All my latest NBA trade, free agency, draft and coaching carousel Intel leading into Day 1 of the league's new two-day draft
Knicks, Nets, Rockets, Suns, Magic, Thunder, Grizzlies, Mavericks, Pistons, Lakers and Bulls ... are all featured (and more) in this around-the-league notes compilation
Around-the-league NBA notes?
On Draft Day?
Obviously!
To the latest from my notebook and conversations via the NBA grapevine:
It was widely believed for months (years, even) that the Knicks were saving their stash of tradeable draft picks for a true "star."
There was endless speculation about Cleveland's Donovan Mitchell no matter how many times naysayers like yours truly said that Mitchell would not be a target to partner with Jalen Brunson. (Mitchell is now widely expected to come to terms on a contract extension with the Cavaliers, possibly for three years rather than four, in coming days.)
Both last June and again this month, league sources say, New York did explore the prospect of making a trade run at the Clippers' Paul George despite the concerns that ultimately shooed them away about George's age (34), injury history and presumed reluctance to switch coasts.
Phoenix's Devin Booker, Philadelphia's Joel Embiid and Minnesota's Karl-Anthony Towns have long been described as dream targets and, more recently, whispers had begun to circulate in league circles about Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo truly being the franchise player New York hoped it could pursue down the road.
None of those names, in the end, proved correct.
The Knicks went all-in Tuesday night on Brooklyn's Mikal Bridges — their second straight trade for a high-level role player after the late-December acquisition of OG Anunoby. They are clearly convinced Brunson can be the best player on a championship team, have just illustrated that belief louder than ever by surrendering an unprecedented array of trade assets for a non-All-Star to acquire yet another one of Brunson's former Villanova teammates and fully intend to secure a verbal commitment on a new deal with Anunoby in coming days.
A contract extension is likewise expected in the near future for coach Tom Thibodeau. Even if the Knicks run out of financial flexibility to re-sign Isaiah Hartenstein, they should have a team to be reckoned with in the easier East for years to come and built it by religiously adhering to a blueprint that is all their own.
Yet they should also brace for considerable skepticism/criticism given what they gave up to get Bridges to try to create Villanova's two-title magic at the college level. It's not often, at the same time, that you see such a trade overpay from a team — and that, fair or not, is how many around the league will refer to this deal for Bridges until he helps the Knicks win it all — that also makes its own fans absolutely giddy.
#thisleague
There will be much more to come on the Houston side after tonight's draft because there is more time to take to evaluate it. The Suns are insistent that they want to start next season with their Kevin Durant-Booker-Bradley Beal trio intact to see what they can achieve under new coach Mike Budenholzer, which (as long as you buy that stance) suggests Rockets dreams of turning their newfound Suns draft capital into a trade run for Durant will not be immediately realized.
Yet what the Rockets do with the No. 3 overall pick (whom they select and whether they keep the pick) and how quickly Houston pivots to the trade pursuit of a marquee player after the deal it just made with the Nets has become one of the league's foremost focuses.
Kudos to my former ESPN teammate Zach Lowe for his very clean and cogent explanation of the other trade Brooklyn agreed to Tuesday night:
They accomplished that in a complicated swap-centric second deal in which the Nets gave Houston control of four separate draft assets — including three future Phoenix Suns picks — in order to regain control of both their 2025 and 2026 first-rounders. The deals are connected; the Bridges trade does not happen without this one.
The Suns, by the way, continue to be mentioned as a team with interest in drafting Bronny James, who is projected as a second-round selection in Thursday's portion of the draft.
One of the zillions of things to watch for now as Day 1 of the draft unfolds tonight: The Knicks hold the 24th and 25th picks in the first round and have an immediate need for players on team-friendly contracts to fill out next season's roster.
Of far broader interest: With the Nets now openly tanking for Cooper Flagg in 2025 and beyond all the draft capital they just amassed from the Knicks, anticipation is already mounting leaguewide that the newly acquired Bojan Bogdanović as well as a slew of players from the Nets' roster last season — from obvious trade candidates like Dorian Finney-Smith and Dennis Schroeder all the way up to sharpshooter Cam Johnson — are in play for immediate trades.
Orlando and Oklahoma City continue to be teams cited most often by rival executives when forecasting Hartenstein's likely suitors in free agency.
Let's see, though, who the Thunder select at No. 12. Just thinking out loud: That is Zach Edey's range ... right?
The Grizzlies' interest in trading up in the draft to have a shot at Donovan Clingan has been well-documented but another question I’ve heard posed by curious teams this week: Is Memphis a stealth team for Edey at No. 9 (or lower perhaps via a trade down)?
It is not yet known for certain where Tim Hardaway Jr. will be traded, but there are a few things we do know about Hardaway's situation:
🏀 As I reported Tuesday, Detroit is a potential Hardaway destination and league sources say that, as part of the teams' discussions to date, Quentin Grimes has emerged as a player who could head to Dallas if talks progress to the deal stage.
🏀 I'm told that the Mavericks are working directly with Hardaway's agent, Mark Bartelstein, to help the player find a new home after his 5 1/2 seasons in Dallas.
🏀 There is so much potential trade activity connected to the first two-day draft in league history and in the wake of the Nets' two big trades Tuesday night that it's important to remember things are fluid with a capital F. New trade possibilities exist that weren't available yesterday.
Mavericks assistant coach Sean Sweeney is scheduled to join Luka Dončić and the Slovenian national team as an assistant coach this week as it prepares for a six-team Olympic qualifier in Greece from July 2-7. Yet Sweeney was also expected to complete an interview with the Pistons for their head coaching vacancy before leaving the country; Detroit secured permission from Dallas to talk to him last week.
Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego and Timberwolves assistant coach Micah Nori are likewise prominent among the known candidates for the post. As I reported earlier this week, there are suggestions in coaching circles that the Pistons could make a hire faster than initially anticipated after firing Monty Williams on June 19 ... more than two months after going 14-68.
Borrego's recent history working with new Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon is considered a significant factor in the search.
We reported here June 9 that the Pistons remained in pursuit of Dallas' Dennis Lindsey for a position under Langdon after Lindsey was initially a finalist for Detroit's president of basketball operations post.
ESPN reported Tuesday night that Lindsey has accepted the Pistons' offer. Lindsey just completed his first season with the Mavericks as a senior adviser to GM Nico Harrison.
PS — I’m told former Mavericks majority owner Mark Cuban, who has ceded more control over basketball operations than initially expected when his share of the franchise was reduced to 27% by his November sale of the team, is indeed scheduled to be in the Mavericks' draft war room as usual. New team governor Patrick Dumont has given Harrison autonomy to plot the Mavericks' basketball course. Dallas currently has no draft pick until the final selection (No. 58) of the second round.
The Lakers are still searching for former head coaches to join JJ Redick's coaching staff. Among the names they are said to have pursued: Dwane Casey (who moved into a front office role in Detroit after coaching the Pistons for five seasons through 2022-23) and Jacque Vaughn (who was fired by the Nets after just a year-plus in charge in February).
Tuesday's edition of #thisleague UNCUT was the first place I heard, via Chris Haynes' reporting, that talks between the Bulls and DeMar DeRozan on a possible contract extension had gone cold, increasing the possibility that DeRozan becomes a free agent Sunday at 6 PM ET when the marketplace opens officially.
Haynes reported that the Bulls have prioritized trying to find a trade to ship out Zach LaVine over talks with DeRozan, who completed a three-year, $85 million contract with Chicago this season.
The full episode:
Hey Marc, what are the most likely landing spots for Zach Lavine? I’m assuming they’re mostly looking for contracts that expire this season or next
What do you think the market for MPJ would be like? The Nuggets max contracts are killing them as far as retaining very good, non-max players
Always appreciate the intel Marc.
I get a lot of things wrong, but I'm going to pat myself on the back for calling out Detroit as a potential trade destination for THJ when you originally reported Dallas was looking to move him.
Any idea what Detroit would be getting back if they also sent Grimes to Dallas? They'd be doing Dallas two big favors in taking on THJ's salary so that they can resign DJJ while providing a young rotational 3+D guard who'll they have RFA rights on after this upcoming season.
Feels like Detroit should get a real asset for that. At least one of a 2025 protected pick, O-Max or Josh Green?