BEST LANDING SPOTS: Where should Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul & Josh Giddey go? | NBA Today

BEST LANDING SPOTS: Where should Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul & Josh Giddey go? | NBA Today

the sound of the bank vaults opening. So far, over $2 billion dollar have been agreed to in the 2025 period. Here’s a little refresher on what’s gone down. There have been over 50 agreements this off seasonason, headlined by Denver trading Michael Porter Jr. to the Nets in exchange for Cam Johnson. MPJ obviously won a championship with Denver back in 2023. One of the biggest winners in free agency were the Atlanta Hawks who got one of the most highly coveted guards in Nquille Alexander Walker on a four-year $62 million deal. To the Western Conference, the Clippers, they bolstered their front court. They added 2021 NBA champion Brook Lopez who agreed to a 2-year $18 million deal. And now he’s also closer to Disneyland. We know he’s a big Disney fan for sure. Which left the void, by the way, in Milwaukee at center. Insert now 10-year vet Miles Turner who agreed to a four-year $107 million deal with the Bucks. Turner leaves the reigning Eastern Conference champs in one of the biggest shockers of the off season. But to make all of this happen, the Bucks had to free up some money which resulted in waving Damen Lillard in stretching and rem his remaining $13 million deal. All right, that’s already what’s happened, but some big names still available. So, you know, we got to go coast to coast. Now, first up, Russell Westbrook. He’s coming off a productive season with the Nuggets where he averaged over 13 points and six assists per game. Mark, what’s the best landing spot for Russ? Well, one thing I know he wants to do is be closer to home. The Kings are are certainly interested in him. Sacramento, I think that might be a good spot for him.
All right, moving on. Chris Paul coming off a season where he became the first player in NBA history to play all 82 games in the 20th season or later. So Ramona, what’s the best spot for CP3? Well, you know, another one who wants to play close to home. He lives in here in Los Angeles. And how about a reunion with the Phoenix Suns? I know we’ve been talking about that for a few days. I still think that’s the most likely spot that he ends up in. Uh Devin Bucker loves him. They had a great thing going. And what do we said for the past two years? They lack leadership. You got one of the best leaders in sports right out there. All right, next up, Al Horford. Shot a career-l 42.3% last season. Still played ridiculous defense, over 100, made three-pointers for the third straight year. So, Brian, what about Al Horford?
He’s valued by everybody in the league. He has lots of different options, including retirement. But if he decides to indeed continue his career, the Golden State Warriors have been very aggressive in trying to bring him in. He would fit well anywhere. But obviously, the Lakers are badly in need of a center, so they have been involved with that, too. So, I would expect there’s a decent chance if he continues his career, it’s out here on the west coast of either Golden State or LA.
So, we’ll keep an eye on where Al Horford will be. And lastly, Josh Giddy. Post all-star break, Giddy was incredible, averaging nearly a triple double while shooting 50% from the field, 46 from three. So, Bobby, what’s a good fit for Josh Giddy? Oh, the power of restricted free agency. The only fit is Chicago for Josh Giddy here. Certainly, when you look at the market has dried up, there is no teams out there with cap space. Certainly, when you look at um what the Bulls can offer, he’s going to have to be on a compromise as far as where he’s going to be. Um he could sign that one-year qualifying offer and then become a free agent again next off season, but for right now it’s Chicago just because of the lack of of cab space. Free agency is only a couple of days in, but there are some pretty solid players still available. DeAndre Aton, Damen Lillard, obviously, as we mentioned, will be available once they clear waiverss. and a good group of restricted free agents including Jonathan Kaminga, Quinton Grimes, and Cam Thomas. Previously, the Nets. Let’s head out to Milwaukee where the Bucks shook up the league yesterday by waving Dame Lillard and reaching a four-year $und7 million deal with former Pacer big man Miles Turner. It’s been a bit over 24 hours since Shams broke the news in Milwaukee. What a with a day to digest. Now, let’s ask you guys what you think. Brian, what did you make of the deal?
Well, I thought it was very creative. You know, full points for creativity and audacity scoring in gymnastics.
You know, ESPN bet, they put out the odds after it and the Bucks have the eighth best odds.
Wow.
To win the East.
Oh. Oh.
So, my concern if I’m a Bucks fan, I really appreciate ownership doing this. Let me just say as a Cleveland Browns fan, you know, it was kind of risky for Deshun Watson to be traded for three first round picks and then be given the largest guaranteed contracts in the history of the sport.
Jimmy Ham is the same owner. He owns the Bucks, one of the co-owners of the Bucks, and
to do the biggest buyout in the history of the sport. I mean, you know, it’s audacious. Um, my concern for their forthcoming pitch to Giannis to want to be there long term is that it didn’t move the needle enough. That’s nothing against Miles Miles Turner who is an excellent player in his prime.
It’s the rest of the roster.
It’s just I to do what they did which was their last card to play and an extremely penal card to, you know, maybe move the ball along the football analogy just a few yards down the field. I’m a little bit, you know, squeamish about that.
Well, I would say this. We look at rosters when you’re in a front office in a three-year window, especially under this collective bargaining agreement. have to strategize not just for now but for the future. When you’re looking at it in a situation for Milwaukee, it’s daytoday.
Yeah, that’s how you have to do it. I mean, especially when you have a generational player like Giannis on your roster. Some people called it reckless. Some people called it desperation. I would have done it.
Yeah,
I would I would have done it. And you know what I would have said? Someone else can clean up my mess three years from now
when I’m not here because Giannis just left. Yeah,
that’s that’s what I would have said. And and it’s a huge number. It’s $23 million that will never leave.
It’s not It’s not We can’t trade that player.
It’s $23 million. Now, for the rest of the roster, that’s going to be we’ll see what happens here. But you had to go out and do that. 5 years, $22.5 million because they, as Brian said, there was no other rabbit in the hat to pull out. There was no other card to play. There was no draft picks that you were going to trade there.
Well, Ramona, I’ll tee you up then. Um, have they done enough in regards to ultimately keeping Giannis in Milwaukee?
I mean, he’s the only one who’s going to know that and I my sense is just from conversations around I don’t think anything will be decided on his end until August, September because big deals or anything like that, whether he goes or stays, that kind of decision doesn’t come till later in the summer. But for me, it’s we have a teams in the NBA right now and they all have a choice. This is a new CBA. Do you want to be disciplined or do you want to be aggressive? cuz we all sat up here last year. We were talking the Philadelphia 76ers won the off season. What are the Clippers doing? Letting Paul George go for nothing. Remember that?
Mhm.
I I think I might I I tried to defend the Clippers a little saying, look, it’s a new CBA. The second apron is like winter is coming. They understood how serious it was. And guess what? The Clippers look pretty smart right now. They look pretty smart right now for being disciplined. But also, I know where Bobby is, too. When you have a generational superstar, how do you sleep at night? If he leaves and you didn’t do everything and you didn’t play every card that you can play to try to keep that guy, even if it’s not the best hand, they don’t have the best hand. This is like if you’re a poker player, this is like jack 10 offsuit. Yeah. Okay. But sometimes you hit a flop. Maybe maybe they’ll hit a flop. Maybe the price for Giannis would be too high and no one will want to do it. Maybe they can keep him through the trade deadline and they can go on a run. That’s what you got to do.
We’ll see how it all unfolds for sure. I don’t think to your point, I don’t think anyone really knows, but only Giannis will have to figure that out for us and uh we’ll see how that goes from there. But let’s talk about Dame at this point and what the next steps are for him as he gets ready to return. Mark, you’ve been all over the reporting on Dame. What do you what do you what do you feel are some potential landing spots for Dame?
Well, I don’t have a bam or a boom, but I got a list.
Okay, there we go. There you go. Uh let’s go with a wild card. You want to throw a wild card?
Sure. Let’s start with a wild card.
I got a top five. Okay. My wild card is the Blazers.
Whoa. The Blazers. Yes.
Dame has quietly gotten better graces with them.
Okay. That’s a move that’s like probably a last resort. I just want to be home. I want to be close to my kids.
I just want to rehab. It’s easy.
Training there right now.
It’s a wild card. It’s not top five. Top five. Number five. Celtics.
The Boston Celtics. You know, there’s another guy right there you just saw that Dame could rehab with.
Uh, in terms of the Achilles, they could they’re good friends.
Um, if you think about it,
two years from now, what is that team with Dame point guard? They’re a championship caliber team again. All right, number four, your Los Angeles Lakers. I know Ramona’s excited about that. How does it work? I don’t know. I don’t know.
Not a lot of defense out there on the guard spots is what I would say. Ron was recruiting him to the Lakers four or five years ago. Brought him into his house. Remember that?
Yeah. All right. Now, now number three. This might be the sexiest one. The Houston Rockets. Obviously, they got Fred Van Vleet. Uh what an addition Dame could be for a team that is probably had the greatest off season. Uh add him. We We’ll see. Number two, his hometown, the team he grew up with in Washington Oracle Arena, his Golden State Warriors. It’s been a dream of Aaron Goodwin, his agent, and for Damas to possibly wear that Golden State jersey one day. Keep an eye on the hometown team and think of him and step shooting together. Wow.
Number one, the Minnesota Timberwolves would be an amazing pick. All due respect to Michael Connley if they brought him in running point next to Ant. Imagine the shooting in that back court. Imagine the boost that Minnesota would get. Imagine Mike coming in behind him.
Brian, you’re looking at I see him. He’s tapping his fingers.
I haven’t considered.
Wow, that’s a good one.
But he had Ant-Man got a relationship.
Him to Minnesota. They were in the West Finals.
That could be big.
I mean, you all heard our reaction on television. We all went whoa when you dropped the number one.
Well, remember, we got to let Dame rehab.
This is my picks. I’m not saying this is what Dame
Yeah. Something something tells me that you’re I think you’re fairly well you’re not unsure. Um
I think Minnesota makes a ton of sense. But but you know really you have to make sure he’s okay. We always saw that he’s obviously rehabbing. It’s great to see him on the zero G. He’s already starting to to run again or walk or whatever. Um it’s only early July. He just had that injury in April. Um you’d want to see where he’s at. But let’s just be honest. If if if Dame is able to come back and play and is a late season addition to a team, that’s a potential gamechanging.
Yes.
That’s that’s something that you could take a team that’s in, you know, near the top and put them over the top. So, like I don’t want to put pressure on them. I don’t want to make any assumptions, but man, that is one of the biggest things that’s going to be on the horizon during the season.
Well, we saw it with the Lakers, right? They were like toiling in the playin. Luca ends up on the team. They were the three seed.
Well, and I I think also he doesn’t have to make a decision now. Yeah,
he could sit back and see where the season changes.
And I’m told they’re going to be patient. There’s Aaron told me there’s no rush.
Like, why not wait till December or January just for people that don’t know? Yes.
I mean, but I would want to see how the season plays out. I would want to see where the team which team could I help and let me see where he is in his rehab. Obviously, coming back at All-Star break, I mean, that’s that sounds optimistic to me. Uh, but if you if that’s a possibility, then let’s see where go where they need you. go where the team that’s best positioned to sign you is. We’ll see.
And it’s not going to be the team that has the highest money. Remember, he’s not
he’s not giving back money to Milwaukee.
But I am told that teams are being creative in what they could try to offer.
Okay,
fair enough. So, they’ve added Jake Laravia and lost Dorian Finny Smith so far, who went to the Rockets, by the way. So, Ramona, how do you feel about the Lakers currently? Uh, I’m waiting. I’m waiting to see what else they do
as their fan base is, right? Like waiting. I mean, I I don’t like to decide who won or lost the off seasonason today. Um, and often times the people we think won or lost the offseason, we’ve sat up here and said, “Oh, what a great offseason the Lakers had.” And then none of those pieces fit and they had to trade everybody. I mean, so they haven’t done much. I mean, I and I think letting Fy Smith go, that’s going to hurt them. They give him a first to get him. That was kind of rough for them. But at the price that he left, I understand why they did it. losing Brook Lopez, who everybody, you know, we assumed they were going to get because of the uncertainty and and that he felt around LeBron James’ future with the franchise, that has to hurt. And so now they’re still scrambling for a center. Dave McMenan said here on the show yesterday, they’ve got some trades working. I’ve heard the same. But what kind of names are we talking about? Are these are these elite rim runners that are are going to partner with Luca forever or are these just guys?
Uh I would probably say more of the latter than the former. So I think that’s a problem for them unless they make a trade
let’s say and I think it will come via a trade I think
but they’ve been reluctant to part with that 2031 pick or or or the 32 they can trade one of them. Yeah they they are reluctant to put to to to put in future assets but I also they have to do something and I think they recognize that. I know they have a few things going so I’m going to say incomplete. Okay waiting
fair enough. Bobby’s at the board. Let’s get to Bobby at the board with the Lakers. Bobby, what do you got? I
I would agree with Ramon. I would give them an incomplete also because we’ve been talking since February about trying to get a center and right now for today it’s Jared Vanderbilt who’s better served coming off the bench. I would certainly pay attention to what happens with DeAndre A and he clears waiverss at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time today. My big concern also George is their bench right as far as where their bench is. They certainly signed Jake Loravia and here’s what’s left. Dalton Connect here’s some of the big questions right now. They’ve got two exceptions, $8 million and $5.1 million. But watch out for the first apron. You they’re $14 million below. So you combine both of them. You can sign separate players. You’re going to be right pressed against that number. These two right here are connected. Okay. They have $40 million in expiring contracts. We mentioned that first in 20 in 31 or 32, but they also have flexibility in 26 where they potentially could have maybe two max players to join Luca. Here’s the question. If there’s a trade out there for the Lakers where they have to take back money that stretches into next season and it doesn’t really move the needle that much but gets them better a little bit, would they go out and do that here and take away some of that flexibility for next season?
All right. Well, thank you, Bobby. Beyond free agency though, keep an eye on August 2nd. That’s when Luca Donuch could potentially sign an extension.

On NBA Today, Marc J. Spears, Ramona Shelburne, Bobby Marks and Brian Windhorst discuss the latest news & rumors on the NBA’s best available free agents. Plus, they give their takes on Damian Lillard being waived by the Milwaukee Bucks to make room for Myles Turner. Finally, Bobby Marks hits the touchscreen to speculate on what the Los Angeles Lakers could be looking to do.

0:00 Best available free agents
3:40 The latest on the Bucks
7:52 Where should Dame sign?
12:04 The Lakers’ offseason

✔️ Subscribe to ESPN+ http://espnplus.com/youtube
✔️ Get the ESPN App: http://www.espn.com/espn/apps/espn
✔️ Subscribe to ESPN on YouTube: http://es.pn/SUBSCRIBEtoYOUTUBE
✔️ Subscribe to NBA on ESPN on YouTube: http://bit.ly/SUBSCRIBEtoNBAonESPN
✔️ Watch ESPN on YouTube TV: http://es.pn/YouTubeTV

#ESPN