Buying or Selling Early season NBA Rumors and Buzz
The 2023-24 NBA season has only just begun, and already the rumor mill is billowing with buzz.
That's part of what makes the Association such a fascinating watch, though, isn't it? As absurdly good as the on-court action is, the off-court rumblings can be just as compelling.
They can also be misleading, since it isn't always clear what's real, what's not and what's in that messy gray area in between.
That's why the basketball gods invented the always reliable smell test, allowing us to parse these rumors for what—if any—substance they may include.
Heat 'Had No Interest' in Trading Tyler Herro?
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The second it became clear the Heat weren't getting a Damian Lillard deal done, they entered damage-control mode with Tyler Herro, the presumed centerpiece of their offer.
That effort is apparently ongoing with team president Pat Riley now doing what he can to make Herro feel wanted.
"We have never shopped him and had no interest in ever trading the guy," Riley said, according to Tim Reynolds of AP News. "But when you're talking about acquiring one of the top five players in the league, there isn't anybody on our team that won't be discussed."
This feels like some seasoned semantics from Miami's main decision-maker. There is a difference between actively shopping Herro and simply discussing him in a deal, although the "had no interest" part is hard to buy, since a Lillard deal was never going to happen without Herro's inclusion.
With Lillard on the Milwaukee Bucks, Miami needs to bring the best out of Herro, who's just starting a four-year, $120 million contract. He is the best internal candidate to solve this squad's offensive issues (25th in efficiency last season), not to mention its top trade chip for the next time a star becomes available.
Verdict: Hard sell. If the Heat had interest in getting Lillard, then they had interest in letting go of Herro.
Bulls' Stars on Trade Watch?
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The Chicago Bulls have been a teardown candidate since shortly after bringing Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vučević. Even those who initially bought into the Big Three have had trouble maintaining that belief amid a season-plus of mediocrity since the still-injured Lonzo Ball first went down with a knee injury in Jan. 2022.
Opening night of this campaign did nothing to reverse that trend. As if attempting to become the Association's personification of the "This is fine" meme, the Bulls followed their 20-point home loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder with the campaign's first players-only meeting.
That's not exactly how you hope to start a season in which your entire identity could be on the line. According to Hoops Wire's Sam Amico, LaVine and DeRozan are both trade candidates "if the Bulls get off to a slow start or are hovering around .500 (or worse) at the February trade deadline."
While the front office has yet to signal any indication to break up this roster, that continues to feel like the logical move to make. DeRozan, 34, is down to the final season of his contract. LaVine, 28, has at least three seasons left on his (player option in 2026-27), but it's fair to question Chicago's desire to pay him better than $40 million for each of those campaigns.
Verdict: Buy. Easy buy. Forget about contending, the Bulls aren't even a lock for the play-in tournament. Chicago can't possibly want more of this.
'Significant Gap' in Extension Talks Between Klay Thompson and Warriors?
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The Golden State Warriors have a decent idea of what their future holds. Stephen Curry is signed through the 2025-26 season, while Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins are both under contract for at least that long (each has a player option for 2026-27).
The biggest unknown, though, is Klay Thompson. The 33-year-old sharpshooter—who lost (at least) a step on defense after tearing his ACL, then Achilles in consecutive years—is owed $43.2 million for this season and nothing beyond it. A contract extension is possible, but things aren't trending that direction.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, "From what I'm told, there's a significant gap in years and money. The negotiations right now, from what I'm told, they're at a dead point. Thompson wants much more than what the Warriors are offering overall in both years and salary. ... As of right now, all signs point to Klay Thompson going into free agency in the summer."
Thompson, it seems, may want to be compensated for what he's done in the past and his unshaken belief he can still be that player. The Warriors, surely mindful of the penalties of spending large under this collective bargaining agreement, may understandably have some questions as to how he'll play as he gets deeper into his 30s.
Verdict: Buy some, sell some. These negotiations won't be easy given the uncertainty of Thompson's future, but the words "dead point" suggest a finality for a situation that's more likely fluid. He could wind up reaching free agency, but it's way too early to say that's what will happen.
Julius Randle, RJ Barrett Part of Knicks' Planned Offer for Joel Embiid?
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You may have heard a time or two that the New York Knicks would love getting their hands on Joel Embiid.
Who wouldn't? He is, after all, the reigning MVP and a player whose mere presence on your roster grants you some degree of championship hope. The Knicks should be especially interested, though, since they might be one superstar swap away from cracking the contending ranks.
If Embiid ever hit the trade market, New York reportedly already knows what it would send over.
Per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Knicks are "willing to offer a package that includes three" of Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson and Evan Fournier, "plus two or three future first-round draft picks."
If that's the best the 'Bockers can do, they should shift their trade focus to someone else. That definitely isn't getting it done for Embiid and could fall short by a comical degree.
Verdict: Soft sell. The Knicks are surely willing to discuss all of the above in an Embiid deal, but they also must know that isn't enough. If they had a realistic shot at the six-time All-Star, it's hard to imagine they'd consider anyone other than maybe Jalen Brunson as off-limits.
Clippers Pause James Harden Pursuit?
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For months now, James Harden has anxiously awaited a trade away from the Philadelphia 76ers and to the Los Angeles Clippers. It sounds like that wait could continue indefinitely—because of the Clippers.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, L.A. is "essentially pausing" its Harden pursuit to "see what this team looks like with a healthy Kawhi Leonard, a healthy Paul George." Revisiting these talks is an option down the line, per Wojnarowski, but the Clippers are "the only team that's made a serious offer" and "don't want to bid against themselves."
The sticking point is these talks, according to The Athletic's Sam Amick, is 27-year-old swingman Terance Mann. Some might scoff at the notion of Mann, a non-star, standing in the way of a Harden deal, but it's a reasonable stance for the Clippers to take (for now, at least). They might think they can win a title without Harden. They might also have a hunch that their Mann-less offer is still the best the Sixers will get for Harden, a 34-year-old on an expiring contract in the middle of his third trade request since Jan. 2021.
With no obvious threat to swipe Harden, the Clippers seemingly have both time and leverage on their side. That could change if L.A. encounters any point guard problems, or if a rival squad surfaces in the Harden sweepstakes. For now, L.A. can afford to operate without any urgency and is taking advantage of that.
Verdict: Buy. The Clippers don't need to rush for a Harden deal, so they aren't. It's the right play as long as his market remains dormant.
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