Once the 2024 NBA draft concludes, the league’s transaction market is expected to continue with trade activity over the weekend, league sources tell Yahoo Sports, as various clubs look to add players for next season or reshuffle salaries ahead of the 2024-25 fiscal year, starting when free agency opens at 6 p.m. ET Sunday.
Thursday’s second round of the draft has already seen the Denver Nuggets, for example, send three future second-round picks to Charlotte, sources said, in order to move Reggie Jackson’s $5.2 million salary. It’s a move that should provide Denver with needed flexibility as NBA personnel prepare for the release of Nuggets wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope via free agency after the veteran declined his player option of $15.4 million on Thursday.
There are several other major decisions regarding player options and contract guarantees looming over the next 48 hours, perhaps none more significant than Paul George’s $48.7 million option to remain with the Clippers — which he could potentially decline and join Caldwell-Pope on the open market. Another wing who should factor into that mix of perimeter talent, Brandon Ingram, should become available for trade to New Orleans, league sources tell Yahoo Sports, should Ingram’s representation and the Pelicans front office fail to work out a long-term extension deal before Ingram enters the final year of his current contract in 2024-25.
David Griffin told reporters after Wednesday night’s first round that the Pelicans hoped to keep Ingram and that Ingram wanted to stay in New Orleans. The Pelicans, however, have never paid the luxury tax, and New Orleans will likely have to set the cap at a threshold below Ingram’s maximum potential salary.
According to some sources, Ingram has been cited among Philadelphia’s targets this offseason, somewhere below George, although it’s not exactly clear where Ingram ranks among the proverbial group of wing players targeted by the Sixers, between Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. In the event George rejects Philadelphia, the Sixers could easily acquire Ingram in their $60 million-plus space under the salary cap, but could Philly’s three first-round picks be enough for Ingram?
Cleveland continues to be mentioned by league personnel as a possible Ingram alternative, but there is no easy path to getting such a deal done with the Cavaliers. Even if Cleveland is interested in Ingram and values his skills, sources say, Cavs personnel remain reluctant to split the team’s core of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen as NBA insiders continue to prepare for Mitchell to sign a lucrative contract extension. Without parting ways with Allen, who has long been on New Orleans’ radar, it is difficult to see a path to bring Ingram to Northeast Ohio. (Another center the Pelicans had their eye on, Nets big man Nic Claxton, has now signed for four more years at $100 million in Brooklyn.) Cleveland also doesn’t want to part ways with Garland, sources said, even as his representation at Klutch Sports tries to promote his own trade.
Atlanta is another popular landing spot that league numbers have indicated for Ingram, but there have been no substantial discussions between the Hawks and Pelicans, sources said, as both teams have discussed scenarios trade deals regarding Dejounte Murray before the February trade deadline. Atlanta was laser-focused on determining its No. 1 pick in this week’s draft, then the Hawks were determined to move on to the second round, sources said, as Atlanta ultimately went with Nikola Đurišić. The Hawks are certainly now expected to evaluate trade possibilities for Murray, All-Star guard Trae Young, Clint Capela and the rest of their players not named Jalen Johnson and Zaccharie Risacher, sources said. Young has the Pelicans in mind as his next favorite possible team, league sources told Yahoo Sports, in addition to the Spurs and Lakers, but Young’s fit never made much sense for a situation at New Orleans which currently features CJ McCollum in its backcourt.
One team to watch for Ingram would be Sacramento. The Kings have explored various options for acquiring several wings, sources say, from Kyle Kuzma to Zach LaVine, and Ingram could be another option for Sacramento to explore, sources say. The Kings have veteran wings Harrison Barnes and Kevin Huerter, who Sacramento placed on the trade market at the last deadline, sources say, and their two salaries combined are a near-perfect match to reach Ingram’s $36 million figure expiring in 2024-25.
Utah’s Next Steps
The Jazz could have more than $40 million in cap space, plus salaries from veterans such as John Collins and Jordan Clarkson and a reserve of future draft capital, to predictably add any player on the roster. market, from Ingram to George. That’s why Utah worked its way into the Mikal Bridges sweepstakes, sources said, before the Nets ultimately sent their 27-year-old wing to New York.
The Jazz find themselves in a similar position to Brooklyn before giving up Bridges: a non-contending roster with a 27-year-old centerpiece on a valuable contract in which the entire league held an interest. In Utah, it would be Lauri Markkanen, who has already been named an All-Star unlike Bridges and who will enter the final year of his contract if he does not find an extension with Utah in the coming days and weeks . At this point, the Jazz are expected to prioritize finding an extension deal with Markkanen, sources said, and Utah officials made that clear when approaching Bridges. That won’t stop rival teams from calling and registering their interest in Markkanen, in hopes that Utah might decide to pitch like Brooklyn — if the Jazz can’t find someone close to a second star for Markkanen.
Utah is clearly looking to be opportunistic. Concrete discussions took place between the Jazz and Hawks about Murray at the trade deadline, sources said. The big moves that could ultimately come from Utah this summer, beyond dealing with the Markkanen situation, could present one of the most interesting circumstances of the NBA offseason.
The Nets, meanwhile, are considered open to doing business with veterans such as Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith, sources said, even after re-signing Claxton.
The Bucks are always mentioned by league personnel as a team to watch in the transfer market. Milwaukee managed to attract a potential pivot of the future in Tyler Smith with pick No. 33 in Thursday’s second round. Smith could perhaps help replace Brook Lopez this season, if Milwaukee does indeed part ways with its veteran center who is about to enter the final year of his contract. The names of Pat Connaughton and Bobby Portis also continue to be mentioned as transfer candidates, sources said.
The Warriors have another fascinating math problem to solve. Golden State has reportedly agreed to increase Chris Paul’s guaranteed amount for the 2024-25 season to push back the team’s de facto deadline to retain his $30 million salary for the upcoming year. Golden State has already guaranteed Kevon Looney’s $8 million after Gary Payton II exercised his $9.1 million player option. Those three players, plus wing Andrew Wiggins, are considered potential outgoing contracts for the Warriors, as Golden State attempts to reshape a competitive team around Stephen Curry.