NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Kyrie Irving, Carmelo Anthony and More
The 2017 offseason is nearly history. The draft, the bulk of free agency and several notable trades are official, but a couple big names are keeping the rumor mill in motion.
Carmelo Anthony and Kyrie Irving are still with the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers, respectively, and that may remain the case for the immediate future. But both are positioned to be playing elsewhere before the regular season tips off.
Additionally, veteran wing Gerald Henderson has also found himself in the news. Unfortunately, it's because of hip surgery, which may keep him out for the entire 2017-18 season.
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Kyrie Irving to the Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns have been linked to Irving for about as long as his trade demand has been out in the open.
And while an Irving-Devin Booker backcourt offers intriguing possibilities on offense, Phoenix appears hesitant to empty its coffers for a player who's unwilling to commit long term.
"I heard Phoenix would be very interested in dealing for Irving," Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer wrote. "But the Suns would want to know if Irving will sign an extension to stay in Phoenix. His contract is up in the summer of 2018. I'm told Irving is not about to commit to any team at this point. He has two seasons left on his contract and wants to keep his options open."
A trade demand, not being on an expiring contract and not being willing to commit to any team trading for him has seriously depressed Irving's trade value. At least that's how it looks from the outside.
That being the case, it's easy to see this saga dragging out for several more weeks. Patience is probably the smart way to go for Cleveland, but it also shouldn't carry this drama into training camp.
Carmelo Anthony Not Talking to the New York Knicks?
Speaking of teams having disputes with their star players, the Knicks apparently can't even get a meeting with Anthony.
"Sources told the Daily News that team president Steve Mills has tried to talk with Anthony to go over options," Stefan Bondy wrote for the New York Daily News. "However, sources said Anthony is not interested in having such a discussion after the team put a deal with the Houston Rockets on hold. 'For him, there's nothing to talk about,' a source said."
Oof! That sounds like a relationship that's beyond repair.
Like the Irving situation, the writing is on the wall here. Probably even more so. Anthony wants to play for the Houston Rockets. His no-trade clause gives him all the power in this situation unless the Knicks want to further damage their reputation with players by dragging him through one more year and making him opt out of the last year of his deal.
With fewer options to assess, New York may be able to move a bit more swiftly than Cleveland.
Gerald Henderson to Miss 2017-18?
After starting 41 games for the Philadelphia 76ers last season, Henderson, a 29-year-old wing who could have solidified the back end of a team's bench, may miss all of 2017-18.
ESPN.com's Chris Haynes reported that Henderson needs hip surgery:
If this surgery does indeed cost him an entire season, it could be difficult for him to find his way back into the league.
Since the start of the 2009-10 season, Henderson's first in the NBA, 338 players have logged at least 5,000 minutes. Of that group, Henderson is 296th in Box Plus-Minus, per Basketball Reference.
With the cap rising much slower than originally expected, and the flexibility of several teams hampered by deals signed in 2016 and 2017, it could be tough for Henderson to find another NBA contract.
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.jpg?w=600 "Offseason Moves for Every Team 👉")
