There are still 10 days left until NBA free agents can verbally agree to contracts with teams, but in the meantime, that can’t stop the rumors from swirling. Some free agents have already begun contract negotiations with the teams they finished the season with. That’s why Pascal Siakam’s contract with the Pacers has already been made public. There will probably be a few more contracts announced in the coming days, but the most exciting thing about the NBA offseason are the trade rumors we get, regardless of how true they are.
There are already some big trade rumors floating around, with Jimmy Butler’s name being tossed around as a possible trade candidate. It’s unclear which teams would be interested in him, but considering Butler’s history, if the Heat were to trade him, a championship-contending team in the league would surely be calling. We’ll have to wait and see if the rumors lead to anything, but in the meantime, here are the latest trade rumors circulating around the league.
The Bulls are at a crossroads this offseason. They must decide whether to re-sign DeMar DeRozan and Patrick Williams, whether to cash in their best trade asset in Alex Caruso, and what to do with Zach LaVine. Chicago tried to trade LaVine during the season, but those hopes were quickly dashed when the trade market was nonexistent and the Bulls guard suffered a season-ending injury. LaVine’s contract is expensive, and with new terms penalizing teams for reaching the luxury tax too far, no team is willing to pay the remaining three years and $138 million, especially given his injury history.
This is NBC Chicago reports KC Johnson is no surprise at all.
“[The Bulls] The two-time All-Star guard was the focus of 15 offers to various teams, including the Sacramento Kings, Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers.
Considering LaVine is still with the Bulls, these teams didn’t like what Chicago was trying to sell. The Sixers were reportedly interested in acquiring LaVine during the season, as were the Kings. The Magic were a team that took the Cavaliers to seven games in the first round and desperately needed his shot-making and play-making. But LaVine’s cost is what keeps these teams from making a deal. The Bulls once had high hopes for a return for LaVine, but unless they add Caruso to entice the other team to give them a quality return, the Bulls don’t have all the leverage in the deal here. But LaVine alone is a tough sell, especially considering how much he’s due. But at some point the Bulls will be forced to move on from him, and when that happens, it will be most interesting to see what Chicago ends up getting.
New Orleans is trying to build the best possible situation around Zion Williamson, and Ingram may no longer be on the roster. That’s not because Ingram hasn’t lived up to expectations. Since being traded to New Orleans, he’s been a two-time All-Star and can regularly score 20-25 points a night. But he’s up for a big contract extension this summer, and the Pelicans don’t seem all that interested in signing him, and would probably use that money to build a complete roster to complement Williamson’s talents.
That’s where trade rumors come in. If New Orleans doesn’t plan to sign Ingram to a four-year, $208 million extension this offseason, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent next summer and they could lose him for nothing, so the ideal move would be to move him now and get something for themselves, and New Orleans has reportedly offered him to the Rockets in exchange for rising young star Alperen Sengun. According to Kelly Iko of The Athletic.
The Rockets aren’t going to trade Sengun, who has the ability to be a franchise centerpiece down the line, but this gives us an idea of what the Pelicans are looking for in exchange for Ingram. By targeting Sengun, New Orleans is clearly looking for a young, promising player who fits the same timeline as Williamson. The Pelicans would also be intrigued by Sengun’s ability to spread the floor, and it’s likely that New Orleans will look to target him if they are to deal Ingram in trade talks.
Rockets interested in Marcus Smart
The Rockets have the No. 3 pick in next week’s draft, but as a 41-41 team, they have some options this offseason. Houston should be in position to compete for a play-in spot next season and could use the No. 3 pick to add some more young players to the roster, but they could also dangle it around to other teams in hopes of acquiring a veteran player to balance out the roster.
Iko reported that Houston was interested in Smart, who coached at a time that overlapped with Rockets head coach Ime Udoka’s time coaching in Boston. The Rockets were also interested in Smart at the trade deadline, but a deal never materialized. In this scenario, Iko reported that Houston could trade down the field to gain assets and use them in a trade with Memphis. Acquiring Smart would be a good move for the Rockets, who can utilize his veteran leadership and defense, while the Grizzlies could acquire a young draft prospect and lower their signing bonus. However, if not for Smart, the Rockets could use their pick to target a player of their caliber around the league if any team is willing to move up a certain spot in this draft.
