Buying or Selling Latest NBA Trade and Offseason Rumors
As the final playoff picture begins to take shape, there's also a lot of buzz going around regarding the NBA's offseason.
Is Donovan Mitchell's potential extension really tied to a Finals run? Will the Brooklyn Nets sell high on Mikal Bridges or keep him as a centerpiece following a disappointing year? Which coaches are already on the hot seat?
It's time to buy or sell the latest NBA offseason rumors.
Isaiah Hartenstein Wants a Raise and Return to the Knicks
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One of the more underrated players in the NBA today, Isaiah Hartenstein has helped keep the New York Knicks at the top of the East even with injuries ravaging the roster all season.
With Mitchell Robinson missing all but 27 games with ankle surgery, Hartenstein, 25, has stepped in as the Knicks' starting center and performed admirably ahead of free agency. In 46 starts he's averaging 8.6 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.2 blocks while shooting 66.4 percent overall in 27.8 minutes. His plus-11.5 swing rating ranks in the 95th percentile among all NBA players, according to Cleaning the Glass.
Hartenstein, who's finishing up a two-year, $16 million contract, recently talked to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto about his season and free agency, putting it out there that he feels like he deserves a raise.
"I'm focused on what I'm doing right now. I know I've put myself in a great position to get a little upgrade. Right now, I'm focused on the Knicks. I love it here, and hopefully, we'll figure something out, but at the end of the day, business is business." he told Scotto. When asked if the Knicks and a different team offer the same amount if he would stay in New York, Hartenstein said, "Yeah."
There's no reason to sell any of these comments from the 7-footer, who more than deserves an uptick in salary.
Even with Robinson returning to the lineup, Hartenstein has remained the starter. With Robinson under contract for over $27 million the next two seasons, the center position could get pricey if Hartenstein seeks a contract paying him more than the player he's replaced.
The Brooklyn Nets could use a center if Nic Claxton leaves in free agency and the Washington Wizards need a new starting 5 after trading Daniel Gafford at the deadline. Hartenstein would be a perfect fit with the Memphis Grizzlies in a potential sign-and-trade after they traded away Steven Adams as well.
For now, the most likely scenario seems like Hartenstein re-signing in New York with the Knicks possibly shopping Robinson and pursuing a cheaper backup.
Buy or Sell: Buy Hartenstein wanting to return to the Knicks and that he deserves a raise from his current $8.2 million salary.
Monty Williams, Chauncey Billups on Hot Seats in Detroit and Portland
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With news that Charlotte Hornets head coach Steve Clifford will be transitioning to a front-office role, we're sure to see plenty of more coaching changes transpire over the next few months.
For now, Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer mentions two destinations that could see some change, with remaining money playing a major factor in one.
As Fischer writes, "There has been ongoing speculation among rival front offices about a potential change atop Detroit's organizational chart following the Pistons' strugglesome campaign. At this juncture, according to one source with knowledge of the situation, there is no expectation that (Monty) Williams would be open to any buyout of his six-year, $78.5 million contract."
Unless the Pistons go a perfect 4-0 to close out their season, this team will somehow finish with a worse record than the 17-65 version of a year ago. That squad only got 12 games of Cade Cunningham due to shin surgery and had yet to add Ausar Thompson or Marcus Sasser via the 2023 draft.
A record 28 straight losses was a rough way for Williams to begin his career in Detroit, especially since he didn't reach this total in a season during two of his four years with the Phoenix Suns. With roughly $65 million still owed over the next five years, don't expect the Pistons to fire Williams (or him to give up any of that money) just yet.
Fischer also writes that, "NBA coaching figures have also circled Portland, currently slated for the fifth-best odds in next month's draft lottery, as a possible coaching situation to monitor because of the Blazers' position in the standings."
Chauncey Billups' situation is completely different, as he was hired to coach a Portland team coming off a 42-30 season that featured Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Jusuf Nurkić, Norman Powell, Larry Nance Jr. and Robert Covington. All six veterans have since been traded with the franchise now undergoing a complete rebuild.
Portland may look for a new head coach that specializes in developing young talent while Billups may eye potential openings on teams with playoff aspirations. A breakup seems entirely possible.
Buy or Sell: Sell the Pistons and Williams splitting up just yet with that contract, but buy Billups and the Blazers mutually parting ways.
Nets Still Plan to Build Around Mikal Bridges
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It's been a disaster of a season for the Brooklyn Nets, who have now officially been eliminated from the playoffs and don't even have a first-round pick to show for it (owed to the Houston Rockets via the James Harden trade).
Nic Claxton is going to be an unrestricted free agent and the franchise is still searching for a head coach with interim Kevin Ollie going an uninspiring 10-15 down the stretch. Ben Simmons lasted just 15 games and scored a total of 92 points before further back issues ended his season.
This is a franchise without a clear direction, although one stance remains the same.
"The Nets, by all accounts, still hold aspirations of adding to a core that already features a complementary piece in Mikal Bridges," writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, the Houston Rockets offered Jalen Green and multiple first-round picks to the Nets for Bridges before the trade deadline, a deal that looks even better for Brooklyn now with Green's hot play the last few weeks. Like with all other potential offers for Bridges, however, the Nets declined.
The 27-year-old is the most durable player in the NBA and one of the best wing defenders as well. His contract (two more years at a total of $48.2 million) is one of the easiest to plug into a team's payroll.
Still, the Nets should at least be listening to offers for Bridges while deciding what to do. By the time they get a championship-caliber roster around him, Bridges could be an unrestricted free agent in 2026.
Tanking should be off the table with the Rockets either possessing first-round swap rights or Brooklyn's first-round pick outright until 2027, so the Nets should be seeking win-now talent back in return.
Blindly turning down all trade offers for Bridges given the current state of the franchise would be a mistake.
Buy or Sell: Buy this being the plan for now, although the Nets should be considering all options after an awful year.
Donovan Mitchell Will Decline an Extension Unless Cavaliers Make NBA Finals
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While the Cleveland Cavaliers were the NBA's hottest team during the middle of the season with an 18-2 stretch, they've gone just 10-16 since the All-Star break and have fallen from No. 2 to No. 5 in the East standings.
Donovan Mitchell's continued knee issue has limited him to just nine of the Cavs' last 26 games. The All-Star guard looks like a shell of himself when he is active, averaging just 16.9 points and shooting 37.8 percent overall since Valentine's Day.
The bigger issue for Cleveland is whether it can get Mitchell to sign an extension, one he's eligible for this summer. Letting him go into unrestricted free agency in 2025 is a dangerous game to play, and one the Cavaliers may not participate in at all.
"The buzz in NBA circles suggests that barring a run to the NBA Finals, Mitchell will decline an extension and look elsewhere, and the Cavaliers are more likely than not to move him well before he can leave outright as a free agent," writes Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus, who also notes that Mitchell is "all but certain" to decline a $37.1 million player option in 2025-26.
This puts the Cavs in an impossible position, as the team needs a healthy Mitchell to have any chance of winning even a single playoff series, much less three. He's clearly not right, however, and hasn't been for the past two months. Expecting the 27-year-old to suddenly look like his old self for the playoffs with just three games remaining is unrealistic.
If Cleveland loses in the first (or even second) round and Mitchell doesn't sign an extension (whether he wants to leave or just sign a bigger deal in free agency), the Cavs may have no choice but to take trade calls. Losing him for nothing simply can't happen, not with unprotected first-round picks owed to the Utah Jazz in 2025, 2027 and 2029 with swap rights in 2026 and 2028.
Because of the trade for Mitchell, the Cavaliers can't tank for the rest of the decade. Because of his current injury, however, they won't come close to winning a title, either. This is a rough spot all around for Cleveland, a franchise that now has to hope Mitchell will show some grace given his injury and sign a max extension this offseason no matter how the 2024 playoffs end.
Buy or Sell: Buy that an extension is tied to the Cavs' playoff success.
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