Chris Mannix: I was asking around a couple of teams, just for their opinion on the trade value of Kyrie Irving: it’s virtually zero. I mean, he makes $35 million this year, and he’s as unpredictable as you get.
Source: Spotify
On the latest edition of the HoopsHype podcast, hosts Michael Scotto and Yossi Gozlan discuss the futures of Ben Simmons and Zion Williamson. The duo also broke down the vaccination statuses of Kyrie Irving and Andrew Wiggins and whether Ja Morant will be an All-Star this season.
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THE SPURS TALKED with the Philadelphia 76ers about Ben Simmons, but those talks have not gotten far, sources said. They sniffed around intriguing young free agents — including Lauri Markkanen and John Collins, sources said — but snared neither.
Source: Zach Lowe @ ESPN
The most common heir apparents mentioned in league and coaching circles today: Will Hardy, the longtime San Antonio assistant now working under Ime Udoka in Boston; Brett Brown; and Manu Ginobili, who rejoined San Antonio last week as an advisor. Becky Hammon will and should be in the mix along with mystery candidates and perhaps other members of the Spurs tree. Ginobili’s appetite for coaching is unclear. Bill Self, head coach of Kansas, has faded out of the rumor mill.
Source: Zach Lowe @ ESPN
The Portland Trail Blazers have long had a strong duo in Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. But can Larry Nance Jr. be their missing link?
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Jon Krawczynski: (Sachin Gupta) absolutely is a fan of Ben Simmons. He was in Philadelphia when Ben Simmons first got there. I do think that overall, just the organization’s position is that Ben Simmons is a perfect fit for their roster for what they need and what Ben Simmons needs from a team around him. So I do think that they are going to continue to pursue Ben Simmons aggressively, I can’t say, you know, 100% that, you know, they’re in the driver’s seat, or it’s going to happen or anything like that. Читать дальше...
Anthony Slater: I have not heard anyone behind the scenes yet say up better start shopping (Andrew Wiggins) or something like that.
Source: The Athletic
The Wizards’ decision to trade Russell Westbrook to the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason may have been in the best interest of the star point guard, but Washington GM Tommy Sheppard attests that Westbrook was “professional” and never demanded a trade from the team. “I really have to make sure the record is straight on that,” Sheppard said in an interview with NBC Sports Washington’s Chris Miller. “Russell actually never asked to move on. He just said, ‘If I can get to the Lakers, that’d be something I would love to do. Читать дальше...
Things can change fast, but league sources don’t sense that a deal is anywhere close right now. The Sixers still hope Simmons will return to the team so they can experiment with his role, or increase his value and help create more trade possibilities. On media day, Morey compared the Simmons situation to that of Aaron Rodgers, who threatened to leave the Green Bay Packers but ended up returning for one more season. The Sixers hope Simmons will choose to do the same.
Source: Kevin O’Connor @... Читать дальше...
