NBA BASKETBALL NEWS
There might not be an NBA team with a bigger need to sell than the Minnesota Timberwolves. For a poor team in the Western Conference, they have plenty of big-name players that would be beneficial to be sent away. That is what they would be doing here in a deal with the San Antonio Spurs.
Damian Lillard is going to continue to be the biggest storyline this NBA offseason. The saga surrounding Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers will continue to be discussed until a decision is made.
There’s a still month left before training camp starts for the Miami Heat which means players still have a few weeks to enjoy their offseason. However, no one seems to be having more fun than Victor Oladipo, who’s still recovering from the season-ending quadriceps surgery he underwent in May.
Veteran Paul Millsap has been met with a slow-moving market thus far in NBA free agency. While a flurry of moves has been made and plenty of veterans have been scooped up by contending teams, he remains a free agent.
The Memphis Grizzlies and veteran point guard Rajon Rondo have reached agreement on a buyout, setting the 35-year-old on course to become a free agent, sources told The Athletic's Shams Charania.
A shake-up was expected for the Indiana Pacers this NBA offseason. Yet, as we are only a few weeks away from training camp getting underway, the only real change that has occurred has been on the coaching staff.
Despite being a 3-time NBA All-Star and one of the best defenders in the NBA, Ben Simmons is not a highly recruited player in the NBA right now.
The Atlanta Hawks were one of the biggest surprises during the 2020-21 NBA season. They were floundering with Lloyd Pierce as head coach, but once he was fired and Nate McMillan took over, the team went on a run.
The New York Knicks have been in need of a superstar for many NBA seasons now. They were able to make the postseason as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference last year but now should be looking to improve on the roster. It has already been a busy offseason in New York and the front office can continue to be aggressive moving forward.
Rajon Rondo was one of the more dominant point guards in the NBA while he was with the Boston Celtics during the early 2010s, but after he was traded from Boston to Dallas during the 2014-15 season, he has seemed to bounce around a lot in this league.
The Portland Trail Blazers were expected to shake things up this offseason. They did that with their coaching staff, as Chauncey Billups was pegged as the replacement for Terry Stotts. Billups will be tasked with helping get a team over the hump that has lost in the first round of the NBA Playoffs in four out of the last five years.
Before committing to the Miami Heat, Kyle Lowry was one of the biggest names available in free agency. A handful of teams went all-in on their pursuit for the six-time All-Star, which included the New Orleans Pelicans. Apparently, the main reason why the Pels failed in their pursuit for Lowry has a lot to do with the way their front office handled the situation.
JJ Redick has been in the NBA for a decade-and-a-half now, and that may be good enough for him.
Ben Simmons trade rumors may be at the forefront of Philadelphia 76ers fans’ minds, but team president Daryl Morey has a lot to do beyond weighing the merits of Simmons-centric moves. As ever, he has a whole roster to consider as he aims to keep the Sixers in the NBA title picture.
As the offseason rolls on, Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers continue to be one of the biggest storylines in the NBA. There is no way Simmons can return to Philadelphia after the performance he put on in the postseason. This means the Sixers will have to find a trade partner and get back a return for their one-time franchise point guard.
Regretfully, Jared Dudley will not be back in the Los Angeles Lakers locker room in 2021-22 — neither as a player nor coach. After two seasons in L.A. and 14 in the NBA, seemingly everybody’s favorite teammate — including LeBron James — is retiring to join the Dallas Mavericks as an assistant coach.
The Memphis Grizzlies have made several transactions this offseason. They have been very active on the trade market, making trades during the 2021 NBA Draft and in free agency.
The Boston Celtics acquire Josh Richardson via trade from the Dallas Mavericks this season. While he didn't really impress during his time with the Dallas Mavericks, Josh Richardson is a capable slasher and a passable shooter, that provides important wing depth for the Celtics. While Richardson had a contract that was set to expire at the end of the season, it seems as though the Celtics want to keep him around.
The Toronto Raptors are heading into a new era for their franchise. Long-time point guard, Kyle Lowry, is no longer with the franchise. He signed a deal with the Miami Heat and landed in South Beach via sign-and-trade this NBA offseason.
The Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors are two interesting teams in the Eastern Conference this NBA offseason. They have both been in win-now mode but neither team did so this season. It was a down year for both squads and there could be some changes on the horizon. We have already seen some from the Celtics and that could continue moving forward.
The Cleveland Cavaliers would certainly want to move Kevin Love as they try to rebuild their roster, but if they are not able to do so, they have other plans for him to maximize his effectiveness.
The Brooklyn Nets have an insanely talented Big 3 with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden among one of the best groups of this century at least. Unfortunately, the Nets were handed some injuries and lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 7, missing the chance to go to the NBA Finals.
Bradley Beal is going to be one of the topics of conversation up until the start of the NBA regular season. He is one of the biggest stars that could be available in a trade moving forward. It is unknown if the Washington Wizards will look to make a move but if they do, there will be plenty of teams interested in a deal.
The Portland Trail Blazers have been the topic of conversation for weeks now and that is not going to change. It is only going to intensify as Damian Lillard remains in the organization ahead of the 2021-22 NBA season.
The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most controversial teams around the league heading into this season.
The Los Angeles Lakers are in the honeymoon stage with new star point guard Russell Westbrook. When the dust settles, Westbrook’s future with the team will be a popular storyline that follows the Lakers this season. Westbrook still has two seasons remaining on his five-year, $206 million contract but has a player option he can exercise to be a free agent next offseason.
