Western Conference · Northwest · 90 updates
Brian Windhorst said on The Hoop Collective that Minnesota has no plans to move Donte DiVincenzo, who is working back from the torn Achilles he suffered in last season's playoffs. DiVincenzo is in the final year of the four-year, $46.9 million deal he signed with the Knicks in 2023, at $12.5 million.
Saturday, August 29 at 4:00 pm Central is the cutoff for teams to waive a player and stretch his guaranteed 2026/27 cap hit, since the current CBA requires the player to clear waivers before September 1.
+2A hypothetical three-team deal would send Kyrie Irving from Dallas to Boston, with the Mavericks taking back Jimmy Butler, Baylor Scheierman and first-rounders in 2028 (via Golden State), 2031 and 2033 (via Boston). Golden State would land Derrick White and P.J. Washington in the same idea.
Salary cap analyst Yossi Gozlan, writing for Third Apron, floated Dalton Knecht and Jaden Hardy going to Minnesota for Josh Green.
+2With Jonathan Kuminga signed in Minnesota on a two-year, $12.4 million deal, Los Angeles is floated as a suitor for Sacramento's De'Andre Hunter, who is on an expiring $24.9 million contract.
With Jonathan Kuminga signing a two-year, $13 million deal in Minnesota, the Lakers' alternatives are said to include PJ Washington, De'Andre Hunter and Bruce Brown, and any trade would mean shedding salary. Jarred Vanderbilt ($12.4 million) and Jake LaRavia ($6 million) are the obvious pieces to move.
+2After missing out on Jonathan Kuminga, who signed a two-year deal in Minnesota, the Lakers are left searching for two-way wing and frontcourt depth behind Walker Kessler and Kevon Looney.
Svyatoslav Rovenchuk at LakeShowLife names Kyle Kuzma as the Lakers' most gettable power forward now that Jonathan Kuminga has signed with Minnesota despite a bigger offer from Los Angeles.
Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz argues Utah should put Lauri Markkanen on the market, with the forward turning 30 next spring and blocking starter minutes for Darryn Peterson or Ace Bailey, and no longer fitting a young core that also includes Keyonte George and Jaren Jackson Jr. Markkanen is coming off a career year at 26.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists, and has three years and $149.5 million left, which Swartz notes will eat less than 28% of next season's cap.
A post from X user Marc Jacobs claimed the Lakers had pivoted to Ben Simmons after passing on Jonathan Kuminga, and credited it to Marc Stein. Stein's response: he never reported any of it. The same account was previously called out by The Athletic's Dan Woike for inventing Luka Doncic quotes.
