Account
NBA Rumors: Latest on Kawhi Leonard Trade, Devin Booker and More
July 4, 2018
Kawhi Leonard, who has one year left on his contract before a player option in 2019-20, remains the top name available in the NBA offseason. However, the San Antonio Spurs do not appear ready to part with their star forward for anything but a premium price.
The Los Angeles Lakers are understandably interested, as teaming Leonard up with LeBron James would give them an excellent chance of challenging the Golden State Warriors for Western Conference supremacy.
NBA salary-cap expert Larry Coon reported the Spurs are asking for Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart, two first-round draft picks and an exchange of two additional picks.
Ingram, the No. 2 overall pick in 2016, had a breakout sophomore season, averaging 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. Kuzma, the 27th overall pick last season, came out of nowhere (16.1 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 1.8 APG) to make the All-Rookie First Team. Hart, also a rookie last season, was productive in limited minutes.
That is a prohibitive price for a one-year rental, without even mentioning the picks, but the Lakers would have to contend with serious competition if Leonard becomes a free agent. Yahoo Sports' Shams Charania said on The Herd with Colin Cowherd the Los Angeles Clippers could also serve as a destination.
While not nearly as impactful as Leonard, free-agent guard Jamal Crawford has received interest from the Philadelphia 76ers, according to Keith Pompey of Philly.com.
Crawford has proven his ability to come off the bench and provide an offensive contribution throughout his 18-year career. He has won the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award three times, and he is coming off a season with the Minnesota Timberwolves in which he averaged 10.3 points while playing just 20.7 minutes per night. His 41.5 shooting percentage is not overly impressive, but it is on track with a career percentage of 41.0 percent.
The Suns believe they have their long-term shooting guard in Devin Booker, and the two sides are closing in on a five-year, $158 million extension, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com.
After drafting Deandre Ayton with the No. 1 pick this year, the one-two punch of Booker and Ayton could be formidable.
Booker, a great scorer, averaged 22.1 points in 2016-17 and 24.9 last year, and he connected on 38.3 percent of his threes. If Booker signs the proposed extension, he will become the highest-paid player in the team's history.
Wojnarowski also reported that swingman Tyreke Evans is close to a one-year contract with the Indiana Pacers. The 28-year-old averaged 19.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.1 steals last season in a bounce-back performance with the disappointing Memphis Grizzlies, though he only played in 52 games.
J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star later confirmed that Evans agreed to a one-year, $12 million deal with the Pacers.