Superstar trade could happen ‘this weekend’; key calls to decide Aussie’s future: NBA Rumour Mill

One of the NBA’s household names might soon be on the move.

ESPN’s NBA insider Brian Windhorst offered Tuesday on ‘Get Up’ that the Clippers could trade star forward Paul George by “this weekend.”

Windhorst explained that George has a “different menu of options,” including opting into the final year of his contract with the Clippers to facilitate a trade — which would necessitate the fastest timeline.

“He could opt into his contract and get traded by this weekend,” Windhorst said.

“That is something that is going to come to a head in the next day or two if he wants to go with that option, because obviously you’d have to negotiate a trade. Then, the team wouldn’t necessarily need salary cap space.‘We’re going to see some action in that, probably coming up very quickly after the draft.”

One source, meanwhile, told NBA insider Marc Stein that George is the “domino who will make it all go when he falls”.

FEATURE: Inside Australian’s rapid rise to NBA Draft

The Clippers have been trying to extend George before this latest fork in the road, with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reporting that extension conversations between the two sides were “ongoing” after Kawhi Leonard signed a three-year, $153 million extension in mid-January.

George has one year worth $48.8 million left on the four-year extension he signed with Los Angeles in December 2020 worth up to $190 million.

Windhorst listed re-signing with the Clippers on a new deal as one of George’s three options, along with the opt-in leading into a trade or opting out of his deal to become a free agent.

The forward was an All-Star both of the last two years after playing in only 31 games in 2021-22 due to a torn UCL in his right arm.

This past year, the Fresno State product teamed up with Leonard and James Harden to help the Clippers claim the West’s No. 4 seed but lost in the first round to the Mavericks.

Since George arrived in Hollywood in 2019, the Clippers have made the playoffs in four of five seasons but have not advanced beyond the Western Conference finals.

If George opts into his contract to set up an exit from Los Angeles, insider Marc Stein reported that the Knicks could be a candidate to land the 34-year-old.

Other contenders for the nine-time All-Star, whether via trade or free agency, include the Magic, Rockets and 76ers, although a recent report made Philadelphia seem like a long shot.

George mostly recently made his debut as a commentator, assisting ESPN’s pregame coverage of Games 3 and 4 of the NBA Finals.

— New York Post

NEXT DOMINOES THAT COULD FALL… AND WHAT IT MAY MEAN FOR AUSSIE

So, if George ends up being moved, who are the next big names to keep an eye on in the NBA offseason?

Well, Stein reported that league sources believe Denver’s Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will be “among the players who will be most in demand” after George’s future is sorted.

Caldwell-Pope was Denver’s most underrated piece in the team’s championship run in the 2022-23 season and is one of the league’s best 3-and-D players, having now shot over 40 per cent from downtown in three of his past four seasons.

The Nuggets wing would help any contending team go to the next level, with Stein reporting that sources say Philadelphia and Orlando are considering making a play for Caldwell-Pope if he declines his $15.4 million player option with the Nuggets to enter free agency.

Elsewhere, Chris Paul could also be on the move with a key deadline on his future looming.

The veteran’s $30 million contract for next season will become guaranteed if he is on Golden State’s roster or another team’s after June 28.

If Paul was instead waived and entered free agency, Stein reported that the Lakers and Clippers are two teams that are expected to be interested in his services.

In other news, Chicago’s trade for Josh Giddey has predictably further cast a spotlight on Zach LaVine’s future at the franchise.

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported that sources claim the Bulls are still “engaging rival teams on LaVine trade scenarios” and are “exploring options to move up in the draft”.

The prospect of a LaVine move, at least in the short-term, is hardly a sure thing though given there doesn’t seem to be much of a market for the star guard.

Fischer reported LaVine is “merely a backup option for the guard”, adding the Bulls “have yet to develop significant traction on deals” outside of talks with the Pistons that previously included the now traded Bojan Bogdanović.

Detroit also has a new president in Trajan Langdon, which further casts doubt on whether the front office has the same interest in LaVine under different leadership.

Fischer went on to report that if there is any suitor for LaVine it seems “most likely at this juncture” that it would be the Kings, who league sources told Yahoo Sports are “active in exploring trade opportunities” for Harrison Barnes and Kevin Huerter.

The report claims Huerter is receiving a “healthy amount of external interest”, while adding the Kings are also considering trade possibilities for their No. 13 pick.

Meanwhile, the Magic are facing the same deadline as the Warriors when it comes to deciding whether they will retain Australian Joe Ingles or let him become an unrestricted free agent.

Ingles will make $11 million next season if Orlando keeps him, with Fischer reporting that decision will largely hinge on how much money the Magic plan to spend in free agency and where negotiations go with Jalen Suggs, who is set for a rookie-scale extension.

“Orlando could very well exercise the 2024-25 option on Ingles’ deal, sources said, depending on how much room the Magic will need to operate through its overall offseason — with the knowledge that Jalen Suggs is in line for a significant payday before his fourth season,” Fischer wrote.

It comes as Fischer reported that Orlando, who has around $36 million in cap room, still holds hopes of landing a “veteran guard/wing who can space the floor Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, without commanding too much on-ball oxygen”.

The Magic had been linked to both Golden State’s Klay Thompson and Sacramento’s Malik Monk, although the latter has since extended with the Kings.

Caldwell-Pope, who was mentioned earlier, fits the mould of the kind of player the Magic may be after.