NBA Draft week is here, and the free agency period soon to follow. Here are Monday morning's hottest rumors.
With the NBA Draft and free agency coming up, the league is full of rumors. Here's everything to know on Monday morning.
NBA draft rumors: Trail Blazers may move Jusuf Nurkic
The Trailblazers are heading with an off-season with tons of questions after another season where they did not make the playoffs.
According to Matt Moore of Action Network, the Portland Trail Blazers may move Jusuf Nurkic this off-season. It will be a bit tough to move Nurkic due to the fact that he has a long-term contract. Yes, he is a solid rotational player in this league on a contract and is not over-paid but teams don't always like long-term deals.
With that in mind, they may be able to swap Nurkic for a different type of starting center with a different skill set. The production may end up being the same in terms but they could be able to change the fit around Damian Lillard. If the Trailblazers end up trading Lillard, they may opt for an expiring contract and a couple of second-round picks in a deal.
The Blazers are in a very interesting situation where they could end up rebuilding or trading for all-NBA talent with the third overall pick in this year's draft. It seems like they are more likely to commit to trading the pick to keep Lillard but anything is possible.
NBA rumors: Suns trading Ayton for depth
The Suns have a lot of depth questions after trading Paul for Bradley Beal. As reported by Heavy's Sean Deveny, according to NBA executives, the Suns are "confident" in being able to trade Deandre Ayton for an acceptable return.
The source does mention that this trade might not happen until Summer League which would be an awfully long time to get depth for this team. Still, if the Suns are able to acquire depth before training camp, that's good enough.
The article continues with the fact that the Bulls, Mavericks, and Hornets could be trade contenders for Ayton. Other teams that have notable, but more minor interest include the Pacers and Trail Blazers.
Last offseason, the Pacers gave an offer sheet to the young center who was a restricted free agent at the time, but the Suns matched the contract, which is how we are in the situation we are now.
The Suns need to nail this trade as they have no other ways to acquire depth. Phoenix can not trade any of their picks due to the fact they gave out their swaps and picks. The Suns are heading toward the second luxury tax apron and are going to have to pay a lot of penalties due to that reason.
They will be unable to use most of their mid-level exceptions going forward. Also, they cannot trade picks as they become available due to the New CBA rules.
NBA rumors: Kyrie Irving has limited buyers in free agency
The Mavs are in coming off not making the play-in with a team that is tons of questions.
According to Marc Stein, Kyrie Irving does not have a lot of buyers going into free agency (subscription may be required).
Stein's recent report says that only the Mavericks will be interested in the former all-NBA player. It seems like the Rockets will pounce around for the player but those only seem to be if they are unable to acquire James Harden. The Mavs already invested in Irving.
Irving has been marred in controversy over the last several years, which may be playing into the reduced appetite for the no-doubt talented guard. The Mavs were committed to a gap year to roll over pick protections but decided to go for it and traded a 2029 first-round pick for Irving.
Irving is also aging and has had injury troubles in the past. There are questions about his long-term viability when it comes to his legs due to multiple knee surgeries. Still, if the Mavs do not sign Irving to a contract extension, things start to get ugly with Luka Doncic.
