NBA Free Agency

Victor Oladipo Opts To Remain With Miami Heat

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Veteran guard Victor Oladipo has chosen to exercise his player option and remain with the Miami Heat for the 2023-24 season. The $9.45 million player option represents the second year of a two-year extension Oladipo signed with the Heat ahead of the 2022-23 season. Furthermore, Oladipo exercises his player option while recovering from surgery for a torn patellar tendon sustained during the first round of the playoffs in April.

Oladipo joined the Heat in March 2021 in his second trade of the year. He began his career in Orlando before being traded to Oklahoma City in 2016. A year later, he was traded to the Pacers, where he blossomed into a two-time all-star. However, he was flipped to the Rockets in January 2021, who subsequently traded him to Miami two months later. Injuries have kept Oladipo off the court for most of his time with the Heat. However, he has proven to be a serviceable depth piece when healthy.

Oladipo Looks To Stay Healthy While Heat Look To Run It Back

In returning to the Heat, Oladipo gains a fully guaranteed salary. Furthermore, he will look to play 50 games in a season for the first time since the 2017-18 campaign. If he can, it will be a major boost to the Heat’s goal of once again winning the Eastern Conference. After a run at Bradley Beal didn’t materialize, the Heat are reportedly eyeing a big play for Damian Lillard. However, Lillard remains coy about his future plans. Reportedly, he will hold off from making a decision until he sees what the Blazers do in free agency.

With free agency officially set to open on Friday, the Heat will also look to restock. With Udonis Haslem retiring, the Heat are currently expected to lose depth contributors like Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, and Kevin Love. While targeting a big-name like Lillard to join Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo may be on the cards, the Heat were nothing without their depth last season. This could be even more crucial, given the belief held by some that Jimmy Butler is not the key to winning a championship. As mentioned, free agency begins this week. Follow all the latest developments here at HotNewHipHop.

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Wild Draymond Green Landing Spot Floated By Brian Windhorst

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Draymond Green officially declined his player option with the Golden State Warriors earlier in June. While Green is likely to return to the Warriors, his decision means that other teams are able to approach him as well.

Furthermore, there should be a healthy market for the veteran. Green is an elite defender who could easily bolster the championship hopes of several title contenders. While there are some attitude issues that could cause hesitation in pursuing Green, his play is more than other the occasional on-court issue.

However, ESPN‘s Brian Windhorst suggested a particularly wild place for Green to sign with – the Sacramento Kings. While the Kings launched themselves into the Western Conference conversation last season, Green’s recent history with the team makes it an unusual pairing, to say the least.

Related: Draymond Green links up with LeBron in France

Draymond Green To The Kings?

Windhorst pointed to the Kings’ draft day moves as signs they were chasing a big signing. During the draft, Sacramento sent Richaun Holmes and 24th overall draft pick Olivier Maxence-Prosper for a return to be announced later. The move allowed the Kings to create some much-needed cap space for a major signing.

“The Kings can now go hunting for Draymond Green if they wish,” Windhorst said on ESPN’s draft coverage show.“And that would be extraordinarily interesting because it is the exact, the exact, type of player they need…” As mentioned, Green is an elite defender, one of the best in the NBA.

However, catching himself, Windhorst went on to explain why the trade would be interesting. “You know, it would be interesting with Sabonis. That would be an interesting first practice.” Famously, Green earned himself a suspension during the Warriors’ playoff series against the Kings for stomping on Domantas Sabonis. Those would definitely be negotiations you would pay to be in the room for.

Related: 2023 NBA Draft recap

Brian Windhorst Is Having A Wild Take Week

However, Green to the Kings isn’t the only wild thing Windhorst has said this week. Speaking before the draft on First Take, Windhorst said that Victor Wembanyama’s skill set is ahead of LeBron’s at the same age. Wembanyama went first overall to the Spurs, as expected.

However, just how wild of a take is it? On the one hand, Wembanyama is a lean 7″2 who is going to struggle against more physical defenders. Furthermore, he’s never played in the American system of basketball, be it the NBA, G League, or another development league. While he’s been playing professionally since 2019, it’s on a much more relaxed schedule against “inferior” competition to what he will face in the NBA.

Despite this, Wembanyana is unlike any prospect the NBA has ever seen. His skill set is so unique that LeBron went as far as to call him an “alien”. Furthermore, he has spent the last four years focused purely on basketball, playing professionally in a well-regarded European league. Regardless, the debate also to whether he is worth the hype will be answered when he debuts in the summer league in a few months.

Related: Victor Wembanyama throws out terrible first pitch at Yankees game

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Kyrie Irving Spotted At Iconic Rucker Park

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It’s shaping up to be an interesting offseason for Kyrie Irving. After a mid-season trade to the Dallas Mavericks, it looks like Irving is not sticking around to continue the great experiment alongside Luka Dončić. While the 31-year-old was at the center of some controversy this season, sharing a link to an anti-Semitic conspiracy film on Twitter, it was thought he would be something of a hot commodity. As the season wound down, multiple teams were rumored to be considering pursuing Irving.

However, recent news suggests that may be far from true. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the free agent market for Irving is “non-existent”, with the Mavs the only team currently pursuing Irving. Irving does not appear eager to return to Dallas. On the other hand, he has not publicly ruled out another stint with the Mavericks. However, a recent public sighting of Irving could be an indication of the point guard’s future.

Irving Spotted In New York

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by 2Cool2Blog (@2cool2bl0g)

Shared to Instagram by 2Cool2Bl0g, footage shows Irving, surrounded by friends, family, and some NYPD officers, pushing a stroller through Rucker Park. Rucker Park is an NYC institution located in Harlem. Players like Kareem, Wilt, Metta Sandiford-Artest, and Dr. J all played on its courts prior to their NBA careers. In 2022, Rucker Park was one of the sites used for The Basketball Tournament.

However, the bigger question is whether this means anything for Irving’s plans. Obviously, Irving is coming off four years in New York and probably still has major links to the city. Despite this, is there a story here? Could the Nets or Knicks be interested in picking up the free-agent guard? Or this is simply a social visit to a place Irving called home for a number of years? After all, Irving attended high school in nearby New Jersey. It’s not a region of the country he has no links to. Regardless, let us know your theories in the comments. Follow all the latest sports news here at HotNewHipHop.

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Draymond Green Expected To Decline Player Option

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The future of Draymond Green is one of the biggest free agency talking points of the NBA offseason. Green has spent his entire career with the Warriors after being drafted in 2012. However, 2023-24 represents a player option year for Green’s $99.6 million contract. 2022-23 was a sub-optimal year for Green, who admitted that he lost the locker room after his viral fight with Jordan Poole.

However, the Warriors had been eager to retain him. Despite criticizing Green for the Poole fight, head coach Steve Kerr said he was eager to have Green back next year. Furthermore, sources indicated that Steph Curry was eager to run it back with “The Big Three” (him, Green, and Klay Thompson) for at least one more year. However, major news has now broken about the potential future of Green with Golden State.

Warriors Will Fight To Retain Green

Per Marc J. Spears of ESPN, the Warriors expect Green to decline his player option year, valued at $27.5 million. “The Warriors expect Draymond Green to opt out of the final year of his $26 million contract,” Spears stated. “But Joe Lacob, [Mike] Dunleavy, the Warriors are going to do everything in their power, if he does as expected, to bring him back.” The Warriors are currently over $100 million over the cap. This could pose a problem in making Draymond a competitive offer on the free agency market.

As mentioned by Spears, the job of retaining Green, if he does decline the option, falls on newly-appointed GM Mike Dunleavy. While Dunleavy is a long-time Warriors exec, it’s unclear what sort of relationship he was with Green. His predecessor, Bob Myers, was seen as the “Draymond Whisperer”. However, declining his option year will allow other teams to pursue Green as well. Furthermore, this could see a major contender or cap-friendly team make a big offer to bring in the veteran big man. Do you think Draymond will stay with Golden State? 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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Mavericks GM Reveals Teams Chances Of Re-Signing Kyrie Irving

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Kyrie Irving will have a big decision to make this summer. The Dallas guard will be a free agent with plenty of suitors lined up to speak with him. However, just what are the chances Irving will end up back in Dallas? According to team GM Nico Harrison, the Mavericks are optimistic about their chances. While that may not be a term to get fans excited. But it does feel like it means the Mavericks are still in the running for the star guards’ services.

The Mavericks were the tale of two halves when describing their season. After acquiring Irving in a trade, the team went into a freefall. But that isn’t for the lack of effort from Irving. The highly sought-after Irving appeared in just 20 games for the Mavericks. In that time, he averaged 27 points and six assists. Scoring was not an issue for Dallas this season. However, the defensive side of the ball left a lot to be desired. Irving’s teammate Luka Doncic spoke about the team’s defensive effort, including his own. But the defensive change conversation came when it was too little too late.

Kyrie Irving Isn’t In A Rush On Deciding Future

Irving has mentioned recently that he has no plans to sign a contract in the near future. The former Nike star is looking for a new shoe deal before deciding on his playing future. Irving was dropped from Nike after antisemite social media posts. There is yet to be a report on which shoe brands would be interested in bringing Irving aboard. But those conversations could be kept secret due to the nature of Irving’s last deal. So it seems the Mavericks will have to wait this one out.

The Mavericks will be the most interesting team to follow this summer. After the way this season finished, it’s hard to see a world where Luka and Kyrie Irving share the floor again. However, stranger things have happened in the NBA. Evidently, Mark Cuban believes it can work. The Mavericks owner has been very vocal about bringing Irving back into the mix. Do you believe the Mavericks will be able to keep both of their superstar guards? Drop your thoughts in the comment section. For the latest NBA news, keep it right here with HNHH.

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Mark Cuban Points Blame For Jalen Brunson Departure

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Mark Cuban is as upset as anyone over the Dallas Mavericks season. The Dallas owner understands the frustrations of the fan base. On paper, this roster should be ready for a playoff run. However, now they’re just trying to sneak in. The Mavericks have star power but could easily have more. New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson was a Maverick just last season. So why isn’t he in Dallas this season? For Cuban, he knows just who to blame for the situation.

Cuban says that Jalen’s father, Rick is to blame for the former Mavericks star leaving. According to a quote reported by ESPN’s Tim Macmahon, “things went south when the parents got involved,” Cuban told the media. An interesting response when discussing the departure of Brunson. Cuban isn’t one to hide anything when discussing his franchise. The Dallas has long been vocal about free agent deals involving his team. Needless to say, Cuban won’t hold back his true thoughts on the Brunson situation.

Mark Cuban Didn’t Like Parents Being Involved

Brunson will now prepare for the playoffs while the Mavericks playing future is unknown. The past is the past, and the Mavericks can’t look back on losing Brunson. According to MacMahon, Cuban mentioned that re-signing Kyrie Irving is the top priority this summer. Irving has mentioned this week he will look at his playing future after his next sneaker deal. Irving was dropped from his Nike deal after Anti-Semetic comments. So it seems the Mavericks and Irving have a long way to go.

Mark Cuban is starting to look toward the future. It seems as if the Mavericks are just about ready to throw the towel in on this season. Luka Doncic has denied reports that he will be shut down for the rest of the season. If there’s one word to sum up, the Mavericks at this moment, it would be uncertainty. What decisions should the Mavericks make on their future? Are Kyrie and Luka willing to run it back next season? Let us know your thoughts on the Mavericks in the comment section below. For the latest NBA news, stay right here at HNHH.

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James Harden Reportedly Eyeing Return To The Houston Rockets

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James Harden is certainly no stranger when it comes to being entangled in NBA rumors. Since joining the league as a rookie in 2009, he’s played for four different teams.

A shocking report on Monday (December 25) reveals that he could be wanting to play for one of his old squads again.

James Harden #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on during the fourth quarter atori at Wells Fargo Center on December 19, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

According to ESPN Senior NBA Insider, Adrian Wojnarowski, the current 76ers shooting guard might be eyeing a return to the Houston Rockets. However, this would only be if he enters free agency this summer.

His current two-year contract with the Sixers contains a player option for the 2023-24 season. If he chooses to take it, he will subsequently become a free agent.

The interesting part is that his present stint with Philadelphia began just shy of two years ago, shortly after he requested a trade out of Houston. The Rockets traded him to the Brooklyn Nets in a four-player deal in January, 2021. It reunited him with his former OKC teammate, Kevin Durant. Only a month later though, the world was witness to the Sixers and Nets swapping superstars Harden and Ben Simmons in a blockbuster trade.

Regardless of the new development, the 33-year-old was certainly gelling with his current team on Sunday (December 25). He put up 29 points and 13 assists in Philadelphia’s 119-112 win over the New York Knicks. The game served as the league’s first of five Christmas Day match-ups.

Furthermore, the All-Star guard seems to not be paying the reports too much attention. “I’m here. We are playing very well and I don’t know where the report came from, but I’m very excited to be here. We are playing well, and we’re continuing to get getter,” he told reporters following the win.

It will certainly be interesting to see how all of this unfolds during the off-season. For now, Philadelphia is enjoying an eight-game winning streak.

Could you see Harden back in a Rockets jersey? If so, who do you think they’d have to give up in a trade to get him? Sound off in the comments down below. Finally, make sure to check out our newest holiday-themed playlist here.

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