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Everybody talks about the Warriors blowing a 3-1 lead in the 2016 NBA Finals. This weekend, I witnessed someone blow a 3-1 lead in shuffleboard. In related news, happy birthday to The Athletic editor Tyler Batiste!
Big Brunson Brand
Star’s sacrificial deal with have ripple effects
Would you pass up $113 million for the sake of your friends and coworkers? That’s what Jalen Brunson just did for the New York Knicks by agreeing to a four-year contract extension worth $156.5 million. Sounds like a lot of money, right? Correct! Brunson’s previous deal with New York was for four years and $104 million. So he just got a massive raise, and it’s not because of inflation. It’s because he’s awesome at his job. Here’s the thing, though: Brunson actually took a pay cut. Walk with me, Bounce reader:
- Brunson was set to become a free agent next summer. He would have been eligible for a five-year, $269 million deal. That’s Franz Wagner money!
- But Brunson wanted to give the Knicks flexibility to maximize this roster in the second-apron era, so he took far less money.
- Sure, you could argue Brunson didn’t want to risk injury next season and miss out on big money like Isaiah Thomas once did. (In 2028, Brunson will be eligible for a five-year, $417 million deal … but he’ll need to stay healthy.)
His new extensions sounds like a great, team-friendly move — and it is. Brunson has been commended, especially by Knicks fans who are incredibly excited for this squad. Adding Mikal Bridges, keeping OG Anunoby and having so many good Villanova vibes means lots of potential for contending in the East.
However: The players’ union surely has questions about this. Is it good practice to sacrifice money for owners and their teams? While I was in Las Vegas for summer league, people around the Thomas & Mack Center openly questioned what this means for star players, their money and negotiations moving forward.
The problem: The union helped create this. Players still get 51 percent of basketball-related income, but with the setup of the first and second aprons, the union has essentially agreed to unavoidable hard caps for expensive teams. Plenty of teams will now have an eyebrow raised at the Knicks.
The Latest From Shams
As Las Vegas Summer League continues, NBA team officials are spending time watching their respective squads, scouting players and monitoring the league’s landscape as rosters round out. The major free agents have been signed, and the remaining tier of available players are resolving their next steps — but larger offseason issues are still outstanding.
Among those are the statuses of two former All-Star forwards: Utah’s Lauri Markkanen and New Orleans’ Brandon Ingram. My latest Inside Pass explores their current situations, along with more news and notes on Russell Westbrook, Anthony Edwards and others.
Trading SZN
Who are the next big names to get moved?
No offense to the Morris twins, but as Shams noted, free agency is essentially over. Gary Trent Jr. and Tyus Jones are the most significant names still out there. That means we move on to trade season, and that’s where things could get interesting.
There are four potential impact players who could — and maybe even should — be traded, plus one big-time player who could reshape the landscape quite a bit if he gets moved:
Lauri Markkanen | Forward | Utah Jazz | 1 year, $18 million left
- Why trade for him? Whether he’s extended before or after you deal for him, he has become an All-Star forward and one of the better scorers at the position. He’s a 50-40-90 threat and a solid rebounder. If you have a defensive center already, he complements that build perfectly.
- Who could use/acquire him? San Antonio, Sacramento, Toronto, Cleveland, Detroit, Miami, Golden State
- What do we think it takes? The Jazz want more than what Brooklyn got for Mikal Bridges. “Settling” for four firsts and two young guys might be the move. It’s a crazy asking price, but Danny Ainge does this.
Prediction: Extended and traded next summer.
Brandon Ingram | Wing | New Orleans Pelicans | 1 year, $36 million left
- Why trade for him? Ingram’s a three-level scorer and an All-Star. The 26-year-old can bottleneck an offense quite a bit, but he’s a consistent enough scorer to get you through some tough spots. The question is whether he’ll be a rental.
- Who could use/acquire him? Cleveland, Lakers, Miami, Charlotte, San Antonio, Detroit
- What do we think it takes? Starting-level big man and draft assets.
- Prediction: Acquired by Cleveland.
Jarrett Allen | Big | Cleveland Cavaliers | 2 years, $40 million left
- Why trade for him? He’s on a great contract for the next two seasons, is a great vertical threat and can anchor a top defense. He fixes rebounding issues and is fantastic in the pick-and-roll. Evan Mobley should be Cleveland’s sole big man, and the team can get real value for Allen.
- Who could use/acquire him? New Orleans, Sacramento, Lakers, Phoenix, San Antonio, Atlanta, Memphis
- What do we think it takes? Stretch-4 or 3-and-D wing help. The Cavs need better roster balance.
- Prediction: Acquired by New Orleans.
Darius Garland | Lead guard | Cleveland Cavaliers | 4 years, $163 million left
- Why trade for him? With Donovan Mitchell signing an extension, Garland remains a bit redundant. He’s a good lead guard who’s been an All-Star, and that was before Mitchell got to town. Garland can shoot and pass. Though he’s small and isn’t a great defender, having him for the next four years provides upside to taking a swing.
- Who could use/acquire him? Orlando, Brooklyn, Lakers, Miami
- What do we think it takes? 3-and-D wing, defensive stretch-4, multiple first/pick swaps
- Prediction: Acquired by Miami.
Hey, Zach, you referenced one other big-time player. Who was that? We can always be surprised, but I don’t believe the Hawks are that interested in moving Trae Young. But the franchise has swapped out so much around him without any real progress. The Hawks have had three coaches in the last three years. John Collins is gone. Dejounte Murray came and went. Maybe another uniform rebrand will fix it?
Stock Market
Checking in on young talent
Las Vegas Summer League has completed its first weekend, and we’ve gotten a glimpse at some of the star (role) players of tomorrow from this draft class. Let’s check in on the super complicated NBA Summer League Stock Market, which is calculated by top analysts and supercomputers and definitely not by me seeing a guy play and haphazardly slapping a chart emoji next to his name.
Some 2024 lottery picks
- Zaccharie Risacher, Atlanta 📈: I don’t think the No. 1 pick has much (if any) star potential, but he has a really smooth game — think early Otto Porter Jr.
- Alex Sarr, Washington 📈: He’s very raw offensively, but looks like a high-level defender.
- Reed Sheppard, Houston 📈: I’m still highly skeptical of him in regular-season games, but he cooked in both summer league games.
- Zach Edey, Memphis 📈: There is a skill in knowing you’re 7-foot-4 and nobody can do anything about that.
- Donovan Clingan, Portland 📉: Good rim protection and rebounding, but he’s so plodding on offense. His jumper is bad.
Second-year players
- Jaime Jacquez Jr., Miami 📈: He’s way too good for summer league.
- Brandon Miller, Charlotte 📉: He played fine, but he can’t be so sloppy with the ball.
- GG Jackson, Memphis 📉: We know you can score. You’re here to work on everything else.
Keep an eye out 👀
People related to LeBron James
Bounce Passes
In our latest piece on Team USA, Joe Vardon details how Derrick White had one foot in Cabo when the call came to join the Olympic squad.
Steve Kerr and Steph Curry discussed the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, calling it “sad” and a “demoralizing day for our country.”
The NBA revealed the groups for the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup (previously called the In-Season Tournament).
(Top photo: Nathaniel S. Butler / Getty Images )