free agency rumors

Kyrie Irving Meeting Six Teams In Free Agency

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On June 27, Kyrie Irving was “close” to re-signing with the Dallas Mavericks. The market for Irving was “extremely limited, perhaps almost nil” according to Adrian Wojnarowski. The Mavericks had not only the interest but also the financial ability to sign Irving. The maximum offer Dallas could offer was 5 years, $272.9 million.

However, a day later, it was reported that Irving would be meeting with the Phoenix Suns. While the Suns are incredibly cap-burdened, the appeal of joining a title-hunting superteam in Phoenix certainly has its appeals. Well, as the offseason continues to grow wilder, it’s now being reported that Irving will have at least six free-agency meetings around the league.

Read More: Clippers make Ivica Zubac available for trade amid James Harden speculation

Irving Interest Explodes

Per Bill Reiter of CBS Sports, Kyrie Irving has six meetings scheduled for June 30, when free agency officially begins. The first two meetings are the ones already reported. Irving will meet with the Mavericks as they try to retain the veteran they traded for in the middle of last season. Then there’s the aforementioned Suns, with their superteam plans. However, the other four options represent a wide range of playing experiences for Irving. Whether it’s with a title contender or rebuilding franchise, there’s a little bit of everything on the table.

Read More: Pistons scaring off trade suitors for Bojan Bogdanović with first-round pick demand

The Miami Heat are reportedly meeting with Irving, following their failure to trade for Bradley Beal and the continued uncertainty of Damian Lillard’s availability. Meanwhile, the Rockets join the hunt for Irving after losing out on James Harden. Whether Irving is the preference to Fred VanVleet, or whether he will be a veteran leader alongside VanVleet, remains to be seen. Meanwhile, both LA teams are also meeting Irving. For the Lakers, it’s likely they want a title run before they potentially lose LeBron to whichever team drafts Bronny. Meanwhile, the Clippers could be pulling a Suns and building a superteam, no matter the cost, to finally win them a championship. Where do you think Irving will land? This is a developing story and we’ll have any updates here at HotNewHipHop.

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Kyrie Irving To Take Free Agency Meeting With Phoenix Suns

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24 hours ago, it appeared as if Kyrie Irving was returning to the Dallas Mavericks. With the market for the veteran reportedly “non-existent”, Woj went on TV to tell the world that Irving and the Mavs were “close” to finalizing a new deal. With money being a non-issue for Dallas, they could lock up Irving for as much as five years and $272.9 million.

But you should never trust anything in the NBA offseason to remain simple. Reports are now emerging that Irving will take a meeting with the Phoenix Suns once free agency officially opens on June 30. Not only does it add a shocking twist to one of the few “sure things” of the offseason, but it also raises a number of questions as to just what the Suns are doing.

Read More: Sixers become favorites to retain James Harden after player meets with new head coach Nick Nurse

Irving To The Suns?

Per Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report, Kyrie Irving will meet with the Suns in the first days of free agency. Furthermore, the Houston Rockets are also expected to take a meeting with Irving. It’s unclear where all the interest in Irving has suddenly come from, but it appears to be very much real. The Suns have already acquired Bradley Beal this offseason and are evidently looking to build the ultimate championship-hunting superteam. However, the biggest obstacle in signing Irving will be the salary cap. The Suns, with their incredibly bloated roster, are already pushed up against the league’s hard cap.

Read More: Bulls’ demands making Zach LaVine trade nearly impossible to pull off

Despite this meeting, the Mavs are still believed to be the favorite for Irving’s services. As mentioned, they have the salary space to accommodate a max offer for Irving. Furthermore, it is believed that Dallas is eager to lock down Irving in order to utilize him in attracting other free agents. However, the tenacity of Mat Ishiba, and his desire to bring a title to Phoenix, should not be underestimated. This is a developing story and we’ll have any updates here at HotNewHipHop.

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Houston Rockets Linked With Massive Contract For Fred VanVleet

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The Houston Rockets have become the frontrunners to sign Fred VanVleet when free agency opens on June 30. The 29-year-old guard is coming off a down season for the Raptors, where he shot 39.3% and scored 19.3 points per game. It’s the second time in the past three seasons that VanVleet has played at least 50 games and shot below 40%. Subsequently, the Raptors went 41-41 and did not progress past the Play-In Tournament. This led to the firing of head coach Nick Nurse and a rumored rebuild in Toronto.

However, that has not stopped the Rockets from pursuing their chase for the guard. Having picked up one of the Thompson Brothers in the draft, their third top-five pick in the last three years, the Rockets are looking to bring some veteran talent to help lead the team. They have been heavily linked with a reunion with James Harden, but are also eyeing a massive contract for the career Raptor too.

Rockets’ Offer For VanVleet Rumored At $83.6M Over 2 Years

Per Marc Stein, the Rockets reportedly want to snag VanVleet with a 2-year, $83.6 million contract. By comparison, VanVleet made $85 million over four years in his most recent contract with the Raptors. Evidently, the Rockets are hoping that VanVleet’s 2022-23 campaign was merely a blip and that the guard can return to his All-Star form from the season prior. Furthermore, Stein indicates that the Rockets may turn their attention to Boston’s Jaylen Brown if they can’t acquire Harden or VanVleet.

The VanVleet pursuit comes as the Rockets look to turn the corner on their reboot under new head coach Ime Udoka. With the addition of 2023 first-rounder Armen Thompson, the Rockets have a young, strong Big Three. However, the team is very much lacking in the way of meaningful depth and impact veterans. Despite this, the rumored offer is a lock of money to throw at a guy coming off one of the worst years of this career. Furthermore, it was also the most games that VanVleet has started in a season, making it all the more worrying if his numbers persist. What do you think about this rumor? Let us know in the comments. Follow all the latest sports news here at HotNewHipHop.

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Chris Paul To Be Aggresively Persued By San Antonio Spurs

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Chris Paul’s future is still uncertain. On June 7, it was reported that the Phoenix Suns had met with Chris Paul. During that meeting, the team told the veteran that there has a possibility he could be waived before his fully guaranteed salary triggered on June 28th. Paul has been in Phoenix since 2020 and had the fourth-highest assists per game in the NBA this season.

However, Phoenix is looking for any possible way to overhaul their roster after their “win now” plan failed. Despite his impressive numbers, especially for someone in their age 38 season, his cap hit appears to be too much for the Suns. If Paul is still on the roster on June 28th, he will have to be paid $30.8 million. According to the latest updates on the situation, the team is doing everything they can to move Paul without waiving him. Now, new rumors are hinting at one very interested suitor.

San Antonio Spurs Want Paul

First reported by LJ Ellis of SpursTalk, San Antonio is extremely interested in pursuing Paul. “When free agency opens, a scout for a Western Conference team believes the Spurs will make a hard push for either Chris Paul or Fred VanVleet. He posits that the opportunity to pair Wembanyama with an experienced playmaker at point guard will ultimately be impossible for San Antonio to pass up.”

Ellis also pointed to the reason why the Spurs are so eager to bring Paul. For just the third time in franchise history, the Spurs own the #1 pick in the draft. The last two times they have been in this position, they drafted Hall of Famers David Robinson and Tim Duncan. In 2023, they will be able to draft generational prospect Victor Wembanyama. Wembanyama, who has been playing professionally in France since 2019, will likely need a little adjustment to the NBA. However, his transition will be made all the easier by a player like Paul. Furthermore, Paul has actively relished serving in a veteran leadership role in his recent stints with the Thunder and Suns. Essentially, he is the perfect player to bring over to the Spurs to help Wembanyama achieve his potential. Follow all the latest sports news here at HotNewHipHop.

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