Since the NBA Finals ended, teams have been allowed to negotiate with their own free agents and extension-eligible players. Free agency begins in just over a week and negotiations between teams and other players can formally begin. (Informally, negotiations are already underway through back channels; manipulation is the lifeblood of the NBA this time of year.)
Here’s an update on some of the latest free agent rumors.
• Could DeMar DeRozan stay with Chicago in free agency? Bulls trade Alex Caruso to Thunder, bringing back another playmaker, Josh Giddey, to take his place. Chicago is focused on trying to trade Zach LaVine. With all that, does DeMar DeRozan want to return to Chicago? That’s a big question in league circles. Marc Stein wrote in his Saturday newsletter.
“One of the loudest questions bouncing around the league right now is: Will DeRozan be more available in free agency than expected now once the market officially opens on June 30 at 6 p.m. ET ? Likewise: Will DeRozan even want to return to the league?
Both DeRozan and the Bulls have said publicly that they want their relationship to continue, but as put by KC Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago“Last year at this time, there was more momentum for Nikola Vucevic to re-sign in this exclusive negotiating period before free agency begins than there is currently for DeRozan.”
DeRozan, 35, who averaged 24 points and 5.3 assists per game last season, is a mid-range killer who could help a playoff or contender team like Philadelphia in the right role. If he is available, there will be suitors.
• The Bulls again find LaVine’s trade market lukewarm. The Bulls and Zach LaVine are on the same page: It’s time to part ways. Chicago sought a deal at the trade deadline, but nothing materialized. Now that we’re approaching the peak of the off-season…the market is still pretty lukewarm. The Philadelphia 76ers and Utah Jazz, two rumored targets of LaVine, “don’t have much interest” Stein reported.
The leading candidate for a LaVine trade is the Sacramento Kings. Sacramento has been offering Harrison Barnes and Kevin Huerter, along with a first-round pick, and that could be enough to get a deal done.
• Ja Morant has not yet recovered from shoulder surgery, but will be soon. This isn’t a note about free agency, but it’s worth passing on. Morant has been out since January following surgery to repair a labral tear and has not yet been cleared by doctors to return to basketball activities. reports Drew Hill in the Daily Memphian. The good news is that he should be cleared in the coming weeks and ready for training camp. “I hate being around basketball and not being able to play,” Morant said. “I don’t have much longer. I can wait to make sure I can play and be cleared when the season comes.”
• The Warriors are expected to bring back Kevon Looney. The Warriors are trying to do a balancing act of upgrading the roster and getting more play around Stephen Curry while cutting payroll to get off the second apron of the luxury tax. That put Kevon Looney on the block, because only $3 million of his $8 million contract is guaranteed, and Golden State had until Monday to make the decision. However, the Warriors are expected to guarantee his salary. Anthony Slater reports in The Athletic.
They are expected to forfeit the remainder of Looney’s $8 million contract guarantee, keeping him in his current plans, although it remains possible they could eventually use his salary to help complete an offseason trade.
• Mavericks will try to trade Tim Hardaway Jr. Again. As evidenced during the playoffs, Tim Hardaway Jr. has fallen out of Jason Kidd’s regular rotation when things get serious. With that, Dallas is attempting to trade Hardaway and his expiring $16.2 million contract. Stein reports.
“Finding a new home for Hardaway is a key element of Dallas’ strategy to re-sign Derrick Jones Jr., whose return next season after excelling on a minimum contract this season was rated by the Mavericks’ general manager, Nico Harrison, as “priority 1A and 1B” “for Dallas this offseason.”