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Rumors within the NBA are heating up with the 2021-22 season approaching its conclusion. Only four teams are left to hit the offseason and are currently contesting their respective Conference Finals.
The Golden State Warriors are among those but have already made their way into recent NBA rumors. The Warriors will likely be forced to make roster changes for financial reasons.
Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers have continued to dominate the latest reports circling the trade front. Two of their regular starters from the 2021-22 season could be on their way out.
Let's look at these NBA rumors in depth below, along with several significant reports that were in the spotlight on May 19, 2022:
Golden State Warriors highly unlikely to retain Andrew Wiggins, Otto Porter Jr. and Gary Payton II
The Golden State Warriors did an excellent job assembling their roster for this season.
They added quality talent like Gary Payton II and Otto Porter Jr. to their ranks to bolster their chances of returning to the NBA Finals. The Warriors also decided to retain an invaluable asset in Andrew Wiggins, who became an All-Star starter this year.
All three players have been vital to their run to the Conference Finals so far, and these moves have paid off extremely well for the Bob Myers-led front-office. However, the Warriors will likely be forced to move on from these three players.
Here's what Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle reported regarding this:
"It’s highly unlikely that the Warriors bring back all those players next season. Kevon Looney is expected to sign a multi-year deal with Golden State this summer worth roughly $6 million a year, and the Warriors want to sign Jordan Poole to an extension that could be around four years, $100 million."
Letourneau added:
"Combine that with the fact that Draymond Green, Curry and Thompson are due to earn a combined $122.7 million — $3.5 million over the total projected salary cap — in 2023-24, and Golden State needs to be judicious with the rest of its roster decisions."
He continued:
"As I’ve written before, the most logical way for the Warriors to cut salary is to trade Wiggins before he hits unrestricted free agency in summer 2023. But even if Golden State moves Wiggins shortly after this season, it could have a tough time bringing back Otto Porter Jr. and Payton."
Letourneau concluded:
"Those two are expected to command well more than minimum contracts in free agency this summer. And given how much money the Warriors have tied up in their core, they might have issues spending so much on role players like Porter and Payton."
Philadelphia 76ers keen to land another star; could part ways with Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey
The Philadelphia 76ers failed to make the NBA Conference Finals yet again. The move to sign James Harden hasn't paid off, with the former MVP's struggles considered one of the primary reasons behind their NBA playoffs exit.
The Sixers desperately need to surround Joel Embiid with more star power to make the most of his peak years and win a title. According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, 76ers GM Daryl Morey is indeed looking to land another star. Here's what he said on ESPN's "#Greeny" radio show recently:
"I promise you that Daryl Morey has big, giant plans to acquire another star. Whether he's going to execute it, I don't know. But part of getting that done is to require Harden to take some sort of paycut. Philly has dreams and plans, Daryl Morey does."
Windhorst also mentioned that starters Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey could be on their way out to make the acquisition of another star happen.
"A key factor here is that they have Tobias Harris, who would have value in a possible trade. They have Tyrese Maxey, who would have value in a possible trade. And you would need a player, potentially near the end of his contract, to come and say, 'I would like to go and play in Philadelphia.'"
He added:
"Is that something that could happen? Maybe. We'll see. I know Philly and Daryl are going to try and make it happen."
Phoenix GM James Jones believes Deandre Ayton will be back next NBA season
Deandre Ayton has been instrumental in the Phoenix Suns' rise to the top of the Western Conference. The center is one of the top players in his position and was looking for a max contract extension that would've guaranteed him $172.5 million. However, the Suns have refused to accept his demands.
The two parties never reached an agreement, and Ayton will now be a restricted NBA free agent. GM James Jones believes that the 6'11" center will be back next year. Here's what he said regarding Ayton's free agency in the upcoming offseason (via Arizona Sports Page):
“Deandre had an amazing season and he’s progressed every year and improved every year. He’s been here and so he’s a big part of what we do. His future with us is something we will address at the proper time which is in the future. He’s a free agent and I’ve said all along, he’s about the same things we’re about which is winning. We’ll address it at the proper time.”
The Suns could match the offer sheet presented to Ayton by other teams this offseason. He could also opt to sign the qualifying offer presented by Phoenix and become an unrestricted free agent in the 2023 NBA offseason, which would allow him to play for a team of his choice.
LA Lakers undecided on Russell Westbrook trade
The LA Lakers could continue their partnership with Russell Westbrook next season. The former MVP's underwhelming performances in the 2021-22 campaign are considered one of the main reasons behind the Lakers missing the play-in tournament, let alone the payoffs.
However, LA is still undecided whether to keep Westbrook next season or trade him. According to the LA Times' Dan Woike, several NBA executives have expressed that there is no clarity on what the Lakers wish to do on the Westbrook trade front. Here's what Woike's most recent report stated:
"I’ve spoken with more than a handful of executives here in Chicago about the Lakers and Russell Westbrook, and there’s really no clarity in what the team is going to do. Most execs believe any Westbrook deal would require the Lakers sacrificing at least one future first, which is a hefty tax to pay with just a year left on his deal."
He added:
"Some think there might be a deal to be had where the Lakers simply take back long-term deals from other teams in exchange for more immediate cap relief. But the only thing solid to report is that the Lakers haven’t ruled anything out when it comes to Westbrook’s future."
Woike concluded:
"They’ve definitely discussed him with potential coaches in their interview process. But that’s just one option. A trade is certainly still on the table, too."
NBA rumors prior to this report have stated that the Lakers have asked their head coaching candidates how they would use Westbrook in their system. It will be interesting to see how this story unfolds once the offseason starts in a few weeks.
Minnesota Timberwolves eyeing Tim Connelly to take over Basketball Operations from Sachin Gupta
The Minnesota Timberwolves are reportedly eyeing to make a permanent change in their front office months after the sudden firing of Gersson Rosas. Executive Vice President Sachin Gupta has been calling the shots in his absence, but only on an interim basis.
Rumors suggest that the T'Wolves have shown interest in some big-name NBA GMs like Sam Presti, Bob Myers, Masai Ujiri and Daryl Morey. However, it would be an expensive route to appoint any of these executives who are currently in charge of teams that have enjoyed relatively more success.
Another name that has popped up as a target is the Denver Nuggets' President of Basketball Operations, Tim Connelly. Connelly has enjoyed a successful and stable tenure with the Nuggets, turning them into championship contenders.
NBA rumors of him taking over at Minnesota were first reported by The Athletic's Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski.
It remains to be seen if the move will pan out during the offseason.
Guess the Lakers players!
