NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Trey Burke's Trade Status, Cavaliers and More
Just when it seemed the summer's big moves were finished, the NBA saw an agreement for a major trade between the Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets take place on Sunday.
It began with a series of rumors surrounding troubled guard Ty Lawson, who was arrested on the suspicion of driving under the influence for the second time in six months, and ended with a deal that would send Lawson and a second-round pick to the Rockets in exchange for Kostas Papanikolaou, Pablo Prigioni, Joey Dorsey, Nick Johnson and a future first-round pick, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
The way this year's offseason has gone, a move like that shouldn't come as a big shock—we've already seen plenty of head-spinning acquisitions.
So, here's the burning question: Are any other big moves likely to take place before next season? We can look to the rumor mill in an effort to gain some clarity on that front. Here's what's currently being said by NBA insiders around the Web.
Trey Burke Staying Put?
Despite his young age of 22 years, his status as a former ninth overall selection in the 2013 draft and some glimpses of promise during his two-year NBA career, the Utah Jazz were reportedly shopping point guard Trey Burke in an effort to make a draft-day deal this year, according to Jody Genessy of the Deseret News.
The team has a logjam at the guard position with Dante Exum, Raul Neto and Bryce Cotton also in the fold. Utah did appear to be leaning in favor of Neto—perhaps a big reason why the rumors surrounding Burke began—but after his performances during the summer, Burke appears to be staying put, according to a tweet from Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune:
Burke is coming off a season in which he averaged 12.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game while shooting 36.8 percent from the floor and 31.8 percent from downtown in 30.1 minutes per contest. Most of those numbers—especially his shooting percentages—were down from his rookie campaign by a significant margin.
Still, Burke is a young player who is still getting his feet under him at the professional level. He's also entering the final years of his contract with Utah. Jones stressed the importance of his upcoming campaign:
If Burke can live up to his potential this season, he could earn a lucrative deal next summer when the salary cap increases. However, if he continues to struggle, he may have a hard time finding opportunities across the NBA.
Cavaliers Buzz
After earning a runner-up finish in the NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers saw several of their key players opt out of their contracts early in the offseason. The team was able to strike deals with Kevin Love and LeBron James; however, other starters remain on the open market.
Tristan Thompson was thought to be re-entering the fold after the Cavaliers offered him a sizable contract worth $80 million, via Stein:
However, a deal has yet to come to fruition, and MJ Apostle of the Centrio Times noted the two sides are still a "great distance apart" in regards to contract talks.
With things at a standstill with Thompson, Cleveland has set its sights on international center Sasha Kaun, who spent the last six seasons playing for CSKA Moscow. Joe Vardon of the Northeast Ohio Media Group reported the latest buzz surrounding the big man:
"The Cavaliers "aren't in a hurry" to make a decision on Russian center Sasha Kaun, a league source told the Northeast Ohio Media Group.
Cleveland front office personnel dined with the 7-foot Kaun Friday night in Las Vegas after he watched the team's Summer League finale courtside with LeBron James and coach David Blatt, among others.
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Currently, Kaun makes $2.9 million annually with CSKA Moscow, but he'd be willing to take less money to play for Cleveland. He's coming off a season in which he averaged 9.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game while shooting 69.1 percent from the floor.
Brock Motum to Utah?
Former Washington State standout Brock Motum is on the Jazz's radar. The 6'10", 245-pound small forward is extremely versatile, as he's a solid shooter from distance but has the size to be a threat on the interior. Utah could use some additional depth in its frontcourt rotation, and according to Angus Crawford of NBA.com, an offer has already been made:
Although, just because the Jazz have put in a bid for Motum's services, it doesn't mean the big man is guaranteed to play in the United States this year. Crawford followed up his previous tweet with this one:
In 22 contests with Australian side Adelaide 36ers, Motum averaged 18.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while shooting 52.6 percent from the floor and 49.2 percent from downtown. He's also a 73 percent free-throw shooter. Those aren't bad numbers for a player who will likely play a supporting role in a rotation.
