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With the NBA Draft hours away, HoopsHype has gathered the latest intel on NBA Draft trade talks, what’s next for the Bucks, Heat, Celtics, Pistons, and Blazers, following the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade. Plus, updates on Ja Morant, Tyler Herro, Julius Randle, Trey Murphy III, DeMar DeRozan, the Warriors, Bulls, Timberwolves, Nets, Grizzlies, Hornets, and a quick chat with Grizzlies All-Rookie First Team selection Cedric Coward.
The Golden State Warriors are keeping all options open heading into the draft with their No. 11 pick.
The Warriors have talked with the Charlotte Hornets about the possibility of swapping draft picks, with Golden State’s No. 11 pick going to Charlotte for Nos. 14 and 18, contingent on certain players being on the board, league sources told HoopsHype. Charlotte has signaled a willingness to move up in the draft, seemingly to leapfrog Oklahoma City, and executives across the league are wondering which player the Hornets could be targeting.
Golden State has also been one of many interested suitors in New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III, and the two teams have discussed concepts involving the No. 11 pick, league sources told HoopsHype. As previously reported by HoopsHype, the Pelicans have searched for a trade into the lottery and are targeting a player. Nate Ament has been mentioned as one potential candidate for the Pelicans.
Before this past trade deadline, several teams, including the Warriors, Pistons, Pacers, Hawks, Trail Blazers, Spurs, and Lakers, called to express interest in trading for Murphy, league sources told HoopsHype.
In the midst of a rebuild and over the first apron, barring an unexpected trade, the Sacramento Kings are expected to waive-and-stretch forward DeMar DeRozan, HoopsHype has learned. DeRozan’s $25.74 million expiring contract is only guaranteed for $10 million, which can be stretched over the next three seasons. Should DeRozan enter free agency as expected, the Los Angeles Clippers are expected to have interest in the California native, HoopsHype has learned.
In addition, after The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynskireported the Minnesota Timberwolves are now out of the Ja Morant sweepstakes, another team that was linked to the two-time All-Star this past season is also expected to look for guard help in another direction.
With the Kings projected to take a point guard with the No. 7 pick in the NBA Draft, the chances of the franchise pursuing Morant going forward are unlikely, HoopsHype has learned. This past season, the Kings were willing to acquire Morant if they were incentivized, but Memphis was uninterested in giving up draft compensation to move Morant, a two-time All-Star.
After over a year of pursuing, Pat Riley finally landed Giannis Antetokounmpo in a blockbuster trade for the Miami Heat. Now, we’ll preview what’s next for the Heat and Milwaukee Bucks, who made the trade, and the Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, and Portland Trail Blazers, who were a part of the trade talks but left with nothing.
Antetokounmpo, one of the game’s top players, is self-explanatory and singlehandedly raises Miami’s chances of competing in the East. His presence will appease fellow Heat star Bam Adebayo, who had grown frustrated with missing the playoffs after two first-round exits following a trip to the NBA Finals in 2023.
Forward Bobby Portis, who remains impactful off the bench and shot 45.6 percent from 3-point range last season, also will join Antetokounmpo in Miami. Portis is owed $14.52 million this upcoming season and has a player option worth $15.60 million for the 2027-28 season.
A few executives who spoke with HoopsHype believe Miami’s All-Star guard Norman Powell could now be a candidate to leave the Heat, and the Detroit Pistons are among the teams who’ll be trying to pry him from South Beach, league sources told HoopsHype.
Andrew Wiggins has a $30.17 million player option for the upcoming season. Executives are waiting to see if Wiggins will exercise his option or decline it with the intention of signing a new multi-year deal with Miami, or if he’ll consider a new destination.
The Bucks landed an All-Star-caliber guard in Tyler Herro, who’s expected to draw trade interest from the Detroit Pistons and other teams while on an expiring $33 million contract. Kel'el Ware, 22, showed promise as a nightly double-double who can stretch the floor beyond the arc (39.5 percent) and has two years of team control before being eligible for restricted free agency. Sixth Man of the Year runner-up Jaime Jaquez Jr. will be eligible for restricted free agency next summer. Kasparas Jakucionis is a 20-year-old prospect with upside. Milwaukee also landed three first-round picks, one pick swap, and one second-round pick.
With Antetokounmpo and Portis gone, all eyes turn to holdovers Myles Turner and Kyle Kuzma as trade candidates for the Bucks. Turner has always known that if Antetokounmpo was ever traded, he’d be a strong trade candidate, HoopsHype has learned. During his Pacers tenure, Turner was linked to the Hornets, Pelicans, and Lakers in trade rumors at various points. Those teams could all make sense now, and possibly the Celtics. Turner, 30, is still owed $83.55 million, including a player option for the 2028-29 season. Kuzma is on an expiring $20.49 million contract and can help a team with scoring. He shot a career-high 49.2 percent from the field last season.
Elsewhere, within league circles, there was palpable chatter about the Pistons hoping to get involved in the Antetokounmpo trade to land Herro, while dangling assets such as Isaiah Stewart, Ron Holland, Duncan Robinson, and draft compensation, league sources told HoopsHype. In addition, the Los Angeles Lakers were linked with trade interest in Kel’el Ware over the past couple of days, sources said.
Will the Pistons make another run at Herro, who’s currently set to join his hometown Bucks? Or will Detroit attempt to pivot by making a run at Powell in free agency or via trade for Trey Murphy III, whom they’ve expressed interest in? If any deal with Detroit ever came to fruition, expect Pelicans executive Troy Weaver to insist on reuniting with Stewart, one of his favorite players from his Pistons tenure.
For Boston, what will be the fallout with Brown? Does he remain with the Celtics after knowing he was involved in trade talks similar to years ago when Kevin Durant talks fell through?
The Portland Trail Blazers made trade attempts to land Antetokounmpo and Brown, but were unsuccessful while trying to use two future first-round Bucks swaps in 2028 and 2030, league sources told HoopsHype. In 2029, the Blazers will also get the best and worst first-round pick between Boston, Milwaukee, and Portland. In addition, the Clippers are a team to keep an eye on for Brown, as mentioned in our previous intel notebook story.
The Minnesota Timberwolves, Brooklyn Nets, and Chicago Bulls agreed to a trade that will send Julius Randle and the No. 28 pick in the NBA Draft to the Nets, Nic Claxton to the Bulls, and the No. 33 pick to the Timberwolves, as first reported by ESPN and confirmed by HoopsHype.
Randle is excited to join the Nets and wants to be in Brooklyn, league sources told HoopsHype. After coming to New York amid a rebuilding situation, Randle evolved into a three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA forward who helped the crosstown rival Knicks reach consecutive Eastern Conference Semifinals appearances before being dealt to Minnesota as part of the Karl-Anthony Towns trade. Randle is owed $33.33 million for the upcoming season and has a $35.80 million player option for the 2027-28 season.
In addition to moving up five spots into the late first round of the draft, another factor in the decision to trade Claxton was the opportunity to free up more playing time for center Day’Ron Sharpe, sources told HoopsHype. Sharpe, the longest-tenured Net going into his sixth season at just 24 years old, impressed Nets brass last season and was lauded by coach Jordi Fernandez for his rebounding prowess. Sharpe is currently penciled in as Brooklyn’s starting center.
Speaking of Claxton, Chicago will absorb the 27-year-old center into cap space. Claxton, who’s known for his switchability and shot blocking on defense and being a lob threat who can handle the ball on offense, is owed $23.32 million this upcoming season and $21.10 million for the 2027-28 season.
Minnesota freed up financial flexibility to re-sign Ayo Dosunmu to a five-year, $112 million contract, as first reported by ESPN. As previously mentioned by HoopsHype, Dosunmu’s range was projected to be somewhere north of $18 million annually and the low $20 million range. Minnesota also opened up the starting power forward spot for former Sixth Man of the Year winner, Naz Reid, and will create more shot opportunities for Jaden McDaniels, who’s been deemed virtually untouchable, as previously noted by HoopsHype.
Memphis Grizzlies All-Rookie First Team selection Cedric Coward was in New York ahead of the NBA Draft as a player correspondent. Coward chatted briefly with HoopsHype about Ja Morant and where he sees Memphis trending as a team and city.
HH: With this young core and picks No. 3 and 16, where do you see this team’s trajectory?
Cedric Coward: 'I see a team that’s trying to develop talent where we can compete with the Spurs, the Thunder, and teams of that caliber that are championship-level teams. For me, I can focus on what I do on the court on a day-to-day basis and how I treat my own work in terms of making sure I’m on top of it and then that will trickle down to helping me be a leader and making sure they’re putting in their own work with whoever we draft at No. 3. We’re going to have fun at the same time. Memphis has gotten a bad rap. The city has gotten a bad rap. But, ultimately, I love it because it’s a city where if you’re there to work, that’s what there is to do. From there, you venture out, but it’s always work first.'
HH: What are your thoughts on the core of this group?
CC: 'I think every guy we have is ultimately going to play a huge part. It’s tough to say now because we don’t know what the configuration of the team will look like because it’s so early before the draft and free agency. If we were to start the season tomorrow, I’m confident that every guy that we have healthy is going to be a huge contributor. We’ve been training, and I’ve seen in person so much work that hasn’t been seen, because I think it’s best to work in silence and let people be surprised when you’re there. That’s how I’ve always taken it.'
HH: How would you describe Ja Morant, and what could be next for his future?
CC: 'He’s one of my favorite teammates I’ve ever been around. He’s just a standup guy. He’s one of them dudes. When we had the ice storm, he offered to pay for my groceries. I declined it, but the offer was just who he is. He always wants to take care of people. He took care of me as a rookie in certain situations. He’s a good person to be around. He’ll joke around with you. Usually, when you go to teams with superstar-level players, they don’t talk to the rookies. With him and Jaren Jackson Jr., they were open with it from the beginning. That was the first person who texted me when I got drafted. That’s my guy right there. Whatever happens, happens. That doesn’t change how I feel about him.'
You can follow Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) on X, formerly known as Twitter, and Blue Sky (@MikeAScotto).
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This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: NBA Intel: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ja Morant, Julius Randle, Warriors, Celtics, Pistons, Heat, Blazers, Bulls, Timberwolves, Kings, Nets
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Warriors No. 11 pick trade talks; Trey Murphy III
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The Golden State Warriors are keeping all options open heading into the draft with their No. 11 pick.
The Warriors have talked with the Charlotte Hornets about the possibility of swapping draft picks, with Golden State’s No. 11 pick going to Charlotte for Nos. 14 and 18, contingent on certain players being on the board, league sources told HoopsHype. Charlotte has signaled a willingness to move up in the draft, seemingly to leapfrog Oklahoma City, and executives across the league are wondering which player the Hornets could be targeting.
Golden State has also been one of many interested suitors in New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III, and the two teams have discussed concepts involving the No. 11 pick, league sources told HoopsHype. As previously reported by HoopsHype, the Pelicans have searched for a trade into the lottery and are targeting a player. Nate Ament has been mentioned as one potential candidate for the Pelicans.
Before this past trade deadline, several teams, including the Warriors, Pistons, Pacers, Hawks, Trail Blazers, Spurs, and Lakers, called to express interest in trading for Murphy, league sources told HoopsHype.
What’s next for DeMar DeRozan’s future, and will the Kings pursue Ja Morant?
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In the midst of a rebuild and over the first apron, barring an unexpected trade, the Sacramento Kings are expected to waive-and-stretch forward DeMar DeRozan, HoopsHype has learned. DeRozan’s $25.74 million expiring contract is only guaranteed for $10 million, which can be stretched over the next three seasons. Should DeRozan enter free agency as expected, the Los Angeles Clippers are expected to have interest in the California native, HoopsHype has learned.
In addition, after The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynskireported the Minnesota Timberwolves are now out of the Ja Morant sweepstakes, another team that was linked to the two-time All-Star this past season is also expected to look for guard help in another direction.
With the Kings projected to take a point guard with the No. 7 pick in the NBA Draft, the chances of the franchise pursuing Morant going forward are unlikely, HoopsHype has learned. This past season, the Kings were willing to acquire Morant if they were incentivized, but Memphis was uninterested in giving up draft compensation to move Morant, a two-time All-Star.
What’s next after the Giannis Antetokounmpo blockbuster trade?
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After over a year of pursuing, Pat Riley finally landed Giannis Antetokounmpo in a blockbuster trade for the Miami Heat. Now, we’ll preview what’s next for the Heat and Milwaukee Bucks, who made the trade, and the Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, and Portland Trail Blazers, who were a part of the trade talks but left with nothing.
Antetokounmpo, one of the game’s top players, is self-explanatory and singlehandedly raises Miami’s chances of competing in the East. His presence will appease fellow Heat star Bam Adebayo, who had grown frustrated with missing the playoffs after two first-round exits following a trip to the NBA Finals in 2023.
Forward Bobby Portis, who remains impactful off the bench and shot 45.6 percent from 3-point range last season, also will join Antetokounmpo in Miami. Portis is owed $14.52 million this upcoming season and has a player option worth $15.60 million for the 2027-28 season.
A few executives who spoke with HoopsHype believe Miami’s All-Star guard Norman Powell could now be a candidate to leave the Heat, and the Detroit Pistons are among the teams who’ll be trying to pry him from South Beach, league sources told HoopsHype.
Andrew Wiggins has a $30.17 million player option for the upcoming season. Executives are waiting to see if Wiggins will exercise his option or decline it with the intention of signing a new multi-year deal with Miami, or if he’ll consider a new destination.
The Bucks landed an All-Star-caliber guard in Tyler Herro, who’s expected to draw trade interest from the Detroit Pistons and other teams while on an expiring $33 million contract. Kel'el Ware, 22, showed promise as a nightly double-double who can stretch the floor beyond the arc (39.5 percent) and has two years of team control before being eligible for restricted free agency. Sixth Man of the Year runner-up Jaime Jaquez Jr. will be eligible for restricted free agency next summer. Kasparas Jakucionis is a 20-year-old prospect with upside. Milwaukee also landed three first-round picks, one pick swap, and one second-round pick.
With Antetokounmpo and Portis gone, all eyes turn to holdovers Myles Turner and Kyle Kuzma as trade candidates for the Bucks. Turner has always known that if Antetokounmpo was ever traded, he’d be a strong trade candidate, HoopsHype has learned. During his Pacers tenure, Turner was linked to the Hornets, Pelicans, and Lakers in trade rumors at various points. Those teams could all make sense now, and possibly the Celtics. Turner, 30, is still owed $83.55 million, including a player option for the 2028-29 season. Kuzma is on an expiring $20.49 million contract and can help a team with scoring. He shot a career-high 49.2 percent from the field last season.
Elsewhere, within league circles, there was palpable chatter about the Pistons hoping to get involved in the Antetokounmpo trade to land Herro, while dangling assets such as Isaiah Stewart, Ron Holland, Duncan Robinson, and draft compensation, league sources told HoopsHype. In addition, the Los Angeles Lakers were linked with trade interest in Kel’el Ware over the past couple of days, sources said.
Will the Pistons make another run at Herro, who’s currently set to join his hometown Bucks? Or will Detroit attempt to pivot by making a run at Powell in free agency or via trade for Trey Murphy III, whom they’ve expressed interest in? If any deal with Detroit ever came to fruition, expect Pelicans executive Troy Weaver to insist on reuniting with Stewart, one of his favorite players from his Pistons tenure.
For Boston, what will be the fallout with Brown? Does he remain with the Celtics after knowing he was involved in trade talks similar to years ago when Kevin Durant talks fell through?
The Portland Trail Blazers made trade attempts to land Antetokounmpo and Brown, but were unsuccessful while trying to use two future first-round Bucks swaps in 2028 and 2030, league sources told HoopsHype. In 2029, the Blazers will also get the best and worst first-round pick between Boston, Milwaukee, and Portland. In addition, the Clippers are a team to keep an eye on for Brown, as mentioned in our previous intel notebook story.
Timberwolves, Nets, Bulls trade intel
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The Minnesota Timberwolves, Brooklyn Nets, and Chicago Bulls agreed to a trade that will send Julius Randle and the No. 28 pick in the NBA Draft to the Nets, Nic Claxton to the Bulls, and the No. 33 pick to the Timberwolves, as first reported by ESPN and confirmed by HoopsHype.
Randle is excited to join the Nets and wants to be in Brooklyn, league sources told HoopsHype. After coming to New York amid a rebuilding situation, Randle evolved into a three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA forward who helped the crosstown rival Knicks reach consecutive Eastern Conference Semifinals appearances before being dealt to Minnesota as part of the Karl-Anthony Towns trade. Randle is owed $33.33 million for the upcoming season and has a $35.80 million player option for the 2027-28 season.
In addition to moving up five spots into the late first round of the draft, another factor in the decision to trade Claxton was the opportunity to free up more playing time for center Day’Ron Sharpe, sources told HoopsHype. Sharpe, the longest-tenured Net going into his sixth season at just 24 years old, impressed Nets brass last season and was lauded by coach Jordi Fernandez for his rebounding prowess. Sharpe is currently penciled in as Brooklyn’s starting center.
Speaking of Claxton, Chicago will absorb the 27-year-old center into cap space. Claxton, who’s known for his switchability and shot blocking on defense and being a lob threat who can handle the ball on offense, is owed $23.32 million this upcoming season and $21.10 million for the 2027-28 season.
Minnesota freed up financial flexibility to re-sign Ayo Dosunmu to a five-year, $112 million contract, as first reported by ESPN. As previously mentioned by HoopsHype, Dosunmu’s range was projected to be somewhere north of $18 million annually and the low $20 million range. Minnesota also opened up the starting power forward spot for former Sixth Man of the Year winner, Naz Reid, and will create more shot opportunities for Jaden McDaniels, who’s been deemed virtually untouchable, as previously noted by HoopsHype.
Cedric Coward: 'Memphis has gotten a bad rap'
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Memphis Grizzlies All-Rookie First Team selection Cedric Coward was in New York ahead of the NBA Draft as a player correspondent. Coward chatted briefly with HoopsHype about Ja Morant and where he sees Memphis trending as a team and city.
HH: With this young core and picks No. 3 and 16, where do you see this team’s trajectory?
Cedric Coward: 'I see a team that’s trying to develop talent where we can compete with the Spurs, the Thunder, and teams of that caliber that are championship-level teams. For me, I can focus on what I do on the court on a day-to-day basis and how I treat my own work in terms of making sure I’m on top of it and then that will trickle down to helping me be a leader and making sure they’re putting in their own work with whoever we draft at No. 3. We’re going to have fun at the same time. Memphis has gotten a bad rap. The city has gotten a bad rap. But, ultimately, I love it because it’s a city where if you’re there to work, that’s what there is to do. From there, you venture out, but it’s always work first.'
HH: What are your thoughts on the core of this group?
CC: 'I think every guy we have is ultimately going to play a huge part. It’s tough to say now because we don’t know what the configuration of the team will look like because it’s so early before the draft and free agency. If we were to start the season tomorrow, I’m confident that every guy that we have healthy is going to be a huge contributor. We’ve been training, and I’ve seen in person so much work that hasn’t been seen, because I think it’s best to work in silence and let people be surprised when you’re there. That’s how I’ve always taken it.'
HH: How would you describe Ja Morant, and what could be next for his future?
CC: 'He’s one of my favorite teammates I’ve ever been around. He’s just a standup guy. He’s one of them dudes. When we had the ice storm, he offered to pay for my groceries. I declined it, but the offer was just who he is. He always wants to take care of people. He took care of me as a rookie in certain situations. He’s a good person to be around. He’ll joke around with you. Usually, when you go to teams with superstar-level players, they don’t talk to the rookies. With him and Jaren Jackson Jr., they were open with it from the beginning. That was the first person who texted me when I got drafted. That’s my guy right there. Whatever happens, happens. That doesn’t change how I feel about him.'
You can follow Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) on X, formerly known as Twitter, and Blue Sky (@MikeAScotto).
This content may be blocked in parts of Europe due to GDPR. To use it, connect your VPN to a non-EU country and try again.
We highly recommend you add HoopsHype as a preferred source on Google. You just have to click here.
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: NBA Intel: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ja Morant, Julius Randle, Warriors, Celtics, Pistons, Heat, Blazers, Bulls, Timberwolves, Kings, Nets
Continue reading...
