The NBA Free Agency period begins today at 3:00, Pacific time, 6:00 Eastern. With the annual moratorium coming to an end, all 30 NBA franchises, including the Portland Trail Blazers, will chase available players like buffet patrons when the crab legs are refilled. Some have cap space, others mid-level exceptions, but everyone will take their shot at the ideal acquisition at some level.
Trades are commonplace during early-to-mid July as well. Some teams will be looking to improve themselves, others to clear cap space.
We suspect the Blazers intend to re-sign guards Anfernee Simons and Jusuf Nurkic if at all possible. They already made one big trade move, acquiring Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant. (That move should become official with the change in the NBA calendar year.) Could they have another move in the offing? Or will they be satisfied chasing free agents with the mid-level exception, valued just over $10 million?
We’ll bring you Portland’s moves—if any—in their own, individual posts today. This thread will serve as a clearinghouse for all other transactions. We’ll hear plenty of rumors, get exchanges anticipated and confirmed, and rise and fall with the waves in the NBA ocean.
Stay tuned all day long as this post populates and the landscape of the league changes before our eyes! The new season begins now. We’ll walk through it with you from beginning to end.
Malik Monk to SAC?
Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee is reporting Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Malik Monk will likely sign with the Sacramento Kings once the free agency period opens.
Big Contract Extensions Coming for Stars
NBA correspondent Marc Stein is reporting Denver’s Nikola Jokic, Phoenix’s Devin Booker, Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns, and Memphis’ Ja Morant are “all expected to verbally sign mammoth contract extensions” soon after midnight.
Extensions for Jokic, Booker, Towns, Morant, etc., must wait six hours until AFTER 12:01 AM on July 1 when the new league year officially starts ... only free agents can verbally agree to new deals between 6 PM and midnight tonight as my pal @KeithSmithNBA helpfully reminds.
This means the expected contract extension for Portland superstar Damian Lillard must wait until after midnight.
Utah Waives Hernangomez
The Athletic’s Shams Charania is reporting the Utah Jazz is waiving forward Juancho Hernangomez. Hernangomez was a part of the three-team trade in February between the Blazers, Jazz, and Spurs that sent Joe Ingles to Portland.
Hernangomez may be most famous for playing fictional basketball star Bo Cruz in the 2022 Adam Sandler movie “Hustle.”
Gallinari on the Move
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting the San Antonio Spurs are expected to waive forward Danilo Gallinari, making the 33-year-old a free agent. The Spurs acquired Gallinari — along with several draft picks — from the Atlanta Hawks Wednesday in a package that sent Dejounte Murray out of town.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin is reporting Gallinari wants the mid-level exception. Boston, Miami, and Chicago are among the teams at the top of his list.
Drama in Brooklyn?
Within minutes, all of the NBA’s focus shifted to the Brooklyn Nets after it was announced from The Athletic’s Shams Charania that Kevin Durant has requested a trade from the franchise. In a subsequent move, the team also traded a 2023 first-round pick to the Utah Jazz for Royce O’Neale, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Nets are acquiring the Jazz's Royce O'Neal in a trade for a 2023 first-round pick, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022
Ingles to Memphis?
Memphis radio personality Peter Edmiston is reporting the Memphis Grizzlies are showing particular interest in Portland Trail Blazers forward Joe Ingles. Ingles hasn’t played since late January due to a torn ACL, but Edmiston says Ingles’ veteran experience makes the 34-year-old a good fit for the young Grizzlies.
From what I am hearing, the Grizzlies’ interest in Joe Ingles is very real. Injury concerns at his age are legitimate but his skillset and experience would make sense for a young, talented team looking to take that next step in the playoffs.
In light of Edmiston’s report, The Athletic’s John Hollinger speculates this could signal the end of forward Kyle Anderson’s time in Memphis. Anderson — an unrestricted free agent —has been mentioned by media in the past as a potential target for Portland, a team looking to bolster its wing depth.