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There hasn't been much happening in the NBA offseason so far. No team is making significant moves, all extension talks have paused and fans are desperately waiting for some basketball action.
To settle down agitated basketball fans, the league has revealed the ring ceremony schedule for opening night. The LeBron James-led Lakers will visit the Chase Center and play the Golden State Warriors after Steph Curry and co. receive their 2022 NBA championship rings.
Let's dive into a few rumors around the NBA from the last 24 hours to see what else is going on.
Miami Heat is expected to retire LeBron James' no. 6 jersey
LeBron James is currently donning no. 6 for the LA Lakers, the same number he wore during his Miami Heat days. After Celtics legend Bill Russell passed away, the NBA retired his no. 6 jersey league-wide. He is the only player in the NBA to have his jersey number retired league-wide, joining NHL's Wayne Gretzky (#99) and MLB's Jackie Robinson (#42).
Hence, when Bill Russell's league-wide jersey retirement took place, many started wondering what would happen to those who are already wearing that number, such as King James. The Lakers aren't expected to retire no. 6 for James, but the Heat certainly will, as clarified by team President Pat Riley.
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported:
"Having already retired the No. 3 of Dwyane Wade and the No. 1 of Chris Bosh, the Heat have not issued the No. 6 of fellow Big Three partner LeBron James since he left the team during the 2014 offseason, following four consecutive trips to the NBA Finals and two championships. James’ Heat jersey retirement is anticipated to take place upon his NBA retirement."
Supertars Kevin Durant and James Harden are back on good terms after ugly split last year
The relationship between Kevin Durant and James Harden was visibly rough after the latter forced his way out of Brooklyn last year. Durant was one of the captains of the 2022 NBA All-Star Game when he intentionally refused to pick Harden for his team. It was evident that he was doing so as everyone in the studio, as well as LeBron James, were laughing at the awkward situation.
However, it seems as though the superstars have buried the hatchet as they have been seen together a lot this summer. They were spotted backstage at a Travis Scott concert and were working out together in Barcelona. Additionally, there is a lot of chatter regarding Durant's trade to Philadelphia. ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported:
"The former teammates looked pretty friendly this past weekend in London. We saw them backstage at a Travis Scott concert, and from what I'm told, the two former teammates are back on good terms now despite Harden forcing his way out of Brooklyn just six months ago. If anything, this was Harden's way of smoothing things over."
LA Lakers insist they have multiple offers for Russell Westbrook
Contrary to league chatter that Russell Westbrook is undesirable, the LA Lakers are insisting that they have a ton of offers for the point guard on the table. The Westbrook saga has been ongoing ever since the offseason began because it appears as if no team is interested in his services.
However, the Lakers front office is now claiming that there are several trade possibilities for 'Brodie,' excluding the ones that have already been reported. LA Times' Dan Woike wrote:
"Lakers sources insist they have options beyond the ones that have been reported (Irving, Buddy Hield, Myles Turner and others). Time should better reveal those once the bigger moves get made."
NBA analyst proposes a trade that would pair up Donovan Mitchell and Ja Morant
The situation in Utah appears to be heading towards a rebuild and Donovan Mitchell's future is uncertain. Rudy Gobert was traded to Minnesota and Royce O'Neale to the Nets while Joe Ingles is heading to Milwaukee. Meanwhile, Mike Conley is about to be 35-years-old and isn't expected to be around for a rebuild. They have lost most of their core and there is no guarantee that Mitchell will stay in Utah.
Moreover, it has been a low-key summer for the Memphis Grizzlies and this potential trade would shake up the Western Conference. Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley proposed:
"The Trade: Dillon Brooks, Steven Adams, Danny Green, Ziaire Williams, Brandon Clarke and three future first-round picks to Jazz for Donovan Mitchell and Bojan Bogdanovic. It's been a relatively quiet offseason on Beale Street, but Memphis has the trade chips to take its summer from zero to 100 in an instant."
Orlando Magic could target Golden State fan favorite Jordan Poole in free agency next summer
Jordan Poole is apparently every young team's target player right now. He is a fan favorite in the Bay Area and many have labeled him Steph Curry's disciple. Poole made several long-range bombs in the 2022 NBA Finals and had numerous great outings in the playoffs. Looking at his career so far, it isn't far-fetched to say that he is going to be an All-Star one day. He would greatly benefit every young rebuilding team, such as Houston, Detroit, OKC, and especially the Orlando Magic.
The Magic are building a team around Paolo Banchero, Jalen Suggs, the Wagner brothers and other youngsters. Adding Poole to the mix will make them instant playoff-contenders and get them out of the lottery spots. NBA executives told Heavy.com's Sean Deveney that the Orlando Magic is a team that could make a push for Poole next offseason when he enters free agency. Deveney reported:
"One league executive speculates that we can expect at least one team with cap space to be ready to pounce; "I'd watch out for the Magic to be ready to make an offer if he's restricted, knowing there's a good chance Golden State is not going to match."
He further added:
"They're [Orlando Magic] going to establish something with Paolo in the frontcourt, with his passing. But they're going to need a top-level perimeter scorer, too. If you put Poole with Paolo and Franz Wagner, it's an exciting young team."
