Among Damian Lillard’s top suitors, there’s one he’ll have more trouble with, according to a Miami Heat insider.
The Raptors are where Lillard will “make things worse,” according to Ethan Skolnick, who heard from a reporter close to Dame’s agent.
“Toronto is where Dame will make things ugly,” Skolnick said on Five on the Floor.
“He didn’t mention Chicago.
He did not mention any other teams.
He mentioned Toronto as a place where Dame would make things worse.
And I know for a fact, 100%, that this particular reporter has had a great relationship with Dame’s agent, and has for a very long time.
Veteran NBA insider Marc Sten shared similar sentiments about Lillard’s feelings toward the Raptors.
“The Toronto Raptors have convinced many teams around the league that their interest in trading for Lillard is real,” Stein said.
“However, the uncertainty at this point stems more from assessing Toronto’s true willingness to pursue Lillard when it is believed that the All-Star guard, behind the scenes, remains resistant to the idea of becoming a Raptor.
Lillard’s main suitors in the current situation are the Bulls, Raptors and Heat.
But it doesn’t matter where Lillard is trade
If it wasn’t Miami, he would ask to be traded there, according to the Miami Herald.
Since their star point guard Fred Van Vleet left for Houston, Toronto has had an open spot at the point guard position.
Acquiring Dame comes with huge risks, according to The Athletic’s Eric Koreen.
“Perhaps the Raptors front office can convince itself that trading Lillard would be the first step in helping him become an even better star in a year or two:
Antetokounmpo or Joel Embiid,” Koreen said.
“Rappers will have less assets than they do now at this point.
Again, this is a big risk with low training opportunities.
Since training camp starts next week, it seemed like a Lillard deal was imminent, though there are still only reports and rumors circulating.
Even though the Clippers have ended trade talks with the Sixers regarding James Harden, he still hopes to reach a deal before training camp begins next week.
The disgruntled star “still hopes to be traded to the LA Clippers,” Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer reported, citing sources.
“Meanwhile, Philadelphia’s staff may still be sold on the idea of Harden showing up at camp, playing for a title and thus trying to get the trade value the Sixers need to give up All -Star,” Fischer said.
The ten-time All-Star called Philly president Daryl Morey a liar and vowed to never play under him again.
Multiple reports say he will not report to training camp.
According to the NBA CBA, if Harden continues to serve more than 30 days, he will no longer be a veteran free agent and will not be able to sign or negotiate a contract with another team, unless Philly decides to do the opposite.
Harden was fined $100,000 for his comments about Morey for “indicating that he would not provide the services required in his player contract unless he was traded to a team other.
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Recently, former Sixer Andre Iguodala defended Harden and believes franchises should also be penalized for situations like Harden’s.
“Teams should also be penalized when that player is penalized,” Iguodala said on The Old Man and the Three.
“When James made those comments and James was fined, we all knew they changed the rules about when you can start negotiating with players before free agency because everyone signed the deal before free agency.
We all know that James was told, “You’re going to make this deal, quietly, under the table.
” I wasn’t there.
I don’t know what happened, James didn’t tell me.
It’s still a hypothesis.
The team might say it’s a guess.
What did James do wrong to be punished?
“I was tricked,” he said.
“If I lie to you, I was a liar in that moment, maybe I wasn’t a liar, but I was a liar for those 5 seconds.
That’s right, James Harden made a real statement.
So why was he punished?
I would rather see the team fined five million dollars.
Come on.
We can’t prove it, but it happened.
This is where I get angry.
The NBA world is anxiously waiting to see what happens during training camp, scheduled to begin October 3 for Philly at Colorado State University.
The French basketball team has given Joël Embiid until October 10 to decide whether he wants to play for France at the 2024 Olympics.
The Sixers big man can play for the United States, France and even Cameroon – teams that have already secured a spot in the pre-Olympic qualifiers.
The president of the Federation, Jean-Pierre Siutat, revealed on French radio that he expected a response from Embiid within the set deadline.
“In any case, it will happen very quickly,” Siutat said on the Stephen Time program.
“We hope so and I think he knows that.
We may have an answer by October 10.
We have set this deadline.
It was reported that Embiid had committed to playing for hosts France in 2024, but Siutat denied those rumors.
We have never announced anything official about Joel Embiid,” Siutat said.
“There were rumors everywhere and I reiterated that I wanted him to come.
However, we were not informed that he was with us.
Today, he is still not with us.
We are doing it and we have a solid desire to do it.
He knows it.
We have had a chance to discuss with him and are waiting for a decision.
The US team is very interested in having him.
Cameroon qualified for the pre-Olympics.
It was a delicate situation for him.
After heating up early in the FIBA World Cup last month, France will certainly get a boost thanks to the addition of last year’s regular season MVP.
The 29-year-old is yet to make his international debut, which is why he has to choose between three countries: France and the United States, where he holds nationality, or his homeland, Cameroon.
Superstar player Victor Wembanyama committed to the team last week and said he is aiming high.
“A good performance at the Olympics would be a great story,” Wembanyama told L’Equipe.
“I will go to the Olympics and have no other goal than the gold medal.
”
With big men Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert likely to suit up, it means Embiid could decide not to play for France.
A few weeks ago, NBA insider Shams Charania reported that “the prospect of convincing” Embiid to play for the United States next summer “still exists.
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Speculation has been growing that Malcolm Brodgon is angry at Boston for trying to trade him, but an NBA insider believes the veteran guard is upset for another reason.
The 30-year-old suffered a partially torn tendon in his right elbow late last season, and ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne said the way the team handled the situation caused some animosity between Brodgon and It’s.
“I don’t think the bad feelings are over when it comes to bringing him into trade discussions,” Shelburne said on NBA Today.
“He is a professional.
He knew something like this would happen; he understands why these discussions are taking place.
On the contrary, these discussions are expected to continue.
“Every time your name is announced it’s a little uncomfortable.
I think it has a lot to do with what’s going on with his elbow.
He suffered golfer’s elbow during the playoffs.
There was a feeling that he might need surgery, but he didn’t.
The question is when it might be available (and) how it might be available; That’s why you pay Joe Mazzulla and Brad Stevens so much money.
You need to repair some fences here.
He’s part of the team and I don’t think these trade talks will resume anytime soon.
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