The NBA trade and free agency market is expected to heat up in the coming days.
Fox Sports has you covered with all the latest rumours doing the rounds.
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JAZZ OPEN TO MOVING MITCHELL AS STAR QUESTIONS PLAN
The Utah Jazz aren’t actively shopping franchise linchpin Donovan Mitchell, but are believed to be open to moving on from their superstar point guard for the right price, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
Windhorst also revealed on the Hoop Collective podcast that Mitchell had reportedly questioned Utah’s front office over the team’s future plan in light of the organisation trading away All-Star centre Rudy Gobert and starting small forward Royce O’Neale last week, primarily in exchange for draft picks.
The NBA insider said that the Jazz decision-makers, including CEO of basketball operations Danny Ainge, responded to Mitchell’s concern by disclosing their plan is to “do what’s right for the franchise” and felt the trades were in the long-term best interest of the franchise.
Whether Utah’s plan would preferably involve putting pieces in place around Donovan Mitchell, or trading the 25-year-old for a haul of draft picks to kickstart a complete rebuild, remains to be seen.
SUNS STAR SITS DOWN WITH SUITORS
While many throughout the league believe that the Phoenix Suns are looking to use star Deandre Ayton as a potential trade chip in a deal with the Brooklyn Nets for Kevin Durant, it is now being reported that Ayton has been exploring other options, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst via Tyler Conway of Bleacher Report.
Windhorst said on the Hoop Collective podcast that while it is unclear whether any formal contract offers have been made, it is confirmed that the restricted free-agent centre has taken meetings with teams that “are not involved in potential Durant negotiations”.
The Indiana Pacers, as one of the few teams that have the cap room to offer Ayton the max or near-max contract he is seeking, have been floated as being potentially interested in acquiring the 23-year-old, with Windhorst even suggesting a possible sign-and-trade in exchange for Myles Turner.
Toronto have also been reported as a potential landing spot for the talented Bahamian, however, one team which now appears an unlikely destination is the Utah Jazz, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.
With KD making it clear to sources throughout the league that his preference is to join Phoenix next season, don’t expect Ayton’s future to be decided by the Suns until Durant’s next move has been confirmed.
RAPTORS SAY SCOTTIE STAYS
One player which reportedly won’t be heading to Brooklyn as part of a potential Kevin Durant trade is reigning Kia rookie of the year Scottie Barnes, with the multiple sources claiming Toronto Raptors are unwilling to part with the former FSU star, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.
TURNER TIPPED TO BE TRADED
Don’t expect to see Myles Turner wearing gold and navy blue in the 2022/23 NBA season, with Indiana reportedly looking to offload their 2015 first-round pick, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst via Tim Daniels of Bleacher Report.
Windhorst disclosed on the Hoop Collective podcast that Turner could be on the move either via the afformentioned blockbuster trade with the Suns or another team in need of a big man.
“Also Myles Turner is—he could be traded in a sign-and-trade for [Deandre] Ayton to Phoenix, or I’ve been told he could go somewhere else,” Windhorst said. “… There’s a good chance he’s not going to be a Pacer next year.”
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BEAL JOINS EXCLUSIVE CLUB WITH NEW DEAL
Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal has become the only active player in the league with a full no-trade clause, following details being released of his recently signed five-year $251 million contract, according to a report by Rob Goldberg of Bleacher Report.
The contract, which includes a 15% trade kicker and player option in year five, makes Beal just the 10th player in NBA history to have a no-trade clause, following in the footsteps of LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade, Tim Duncan, David Robinson and John Stockton.
A player can only be eligible for a no-trade clause after having been in the league for a minimum of eight years and on the signing team’s roster for at least four years.
GIBSON COULD GO AS INTEREST BUILDS
Reports suggest New York Knicks Taj Gibson could be set to depart the Knicks this offseason with “multiple teams” expressing interest in acquiring the veteran forward during the free-agency period should he be waived by the Knicks, according to SNY’s Ian Begley.
As Gibson’s $5.2 million salary for next season is fully non-guaranteed, New York view the 37-year-old as expendable and are expected to waive the former first-round pick in order to create cap space for Jaylen Brunson among other predicted roster changes to improve enough to compete against the elite teams in the Eastern Conference.
BLAZERS EXPECTED TO WAIVE BLEDSOE
The Portland Trail Blazers are expected to waive guard Eric Bledsoe with the veteran not having played with achillies tendon pain since being traded from the Clippers to Portland in February as part of the Norman Powell and Robert Covington trade, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Sources claim that the Blazers plan to waive the 32-year-old ahead of July 10 to ensure that his $19.375 million contract for 2022-23 becomes fully garaunteed.
The savvy move would free up more than $15 million for the Blazers to reshape the roster around star point guard Damian Lillard, with only Bledsoe’s partial guarantee of $3.9 million remaining on the Blazers’ books for next season.
The former 18th overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft is predicted to be pursued by multiple teams in free agency.
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