NBA Rumors: Buzz Surrounding Mike Conley, Possible Enes Kanter Trade and More
The first several hours of the NBA's free-agency period haven't been quite as hectic as last season, but teams have still agreed to some important deals.
DeMar DeRozan re-upped with the Toronto Raptors on a five-year, $139 million deal, according to The Vertical's Shams Charania, and Charania also reported that the Charlotte Hornets have retained Nicolas Batum on a five-year, $120 million contract. Other names such as Jordan Clarkson, Timofey Mozgov and Joakim Noah received some attention for agreements, as well.
There are still plenty of names left on the market, though, and at least one possible major trade brewing. Let's break down the latest buzz on three of the league's bigger names.
Mike Conley
In a somewhat surprising turn of events, TNT's David Aldridge said the Memphis Grizzlies are "very confident" they'll retain point guard Mike Conley, despite a push from the Dallas Mavericks. Memphis registered its worst winning percentage in six seasons during the 2015-16 campaign, and the franchise appears to be on the decline. Conley re-signing would be a monumental relief for the squad.
However, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Dwain Price reported that the Mavericks will get the first crack at Conley Friday.
The 28-year-old floor general is needed in Memphis, where the team started Jordan Farmar at point guard in its recent first-round playoff series with the San Antonio Spurs. Dallas has a weird smorgasbord of veteran point guards, including Deron Williams, Raymond Felton, J.J. Barea and Devin Harris, but none of them are deserving of starting spots in today's NBA.
Memphis should end up pulling off the signing, considering Conley has plenty of familiarity with the franchise, and the Mavericks don't really have that exciting a roster with which to entice him.
Enes Kanter
When the Oklahoma City Thunder matched the Portland Trail Blazers' max contract offer sheet for Enes Kanter last summer, most pundits ridiculed them. While he put together a decent campaign off the Thunder bench in his first full season in Oklahoma City, his defensive struggles mean he'll probably never be a big-minute contributor for the team.
It's not surprising the squad is already looking to move him to create space for Al Horford, as ESPN's Marc Stein reported:
Horford to the Thunder makes a ton of sense. He and Steven Adams would be a dynamite frontcourt combo that could play small or big, thanks to their mobility and skill sets. Plus, it only makes the pitch to Kevin Durant stronger, and the superstar small forward hopes to decide on his next team by July 4, per The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Finding a trade partner for Kanter probably won't be easy, but the Thunder could do it. There are likely a few desperate non-contenders who will be intrigued by Kanter's gaudy per-36 minute statistics from last season (21.7 points and 13.9 rebounds on 57.6 percent shooting).
The Golden State Warriors would obviously love to nab Durant in free agency, but one of their backup plans involves Pau Gasol, per ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne. Shelburne said Gasol "isn't keen" on taking less money again, but contending for a championship and playing in a good market are also important to him. Presumably, the Warriors would try to convince him to take less than other non-contenders would pay for his services.
But here's the thing: Gasol is a pretty terrible fit in Golden State.
The Warriors' defensive success is predicated on versatility, and that's definitely not the 35-year-old big man's strong suit. He's lost plenty of mobility since his prime, and he frequently lets guards and big men get by him. On offense, he's talented but won't be able to keep up with the Warriors' transition-heavy attack.
Warriors fans should be hoping the team either signs Durant or looks for a more fitting option to fill out its frontcourt.
