eye? Daryl Morey and co. once showed some interest in acquiring the versatile and bouncy forward back in 2021.

But it’s that last line from Woj above about Ingram that will likely have most Sixer fans attention… will the Pelicans ultimately find common ground on a new extension with Ingram? I think most insiders would still guess that Ingram will be traded and not wind up extending with the team who traded for him five years ago in the Anthony Davis Lakers’ blockbuster. But this certainly gives them a bit more optionality.

PG has things on hold for at least another handful of hours

Photo by Tim Heitman/NBAE via Getty Images

According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, speaking earlier Friday on ESPN’s “Get UP:”

“[The Sixers] have the most cap space out there, around $60M. They are obviously interested in signing Paul George. They have to hold their other business, their other free agent aspirations, until they see what Paul George’s decision is. That decision could come [Friday or Saturday] it may not be into free agency.”

So the Sixers may have real interest in trading for Brandon Ingram here. We’ve heard that he’s atop some of their fallback plan options in the past. But Daryl Morey and Co. likely won’t want to part with the precious draft assets for Ingram (they can still trade up to four first-rounders following their selection of Jared McCain Wednesday) until they know where they stand with PG.

Signing PG into Philadelphia’s cap space for a $212M max four-year deal would not only allow them to acquire a player more feared by defenders and scorers than Ingram, but additionally retain their significant draft haul to target even more help via trade between July and February’s 2025 NBA Trade Deadline.

But in the more likely event that PG remains on the West Coast, this big move by the Pelicans should:

  • probably signify a willingness-acceptance to move on from Ingram without any positional needs (the good part) and
  • give them more leverage in a potential deal — since their own fans will likely want to see how the current core looks together (the bad part).

Ingram has never played more than 64 games for the Peli’s in a single season, but the 26-year-old can create his own shot, pass, draw free throws, space the floor and knock down triples at a respectable clip.

We’re all waiting to see what happens with George. And before that, we’re keeping a close watch on names like Chris Paul and Andrew Wiggins, to see if the Warriors can find a way to thwart Morey’s plans just like the Clippers would love to do.

But New Orleans making a move like this could certainly be interpreted as a team that has accepted the very real possibility of moving on from the former No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft and 2020 All-Star.

Earlier Friday, Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer wondered if three first-round picks might be enough for Morey to land Ingram.

Could the Murray deal, sending out two picks, increase NOLA’s appetite to restock their future draft coffers? Or does GM David Griffin think they can work something out to keep BI around, having now added one more key piece to this Pelican puzzle?

Woj’s wording that New Orleans remains committed to Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum is probably the most interesting nugget from the Sixers’ POV. Keep watching that clock to see what Paul George does… he has until Saturday at 6 p.m. Eastern to make up his mind. Because Woj did not say they’re fully committed to building around BI, and Murray’s presence may be further evidence they’re ready for a retool. I wonder if B-Ball Paul Reed might appeal to them now that Nance Jr. is in Hotlanta. I guess they could use a low-priced athletic big.

Finally, the Hawks, still owe unprotected picks in 2025 and 2027 plus a swap to the Spurs San Antonio from the 2022 trade when they landed Murray. The Hawks may be thinking fire-sale if Morey wants to place a call and offer future draft ammo there too. Names like Trae Young, De’Andre Huter, Bogdan Bogdanović, Onyeka Okongwu, could all be left wondering about their future now as well.

Does Portland’s Jerami Grant make sense as a Sixers trade target? does,portland,s,jerami,grant,make,sense,as,a,sixers,trade,target,liberty,ballers,front-page,76ers-free-agency-rumors-news,76ers-trade-rumors

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Day one of the 2024 NBA Draft is in the books and the Philadelphia 76ers chose Duke’s Jared McCain, No. 16 overall — and no, they did not trade him….yet!

Daryl Morey, known to partake in more than a bit of gamesmanship, has already spoken about the 20-year-old, 6-foot-2 sniper as a player the team hopes is around for a long-time.

And McCain himself sounds like he’s prepared for a fanbase that can be notoriously love-hate: “Obviously [playing at Duke] comes with a lot of hate and a lot of scrutiny wherever you go,” McCain said, “but I think that’s preparing for where I’m at, especially with Philly, so I think I’m ready for it.”

So the Sixers have a couple of players on the roster. Three or four down, just need another 11 or 12 and they’ll be ready to roll.

One player whose name has come up is Portland Trailblazers forward Jerami Grant. Ten years ago, Grant was the No. 39 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Former Sixers’ President Sam Hinkie took Grant 36 spots after he landed Joel Embiid and 27 spots after selecting Dario Sarić.

On Thursday, before the start of the second day of the draft (where the Sixers are set to pick No. 41) Zach Lowe hosted “The Lowe Post” with fellow ESPN NBA Insider Jonathan Givony.

With the draft’s first round behind them, how will the Sixers fill out what’s nearly a full team’s worth of roster spots?

Lowe speculated about three names in particular in case Los Angeles Clippers’ star Paul George doesn’t end up joining them. Per Lowe:

“[Jimmy Butler may be] going back to Miami, OG Anunoby re-signed with the Knicks, other players that would have been free agents this year never got to free agency, notably Jrue Holiday. Philadelphia is running out of targets for the cap space. And the biggest story now in the NBA will get some clarity on Saturday — I wouldn’t say clarity, some version of clarity. And that’s when Paul George’s deadline is to opt in or opt out of his player option for next year…. I now have officially no feel for what’s gonna happen with Paul George…

Well, I guess his having no idea offers a little more hope they can still sign George than ESPN’s Brian Windhorst offered Wednesday. Notice Windy’s recent use of the past tense, and even tire violence:

So maybe there is still a chance there?

But if not, Lowe continues:

“….And I know Philadelphia is sitting there with this cap space and 25 percent of an NBA roster, sitting there knowing ‘we’ve gotta do something with that space to compete with Boston and now New York, and probably Milwaukee and maybe Indiana, and Cleveland…,the rest of the East. I’m sure they’ve got plans D, E and F. People have whispered Brandon Ingram, people have whispered Jerami Grant, neither of those are as exciting to me as Paul George. I don’t know what the hell is gonna happen here but we’re gonna get some clarity there on Saturday….”

Lowe goes on to mention that the Golden State Warriors will provide some clarity by Friday, when Chris Paul’s $30M salary could become guaranteed, and “obviously” they’ll look to trade the 12-time All-Star. Golden State is connected to George now as well, in the event George opts in and seeks a trade. Lowe says that CP3 decision will impact Klay Thompson’s free agency, and that while Lowe has “given up trying to read the tea leaves” on PG, another option is for the Sixers to look to sign a couple players like a Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, plus a “player X, Y, and Z.”

We’ve discussed Ingram and KCP at length in the past, but we have not heard many (if any) of these Jerami Grant whispers. Grant, now 30 years old, shot over 40 percent from distance, on over five 3PA per game in 117 games with the Blazers since 2022.

He averaged 21 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists on 45-40-82 shooting splits. It’s probably pretty tricky to truly evaluate players on 21-win teams (Grant comically coming full circle from his Process days) now up in Oregon. But there has been some sentiment that his defense has slipped in recent years (hovering around 112-114 def. rating in Denver and Detroit, now just 120 Drtg in Portland).

But the Sixers would obviously have to watch the tape to see how much of a 3-and-D player there is here and wonder if he couldn’t slow down names like Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum in playoff environments. Grant signed a $160M five-year deal just over a year ago. Many fans interpreted that move as a silly, failed attempt to keep Damian Lillard, now in Milwaukee, happy in Portland.

Grant is set to earn $29.7M in 2024-2025, and his annual raises bring his player option for the 2027-2028 up to $36.4M. Grant will turn 31 just four days before Joel Embiid will, as the two Pisces were born just days apart after swimming in different career directions.

Fun fact-story…. Hinkie drafted Grant then later Bryan Colangelo traded JG to OKC for a future pick. Colangelo quickly used that pick to move up to draft some dude who never came over (for the Sixers) named Anžejs Pasečņiks It was the same year Colangelo traded Hinkie’s bequeathed No. 3 pick and prized Kings’ 2019 pick to Boston for Markelle Fultz. By 2018, when Burnergate broke and Fultz busted, acting GM Elton Brand traded Markelle for the pick that would eventually become Tyrese Maxey. So thank you to Hinkie, Jerami, Elton, and, of course, Mike Muscala.

Grant isn’t a sexy name. He’s substantially overpaid and he’s a stunningly poor rebounder for a player with his size and athleticism.

But when you begin to consider that names like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope may be eyeing their own $25M contracts, maybe this one isn’t regarded as terribly as it was one summer ago?

Another way to sell yourself on a move like this would be to ask questions like the following:

  • How much worse might JG really be than PG? Could that gap narrow over the next four years?
  • How much better if at all is Brandon Ingram? How much cheaper would JG be to obtain?
  • How much better than JG is Mikal Bridges? Mikal posts some pretty comparable statistics, and yet the Nova stud fetched the Nets an even larger haul from the Knicks than they once got for Kevin Durant. Could Grant be an “arbitrage Mikal,” who allows you to save or even add picks, still leaving another ~$30M in salary?
  • Who else could you pair with JG with this summer that you couldn’t if you splurge on names like PG, OG or BI? Could a Grant-KCP duo, while retaining the picks, be better than BI acquired via some of those draft picks?
  • Would the Blazers offer flippable assets or even another helpful player in order to get that salary off their books?

How am I doing? Am I selling too hard? Whose idea was it that cap space and the thought of playing with Embiid and Maxey under Nick Nurse was going to lure stars to Philly anyway?

All food for thought, and again, this is just whispers. But I can tell you this…. if Grant returns to Philly, the Process coming full circle bits will be lit. And we’ll be forced to once again revisit how far the Colangelo takeover set this team back.

2024 NBA Draft: 5 prospects the Sixers could target in the second round nba,draft,prospects,the,sixers,could,target,in,the,second,round,liberty,ballers,front-page,nba-draft,76ers-draft-rumors-news

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We’ve made it to the first ever second day of the NBA Draft.

On Wednesday night, the Sixers somewhat surprisingly stood pat at 16 and took Duke’s Jared McCain. McCain is an intriguing prospect with a great story that should fit well.

On Thursday, Daryl Morey and company hold the 41st pick. While the 2024 draft doesn’t feature much in the way of star power, there are a lot of intriguing role players — even in round two.

Let’s look at five prospects that could make sense for the Sixers.

KJ Simpson

With the Sixers taking an undersized guard in the first round, would they take another in the second? Much like McCain, the only true knock on Simpson is his size. He was awesome for Colorado last season, averaging 19.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game. Like McCain he was lethal three-point shooter (43.4%) on high volume (4.9 attempts).

What he lacks in size Simpson makes up for by being an absolute dog on the defensive end of the floor. Unlike McCain, Simpson is a floor general, capable of setting up the offense and facilitating at a high level. He has that bulldog mentality that Nick Nurse seems to covet in his point guards. After getting some late first-round buzz pre-draft, Simpson would be a steal at 41.

Bobi Klintman

Another player that some thought would go in the first round, size is not an issue for Klintman. The Swedish wing stands at nearly 6-foot-10 and has an intriguing skillset. Though his shooting numbers weren’t elite during his year at Wake Forest or his season spent in the NBL, Klintman has a smooth stroke and can easily fire over the top of defenders with a high release.

He’ll need to refine the rest of his offensive game to survive on the wing, but there are flashes. He’s also not an elite athlete, but his length can make up for a lot of that defensively. He has the makings of a hyper versatile 3-and-D player.

Harrison Ingram

Ingram spent the first two seasons of his collegiate career at Stanford before transferring to North Carolina. He almost feels like a throwback power forward, measuring at 6-foot-6 and 233 pounds with a 7-foot wingspan. Ingram has a multi-faceted offensive game, at times serving as a playmaking hub. He also shot the ball really well last season, hitting 38.5% on 4.6 threes per game.

While he isn’t the most athletic player, his length and strength make him viable in different defensive matchups. He’s also a strong rebounder, pulling down 8.8 boards per game last season. He’s savvy player that could fit on just about any team if the shooting translates.

Pelle Larsson

Larsson is a player we didn’t actually get the chance to profile at LB (sorry, only so much bandwidth!), but that I really enjoyed watching. His shot was sort of inconsistent during his time at Arizona, but he hit 42.6 from deep last season on over three attempts a game. The Swedish guard has a pretty diverse offensive skillset. He’s a legit 6-foot-5 and can dribble, pass, shoot and finish at the rim.

He tested well athletically at the combine and held his own defensively at the collegiate level. He slides his feet well and isn’t afraid to stick his nose in there physically. The biggest thing with Larsson is there aren’t many holes in his game. The only knock is he’s a little older at 23. Frankly, I’m a little surprised he’s not being talked about more.

Jalen Bridges

Bridges started his career at West Virginia before transferring to Baylor. During his redshirt senior year, he emerged as a terrific 3-and-D wing. Standing at 6-foot-7 with a nearly 7-foot wingspan, Bridges possesses the size and athleticism to be a terrific NBA wing defender. While his three ball wasn’t great for much of his collegiate career, he knocked down 41.2% on over five shots per game from deep. He’s always been a good free throw shooter, so the improvement seems real.

Like Larsson, one of the knocks on Bridges will be his age. There might not be a ton of upside for him as a playmaker or creator, but 3-and-D wings are hard to come by and he has all the makings of one.

2024 NBA Draft: Harrison Ingram’s high floor makes him an intriguing second-round target nba,draft,harrison,ingram,s,high,floor,makes,him,an,intriguing,second,round,target,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 North Carolina’s Harrison Ingram.

Ingram projects to be a glue guy and connector, someone who can offer a variety of offensive and defensive skill sets.

Profile

2023-24 Stats: 37 games, 32.8 minutes, 12.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.4 blocks, 46.7% FG, 38.5% 3P, 61.2% FT

Team: North Carolina

Year: Junior

Position: SF/PF

Height (without shoes) & Weight: 6’5.25” | 233.6 lbs

Born: November 27, 2002 (21 years old)

Hometown: Dallas, Texas

High School: St. Mark’s School

Strengths

Harrison Ingram is a stellar playmaker for his size. He plays like a college veteran and knows how to play at his own pace. Before transferring to UNC, he played at Stanford where he was primarily used as a pick-and-roll ball handler. With North Carolina he became a playmaking hub for their offense, typically operating out of the post or elbows. Ingram dramatically refined his shooting at UNC, making 40 percent of threes. Ingram is an excellent rebounder and regularly displays good timing when crashing the boards. He projects to be a highly versatile defender — he’s quick enough to switch onto guards and uses his length and size well against wings and forwards. He plays with strong fundamentals and consistently shows effort on the defensive end.

Weaknesses

Ingram struggles to create space off the dribble, typically forcing him into heavily contested shots at the rim or in the midrange. He struggled to convert baskets around the rim, making only 52.4 percent of his shots, per Synergy. Before transferring to UNC, Ingram was a below average shooter, never averaging over 32 percent from three. He has decent form, but lacks a soft, natural touch.

Positional Fit

Ingram may be one of the most unique players to be had in the second round, as his combination of size and playmaking allow him to practically be slotted into any position. Comparing him to one specific player is difficult, but think of someone like Joe Johnson who is less of a scorer and more of a playmaker. Or someone like Grant Williams, who acts as a glue guy who takes tough defensive assignments.

Draft Projection

Second round

There’s plenty of red flags here to consider, but Ingram’s playmaking, defensive versatility and ability to play within his role will certainly find him a home in the NBA. Don’t be surprised if Ingram gets scooped up in the late first round, as there’s plenty to like if you believe in his shooting progression.

Preseason win ‘nothing’ as Maroons focus on real target: UAAP crown

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UP Fighting Maroons’ Francis Lopez in Game 1 of the UAAP Season 86 men’s basketball finals. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

University of the Philippines (UP) retained its status as the Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup champion, but it didn’t matter too much for the Fighting Maroons even though they hurdled a familiar, bitter foe.

“To be honest, nothing really. This is just the preseason, like I said, and this is nothing for us,” reigning UAAP Rookie of the Year Francis Lopez said after the Maroons put together a second half comeback for a 69-66 triumph over La Salle on Wednesday night in San Juan City.

It is no secret where the Maroons have their eyes on—a drastically bigger target: Another UAAP crown.

“We just tried to win today and go home cause we have a lot of things to work on,” Lopez, the tournament’s Defensive Player of the Year, nonchalantly said. “This is not really our goal, but we just thank God, [because] we worked really hard for this. Our goal is the UAAP, not this one, so it’s just another game for us.”

UP has become a powerhouse team in the UAAP in the last decade or so, clinching its second championship in 2022 and coming close to adding to that in the next two years only to fall short to Katipunan neighbor Ateneo and then to La Salle.

And UP is not making it a secret that those consecutive heartbreaking seasons are the Maroon’s motivation to be better, the wounds still fresh even for the fans who filled the Filoil EcoOil Centre on Independence Day.

“We’re on a roller coaster. We gotta be consistent about what we do, what we plan about and coach Gold (Monteverde) keeps telling us that we just gotta be consistent,” Lopez said. “If the shots are not going in, you just continue, especially on defense.”

While consistency still has to be worked on by UP, its heart and hunger to win games were exuded by the Maroons, who aren’t wasting any time to improve. They are set to start a training camp in Serbia that will last until June 30 before flying again to South Korea.

“I’d say not even 50 percent,” Lopez said when asked about the readiness of UP. “We have a lot of things to work on like consistency, mostly, and like what coach Gold keeps saying, keeps on telling us, to not be complacent as well.

“So whatever team we face, we can’t be complacent. And that’s what we did tonight (Wednesday).”

Angel Di Maria on target as Argentina downs Ecuador 1-0

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Angel Di Maria #11 of Argentina celebrates after scoring a goal against Ecuador in the first half during an International Friendly match at Soldier Field on June 09, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. Patrick McDermott/Getty Images/AFP

Angel Di Maria scored the only goal as Argentina warmed up for the defense of their Copa America crown with a 1-0 friendly victory over Ecuador in Chicago on Sunday.

Di Maria, named as captain for the game with Lionel Messi on the bench, bagged his 31st international goal in the 40th minute of an entertaining clash at Soldier Field.

Patient approach play saw Atletico Madrid midfielder Rodrigo De Paul play an incisive pass to defender Cristian Romero in an advanced position on the edge of the area.

READ: Brawling fans in stands delay Argentina-Brazil World Cup qualifier

The Tottenham centre-back swiveled brilliantly and picked out Di Maria with a superb reverse pass and the veteran winger darted in before steering a deft low finish past Ecuador goalkeeper Hernan Galindez.

Di Maria made way for Messi on 56 minutes but the Inter Miami star was unable to help Argentina add to the scoreline.

READ: Messi’s Argentina loses first match since World Cup title

Sunday’s game in Chicago was one of two friendlies Argentina has scheduled before they kick off the Copa America on June 20 against Canada in Atlanta.

The reigning world champions face Guatemala in Landover, Maryland, on Friday as they wrap up preparations for the Copa America, which is being staged in the United States this year with teams from Concacaf participating.