NBA Rumors: Trade Reports and Rumblings from Around the League

The Los Angeles Lakers are headed to the NBA Finals. They eliminated the tenacious Denver Nuggets on Saturday night to claim their spot in the championship series. The Boston Celtics, meanwhile, managed to stave off elimination with a Friday win over the Miami Heat.

With Boston and Miami set to play again Sunday night, the Finals could be set by Monday morning.

While fans are anxiously awaiting the matchup and ensuing series, the other 27 NBA teams are waiting for October and the start of the 2020 offseason. For them, it's time to look ahead and at moves that might help win a championship in 2021.

While there are some intriguing names scheduled to enter free agency—and guys like Anthony Davis and Gordon Hayward have player options—the trade market is likely to be active. One player who might be available is two-time All-Star and Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo.

Oladipo is entering the final year of his contract and is scheduled to make $21 million this season. Seeing has how Oladipo has suffered a torn quad in early 2019 and only played 19 games this past season, that's a price tag Indiana may not want to commit to.

"I bet they trade him," one unnamed league executive said, per Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus.

A lot will hinge on how teams view Oladipo's chances of returning to form. He was an All-Star in both 2018 and 2019, so there is upside for a team willing to take a chance on him.

Milwaukee Uninterested in Chris Paul

Kim Klement/Associated Press

While there's no clear indication that Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Chris Paul will be available via trade, if the organization opts for a full rebuild—Billy Donovan was not brought back after OKC's first-round playoff exit—Paul will likely be out.

Paul certainly seemed to sense an end to his time in Oklahoma City in a post-playoffs Twitter post.

"I don't know what the future holds, but what I can say is that this team, I think I made some connections and bonds with these guys that'll last a lifetime," he said.

Expect several teams to at least look into acquiring the 10-time All-Star. Just don't expect the Milwaukee Bucks to be among them.

"Myself and Eric Nehm, who covers the Bucks for us, have two sources telling us that the Bucks have zero plans of pursuing a Chris Paul trade," The Athletic's Sam Amick told Michael Scotto on The HoopsHype Podcast.

Milwaukee desperately needs to add talent around superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo for a couple of reasons. For one, the Bucs presumably would like to finish the 2020-21 season with a title and not with another early playoff exit. Secondly, they need to show Antetokounmpo that they're committed to winning.

Antetokounmpo is scheduled to be a free agent after next season and will essentially be able to pick his team if he hits the open market.

Philadelphia Could be Posturing for Harden

The Philadelphia 76ers have the core of a championship-caliber team, but there are still a few missing pieces. Acquiring current Houston Rockets star James Harden could go a long way toward filling in the gaps, and the 76ers could already be plotting to land him.

Philadelphia has homed in on Mike D'Antoni as its next head coach, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. That move might be Step 1 in the Harden chase.

According to John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia, the 76ers believe that hiring D'Antoni could help the team land Harden:

D'Antoni spent the last four seasons coaching Harden and the Rockets, and his contract expired following the team's second-round loss to the Lakers. If he accepts the job, he might indeed make Philadelphia an appealing destination for Harden.

If the 76ers are all-in on acquiring Harden, the bigger question is whether they would wait for him to become a free agent—he has a player option in 2022—or try working out a trade before then.