<!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-kentavious-caldwell-pope-declined-nuggets-return-free-agency');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope declined Nuggets return in 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/2024/06/NBA-rumors-Nuggets-fans-feeling-pain-after-Kentavious-Caldwell-Pope-contract-offer-leaks.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope declined Nuggets return in free agency</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-07-26T08:46:36-07:00">July 26th, 8:46am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-07-26T08:46:36-07:00">July 26th, 8:46am</time><address><a>Preston Byers</a>Preston Byers is an experienced writer and journalist who currently serves as an associate editor for ClutchPoints and as a staff writer at The Vindicator and Tribune Chronicle, where he covers sports in the Mahoning Valley. Previously, Preston worked as an associate editor for Dot Esports and a site expert for FanSided's Union and Blue.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>A year ago, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-2024-nba-free-agency-grades-for-every-signing">Denver Nuggets were</a> on top of the world. Having just won the NBA Championship with Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray leading the way, it appeared the Nuggets could be primed for a title repeat in 2024. However, Denver watched its season end in the second round of the playoffs and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-news-kentavious-caldwell-pope-bombshell-lakers-admission-2024-playoff-series">then Kentavious Caldwell-Pope</a>, a pivotal player during the team’s championship quest, walk in free agency.</p><p>Caldwell-Pope, while possibly the least important starter offensively for the Nuggets, was likely the team’s best perimeter defender since his arrival to Denver in 2022. A prototypical 3-and-D guard that fit well next to the more offensively-minded Murray and Jokic, it was assumed Caldwell-Pope would draw interest from teams around the league as an unrestricted free agent. Unfortunately, that interest — or more accurately, the price — proved to be too great for the Nuggets, as the team reportedly offering KCP a contract before he signed with the Orlando Magic.</p><p>In his latest ESPN article, Zach Lowe <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/40640611/lowe-jokic-russ-huge-warning-sign-denver-nuggets-team-once-primed-nba-dynasty" rel="noopener">explored which team</a> in the Western Conference is most likely to make it to the NBA Finals.</p><p>“For some, the conversation then circles all the way back one calendar year: Why isn’t it Denver again? As long as the world’s best player is healthy, be wary of discounting the Nuggets,” Lowe wrote. “They have been labeled offseason losers after Kentavious Caldwell-Pope bolted for a three-year, $66 million deal with the Orlando Magic.</p><p>“Denver made Caldwell-Pope an offer, but there was a sizable gap in annual salary, sources said. Denver could have tried compensating with a longer deal averaging a little north of Caldwell-Pope’s $15 million player option number — say a 5-year, $90 million contract — but the Magic’s offer might have rendered the conversation moot.”</p><h2><b>Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Magic contract</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Kentavious-Caldwell-Pope-playing-against-the-Magic-.jpg"><figcaption>Feb 9, 2023; Orlando, Florida, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (5) passes the ball around Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) during the second quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-biggest-mistake-in-2024-nba-free-agency">Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has earned</a> more than $100 million in salary during his NBA career, but at 31 and with defense being his most important asset, this offseason may have been KCP’s final chance to sign a big, multiyear deal.</p><p>While the Denver Nuggets reportedly offered a “pretty similar” deal to the one he eventually signed with the Orlando Magic, there is no confirmation he would have earned as much money or have the flexibility the Magic offered. By signing in Orlando, Caldwell-Pope is guaranteed $66 million over three years, and if he so chooses, he can opt out of the final season and become an unrestricted free agent in 2026.</p><p>Caldwell-Pope’s annual salary is at its highest this coming season when he is set to make $22.8 million, the largest salary of KCP’s career by $5 million. KCP’s cap hit is set at $21.62 million for each of the next two seasons after that.</p><p>After being traded to the Nuggets two years ago from the Washington Wizards, Caldwell-Pope signed a two-year, $30.15 million extension with Denver. He had a $15.4 million player option he could have elected to exercise for this season, but he took a chance on himself — something that didn’t work out particularly well in 2017 negotiations with the Detroit Pistons — and this time it paid off in the form of a $66 million deal.</p><p>The Nuggets hope to replace Caldwell-Pope’s production with the likes of Christian Braun, Peyton Watson, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jazz-news-how-much-did-russell-westbrook-give-up-utah-buyout-join-nuggets">and Russell Westbrook,</a> although Westbrook’s signing has not been made official.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope declined Nuggets return in 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', '/nba-rumors-nuggets-fans-pain-kentavious-caldwell-pope-contract-offer-leaks');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Nuggets fans feeling pain after Kentavious Caldwell-Pope contract offer leaks');   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/2024/06/NBA-rumors-Nuggets-fans-feeling-pain-after-Kentavious-Caldwell-Pope-contract-offer-leaks.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Nuggets fans feeling pain after Kentavious Caldwell-Pope contract offer leaks</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-06-30T17:28:11-07:00">June 30th, 5:28pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-06-30T17:28:11-07:00">June 30th, 5:28pm</time><address><a>Peter Sampson</a>Peter Sampson is ClutchPoints' Portland Trail Blazers reporter and also serves as an Associate Editor. He has been covering all things sports (with a focus on the Blazers) for more than a decade, most recently hosting "The Pulse with Peter Sampson" in Afternoon Drive for 750 The Game. Prior to that, he hosted an NBA wrap-up show that aired immediately at the conclusion of every Trail Blazers game. Peter had previous stops at Blazer's Edge and XRAY.FM - where his show "Blazer's Edge Radio" was named "Portland's Best Sports Radio" in the 2017 Willamette Week reader's poll. When he's not telling the stories of your favorite sports team, Peter can be found recording the next garage rock classic in his basement studio, whipping up an authentic Italian meal in the kitchen, or trying to figure out the appeal of Minecraft with his 9-year-old son in the living room.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After helping the Denver Nuggets win the championship in 2023 and delivering another productive season in 2023-24, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope set himself up for a nice payday in free agency. He got exactly that after the Orlando Magic <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/magic-news-kentavious-caldwell-pope-leaving-nuggets-for-orlando">signed him</a> to a lucrative three-year, $66 million deal.</p><p>The Nuggets were in a tough spot this offseason, salary cap-wise, but reportedly <a href="https://x.com/Tjonesonthenba/status/1807560411614446005" rel="noopener">offered KCP a similar deal</a>, per Tony Jones of The Athletic:</p><p>“Denver offered KCP a salary pretty similar to what he ended up getting from Orlando and I’m told the Nuggets offered three years. The Nuggets definitely tried here”</p><p>Nuggets fans are reacting to the news.</p><p>Nico – “Why would he choose Orlando if Nuggets offered same years and money? He has everything in place in Denver”</p><p>Jeff Groton – “So basically he chose the state with no income tax.”</p><p>Kristian – “Probably has something to do with Booth’s comments about the KCP situation and how it came off as “he’s replaceable”. Cause I just dont see why he gets offered a very similar contract but chooses to sign with the Magic.”</p><p>Royal – “Damn them taxes really be moving em”</p><p>Ch3wy – “There GM comments closed the door”</p><p>Jsut – “”Pretty similar” is not “the same” or “more”, both of which are the minimum when you have a 3x MVP on a thin roster”</p><p>Before he signed with the Magic, Caldwell-Pope has also been linked to the 76ers. Philadelphia made the playoffs this past season but ultimately ended up exiting the first round against the New York Knicks. They could have really used a player like KCP who brings so much stability, shooting and high-level experience, but unfortunately, he chose to sign with Orlando.</p><h2><b>KCP joins a Magic team ready to contend</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Paolo-Banchero.jpg"><figcaption>© Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>In the 2023-24 season, Caldwell-Pope averaged 10.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists on 40.6 percent shooting from beyond the arc. He helped the Nuggets make it to the Western Conference Finals, where they lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in seven games.</p><p>He was a difference-maker for Denver in their 2023 NBA Championship run. That 2022-23 campaign, KCP actually played 76 regular season games and started in all of them, tallying 10.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game all while shooting 42.3 percent from deep on 4.1 average attempts.</p><p>The Magic feature a young, talented roster paced by big man Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. With a glut of talent and a young, affordable roster, Orlando needed shooting more than anything else this offseason after they fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. They accomplished their goal by bringing KCP on to the roster.</p><p>While it’s not clear whether or not the Magic will make the leap this coming season, they’re still so young that their window is just beginning to open.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Nuggets fans feeling pain after Kentavious Caldwell-Pope contract offer leaks

<!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-2-free-agents-magic-linked-most-paul-george-twist');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: 2 free agents Magic are linked to most, with a Paul George twist');   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/2024/06/NBA-rumors-2-free-agents-Magic-are-linked-to-most-with-a-Paul-George-twist.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: 2 free agents Magic are linked to most, with a Paul George twist</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-06-30T07:04:28-07:00">June 30th, 7:04am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-06-30T07:04:28-07:00">June 30th, 7:04am</time><address><a>Owen Crisafulli</a>Owen Crisafulli is a Senior Editor and NFL Lead at ClutchPoints. He recently received his Masters in Business Administration from Nichols College. Previously, he obtained his Bachelor's degree in Sport Management and for a while ran his own sports website. Sports are his passion, and he thoroughly enjoys writing about thoughts and opinions that are related to the game. He has been a lifelong fan of the major professional teams in Boston and loves discussing all topics surrounding those teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Orlando Magic are widely expected to be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/2-players-magic-must-avoid-signing-in-2024-nba-free-agency">big players</a> in free agency this offseason, as they are loaded with cap space after making an unexpected run to the playoffs last season. Orlando has been linked to a ton of different players ahead of the start of free agency, but a recent report suggested that there are two names popping up more frequently than the rest.</p><p>The Magic already have a strong young core in place, so beefing up their rotation, while potentially adding another star to the mix, is among their big goals this offseason. So while they <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/what-were-hearing-as-nba-free-agency" rel="noopener">continue to be linked</a> to three-and-d wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and big man Isaiah Hartenstein, it’s clear that the focus of Orlando’s free agent strategy right now is Paul George, who the team will be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-paul-george-plans-call-3-teams-once-nba-free-agency-opens">meeting with</a> shortly after free agency gets underway.</p><p>“Denver’s Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and New York’s Isaiah Hartenstein are the free agents Orlando has been linked to most frequently by league insiders, but again: The Magic made it onto the shortlist of teams to land a free-agent meeting with George.” – Marc Stein</p><h2><b>Magic’s free agent plans revolving around Paul George</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Paul-George-is-pumped-up-.jpg"><figcaption>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Given their cap space, and the fact that they have an up-and-coming team, the Magic have been linked to George for quite some time. And now that he’s officially set for free agency after he opted out of his deal with the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday, Orlando is expected to have a real shot at landing him on the open market.</p><p>But should that not end up happening, the Magic need to have a backup plan in place. Caldwell-Pope is one of the top veteran three-and-d players in the league, and he played a crucial role in the Denver Nuggets 2023 NBA Finals victory. Hartenstein, meanwhile, thrived as the anchor in the paint for the New York Knicks this past season after Mitchell Robinson struggled with injuries for much of the year.</p><p>Both Caldwell-Pope and Hartenstein would help out the Magic if they were to be brought to town. Caldwell-Pope has turned himself into a knockdown three-point shooter, which is a big need for Orlando this offseason. Hartenstein’s ability to dominate in the paint on both ends of the floor is also a big need, as they struggled with their depth at the center position last year from time to time.</p><p>If George ends up coming to town, though, everything would change for the Magic. They are the biggest dark horse team to watch in free agency once it officially opens up, largely because of how much work they are expected to do as they look to turn themselves into a true title contender. And regardless of what ends up happening, it’s safe to expect Orlando’s front office to be busy at the start of free agency one way or another.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: 2 free agents Magic are linked to most, with a Paul George twist

<!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-what-magic-offer-klay-thompson-kentavious-caldwell-pope');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: What Magic are willing to offer Klay Thompson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope');   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/2024/06/NBA-rumors-What-Magic-are-willing-to-offer-Klay-Thompson-Kentavious-Caldwell-Pope.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: What Magic are willing to offer Klay Thompson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-06-27T12:39:53-07:00">June 27th, 12:39pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-06-27T12:39:53-07:00">June 27th, 12:39pm</time><address><a>Peter Sampson</a>Peter Sampson is ClutchPoints' Portland Trail Blazers reporter and also serves as an Associate Editor. He has been covering all things sports (with a focus on the Blazers) for more than a decade, most recently hosting "The Pulse with Peter Sampson" in Afternoon Drive for 750 The Game. Prior to that, he hosted an NBA wrap-up show that aired immediately at the conclusion of every Trail Blazers game. Peter had previous stops at Blazer's Edge and XRAY.FM - where his show "Blazer's Edge Radio" was named "Portland's Best Sports Radio" in the 2017 Willamette Week reader's poll. When he's not telling the stories of your favorite sports team, Peter can be found recording the next garage rock classic in his basement studio, whipping up an authentic Italian meal in the kitchen, or trying to figure out the appeal of Minecraft with his 9-year-old son in the living room.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With NBA free agency almost upon us, word is starting to leak out about which players certain teams are interested in. The Orlando Magic <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-klay-thompson-train-team-bahamas-free-agency-rumors">have been linked</a> to Golden State Warriors wing Klay Thompson for some time now, and – according to Matt Moore of Action Network – they could make significant offers to Thompson and Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldewell-Pope:</p><p>“The Magic are one of the few teams in playoff contention with cap space, along with OKC. They have nearly $50 million in space to use, with Jonathan Isaac being the highest-paid player on roster at $17 million for next season.</p><p>League sources suggest the Magic are willing to offer the Warriors’ Thompson or Caldwell-Pope short-term, big money deals starting at two years, $50 million.</p><p>The Magic are clearly looking for offensive boosts after having a bottom-10 unit.”</p><p>Orlando reached the playoffs despite their youth and desperate need for more outside shooting. Thompson, assuming he can bounce back to some degree, would be an excellent fit with the Magic’s young core of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.</p><p>But, of course, all things hinge on what kind of deal Thompson is looking for. He could be willing to take less money per year in exchange for more years with Golden State, as Moore points out:</p><p>“I don’t think it’s absolute that Klay Thompson’s days as a Warrior are done. The Magic are interested in Thompson, but league sources say those offers are centered around short-term deals. Thompson may want more guaranteed money over more years, which allows for the Warriors to retain him.</p><p>So far, there are no discussions of three-plus-year offers for Thompson outside of Golden State.”</p><h2><b>Could Kentavious Caldwell-Pope make sense for the Magic?</b></h2><p>While Klay Thompson would be a welcome addition to the Magic, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/2-best-players-nuggets-must-re-sign-in-2024-nba-free-agency">Caldwell-Pope could be more available</a> – depending on what the Nuggets decide to do, also per Moore:</p><p>“The Nuggets continue to play it close to the vest with their plan to try and retain Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency. Keeping KCP on market value would mean going into the second apron, limiting Denver’s ability to both improve and make in-season additions in the event of injury.</p><p>KCP is rumored to be getting offers north of $20 million per year, with the Magic and Sixers both willing to offer deals well beyond what Denver would want to offer.</p><p>While Denver can match any offer for KCP with more years using his bird rights, the more the contract is, the more work it would have to do to get under the CBA’s second apron to free up flexibility for trades with multiple players or adding buyout candidates.</p><p>The reality is that with Jamal Murray extension-eligible this summer, Aaron Gordon holding a player option for 2025-26 and Michael Porter Jr.’s contract still holding $115 million over the next three seasons, Denver is facing tough decisions as to how to build a sustainable contender around three-time MVP Nikola Jokic”</p><p>What is certain is that the Magic are in the rare enviable situation where they have a young, affordable team capable of making playoff noise and a whole lot of cap space to pair with it. If they want to make a big move, this summer is the time to do it.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: What Magic are willing to offer Klay Thompson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

<!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-how-wizards-blazers-trade-could-impact-magics-offseason');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: How Wizards-Blazers trade could impact Magic’s offseason');   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/2024/06/How-Wizards-Blazers-trade-could-impact-Magics-offseason.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: How Wizards-Blazers trade could impact Magic’s offseason</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-06-27T10:32:54-07:00">June 27th, 10:32am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-06-27T10:32:54-07:00">June 27th, 10:32am</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Wizards and Portland Trail Blazers kicked off the trade festivities on draft night when they struck an agreement on a deal that sent Deni Avdija to the pacific northwest in exchange for the 14th overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft (Carlton Carrington), Malcolm Brogdon, 2029 first-round pick, and two second round picks. While this trade, on the surface, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grading-blazers-trade-malcolm-brogdon-wizards-deni-avdija">isn’t exactly too needle-moving</a> in the grand scheme of the association, this deal could have repercussions on how the Orlando Magic conduct their business this offseason.</p><p>There have been rumblings around the league, per Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, that the Magic are <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/2024-nba-draft-contending-timberwolves-swing-big-by-moving-into-lottery-landing-rob-dillingham-060335432.html" rel="noopener">going to make a move</a> for Tyus Jones in free agency now that the Wizards have Brogdon on the roster. However, Fischer noted that the Magic, even though there’s now a stronger chance that they sign Jones, should be wary of the impending contract situation of Jalen Suggs, as Suggs will be eligible for a huge rookie contract extension as he’ll be entering the fourth year of his career.</p><p>The Magic enter the 2024 NBA free agency as one of the teams that could hold the most influence due to their influx of cap space. Many think that the Magic will go all-out to add a star, or at least an upgrade on the wing. But it looks as though the point guard position is something that they’re looking to fill, what with Markelle Fultz entering free agency and Anthony Black not yet being ready to assume starting duties.</p><p>It’s unclear just how big the Magic’s appetite is when it comes to adding a point guard. They should still have Cole Anthony on the roster, while Black should become a better player in year two. Jalen Suggs did a solid enough job at the point anyway, freeing up more playmaking duties for Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Is it worth adding Tyus Jones when it’s not exactly a huge point of need for the team?</p><h2>Assessing the Magic’s options in free agency</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Wizards-guard-Tyus-Jones-left-talks-with-a-coach.jpg"></figure><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-magic-pivot-offseason-strategy">Magic are one of the teams</a> that were most commonly linked to the likes of Klay Thompson and Paul George, giving them an elite shooter and a solid enough defender on the wing — giving them a major upgrade over Gary Harris. Orlando has had a clear need for an upgrade at the two, and that still remains their roster’s most pressing need.</p><p>Orlando could upgrade at the center position as well; Wendell Carter Jr. was very inconsistent throughout the 2023-24 season and Moritz Wagner profiles as more of a solid backup option. Jonathan Isaac could also play spot minutes at the five. Will the Magic prioritize this position? Perhaps not, especially with the players they still have on the roster.</p><p>Nonetheless, adding Tyus Jones is not the worst idea in the world; Jones is a wonderful offensive conductor who makes sure his teams get into their offensive sets. Jones is a deadly floater threat and he can be a catch and shoot weapon from deep as well, and with Jalen Suggs being a lockdown defender, they could certainly partner with each other in the backcourt effectively.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: How Wizards-Blazers trade could impact Magic’s offseason

<!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-knicks-biggest-threats-steal-isaiah-hartenstein-free-agency');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Knicks’ biggest threats to steal Isaiah Hartenstein in 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/2024/06/Knicks-biggest-threats-to-steal-Isaiah-Hartenstein-in-free-agency.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Knicks’ biggest threats to steal Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-06-26T15:48:49-07:00">June 26th, 3:48pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-06-26T15:49:58-07:00">June 26th, 3:49pm</time><address><a>Joshua Valdez</a>Joshua Valdez started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper before becoming an associate editor for ClutchPoints. He is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. When Joshua is not either watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or working on a screenplay.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After the Mikal Bridges trade Tuesday night, the New York Knicks showed they’re prioritizing the wing in an effort to dethrone the Boston Celtics. Unfortunately, it may not be possible for them to do that while <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/best-isaiah-hartenstein-free-agency-destinations-after-knicks-land-mikal-bridges">retaining center Isaiah Hartenstein</a>, who’s coming off a career year and is looking for a hefty raise.</p><p>New York may not be able to afford the seven-footer, and many other teams are gearing up to offer him a large bag of cash, via SNY’s John Flanigan.</p><p>“Knicks unrestricted free agent center Isaiah Hartenstein is expected to be a top target of numerous teams when he officially hits the open market in the coming days,” Flanigan said. “With the size of the offers the big man is expected to receive this offseason, sources have told SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley that it has become increasingly unlikely that New York will be able to retain him.”</p><p>With the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/knicks-news-og-anunoby-212-million-contract-free-agency">Knicks also re-signing</a> OG Anunoby on a five-year, $212.5 million deal, Hartenstein may be a necessary sacrifice in their quest to dethrone the Boston Celtics. Teams can only fit in so much veteran talent while staying under the salary cap.</p><p>Where could the 26-year-old go this summer?</p><h2><b>The Knicks may get out-bid by the Magic or Thunder</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Knicks-Isaiah-Hartenstein-1.jpg"><figcaption>© Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>New York <a href="https://sny.tv/articles/knicks-notes-center-on-the-radar-mitchell-robinson-isaiah-hartenstein" rel="noopener">still has a chance</a> in the Hartenstein sweepstakes, as the club has his Early Bird Rights, via Begley.</p><p>“One note on Hartenstein: I would still guess that Hartenstein returns to New York if he’s deciding between a Knicks offer and an offer that’s a bit higher,” Begley predicted. “The Knicks have Hartenstein’s Early Bird Rights, so they can only offer him roughly $16 million in the first year of his new contract. It can be as long as four years and for as much as $72 million.”</p><p>However, teams with more cap room and cheaper state income taxes could give the German-American an offer he can’t refuse.</p><p>“Teams with cap space – such as Orlando and Oklahoma City – can offer Hartenstein significantly more than New York,” Begley continued. “In theory, those teams can offer Hartenstein a number that would be difficult to say no to. Another factor to consider if Hartenstein gets a ‘Godfather’ offer? State income tax. The state income tax in Oklahoma is lower than in New York. Florida has no state income tax.”</p><p>Furthermore, both the Magic and Thunder are contending teams that could use another solid paint presence. Hartenstein would be particularly lethal in Orlando, as he could start next to 2024 All-Star Paolo Banchero and fellow rising star Franz Wagner. However, backing up Chet Holmgren in Oklahoma City could get Hartenstein his first NBA championship as soon as next season.</p><p>All in all, it may take a minor miracle for the former G-League champion to stay with the Knicks. However, both parties benefited greatly from each other, and sometimes it’s not possible to retain every good player on the team.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Knicks’ biggest threats to steal Isaiah Hartenstein in 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', '/nba-rumors-magic-pivot-offseason-strategy');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Magic make ‘pivot’ in offseason strategy');   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/2024/06/Magic-make-pivot-in-offseason-strategy.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Magic make ‘pivot’ in offseason strategy</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-06-18T19:21:27-07:00">June 18th, 7:21pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-06-18T19:21:27-07:00">June 18th, 7:21pm</time><address><a>Gerard Angelo Samillano</a>Gerard Angelo Samillano is an Associate Editor for ClutchPoints, with his focus primarily on the NBA, NFL, MLB and Gaming. When he's not writing for CP, Gerard can often be seen playing VALORANT or playing pick-up basketball. He's also working on his BS Mathematics degree.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Orlando Magic just finished an impressive season. They came into the 2023-24 season with little to no expectations. Who would expect anything after a team that finished the prior season with a 34-48 record, which was 13th in the Eastern Conference. In a surprising twist, though, Orlando <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-news-magic-johnson-playoffs-coaches-tom-thibodeau-michael-malone">flipped the script</a>, going to the playoffs with a 47-35 record.</p><p>Their season unfortunately ended in a Game 7 loss in the first round to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Still, the Magic have laid the groundwork for what will be a pretty eventful offseason for them. So much so that the Magic are reportedly <a href="https://www.actionnetwork.com/nba/nba-free-agency-rumors-intel-latest-news-after-nba-finals" rel="noopener">pivoting from their previous offseason plans</a> and pursing a different path, per Matt Moore of Action Network</p><p>“For two years, the Magic have pursued point guard upgrades in free agency and at the deadline. Fred VanVleet, Chris Paul and Kyle Lowry are among the guards Orlando has pursued and failed to obtain to boost its backcourt offensively. However, after the Magic’s success in reaching the playoffs and a Game 7 with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, two sources said this week that Orlando has pivoted slightly.”</p><p>What are the Magic going to do instead? Well, Moore first notes that the team won’t be pursing point guards anymore in free agency. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/magic-news-why-magics-jalen-suggs-should-be-first-team-all-defense">Jalen Suggs’ All-Defense season</a> gave the team belief in him as the starter there. Instead, Orlando will be looking to complement Suggs with a scoring-oriented guard. Klay Thompson has been mentioned this offseason, but Moore mentions other guards as a target.</p><p>“Second, there are expected to be more two-guards on the market. Bay Area insiders, like Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, have mentioned the Magic as a worst-kept secret suitor for Klay Thompson, and Hall-of-Fame reporter Marc Stein has said the same. With more scoring on the market, including Malik Monk and others, Orlando is expected to add a scoring two-guard.”</p><h2><b>Magic’s offseason targets</b></h2><p>The Magic could use some more scoring at the guard position. Cole Anthony and Anthony Black have not provided that scoring quite yet. Suggs has improved on that end, but he’s still a 12 PPG scorer in today’s era. Scoring guards are usually not good defenders, but with Suggs as their backcourt partner, they can probably get away with it.</p><p>Thompson is a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-magic-klay-thompson-share-mutual-interest-free-agency">good target for the Magic in theory</a>. He’s one of the greatest shooters of all-time and has enough mojo on defense to still be solid there. That being said, Thompson was a little inconsistent for the Warriors last season. He started off ice-cold, recovered his form a bit in the middle of the season after being benched, and then struggled in the Play-In.</p><p>Other options for the Magic, if they are looking for a scoring guard, are D’Angelo Russell and the aforementioned Malik Monk. They are in a surprisingly good position for the next season outside the guard position. Paolo Banchero has been magnificent for them. Franz Wagner had a rough end to the playoffs, but he’s still a great piece for a young team. The future is bright for Orlando. Now, they feel like they can cash in on their success last season and try to pursue a playoff spot.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Magic make ‘pivot’ in offseason strategy

<!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', '/warriors-news-klay-thompson-train-team-bahamas-free-agency-rumors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Klay Thompson to train with Team Bahamas as free agency rumors swirl');   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/2024/06/Klay-Thompson-to-join-Team-Bahamas-training-camp-before-free-agency.jpg"><figcaption>6/17/24</figcaption></figure><h1>Klay Thompson to train with Team Bahamas as free agency rumors swirl</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-06-17T14:59:09-07:00">June 17th, 2:59pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-06-17T14:59:09-07:00">June 17th, 2:59pm</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 Golden State Warriors.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Klay Thompson will soon don a jersey that doesn’t bear the name of the only NBA franchise for which he’s ever played. Don’t fret too much right now about his future in the Bay Area, though, Dub Nation. As the Golden State Warriors star prepares to enter <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/tag/nba-free-agency">free agency</a> come June 30th, he’s reportedly <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5569817/2024/06/17/klay-thompson-bahamas-olympics-camp/?source=emp_shared_article" rel="noopener">elected to train</a> with the Bahamian National Team ahead of the 2024 Olympics in Paris.</p><p>Thompson will take part in Team Bahamas’ training camp in Houston this week, according to Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic. However, he is “not expected” to compete with the Bahamas in Olympic qualifying come early July or any other competition this summer, requiring a release from USA Basketball and clearance from FIBA before suiting up for another country on the international stage.</p><p>Thompson won gold with Team USA at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, also taking home gold medals with the Americans at the 2014 FIBA World Cup and 2009 U-19 World Championships. His father, former Los Angeles Lakers big Mychal Thompson, was born in the Bahamas, making <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-klay-thompsons-dad-gives-vague-response-to-possibility-of-dubs-star-playing-for-bahamas-in-2024">Thompson eligible for the Bahamian national team</a> if he hadn’t previously played for the Americans.</p><p>Last August, the four-time NBA champion indicated he would “consider” <a href="https://x.com/naveenganglani/status/1697133091826122975?s=20" rel="noopener">playing for the Caribbean country</a> in international competitions going forward in part because his father never had that opportunity. His older brother is an assistant coach with Team Bahamas, too.</p><p>“When that time comes, I’ll give it serious consideration just because of what the Bahamas has meant to the Thompson family, especially my father,” Thompson said in the Philippines, per Naveen Ganglani of 5 Reasons Sports.</p><p>“He never had a chance to play for the national team just because they didn’t. They just didn’t have the chance back in the’ 70s or the ’80s. And now my brother’s coaching with them is also very cool. But right now, I’m really focused on the season. And when that time comes next summer, I’ll give it consideration.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Here’s Klay on his thoughts of this current roster of USA Basketball and how he would be open in the future to play for his father’s homeland, the Bahamas – currently led by the likes of Buddy Hield, Deandre Ayton, and Eric Gordon. Klay’s bro is a coach. <a href="https://t.co/849xbjgnpH">pic.twitter.com/849xbjgnpH</a></p><p>— Naveen Ganglani (@naveenganglani) <a href="https://twitter.com/naveenganglani/status/1697133091826122975?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 31, 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/suns-news-eric-gordon-deandre-ayton-team-up-to-put-bahamas-on-the-verge-of-olympic-history">Team Bahamas is coming off</a> its must successful pre-Olympic qualifying tournament ever, winning a spot in the qualifying tournament for Paris last summer. The team is led by NBA veterans Deandre Ayton, Buddy Hield and Eric Gordon.</p><h2><b>‘Mutual interest’ between Klay Thompson, Magic in free agency</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Warriors-Klay-Thompson.jpg"><figcaption>Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Barring an unlikely agreement between he and the Warriors before then, Thompson will enter free agency on June 30th as one of the most sought after players on the market. Extension discussions between his camp and Golden State went nowhere during the regular season, stasis that increased the odds of Thompson leaving the Dubs on the open market this summer—especially after his disastrous 0-10 performance in the team’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/kings-total-domination-sends-warriors-to-offseason-facing-serious-questions">play-in tournament loss to the Sacramento Kings</a>.</p><p>The Warriors’ dynasty power brokers—Steve Kerr, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green—have made it abundantly clear over and over that they want Thompson to return. But owner Joe Lacob has publicly mulled cutting back on spending in 2024-25, potentially even dipping below the luxury tax. Parting ways with Chris Paul’s non-guaranteed $30 million salary slot is the most seamless means of that objective, though failed extension talks with Thompson could mean he’s imply seeking one final, big payday Golden State is uncomfortable affording him.</p><p>One team possibly ready to break the bank for Thompson? The Orlando Magic, who The Athletic reported again on Monday remain a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-magic-again-linked-paul-george-klay-thompson">viable destination for Thompson in free agency</a>.</p><p>“There remains mutual interest between Thompson and the Orlando Magic, according to league sources. The Warriors have made clear they want to bring Thompson back at the right price and in the right role.”</p><p>There’s still a chance Golden State largely hits pause this summer, re-signing Thompson and bringing its deep core back for one more season. But if the second Splash Brother ends up elsewhere, the Warriors are bound to be in for their most transformational offseason since 2016..</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Klay Thompson to train with Team Bahamas as free agency rumors swirl

<!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-magic-again-linked-paul-george-klay-thompson');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Magic again linked to Paul George, Klay Thompson');   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/2024/06/Magic-again-linked-to-Paul-George-Klay-Thompson.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Magic again linked to Paul George, Klay Thompson</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-06-09T12:59:42-07:00">June 9th, 12:59pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-06-09T12:59:42-07:00">June 9th, 12:59pm</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University senior from Atlanta on track to graduate with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic are currently in the midst of what figures to be a highly important offseason as for the future direction of the franchise following a successful 2023-24 campaign. Although the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/magic-news-why-magic-pursuing-klay-thompson-free-agency-dream-than-reality">Magic were unable</a> to advance past the first round of the playoffs, they still had their most competitive postseason showing since Dwight Howard left the franchise in 2012, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/magic-news-paolo-bancheros-respons-fans-jab-using-caitlin-clark">Banchero earned his</a> first All-Star nod in just his second NBA season.</p><p>Still, there is clearly quite a bit of work to be done in order to make this roster a true contender, and perhaps the most glaring weakness that currently exists for Orlando is their perimeter shooting, or more accurately, <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/my-nba-free-agency-latest-draft-matters?utm_content=bufferd2b35&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter.com&amp;utm_campaign=email-post&amp;r=3shtjf" rel="noopener">their lack thereof.</a></p><p>Luckily for the Magic, there are several sharpshooters and perimeter scorers who could potentially be on the free agent market this offseason, and Orlando is now being once again linked to both ahead of the offseason.</p><p>“Philadelphia is not the only Eastern Conference team to monitor when it comes to trying to sign Paul George away from the LA Clippers,” reported NBA insider Marc Stein on his Substack. “Orlando continues to be mentioned by various league observers as a natural suitor for George as well as Golden State’s Klay Thompson. The Clippers certainly hope to retain George in free agency, but they’ve made it clear by letting negotiations drag out to this point that they want to do it at their price.”</p><p>Stein also reported that “the Clippers have the rest of the month to come to terms with George on an extension that would prevent him from becoming a free agent.”</p><h2><b>An interesting decision</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Banchero-after-Game-7.jpg"><figcaption>Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>As Stein referenced in his report, another team that Paul George has been linked to in free agency is the Philadelphia 76ers, who could also use some more wing depth after their own exit in the first round of this year’s playoffs. Although he doesn’t possess the athleticism he once did, George is still a savvy scorer who can use his size and ball-handling ability to get to his spots much more consistently than anyone else on the Magic roster.</p><p>Thompson, meanwhile, is more of a strictly catch and shoot player at this point in his career that would figure to come off of the bench for a true contender. The memory of Thompson missing every shot he took in the Golden State Warriors’ Play-In game loss to the Sacramento Kings will be ingrained in the minds of NBA fans for quite some time, but Thompson is still one of the better sharpshooters in the league who led the NBA in total three pointers made just a year ago.</p><p>Other names that could potentially be free agents and would seemingly make sense on the Magic include D’Angelo Russell of the Los Angeles Lakers, among others. In any case, the Magic owe it to Banchero to put together a more competent offensive roster so that defenses don’t have as much leeway to send double teams his way, as the Cleveland Cavaliers often did in this year’s postseason.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Magic again linked to Paul George, Klay Thompson

<!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-paolo-bancheros-comments-show-magic-interested-dangelo-russell');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Paolo Banchero’s comments show why Magic are interested in D’Angelo Russell');   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/2024/05/Paolo-Bancheros-comments-show-why-Magic-are-interested-in-DAngelo-Russell.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Paolo Banchero’s comments show why Magic are interested in D’Angelo Russell</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-05-21T12:08:50-07:00">May 21st, 12:08pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-05-21T12:08:50-07:00">May 21st, 12:08pm</time><address><a>Owen Crisafulli</a>Owen Crisafulli is a Senior Editor and NFL Lead at ClutchPoints. He recently received his Masters in Business Administration from Nichols College. Previously, he obtained his Bachelor's degree in Sport Management and for a while ran his own sports website. Sports are his passion, and he thoroughly enjoys writing about thoughts and opinions that are related to the game. He has been a lifelong fan of the major professional teams in Boston and loves discussing all topics surrounding those teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Orlando Magic took a huge step forward in the 2023-24 campaign, thanks in large part to the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/magic-news-paolo-banchero-mvp-aspirations-first-all-star-playoff-experience">growth</a> of star forward Paolo Banchero. After bowing out of the playoffs after losing their first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games, though, the front office has some clear areas of need that they will be looking to address over the next few months.</p><p>Easily the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/magic-news-orlando-betting-favorite-brandon-ingrams-next-team-not-pelicans">biggest need</a> on the Magic’s roster is three-point shooting, as they shot just 35.2 percent from behind the arc, which was the lowest among teams that qualified for the playoffs. Finding a combo guard who can move the ball and shoot the three at a high rate is precisely what Orlando needs this offseason, and with the team reportedly locking in on D’Angelo Russell as a potential target, some <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5507812/2024/05/21/rockets-nba-draft-no-3-pick-donovan-mitchell/?source=emp_shared_article" rel="noopener">recent comments</a> from Banchero help show why they are interested in bringing him on board should he hit the open market.</p><p>“There is a clear need for an overhaul in the shooting department, and Orlando could benefit from adding guards with playmaking and floor-spacing capabilities. ‘… Having a guy who can set the table and be reliable,’ Magic star Paolo Banchero told The Washington Post recently. ‘We have a lot of talented guys who can make shots and make plays: me, Franz (Wagner) and Jalen Suggs. I would rather be more of an offensive hub than the point guard if that makes sense.’”</p><p>“Orlando is interested in Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell, league sources tell The Athletic. Russell has an $18.7 million player option for the 2024-25 season he can opt out of if he chooses to test the open market.” – Kelly Iko, The Athletic</p><h2><b>Paolo Banchero highlights D’Angelo Russell’s fit with Magic</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/DAngelo-Russell-of-the-Lakers.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>While his struggles in the postseason with the Los Angeles Lakers will likely leave a bad taste in the mouths of many fans, Russell put together a strong body of work with LA in the regular season (18 PPG, 6.3 APG, 3.1 RPG, 45.6 FG%). Beyond that, he also shot a career-high 41.5 percent from behind the arc, so his ability to find his teammates for open looks, while also knocking down threes at a high clip, is precisely what Orlando is looking for.</p><p>Russell isn’t a lock to hit the open market, as he has a player option in his deal that he could opt into, but if there are other teams interested in him, he’d probably be better off testing free agency and seeing if he could earn a bigger new deal from a different team. Chances are if Russell opts out of his deal, he won’t be returning to the Lakers.</p><p>There will be other guys the Magic can target if Russell doesn’t hit the open market, but he seems like a strong first option for them to target. Banchero seemed to have someone like Russell in mind when discussing what Orlando needs this offseason, so now it will be on the front office to go out and deliver by bringing in players who can help the Magic build off of their strong campaign.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Paolo Banchero’s comments show why Magic are interested in D’Angelo Russell

<!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-magic-klay-thompson-share-mutual-interest-free-agency');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Magic, Klay Thompson share ‘mutual interest’ in 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/2024/05/NBA-rumors-Magic-Klay-Thompson-share-mutual-interest-in-free-agency.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Magic, Klay Thompson share ‘mutual interest’ in free agency</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-05-06T08:37:13-07:00">May 6th, 8:37am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-05-06T08:37:54-07:00">May 6th, 8:37am</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Will Klay Thompson leave the Golden State Warriors this upcoming offseason? This seems to be the question everyone is asking regarding the four-time champion as he prepares to enter free agency. Thompson will be one of the more notable players available this summer, and the Orlando Magic are prepared to pursue him. In fact, Thompson and the Magic have “<a href="https://x.com/RunItBackFDTV/status/1787486905514561642" rel="noopener">mutual interest</a>” in one another, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.</p><p>“The Magic can open up an excess of sixty million dollars in cap space this offseason,” Charania said on FanDuel’s Run It Back. One name to keep an eye on, Klay Thompson, I’m told there is mutual interest between the Magic and Klay Thompson. Thompson, along with several other vets around the league, are looking at the Magic as a situation where you plug in a guy like Klay Thompson, you plug in another veteran player whether it be at the point guard position, shooting guard position; this team can make a real jump around Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.”</p><p>The Magic have long been named a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-warriors-klay-thompson-magic-pending-free-agency">potential suitor for Thompson,</a> dating back to before the start of the NBA Playoffs. In addition to having the cap space to bring in a player like Thompson, the Magic proved during the postseason that they are just a piece or two away from being legitimate threats at the top of the Eastern Conference. A player like Thompson, who is one of the best three-point shooters in the league, fits what this team is lacking.</p><p>Of course, a decision for Thompson to leave the Warriors is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-warriors-klay-thompson-faces-possible-hardest-call-of-life-in-free-agency">not going to be an easy one</a> to make. As of right now, there are no indications pointing towards Klay leaving Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, his two best friends that he has spent his entire career with. This Warriors core has won four championships together, and the organization as a whole is still of the belief that they can win more titles together. While he may be seriously open to exploring his marketplace in free agency, Thompson leaving the Warriors still seems like a dream more than a potential reality.</p><h2><b>Potential offseason targets for Magic</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Paul-George-shooting.jpg"><figcaption>Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Aside from pursuing Klay Thompson, the Magic could have several other targets as they enter a critical offseason. When free agency begins, the biggest names on the market, besides Thompson, could include Paul George, LeBron James, James Harden, and Pascal Siakam. While the Magic landing LeBron is nothing more than a dream for their fans, George is a realistic target. Orlando is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-magic-join-76ers-as-potential-paul-george-free-agency-suitor">expected to have an interest</a> in George should he not agree to an extension with the Los Angeles Clippers.</p><p>Tyus Jones, Buddy Hield, and Gary Trent Jr. are all free agents who the Magic could also pursue should they strike out on landing an All-Star-level talent. Sixth Man of the Year candidate Malik Monk is another player who could provide immediate value in Orlando at the shooting guard position.</p><p>In the trade market, Anfernee Simons, Dejounte Murray, and D’Angelo Russell are three guards for the Magic to consider. Whether or not the Magic would be willing to pay a hefty price for any player in a potential trade is unknown at this time.</p><p>The fact of the matter is that the Magic are going to do everything they can to try and improve their immediate playoff outlook during the playoffs. After taking the Cleveland Cavaliers to seven games in the first round of the playoffs, this young team has proven that they are on the verge of becoming something special. One added player, whether it is Thompson or someone else, could positively change the future of this franchise for many years to come.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Magic, Klay Thompson share ‘mutual interest’ in 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', '/nba-rumors-magic-join-76ers-as-potential-paul-george-free-agency-suitor');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Magic join 76ers as potential Paul George free agency suitor');   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/2024/05/NBA-rumors-Magic-join-76ers-as-potential-Paul-George-free-agency-suitor.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Magic join 76ers as potential Paul George free agency suitor</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-05-01T09:18:48-07:00">May 1st, 9:18am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-05-01T10:07:09-07:00">May 1st, 10:07am</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Clippers are currently locked in the middle of a heated battle against the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs. There is a lot at stake for both teams; for the Clippers, making a deep playoff run is crucial, especially when there is much <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-clippers-facing-76ers-problem-in-paul-george-contract-extension-talks">uncertainty surrounding the futures</a> of Paul George and James Harden with the team, as they are set to enter free agency in July.</p><p>George has not made his willingness to sign a contract extension <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-paul-george-likely-to-remain-with-la-amid-free-agency-interest">with the Clippers a secret</a>. However, the two sides are yet to agree on a deal, and George, as a result, will be attracting a few suitors in free agency, the most prominent of which appears to be the Philadelphia 76ers. Alas, the 76ers, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, will have competition for George’s services other than the Clippers.</p><p>In an appearance on the Brian Windhorst &amp; The Hoop Collective podcast, Shelburne highlighted the Orlando Magic, fighting tooth and nail against the Cleveland Cavaliers for a spot in the second round of the playoffs, as a team that is <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/maxey-saves-76ers-season-lebrons-future-playoff-updates/id293376147?i=1000654157515" rel="noopener">putting out feelers</a> on Paul George.</p><p>“There’s two teams that are paying very close attention to Paul George: the Orlando Magic and the Philadelphia 76ers, because both of them have the money to throw at him and have a need for a wing just like him, a veteran guy,” Shelburne said.</p><p>Paul George’s skillset makes him a fit in every NBA team. But the Magic, in particular, are in dire need of what he brings to the table. George is heads and shoulders a better player than Gary Harris, as George can function as a primary shot-creator and a three-point sniper who thrives when coming off screens. Moreover, the Clippers star fits the Magic’s MO as a defense-first team.</p><p>It would take a lot to pry George away from the Clippers. But as far as free-agent options go, the Magic won’t have any better options than to try and convince the 33-year old forward to uproot his family and join the Eastern Conference’s next big thing.</p><h2><b>Paul George would come in handy on the Magic right now</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Magic_Paolo_Banchero_and_Franz_Wagner.webp"></figure><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/magic-most-to-blame-for-down-to-the-wire-game-5-loss-to-cavs">Magic are coming off a heartbreaking</a> 104-103 loss in Game 5 of their first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers; they are now behind the series, 3-2, but it’s a testament to how far this Magic team has come that they’re making a more experienced Cavs team sweat bullets.</p><p>Their weakness reared its ugly head yet again on Tuesday night; they shot rather poorly from deep, making just 9 of their 31 attempts from long range, as the team simply does not have the marksmanship that is necessary to contend in today’s NBA.</p><p>Paul George is a career 38.5 percent shooter from deep, and he gives the Magic offense such a higher floor thanks to his incredible ability to make difficult shots. George is also capable of playing his best basketball still, more so than the<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-warriors-klay-thompson-magic-pending-free-agency"> Magic’s other reported high-profile target</a> in free agency (Klay Thompson).</p><p>George would be a godsend for the Magic right now, as they’re crying out for a dangerous three-level scorer to complement Paolo Banchero. Franz Wagner, for all his talents, has struggled from deep this season. He only shot 28.1 percent from beyond the arc in the regular season, and he has made just eight of his 24 attempts from three through the first five games of the Cavs series.</p><p>Alas, it would take a miracle for the Magic to pry Paul George away from the Clippers. For starters, the Magic won’t have his Bird rights, so George wouldn’t be able to sign a five-year deal. The Clippers can also offer the most average annual money. George is also settled in his home state of California, and with the Clippers set to enter their Intuit Dome era, they cannot afford to have a barebones roster around the oft-injured Kawhi Leonard as they look to fill seats.</p><h2><b>Can PG13 follow up on his epic Game 4 performance for the Clippers?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Clippers-forward-Paul-George-13-reacts-after-scoring-during-the-first-quarter.jpg"></figure><p>The Clippers were in dire need of a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-james-harden-paul-george-drop-truth-bombs-on-clutch-show-vs-mavericks">heroic performance</a> from both Paul George and James Harden in Game 4, and that’s exactly what they got. With Kawhi Leonard out due to a knee injury, George came out firing in Game 4, scoring 26 points in the first half. And even as the Mavericks fought back from a 31-point deficit, with George only scoring two points in the third quarter, PG13 came up huge when his team needed him the most.</p><p>With the Mavericks having taken the lead at 105-104, George took on Derrick Jones Jr. in isolation and made one of the most difficult shots in NBA playoff history, a stepback three-pointer that was heavily contested by the Mavericks wing, to give the Clippers back a two-point lead that they wouldn’t relinquish.</p><p>The job is not over for the Clippers, however. Kawhi Leonard is out for Game 5 as well, and it’s not quite clear if he’ll be back for their playoff run. Paul George must continue to play his A-game, and his recent Game 5 history bodes well for his chances of putting up an encore to his Game 4 masterclass.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Magic join 76ers as potential Paul George free agency suitor

<!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-warriors-klay-thompson-magic-pending-free-agency');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Warriors’ Klay Thompson linked to Magic ahead of pending 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/2024/02/nba-rumors-klay-thompson-linked-to-magic-ahead-of-pending-free-agency.webp"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Warriors’ Klay Thompson linked to Magic ahead of pending free agency</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-02-20T14:44:47-08:00">February 20th, 2:44pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-02-20T14:47:26-08:00">February 20th, 2:47pm</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Golden State Warriors are set to face some major decisions in the offseason, one of which could pertain to five-time All-Star and four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson. Currently eligible to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-klay-thompson-contract-extension-talks-warriors-update" rel="noopener">receive an extension</a> from the Warriors, Thompson appears to be on a collision course with unrestricted free agency. Could this ultimately lead the 34-year-old to join a new team, perhaps a young and rising team in the Eastern Conference like the Orlando Magic?</p><p>After remaining quiet at the NBA trade deadline, many around the league are keeping an eye on the Magic as to what they have planned moving forward, especially since they have the means to free up a massive chunk of cap space. Paolo Banchero recently made his first All-Star appearance, and Franz Wagner has also put together an All-Star-like campaign in Orlando. As a result, the Magic are increasingly being mentioned as a <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/some-coaching-trade-and-free-agent" rel="noopener">possible landing spot</a> for Thompson in free agency, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.</p><p>Recently, the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers were named as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-lakers-heat-among-potential-klay-thompson-free-agency-suitors" rel="noopener">two possible suitors for Klay</a> as well by The Athletic’s Shams Charania.</p><h2><b>Klay Thompson’s future uncertain with Warriors</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Klay_Thompson_pre-game_warmups.webp"><figcaption>Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p> </p><p>Stephen Curry signed a four-year, $215 million extension with the Warriors in 2021, and Draymond Green received a $100 million long-term deal with the team this past offseason. Thompson, the other core member of Golden State’s dynasty, had preliminary extension discussions with the Warriors over the summer, but he ultimately <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-warriors-offered-klay-thompson-2-year-48-million-extension-prior-to-season" rel="noopener">declined</a> a two-year, $48 million extension from the team.</p><p>Now, with Klay having arguably the worst season of his career and holding no extension talks with the Warriors, it continues to look likely that he will become one of the better unrestricted free agents available on the open market.</p><p>In a total of 50 games this season, Thompson has averaged 17.3 points and 3.5 rebounds per game while shooting 37.3 percent from three-point range. By any other player’s standards, these numbers represent a really solid season, hence why various playoff-contending teams will want to show interest in Thompson when he hits free agency.</p><p>However, Klay has remained adamant about the fact that he wants to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-klay-thompson-honest-admission-entire-career" rel="noopener">remain with the Warriors</a> until the end of his career.</p><p>“Yes. Absolutely. I wouldn’t want to go anywhere else,” Thompson told The Athletic before the season. “To play for one franchise, man? That’s so rare. In any sport. Football. Baseball. Basketball. Australian Rules Football. To play for one club is insane. It’s some real legendary stuff. Even what Udonis Haslem did. He’s revered in Miami. Locally. That’s what I cherish.”</p><p>Thompson once again <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-klay-thompson-blunt-take-on-trade-rumors-staying-with-dubs-long-term" rel="noopener">reaffirmed his desire to remain</a> with Golden State prior to the All-Star break, claiming that he only wants to continue chasing titles with Curry and Draymond. From <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-stephen-curry-stance-playing-rest-career-draymond-green-klay-thompson" rel="noopener">Steph’s point of view</a>, he too wants Klay to remain with the Warriors, recently telling ESPN that the notion of him, Thompson, and Green spending their entire careers with Golden State has been a “motivator” for them.</p><p>What the future holds for Thompson and the Warriors is unclear, given their struggles all season long. Currently 27-26 coming out of the All-Star break, the Warriors have a lot of work to do in order to keep their playoff hopes alive.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Warriors’ Klay Thompson linked to Magic ahead of pending 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', '/nba-rumors-magic-chris-paul-kyle-lowry-doused');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Magic’s interest in Chris Paul, Kyle Lowry gets doused in cold water');   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/2024/02/nba-rumors-magics-interest-in-chris-paul-kyle-lowry-gets-doused-in-cold-water_copy.webp"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Magic’s interest in Chris Paul, Kyle Lowry gets doused in cold water</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-02-05T13:49:16-08:00">February 5th, 1:49pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-02-05T13:49:16-08:00">February 5th, 1:49pm</time><address><a>Matt Wadleigh</a>Matthew Wadleigh was born and raised in Oceanside and resides in Fresno. He lives with his wife and two dogs. He is a huge Southern California sports fan and a retired member of the Fresno State drumline.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Orlando Magic are one interesting team to watch leading up to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-fan-mailbag-76ers-joel-embiid-injury-trade-deadline-rumors" rel="noopener">Thursday’s NBA Trade Deadline</a>. The young Magic team sits at 27-23 and is on top of the Southeast Division and could look to add some pieces. A few names that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-magic-linked-to-chris-paul-kyle-lowry-ahead-of-trade-deadline" rel="noopener">have been mentioned</a> are Golden State Warriors point guard Chris Paul and Charlotte Hornets guard Kyle Lowry.</p><p>However, those rumors got a <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/rockets-priorities-shifting-as-nba-trade-deadline-nears-180638480.html" rel="noopener">big update</a>, per Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.</p><p>‘There have been whispers among league personnel about the Magic pursuing veteran point guards. The NBA’s game of telephone has led many rival executives to believe Orlando has been actively targeting Chris Paul in Golden State and Kyle Lowry in Charlotte. Those whispers don’t seem to be accurate. Perhaps Orlando would look to add Lowry if the 37-year-old does reach the buyout market, but there has been no trade interest from the Magic to make a deal with the Hornets at this juncture, according to league sources. The same goes for Paul in Golden State, sources said’</p><p>So, the Magic reportedly aren’t interested in either player via a trade.</p><p>Chris Paul’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-steve-kerr-clarifies-dubs-backup-point-guard-plan-chris-paul-sidelined" rel="noopener">time with the Warriors</a> has not gone as planned as he is averaging just 8.9 PPG, the lowest of his career. As for Lowry, he was sent to the Hornets as part of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/terry-rozier-trade-grades-heat-hornets" rel="noopener">Terry Rozier trade</a> and has yet to suit up for his new team. A buyout seems like for Lowry and the Hornets, and Fischer mentions that perhaps then the Magic would be interested.</p><p>But, as far as the Magic trading for either veteran guard, it doesn’t look very likely.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Magic’s interest in Chris Paul, Kyle Lowry gets doused in cold water

<!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-magic-linked-to-chris-paul-kyle-lowry-ahead-of-trade-deadline');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Magic linked to Chris Paul, Kyle Lowry ahead of trade deadline');   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/2024/02/NBA_rumors__Magic_linked_to_Chris_Paul_Kyle_Lowry_ahead_of_trade_deadline.webp"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Magic linked to Chris Paul, Kyle Lowry ahead of trade deadline</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-02-03T14:57:19-08:00">February 3rd, 2:57pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-02-03T14:57:19-08:00">February 3rd, 2:57pm</time><address><a>Peter Sampson</a>Peter Sampson has been covering all things sports (with a focus on the Portland Trail Blazers) for more than a decade, most recently hosting "The Pulse with Peter Sampson" in Afternoon Drive for 750 The Game. Prior to that, he hosted an NBA wrap-up show that aired immediately at the conclusion of every Trail Blazers game. Peter had previous stops at Blazer's Edge and XRAY.FM - where his show "Blazer's Edge Radio" was named "Portland's Best Sports Radio" in the 2017 Willamette Week reader's poll. When he's not telling the stories of your favorite sports team, Peter can be found recording the next garage rock classic in his basement studio, whipping up an authentic Italian meal in the kitchen, or trying to figure out the appeal of Minecraft with his 9-year-old son in the living room.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The NBA trade deadline is fast approaching, and the Orlando Magic continue to be linked to veteran guards.</p><p>The Magic are <a href="https://www.actionnetwork.com/nba/nba-trade-rumors-latest-intel-on-chris-paul-kyle-lowry-warriors-and-lakers" rel="noopener">rumored to be</a> kicking the tires on Kyle Lowry and Chris Paul, according to Matt Moore of Action Network:</p><p>“The Magic have been on this track for over a year, looking for long-term help at point guard. They were involved in talks last year for Fred VanVleet before the Raptors held onto him (and subsequently lost him in free agency). Orlando has kicked around every potential option on the board, and the latest interest involves two veterans: Kyle Lowry and Chris Paul, according to sources.</p><p>Lowry was traded for Terry Rozier, and the Hornets made it clear from the jump they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hornets-dream-scenario-for-2024-nba-trade-deadline" rel="noopener">wanted assets back</a> for the former All-Star in a trade and did not plan to buy him out. That will come to be the tension point. Will Orlando commit assets that make it worth it for the Hornets if the alternative is just buying him out after the deadline, as Lowry has a $29 million expiring contract that will see him become an unrestricted free agent this summer?</p><p>(If Lowry is in fact bought out, expect the Philadelphia 76ers to have interest, although that information was prior to Joel Embiid’s meniscus injury last weekend.)”</p><p>Moore goes on to write why the Magic are possibly able to work a deal with Charlotte:</p><p>“For the Magic, they’re in a unique position to send assets they are willing to part with if Lowry is content to stay in Orlando. It might provide the Magic with a way to add a veteran while they try to find long-term answers there, even if that answer is ultimately committing money to Markelle Fultz on a big extension.”</p><p>Finally, the Magic are also rumored to be considering Chris Paul as the Warriors look to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-steve-kerr-shoots-down-chris-paul-gary-payton-ii-trade-speculation" rel="noopener">shake things up</a>:</p><p>“The other name mentioned is Chris Paul. The Warriors are obviously keen to shuffle the deck chairs on the Titanic that is their season. Details of talks aren’t known, but Jonathan Isaac and Moses Moody are players each team has interest in for a potential deal. Whether the Magic and Warriors are willing to trade those players may be an entirely different question.”</p><p>The NBA trade deadline is Feb. 8.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Magic linked to Chris Paul, Kyle Lowry ahead of trade deadline

<!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', '/heat-news-erik-spoelstra-gives-real-reason-for-kyle-lowry-benching-amid-rumored-internal-issues');   ga('set', 'title', 'Heat’s Erik Spoelstra gives real reason for Kyle Lowry benching amid rumored internal issues');   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/2024/01/Erik_Spoelstra_s_real_reason_for_Kyle_Lowry_benching_amid_rumored_internal_issues.webp"></figure><h1>Heat’s Erik Spoelstra gives real reason for Kyle Lowry benching amid rumored internal issues</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-01-21T14:59:56-08:00">January 21st, 2:59pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-01-21T14:59:56-08:00">January 21st, 2:59pm</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-paul-pierce-disses-udonis-halsem-after-jersey-retirement" rel="noopener">As the Miami Heat prepare</a> to take on the Orlando Magic Sunday night, usual <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-why-miami-is-not-panicking-over-kyle-lowry-injury-point-guard-concerns" rel="noopener">starting point guard Kyle Lowry will</a> come off the bench for the second straight game. There were rumblings about the benching being an internal matter and situation, but <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-miami-sorely-missing-jaime-jaquezs-energy-amid-ongoing-injury-absence" rel="noopener">Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra says</a> it is not about the player, but about <a href="https://twitter.com/IraHeatBeat/status/1749184557138563245" rel="noopener">reaching a “higher level”</a> according to Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Spoelstra’s says it’s not about Lowry, it’s about Heat trying to get to a “higher level.” <a href="https://t.co/i0EJwRtJeQ">https://t.co/i0EJwRtJeQ</a></p><p>— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) <a href="https://twitter.com/IraHeatBeat/status/1749184557138563245?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2024</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/heat-news-bam-adebayo-admits-rough-patches-await-teams-finally-healthy-big-3" rel="noopener">The Heat are currently</a> in the second half of the season and have not been a stranger to trying different lineups and rotations throughout the year. At the moment, Miami has brought out over 20 different starting lineups this season.</p><p>Spoelstra said the move to the bench isn’t a “indictment” on Lowry. It is more about that he feels the team is “not where we want it to be” past the first half of the 2023-2024 season. Lowry has been averaging 8.4 points, four assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game.</p><p>“I’ll do whatever we feel that we have to do in the second half of the season. We are not where we want it to be. That’s not an indictment of one player,” Spoelstra said. “Combinations do matter. Rotations do matter. Lineups that bring out the best in each other do matter. And I’m still in the process of trying to help the team figure it out.”</p><h2><b>Lowry was hoping the benching was a “one game thing”</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Heat-pondering-cutting-ties-with-Kyle-Lowry-2.jpg"></figure><p>Lowry came off the bench in last Friday’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks which ended up being a bittersweet night as they also retired the jersey and number of long-time captain Udonis Haslem. After the game, the 37-year old <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-udonis-haslems-jersey-retirement-sparks-surreal-erik-spoelstra-reaction" rel="noopener">said that Spoelstra</a> “wanted to see something different” and he hopes it is only a <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nba/miami-heat/article284146298.html" rel="noopener">“one game thing”</a> according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.</p><p>“Spo wanted to see something different, wanted to have me come off the bench,” Lowry said. “Hopefully it was a one game thing for me and I can get back in the starting lineup and continue to do what I’ve done this year.”</p><p>After the Hawks game, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-erik-spoelstra-has-warning-to-rest-of-nba-for-second-half-of-season" rel="noopener">Spoelstra was asked</a> if the benching of Lowry was a “lineup change or an administrative internal team matter.” It prompted the head coach to say that with rookie sensation Jaime Jaquez Jr. out, there are “moving parts” with the lineup.</p><p>“With Jaime out, there are some moving parts with this. I’m not going to be just experimenting the second round, this is about winning right now,” Spoelstra said. “But combinations and lineups do matter and having Kyle kind of anchor that second unit while Jaime is out, I think it’s important. And also, that starting group that can be dynamic. You know, I think this is a small sample size, but we’ll just see, we’ll do whatever we have to do in the second half of the season.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-vs-magic-prediction-odds-pick-how-to-watch-1-21-2024" rel="noopener">The Heat will play the Magic</a> Sunday night as they are on a two-game losing streak, both to losing teams. They are 24-18 on the season which puts them at sixth in the Eastern Conference.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Heat’s Erik Spoelstra gives real reason for Kyle Lowry benching amid rumored internal issues

<!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-markelle-fultz-joins-wendell-carter-jr-trade-block');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Markelle Fultz joins Wendell Carter Jr. on trade block');   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/2024/01/Markelle_Fultz_joins_Wendell_Carter_Jr._on_trade_block.webp"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Markelle Fultz joins Wendell Carter Jr. on trade block</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-01-14T14:23:09-08:00">January 14th, 2:23pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-01-14T14:23:09-08:00">January 14th, 2:23pm</time><address><a>Dan Fappiano</a>Dan Fappiano is a Connecticut based sports journalist and a graduate of both Tunxis Community College and Central Connecticut State University. Dan has spent time covering high school and professional sports in both the print and online medium. He hopes to see his beloved Chicago Bears win a Super Bowl someday.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Orlando Magic have been slumping over the past 10 games, dropping them down the Eastern Conference standings. Amid that current slide, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/magic-news-orlando-long-list-of-injuries-vs-thunder-wont-please-fans" rel="noopener">Magic have begun planning</a> a pair of potential trades.</p><p>Orlando is exploring what Markelle Fultz <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/nba-trade-season-what-happens-next?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=140680841&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">would land in a trade</a>, via NBA insider Marc Stein. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/magic-news-markelle-fultz-returns-from-2-month-injury-absence-vs-hawks" rel="noopener">Fultz is playing on</a> an expiring $17 million contract.</p><p>The point guard joins big man Wendell Carter Jr., who has also heard his name come up in trade rumors. With the Magic having plenty of intriguing pieces on their roster, Orlando could go in numerous directions at the 2024 NBA trade deadline.</p><p>If they don’t believe they can sign, or are unwilling to sign, Fultz to a long-term extension, a trade might be their best option. The point guard has played in just eight games this season as he battles through a knee injury. When on the floor, Fultz has averaged eight points, 3.6 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game.</p><p>Carter Jr. has dealt with a hand injury of his own this season, limiting him to just 13 games. In his absence, Goga Bitadze has stepped up and looked the part of a starting center. To many around the league, that has made Carter expendable. When he has played this season, Carter has averaged 8.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.</p><p>At 21-28, Orlando is still in the middle of the playoff hunt, But if the season were to end, they would be in the Play-In Tournament. As the Magic look to capitalize on their success and build toward the future, Markelle Fultz and Wendell Carter Jr. have become available in trades.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Markelle Fultz joins Wendell Carter Jr. on trade block

<!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-magic-mulling-cole-anthony-trade-before-2023-24-tips-off');   ga('set', 'title', 'RUMOR: Magic mulling Cole Anthony trade before 2023-24 tips off');   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/NBA-rumors-Magic-mulling-Cole-Anthony-trade-before-2023-24-tips-off.jpg"></figure><h1>RUMOR: Magic mulling Cole Anthony trade before 2023-24 tips off</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-09-22T17:02:28-07:00">September 22nd, 5:02pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-09-22T17:02:28-07:00">September 22nd, 5:02pm</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>The Orlando Magic possess a glut of young talent at guard entering 2023-24. With a contract extension unlikely for Cole Anthony, don’t be surprised if new general manager Anthony Parker and the Orlando front office address their team’s roster redundancy by <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10089386-nba-intel-contract-extension-predictions-for-2020-nba-draft-class" rel="noopener">looking to trade him</a>.</p><p>One NBA agent told Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report the Magic are likelier to move Anthony before the regular season tips off than sign him to a contract extension.</p><p>“I think they move Anthony, maybe even before the season. But I don’t think they extend him,” they said.</p><p>The No. 15 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Anthony hasn’t quite established himself as a member of Orlando’s foundational core next to ever-improving swingman Franz Wagner and reigning Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero. His most productive season came in 2021-22, when Anthony started at point guard in all 65 games he played while averaging 16.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game. He was woefully inefficient, though, putting up an ugly true shooting percentage of 51.9—damning for a lead guard who creates more for himself than teammates.</p><p>Anthony reverted back to a bench role last season with Markelle Fultz fully healthy, averaging 13.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game on 57.0% true shooting, an easy career-high right in line with league average. While the Magic could certainly use his scoring punch and two-way energy—best reflected in awesome rebounding numbers for his size—off the bench in 2023-24 and beyond, the failure to reach a contract extension with Anthony before he hits restricted free agency next summer presents the perfect opportunity for Orlando to better balance its roster with a trade.</p><p>There probably <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-magics-nba-draft-to-jalen-suggs-cole-anthony-exit" rel="noopener">isn’t room on the Magic’s roster</a> long-term for Fultz, Jalen Suggs and rookie Anthony Black given their inability to consistently threaten defenses from beyond the arc and other stylistic similarities. Anthony is a far superior shot-maker to his younger teammates, but not the type of difference-maker Orlando would regret moving to give Fultz, Suggs and Black longer runways to succeed. Rookie wing Jett Howard needs minutes and touches, too.</p><p>Anthony still has the chance to carve out an impactful niche in the league as a third or fourth guard. Whether he’s traded in the next few weeks or not, expect him to realize that destiny with a team other than the Magic.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

RUMOR: Magic mulling Cole Anthony trade before 2023-24 tips off

<!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-pascal-siakam-magic-trade-buzz-doused-cold-water');   ga('set', 'title', 'RUMOR: Pascal Siakam-to-Magic trade buzz doused with cold water');   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/2023/07/NBA-rumors-Pascal-Siakam-to-Magic-trade-buzz-doused-with-cold-water.jpg"></figure><h1>RUMOR: Pascal Siakam-to-Magic trade buzz doused with cold water</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-07-28T18:11:41-07:00">July 28th, 6:11pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-07-28T18:11:41-07:00">July 28th, 6:11pm</time><address><a>Quenton Albertie</a>Quenton Albertie is an author and sportswriter with a focus on the NBA. A native of Fort Hood, TX, Albertie currently lives in Atlanta, GA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After being linked to several Eastern Conference teams over the offseason, Toronto Raptors <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pascal-siakam-raptors-future-unclear-amid-trade-rumors" rel="noopener">forward Pascal Siakam</a>‘s trade buzz has slowed down in recent weeks.</p><p>That became even more true after the 2023 NBA Draft. Despite mounting anticipation, the draft came and went without a blockbuster trade. Be it Siakam, Damian Lillard, or Zion Williamson, the stars stayed put.</p><p>Nonetheless, the momentum for a Siakam trade continues to decelerate. NBA insider Marc Stein now reports that “Orlando was <a href="https://substack.com/chat/392205/post/24d9a678-eafa-4b76-a66c-c3c2f349089b/reply/2e5700ae-4193-43ab-9d5e-086168637c8c" rel="noopener">downplayed as a destination</a> almost as soon as it emerged as a reported destination” despite <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/magic-biggest-roster-concern-2023-nba-free-agency" rel="noopener">the Orlando Magic</a> being rumored to have interest in Siakam.</p><p>Siakam is known to have trained in Orlando, giving the Magic at least a circumstantial link to the All-Star. Still, when looking at the Magic’s roster, it’s difficult to see a clean fit for Siakam unless Orlando is ready to relinquish the promising Franz Wagner.</p><p>Siakam is a better scorer than Wagner, gifted with greater athleticism and possessing an underrated in-between game. Yet, the area where Wagner has a major advantage over Siakam is potentially the most important — their 3-point proficiency. While Wagner made 36.1 percent of his 3s last season, Siakam converted just 32.4 percent of his 3-point attempts.</p><p>Magic face of the franchise Paolo Banchero has an offensive game that’s as effective as it is pretty. He has yet to prove himself to be a knockdown shooter, preferring to go to work in the post. With the Magic adding another unreliable outside threat in point guard Anthony Black in NBA Draft, the spacing around their young core becomes increasingly important.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

RUMOR: Pascal Siakam-to-Magic trade buzz doused with cold water

<!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-raptors-pascal-siakam-trade-plans-draw-skepticism-but-theres-a-catch');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rumor: Raptors’ Pascal Siakam trade plans draw ‘skepticism,’ 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 id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/NBA-rumors-Raptors_-Pascal-Siakam-trade-plans-draw-_skepticism_-but-there_s-a-catch.jpg"></figure><h1>Rumor: Raptors’ Pascal Siakam trade plans draw ‘skepticism,’ but there’s a catch</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-07-16T10:05:54-07:00">July 16th, 10:05am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-07-16T10:05:54-07:00">July 16th, 10:05am</time><address><a>Abhinav Kini</a>Abhinav Kini is a Journalism graduate from Loyola University Chicago and has been writing on sports ever since he realized he was good at it during his gap year after high school. He mainly specializes in MMA, NBA, boxing, soccer and tennis.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Toronto Raptors are still reportedly exploring options to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-raptors-true-feelings-potential-pascal-siakam-trade" rel="noopener">trade Pascal Siakam</a> despite some skepticism.</p><p>Siakam has been the subject of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raptors-3-best-pascal-siakam-trades-toronto-must-consider" rel="noopener">trade speculation</a> in recent weeks with the Atlanta Hawks looking like a likely suitor for the 2019 NBA champion.</p><p>However, a number of other teams are also rumored as the Indiana Pacers have emerged as a potential suitor while there are murmurs of interest <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-magic-linked-to-pascal-siakam-trade-as-raptors-survey-market" rel="noopener">from the Orlando Magic</a> as well.</p><p>That said, there still remains “inherent skepticism” from around the league as to whether the <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/the-latest-im-hearing-on-nba-trade?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=134985121&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">Raptors will actually trade Siakam</a> at all according to NBA correspondent Marc Stein.</p><p>This stems from the February trade deadline earlier this year where Toronto entertained a number of proposals for various players such as Fred VanVleet only to trade none of them and instead, add Jakob Poeltl to the roster.</p><p>Given how the Raptors front office has operated in the last few months, that could certainly be a possibility. However, there is a catch.</p><p>As per Stein, he still believes the Raptors are exploring potentially two options for Siakam. He also added an interesting tidbit about the Magic’s interest in the Cameroonian.</p><p>“I nonetheless came away from my time at summer league in Las Vegas with the distinct impression that the Raptors are still exploring another move. Maybe even two,” Stein wrote on his Substack. “In an unrelated but undeniably interesting sidebar: I’m told Orlando has been Siakam’s preferred offseason training base for years.”</p><p>The next few weeks will certainly prove to be interesting as the new season fast approaches.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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