NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Chris Paul's Status, Possible JR Smith Trade and More
The NBA rumor mill finally quieted down after an eventful offseason hit its peak with the shocking news that Kawhi Leonard and Paul George were teaming up on the Los Angeles Clippers.
Still, the NBA is a 24/7/365 news cycle with player-movement chatter hitting Twitter regularly, and a few rumors have emerged in recent days.
Here's a look at some rumors surrounding Oklahoma City point guard Chris Paul, Cleveland Cavaliers guard JR Smith and free-agent center Kosta Koufos.
Chris Paul
Paul could be on the move again after being dealt from the Houston Rockets, but the Miami Heat reportedly aren't trying to make a deal with Oklahoma City.
That's per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, who wrote: "OKC, to this point, has offered nothing enticing enough to seriously interest Heat in Chris Paul talks. Heat won't close door if that changes, but this is OKC trying to move Paul, not Heat actively pursuing player."
Paul, a nine-time All-Star, averaged 15.6 points and 8.2 assists per game for the Rockets last season. His tenure there ended after Houston traded its floor general, two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps to the Thunder for Russell Westbrook.
The point guard doesn't seem like a great fit on a team now looking toward the future after trading away its two All-Stars in Westbrook and Paul George this offseason. The future is bright with a boatload of cap space and draft picks, but contending for a title is out of the question this year.
Paul is looking for his first ring and is best suited for a franchise seeking a missing piece en route to title contention, not one whose championship window isn't in the short term. At 34 years old, he is on the back nine of his career, so he doesn't have time for the Thunder's vision to materialize either.
His four-year, $159,730,592 contract is tough to move, with two years guaranteed before a 2021-22 player option. Still, the future Hall of Famer has been one of the league's best players over the past two decades, and he can still be productive heading into his 14th NBA season.
JR Smith
The Cleveland Cavaliers are looking to move guard Smith by Aug. 1 so they don't have to pay a fully guaranteed $15.7 million base salary, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, but they are prepared to release him if they can't find a trade suitor.
Per the article, the team hasn't had much luck there.
The Golden State Warriors were apparently an option, but Fedor reported the Cavs got turned down.
"According to sources, the Cavs offered lighter protections to the Golden State Warriors in a potential Andre Iguodala swap," he wrote. "Instead, Golden State made its trade with Memphis, giving up Iguodala, cash and a protected future first-round pick."
Fedor also mentioned Smith's partial guarantee of $4.37 million "seems to be a hurdle."
Smith averaged just 6.7 points on 34.2 percent shooting in 11 games last season before the Cavs announced on Nov. 20, 2018 that he would "no longer be with team as the organization works with [Smith] and his representation regarding his future."
The shooting guard has only made 37.9 percent of his shots over the past three seasons, and he'll be 34 years old with 15 NBA seasons under his belt if and when he joins his next NBA roster.
There's reason to doubt Smith's ability to contribute to a rotation, but he did make 37.5 percent of his threes just two seasons ago. He could be useful in a reserve role where he's asked to light it up from distance to boost the second unit.
Kosta Koufos
Former Sacramento Kings center Kosta Koufos is still looking for a 2019-20 home, but there isn't a shortage of interested teams, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
The Kings, Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks have all looked into the 30-year-old, who averaged 3.7 points and 4.2 rebounds in 12.0 minutes per game last year.
The big man has proved to be productive off the bench with more playing time, averaging 6.7 points and 6.6 rebounds in 19.6 minutes per game the year before.
The 7-footer didn't see much court action with the Kings starting Willie Cauley-Stein and drafting big man Marvin Bagley, both of whom patrolled the paint for much of the season. As the youth movement surged, he was largely phased out before becoming a free agent.
The Kings are reportedly still interested in bringing him back, although Koufos might be a better fit in Toronto over every other reported team.
The Pistons already employ double-double machine Andre Drummond and backup five Zaza Pachulia, and the Bucks have Brook and Robin Lopez to lead their depth chart.
Toronto could be an option, though, with Koufos coming off the bench for some spot minutes behind Marc Gasol.
