Utah Jazz Rumors
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Keith Smith: Russell Westbrook gave up $1.7M in his buyout with the Utah Jazz, a league source told @spotrac . Westbrook reduced his dead money cap hit from just over $4.0M to just over $2.3M.
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Lauri Markkanen trade to Warriors still in play
There is a belief in some corners of the league that Utah’s interest in Golden State’s Brandin Podziemski, in combination with future draft compensation that the Warriors could package with the All-Rookie first team selection, is serious enough that it keeps alive the prospect of a Lauri Markkanen trade between now and Aug. 6.
Warriors more willing to trade Jonathan Kuminga than Brandin Podziemski
Yet there is also a growing belief leaguewide that the Warriors would be more willing to move Jonathan Kuminga in a Markkanen trade — or any big-swing deal — than Podziemski.
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Michael Scotto: The Utah Jazz have officially waived guard Russell Westbrook. The move clears the way for Westbrook, a former NBA MVP and nine-time All-Star to join the Denver Nuggets. The expected signing has been endorsed by three-time MVP Nikola Jokic. pic.twitter.com/RiuXDaEdK2
Jake Fischer: “There was discussions of Russell Westbrook being the outgoing piece in whatever sign-and-trade machinations do come about, and then the Jazz would have waived him. That conversation was happening like day two of free agency, so don’t know what the exact holdups are to be honest. I haven’t really checked too much, but that’s just, you know, something that’s out there. If the Nuggets don’t end up being able to get Westbrook, there’s still plenty of interesting point guards available in the market, most notably Tyus Jones. I think he’s looking for much more than what Denver will be able to provide, and you’ve got some interesting potential minimum guys like Spencer Dinwiddie, Dennis Smith Jr… I mean Markelle Fultz is still out there, so I’m not saying that I know of any potential connections there between those guys and Denver, I’m just saying the backup point guard market still seems to be quite rich in terms of optionality, so I if I was a Nuggets fan I would be feeling decent about it.”
His summer league coach, Sean Sheldon, said, “I think he was just more aggressive and more physical right from the start. … How you stick in a rotation, how you stick in the NBA, is just playing like how he did tonight.” Hendricks himself, meanwhile, said that the key for him was “I let the game come to me a little bit more.” It’s an interesting dichotomy.
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