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With the NBA Draft on Thursday, rumors about who might be willing to deal a lottery pick and who want to move up in the draft abound. The Kawhi Leonard drama continues to be a hot topic as well. Let’s see what’s out there.
Who wants to move into the lottery picks? Toronto for one according to Marc Stein. What’s more, they are making their whole roster available:
According to one league source, no one on Toronto's roster is off limits as the Raptors pursue a top-10 pick https://t.co/AZzCv8fPXD
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 18, 2018
According to Adrian Wojnarowski on ESPN’s Mock Draft Special, Sacramento, Atlanta and Memphis (2, 3 and 4 in draft order) are all taking lots of calls from from teams that want to trade up, including the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver.
It’s no secret that Kawhi Leonard and the Spurs had a difficult year, with Spurs’ doctors disagreeing with Leonard’s doctors about his health and ability to play during the season. Chris Haynes suspects that Leonard’s days in San Antonio are numbered.
Kawhi Leonard isn't concerned about missing out on the supermax, sources tell ESPN. There's a feeling of betrayal that at this juncture, appears irreparable.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 15, 2018
So is Leonard gone? Not so fast, especially as the Spurs can pay him far more than any other team.
Sources: So far, Leonard has expressed nothing directly to Spurs about future. Lakers and Clippers interest Leonard -- and both teams would move quickly to assemble packages to acquire Leonard. Spurs won't rush. Leonard and his camp had shown interest in $219M super max deal.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 15, 2018
Regardless, teams (and fan bases) are trying to get in on the gold rush for Leonard’s services. Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer says that Cleveland wants to be in the discussion:
The Cavs are one of several teams making calls to San Antonio about Kawhi Leonard. It’s hard to see how they can work a deal for Leonard, who has only one year left on his contract.
While the two Los Angeles teams are frequently mentioned (at least by their fans), how about a real dark horse candidate?:
Another team to watch in the Kawhi sweepstakes: Sacramento. Kings have talked to teams about the No. 2 pick, per sources, and desperately want an established star.
— Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixYS) June 15, 2018
If Chris Sheridan’s sources are correct, Leonard might be leaving San Antonio, but not to any teams in Western Conference.
Speaking of San Antonio, Rudy Gay might be on his way out:
San Antonio forward Rudy Gay is declining his player option to become a free agent this summer, league sources tell ESPN.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 18, 2018
Jamal Crawford might also be looking for a new team:
Minnesota's Jamal Crawford has declined his $4.5M player option for 2018-19 season, league sources tell Yahoo. Crawford averaged 10.3 points in 20.7 minutes for T'Wolves last season.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 18, 2018
Finally, it’s not all all about potential trades and the NBA Draft. Puma is reportedly getting back into basketball, and they aren’t messing around.
Projected #1 pick Deandre Ayton has signed a multi-year footwear & apparel deal with PUMA — potential to be a basketball & lifestyle ambassador sealed the deal.
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) June 18, 2018
“I'm an entertainer. Puma knows entertainers and the way we move.” – @DeandreAyton tells ESPN.https://t.co/KsMiXsVX7S
Stay tuned, we’ll be bringing you news and rumors through the NBA Draft and throughout the off-season.