<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-clippers-make-final-decision-on-james-harden-trade-talks-with-sixers');   ga('set', 'title', 'RUMOR: Clippers make final decision on James Harden trade talks with Sixers');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Clippers-make-final-decision-on-James-Harden-trade-talks-with-Sixers.jpg"></figure><h1>RUMOR: Clippers make final decision on James Harden trade talks with Sixers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-09-17T13:08:42-07:00">September 17th, 1:08pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-09-17T13:08:42-07:00">September 17th, 1:08pm</time><address><a>Jack Winter</a>Jack Winter is a veteran NBA writer and editor based on the West Coast. He currently lives in Oakland, covering the last legs of the Golden State Warriors' dynasty.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As training camp fast approaches, it seems increasingly unlikely James Harden will get his wish of a trade to the LA Clippers. Daryl Morey and the Philadelphia 76ers’ refusal to accept a mediocre return for the future Hall-of-Famer, though, isn’t the only obstacle that could prevent Harden from playing the 2023-24 season in his native Los Angeles.</p><p>After initial talks between the Clippers and Sixers following Harden’s trade request went nowhere, LA reportedly <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2023/09/17/clippers-cease-trade-talks-for-76ers-james-harden-per-report" rel="noopener">decided to move on</a> from trying to acquire him.</p><p>“[The Clippers] tried to trade for James Harden, and that deal didn’t happen,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on <a href="https://www.espn.com/espnradio/newyork/podcast/archive/_/id/3634017" rel="noopener"><i>The Hoop Collective</i></a>, per Wilton Jackson of Sports Illustrated. “And from what I understand, it was the Clippers who said, ‘Okay, there’s no deal here. We’re gonna move on.’ And while I assume that they could certainly make a deal midseason, I assume that this is what they’re gonna go with.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sixers-news-james-harden-makes-final-35-6-million-contract-decision-ahead-of-2023-nba-free-agency" rel="noopener">Harden rocked the league</a> by opting into the final year of his contract and requesting a trade from Philadelphia on June 29th, the day before he was expected to become a free agent. Reports of his preference to play for the Clippers immediately followed, with both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George apparently endorsing the idea of LA trading for the 10-time All-Star.</p><p>The Sixers indicated last month that they are comfortable holding onto Harden unless Morey’s desired trade package materializes. That inevitably fraught dynamic became even more combustible when <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-james-harden-rips-daryl-morey-after-failed-trade-attempts" rel="noopener">Harden publicly laid into Philly’s top decision-maker</a> on a promotional trip in China, insisting he’d never again play for a team being run by Morey.</p><p>The Sixers tipoff training camp on October 3rd.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

RUMOR: Clippers make final decision on James Harden trade talks with Sixers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-mavs-lakers-suns-among-6-kyrie-irving-meetings-to-start-free-agency/');   ga('set', 'title', 'RUMOR: Mavs, Lakers, Suns among 6 Kyrie Irving meetings to start free agency');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Mavs-Lakers-Suns-among-6-Kyrie-Irving-meetings-to-start-free-agency.jpg"></figure><h1>RUMOR: Mavs, Lakers, Suns among 6 Kyrie Irving meetings to start free agency</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-06-30T12:23:23-07:00">June 30th, 12:23pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-06-30T12:43:55-07:00">June 30th, 12:43pm</time><address><a>Jack Winter</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Kyrie Irving isn’t just meeting with the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns in free agency.</p><p>Once the player movement period officially tips off at 3:00 p.m. (PT), the eight-time All-Star will also <a href="https://twitter.com/sportsreiter/status/1674856299035774976" rel="noopener">take free agent pitches</a> from the Miami Heat, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and LA Clippers, according to Bill Reiter of CBS Sports.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Here are the teams that Kyrie Irving will meet with today once free agency begins:</p><p>👉 Mavs<br>👉 Suns<br>👉 Heat<br>👉 Rockets<br>👉 Lakers<br>👉 Clippers</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/sportsreiter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sportsreiter</a>) <a href="https://t.co/XwY55iih1M">pic.twitter.com/XwY55iih1M</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1674857432969879553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2023</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-kyrie-irving-re-signing-mavs-close-done-deal" rel="noopener">Dallas can offer more money and years</a> than any other suitor in the Irving sweepstakes, and were reportedly favorites to sign him before news of the 31-year-old’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-kyrie-irving-meeting-phoenix-free-agency" rel="noopener">plans to meet with Phoenix</a> broke on Friday.</p><p>The Heat, Rockets, Lakers and Clippers have all been connected to other star point guards this offseason as trade and free agency rumors swirl, too. Miami is still <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-the-real-reason-why-heat-are-not-giving-up-on-damian-lillard-trade-pursuit" rel="noopener">waiting out Damian Lillard</a>, while both the Rockets and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-fred-vanvleets-path-to-la-nba-free-agency-trades" rel="noopener">Lakers are interested in signing Fred VanVleet</a>. The Clippers, meanwhile, are <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-kawhi-leonard-paul-georges-feelings-clippers-james-harden" rel="noopener">favorites to land James Harden</a> after his stunning opt-in and trade request from the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday.</p><p>It remains to be seen just how serious Irving’s threat of leaving Dallas in free agency really is. Like the Brooklyn Nets before them, the Mavericks would surely prefer to extend Irving below his maximum salary, on a multi-year deal that includes a team option or partial/full guarantees—the same negotiating tactic that ultimately led to Irving requesting a trade from Brooklyn at the deadline.</p><p>There’s conflicting intel about Miami’s meeting with Kyrie Irving, by the way, as Anthony Chiang of the <i>Miami Herald </i>reports the <a href="https://twitter.com/Anthony_Chiang/status/1674859364480434176" rel="noopener">Heat will <i>not</i> be pitching him</a> on the first day of free agency.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

RUMOR: Mavs, Lakers, Suns among 6 Kyrie Irving meetings to start free agency

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rumor: Bulls linked to 2 young big men in free agency, but there’s a catch');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Bulls_rumors_Chicago_linked_to_2_young_big_men_in_free_agency_but_there_s_a_catch.jpg"></figure><h1>Rumor: Bulls linked to 2 young big men in free agency, but there’s a catch</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2022-06-29T06:14:59-07:00">June 29th, 6:14am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2022-06-29T10:18:32-07:00">June 29th, 10:18am</time><address><a>Jason Patt</a>Jason Patt has been an editor at ClutchPoints since 2018. He also covers the Bulls for Forbes and SB Nation's Blog a Bull. In addition, he co-hosts Cash Considerations: A Chicago Bulls Podcast for the Blue Wire Network. If you couldn't tell, he's from Chicago.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago Bulls are looking for help in the frontcourt in free agency, especially in the rim protection department because of Nikola Vucevic’s shortcomings in that area. <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10040325-latest-nba-free-agency-intel-buzz-on-dame-lillard-jalen-brunson-malik-monk-more" rel="noopener">Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer links</a> the Bulls to two young big men on the market: Isaiah Hartenstein and Mo Bamba.</p><p>Chicago has the non-taxpayer mid-level exception at its disposal, which is worth just over $10 million for 2022-23. However, Fischer reports the Bulls are “expected to preserve room and not offer the full $10.1 million.”</p><p>It’s unclear if the “preserve room” part means Chicago wants to use the mid-level on multiple players or if it just doesn’t want to use the full mid-level because of luxury tax concerns. The Bulls are set to give Zach LaVine <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bulls-news-zach-lavines-future-in-chicago-gets-clarity-amid-latest-woj-bomb/" rel="noopener">a max contract worth around $212 million</a>, so doing that and using the full mid-level while filling out the rest of the roster would get them in luxury tax range. The organization is notoriously averse to paying the tax, but that should really not be a consideration here after the team finally returned to the playoffs last season.</p><p>When it comes to these two targets, Hartenstein could be available as an unrestricted free agent because the Los Angeles Clippers can’t offer him much. The Clippers are set to use the taxpayer mid-level exception of over $6 million on John Wall, leaving little for the big man because of cap rules. However, Fischer notes Hartenstein could potentially return to LA for cheap and then be rewarded next offseason when he can get a much bigger deal.</p><p>Like Hartenstein, Bamba is coming off the best season of his career, though he’s set to be a restricted free agent unless he doesn’t get a qualifying offer. While the Orlando Magic’s selection of Paolo Banchero at No. 1 in the 2022 NBA Draft adds another frontcourt body to a logjam, Fischer says there’s “motivation on both sides for Bamba and the Magic to agree to terms on a new deal.”</p><p>Right now, it’s unclear just what kind of contract would be required for the Bulls to secure the services of either of these players. If it takes the full mid-level, would Chicago be willing to go there? This reporting suggests no.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rumor: Bulls linked to 2 young big men in free agency, but there’s a catch

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '');   ga('set', 'title', 'RUMOR: Clippers eyeing Nerlens Noel trade with Knicks amid John Wall reports');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Clippers_rumors_LA_eyeing_Nerlens_Noel_trade_with_Knicks_amid_John_Wall_reports.jpeg"></figure><h1>RUMOR: Clippers eyeing Nerlens Noel trade with Knicks amid John Wall reports</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2022-06-28T07:40:25-07:00">June 28th, 7:40am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2022-06-28T07:40:25-07:00">June 28th, 7:40am</time><address><a href="https://medium.com/@rpsalao">R.P. Salao</a>Check out my best stuff on Medium - medium.com/@rpsalao.I also post quality NBA YouTube content - tinyurl.com/SalaoYouTube.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Clippers are eyeing more than one Kentucky stud this offseason. After the recent news on former All-Star John Wall potentially making the move to LA, now it appears the team wants to swing a trade with the New York Knicks for center Nerlens Noel.</p><p><a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/nba-rumors-anfernee-simons-kevon-looney-gary-payton-ii-nerlens-noel/">According to</a> Michael Scotto of <i>HoopsHype</i>, the Clippers have indeed engaged in trade talks with the Knicks to acquire the big man.</p><blockquote>The New York Knicks have had exploratory discussions on trading center Nerlens Noel to the Los Angeles Clippers, league sources told HoopsHype. Noel could fit into the Clippers’ $9.7 million trade exception previously generated by the Serge Ibaka trade. The Knicks have a surplus of draft pick compensation (22 picks total over the next seven years) to dangle.</blockquote><p>In this scenario, the Clippers might actually be the ones getting compensated instead of paying a pretty penny to get Noel over. The Knicks have every incentive to simply move Nerlens’ contract off their books <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mavs-news-luka-doncic-dallas-facing-harsh-reality-in-chase-for-jalen-brunson/">as they make room</a> to offer Jalen Brunson a hefty contract. LAC’s trade exception would allow New York to trade Noel without getting anything in return.</p><blockquote>According to our HoopsHype salary cap expert, Yossi Gozlan, if the Knicks can trade Noel without taking any salary back in a deal, New York could generate a total of $24.5 million in cap space. That figure would help the Knicks make an aggressive run at Jalen Brunson in free agency. The $24.5 million would include waiving Taj Gibson, as previously reported on the last HoopsHype intel report, and keeping Mitchell Robinson’s cap hold so they can re-sign him.</blockquote><p>The Clippers’ potential acquisition of Noel would likely signal a parting of ways with current backup Isaiah Hartenstein. But a looming John Wall addition coupled with a defensive ace in Noel could be a huge boon to LA’s title chase efforts next season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

RUMOR: Clippers eyeing Nerlens Noel trade with Knicks amid John Wall reports

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '');   ga('set', 'title', 'The rumored reason Clippers are a strong contender for John Wall if Rockets buy him out');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/The-reason-LA-is-a-strong-contender-for-John-Wall-if-Rockets-buy-him-out.jpeg"></figure><h1>The rumored reason Clippers are a strong contender for John Wall if Rockets buy him out</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2022-06-27T12:01:46-07:00">June 27th, 12:01pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2022-06-27T15:33:18-07:00">June 27th, 3:33pm</time><address><a>Jackson Castellano</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>John Wall is on the move. The former All-Star point guard sat out this past season with the Houston Rockets, prompting continuous reports about his eventual contract buyout and departure from Houston. Now, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-rumors-all-signs-point-to-imminent-john-wall-houston-breakup/">speculation is resurfacing that Wall may be bought out soon</a>. The Los Angeles Clippers, who have been linked to interest in Wall during the entire saga, could be ready to pounce.</p><p>Per Marc Stein, <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/my-nba-free-agency-and-trade-latest?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email">the Clippers are prepared to make a “strong pitch”</a> to Wall and could be a frontrunner to land the 31-year-old. Los Angeles isn’t a difficult destination to ease into — location, business opportunities and a star-studded roster including Kawhi Leonard and Paul George would be convincing enough for most players. However, it seems the Clippers have one more secret weapon: head coach Tyronn Lue.</p><p>Stein reports that the Clippers’ “chances of signing [Wall are] said to be enhanced by the presence of coach Tyronn Lue”</p><p>Lue is a championship-winning head coach with NBA experience and a knack for keeping stars calm and collected. His pedigree speaks for itself. His 89-65 record with Los Angeles is impressive considering the extensive struggles with injury his two best players have experienced. Lue has kept things together while his stars are out and his team struggles with depth.</p><p>This is where Wall comes in. The veteran guard is up there in age now, but can still be a solid contributor. He averaged 20 points per game in the 2020-21 season.</p><p>With two healthy stars and Wall’s added contribution, Los Angeles could be a formidable foe in the Western Conference next season. Look for sneaky improvement from the Clippers this offseason.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

The rumored reason Clippers are a strong contender for John Wall if Rockets buy him out

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rumor: Lakers join Clippers, Heat as suitors for Rockets’ John Wall on this 1 condition');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Rockets_rumors_Lakers_join_Clippers_Heat_as_John_Wall_suitors_on_these_1_condition.jpg"></figure><h1>Rumor: Lakers join Clippers, Heat as suitors for Rockets’ John Wall on this 1 condition</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2022-06-26T13:00:37-07:00">June 26th, 1:00pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2022-06-26T21:08:56-07:00">June 26th, 9:08pm</time><address><a>Steve Zavala</a>Steve is a freelance writer covering the world of sports for ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After not playing in a single game over the 2021-2022 NBA season, Houston Rockets guard John Wall could possibly soon find a new home in the league.</p><p>Wall is reportedly under contract with the Rockets for another year, as The Athletic’s Shams Charania recently <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1539339315846778883?s=20&amp;t=WVOtHc7sw7sqHahZgIK4kA" rel="noopener">noted</a> that the veteran guard opted into his $47.4 million player option for the coming season.</p><p>In his newest <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/nba-free-agency-latest?sd=pf" rel="noopener">Substack column</a>, NBA insider Marc Stein provided the latest on Wall’s future in Houston, where he noted that there have been “serious murmurs” that if the Rockets are unable to soon find a trade suitor for him, a contract buyout could then be in the works.</p><p>Stein further added that it is still unclear as to how much of Wall’s owed salary for the upcoming season he “would have to surrender” in order to become a free agent. At the least, progress on this matter has been “materializing” as of late.</p><p>If Wall is able to successfully reach a contract buyout agreement with the Rockets, he will not see a shortage of suitors interested in signing him to a deal. Stein also mentioned that intrigue in Wall from teams such as the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Clippers has been “mentioned for months.”</p><p>The Los Angeles Lakers would “consider” making a push to sign Wall if he becomes a free agent. This comes as they are “resistant” to shipping off Russell Westbrook and draft capital in exchange for the five-time All-Star.</p><p>The Lakers were quite in the trade rumor mill with Wall for much of this past season. For one, the Rockets <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1491933028532187140?s=20&amp;t=IZ7hMU2AfQnuD_YpvJ7L7Q" rel="noopener">proposed a deal</a> to the Lakers ahead of last season’s NBA trade deadline that centered on sending Wall to Los Angeles for both Westbrook and a first-round pick.</p><p>Wall did not feature in a single game for the Rockets over the course of this past <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/houston-rockets/" rel="noopener">season</a> after he reportedly “rejected” the team’s attempts to limit his role to being a mere bench player. He played in a mere 72 total games over the previous three campaigns, as hamstring and heel injuries marred that stage of his career in the league.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rumor: Lakers join Clippers, Heat as suitors for Rockets’ John Wall on this 1 condition

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '');   ga('set', 'title', 'Clippers indirectly shut down Kyrie Irving trade rumors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Kyrie-Irving-Paul-George-Kawhi-Leonard-Clippers-trade.jpeg"><figcaption>CP</figcaption></figure><h1>Clippers indirectly shut down Kyrie Irving trade rumors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2022-06-24T05:44:39-07:00">June 24th, 5:44am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2022-06-24T05:45:40-07:00">June 24th, 5:45am</time><address><a>Tomer Azarly</a>Tomer Azarly is in his sixth season as the LA Clippers beat writer for ClutchPoints. From the Lob City era to the Kawhi Leonard-Paul George era, he brings you everything you need to know about the Clippers.In his off time, Tomer likes to play basketball, video games, and draw.You can follow his Twitter for all Clippers content below:</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>PLAYA VISTA — The Los Angeles Clippers wrapped up a rather quiet 2022 <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/tag/nba-draft/" rel="noopener">NBA Draft</a> by selecting Moussa Diabate 43rd overall with their lone draft pick. The 2022 NBA Draft marked the first time since 2014 that the franchise did not make a trade on draft night. While they weren’t really involved in any draft trade rumors, their name has been throw around in trade talks involving Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving.</p><p>Over the last couple of days, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nets-news-kyrie-irving-future-in-brooklyn-hitting-a-breaking-point-lakers-knicks-clippers-ready-to-pounce/">the Clippers have been linked to Irving</a> by both <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1540064728218849283" rel="noopener">ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1538873230534090755" rel="noopener">The Athletic’s Shams Charania</a>. Irving has currently reached an impasse with the Nets in contract negotiations, and if the two sides can’t agree on a deal, the electric scoring guard is reportedly eyeing a handful of teams in potential trade scenarios.</p><p>The Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks were initially listed as potential trade destinations for Irving alongside the Clippers should he request a trade. Wojnarowski reported that aside from the Lakers, Knicks, and Clippers, the Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks, and Philadelphia 76ers are also among Irving’s list of destinations.</p><p>During his media availability following the 2022 NBA Draft, Clippers president Lawrence Frank was asked about players the team could potentially sign or trade for, as well as how those deals are evaluated beforehand. For full context, here’s the exact question, the complete answer from Lawrence Frank, as well as a video of the answer below.</p><p><b>Reporter: “With any free agency or trade possibilities moving forward, where do you rank/weigh variables such as leadership qualities and availability history?”</b></p><p><i>Lawrence Frank: “Yeah, I think you look at it all. And you start first with the question: How does this player’s skill sets with the group? Does it enhance the group? Does it help connect the group? Is it a young, emerging player that may have a pathway to play? Is it a veteran who provides a skill set that maybe we need? Is it a player that has unbelievable basketball character, and yet has great self-awareness and knows where they are at at their stage?</i></p><p><i>So I think you really, really study it, and I mean, any time you put a player in the locker room, whether it’s through the draft, free agency, trades, it is a statement to your team what you think of them, right, because that is their sanctuary.</i></p><p><i>So in terms of basketball leadership it is very, very important to understand the basketball character of the player.</i></p><p><i>So basketball character may be a little bit different than what you hear of in terms of character. Like basketball character is, like, can you be counted on every single day to do what you do at the highest level, and are you — how committed are you though those habits</i></p><p><i>The bond that you form with your teammates, like that’s part of basketball character. Like, can you be the same teammate when things are going bad for you as well as when things are going good for you?</i></p><p><i>And I think all those things are leadership skills. Innately, regardless of the types of players, your best players are always your leaders one way or the other because that’s what the other player is going to look to. We are really, really fortunate in that our two best players really, really, really enjoy each other. Like they have a great bond with each other, which is, I won’t say unique, but it doesn’t happen everywhere.</i></p><p><i>Those guys set a great tone of, we work, that’s what we do. We work. There is not a lot of talking in terms of hyperbole. We are about our work.</i></p><p><i>And we have an unbelievable head coach in Tyronn Lue who connects with all the guys and brings everyone together. People use buzzwords like ‘culture.’ It’s all about your people. Your people create your culture, and so yeah, we look at all those things and try to study, ‘Okay, if we are going to bring this player in the locker room, how does it fit?’</i></p><p><i>We are also very much involved in that process, T-Lue, our best players and Steve [Ballmer], and make sure everyone is comfortable with who we are putting in that locker room.”</i></p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"I think you look at it all… Basketball character is like can you be counted on every single day to do what you do at the highest level, &amp; how committed are you though those habits."</p><p>Lawrence Frank on looking at availability/leadership qualities in potential trades. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Clippers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#Clippers</a> <a href="https://t.co/Wlbt79XxPU" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/Wlbt79XxPU</a></p><p>— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1540224651623731200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 24, 2022</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>With these comments, among others from the night, Lawrence Frank essentially confirmed that the Clippers aren’t interested in a trade for Kyrie Irving at the moment. The team has long been focused on improving on the margins and running it back. A roster-changing move like a potential Kyrie Irving trade doesn’t appear to be something the team is interested in barring an offer they simply can’t refuse.</p><p>For over a year, the Clippers have been convinced they can win a championship with their current core when healthy. They went out and acquired Norman Powell and Robert Covington in a heist of a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers at the 2022 trade deadline. They feel now, more than ever, ready to compete for a championship with their mix of experienced veterans and young players. While Irving is a supremely talented player, he comes with a hefty price tag and a dangerous track record.</p><p>On the flip side, the Irving situation has continued to appear to be a public leverage play, with Kyrie looking to create options for himself in trade situations in an attempt to put pressure on the Brooklyn Nets to give him the deal he desires. Irving has until June 29 to decide on the $36.9 million player option he has for the 2022-23 NBA season.</p><p>In addition to that leverage Irving is trying to muster up, multiple reports stated that Kevin Durant is eyeing the situation and considering his own options. At the end of the day, losing Irving could also mean losing Durant, and that’s something Brooklyn absolutely cannot afford.</p><p>Lastly, <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1540077480152690688?s=20&amp;t=6R192yS1seKHuWRl3gzSeA">the Nets traded seemingly all of their picks</a> to the Houston Rockets in the James Harden trade, while a few are pick swaps. Yet another reason Brooklyn will likely cough up the long-term deal for Irving, allowing he and Durant to continue chasing a championship:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Brooklyn Nets current future draft situation is… Pheww.</p><p>They owe A LOT of picks to the Houston Rockets. <a href="https://t.co/nnhRz8688J" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/nnhRz8688J</a></p><p>— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1540077480152690688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 23, 2022</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The Clippers will continue to monitor the trade market and keep an eye on what happens moving forward. At this stage, however, the team’s highest priorities are to re-sign Nicolas Batum and Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Clippers indirectly shut down Kyrie Irving trade rumors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '');   ga('set', 'title', 'RUMOR: Clippers make decision on Luke Kennard’s future amid trade links');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Clippers-rumors-LA-makes-decision-on-Luke-Kennard_s-future-amid-trade-links.jpg"></figure><h1>RUMOR: Clippers make decision on Luke Kennard’s future amid trade links</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2022-06-23T18:13:05-07:00">June 23rd, 6:13pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2022-06-23T18:13:05-07:00">June 23rd, 6:13pm</time><address><a>Paolo Songco</a>A father of two over-energetic boys, Pao has been a writer for ClutchPoints for many years. His passion lies in all things NBA and he has a knack for speaking his mind in his articles -- even when at times it gets him into trouble with the fans. Controversial? Maybe. Excellent writer? Definitely.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It was reported earlier on Thursday that the Los Angeles Clippers were <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-rumors-la-shopping-2021-22s-top-3-point-shooter-trades/">shopping</a> Luke Kennard around in order to clear some cap room. As it turns out, this might not actually be true.</p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewGreif/status/1540114679489449984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1540114679489449984%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D1752154action%3Dedit">Andrew Greif</a> of the Los Angeles Times has refuted these earlier reports, stating that the Clippers actually want to keep Kennard in LA:</p><blockquote>The Clippers are *not* looking to trade G Luke Kennard, multiple league sources told <a href="https://twitter.com/latimessports">@latimessports</a> . There had a been a report suggesting the team is shopping last season’s most accurate 3-point shooter — but the sources were adamant that is not the case.</blockquote><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Clippers are *not* looking to trade G Luke Kennard, multiple league sources told <a href="https://twitter.com/latimessports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@latimessports</a>. There had a been a report suggesting the team is shopping last season’s most accurate 3-point shooter — but the sources were adamant that is not the case.</p><p>— Andrew Greif (@AndrewGreif) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewGreif/status/1540114679489449984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 23, 2022</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The Clippers have been <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/3-reasons-clippers-must-go-hard-to-acquire-kyrie-irving-from-nets/" rel="noopener">linked</a> to Kyrie Irving amid the enigmatic star’s contract dispute with the Brooklyn Nets. LA will need to clear some cap room for Irving, which is why Kennard and the $13.7 million he’s owed next season emerged as a potential sacrificial lamb.</p><p>The Clippers, however, hold Kennard in high regard. He’s one of the top marksmen in the league today, and he is integral to LA’s offense. In 70 games played last season, the 6-foot-5 shooting guard averaged <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/k/kennalu01.html#all_per_game-playoffs_per_game">11.9 points</a>, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists, while also connecting on 2.7 triples at a league-best 44.9-percent clip.</p><p>Looks like Kennard isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.</p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

RUMOR: Clippers make decision on Luke Kennard’s future amid trade links

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rumor: The most likely outcome of Kyrie Irving-Nets impasse');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/The-most-likely-outcome-of-Kyrie-Irving-Brooklyn_s-impasse-2.jpg"></figure><h1>Rumor: The most likely outcome of Kyrie Irving-Nets impasse</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2022-06-22T06:53:26-07:00">June 22nd, 6:53am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2022-06-24T18:37:56-07:00">June 24th, 6:37pm</time><address><a>Jason Patt</a>Jason Patt has been an editor at ClutchPoints since 2018. He also covers the Bulls for Forbes and SB Nation's Blog a Bull. In addition, he co-hosts Cash Considerations: A Chicago Bulls Podcast for the Blue Wire Network. If you couldn't tell, he's from Chicago.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets are reportedly at an impasse when it comes to his future with the franchise. This has opened up the possibility of Irving going elsewhere. However, Brian Lewis of the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/06/21/nets-still-kyrie-irvings-most-likely-landing-spot/?utm_source=twitter_sitebuttons&amp;utm_medium=site%20buttons&amp;utm_campaign=site%20buttons" rel="noopener">says the most likely outcome</a> is still that Irving is back with the Nets for 2022-23.</p><p>Shams Charania <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nets-news-kyrie-irving-future-in-brooklyn-hitting-a-breaking-point-lakers-knicks-clippers-ready-to-pounce/" rel="noopener">dropped the bombshell</a> over at The Athletic earlier this week that Irving and the Nets are at a stalemate in talks, with the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers as potential suitors if he leaves Brooklyn. Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nets-news-kyrie-irving-brooklyn-true-desires-in-contract-extension-negotiations/" rel="noopener">followed up</a> with his own reporting on where the issue lies, with Irving wanting a long-term extension and Brooklyn wanting something on the shorter side.</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><p>Lewis echoed Fischer’s reporting on the disagreement over the length of the contract, with that being a bigger issue than the money involved. Even so, Lewis characterizes these negotiations as a way to find a “happy medium” between the two sides rather than a breakup:</p><blockquote>Despite the Nets and Kyrie Irving hitting an impasse in their talks, both sides are still working to find a happy medium in Brooklyn rather than an exit strategy out of it. Or as a source told The Post “what’s good for both [sides].”</blockquote><p>Lewis also likens this whole affair to a poker game:</p><blockquote>While any trade of Irving would probably be a complex three- or four-team deal and be more likely to occur before Thursday’s draft than after it, it’s still not likely.</blockquote><p>Irving is obviously a talented player who’s buddies with Kevin Durant, so the Nets would like him back. But they just want to protect themselves given his unreliability over the course of his career, and especially during his tenure in Brooklyn.</p><p>We’ll see who blinks first.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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