Several agents for point guards in the 2021 free agent class fear New York as a possible landing spot for Paul. Leon Rose was Paul’s agent before Rose became the Knicks president. But, again, New York would only be an option for Paul if he and Phoenix didn’t reach an agreement.
With the Finals around the corner, things around the rest of the NBA have been rather quiet, but it should not stay that way for long. Free agency is exactly one month away, which means it’s only a matter of time before, ya know, all hell breaks lose.
• The writing was on the wall for Ben Simmons’ Philly future after his disastrous final playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks. When Philly needed him to play like the team’s true No. 2, he failed to come up time and again in embarrassing fashion. Simmons played a fearful brand of basketball, converting just 34.2 percent of his free-throw attempts and shooting just three total shots in the fourth quarter over the seven-game series. The debacle surely impacted his value in the trade market, but by how much has been the lingering question. On Friday morning, NBA fans got an idea of what the current market for Simmons looks like after Jason Dumas of KRON4 News reported that Philly turned down an offer from the Indiana Pacers centered around Malcolm Brogdon and a first-round pick.
The Sixers have already fielded offers for Ben Simmons but continue to hold a stance that they will only trade him for an all-star caliber player. They most recently turned down a deal with the Pacers that included Malcolm Brogdon and a 1st round pick.
— Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) July 2, 2021
• All things considered, I don’t think we should be shocked this deal failed to toot front office leader Daryl Morey’s horn. Rarely is it smart for an organization to jump at the first big offer that comes across their desk. Not to mention, this helps establish a starting point for future negotiations, and it’s one that sounds pretty good for Philly. The franchise could do a lot worse than Brogdon as a part of a Simmons package. While his health has always been a concern, Brogdon has been a borderline All-Star in the past. He is quite the strong all-around player who averaged 21.2 points, 5.9 assists, and 5.3 rebounds per game. Brogdon also shot an efficient 45.3 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from downtown. During his 2018-19 season with Milwaukee, he was one of the rare players in league history to finish in the 50-40-90 club.
• Speaking of which, does this mean Brogdon is available? There were rumors the organization could look to move on from him at the deadline this season, which came as a surprise considering his production. The investment in head coach Rick Carlisle seemed to make it clear that the Indiana Pacers wanted to win now. Moving Brogdon would likely work against that mantra unless it is in return for an immediately impactful player. But, still, this might be something to follow as the summer goes on.
• The New York Knicks were thrown out as a possible landing spot for a superstar!? Shocker! Every big-name talent and their mother is usually linked to the Knicks at some point during the offseason, and it’s now Chris Paul’s turn. According to SNY’s Ian Begley, the New Yorks are keeping an eye on Paul, and agents around the league do view the Knicks as a possible new home for the vet.
• Another free agent point guard wants to make it known he is worth a big payday.
Nets free agent Spencer Dinwiddie on Instagram: “Welp, looks like the best FA point guard is ready.” pic.twitter.com/thEUk9JRNk
— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) July 2, 2021
• Spencer Dinwiddie is coming off a partially torn ACL, but he is still set to be one of the more desirable point guard options this offseason. He comes with veteran experience and a strong work ethic that helped him post 20.6 points and 6.8 assists per game during the 2019-20 season. Never a monstrously gifted athlete, Dinwiddie has relied on a high basketball IQ, good timing, and physical play to reach his peak. As a downhill player with a knack for getting to the free-throw line, he would make a lot of sense for the Bulls, and we have talked more about that here
• Tons of NBA players are currently overseas trying to help their home country qualify for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. One of those players is Chicago Bulls point guard Tomas Satorasnky, who balled out last night to help the Czech Republic reach the Qualifying Tournament Semi-Finals. In case some you forgot, the last time Satoransky was on the national stage, he played some extremely exciting basketball.
Sato with 19 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds last night to lead Czech Republic in to the Semi-Finals of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament! 💪
📷: FIBA pic.twitter.com/APcOvPutMS
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) July 2, 2021
• Man, I can’t wait for some Olympic hoops.
Watch the BEST PLAYS from NBA players during the Group Stage of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament!#FIBAOQT continues with the Semifinals on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/0OqFqMAHTl
— NBA (@NBA) July 2, 2021
• The Portland Trail Blazers and Dallas Mavericks showed us how not to hire a head coach this offseason. As more information came out or resurfaced about each hire, it became hard to believe that either franchise put real effort into investigating the matters. The Athletic’s John Hollinger talked more about this below:
Someday, there will be a woman head coach in the NBA, @johnhollinger writes.
"But for now, it seems the best fake-sincere way to show you’re an enlightened franchise is to interview Becky Hammon, and then hire the dude you wanted to hire anyway."https://t.co/SdvTO6lRf8
— The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) July 2, 2021
• Both the Mavs and Blazers put themselves in quite the vulnerable place this offseason. Each franchise is clutching onto a top-10 player in the league, and both have now put their future with that player at risk due to poor internal decision-making and PR nightmares. Rumors have already surfaced about Lillard possibly wanting out this offseason, while Doncic’s frustration with the Mav has been well-documented. And, if both players are on the team next season (which is most likely), that still is not a reason to believe all is well. This kind of stuff lingers.
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• I guess it’s good Patrick Beverley apologized … but how about you don’t shove Chris Paul for no reason in the first place??
@CP3 emotions got the best of me last night gang. My bad wasn’t meant for you. Congrats on making it to the Finals. Best of Luck 🤞🏾
— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) July 1, 2021
• Brook Lopez turned back the clock on Thursday night.
https://twitter.com/TheHoopCentral/status/1410794337340854275?s=20