NBA Rumors Roundup: Damian Lillard wants to play with restricted free agent, Hawks looking to move John Collins and more | June 10th, 2022
With the offseason looming, there have been a lot of NBA rumors about a few players such as DeAndre Ayton and John Collins. Ayton is a restricted free agent for the Phoenix Suns. He's looking for a max contract and a few teams are interested in giving it to him.
Meanwhile, the Atlanta Hawks are looking to revamp their roster after a disappointing season. Collins is one of the players the Hawks could potentially trade this summer. He struggled with injuries this season, leading to his decreased production.
Here are the latest NBA rumors for June 10th, 2022 brought to you by Sportskeeda.
NBA legend could be key in landing new Jazz head coach
The Utah Jazz are one of two NBA teams looking for a new head coach. Longtime head coach Quin Snyder stepped down earlier this week. With Dwyane Wade being part of the ownership, the Miami Heat legend could be key in finding Utah's new coach.
The Utah Jazz have requested permission to interview Miami Heat assistant Chris Quinn for franchise's head coaching job, sources tell ESPN. Quinn also talked with Charlotte for that opening. He has spent eight seasons on Erik Spoelstra's staff.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Wednesday that the Jazz requested permission to interview Heat assistant coach Chris Quinn. Sean Devaney of Heavy.com spoke to an Eastern Conference executive and received info about the coaching search.
"He is definitely a Dwyane Wade guy, you will be able to tell how much say Wade has by how that goes," the executive said. "They were teammates during Quinn’s career, and he was a grinder then as he is now as a coach. Erik Spoelstra really learned to rely on him, he was Spo's right-hand man the last few years."
Zach LaVine likely to sign new deal with Chicago
Zach LaVine is one of the best players expected to be available in NBA free agency. LaVine will become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, which means he can sign with any team he wants. The Chicago Bulls are interested in bringing him back, but is LaVine open to re-signing?
According to Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer, the people around the two-time NBA All-Star believe he'll be returning to Chicago. Fischer shared this information on his "Dunc'd On" podcast.
"I also don't think Zach LaVine is really going to leave Chicago," Fischer said. "Even people around him have been saying all along, like, 'Yeah, so the door is open, but like, we don't think he's going to leave.'"
The Bulls can offer LaVine the most money with a five-year, $200 million deal. Any other team can only give him a four-year max contract worth around $160 million. It should also be noted that LaVine underwent left knee arthroscopic surgery after the Bulls were eliminated by the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round.
Damian Lillard wants to play with DeAndre Ayton?
DeAndre Ayton is one of the biggest names in the upcoming NBA free agency. Ayton is set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the season. The Phoenix Suns were hesitant to give him a rookie max contract last summer despite his improvement.
Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report mentioned on his "Dunc'd On" podcast (h/t HoopsHype) that Ayton only wants a max deal. Fischer said that a team or two will likely give Ayton what he wants, possibly the Detroit Pistons or Portland Trail Blazers. He noted that Blazers superstar Damian Lillard wants to play with Ayton.
"He wants to max, he doesn't want to come down from that," Fischer said. "So that's the case, if one team offers him the max, which I think seems pretty possible. … Detroit gets mentioned a lot. Like Portland, it seems like he’s an another guy that Dame has interest in playing with."
Blazers interested in acquiring OG Anunoby
Toronto Raptors star OG Anunoby is one of the players linked to many NBA rumors this week. Matt Moore of Action Network reported that the Raptors could part ways with Anunoby due to the emergence of Scottie Barnes. Moore added that general manager Masai Uriji prefers retaining Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam.
There were also reports that Anunoby was unhappy with his minutes. One of the teams linked to the 24-year-old swingman is the Portland Trail Blazers. Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer said on his "Dunc'd On" podcast that the Blazers want to pair Anunoby with Damian Lillard.
"I'm pretty aware from my conversations that Portland definitely is targeting OG, definitely someone that Lillard wants to pair with," Fischer said.
Hawks to move John Collins this offseason?
The Atlanta Hawks are expected to be active this offseason after a disappointing season. The Hawks were in the Eastern Conference finals last year, but were eliminated in the first round this year. Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report revealed on his "Dunc'd On" podcast that Atlanta could move John Collins this offseason.
"There's someone I talked to today who had just spoken to Atlanta in recent days who said John Collins is clearly the guy that they're most interested in moving," Fishcer said.
Collins missed a bunch of games due to injuries this season. He also regressed for the second year in a row, but remains one of the most athletic bigs in the NBA today. If the Hawks make him available, which teams are interested? Well, Fischer knows the answer.
"He's definitely been mentioned as a Portland trade candidate," Fischer said. "Someone told me today that if Portland offered the seventh pick to Atlanta, they think they would do it straight up."