Trade & FA 2024-25:

[SleepingHero]

Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA)
The Washington Wizards have been active in trade discussions to move a guaranteed salary, league sources told @spotrac.

Washington would like to keep Jared Butler for depth at point guard, which necessitates trading or waiving a player with a fully guaranteed contract.




Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA)
If teams are in a situation to waive players with guaranteed salaries, today's 5 PM ET deadline doesn't really impact them. That's mostly for non-guaranteed standard deals and Exhibit 9/10 contracts.

Since those teams will already be eating dead money on the cap sheet, they can wait until Monday's deadline to finalize their rosters. That's some extra time to try to find a trade.

[SleepingHero]

Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania)
In wake of Isaiah Hartenstein injury, the Oklahoma City Thunder are signing C/F Alex Reese to a non-guaranteed standard deal, agent Billy Davis told ESPN. Reese quit basketball in 2021 after 4 years at Alabama, was a bartender for a year, then played abroad and now has NBA deal.

[SleepingHero]

@JakeLFischer

Perhaps the buzziest 15th roster spot in the league resides in Boston. The champion Celtics don’t need to make any trades to keep Lonnie Walker for the regular season, as Boston has an open roster spot. But keep an eye on the Celtics moving Jaden Springer this year, maybe as late as the February trade deadline, to save north of $7 million in tax payments that would come with keeping Walker.

[Scott41theMavs]

Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine)
Newly acquired Dallas G Quentin Grimes has emerged as a candidate for a contract extension before Monday's 6 PM ET deadline for new deals for former first-round picks from the NBA Draft Class of 2021, league sources tell @TheSteinLine.

More NBA from me: http://marcstein.substack.com/

Lock him up! For a sub-Josh Green deal, of course.

[SleepingHero]

@JakeLFischer

Perhaps the buzziest 15th roster spot in the league resides in Boston. The champion Celtics don’t need to make any trades to keep Lonnie Walker for the regular season, as Boston has an open roster spot. But keep an eye on the Celtics moving Jaden Springer this year, maybe as late as the February trade deadline, to save north of $7 million in tax payments that would come with keeping Walker.

Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania)
The Boston Celtics are waiving guard Lonnie Walker IV, sources tell ESPN. Walker averaged 7.3 points in 16.4 minutes per game in Celtics preseason.

[SleepingHero]

@KeithSmithNBA
The Warriors are unable to keep a player in the 15th roster spot, becuase they do not have enough room under the first apron hard cap.

Golden State will have to clear room under the apron, or wait until they can sign a prorated minimum deal that will fit under the hard cap.

[SleepingHero]

@MikeAScotto
The Golden State Warriors are waiving Kevin Knox, Blake Hinson and Jackson Rowe, sources told
@hoopshype
. Knox has averaged 7.4 points in six NBA seasons. Hinson averaged 18.5 points and shot 42% from 3PT range at Pittsburgh last season. Rowe averaged 12.4 points in the G League.

[SleepingHero]

@TheSteinLine
BREAKING: Trey Murphy III and the Pelicans have agreed to a four-year, $112 million contract extension, his agents Sean Kennedy and Jeff Schwartz of
@excelsm
tell
@TheSteinLine
.

[Ghost of Podkolzin]

But he has been kicked off of multiple teams.

Starting at USC in college he was suspended indefinitely by the coaching staff due to "conduct issues" that were never specified until after he declared for the draft. 

CLE gave up on him after his rookie year despite solid production because of several issues. He got hit with a weapons charge, driving under the influence, and a car crash in the offseason before his 2nd year that caused him to be suspended by the NBA. He didn't even play a single game for CLE in his 2nd year because he threw a tantrum at his teammates and coaching staff, because they had to move his locker to bring in a new guy after a trade. It was such a bad blowup that CLE announced that they will either trade KPJ or cut him following the TDL. 

He was then shipped off to the wasteland that was the post-Harden Rockets. There he played meaningless basketball for 2 years. Did he grow up at all during that time? No. 3 months after he was traded he violated the NBA's code of conduct by going to a strip club with teammate Sterling Brown (former Mav legend) where they both were involved in an assault. 

His 2nd year with HOU, head coach Stephen Silas got on Porter Jr. at halftime for his poor effort in the first half. KPJ responded by losing his temper at both Silas and assistant coach John Lucas where he threw an object at Lucas and had to be separated from them. He then left the game and stadium entirely despite there being an entire half of the game left.  

Finally his last year in Houston, he gets hit with felony assault and domestic violence charges and that was that. I understand his girlfriend is now walking back the allegations. Of the 3 charges he was hit with originally, one has been dismissed, while 2 others (one still being a felony) are still in place. Its not like this was some isolated event. 

And we're supposed to assume and expect KPJ to be mature about playing a minor bench role?


Sources:
https://sports.yahoo.com/ex-usc-star-kev...the%20time.
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/3075...round-pick
https://nypost.com/2022/01/02/rockets-ke...er-blowup/
https://www.nba.com/news/kevin-porter-jr...nce-arrest
https://www.fox26houston.com/news/one-ch...-jr-s-case

I stand very corrected.  Thanks, Sleep

[SleepingHero]

I stand very corrected.  Thanks, Sleep

You're totally fine my dude.

As an olive branch here is a classic highlight from a former Mav legend we can both enjoy:

[SleepingHero]

Newly acquired New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray had a sit down interview with New Orleans media to discuss his desires this future in this article:
https://www.nola.com/sports/pelicans/dej...bac56.html

Had a very interesting quote:

"In Atlanta, I was in the corner and on the wings, and I made the best of it. Here, they are allowing me to play my real position. Playing point guard. Keeping everything organized. And making dudes better. And doing what I do best."

I'm pretty much convinced Murray could never work next to Luka if that is his mindset.

[SkenfromLMF]

Newly acquired New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray had a sit down interview with New Orleans media to discuss his desires this future in this article:
https://www.nola.com/sports/pelicans/dej...bac56.html

Had a very interesting quote:



I'm pretty much convinced Murray could never work next to Luka if that is his mindset.

And yet, that was my initial response to the Kyrie Irving trade... too many ball dominant players can be a bad mix.
No one is too concerned, in fact TODAY we want a 3rd ball handler, with that approach now. I think had we pursued Murray, we might be thrilled at how well his handles take the pressure off of regular season Luka. I also believe that Kidd would have worked it out where Murray would have been happier here with the more flexible offensive roles instead of his role in Atlanta.

Now with his exposure in New Orleans, this might become an issue: He could feel proven as a PG, leading to NEVER having a desire to share PG duties as well as despise the thought to be used as a corner threat again.

[KillerLeft]

And yet, that was my initial response to the Kyrie Irving trade... too many ball dominant players can be a bad mix.
No one is too concerned, in fact TODAY we want a 3rd ball handler, with that approach now. I think had we pursued Murray, we might be thrilled at how well his handles take the pressure off of regular season Luka. I also believe that Kidd would have worked it out where Murray would have been happier here with the more flexible offensive roles instead of his role in Atlanta.

Now with his exposure in New Orleans, this might become an issue: He could feel proven as a PG, leading to NEVER having a desire to share PG duties as well as despise the thought to be used as a corner threat again.

Big difference between someone we perceive to be better with the ball in their hands (there are many, many of those today) and someone with a chip on their shoulder about playing point guard. Seems like the same thing, but really isn't. Kyrie was ok playing off-ball mostly last year, Murray was NOT ok with it in Atlanta.

[mvossman]

Big difference between someone we perceive to be better with the ball in their hands (there are many, many of those today) and someone with a chip on their shoulder about playing point guard. Seems like the same thing, but really isn't. Kyrie was ok playing off-ball mostly last year, Murray was NOT ok with it in Atlanta.

Yep.  The biggest reason KP did not work here was because he did not want to set picks.  Dallas needed him to run P&R with Doncic and instead he wanted to ISO.  

There was reason for concern with Kyrie that he would be disgruntled with playing off ball (although he had his greatest success next to an elite on ball superstar) because who knows what Kyrie was thinking.  I'd like to think those discussions were had prior to the trade (they clearly were not with KP).  But when a guy comes out and publicly says he wants to run point, it makes no sense to spend significant assets on him and then put him in the starting lineup next to Doncic.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

Extensions

Jaden Hardy 3/$18. Third year team option
No deal with Quentin Grimes

Aaron Gordon 4/$133
Jalen Suggs 5/$150.5
Sengun 5/$185
Jalen Green 3/$106
Trey Murphy 4/$112
Kispert 4/$55

[KillerLeft]

Extensions

Jaden Hardy 3/$18. Third year team option
No deal with Quentin Grimes

Aaron Gordon 4/$133
Jalen Suggs 5/$150.5
Sengun 5/$185
Jalen Green 3/$106
Trey Murphy 4/$112
Kispert 4/$55

I kind of love that Hardy deal. If he takes off this year like I hope, that's going to be obscenely low for him. If he doesn't, it's something they can easily live with, especially considering the third year option.

[mvossman]

I kind of love that Hardy deal. If he takes off this year like I hope, that's going to be obscenely low for him. If he doesn't, it's something they can easily live with, especially considering the third year option.

Yep.  Tax MLE is about what I thought his value was and the option is a bonus.  Shame we could get something done with Grimes.

[SleepingHero]

Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine)
There was mostly pessimism through the weekend that the Hawks and rising star Jalen Johnson would reach terms on a rookie scale contract extension. Less than nine hours left now for that to change before tonight's 6 PM ET deadline. Eligible players who don't extend today proceed to restricted free agency in the summer.

There was also a weekend gap in extension talks between Dallas and newly acquired Quentin Grimes. We'll learn today if there is enough time left for a deal to be struck.

[RGP1981]

Extensions

Jaden Hardy 3/$18. Third year team option
No deal with Quentin Grimes

Aaron Gordon 4/$133
Jalen Suggs 5/$150.5
Sengun 5/$185
Jalen Green 3/$106
Trey Murphy 4/$112
Kispert 4/$55

That Sengun deal looks way too expensive for me. 5/$150M would have been better. He is a good offensive Center but has limitations on defense. It works on the Rockets because they have Jabari Smith Jr. next to him, and they will have to pay Jabari a pretty penny soon too... as well as Amen, Sheppard, Whitmore, Eason.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine)
There was mostly pessimism through the weekend that the Hawks and rising star Jalen Johnson would reach terms on a rookie scale contract extension. Less than nine hours left now for that to change before tonight's 6 PM ET deadline. Eligible players who don't extend today proceed to restricted free agency in the summer.

There was also a weekend gap in extension talks between Dallas and newly acquired Quentin Grimes. We'll learn today if there is enough time left for a deal to be struck.

https://x.com/MikeAScotto/status/1848485365008785534


Jalen Johnson signed a 5/150 extension today.