NBA Pre-Draft Trades

The Draft is June 23rd.  That's just 9 days away.  



https://www.si.com/nba/2022/06/13/nuggets-thunder-trade-jamychal-green-nba-draft-picks-report?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=news_tab



Nuggets, Thunder Agree to Trade Before NBA Draft, per Report


ZACH KOONS20 HOURS AGO



The Nuggets have reportedly agreed to trade forward JaMychal Green and a protected 2027 first-round pick to the Thunder in exchange for the No. 30 pick in next week’s 2022 NBA draft, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Denver will also reportedly acquire two future second-round picks, one in 2023 and one in 2024, in the deal.

Green, 31, is expected exercise the player option on his contract, which is due to pay him $8.2 million during the 2022–23 season. Oklahoma City has $31.6 million in salary-cap space available to absorb the deal.


The Nuggets will create salary cap flexibility with the trade, saving approximately $20 million in salary and luxury tax by dealing Green, according to Wojnarowski. Though Denver still projects to be a luxury tax team next year, the deal will allow the franchise and new general manager Calvin Booth to use a $6.4 million taxpayer midlevel exception, or an $8.2 million trade exception.

An undrafted free agent out of Alabama in 2012, Green spent the last two seasons with the Nuggets. He played in 67 games for Denver this past year, averaging 6.4 points and 4.9 rebounds in just over 16 minutes per contest.


After the move becomes official, the Thunder will still be in possession of the Nos. 2, No. 12 and No. 34 picks in this year’s draft. Denver holds Nos. 21 and 30.

The 2022 NBA draft will be held at Barclays Center on June 23.


Bob


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There are players out there that have teams wanting to move them.

This is where a TPE can make it happen

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2022/06/what-celtics-trade-exceptions-signal-about-brad-stevens-ability-to-shape-bostons-offseason-brian-robb.html



What Celtics trade exceptions signal about Brad Stevens ability to shape Boston’s offseason



Updated: Jun. 20, 2022, 10:04 a.m. | Published: Jun. 20, 2022, 6:00 a.m.


By Brian Robb | brobb@masslive.com



The Boston Celtics enter the 2022 NBA offseason with nine active traded player exceptions, more than any team in the league. They also hold the second-largest trade exception worth $17.1 million thanks to their sign-and-trade of Evan Fournier to the Knicks last August.

While the volume of Boston’s TPEs is impressive on paper, the majority of them are inconsequential. Six of the nine are worth $2.1 million or less, which really won’t be useful for Boston since they won’t be landing any kind of impact player via trade on that type of salary. These smaller ones can be helpful when it comes to filling out an uneven trade player-wise but they won’t have much use beyond that. Most will simply go unused due to their small amounts.


However, there are three trade exceptions that Boston owns that can take on some mid-level salary and that’s still a valuable number for a team that enters the offseason well over the salary cap. Here’s a closer look at those noteworthy exceptions.

Evan Fournier: ($17.1 million remaining)
Juancho Hernangomez: ($6.9 million remaining)
Dennis Schroder: ($5.9 million remaining)


While the Celtics will have some money to spend in free agency with their taxpayer mid-level exception (just above $6 million), they can address multiple parts of their roster with these TPEs without necessarily giving up players to get a deal done. A trade exception allows Brad Stevens to deal future draft picks for a player without having to match the money per usual NBA trade rules if the player’s salary fits into an exception. Creating and using TPEs to add talent has been a huge tool over the years for capped-out teams to remain in contention, something that happened plenty in the past decade with the Cavs and Heat.


We’ll be dissecting all of the player possibilities for these TPEs in the days to come here at MassLive but one essential part of Boston’s biggest TPE weapon ($17.1 million) that bears watching is the timeline Boston must use it on. Traded player exceptions have a one-year expiration date from when they were first created and while the Schroder and Hernangomez TPEs could be used during the 2022-23 season since they don’t expire until 2023, the Fournier deal was completed last offseason. That means Boston’s biggest TPE weapon will go away for good on July 18th if it’s so unused by then.


That reality along with a likely willingness by team ownership per league sources to significantly expand Boston’s payroll for next season will place a greater sense of urgency on the offseason for Boston’s front office in the next few weeks.

The Celtics will need to be aggressive on the trade front, particularly during draft week and in the lead up to free agency to find a potential worthy fit within that price range. Other teams will know that the Celtics are working against a timeline and could hold it against them in negotiations if any trade talks extend closer to July 18 for use of the Fournier TPE since it’s a use it or lose it situation for Boston.

The Celtics are also limited in trading for players that are currently under contract with the TPE so a sign-and-trade scenario in free agency won’t be useful for them. Boston’s already flirting with the hard cap ($151 million) with their current projected payroll and league sources tell MassLive that triggering the hard cap this offseason is a non-starter for Boston since it would hamper the team’s flexibility and spending into the luxury tax.


The bottom line? The Celtics can get creative with these team-building tools this offseason but time is of the essence for their most impactful weapon. Draft week is one of the NBA’s biggest trade windows of the year so don’t be surprised if Boston gets into the action sooner rather than later as they try to ensure they can remain a top contender in the East.


Bob
MY NOTE:  A $17M TPE that expires on 26 days from now?  You know that Brad will either use it to land a big fish or he'll lend it to another team (with a nominal player, so it's technically "a trade") so they can make the big trade and will take another big TPE that doesn't expire until July 2023 in return.  We don't have a first round pick, at this time, but that doesn't mean there won't be some activity from us.

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https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2022/06/what-kyrie-irving-standoff-with-nets-means-for-celtics-offseason-possibilities.html



What Kyrie Irving standoff with Nets means for Celtics offseason possibilities



Updated: Jun. 20, 2022, 11:20 a.m. | Published: Jun. 20, 2022, 11:15 a.m.


By Brian Robb | brobb@masslive.com



Kyrie Irving’s marriage with the Brooklyn Nets may not end up lasting much longer than his time with the Boston Celtics. According to a report from Shams Charania of the Athletic, Irving and his camp have reached an impasse in talks with the Nets about his future.

Irving has a $36.9 million player option for the 2022-23 season and has a June 29 deadline to exercise it. Irving signaled earlier this offseason that he wasn’t planning on going anywhere after the first round series loss to the Celtics but Sean Marks indicated in his end-of-season press conference a hesitancy towards offering Irving a lucrative extension that the All-Star is likely seeking.


“I think that’s something we’ve been discussing and will continue to debrief on and discuss throughout the offseason,” Marks said of Irving’s future last month. “Honestly, it’s not just Kyrie. We have decisions to make on a variety of free agents throughout our roster.”

Marks continued later: “I think we know what we are looking for guys that want to come in here and be part of something bigger than themselves. Play selfless and team basketball and be available. That goes not only for Kyrie but everyone here.”

Irving has played only 93 games in his first free seasons with the franchise and it’s evident now that Brooklyn may be looking to move on rather than making another long-term investment in the point guard.

So what exactly does this potential breakup mean from a Celtics standpoint? Let’s take a closer look at the options Brooklyn has if they want to move on from Irving and the potential impacts on Boston.


The Nets won’t have significant cap room if Kyrie Irving walks

Brooklyn already has tied up most of their cap room with big deals for Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons, and Joe Harris among others. They also have 10 current free agents on the team’s roster including Irving. Letting Irving simply walk in free agency would not be a road to being able to use his $37 million salary elsewhere. The Nets would have no meaningful cap room in said scenario unless they decided to renounce all of their top other free agents or find some team to absorb a big deal (Harris or Simmons) without sending much money back. It’s a situation the Celtics dealt with first hand in 2019 when Irving spurned them for Brooklyn.


The Nets sign-and-trade options are limited with Irving

More good news from the Celtics standpoint on this front is Brooklyn’s cap situation. The team is already over the hard cap if Irving opts into his deal so in the event they want to trade him, their options will be limited to players currently under contract. A sign-and-trade scenario involving the Nets landing a free agent for Irving would likely be a non-starter since it would trigger a hard cap for the Nets. Given the team’s other financial commitments for next year, that would prevent them from being able to put together a well rounded contender.

Instead, the Nets would likely be forced to settle for a host of pricy contracts from teams with potential interest (Knicks, Lakers, Clippers) that would satisfy the salary matching trade rules. This would be far better than no potential return for the Nets but certainly would be a talent downgrade while also impacting spending flexibility for the future. Once again, this should be good news for the Celtics in their hopes of maintaining a core contender.


The Nets are less threatening of a free agent suitor for Boston compared to last offseason if Irving walks

Brooklyn landed a coveted free agent (Patty Mills) for the mid-level exception last offseason and nabbed a number of veterans for minimum-level contracts (LaMarcus Aldridge, Blake Griffin, Paul Millsap). Most of those players did not work out well for Boston but a potential divorce between Irving and the Nets could change the hierarchy in the Eastern Conference when it comes to appealing destinations.

If Irving departs the Nets without a star return, the Celtics suddenly look like a potentially more appealing destination for useful veterans looking for a chance at a ring. There will be plenty of suitors for these types of players in a loaded East but Boston’s core along with Ime Udoka should be able to make a compelling case now that they are a better destination to win than their New York rivals. That’s not a pitch they could realistically make a year ago.


Bob
MY NOTE:  Imagine if Brad uses the Fournier TPE to facilitate the move of KI somewhere?  That'd be delicious irony, outdone only if the Knicks decide to move on from Fournier and Brad uses the Fournier TPE to help the Knicks move Fournier.

Looks like that position you were applying for, the combo player/coach/GM job, isn't available for you, huh Kyrie?  I mean, is it possible for someone to be so arrogant that everything he says takes him in the exact opposite direction he's saying he wants to go?  I guess it is...

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Schadensreude and The Royal PITA go hand and hand.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/report-kyrie-irving-ran-second-130018557.html



Report: Kyrie Irving ran second practice after Nash finished his last season



Kurt Helin
Tue, June 21, 2022, 6:00 AM


The war of words and spin is escalating between Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets, with reports yesterday that the sides were at an “impasse” in contract extension negotiations.

Now comes a report about Irving’s fit and tensions with the Nets, courtesy of ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith on his show First Take Monday (hat tip Bleacher Report):

“Did you know that this brother Kyrie Irving last season would conduct his own practices? So when Steve Nash had the team on the floor, and they practiced, they would finish and he’d go and get five guys and conduct his own practice. … Do you have any idea how disrespectful that is to Steve Nash?”

My takeaways from the latest Irving news:

• The “impasse” report Monday clearly leaked out of Irving’s camp as a negotiation tactic. Nets’ GM Sean Marks had said he wanted more of a commitment from Irving. Despite all the games missed and distractions the past couple of years, Irving expected a four-or-five-year max offer on the table, and it is not there, or Marks has incentives/strings attached (games played to reach a full max, maybe). Whatever the Nets are offering, it’s not what Irving wanted.

• This leak about Irving at practice was aimed at undercutting Irving’s credibility and bolstering the Nets’ position for whatever offer they made (and in the court of public opinion, my perception is most fans would back the Nets here).

• In most cases, I would say this is simply public negotiations and the two sides will work out a deal — Irving said he wanted to stay with Kevin Durant and the Nets both can’t replace him and don’t want to anger KD — but Irving is the most unpredictable player in the league. He walked away from more than $17 million last season because he refused to get vaccinated. If one player — one proven to have a wandering eye — were going to buck conventional wisdom and take less to leave a good situation, it would be Irving.

• Nobody knows what happens next.

• On June 29 we will have our first real indication of where things are headed — that’s the day Irving has to decide whether or not to opt into his $36.5 million for next season. If he opts in (taking less than the max extension he wants), it sets up trades, if he does not it’s a sign he’s worked out a new deal and that would only happen with the Nets. (The teams that could create the cap space to sign him as a max free agent, such as Detroit or Indiana, are not places Irving will go.)

• Of the three teams mentioned as interested in Irving — the Knicks, Clippers, and Lakers — it is by far the easiest to put together a trade with the Clippers. Irving would have to opt into his $36.5 million for next season (a pure sign-and-trade would trigger the hard cap and the Clippers couldn’t get below it), but the Clippers have solid players to send to the Nets — Luke Kennard, Reggie Jackson, Marcus Morris among others — and the would extend Irving at whatever price and years he wanted. With Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Irving, and still decent depth, the Clippers would be clear title contenders.

• The Knicks could make it work but the deal strips New York of its depth. Players such as Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel, Evan Fournier, and others could be in the trade and it would leave the Knicks with Irving, RJ Barrett, and likely Julius Randle (although whether he returns is still a question). This keeps Irving in New York but on a team fighting to avoid the play-in not contending for a ring. Is that what he wants?

• A LeBron James and Irving reunion is a great headline, and this seems about the only path for a Lakers return to contention, but putting together a trade is exceedingly difficult. Again Irving would have to opt-in, but the Lakers don’t have a way to both match salary and tempt the Nets. Throwing in Talen Horton-Tucker, Kendrick Nunn (assuming he opts in as expected) and two unprotected first-round picks (2027 and 2029) is a starting point, but it doesn’t get near the salary requirements. Russell Westbrook has to be part of the trade, but then a third team (likely Oklahoma City) has to get involved, and the Lakers don’t have the picks and players to both make the Nets happy and have enough sweeteners to get OKC to take on a bunch of extra salary (they would want additional firsts to take on Westbrook’s contract). Lakers fans on Twitter are desperately trying to come up with workable scenarios, but they all fall short.

• Most likely, Irving and the Nets will work something out. Both sides are better with each other. That would happen with most players — but Irving is not most players.


Bob


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Rumors are that the Lakers offered Russell Westbrook and a 2026 1st round pick to Indiana for Malcolm Brogdon, per Jonathon Givony.  It was rejected.

Tells you right there the fair market value of Russ.  Brogdon is 29 years old, 4 years younger than Westbrook.  He's a really good player, I like him a lot, but he isn't a force of nature like Russ.  He is athletically average. He's also not a high-volume low-efficiency player like Russ.

Brogdon has never made an All-Star team.  Russ is a former MVP, and he can't get traded for a solid, not great player.

Any trade that Pelinka eventually pulls off for Russell Westbrook, therefore, is likely to be inferior to this one.

There is talk, however, that Charlotte is interested. They'd want to unload Hayward and/or Rozier since they have Ball coming up for a max contract in 2 years and Mikal Bridges is coming up for a new contract. So Westy's expiring contract is a big, but only one year, bite.


Bob


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So Jerami Grant to the Blazers! Detroit in full rebuild mode. Any Kelly Olynyk fans on this board? I am not but I thought that I will check.

bobheckler wrote:Rumors are that the Lakers offered Russell Westbrook and a 2026 1st round pick to Indiana for Malcolm Brogdon, per Jonathon Givony.  It was rejected.

Tells you right there the fair market value of Russ.  Brogdon is 29 years old, 4 years younger than Westbrook.  He's a really good player, I like him a lot, but he isn't a force of nature like Russ.  He is athletically average.  He's also not a high-volume low-efficiency player like Russ.

Brogdon has never made an All-Star team.  Russ is a former MVP, and he can't get traded for a solid, not great player.

Any trade that Pelinka eventually pulls off for Russell Westbrook, therefore, is likely to be inferior to this one.

There is talk, however, that Charlotte is interested.  They'd want to unload Hayward and/or Rozier since they have Ball coming up for a max contract in 2 years and Mikal Bridges is coming up for a new contract.  So Westy's expiring contract is a big, but only one year, bite.


Bob


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It is mostly a money thing. If Russ was not set to collect a $40+ million payday there would be more interest.