June 2024 Basketball Wiretap

Knicks Are In 'Good Place' To Re-Sign OG Anunoby, Isaiah Hartenstein

Jun 13, 2024 1:58 AM

Members of the New York Knicks organization feels like they are in a "good place" to re-sign both OG Anunoby and Isaiah Hartenstein this offseason, according to Ian Begley of SNY.

The Knicks have Early Bird rights on Hartenstein, and can only offer him around $17 million next season.

The Thunder are reportedly interested in Hartenstein. 

The Sixers are rumored to be interested in Anunoby. 

Ian Begley/SNY

Tags: Isaiah Hartenstein, OG Anunoby, New York Knicks, NBA, NBA Signing Rumor

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Thunder Loom As Threat To Sign Isaiah Hartenstein

Jun 11, 2024 8:17 AM

The Oklahoma City Thunder are in the market for a center in free agency. That search has them focused on unrestricted free agent Isaiah Hartenstein of the New York Knicks.

The Knicks have Early Bird rights for Hartenstein, which limits them to offering him a starting salary around $17 million for next season. The Thunder project to have $35 million in cap space to offer a free agent.

One source said Oklahoma City's interest in Hartenstein is "real." A suggested path could be to offer Hartenstein a larger initial salary than New York can, but on a short-term deal of two years. That would leave the Thunder with flexibility moving forward, in case the signing didn't work out.

Stefan Bondy/New York Post

Tags: Isaiah Hartenstein, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA, NBA Signing Rumor, NBA Misc Rumor

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Magic May Be Suitors For Paul George, Klay Thompson In Free Agency

Jun 9, 2024 3:03 PM

The Orlando Magic should have nearly $50 million in cap space this offseason. That's enough for Orlando to get in the market for a big-name player, should they want to go that route.

Two players the Magic could have interest in are Paul George of the LA Clippers and Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors. George has a player option for next season, which he is expected to decline. Thompson is set to become a free agent when the league year changes over.

Both George and Thompson could ink extensions with their current teams by the end of the day on June 30. But neither player has seemingly made much progress on the extension front.

Orlando has this offseason with near-max cap space, before their roster will start to get expensive. Both Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs are eligible to sign rookie scale extensions this summer. Those deals would start in 2025-06. Paolo Banchero will be extension-eligible in the summer of 2025. An expected max extension for Banchero would start with the 2026-27 season.

Marc Stein/The Stein Line

Tags: Paul George, Klay Thompson, Orlando Magic, NBA, NBA Signing Rumor

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Pacers Currently Limited To Four-Year, $75M Extension Offer To Andrew Nembhard

Jun 5, 2024 9:42 PM

The Indiana Pacers would like to sign Andrew Nembhard to a contract extension this offseason, but they can only offer him a four-year, $75 million deal due to CBA limits on raises.

With Nembhard playing so well in a lead guard role in the playoffs when Tyrese Haliburton was injured, he could potentially command a larger contract if he were to hit the open market.

If Nembhard declines the extension, the Pacers could decline their team option on him in 2025 and extend the qualifying offer for him to become a restricted free agent. If the Pacers exercise the affordable $2 million option for 25-26, Nembhard would then become an unrestricted free agent in 2026.

Nembhard is represented by Todd Ramasar and Jaafar Choufani.

Marc Stein/The Stein Line

Tags: Andrew Nembhard, Indiana Pacers, NBA, NBA Signing Rumor, NBA Misc Rumor

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Thunder Interested In Patrick Williams

Jun 4, 2024 9:57 PM

When the Chicago Bulls and Patrick Williams negotiated an extension this past offseason, the team offered a contract above $16 million annually.

Williams will be a restricted free agent this offseason as he comes off a season in which he was limited to 43 games due to a foot injury. 

Sources tell The Athletic that the Oklahoma City Thunder have interest in acquiring Williams. While the Thunder have enough cap space to sign Williams outright, the Bulls could match in restricted free agency, which could result in a sign-and-trade negotiation. With their depth of future draft picks, the Thunder could theoretically afford to take on Williams in a sign-and-trade at minimal cost to them.

Darnell Mayberry/The Athletic

Tags: Patrick Williams, Chicago Bulls, Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA, NBA Signing Rumor, NBA Misc Rumor

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Pelicans Unlikely To Offer Four-Year, $208M Max Extension To Brandon Ingram

Jun 4, 2024 5:52 PM

Brandon Ingram become eligible for a four-year, $208 million extension this offseason, but sources tell The Athletic that the New Orleans Pelicans are unlikely to offer him that maximum deal.

Trey Murphy is also eligible to sign an extension of his own this offseason, while Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum and Herb Jones already have a combined $84 million owed to them in 25-26.

The Pelicans have never paid the luxury tax in their 22-year history.

If the Pelicans do not trade Ingram or extend him, they run the risk of losing him for nothing as a free agent in 2025.

William Guillory/The Athletic

Tags: Brandon Ingram, New Orleans Pelicans, NBA, NBA Signing Rumor, NBA Trade Rumor, NBA Misc Rumor

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Tim Connelly Expected To Restructure Deal With Timberwolves, Could Earn Up To $15M Per Season

Jun 4, 2024 1:40 AM

Tim Connelly is expected to sign a new deal to return to the Minnesota Timberwolves as the president of basketball operations next season, according to Shams Charania.

"The expectation around the league...is that Tim Connelly will end up in a restructured deal," said Charania on Run It Back.

"Whether it's Glen Taylor or Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore, they understand his market value has gone up," added Charania. 

Connelly, who is currently making $8 million a season, can opt out of his deal this summer.

Connelly is expected to earn between $10-$15 million per season on his next deal.

Run It Back/FanDuel

Tags: Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA, NBA Signing Rumor

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Suns Expected To Re-Sign Royce O'Neale

Jun 3, 2024 3:07 PM

The Phoenix Suns are expected to re-sign Royce O'Neale this offseason after acquiring him at the trade deadline from the Brooklyn Nets as part of a three-team trade. The Suns sent out three second round picks to acquire O'Neale.

"They're going to re-sign Royce O'Neale," said Brian Windhorst on The Hoop Collective Podcast. "That's going to get done."

The Suns have limited ways of upgrading their roster, which necessitates retaining the players they have acquired such as O'Neale and Grayson Allen, who was signed to an extension at the end of the regular season.

O'Neale is represented by George Roussakis.

Brian Windhorst/ESPN

Tags: Royce O'Neale, Phoenix Suns, NBA, NBA Signing Rumor, NBA Misc Rumor

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Kristaps Porzingis Had Bigger Contract Opportunity With Jazz During 2023 Offseason

Jun 3, 2024 11:40 AM

Last offseason, Kristaps Porzingis was traded by the Washington Wizards to the Boston Celtics where he picked up his $36 million player option and then signed a two-year, $60 million extension.

If Porzingis would have become a free agent, sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports that he was positioned to receive a richer contract from the Utah Jazz.

Porzingis would have joined a versatile frontcourt partner in Lauri Markkanen.

Porzingis instead joined the Celtics and is in The Finals where he is a floor spacer and post option while also protecting the rim on the other end of the floor.

Jake Fischer/Yahoo Sports

Tags: Kristaps Porzingis, Boston Celtics, Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards, NBA, NBA Signing Rumor, NBA Misc Rumor

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Pacers Expected To Extend Andrew Nembhard This Offseason

Jun 2, 2024 11:54 PM

The Indiana Pacers are expected to offer Andrew Nembhard a contract extension this offseason, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line.

Nembhard, who signed a four-year, $8.5 million deal in 2022, is eligible for an extension this summer.

The Pacers are also expected to re-sign Pascal Siakam.

Siakam and Nembhard share the same agent in Life Sports' Todd Ramasar. 

Marc Stein/The Stein Line

Tags: Andrew Nembhard, Pascal Siakam, Indiana Pacers, NBA, NBA Signing Rumor

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Tom Thibodeau 'Certainty' To Sign Contract Extension Worth At Least $10M Per Season

Marc Stein/The Stein Line

Nic Batum, Kelly Oubre Jr., Kyle Lowry Expected To Return To Sixers

Keith Pompey/The Philadelphia Inquirer

Jonas Valanciunas To Receive Offers At Around $12.9M Mid-Level Exception

Jake Fischer/Yahoo! Sports

Isaiah Hartenstein, Nic Claxton Projected To Get Between $80M-$100M On Next Contract

Jake Fischer/Yahoo! Sports