NBA Rumors Roundup: LA Lakers and Brooklyn Nets among teams that made offers to Kelly Oubre Jr., Portland Trail Blazers are not actively shopping CJ McCollum and more | August 7th, 2021
NBA rumors have started to cool down, with the majority of franchises looking settled on their current player acquisitions at the moment. This does not rule out the fact that there are a plethora of moves that could take place in the next few weeks, though.
Reports continue to come in, especially concerning title contenders like the LA Lakers and Brooklyn Nets as the NBA prepares to conduct the Las Vegas Summer League on Sunday.
On that note, let's take a look at some of the NBA rumors that have made headlines in the last 24 hours.
NBA Rumors: Kelly Oubre Jr. received plenty of offers before he decided to join the Charlotte Hornets
Kelly Oubre Jr. was one of the more appealing young 3-and-D players on the market this summer. He decided against continuing his time with the Golden State Warriors and was one of the top prospects in the 2021 NBA Free Agency class.
The swingman signed a multi-year deal with the Charlotte Hornets worth $25 million. As per NBA rumors, it is a straight deal with no team or player options.
As per Ian Begley of SNY TV, Kelly Oubre Jr.'s agent has revealed that the likes of the LA Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and LA Clippers were among teams interested in signing him and had also made offers. Here's what a report said:
"The following teams made offers to Kelly Oubre Jr., per his agent, Torrel Harris of @UniqueSportsMGM: Lakers, Clippers, Milwaukee, Denver, Brooklyn, Portland. Oubre signed a 2-year, $25 million deal with the Hornets."
Kelly Oubre Jr. averaged 15.4 rebounds and 6 assists per game during the 2020-21 NBA season. As per NBA rumors, his 3-and-D image was one of the major reasons why so many teams were interested in acquiring him.
NBA Rumors: Portland Trail Blazers not interested in moving CJ McCollum "just to have a different look"
CJ McCollum dominated NBA rumors post the Portland Trail Blazers' first-round exit against the Denver Nuggets in the 2021 NBA Playoffs. The shooting guard is one of the best trading blocks for the Trail Blazers to make improvements to their roster as per NBA rumors.
However, the latest reports by The Athletic's Jason Quick suggest the Portland Trail Blazers will not be parting ways with CJ McCollum as they do not see that as a move that would make them a better team. Here's what he said:
"The obvious and easiest path to acquire talent is trading shooting guard CJ McCollum. Not only can his $30.8 million salary bring back a player, or players, of value, but also Portland already has his replacement in Powell, who is a natural shooting guard."
"But it sounds like Portland is not actively shopping McCollum. I don’t know whether that is because Portland doesn’t agree with how teams value McCollum, or whether Neil Olshey is overly infatuated with him, but the general tone I’ve heard is the Blazers won’t move him just to have a different look next season. The trade has to make them better, and so far, other teams haven’t met that bar," he added.
The Portland Trail Blazers need defensive reinforcements to become a better team next season. As per NBA rumors, the likes of Ben Simmons and Pascal Siakam are also among players linked with them.
NBA Rumors: Atlanta Hawks looking to make the most of out a deal involving Cam Reddish
The Atlanta Hawks are having a terrific offseason, having signed a max extension with Trae Young and also managing to re-sign John Collins so far. They have also brought back veteran Lou Williams on a one-year deal. NBA rumors suggest they are expected to be an active team and are looking to improve their squad even more.
As per NBA rumors, Cam Reddish is a player who has been discussed in potential trades. The young star had a breakout postseason campaign and could be on the move at the right price. According to Evan Dammarell, the Hawks are looking for players, or cost-controlled young players, in exchange for Reddish, who can make an instant impact. Here's what he reported:
"Meanwhile, when it comes to Atlanta forward Cam Reddish the asking price from the Hawks has been a mix of a lightly protected future first, cost controlled younger players, or veterans that can make an immediate impact without ruining their future flexibility, per sources."
Reddish played four games in the playoffs for the Atlanta Hawks after missing most of the postseason due to injury. He averaged 12.8 points and shot 64.3% from the three-point line on 3.5 attempts per contest. He also had 1.5 steals per game.