NBA Rumors: Latest on Monta Ellis Trade, Russell Westbrook and More
The Chicago Bulls won an NBA Summer League title Monday, concluding a thrilling week and throwing the full force of the NBA right back into the rumors realm.
Other than Denzel Valentine showing the organization it didn't need to go into win-now mode, the league provided a strong example as to the importance of depth in the NBA.
Most rumors this time of year deal with such depth pieces—at least most years. This isn't most years, though, where the shining exception is Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder, who still has to deal with the aftermath of Kevin Durant taking his ball and going elsewhere.
Here's a look at the hottest items on the market.
Monta Ellis on the Move?
The Indiana Pacers have quietly had one of the better offseasons around, adding Jeff Teague and Thaddeus Young to a Paul George-led core.
Subtractions aren't out of the question, though.
According to Basketball Insiders' Steve Kyler, the team shopped around shooting guard Monta Ellis:
With a backcourt featuring names such as Teague and Rodney Stuckey, it's no wonder the team wouldn't mind moving the 30-year-old Ellis. It's a cash situation more than anything, with Ellis representing a cap hit north of $10 million in each of the next three seasons, per Spotrac.
Also unsurprising is the apparent lack of interest. Ellis suffered a rapid drop in productivity last season, averaging 13.8 points on 42.7 percent shooting. In comparable minutes with the Dallas Mavericks the year before, he went for 18.9 on 44.5, respectively.
Indiana's selling point will have to be Ellis' ability in the right situation. The front office might have to give up more than it would prefer to move him, though. This one will come down to how badly the Pacers desire the cap space.
J.R. Smith's Price?
This seemed easy enough for the Cleveland Cavaliers: Re-up with critical depth piece J.R. Smith for a cheap contract, with the veteran shooting guard more than happy to do his part from a cap standpoint after winning a title.
It's never so simple.
Call it an odd offseason for the champs. LeBron James isn't back under contract, though he's assured Cleveland there is nothing to worry about, per Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. A key piece like Smith isn't going to make things easy on the organization, either.
Kyler provided the details:
It is a lot of cash, but the NBA does live in a world where Timofey Mozgov pulls in $64 million.
Hello, television money. Smith is 30 years old and averaged 12.4 points on 41.5 percent shooting from the floor and 40 percent from deep. That last number is better than his career 37.5 average, so age hasn't exactly killed off his ability yet.
This is the song and dance every champion goes through with key free agents. In the end, Cleveland surely coughs up the cash to keep Smith around knowing the gains the Golden State Warriors made this summer.
Whether it's enough for Smith on the open market is another conversation.
Russell Westbrook Watch
Based on one note, it sounds like the Thunder don't have anything to worry about when it comes to Westbrook—for now.
It's easy to think the organization does. It lost Durant after not forcing him into a decision before hitting the market, where Golden State swayed him. Making the same mistake again with Westbrook would be catastrophic.
According to the Oklahoman's Anthony Slater, Westbrook doesn't sound ready to give up.
"Westbrook has given the Thunder no indication that he currently wants out," Slater wrote. "To the contrary, one source described him as ticked off about the Kevin Durant departure, determined for this new challenge and eager for the season to start: 'He's ready.'"
Great news in more ways than one. Dealing Westbrook wouldn't be the simplest thing in the world. The team getting him would acquire his Bird rights, but the trick is making sure he actually signs an extension.
Barring an offer the Thunder cannot refuse, it seems like Westbrook will stick with the team for the first half of the season, where he's liable to post MVP-esque numbers with nobody to steal his production while he plays angry.
From there, who knows? Much will hinge on how the Thunder stand in the Western Conference and if the front office has the willpower to give him an ultimatum.
The Westbrook watch might have hit a delay, but it's certainly not dead.
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
