Alykhan Bijani: Isaiah Hartenstein on IG #Rockets pic.twitter.com/206KjqNd3e
Alykhan Bijani: Isaiah Hartenstein on IG #Rockets pic.t…
July 28, 2021 | 3:30 pm EDT Update
O’Conner says the 76ers wanted a haul from the Spurs that included the Spurs sending Philadelphia one of their young core players and much more. “There’s so much stuff floating out there right now about the Sixers having outrageous demands like wanting four first-round draft picks, and three pick swaps, and a young player from the Spurs they say now. All these deals you hear about are outrageous. Nobody will do it for Ben Simmons.”
Adrian Wojnarowski: ESPN Sources: Sixers continue to canvass the league for Ben Simmons trades — armed with a steep asking price. Simmons and his agent, Klutch CEO Rich Paul, are in step with a move elsewhere. Draft night is always an ideal vehicle for a deal, but talks could continue into summer.
This week, he has yet another major franchise decision when he selects the second overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft. “It’s a really good draft and we’ll get a really, really talented player. I’m loathing to load expectations onto some 19-year-old player. But I do think whoever we end up selecting will be extraordinarily talented, and then it’s on us and on that person to grow,” Stone told The Undefeated.
After falling to a dismal 17-55 record, the Rockets were rewarded with the coveted second overall draft pick. The Rockets are expected to land a future NBA All-Star talent during the draft. Stone says the Rockets have a talented young roster and it’s important to develop it. “This organization hasn’t been in a position to invest in the future like we are now. So I think it’s going to be fun for all of us as we’re kind of going into a new stage of the challenge,” Stone said.
On Jan. 13, Harden got his wish as he was dealt to the Nets in a four-team deal. Houston would eventually acquire All-Star guard Victor Oladipo, forward Rodions Kurucs, three first-round draft picks and four first-round pick swaps. Harden averaged 29.6 points, 7.7 assists and 6.0 rebounds over his 621 regular-season games with the Rockets. Stone said after the trade he and Harden cleared the air during a two-hour conversation. “Some of the things about the process bothered me. I’m sure they bothered him too, but I did feel good. For me, that conversation was very healthy,” Stone said. “I think it was for him, too.”
The NBA today announced that the Memphis Grizzlies will tip-off their MGM Resorts NBA Summer League 2021 schedule against the Brooklyn Nets at 4 p.m. (all times Central) on Monday, Aug. 9 at the Cox Pavilion on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2. The Grizzlies’ schedule also includes contests against the Miami Heat at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 11 (NBA TV) and Sacramento Kings at 8 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 13 (ESPNU) at Cox Pavilion. The Grizzlies will also meet the Chicago Bulls at 9 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 15 at the Thomas & Mack Center (NBATV). The Grizzlies’ summer league roster and coaching staff will be announced at a later date.
July 28, 2021 | 2:57 pm EDT Update
Lakers, Mavericks interested in Landry Shamet
The Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers are among the teams interested in trading for Brooklyn’s Landry Shamet ahead of Thursday’s draft, per SNY sources. Several teams have communicated with the Nets about possible trades for Shamet. Most of those scenarios involve the Nets receiving the team’s first-round pick.
