With the Olympics now well in the rearview mirror, the NBA world is at a quiet point until training camps start next month. However, there are a few notable free agents available and trade rumors that are still creating buzz. Here are the latest NBA rumors you need to know:
Wall refutes report
A report from The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor said that Wizards point guard John Wall is aggravated by the amount of money teammate Bradley Beal got from the team as a free agent this offseason, and Rockets guard James Harden's contract extension and his deal with Adidas. Wall has refuted that report, according to the Washington Post.
“I just wanted to clear the air for all these people talking about how I’m watching other people’s pockets and I’m not worried about basketball and getting better,” Wall said directly to the camera. “Listen, that doesn’t matter to me. If I produce like I’m supposed to on the basketball court and take care of myself and image, I’m going to be fine with making money. That’s not why I play the game of basketball.”
“Me, talking about Bradley Beal [making] more money, I’m not mad. I’m happy. He’s my teammate,” Wall said Friday. “He came out at the right time when the contract money came up. I can’t control that.” Wall added that if he does what he’s “supposed to do and the Washington Wizards win,” he’ll get his own salary bump in the future.
Wall also addressed rumors that he was “rankled” over James Harden’s four-year, $118 million extension. “I don’t care,” Wall said of the Houston Rockets star’s deal. “I’m happy for him. That’s my guy. I’m not mad at him. … Please stop saying I’m watching money. I’m not.”
Wall averaged 19.9 points and 10.2 assists per game last season.
Williams wants to be with Mavs long-term
Point guard Deron Williams signed a one-year, $10 million deal to return to the Mavericks after spending a year with the team last year, and he hopes to stay in Dallas long-term:
"I'd have liked to be here for a little longer," Williams said of the one-year deal, via the Dallas Morning News. "We'll see how it goes. It is what it is. For sure, I wanted to be back. I felt like I had some unfinished business at the end of last year the way things ended and I wasn't able to be on the court. Hopefully I'll stay healthy because I'm excited about this team."
Williams said the changes in the offseason, bringing aboard Barnes and Andrew Bogut in particular, should help offset the loss of Chandler Parsons and Zaza Pachulia.
"We're definitely going to miss Chandler, but Harrison stepping in, that's not a downgrade," Williams said. "It's going to be great to see how he handles being a go-to guy. He's kind of been in the shadows (at Golden State). We'll see what he can do now with the ball in his hands. And I'm looking forward to playing with big Bogut. I've been a fan of his for awhile. He's definitely a player point guards like to play with."
Williams averaged 14.1 points and 5.8 assists per game last season.
Knicks could've traded for Crowder
While speaking with Charlie Rosen of Today's Fastbreak, Knicks president Phil Jackson revealed that New York could've acquired Jae Crowder in a trade in 2014 - and turned it down, which he regrets.
“One of the first deals I engineered when I came back to New York was to trade Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton to Dallas for Shane Larkin, Jose Calderon, Wayne Ellington, Samuel Dalembert, plus a second-round pick that the Mavs owed to the Celtics” said Jackson. “In talking with Boston, I was given the option of taking that pick or else taking Jae Crowder. I liked Crowder but I thought he wouldn’t get much of a chance to play behind Carmelo, so I took the pick which turned out to be Cleanthony Early. While Cleanthony has missed lots of time in the past two seasons with us, he still has the potential to be a valuable player. Even so, I should have taken Crowder.”
Crowder has since turned into a reliable defender and starter for the Celtics, as he averaged 14.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game last season.
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