NBA Rumors: Rounding Up Latest Trade, Draft and Free-Agent Chatter
Feel free to call now the busiest time of year for the NBA rumor mill.
The playoffs continue ever onward, but for those left alive in the bracket and outside of it, things hit a fever pitch when the calendar strikes mid-May.
Not only is the NBA draft fast on approach with the NBA Draft Combine hosting the best of the best, teams are in the early stages of putting out trade feelers and hoping to figure out how to best approach free agency.
There's a lot swirling at once in all regards, so let's take a moment to examine the latest.
Clippers Covet Lakers Star?
How's this for an interesting twist?
The Los Angeles Clippers need to figure out how to best remain in contention, and they might just look to the plodding Los Angeles Lakers for help.
It's a small blurb in a rather big offering by ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne, but it says quite a lot about the Clippers' plans: "The Clippers have interest in Lakers swingman Wes Johnson, according to sources."
Going on 28 years old, Johnson enters the offseason after two consecutive one-year deals with the rebuilding Los Angeles team. Last year he averaged a career-best 9.9 points per game, but recent indications are the Lakers feel "mixed" on whether to bring the Syracuse product back.
It sounds like the Clippers won't mind scooping him off the market. It would make sense, too, considering Johnson would be the best small forward on the roster right away over someone like Matt Barnes and wouldn't come at too steep a cost.
DeAndre Jordan's Future
Let's just stick with the Clippers, as the team has many things to figure out.
The biggest, and perhaps the one making the most noise right now, centers on big man DeAndre Jordan, who heads to free agency this offseason.
It's no secret the Clippers and coach Doc Rivers want the 26-year-old big man back in the fold long-term, which ESPN.com's Arash Markazi, confirms in a recent report: "Jordan, who finished sixth in the NBA in WARP, is expected to be offered a max contract of five years for $108.7 million by the Clippers this summer, according to sources."
One problem—perhaps all isn't well:
Even if there's a divide, it's hard to imagine the Clippers don't want to keep a playoff core in place. Jordan averaged 11.5 points, 15.0 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game last season and remains a key component of the team's ability to compete down low.
There are sure to be plenty of max offers thrown around for Jordan's services, so the sooner the Clippers can work out their issues and get Jordan on board, the better. For now, it remains perhaps the biggest storyline to watch.
Nicolas Batum on the Block to Help Draft Plans?
It's a never-ending struggle for a team to set itself apart from the rest of the pack in the competitive Western Conference.
For the Portland Trail Blazers, this might mean surrendering a big-name player such as Nicolas Batum via trade to move around on draft day.
Jabari Young of CSNNW.com offers the report: "One rumor that seems to be spreading is the possibility of packaging the first round pick along with Nicolas Batum to either move up in the draft or grab a player that could help the Blazers make another run next season."
Sitting outside of the top 20 on draft day seems like a tough pill to swallow for the Trail Blazers, especially with so many other questions surrounding the franchise such as the futures of LaMarcus Aldridge and Wesley Matthews.
Batum, 26, averaged 9.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists last year in 71 games, but if the front office feels it can secure similar production from a cheaper rookie, it makes sense to dangle Batum in trade talks.
Portland was already one of the bigger franchises to watch this offseason with so much up in the air. The addition of Batum's name to the rumor mill just makes things even more interesting as the front office prepares for its most important offseason in years.
Stats and info courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
