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Trade rumor rankings: Jaylen Brown, Bam Adebayo and more

Frank Urbina
·15 min read
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Although we’re deep into the offseason at this point, the NBA has still provided some entertainment lately courtesy of the trade market.

With Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, along with Donovan Mitchell, all reportedly on the block, there has been plenty to talk about with regards to the NBA of late.

Below, check out the latest installment of our trade rumors rankings series, which ranks the 10 players who have appeared most often on our trade page over the prior week.

Tyler Herro (Miami)

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Although Tyler Herro is coming off a Sixth Man of the Year campaign, a poor playoff showing, partly due to injury, has his trade value lower than it might have been otherwise. The fact he’s owed what will likely be a monster extension this offseason doesn’t help the Miami Heat’s case, either, who have reportedly used Herro as the focal trade chip in the chase for Durant and Mitchell.

Still, the Brooklyn Nets aren’t very moved by a package centered around Herro in talks for Durant, according to the latest on the matter:

In the case of Durant, the Nets want an All-Star and the buzz from league sources is they are lukewarm on a Herro and Robinson package, even with more picks.

That report from Kurt Helin was backed up by Heat beat writer Barry Jackson, too:

It’s starting to look more and more like, barring something surprising, the Heat’s current roster will be what it opens training camp with.

For the latest Tyler Herro rumors, click here.

Myles Turner (Indiana)

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

With the Indiana Pacers’ aggressive chase of Deandre Ayton making it clear what they think of Myles Turner, the former Texas standout has been a common name to hear about in trade rumors this offseason.

One team who has reportedly been interested in Turner is the Los Angeles Lakers, though, for now, those talks appear to be at a standstill:

The Lakers’ issue, apparently, is an unwillingness to give up an unprotected first-round pick for Turner, who will be a free agent next summer and could easily walk, leaving Los Angeles down one major asset and the player they got in exchange for it. That’s according to Marc Stein, at least.

We’ll see if and when Turner does get traded, but whoever does acquire him will be getting a solid shot-blocking, three-point-shooting stretch big. Though not a star, as a role player, Turner can play an important role on a contender.

For the latest Myles Turner rumors, click here.

Derrick White (Boston)

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

The major news of the week on the NBA trade market involved the Boston Celtics and a reported chase of Durant, news that involved reserve guard Derrick White.

According to the report, Boston offered Jaylen Brown, White and draft capital in exchange for Durant, though Brooklyn rejected the package (via The Athletic):

The Celtics offered Brown, guard Derrick White and a draft pick to the Nets for Durant, sources said. The proposal was rejected, and Brooklyn has asked Boston — in any proposal — to include Brown, Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, draft picks and potentially one more rotation player, those sources added. Currently, the Celtics are less inclined to include Smart along with multiple other player or pick assets, but the franchise is mulling over next steps on how to approach discussions.

We’ll get to more on Brown and Durant later in this piece, but, obviously, there’s a huge difference between White and Marcus Smart, which shows us how highly Brooklyn values Durant and how far we may be from seeing the former league MVP get dealt.

For the latest Derrick White rumors, click here.

Kyrie Irving (Brooklyn)

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

We’ve been in a holding pattern with regards to Irving trade talks for weeks now, with the same news seemingly being regurgitated over and over again.

The latest on the matter comes courtesy of Stein, who said that the Lakers won’t move on to secondary trade targets until they know Irving isn’t an option. Stein also shared that if the Nets move on from Durant this offseason, Irving would almost certainly be traded after him.

Apart from that, there has been nothing new on the Irving trade front of relevance, so we’ll continue to wait and see if the Durant domino falls, leading to movement with Irving.

For the latest Kyrie Irving rumors, click here.

Bam Adebayo (Miami)

Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

The story with the Heat this offseason is they’d like to make a massive addition to their roster but they want to do it without losing either Jimmy Butler or Bam Adebayo. The latter player is the one who could put Miami trade offers over the top in the Durant or Mitchell sweepstakes, but the one the Heat particularly don’t want to lose.

Jackson reported as such just yesterday:

While the Miami Heat remains interested in Kevin Durant, the Brooklyn Nets have displayed little interest in the Heat’s offer for the high-scoring superstar and Miami is moving ahead with its current roster for next season, according to sources briefed on the situation. Though the Nets would have interest in Bam Adebayo in a Durant trade, the Heat has not included Adebayo in offers for Durant and appears disinclined to do so.

This week, fellow Heat beat writer Ira Winderman also reported that the Heat toyed with the idea of using Adebayo as a trade piece but that an influential member of the front office (Pat Riley, maybe?) shot it down:

A party familiar with the Heat’s approach told the Sun Sentinel that while there has been internal consideration of the team utilizing center Bam Adebayo as a trade component, at least one influential member of the organization has shot down the notion

Adebayo was asked about the trade rumors about one week ago but, luckily for the Heat, he didn’t seem too bothered by the scuttle:

“It is what it is, control what you can control,” said Adebayo, who has been viewed as a lynchpin to a possible deal for Durant. “Obviously it’s an opportunity for something, but in my opinion, control what you can control. I can’t control that. “So do what I’ve been doing. I get up early. I work out. Having fun with these kids. And I’m going to go home and go to sleep.”

We’ll see if the Heat change their stance on Adebayo but for now, the young star big man seems to be a safe bet to stay in Miami.

For the latest Bam Adebayo rumors, click here.

Buddy Hield (Indiana)

Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

Another Lakers trade target if an Irving pursuit doesn’t come to fruition, Buddy Hield is a sharpshooting wing who would help Los Angeles’ shooting deficiencies a whole lot.

According to the latest on this matter, the Lakers and Pacers discussed a Hield trade – one that didn’t involve Turner – with talks centering around Talen Horton-Tucker and draft capital headed to Indiana for the Bahamian shooter:

Marc Stein: It is likewise believed that the teams have discussed a deal focused on Hield, without Turner involved, that would still require the Lakers to furnish draft compensation to Indiana’s liking as part of a package centered around Talen Horton-Tucker

ESPN likewise reported on Lakers-Pacers talks for Hield just last week:

With Los Angeles nearly picking up Hield last offseason, it’s not surprising to see the Lakers circle back for the role player who would greatly help bolster their rotation.

We’ll see if anything comes of it, or if the Irving trade talks prevent that from happening.

For the latest Buddy Hield rumors, click here.

Russell Westbrook (LA Lakers)

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

This week, we learned that there are various teams interested in a Russell Westbrook trade, though not for the player himself but likely for the draft capital that could come attached to him for the Lakers to get rid of him.

According to The Athletic, the Utah Jazz, New York Knicks and Pacers have discussed Westbrook deals with the Lakers, though nothing on that front is imminent at the moment.

Two teams that know have no interest in Westbrook, however, are the Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said this week that he talked to a Mavericks source who gave him a quick ‘hell no’ when asked about Dallas acquiring Westbrook…

On Friday’s episode of Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective podcast, Tim McMahon of ESPN, a longtime Mavericks insider, shared Dallas’ very hilarious and brutally honest reaction to potentially acquiring Russell Westbrook in any manner this offseason. “So you guys told me you heard that and I checked in. I got a very quick ‘Hell no.’… The idea of Russ being on the roster next to the most ball-dominant player in the NBA, Luka Doncic…”

…while Minnesota’s Darren Wolfson shared similarly regarding the Timberwolves’ reported interest in Westbrook:

Darren Woolfson: We begin with Brian Windhorst, who’s been on this podcast a lot. He floated on his podcast that the Wolves had been mentioned as a potential trade partner for Russell Westbrook. I do not doubt his information. What I can tell you is, I feel very strong in saying that the LA Lakers, Rob Pelinka, initiated that dialog. I also feel very, very, very, very, very confident in suggesting that Russell Westbrook is not coming to the Timberwolves, that is not a trade that you need to foresee thinking about actually happening. shared similarly.

It’ll be fascinating to see how this saga unfolds, as there’s such little interest in Westbrook league-wide that the Lakers might be better off bringing him back, keeping their top draft assets and hoping he buys into a more complementary role.

For the latest Russell Westbrook rumors, click here.

Jaylen Brown (Boston)

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

There was a lot of drama surrounding Jaylen Brown and the Celtics this week, with the issues stemming from The Athletic’s report on Boston going after Durant and peddling Brown to do so.

And not only did Shams Charania report on it, however, but so did Adrian Wojnarowski (via ESPN):

As Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant’s trade request approaches a fourth week, the Boston Celtics have emerged among teams engaged in talks on a possible deal, sources told ESPN. The Celtics appear no closer to acquiring Durant than others in discussions with the Nets, but Boston’s ability to include All-Star forward Jaylen Brown as a centerpiece in offers does help to make them formidable in pursuit, sources said.

Brown appeared to respond to the report on his own social media account as soon as it was dropped:

Brown was rightfully upset, according to a Boston reporter, because he loves it in Boston:

However, Brown reportedly isn’t upset enough that he’ll let the report affect his own want to be a Celtic in the future, not even when he hits free agency in 2024 (via The Athletic):

When WEEI’s Jermaine Wiggins claimed that Jaylen Brown told him he wouldn’t re-sign in Boston when his contract expires in 2024, Brown was perplexed and denied the report behind closed doors, sources familiar with Brown’s thinking told The Athletic. In spite of the trade talks, Brown wants to be in Boston.

There was also some back-and-forth among reporters about whether the Brown-Durant talks were fresh or weeks old, but one way or another, the Celtics could put together a strong offer for the two-time NBA champion, especially if they include Brown, one of the top swingmen in the league.

For the latest Jaylen Brown rumors, click here.

Donovan Mitchell (Utah)

Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

Another huge name still on the market, Donovan Mitchell still appears likely to be headed to the Knicks if he does get traded, though even those talks, which should be cut and dry, appear to have slowed down lately.

According to Charania, league sources believe Utah and New York remain far apart in trade talks for Mitchell:

The Knicks’ asset pool — up to eight first-round draft picks and young players such as Quentin Grimes, Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin — gives them a clear opportunity to acquire Mitchell, but sources say talks so far have moved slowly and the sides are far from an agreement. With three years guaranteed remaining on Mitchell’s contract, the Jazz are not operating with a sense of urgency and have the time to evaluate the best offers for the 25-year-old.

Jazz shot-caller Danny Ainge knows the Knicks have a treasure trove of draft assets, so the slowplaying may have to do with Ainge trying to get as many first-round picks for Mitchell as possible.

The Knicks aren’t the only team in on a Mitchell deal, however, with the Heat, Washington Wizards, Toronto Raptors, Charlotte Hornets, Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks also having expressed interest in Mitchell, according to Charania.

It remains to be seen if Mitchell will be on the Jazz in 2022-23, but knowing Ainge, he won’t deal him unless he gets a bounty of draft assets similar to what he got in the Rudy Gobert trade.

Let’s see if the Knicks, the presumptive Mitchell favorites, bite here.

For the latest Donovan Mitchell rumors, click here.

Kevin Durant (Brooklyn)

Photo by Michelle Farsi/Getty Images

It seems the entire NBA trade market is waiting for the Durant domino to fall, which may not happen for months, according to a recent report from Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer:

Interested teams are hopeful Brooklyn may ultimately have to lower its terms depending on Durant’s response come late September, several months following his trade request. There has so far been zero indication he is plotting any type of holdout, but that scenario has been repeatedly mentioned by rival team executives as the one variable that could force Brooklyn to drop its expensive demands.

That same Fischer report states that league executives believe the Nets’ asking price for Durant to be so exorbitant because they don’t actually plan on trading him.

And who could blame them?

The Nets in 2022-23, with Durant, Irving and former trade-rumors-rankings darling Ben Simmons in the fold flanked by Royce O’Neal, Seth Curry, TJ Warren, Patty Mills and Nic Claxton, project to be absolutely loaded.

Still, it doesn’t look like Durant’s request is being rescinded anytime soon.

Besides the aforementioned Brown/Celtics talks for Durant, the other noteworthy bit of news to come out on this front this week came from Zach Lowe, who reported that the Nets aren’t enamored with a potential Golden State Warriors trade package for their former star:

Financially, they are breaking all the barriers, but more flexibility trade-wise than most teams. “That’s where you would negotiate. You would end up keeping a Kuminga or a Moody. The issues are Wiggins and Simmons. You run into the designated rookie fiasco. The intel I have is that the Nets are not super high on Wiggins or Poole as sort of centerpiece players. Then you get to the other guys who are relatively unproven in the NBA. So I don’t know if there ever really was a deal there that the Nets would have done. Obviously, you have to explore it if you’re the Warriors.

As the offseason continues, maybe talks for Durant will heat up but for now, things appear to be at a standstill on that front, which has caused a backup on the entire trade-and-free-agent market.

When will it end?

Stay tuned to find out.

For the latest Kevin Durant rumors, click here.

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