The NBA Summer League is over, with the Cavaliers crowned champions as basketball fans got their first glimpse at Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson, Brandon Miller and a host of other stars on the rise.
Now attention turns towards another intriguing offseason, with potential James Harden and Damian Lillard trades on the cards.
Plus — the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns have emerged as big winners from free agency so far, while the Houston Rockets made some peculiar moves in the summer.
With all that in mind, here are a few key storylines to come out of the offseason so far.
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WHAT HAPPENS WITH JAMES HARDEN?
Starting off with Harden, all signs point towards there being no trade on the horizon in the short-term at least, not that that is a surprise anyway with Daryl Morey in charge.
After all, Morey was more than happy to remain patient on the Ben Simmons trade front before eventually striking a deal to reunite with James Harden in Philadelphia.
Now it looks like Harden is heading for the exit door, reportedly unhappy with the way the Sixers handled his potential free agency.
That is according to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, who wrote late last month that Harden was “extremely upset” and “made his dissatisfaction clear”.
It looked clear for a while though that Simmons’ days in Philadelphia were numbered, but that didn’t stop Morey from holding out for the best value before trading the Australian.
By all reports the Clippers, Harden’s preferred destination, could also be made to wait as Morey kicked off negotiations with an asking price which Adrian Wojnarowski described as “exorbitant”.
“Teams are not engaging the Sixers with the kind of asks that Daryl Morey is asking for James Harden,” Wojnarowski said during a recent appearance on ESPN’s ‘NBA Today’.
“That’s where Daryl Morey always starts in trade talks, really high. Over time, perhaps, you work him back down.”
Although it is no sure thing at this point that Harden even ends up being traded, with rival executives telling The Athletic at Summer League that they are “universally convinced” Philadelphia is now trying to keep the 10-time All-Star.
That is consistent with reporting from Wojnarowski, who predicted the Harden talks will “linger into the summer” as the 76ers hold out hope of finding a potential resolution.
“But like Ben Simmons, there’s hope on the Sixers’ side that eventually, at some point, they can get James Harden on board about being in Philadelphia in the last year of this deal,” the ESPN insider said.
“This opt-in that he did at $35.6 million. Now they may get to training camp and it may look different in Philly. They may have a James Harden who is not as enthusiastic about his return as they are. And then maybe they get more serious about it.”
One name that is highly unlikely to be seriously considered by the Sixers in any potential Harden package is young guard Tyrese Maxey, who is widely seen as untouchable.
Kyle Neubeck of Philly Voice reported late last month that the 76ers are not expected to sign Maxey to any extension this offseason.
However, as Neubeck wrote: “This is not viewed as a condemnation of Maxey or a reflection of how the team values him”.
Rather, the Sixers still see the 22-year-old as a key part of their future but are hoping to guarantee future financial flexibility for potential moves in free agency next summer.
AND WHAT ABOUT JOEL EMBIID?
Well, based on his recent comments, we will only be able to answer that question if Harden is traded.
Should his Sixers co-star be dealt to the Clipper as expected, whether Embiid stays or forces his way out will largely depend on what Philadelphia gets back in return.
“I just want to win a championship,” Embiid said last week.
“Whatever it takes. I don’t know where that’s going to be, whether that’s in Philly or anywhere else.”
Obviously losing Harden would be quite the setback to Embiid’s hopes of contending for a championship, so the Sixers are said to want an “All-Star level return” for the 33-year-old.
That is according to a report from Philly Voicein which Kyle Neubeck writes that the Sixers “would prefer to be able to make or keep the team as competitive as possible as soon as possible”.
That is consistent with comments from 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, who told 97.5 FM that the team is “attempting to honour” Harden’s trade request but only at the right price.
“If we don’t get either a very good player or something we can turn into a very good player, we are not going to do it,” Morey said.
For what it’s worth, Embiid’s comments aren’t an indication that he wants to be traded. Ian Begley of SNY reported as much this week.
Begley wrote that Embiid and Morey met in the wake of the former’s comments, with the Sixers superstar making it clear he wants to be in Philadelphia and deliver a title to the city.
“The Sixers have absolutely no plans to trade Embiid,” Begley added, per sources familiar with the matter.
Of course, this again could all change depending on a potential Harden trade but for the time being Sixers fans can breathe easy.
WILL DAME GET HIS WISH?
Philadelphia is not the only team expected to play the waiting game when it comes to a superstar trade, with Portland still yet to find a deal for veteran guard Damian Lillard.
Every man and his dog knows at this point that Miami is Lillard’s favoured landing spot, although the Heat’s potential best offer isn’t something the Blazers are willing to accept — for now.
Miami has three first-round picks it could stump up, although that would also require the Heat getting the Thunder to change the protection on their 2025 first that they owe them.
A third team could then add in another first-round pick while the Heat also have three first-round swaps they could add to the table.
Whether they are willing to part ways with all three remains to be seen and for now there is no real incentive to do so with other teams not posing too much of a threat.
The Blazers are reportedly after four first-round picks and a few young rotation players for Lillard, with Nikola Jovic and rookie Jaime Jacquez Jr. frequently mentioned in mock trades.
Veteran Duncan Robinson, who is owed $18.1 million next season and has three years left on his current contract, or Caleb Martin could also be dealt in a possible Lillard trade.
Of course, Tyler Herro is the other name at the centre of a deal with the Blazers but he would likely end up at a third team as opposed to being sent to Portland in a straight-up deal.
So, what is the latest on how close either side could be to a trade?
Well, according to Wojnarowski, there is no reason for the Blazers to speed up the process with no looming deadline they must make a move before.
“I think for the Portland Trail Blazers, they don’t want to rush into what they consider a bad deal,” Wojnarowski said on ESPN’s ‘NBA Today’.
“The Miami Heat, the team that is most motivated to trade for Damian Lillard, where Damian Lillard wants to end up, they don’t want to be in a situation where they’re bidding against themselves right now.
“They know that the market doesn’t love the idea of paying Damian Lillard a $60 million average at 35 and 36 years old, the last two years of that deal.
“There’s no rush for either side to be real aggressive in their conversations with each other, and for Portland, they’re motivated to wait this out and continue to see, ‘How do we get the most back for Damian Lillard?’
“They don’t see it as moving quickly on a deal unless Miami came with all of their assets, you know what they’re able to trade for Damian Lillard. They’re not motivated to do that now, they’d be bidding against themselves.”
Brooklyn has been floated as a third team to be included in a Lillard deal while Michael Pina of The Ringer recently argued Toronto should go “all in” for the superstar guard.
Speaking of which, the Raptors look to be one of the more intriguing teams to follow this offseason with the potential for a few big moves still on the cards.
ARE THE LAKERS BIG WINNERS FROM FREE AGENCY?
The Lakers’ front office hasn’t exactly been the subject of much praise previously.
That’s what trading for Russell Westbrook does to you, although on a more broader note they made a big mistake in not better prioritising continuity in the aftermath of their championship run.
This summer though Rob Pelinka and the Lakers are getting their flowers, and rightly so.
The Lakers had already taken a step in the right direction before last season’s trade deadline, ending the Westbrook experiment and making shrewd moves to build around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
That saw L.A. make a surprise run all the way to the Western Conference Finals, where the Lakers fell short against this year’s eventual champions — the Denver Nuggets.
While the Nuggets will still be deserved favourites heading into next season, the Lakers have only built on that successful run with a series of clever calls this summer.
First and most importantly, they didn’t repeat the same mistake they made with Westbrook by shooting for the bigger name and sacrificing their depth in the process.
The Lakers added Jaxson Hayes, Cam Reddish, Taurean Prince and Gabe Vincent, with the latter offering a better option than the departing Denis Schroder.
Prince isn’t a bad 3-point shooter either, going 38 per cent from deep in his past three seasons and shaping as the perfect 3-and-D wing for the Lakers to fill out the second unit.
Then, of course, there is the most impressive move of the lot — re-signing the rapidly improving Austin Reaves on a four-year, $54 million deal.
There was talk that Reaves could receive offer sheets up to $100 million this summer, with the Lakers so desperate to extend him that they were more than happy to match those figures.
Instead, Reaves returns to L.A. on a team-friendly deal after a breakout 2022-23 campaign that saw him emerge as the team’s third-most important player behind James and Davis.
Speaking on his ‘The Old Man and the Three’ podcast, JJ Redick called the Lakers one of the biggest winners of the free agency period.
“Now, if you look and you’ve got Gabe Vincent coming, Taurean Prince coming on a very favourable one-year contract. Gabe Vincent is making 11 [million] — not even the full mid-level. You bring [D’Angelo] Russell back. You bring [Rui] Hachimura back, they’ve got a really good basketball team,” Redick said.
“So much of their success ultimately, in the regular season specifically, will be based on health… we’re talking about one of the best teams in the Western Conference for sure.
“… I think Hachimura signed for 17, Russell signed for 18.5 … there’s nothing against those guys at those numbers, but Austin Reaves at 12 starting out? Gabe Vincent at 11?
“I cannot believe they got those two guys next season for about $23 million between them. You can make an argument that both those guys are worth $20 million a year. Just a fantastic value add with Gabe Vincent.”
Whether it is enough to take the Lakers one step further next postseason, should they make it that far, remains to be seen.
But it is certainly a better position to be in than where the Lakers found themselves last summer.
As it stands, if anything, L.A. is still in need of a bit more depth in its frontcourt and Pelinka admitted as much earlier in the month.
The Lakers GM told reporters the team would be “actively in the market to add another big” with specific strengths.
“I think dimensional-izing the skills at that position would be important,” Pelinka said.
“So we don’t want to sign someone who replicates the skills that Jaxson Hayes has. So, if we can diversify the big position and have different looks, that would be good.”
Beyond Hayes, Pelinka said L.A. is “actively in the market to add another big,” and hinted that the Lakers would pursue a player with stretch 5 capabilities.
“I think dimensional-izing the skills at that position would be important,” Pelinka said. “So we don’t want to sign someone who replicates the skills that Jaxson Hayes has. So, if we can diversify the big position and have different looks, that would be good.”
Sam Quinn of CBS Sports floated Christian Wood as a potential option and it sounds like the Mavericks could be willing to strike a deal.
That is at least according to the latest reporting from NBA insider Marc Stein, who reported in his latest Substack that: “League sources say Dallas has not ruled out participating in a sign-and-trade deal that lands Christian Wood with a new team if it is presented with such a scenario”.
WHAT TO MAKE OF HOUSTON’S FREE AGENCY HAUL?
While the Lakers are one of the bigger winners to come from the free agency period so far, no one knows quite what to make of the Rockets after a few head-scratching moves.
Houston, who already had an impressive young core headlined by Jabari Smith Jr., Jalen Green, and Alperen Sengun, tasted early success at this year’s draft.
First, the Rockets took Amen Thompson fourth overall before snapping up Cam Whitmore after the high-upside the Villanova freshman dropped all the way to the No. 20 pick.
It was expected Houston would then be aggressive in the free agency period with nearly $61 million in cap space and an obvious need to add veterans to its young roster.
The Rockets did just that, making two of the biggest moves of free agency. Just who they signed and how much they gave up to get them, however, was a point of contention.
First, Houston agreed to sign Fred VanVleet to a three-year, $128.5 million max contract with a third-year team option before offering Dillon Brooks a four-year, $80 million deal.
These are two players who were two of the most inefficient scorers in the NBA last season, with Brooks taking 991 shots and making just 39.6 per cent of them.
According to The Ringer’s Chris Vernon, there was only one player in the league who took more shots and hit less: VanVleet.
That may be a concern given how much the Rockets paid to get the two players to Houston, although a struggling team is always going to have to pay more to land big-name free agents.
Plus, the hope for VanVleet would be that this was just an outlier for a guy who has plenty of other strengths that the Rockets actually need, including 3-point shooting.
For all the issues VanVleet had in his mid-range game, he still made 44 per cent of his open catch-and-shoot 3s and shot 34.2 per cent overall from deep.
In fact, VanVleet has made 37.0 per cent or more of his 3-pointers in five of seven seasons in the NBA. For context, Kevin Porter Jr. (36.6 per cent) was Houston’s best 3-point shooter last season.
Of course, VanVleet will also take up a prominent role on the ball in Houston’s offence as the team’s starting floor general after averaging a career-high 7.2 assists last season.
Meanwhile, his leadership is a value add for a young team while the 29-year-old is also disruptive on the defensive end having averaged the second-most steals (1.8) in the league last season.
As for Brooks, for all the concerns about his efficiency on the offensive end there is little doubting he will help address the issues Houston has on the defensive side of the ball.
Plus, the Rockets are banking on the addition of VanVleet opening the game up for Brooks — and all of their players — to be improved shooters in the 2023-24 season.
Houston beat writer Kelly Iko wrote in The Athleticthat Brooks told him at Summer League that he was confident VanVleet would bring the best out of him.
“When I spoke to Brooks in Las Vegas last week, one thing he noted was the impact the former Raptors point guard would have on his offensive efficiency, an area he’s fully aware he struggled with last season in Memphis,” Iko wrote.
“VanVleet is one of the game’s premier passers and has elite court vision. There’s a reason Houston’s brass felt it necessary to pay big money to land his services. VanVleet’s gravity and drive-and-kick ability are two much-needed lifts to this team’s floor and ceiling.”
In less high-profile but still important moves, the Rockets also signed Australian Jock Landale to a four-year, $32 million contract with only the first year guaranteed.
Jeff Green, meanwhile, will bring veteran leadership to the locker room after Houston signed the championship-winning forward on a one-year, $6 million deal.
As a whole, these moves make Houston better in the short-term and should give the team a proper chance to evaluate which of its young players are the best bets to continue building around.
It cost the Rockets a lot though and whether it will be worth it in the long run remains to be seen.
HOW DID PHOENIX MANAGE THAT?
And just quickly, while the Lakers emerged as one of the bigger winners from free agency, how about the Phoenix Suns?
Adding Bradley Beal alongside Devin Booker and Kevin Durant saw the birth of a new NBA superteam. But usually that comes as a cost, especially under the new collective bargaining agreement.
It meant the Suns had limited wiggle room as they tried to add some much-needed depth around their star-studded trio who, along with Deandre Ayton, are down to earn a combined $162 million next season.
As Phoenix is projected to exceed the $182.5 million second apron, it also meant they were unable to use the $5 million taxpayer mid-level exception to build their team in free agency.
Instead, the Suns were only able to offer veteran-minimum contracts. But instead of struggling to make any movements around the margins, Phoenix was able to bring back Josh Okogie and Damion Lee while adding Eric Gordon, Yuta Watanabe, Keita Bates-Diop, Drew Eubanks and Chimezie Metu.
There was an interesting detail in a lot of Phoenix’s free agency moves this summer though — the fact it signed six players to two-year contracts with second-year player options.
It is something that definitely didn’t go unnoticed by ESPN’s front office insider Bobby Marks while Brian Windhorst also pointed out another benefit of the kind of offers Phoenix made.
“They won battles for some of these guys that had two or three offers by being like, ‘Hey listen we’ll give a player option,’” Windhorst said on ‘The Old Man and the Three’ podcast. “If you have a player option on a minimum contract, it means you can’t be traded without your permission. Functionally, Eric Gordon (and the others) has a no-trade clause.
“So, if the Suns come to him mid-season and say, ‘Hey we want to trade you to the Charlotte Hornets for so and so,’ he could be like, ‘Nope.’
“… If you’re trying to weigh where you’re going to go and you’re like, ‘Wait a minute I can go play in Phoenix for a title in good weather with two per cent state income tax, and I can block a trade,’ I could see the strategy [in] what they were doing. And it made sense to me and I respected it.”