NBA Rumors: 76ers-Paul George pathway, Mavs target 3-and-D star, Knicks-Wizards trade

The NBA Finals are behind us, the NBA Draft is in front of us, and free agency looms large on the horizon. Oh my!

It’s the best time of year for those interested in NBA rumors. There is an endless stream of speculation as teams lock in their targets, set smokescreens, and try their hardest to one-up the competition.

Here is the latest buzz to sustain your Sunday.

The New York Knicks are determined to re-sign Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency. He took over the starting gig last season in place of an injured Mitchell Robinson. The results speak for themselves. Hartenstein doesn’t play the sexiest brand of basketball, but he’s a voracious rebounder, a versatile defender, and a king of dirty work.

He won’t spread the floor, create his own offense, or flash skills away from the basket. None of that really matters, though. Hartenstein sets bone-shuttering screens, processes the floor at a high level, and finishes everything around the basket. On defense, he anchored New York’s aggressive screen and consistently put his body on the line.

Of course the Knicks want him to stick around.

If Hartenstein stays in an elevated role, that puts Mitchell Robinson’s future into focus. The 26-year-old is a major talent, but injuries have derailed his early career a bit. He would presumably benefit from a new home and a more robust role. And, according to SNY’s Ian Begley, the Washington Wizards are among the teams interested in acquiring the former second-round pick.

“So the fact that Mitchell Robinson’s name has come up in some of the Knicks’ trade conversations with opposing teams isn’t all that surprising (The Wizards are among the teams whose talks with the Knicks have included dialogue on Robinson. I’m sure several other teams have talked to New York about Robinson, their 26-year-old starting center).”

Washington is a particularly interesting landing spot for several reasons. A, the Knicks could get an interesting piece back (Deni Avdija? Corey Kispert? Tristan Vukcevic?). B, Washington is widely expected to draft 7-footer Alex Sarr with the No. 2 pick in a few days. Sarr can play the four, but he’s an inefficient 3-point shooter. Robinson-Sarr is a tantalizing defensive pairing, but a less enthralling offensive duo.

Robinson would start for Washington (and for several other teams). If his tenure in New York is done, it won’t take long for to establish himself elsewhere.

The Dallas Mavericks fell short on the NBA Finals stage, but just getting there is a massive accomplishment. Now the front office, no longer shackled to the whims of Mark Cuban, will look to take the next step. The Mavs have a solid framework in place, but there is plenty of room to upgrade the roster.

Dallas’ late-season success happened to coincide with the additions of Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington, two dynamic defenders who boosted the Mavs’ ability to generate stops despite starring two defensive sieves in Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Their offseason moves tell a similar story. Derrick Jones Jr., Dereck Lively — the Mavs wanted to blanket their superstars with as much quality defense as possible.

That strategy is a good one. What Dallas lacks is a reliable tertiary weapon on offense. Luka and Kyrie have no trouble creating from scratch and setting the table, but the Mavs would benefit from another advantage-creator who can exploit defenses that go all-in on stopping Dallas’ backcourt.

Look no further than Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant, according to SNY’s Ian Begley.

“Several teams, including the Mavs, have checked in on Jerami Grant’s situation in Portland. Grant, 30, is entering the second season of a five-year, $160 million contract with the Trail Blazers. According to ESPN Insider Bobby Marks, the salary cap is expected to rise consistently over the next few seasons due to the NBA’s new broadcast rights deal. This is relevant because Grant’s deal will be viewed much differently in 2-3 years than it is today.”

Grant is the perfect ‘third star’ for Dallas, comfortable generating offense as a slasher and mismatch-hunter, but equally capable of leaning into his versatile defense and efficient 3-point shooting. Such a scalable talent works well for this Mavs roster, and Grant shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg in trade negotiations.

Portland is bound to move away from its vets eventually. Grant’s contract looks hefty on the surface, but as Begley notes (via ESPN’s Bobby Marks), the rising salary cap changes the perception of expensive, non-max contracts around the league.

Grant can defend the opposition’s best player, drill 3s, and take advantage of a rotating defense with strong moves to the basket. He would look great in Dallas, assuming the price is reasonable.

The Philadelphia 76ers‘ level of interest in Paul George appears to change by the hour. After reports of strong interest throughout the second half of the regular season and during the playoffs, Shams Charania of The Athletic cited Philadelphia’s ‘waning interest‘ last week. Daryl Morey is expected to pursue trade options leading up to the NBA Draft, with Brandon Ingram, Jimmy Butler, and others mentioned as potential alternatives.

That said, the George-Sixers dream is not dead. There is a belief that George could opt in and play out the final year of his current contract, rather than testing the open market. That would allow him to demand a trade from the Los Angeles Clippers, similar to how James Harden handled his Sixers ouster last summer. Philadelphia has the cap space to sign George outright, but that means they also have the cap space to trade for George’s salary.

According to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Sixers could fashion a Tobias Harris sign-and-trade for George.

“The Sixers could include the No. 16 pick and consider even adding Tobias Harris via a sign-and-trade as part of a package. L.A. has some level of interest in Harris. And if George opts to become a free agent, don’t rule out Philly going after him.”

That is quite the concept. There are CBA-related reasons to be skeptical of this trade from the Clippers’ perspective, but teams have done crazier things for Tobias Harris (like, signing him to a five-year, $180 million contract). If LA wants to reunite with Harris and replace George on the wing in one fell swoop, the basketball optics of this trade are fine.

Harris is not on George’s level, obviously, but the Clippers would be operating with a hand tied behind their back. George has all the leverage in this scenario and if he picks Philadelphia, the Clippers would be lucky to get assets back instead of nothing. The Sixers fandom, meanwhile, might relish the symbolism of trading Tobias Harris for an actually good 3-and-D wing.

Sorry, that’s harsh. Harris is a good player, but after years of bitter disappointment in Philadelphia, it’s time for a parting of the ways. Odds are, this trade helps Harris, helps PG, and makes the Sixers better while keeping the Clippers reasonably competitive.