The difference between the offer sheets is staggering. $92.5 million is a massive amount of guaranteed money to give up. Some will point to one deal being five years and the other offers only being four years, but even if you take out the $57.75 million in Year 5 (which is a massive year to remove), there is still a $34.75 million difference in the first four years. The financial advantages of signing with the hometown team as an MVP winner are clear when signing an extension eight seasons into your career. Some of the differences between what the Bucks could offer as opposed to other teams in the league disappear following Year 10 though.
The difference between the offer sheets is staggering. …
June 28, 2022 | 10:57 am EDT Update
Russell Westbrook opts in
Adrian Wojnarowski: ESPN Sources: Los Angeles Lakers star Russell Westbrook is planning to exercise his $47.1 million option to return to the franchise for the 2022-2023 season.
We’re talking about, you know, high-ranking people who believe that Kyrie is not this is not done. I don’t know. Yeah, let me just say this about the Lakers: He obviously was very interested in joining the Lakers, and the Lakers are very interested in having him. The problem is, is that the Lakers can’t really right now.
Brian Windhorst: “The word is amongst executives… I talked to a couple executives today who believe that Nick Claxton that he’ll be back with the with the Nets, that’s been worked out. Or I shouldn’t say it’s been worked out: there’s an understanding.
Several teams, including the Boston Celtics, have a degree of interest in trading for Burks, per sources.
June 28, 2022 | 9:57 am EDT Update
Nerlens Noel to Clippers?
The New York Knicks have had exploratory discussions on trading center Nerlens Noel to the Los Angeles Clippers, league sources told HoopsHype. Noel could fit into the Clippers’ $9.7 million trade exception previously generated by the Serge Ibaka trade. The Knicks have a surplus of draft pick compensation (22 picks total over the next seven years) to dangle.
This would seem to end the Irving drama for the Nets, at least for now, but ESPN’s Brian Windhorst says people around the NBA are skeptical. On the latest episode of The Hoop Collective pod, Windy revealed what he has been hearing on this situation after Kyrie’s decision (h/t RealGM): “I think it turned down the heat in at least kept the Nets with two star players, with all of their options for next year alive,” said Brian Windhorst. “And, boy, was that not what some people, agents and executives thought. They don’t think this is over. “Now, Kyrie tried to make it sound like it was over. ‘I’ll see you in the fall’ sounds like it’s over.”
Windy went on to say that Irving did not tell the Nets about his decision before it went public. He also reiterated that people around the league don’t really believe Kyrie is actually all in: “I don’t know if anything has changed,” said Windhorst. “The people I talk to in the league are skeptical that Kyrie is going to be all for one and one for all on this.”
Something important to consider is that Irving’s stature around the league should improve from its current state if he can stay healthy in 2022-23. After all, the seven-time All-Star tied a career-high with 27.4 points per game in just 29 contests last season and did so at roughly the same efficiency as the rest of his career. Anything close to a full season could remind the basketball world what Irving can do on the court, even at 30 years old, which could propel him to a longer tenure in Brooklyn or a more significant long-term commitment from another franchise than he received over the last few weeks. No matter what, it will be simultaneously fascinating and significant for both the league landscape and the future of the Brooklyn Nets.
