NBA Rumors: Trades, Johnson, Simmons, Lakers, Lowry, Mavs

The Spurs are reportedly looking into trading for Ben Simmons and if the franchise is going to gain serious traction in the sweepstakes, which of their young prospects would get them the furthest in trade talks? Kyle Neubeck of the Philly Voice believes Keldon Johnson, who is just 21 years old, is the most intriguing candidate in terms of upside.

Johnson, who recently won a gold medal as part of Team USA, has taken strides since being drafted as the No. 29 overall pick in the 2019 draft, though the 21-year-old is far from a sure-bet to morph into an All-Star. While Johnson may be the closest to it, San Antonio doesn’t really possess the kind of young prospect to make the Sixers seriously consider a deal without adding substantial draft capital, which could make any Simmons pursuit problematic.

The Spurs’ best chance at acquiring the former LSU product could be as the third team in a potential deal that sends Damian Lillard to Portland. That scenario assumes that Lillard demands a trade and the Blazers would opt to pass on Simmons in favor of a draft pick-laced deal.

More NBA Rumors

While the Lakers are the favorite to win the Western Conference, Zach Lowe of ESPN.com writes that he doesn’t get the sense that rival teams fear Los Angeles. Lowe identifies several potential issues with LeBron James‘ new-look squad, such as defensive liabilities among the team’s only young guys expected to see any court time (Malik Monk, Kendrick Nunn, and Talen Horton-Tucker).
The Mavericks’ pursuit of Kyle Lowry indicates that the team believes it’s just one piece away from truly contending, Lowe writes in the same piece. Dallas wasn’t able to land Lowry but surrounding Luka Doncic with shooters was the team’s backup plan and the organization now has several players on value contract, including Tim Hardaway Jr. and Reggie Bullock, which could make future trades easy to maneuver.
Ben Simmons trade talks with rival teams haven’t gained much traction, as the Sixers believe the former No. 1 overall pick will be key to acquiring Damian Lillard should he request a trade. Lillard remains off the table in trade discussions at the moment, however.
The Nets have begun discussing contract extensions with James Harden and Kyrie Irving, GM Sean Marks told the media (h/t Malika Andrews of ESPN.com). Marks said he is “confident” that Brooklyn’s three stars will be under contract long-term by the time training camp starts. The franchise recently inked Kevin Durant to a four-year, $198 million extension.