NBA Rumors: Lakers trade incoming, Knicks backup center, Rockets turning point

We have officially arrived at the primary lull of the NBA offseason. The main free agents are off the board, lingering trade talks have stalled for one reason or another, and the remaining unsigned players are taking especially long to come off the board. It’s hard to land a suitable contract for a lot of players this late in the summer, so the process gets dragged out.

And yet, despite the relatively quiet nature of league happenings these days, there are NBA rumors aplenty. The offseason has slowed, but it’s not over yet. Much is yet to come.

Here’s what you need to know.

The Houston Rockets went from a laughing stock after the James Harden trade to a textbook example of how to engineer a rebuild, all in record time. Ime Udoka’s arrival last season shifted the Rockets into overdrive. With a couple savvy free agents signed on as veteran leaders, Houston went 41-41 and narrowly missed out on a spot in the Play-In Tournament.

In terms of depth, few teams around the league can match the Rockets’ up-and-coming talent. Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., and newcomer Reed Sheppard are all top-3 picks. Amen Thompson was the No. 4 pick, while Tari Eason, Cam Whitmore, and Alperen Sengun are all top-20 picks who probably should have gone top-10 in hindsight.

Houston’s front office has absolutely obliterated the draft in recent years. The Reed Sheppard pick stirred up a bit of controversy, but he was the best rookie at Summer League. That doesn’t always carry water once the NBA season starts, but Sheppard is threatening a rapid ascent. That just puts the Rockets’ depth — and their plan for managing all this depth — under the proverbial microscope.

Here’s what Ryen Russilo of The Ringer had to say on his latest podcast.

“Will there be a Reed Sheppard, Jalen Green, Sengun moment where we laugh about a team that’s 41-41 and how they just picked third and have too many guys? And this is talking up Reed Sheppard a little bit too much, but there is a topic there at least, with the Rockets with how quickly can Reed be really good if this is what’s going to happen with him… Like as much as we like this Rockets roster, a couple of the guys after the season are just not even going to have the opportunity to even develop. They’re not going to get the touches, they’re not going to get new contracts and they’re going to be on other teams.” (h/t Houston Rockets on SI)

Sheppard is clearly ready to contribute in the NBA, possibly at a very high level. If he’s the future All-Star point guard that many suspect, it could force Houston to swiftly re-evaluate Fred VanVleet’s future with the program. He’s 30 years old entering the final guaranteed year of his contract. Perhaps VanVleet even becomes available in trade talks midseason.

Beyond VanVleet and Sheppard, it’s fair to express concern about how Houston plans to fit all its wings into the rotation. Cam Whitmore is so clearly a dude, but he’s firmly behind Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, and Jabari Smith Jr. in the pecking order. And that doesn’t even include Dillon Brooks, who is still under contract through the 2026-27 season, fully guaranteed. Can Houston find enough minutes for all its potential impact starters and stars, and does this roster crunch signal an impending consolidation trade?

We know the Rockets are sniffing around Kevin Durant and Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns. Lauri Markkanen is available right now. When the next high-level star becomes disgruntled and available via trade, expect Houston to stand near the front of the line, equipped with tons of desirable assets.

The New York Knicks‘ almost-perfect offseason has one unsightly blemish. Isaiah Hartenstein left for greener (financial) pastures with the Oklahoma City Thunder, leaving the Knicks noticeably shorthanded at the center position. Mitchell Robinson is acquainted with the starting role, but the identity of his backup is unclear.

Right now, New York’s options boil down to Jericho Sims, some Julius Randle small-ball, or two-way contract rookie Ariel Hukporti. There is something to be said for Sims and even Randle in that role, but New York would benefit immensely from a more stable and proven option — even, at this point in the offseason, if it isn’t the sexiest name available.

It could simply end up being the incumbent, Precious Achiuwa, who arrived as part of the OG Anunoby trade last season. He served admirably as the Knicks’ third-string center and occasional backup power forward, averaging 7.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks on .525/.260/.643 splits in 24.2 minutes with the Knicks. He appeared in 49 games (18 starts) for New York, and was a regular in the postseason.

According to SNY’s Ian Begley, the Knicks are “in regular contact” with Achiuwa, who has received interest from other teams, including contenders.

It seems almost too obvious for the Knicks to at least re-sign Achiuwa with Bird Rights. Even if the Knicks pivot to a better option later, lock down something now. The more familiarity and continuity, the better.

Achiuwa is not perfect. At 6-foot-8, he’s a tad small defensively, but he’s not always enough of a shooter to function in the four spot on offense. And yet, athletes with his strength, lateral quickness, and explosiveness are hard to come by. Achiuwa can slide his feet with guards on defense, attack from the perimeter on straight-line drives, and make some flash athletic plays that defy comprehension. If it all comes together at some point, Achiuwa could function well above the league average backup center.

Assuming he doesn’t get a better offer somewhere else, Achiuwa returning to New York feels like a matter of time. It should be, at the very least.

The Los Angeles Lakers ended the 2023-24 campaign with a first-round exit after squeaking through the Play-In Tournament. With LeBron James in the twilight of his career, drastic changes were expected this offseason. We’ve pitched countless trades for third stars, and there was at least a belief that Los Angeles would upgrade the supporting cast in a meaningful fashion.

Alas, Rob Pelinka is ever the man of inaction. He has quite literally done nothing, or next to nothing, while the rest of the West re-arms and improves. DeMar DeRozan went to Sacramento, Isaiah Hartenstein to OKC, Klay Thompson to Dallas, Dejounte Murray to New Orleans. And the Lakers’ only roster additions to date are… Dalton Knecht and Bronny James, their 2024 NBA Draft picks.

To not sign a single free agent through July 22 is, um, not common. Los Angeles has let a couple walk, including Taurean Prince and Spencer Dinwiddie, but nobody has signed a new free agent contract with the Lakers. Equipped with the tradeable expiring contract of D’Angelo Russell and a few intriguing young pieces, Los Angeles has made precisely zero trades. Zlich. Just an all-time performance from Pelinka in the realm of sitting on one’s hands.

That said, change is on the horizon, per Jovan Buha of The Athletic. While the Lakers are “expected to remain patient” (is that what we’re calling it?), Los Angeles plans to make a trade eventually.

“Now, according to league and team sources, the Lakers are expected to remain patient in their quest to improve their roster…Regardless, the Lakers expect to make a consolidation trade at some point, though that could come closer to the start of the season, according to league sources.”

A consolidation trade has endless possible meanings and outcomes. Essentially, the Lakers will look to consolidate multiple smaller contracts into one bigger contract. Whether that means packaging D’Lo and Austin Reaves to chase a star or simply packaging a few non-entity role players into a slightly better role player, we don’t know. If we want to judge by the Lakers’ recent track record, however, it’s best not to get too excited.

Rob Pelinka continues to look like one of the worst GMs in the NBA, completely unwilling to meet the moment and utterly scared of this new collective bargaining agreement. Ownership shares in the blame there, but the Lakers risk squandering LeBron’s last few years through inaction. Hopefully J.J. Redick can coach.