Three Things to Know: Five players to watch on buyout market

By Kurt HelinFeb 11, 2022, 9:29 AM EST

Three Things is NBC’s five-days-a-week wrap-up of the night before in the NBA. Check out NBCSports.com every weekday morning to catch up on what you missed the night before plus the rumors, drama, and dunks going that make the NBA great.

1) Five players to watch on buyout market

The NBA trade deadline has come and gone, and if you want to look back at the day — or to break down the Ben Simmons for James Harden trade — we’ve got you covered.

For NBA, it’s now buyout season.

Players in the final year of their contracts that were traded as an accounting move to save a franchise money — or a player a team hung on to so they could trade his contract, but then couldn’t find a partner — now get bought out (taking a few dollars less) to become free agents and sign somewhere they are wanted.

Here are five likely buyout candidates to watch:

1) Goran Dragic. Traded to the Spurs and soon to be bought out, it was considered a foregone conclusion the veteran point would sign with Dallas to play next to fellow Slovenian Luka Doncic. Then Dallas GM Nico Harrison blew that idea up.

Mavericks GM Nico Harrison says he sees his roster as "set" … suggesting that he will not be looking additions in the buyout market.

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 11, 2022

Now what? There are a whole lot of playoff teams that would be interested in Dragic as a backup point guard, and he’s going to listen to offers. The Bucks, Bulls, Clippers and others will be in the mix. What team will offer him the best role?

2) Robin Lopez. Nobody is sure why the Magic signed Lopez last offseason when they wanted to take a long look at Wendell Carter Jr. and Mo Bamba. He has played solidly — like he always has — when called upon in Orlando. The Bucks are looking for depth at center with Lopez’s brother still out (although they did just trade for Serge Ibaka), and Golden State and Chicago could also be interested.

3) Gary Harris. The veteran guard has played solidly for the Magic — 11.7 points a game, shooting 38.8% from 3 — but is not part of the long-term future with the Magic and is expected by other teams to be bought out of his $20.4 million contract (unless Orlando wants to keep him for hopeful sign-and-trade fodder for the offseason). Many of the same teams interested in Dragic will have interest in Harris, plus a return to Denver is an interesting fit.

4) Tristan Thompson. He has been glued to the bench in Sacramento, who has all the centers, then was traded to Indiana as salary ballast in the Domantas Sabonis trade. Other teams expect the Pacers to buy out Thompson, and the veteran big man could get calls from all the same teams that are calling about Lopez.

5) Enes Freedom. He was already waived by the Rockets (who got him from Boston in the Daniel Theis trade, all part of the Celtics getting below the tax line) and is on the market. He has well established playoff limitations as a defender, but he hits the boards hard — particularly the offensive glass — and can make an opposing big man have to work hard on the defensive end.

2) Luka Doncic drops career-high 51 on Clippers

This is what the Clippers do, they may lose more than they win with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George out, but they are a gritty team that makes you work for that win.

Luka Doncic has a history of tearing up the Clippers — he has scored at least 42 points on them seven times now, mostly in playoff games — and he had to take over to get the Mavericks this win. Dragic scored 28 in the first quarter and a career-high 51 for the game.

Doncic finished 17-of-26 from the field and 7-of-14 from 3, and Dallas won 112-105.

3) Phoenix makes a statement, thrashes Bucks in Finals rematch

Last Sunday night, I went to The Crypt (still not used to that) and watched the Bucks beat the Clippers. Watching that game, it jumped out how much the Bucks looked like a championship-level team with an active defense, plenty of offensive weapons, a star in Giannis Antetokounmpo that impacts both ends of the floor, and their versatility.

Thursday night, the Suns mopped the floor with the Bucks, 131-107.

That doesn’t change the outcome of last year’s Finals, but it’s a statement from Phoenix that it is ready to take the next step.

“They’re the defending champs – we still hurt,” Suns coach Monty Williams said, via the Associated Press. “But from a confidence standpoint, for sure, it was a big game for us. I can admit it now.”

Chris Paul controlled the flow of the game with 17 points and 19 assists.

Deandre Ayton scored 27 points and Mikal Bridges added 18.

Highlight of the night: Here’s why Jalen Green is in the dunk contest

The rest of Jalen Green’s game is still rounding out, but the man can throw it down.

Last night’s scores:

Memphis 132, Detroit 107
Washington 113, Brooklyn 112
Miami 112, New Orleans 97
Toronto 139, Houston 120
Dallas 112, LA Clippers 105
Phoenix 137, Milwaukee
New York 116, Golden State 114

Brad Stevens confirms Joe Mazzulla will return as Celtics coach

By Kurt HelinJun 1, 2023, 6:27 PM EDT

Despite the sting of losing to the No. 8 seed Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, don’t expect sweeping changes in Boston. Not to the Celtics’ coaching staff and not to the roster.

Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Steven made that clear in his end-of-season press conference. It starts with bringing back Joe Mazzulla, which was expected after he was given a multi-year contract extension during the season. Stevens was asked if Mazzulla was the right person to lead the Celtics after an uneven season (hat tip NBC Sports Boston).

“Yeah, I think he is,” Stevens said. “I thought he did a really good job with this group. Everybody’s going to overreact to the best players and coaches after every game. That’s always the way it is. We know that going in, so we have to be able to judge things on the whole.

“He’s a terrific leader, he’ll only get better at anything that he can learn from this year, because he’s constantly trying to learn. And he’s accountable. Those leadership qualities are hard to find. I know they’re easy to talk about, but when you can show all those through the expectations and the microscope that he was under, that’s hard to do. Our players, our staff, everybody around him believe(s) in him, and we’ve got to do our best to support him going forward.”

The expectation is that veteran coaches — ideally at least one person with NBA head coaching experience — will be added to Mazzulla’s staff to help with the maturation process of the young coach. But he will be back.

Stevens also was asked about Jaylen Brown, who is eligible for a supermax extension of around $295 million over five years (his making All-NBA made him eligible for 35% of the salary cap). Stevens was limited in what he could say due to (archaic) tampering rules.

"I'm not allowed to talk about the contract details, let alone the extension… but I can say without a doubt we want Jaylen to be here."

Brad Stevens on Jaylen Brown's contract extension pic.twitter.com/skLAyXEoAZ

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) June 1, 2023

“I’ve had nothing but great conversations with Jaylen, but we can’t talk about all that stuff,” Stevens said. “I’m not allowed to talk about the contract details, let alone the extension because it’s not of that time yet right now. His window is between July 1 and October or whatever it is.

“But I can say without a doubt that we want Jaylen to be here. He’s a big part of us. We believe in him. I’m thankful for him. I’m really thankful for when those guys (Jayson Tatum and Brown) have success, they come back to work. And when they get beat, they own it and come back to work. I know that’s what they’re about, and that’s hard to find. Kinda like what I talked about with leadership earlier. Those qualities aren’t for everyone. Jaylen had a great year, All-NBA year and he’s a big part of us moving forward in our eyes.”

Despite Brown’s struggles against the Heat, it’s a no-brainer for the Celtics to retain the 26-year-old All-NBA player entering his prime. They should offer him the full supermax, and his public comments made it sound like that’s what he expects. Mess around in negotiations and try to get Brown to take less than the full max and then the threat of Brown leaving becomes more real. Only one player has ever rejected a supermax extension: Kawhi Leonard when he was trying to force a trade. (If Boston puts the full 35% max on the table and Brown rejects it, then the game changes and they have to trade him this summer, but don’t bet on him walking away from more than a quarter of a billion dollars).

There will be changes on the Celtics roster, but expect Brown and Mazzulla to return.

Purdue’s Zach Edey headlines list of players to withdraw from NBA Draft

By Kurt HelinJun 1, 2023, 5:32 PM EDT

Dylan Buell/Getty Images

The winner of the 2023 John R. Wooden Award and the Naismith College Player of the Year Award is headed back for another year in the college ranks. And it’s the right move.

Zach Edey headlines the list of 181 players who withdrew their names from the NBA Draft, and he is headed back to Purdue for another season. He confirmed it on Twitter in his own way.

RUN IT BACK🔄 pic.twitter.com/oJfQTbX6SP

— zach (@zach_edey) June 1, 2023

Edey averaged 22.3 points a game on 60.7% shooting and 12.9 rebounds a game last season for the Boilermakers, and his measurements at the NBA Draft Combine were hard to ignore — 7-3¼ barefoot, with a 7-10½ wingspan. However, his lack of elite athleticism, questions about his ability to defend in space, and an old-school, near-the-basket game are not natural fits with where the NBA is trending. He was expected to get picked in the back half of the second round (meaning no guaranteed contract), if at all.

With that, he made the right decision to return to college. If the Toronto native can arrange a new student visa that allows him to better capitalize on NIL money, a return to Purdue is likely the right financial decision as well.

Here are some of the biggest names among the 181 who withdrew from the NBA Draft (via Jonathan Givony of ESPN), with all projected to go after No. 40 or later:

Trey Alexander (Creighton)
Reece Beekman (Virginia)
Adem Bona (UCLA)
Jalen Bridges (Baylor)
Tristan da Silva (Colorado)
Zach Edey (Purdue)
Coleman Hawkins (Illinois)
DaRon Holmes (Dayton)
Josiah-Jordan James (Tennessee)
Dillon Jones (Weber State)
Judah Mintz (Syracuse)
Dillon Mitchell (Texas)
Terrence Shannon (Illinois)

The NBA Draft takes place on June 22.

Lakers rumored to prefer sign-and-trade options for D’Angelo Russell, eye Fred VanVleet

By Kurt HelinJun 1, 2023, 1:52 PM EDT

Mark Blinch/NBAE via Getty Images

D'Angelo Russell helped the Lakers turn their season around after the All-Star break. He provided needed shot creation at the point, averaged 17.4 points per game while shooting 41.4% from 3, and generally fit nicely on the court. However, his limitations — particularly on the defensive end — were exposed in the playoffs, especially by the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals.

Russell is an unrestricted free agent and the Lakers are faced with choices: Re-sign him, let him walk, or maybe find a sign-and-trade that can bring back a player who is a better fit for a Lakers roster with championship aspirations next season. The Lakers would ideally like the sign-and-trade option, suggests Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

My read on the situation is that the Lakers would prefer to use D’Angelo Russell in a sign-and-trade, but I’m not sure the market is there.

Landing Kyrie Irving for Russell is shaping up to be a pipe dream, especially with Dallas unlikely to help Los Angeles out. Fred VanVleet, a Klutch client, looms as a possibility, but adding him would require Toronto to agree to terms with Russell (or take on the Beasley and Bamba contracts).

Forget about a Kyrie Irving sign-and-trade with the Lakers for Russell, that appears off the table (unless the Lakers add so many sweeteners Dallas can’t say no… and didn’t the Lakers just gut their roster for a guard in Russell Westbrook?)

Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times adds this.

Fred VanVleet’s name has been mentioned since even before he joined Klutch Sports, though the Lakers could again be in a position where they’d be forced to part with one or more draft picks in a deal. Russell’s postseason struggles were probably a little overblown after a disastrous Western Conference finals, but expect the Lakers to look at upgrade options. There’s still a chance Russell returns on a good deal and the Lakers actually get the continuity they’ve spoken about building.

VanVleet has a $22.8 million player option he is widely expected to opt out of seeking more money and years. He averaged 19.3 points and 7.2 assists a game last season, is a respectable defender, and is a former All-Star and NBA champion.

The questions start with, what are Toronto’s plans? They have yet to hire a new head coach after firing Nick Nurse, and there isn’t a sense of whether they will try to re-sign VanVleet, extend Pascal Siakam and run it back, break the entire thing up, or travel a middle ground reworking the roster. Dreams of a sign-and-trade only work if the Raptors play along. And, if the Raptors come around to consider a sign-and-trade for VanVleet, do they want Russell in that deal? Plus, the Lakers likely have to throw in the last first-round pick they can trade to get Toronto even to consider it.

All of which is to say, it’s a long shot VanVleet is a Laker. Not impossible, but not likely.

The smart money is on the Lakers re-signing Russell and considering trade options at next February’s deadline or next summer, if they feel it’s time to move on.

Celtics’ Payton Pritchard reportedly wants a trade this summer

By Kurt HelinJun 1, 2023, 12:42 PM EDT

Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Payton Pritchard saw his role as a reserve guard with the Celtics shrink this season, which may have had less to do with the changeover to Joe Mazzulla as coach and more to do with the addition of Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon.

Either way, Pritchard doesn’t like it and wants to be traded this offseason, reports Jay King and Jared Weiss of The Athletic (in a must-read breakdown of the Celtics’ season and where they ultimately fell short.

With the new onerous CBA rules looming after next season, the front office will likely have to decide in the next 12 months whether it can afford its expensive veteran depth. Payton Pritchard has made it clear he hopes to be traded this summer, according to multiple team sources, so will the Celtics move him if they trade one of their core guards?

Pritchard may not get his wish for the financial reasons mentioned by King and Weiss — Boston has some hard decisions to make coming up. For next season, the Celtics are already $4 million into the luxury tax with 12 people on the roster, and that is without re-signing Grant Williams (if they can) or thinking about the super-max contract Jaylen Brown is about to sign that will kick in for the 2024-25 season. With the draconian threat of the second “lead” tax apron looming in a year, the Celtics must trim salary. One way to do that this summer is to trade one of Marcus Smart, Derrick White or Malcolm Brogdon, which is what is widely expected to happen around the league.

With one of those three gone, minutes open up for Pritchard, who has a team option for $4 million next season. That’s a great value contract the Celtics likely want to keep.

Meaning Pritchard may not get his wish to be sent out of Boston, but if he ends up staying, he should see more run next season.

1) Five players to watch on buyout market

2) Luka Doncic drops career-high 51 on Clippers

3) Phoenix makes a statement, thrashes Bucks in Finals rematch

Highlight of the night: Here’s why Jalen Green is in the dunk contest

Last night’s scores:

Here is more on the Celtics

Check out more on the NBA Draft

Check out more on the Lakers

Check out more on the Celtics