With NBA training camps opening at the start of October, free agents are scrambling for final roster spots and anxiously hoping for Damian Lillard and James Harden trades to come to fruition, with several teams stuck in holding patterns until then.
Below is the latest intel gathered by HoopsHype, including a player the Hawks were not willing to part with in trade talks for Pascal Siakam, potential NBA expansion, several veterans who recently worked out for the Golden State Warriors, Wizards trade candidates, and more.
Pascal Siakam trade talks
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The Atlanta Hawks were considered the team with the most trade interest in Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam over the summer.
While talks for Siakam centered around De’Andre Hunter, AJ Griffin, and draft pick compensation never materialized, there was a young player the Hawks didn’t want to include that’s worth noting should the teams revisit trade discussions.
The Hawks were unwilling to part with rookie guard Kobe Bufkin in trade talks for Siakam, league sources told HoopsHype. Coach Quin Snyder is said to be high on the former Michigan guard, who averaged 19.3 points on 51.9 percent shooting overall and 45 percent from beyond the arc with 5.6 rebounds in his final eight games as a Wolverine.
Bufkin was a player the Raptors considered selecting at No. 13 overall in the draft before ultimately choosing Gradey Dick.
Another player to watch in potential trade talks is Hawks swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic, who becomes trade-eligible on September 16. Bogdanovic recently finished with the third-highest Global Rating at the World Cup and is owed $68 million over the next four seasons.
NBA expansion
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Multiple front office executives from NBA teams who spoke with HoopsHype believe the In-Season Tournament games in Las Vegas are a preview for an eventual expansion team to come to the city.
According to the executives, having those games will give the league a chance for a true market test run to see how the city would perform if it gets an NBA team.
Las Vegas has previously hosted the G League Showcase and recently sold out Victor Wembanyama’s Summer League debut in July.
Many around the league believe Las Vegas and Seattle are the top two contenders for expansion teams at some point.
Golden State Warriors
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The Golden State Warriors continue to host NBA veterans for workouts. Recent participants included former Warriors Kent Bazemore, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Dewayne Dedmon, along with free agents Will Barton, Jaylen Nowell, Stanley Johnson and Derrick Favors, league sources told HoopsHype.
Bazemore shot a career-high 40.8 percent from three with Golden State during the 2020-21 season. Toscano-Anderson was part of Golden State’s 2022 championship. Dedmon made his NBA debut with the Warriors, appearing in four games during the 2013-14 season.
Barton also will work out for the New Orleans Pelicans, league sources told HoopsHype. The 11-year NBA veteran averaged 14.7 points in 32 minutes per game during 71 games played for the Denver Nuggets during the 2021-22 season. The 32-year-old swingman was then traded to Washington and split time with the Wizards and Toronto Raptors last season, where he saw a reduced bench role after being a full-time starter the past four years.
Nowell averaged a career-high 10.8 points per game last season for Minnesota, who were open to sign-and-trade talks, as HoopsHype reported.
Johnson shot a career-high 53.3 percent from the field and 45 percent from three in 30 games for the Spurs last season.
Favors also worked out for the Portland Trail Blazers, HoopsHype has learned. The 12-year NBA veteran has averaged 10.6 points and 7.1 rebounds in 790 career games.
Washington Wizards
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The Washington Wizards plan to go into the season with the current roster but expect to field calls from rival teams looking for shooting (Danilo Gallinari and Landry Shamet) and a backup guard (Delon Wright).
Gallinari ($6.8 million) and Wright ($8.2 million) are both in the final year of their contracts. Shamet is owed $33 million over the remaining three seasons, as noted on our HoopsHype Wizards salaries page.
As previously noted on HoopsHype, Gallinari has not had buyout talks with the Wizards and is embracing Washington and returning with a chip on his shoulder. In addition, the Hornets considered trading for Wright before signing Frank Ntilikina. Wright could command one or two second-round picks in trade discussions, according to rival NBA executives who spoke to HoopsHype.
Lamar Stevens
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Free agent swingman Lamar Stevens has drawn interest from several teams, including the Celtics, Timberwolves, Rockets and Heat, HoopsHype has learned.
The Celtics signed Svi Mykhailiuk to a one-year deal, as HoopsHype reported. Boston has 14 players with either a fully or partially guaranteed contract and one roster spot open. Minnesota also has an open roster spot.
Following Kevin Porter Jr.’s arrest for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend, former WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick, his NBA future in peril, as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski noted. The Rockets are a team to keep an eye on with one roster spot open, pending what happens next with Porter Jr.
Miami continues to be in a holding pattern amid Damian Lillard trade talks while eying potential rotation depth should a deal come to fruition.
Elfrid Payton
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Eight-year NBA veteran Elfrid Payton has worked out for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Charlotte Hornets, league sources told HoopsHype.
The 29-year-old point guard has averaged 10.1 points, 5.7 assists, and 4.0 rebounds in 500 career regular-season games.
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