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The 2019 NBA offseason is now well underway, and most of the in-demand free agents around the league have already been snatched up. At this point, the remaining pool of available talent is pretty shallow and consists primarily of veterans looking to extend their careers via minimum deals.
However, teams will start to look towards trades over the coming weeks, and a number of major moves could still be in the works. So, with plenty going on around the NBA, here is all the latest news and rumors you need to know for July 17th.
Anthony Davis refusing to commit his long-term future to the Lakers
Ahead of free agency, the Los Angeles Lakers completed a blockbuster trade for Anthony Davis. To acquire the All-Star, the Lakers had to give up Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram, and several draft picks, although the team is hopeful that Davis will sign a new long-term deal next summer.
However, Davis himself has flirted with the New York Knicks in the past, and during an interview with ESPN, the former Pelicans man admitted that he has yet to decide on where he will be playing for the 20-21 season:
I'm just focused on this season. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I have one year here, so I’m going make the best of this year... You know, mid-June, after we just had a parade, and I need a couple days to think - then we can talk about that.
At 26, Davis is entering the prime of his career and is coming off a season in which he averaged 25.9 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game.
Bucks still have doubts over Khris Middleton
The Milwaukee Bucks finished the 18-19 season with the NBA's best regular-season record, and Khris Middleton played a major role in the team's success. The 27-year-old averaged 18.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game, while also making his first All-Star appearance.
The Bucks tied Middleton down to a five-year, $178 million contract earlier this month, although Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report is reporting that the Bucks still have doubts over Middleton's ability to become a second-star:
There are questions about whether he (Middleton) can be the second-best player on a championship-caliber team, which is what his salary now demands. The Bucks, a league source says, had that same doubt.
Milwaukee head into the 19-20 season with the reigning MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, the team will need a second star to step up and help Antetokounmpo in the postseason.
Kemba Walker wanted Hornets stay
After being named to the 2019 All-NBA Third team, Kemba Walker was eligible to sign a $221 million max contract with the Charlotte Hornets. However, the Hornets were not willing to offer Walker anywhere near the salary he was entitled to, and the All-Star opted to sign a four-year, $141 million contract with the Boston Celtics.
In the build-up to free agency Walker had expressed his desire to remain in Charlotte, and Bleacher Report believes the point guard would have stayed with the Hornets if he was offered a better deal:
Refuse to give a player with less than max talent a max salary, and risk losing your biggest drawing card, as the Charlotte Hornets did with Kemba Walker.
Walker will now serve as the Celtics' starting guard, and Boston provides the 29-year-old with the opportunity to feature in the postseason.
