On August 24, Beijing time, although the NBA is in the offseason and players have no ball to play, the off-court news is still wonderful. Just now, a number of players appeared in the news of the trade, now let's take a look.
One: McGee will return to the Warriors
Once Javill McGee is cut by the Mavericks, the Warriors should consider reuniting with him, wrote Dalton Johnson of the NBC Sports Bay Area. The Mavericks reportedly plan to use an extension clause on McGee's remaining contract, so he must be fired by the deadline until the end of the month.
McGee, 35, played two seasons with the Golden State Warriors and helped the Warriors try a championship in 2017 and 2018. Although he averaged less than 10 minutes per game in both years, he still made a valuable contribution to the team as a rebounder and basket protector on the bench.
McGee will be the only player on the Warriors roster to be taller than 2.1 meters, and his understanding of the Warriors' culture could give him an edge in filling the last spot. With Kevin Rooney and Drummond Green taking up most of his time in the center position, McGee doesn't need to play many games and he can help coach young players like Tracy Jackson-Davis.
Two: Montrez Harrell underwent knee surgery
According to ESPN's Tim Bontemps on Twitter, 76ers center Monterez Harrell had successful surgery on his right knee. Earlier this summer, Harrell suffered an anterior cruciate ligament tear and an medial meniscal tear.
Harrell, 29, came to the Philadelphia 76ers last summer as a free agent and signed a two-year player option contract. He executed the player option in mid-July and renewed his contract with the team after trying to enter the free agent market.
Harrell played in 57 games in his first season with the 76ers, averaging 11.9 minutes per game with 5.6 points and 2.8 rebounds. The offseason coaching changes and the appearance of other big men on the roster gave him an uncertain role for the next season before his knee injury.
Three: Pelicans offer Harden
According to NBA reporter Stein, if the 76ers can trade Harden for a player who is better suited to the team than him, the 76ers are expected to trade Harden immediately.
According to Stein, the ultimate goal for the Philadelphia 76ers is to complement the duo of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxi with another star. Ideally, Harden's trade would bring in such a star or open a path to acquiring one, but the 76ers also retain salary flexibility in 2024, which could create another opportunity to pursue an impact player.
According to Stein's revelations, the Pelicans are willing to trade Harden with the Philadelphia 76ers, and the specific trade plan is:
Philadelphia 76ers wins: CJ McCollum
The New Orleans Pelicans acquired: James Harden
That's not an easy task for 76ers. Harden's value has fallen to an all-time low. If they can trade Harden for a better fit for the team, they should trade. If the 76ers send Harden to the Clippers, in such a trade, they might get a combination of Norman Powell, Marcus Morris Sr., and/or Robert Covington. McCollum is much better than any of them. He may also be a better fit for Embiid than Harden. He's a player who prefers to play off the ball, and when Embiid is low, he gets the defensive attention, which is crucial for the 76ers. After all, they will try to avoid Embiid also making a trade request.
Four: Celtics offer Embiid
According to the US media NBA analysis network, the Celtics, who fell in the finals twice in a row, planned to trade from the Philadelphia 76ers to last season's MVP Embiid in order to win the championship next season, and they also saw that the 76ers were about to disintegrate and decided to take the lead. The specific transaction plan is:
Philadelphia 76ers obtained: Porzingis, Robert Williams III, 2024 first-round pick (first 4 protected - from the Warriors), 2024 first-round pick (BOS), 2026 first-round pick (BOS), 2027 first-round pick (swap), 2029 first-round pick (swap), 2030 first-round pick
Boston Celtics received: Joel Embiid
The deal cost the Celtics a draft pick for years to come, but it was worth the price to get Embiid. Embiid averaged 33.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game with the 76ers shooting 54.8 percent from the field, 33.0 percent from three-point range and 85.7 percent from the free-throw line last season, and earned last season's regular-season MVP honor.
Five: Lakers 2 for 1 offer DeAndrew Ayton
Last season's mid-season trade saved the Lakers and allowed the team to reach the Western Conference Finals. This team has two star players, and in addition to LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers have solid roster depth. The Phoenix Suns, by contrast, are top-heavy. Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal are among the NBA's most talented trios. But the depth of the team's squad is questionable. But the Suns could trade DeAndrew Ayton to improve the team's overall strength. The following is a trade plan between the Suns and the Lakers given by the US media NBA Analysis Network, specifically:
Phoenix Suns Gains: DeAngelo Russell, Rui Hachimura
Los Angeles Lakers wins: DeAndrew Ayton
The Lakers may not want to rush into the deal. If they do well by the deadline, they may prefer to retain Russell's organizational skills. That being said, from a positional standpoint, the addition of Gabe Vincent makes Russell a player to sacrifice. The Lakers got the best player in the trade and boosted the team's strength at center.
For the Suns, some may oppose the deal. They already have good enough guards, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, why should they trade for Russell? But none of these players are point guards, and Russell is a traditional point guard. His ability to provide open space opportunities to his teammates has been invaluable to this team.