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Expect some free agent movement this week, now that the LeBron James saga is over (Draymond Green still has to sign with Golden State and James Harden with the Cavaliers, for example). Here are a few of the rumors flying around the league.
No Kyrie Irving trade
It feels like Marc Stein reports this once a week at his Stein Line Substack, but apparently the rumors are still out there, so it is worth repeating: The Dallas Mavericks have no intention of trading Kyrie Irving at this time. From Stein:
“The Mavericks have continued to rebuff trade feelers for the 34-year-old who has nine career All-Star nods. The working expectation since our report last month is that Irving should begin next season in Dallas alongside Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg to at last launch his long-awaited comeback from knee surgery in late March 2025.”
Could that change by the deadline? Maybe. This is the NBA, good luck predicting who will be available at a deadline six months into the future. But for now, no deal.
Stephen Curry’s future
The Warriors missing out on LeBron James — he rightfully didn’t see Golden State as a team competing for a title next season — and Stephen Curry heading into the final year of his contract, it has led to idle speculation about what Curry will do next. Could Curry decide to finish his career in Charlotte, where his father played and he grew up and played his high school ball?
Don’t bet on it. Curry can write his own ticket with the Warriors, and he likes the idea of part of his legacy being that he played for just one team. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst put it this way on First Take Monday (hat tip Bleacher Report):
“He is in the last year of his contract, no player option or anything like that. This is the last year, it’s $62 million; huge number, he’s worth every cent. On Aug. 29, he has the opportunity to sign a two-year extension. If he wants all the money, and he has earned it in spades, he can get two years and like $135 million. If that’s what he wants on Aug. 29, the Warriors will give it to him in two seconds…
“If Steph wants to apply pressure to the Warriors, would he hold off on signing that extension to make sure that they keep pressing? But I just want to tell you that there’s so many different ways to look at this. If Steph Curry decided not to sign an extension this summer, it wouldn’t necessarily mean that the Warriors are in trouble of losing him. It could possibly mean the Warriors are plotting another giant move because Jimmy Butler’s in the last year of his contract. When Draymond Green re-signs at some point, it’s going to likely be on a one-year guaranteed deal. I’m not sure if they’re going to extend Brandin Podziemski or not, but they are in position to clear $130 million, $140 million in cap space if they want, if Steph agrees. And so, while the Warriors are not in a good position now… I would just say look what the 76ers were eight weeks ago and then apply this to the Warriors. If you want to give up on them and say they’re done, go ahead, you could be right. I don’t think that’s necessarily the case.”
It would be shocking to see Curry leave the Warriors: He wants to stay there and they want to keep him. He’d also be open to delaying signing a new deal if it brings in talent around him. Never say never in the NBA, but don’t expect Curry to be looking to bolt the Bay Area.
Peyton Watson’s options
Denver’s Peyton Watson joins Detroit’s Jalen Duren as this year’s examples of why players and agents hate restricted free agency.
Denver is in a financial crunch as the only team currently over the second apron, plus they are dealing with the repeater tax, which could well drive the team’s tax bill up to more than $100 million (that’s on top of the salary they pay out). The Nuggets are looking to save every penny. From Watson’s perspective, all the teams that could offer him the deal he wants (north of $25 million a season) used their cap space elsewhere, which leaves Watson with little leverage in the negotiations.
His one threat: Play for the $6.5 million qualifying offer and become a free agent next summer. He’s considering it, reports Marc Stein of The Stein Line.
The risks are huge in doing so. Denver is believed to have initially offered in the range of four years, $70 million ($17.5 million per season average), according to Stein. That was understandably insulting to Watson, who saw the same franchise give Christian Braun five years, $125 million ($25 million a year) a year ago — and Watson completely outplayed and was much more crucial to Denver last season. Hypothetically, say Denver upped its offer to four years, $80 million ($20 million a season), Watson could play for the qualifying offer, but that still leaves $73.5 million in guaranteed money on the table in a sport with injury risks and relatively short careers. Even if Denver’s offer is lowball, it’s life-changing money for Watson and his family. Taking the qualifying offer is a huge gamble.
Watson and his agent reportedly tried to drum up a sign-and-trade, with the Clippers and Bucks reportedly interested. However, since Denver is currently over the second apron (after matching the Spencer Jones offer sheet), it could not take back a player in any sign-and-trade deal. Denver would have to make another salary dump move to get below the apron just to do a sign-and-trade, all of which makes it unlikely.
Nobody thinks Denver is going to finish the season over the second apron, the Kroenke family has never done so, meaning some kind of move is needed eventually. If the Nuggets re-sign Watson to a new deal, that will make it that much harder to get below the second apron.
What is up with Russell Westbrook?
One big name free agent without a lot of buzz is future Hall of Famer Russell Westbrook. The reports out of Sacramento are that the Kings do not want him back as they try to pivot to a new era around just-drafted Darius Acuff Jr.
The market for Westbrook — at age 37, with him being inconsistent the past couple of seasons — has been dry. Westbrook had been linked to Miami, but Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald reports the Heat are not going after Westbrook, particularly after an NBA head coach warned Heat coach Erik Spoelstra about bringing in the nine-time All-Star, saying he is difficult to coach. Whether or how much that played into Miami’s thinking is unclear.
It is possible Westbrook is not signed at the start of training camp, maybe even the start of the season, according to reports. However, as teams get into the season and realize they need depth at the one (or injuries hit), Westbrook will get a call.
