NBA Rumors: Trade Reports and Rumblings from Around the League
The 2015-16 NBA season is still in progress, but only for three teams. Squads not named the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors or Oklahoma City Thunder have turned their attention to the upcoming offseason, which includes the draft on June 23 and the end of the trade and free-agency moratorium on July 7.
Rumblings regarding the offseason have started to emerge over recent weeks, and it's becoming clear that this summer could significantly change the landscape of the league.
Let's recap some rumors that have surfaced during recent days related to three Eastern Conference teams.
Philadelphia Looking to Trade Okafor or Noel?
It’s no secret that the Philadelphia 76ers’ top prospects aren’t spread out across the five positions. On the interior, the team has Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid, Dario Saric and Jahlil Okafor—all lottery picks in 2013, 2014 or 2015 with All-Star NBA ceilings.
And the point guard, shooting guard and small forward positions? Philly’s four biggest minute-getters there in 2015-16 (Hollis Thompson, Jerami Grant, Isaiah Canaan and Robert Covington) were all either second-round selections or undrafted.
The aggressive tanking procedures of former general manager Sam Hinkie should be over, and new GM Bryan Colangelo seems to be making an effort toward building a competent roster. Per ESPN.com’s Marc Stein and Chad Ford, the team is exploring ways it can move Okafor or Noel.
For the Sixers, finding a taker for either one would be huge. The team will likely be adding a blue-chip small forward in next month’s draft (either Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram), but it will still be in dire need of backcourt help. Teams that can offer a high draft pick or capable guard should pique Philadelphia’s interest.
The Sixers should try hard to move Okafor, who is skilled down low on offense but has a game that's poorly suited to the modern NBA. His poor shooting and lack of defensive versatility put a solid cap on his ceiling unless he makes significant alterations to his skill set.
Lakers Not Interested in DeRozan?
DeMar DeRozan is from Compton, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. DeRozan is a two-time All-Star who’s still just 26 years old and will be one of the league's top free agents this summer. The Los Angeles Lakers always seem to make lucrative contract offers to the top free agents.
It all adds up, doesn’t it?
However, that may not be the case, according to Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding. B/R Radio’s Noah Coslov relayed a scoop Ding received regarding the Lakers' interest in the All-Star, one that may have surprised a few people:
While the Lakers need all the talent they can get, DeRozan probably isn’t the best fit. He’s a ball-dominant guard, the type of player Los Angeles already has in spades. His three-point stroke is also nothing special—he made just four of his 26 attempts from long distance during the Raptors’ playoff run—and the Lakers ranked last in three-point percentage during the regular season (31.7).
As it turns out, DeRozan might not be pumped about playing in Tinseltown, either. TSN Sports’ Josh Lewenberg posted the following quote from the athletic shooting guard after the Raptors’ Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Cavaliers:
DeRozan seems intent on returning to Toronto (or at least on winning), so don’t expect him to be wearing a Lakers uniform this fall.
Will the Heat Be Too Cheap for Whiteside?
The trajectory of Hassan Whiteside’s career suggests he deserves a max-contract offer from at least one team this summer.
After being out of the league for two seasons, he returned in 2014-15 and immediately became a force around the rim on both ends of the floor. During the 2015-16 campaign, Whiteside took another step forward and averaged an outstanding 17.5 points, 13.3 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per game after the All-Star break while finishing third in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
He’s still only 26 years old.
According to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson, though, the Heat are attempting to persuade their free-agent center to sign for less than the max. Heat president Pat Riley has a reputation of convincing players to sign below their market value as a sacrifice for the team, and it appears he’ll try to do so again with Whiteside.
Jackson also reported the following: “My understanding, reiterated in recent days, is if all things are equal financially, Whiteside wants to re-sign with Miami. He likes living here and likes the organization.”
But if another team makes a solid pitch to Whiteside that includes a max contract (a likely occurrence) and the Heat give him a package that offers a slightly lower annual salary (quite possible), which will he choose?
Miami needs to decide how badly it wants its budding big man to stick around when it considers its final offer for Whiteside.
