Russell Westbrook
The Lakers strongly considered trading Russell Westbrook and two first-round picks to the Pacers for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield shortly before training camp, according to Shams Charania, Sam Amick and Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
Would that trade make the Lakers better? Probably. Enough to justify trading two high-upside first-rounders? That's a tougher call. Los Angeles ought to hold urgency given LeBron James and Anthony Davis still create a high ceiling and LeBron is 37.
But their 2027 and 2029 first-rounders are the last the Lakers can trade. The opportunity cost must be considered – not just of surrendering the picks, but also extinguishing 2023 cap space and even not keeping Westbrook.
Los Angeles currently projects to have more than $30 million in cap space next summer with Westbrook's contract expiring. Though Turner's contract is also expiring, Hield has an additional season at $19,279,841.
It's also possible Westbrook maintains a different approach and fits better under new coach Darvin Ham. Probably won't. But it's possible. That must be measured against the imperfect fits of Turner and Hield. Davis' teams have played best in the biggest moments with him at center. Maybe Turner's 3-point shooting would allow him to mesh better with Davis than other centers have, but there would still be elements to sort out. Plus, LeBron often looks best at power forward, which would be taken off the table more frequently. Though Hield's shooting would be a plus, his defense is a minus.
This offer will most likely remain available to the Lakers for a bit. The Pacers probably have minimal interest in Westbrook as a player, so his stock can't drop further to them. The Lakers are nearly out of extra assets to extract. Indiana reportedly wouldn't accept the trade with one first-rounder and one second-rounder and wouldn't send a second-rounder back to Los Angeles in the two-firsts version. The Pacers have much more room than the Lakers to concede in negotiations.
The Lakers aren't this desperate.
Yet.
Phoenix Suns-Adelaide 36ers
The Suns lost to the 36ers yesterday. Not the 76ers. The 36ers. The Adelaide 36ers of Australia's National Basketball League.
Phoenix is the first NBA team to lose to a non-NBA team in the United States since the Nets fell to Fenerbahce in October 2015, according to Kevin Pelton of ESPN.
In fairness to the Suns… This was an exhibition game – Phoenix's first of the preseason, at that. Suns starters outscored Adelaide by 11 points in 22 minutes. The 36ers shot an unsustainable 24-for-43 on 3-pointers (56%).
But for a team with questionable vibes – from Deandre Ayton's attitude to Jae Crowder's trade request – in the aftermath of getting demolished at home by the Mavericks in Game 7, another eye-catching loss certainly won't help.
One positive for Phoenix in the 134-124 defeat: Ayton scored 22 points in 22 minutes on 11-of-14 shooting.
Tyler Herro
Tyler Herro agreed to a four-year, $120 million-$130 million contract extension with the Heat.
In our Mock Rookie Extensions podcast, he got four years, $108 million with incentives that could reach $120 million. It's unsurprising he's earning a little more in reality.
Herro has the NBA's premier skill – self-created scoring – and is just 22. That's tantalizing. Tantalizing enough not to dwell his defensive shortcomings.
The Mock Extensions pod also predicted Herro would set the market for Jordan Poole, who's up for his own rookie-scale extension with the Warriors. We'll see how that turns out.
Steven Adams
The Grizzlies and Steven Adams agreed to a two-year, $25.2 million extension, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
That's an unusually large pay cut into a contract extension. Adams will go from a $17,926,829 salary this season to $12.6 million per year of the extension.
This deal reflects both Adams' current importance to Memphis and the 29-year-old's likely shrinking role long-term. Adams bolsters the young Grizzlies with his toughness and professionalism, and he'll likely start with with Jaren Jackson Jr. sidelined to begin the season. But Jackson is expected to eventually take over as Memphis' starting center.
The Grizzlies now project to be over the cap next summer, which means they're more likely to re-up Dillon Brooks, who's in the last year of his contract. An extension might not be in the cards given Brooks' low ending salary to build an extension off ($11.4 million). But Memphis will have his full Bird Rights in free agency next year and no good way to replace him if he walks.
Nate and Danny further discussed Adams' extension and the Grizzlies' situation on the latest podcast.
Larry Nance Jr.
The Pelicans and Larry Nance Jr. agreed to a two-year, $21.6 million extension, according to Wojnarowski.
The reported amount is just above Nance's largest-allowable extension while remaining trade-eligible ($20,820,545). If the reported amount is accurate, Nance can't be traded until next offseason.
This deal puts New Orleans, which has never paid the luxury tax, near the tax line in 2023-24. Nate and Danny debated whether the Pelicans will actually pay the tax that season on the latest episode.
Calvin Booth
The Nuggets signed general manager Calvin Booth to a contract extension – through at least 2025, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post.
If Masai Ujiri and Tim Connelly – whom Booth took over for this offseason running Denver's front office – are precedent, Booth will be one of the NBA's lower-paid lead executives. He'll also be very good at his job.
The Nuggets have earned some benefit of the doubt in choosing executives. But Connelly, whom Denver let leave for the Timberwolves rather than pay up, has proven himself to be good at the job. Booth is far less certain.
Nate (D+) and Danny (C) gave the Nuggets unfavorable grades for Booth's first offseason, though many of the gripes involve ownership's spending limitations rather than Booth's decisions.
Kevin Durant
Nets star Kevin Durant on his unfulfilled offseason trade request, via Nick Friedell of ESPN:
"Can we move on past that at some point?" Durant said after Friday's practice. "I know it's an interesting story. I know that it took up most of the offseason and drama sells, I get that, but I didn't miss any games, I didn't miss any practices, I'm still here. So hopefully we can move past that."
"There's a lot of s--- that was inaccurate," Durant said. "But it's like I don't want to go through it right now. We don't got that much time right now."
It's hard to move on for the same reason Durant said he understood Brooklyn not trading him: "I know I'm that good." When a player of Durant's caliber does something as monumental as requesting a trade, it's a Big Deal.
Durant knows this. He's trying to change the conversation as he settles back in with Brooklyn, which is understandable.
But the continued fascination with his part in Nets' drama is also understandable. So, expect a continued give and take with the media and Durant, who will thoughtfully speak his mind in the right settings.
Ime Udoka
The independent law firm probe into Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka found that he used crude language in his dialogue with a female subordinate prior to the start of an improper workplace relationship with the woman, an element that significantly factored into the severity of his one-year suspension, sources told ESPN.
Those investigative findings -- which described verbiage on Udoka's part that was deemed especially concerning coming from a workplace superior -- contribute to what is likely a difficult pathway back to his reinstatement as Celtics coach in 2023, sources told ESPN.
The power dynamic associated with a superior's improper relationship with a staff member was the primary finding and policy violation cited in the law firm's report, which was commissioned by the Celtics and completed early last week, sources said.
Nate discussed this more on latest pod.
Bruno Fernando
The Rockets are signing center Bruno Fernando to a four-year, $10.9 million contract, according to Wojnarowski.
I'm surprised Fernando got so much more than his minimum ($8,958,464 over four years). The No. 34 pick by the Hawks in 2019, Fernando played well in 94 minutes down the stretch after coming to Houston in a trade with the Celtics last season. But obvious small-sample alert.
The Rockets at least gained major team control on the 24-year-old. That's what they're paying for. I expect little of the deal to be guaranteed. It's a reasonable use of their mid-level exception.
Rockets-Thunder trade
The Rockets took an extra $7,105,417 of salary in last week's trade with the Thunder. I initially credited Houston owner Tilman Ferttita for approving the outlay to help his team secure an extra draft pick.
Apparently, some type of fluke and accident occurred.
Oklahoma City also sent the Rockets the maximum-allowable $6.36 million in the deal, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN, nearly completely erasing the salary difference. So, even better for Houston. Less notable for Fertitta.
For anyone interested in even smaller trade minutiae (surely nobody in this audience): Houston won't have an opportunity to receive the Hawks' 2025 top-40-protected second-rounder as initially reported, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Instead, the Rockets will "simply" get what would've conveyed had that Atlanta pick not: the second-best 2026 second-rounder of the Thunder, Mavericks and 76ers.
Oklahoma City has already waived Sterling Brown, who was acquired in the trade, locking in a $3 million cap hit.
-Dan Feldman