NBA Rumors: Latest Trade Rumblings on David Lee, Ty Lawson and More
The Golden State Warriors' NBA Finals triumph over the Cleveland Cavaliers signaled the official start of the NBA offseason, which means that trade rumors are starting to fly at a fast and furious pace.
As the 2015 NBA draft appears on the horizon, buyers and sellers are starting to ramp up their research regarding the markets for high-profile names who were previously believed to be foundational pieces.
However, times have changed, and franchises are looking to shed those large salaries in order to maintain financial flexibility entering free agency.
That could lead to a frenzy of transactions.
David Lee Done in Golden State?
David Lee was marginalized by the Golden State Warriors all season long (49 appearances, four starts), and in result the NBA champions are keen on doing the big man a solid as he seeks to maximize his value entering a contract year. According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein:
"David Lee, who is the second-longest tenured player for the Golden State Warriors and as close to Steph Curry as any member of the newly crowned NBA champions, has likely played his last game for the team, league sources told ESPN on Wednesday.
Sources said the Warriors have privately acknowledged to Lee and his agent, Mark Bartelstein, that it would be unfair to the former All-Star to ask him to continue to serve in a limited role next season after Lee accepted his diminished minutes without complaint all season.
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Stein added that "Golden State is determined to match any offer that comes for (Draymond) Green in restricted free agency and also intends to discuss a contract extension with forward Harrison Barnes, which only increases the likelihood that Lee moves on."
The Warriors' intentions are undeniably admirable, but identifying suitors for Lee's services could be tricky.
At present, Lee is the highest-paid player on the Warriors and is due just under $15.5 million next season. By comparison, league MVP Stephen Curry is slated to earn a shade below $11.4 million next year, while Klay Thompson will rake in $15.5 million when his extension kicks in.
Finding a taker for Lee's deal—even if it is expiring—likely won't be easy. In order to persuade another franchise to take on that sort of money, Golden State may need to sweeten the pot with a future draft pick or two.
Denver Dangling Ty Lawson
Denver Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson has been seeking a trade for a few weeks now, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, and it appears as though the team is trying to do what could be best for both parties.
According to ESPN.com's Chad Ford, Denver has been trying to persuade the Sacramento Kings to deal for Lawson in exchange for the sixth pick in next week's draft. The Nuggets are slated to pick one spot lower at No. 7 overall.
However, Ford notes that "so far they can't get Kings (or anyone else for that matter) to bite on Lawson."
Convincing the Kings to take on the final two years and $25.6 million of Lawson's deal may not be easy, especially because Sacramento has more than $10 million committed to Darren Collison through 2017.
That said, Lawson is able to stuff stat sheets in a way few floor generals can. Last season, Lawson joined Chris Paul and John Wall as the only qualified players to average at least 15 points and nine assists.
"The roster I have today will probably not be the roster we have come training camp," Nuggets head coach Mike Malone said at his introductory press conference, according to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "That's life in the NBA. Change is inevitable. But there's talent."
Lou Williams Drawing Wide Interest
Coming off an award-winning season, volume scorer extraordinaire Lou Williams is slated to be a hot commodity when free agency opens on July 1.
Shams Charania of RealGM offered insight into which clubs could make competitive offers for the Sixth Man of the Year's services:
"Lou Williams is expected to receive strong interest from teams that include the Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets, providing a clear competition for the Toronto Raptors to retain the NBA’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year, league sources told RealGM.
The Raptors and Williams have expressed a mutual interest, and there will be a window early in free agency for Toronto to finalize an agreement that’s viable for the 6-foot-2 guard.
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According to Charania, Williams could net a deal that pays him an average annual salary between $8.75-$9 million, which would be a nice raise from the $5.4 million he made with the Toronto Raptors last season.
And with a cap spike looming in 2016, a multiyear deal at that estimated value would be fair for one of the league's best microwave scorers.
Prospective bidders need to be wary of Williams' flaws, though.
While he's plenty proficient at creating his own shot, Williams tends to eat up chunks of the shot clock when given permission to run his team's second unit. Last season, a plurality (28.3 percent) of Williams' shots required a three-to-six-dribble setup, according to NBA.com's SportVU player-tracking data, and he converted just 39.3 percent on those attempts.
All statistics courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com unless noted otherwise. All salary information retrieved from Basketball Insiders.
