NBA Rumors Roundup: Paul George almost teamed up with LeBron James in Cleveland; Nike's relationship with Kyrie Irving likely over, and more | November 11, 2022
LeBron James almost dominated the NBA with Paul George. The latest rumors suggest that James and George came close to being teammates several times. The Cleveland Cavaliers tried to acquire "PG13" from the Indiana Pacers in 2017, while the LA Lakers wanted to pair them up in 2018.
Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving's relationship with Nike might be over. Nike suspended their partnership with Irving due to his promotion of an anti-Semitic film on social meda. The shoe company also canceled the release of the Kyrie 8.
On that note, here's the latest NBA rumors roundup for November 11 brought to you by Sportskeeda.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander trade rumors not going away any time soon
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was linked to a potential trade out of Oklahoma City last season, but it didn't come to fruition. Gilgeous-Alexander went on to sign his rookie max contract despite the Thunder's rebuilding phase.
An NBA executive told Sam Amick of The Athletic that Gilgeous-Alexander is frustrated with losing. The executive even pointed out the Toronto Raptors as a possible destination for the Canadian star.
"You keep hearing that Shai is frustrated with the losing," the exec said. "And so I think that's the Toronto thing that we've all heard about with their interest in Shai this summer. But how far do (the Thunder) want to push this (tanking effort)?"
Paul George almost teamed up with LeBron James in Cleveland
LeBron James and Paul George could have formed a superteam in Cleveland in 2017, per Brian Windhorst of ESPN. The Cavaliers were in talks with the Indiana Pacers and Denver Nuggets for a potential three-team trade.
Kevin Love would have been sent to the Nuggets; the Pacers would've received prospects headlined by Gary Harris plus picks, and George would have been a Cavalier. However, the deal fell through, and the Pacers sent George to the OKC Thunder a few days later.
James and George were also recruited by the LA Lakers in 2018. "The King" eventually signed with the Lakers as a free agent, while George signed a new deal with the Thunder.
Also Read: LeBron James unfazed by LA Lakers' slow start to the season: "I control what I can control and what I can't control, I can't worry about"
Some NBA owners might sell franchise due to high valuation
The NBA is a booming enterprise, and some owners might be willing to sell their teams due to high valuations, as per ESPN's Brian Windhorst (h/t RealGM).
On "The Hoop Collective" podcast, Windhorst pointed to the recent record sale of the Denver Broncos as well as the asking price for the Washington Commanders and Liverpool FC.
"There's starting to be some rumblings of some NBA owners maybe looking to sell," Windhorst said. "That the market is getting ripe for NBA owners to sell. One of the reasons is because the Broncos just sold for $4.3 billion. ... The Commanders, people are talking about $6 billion potentially."
He added:
"We just saw Liverpool FC is now for sale; it sounds like reportedly. And they're valued at $4 billion, and I was reading a report yesterday that they think the owners, the same folks who own the Red Sox, that the owners may be able to get $5 billion for that."
Nike's relationship with Kyrie Irving likely over
Kyrie Irving is suspended by the Brooklyn Nets for promoting an anti-Semitic film on Twitter. Nike also suspended their relationship with Irving, but it appears their partnership might be over.
Nike co-founder Phil Knight told CNBC's Becky Quick explained why they ended their relationship with Irving. It should be noted that Nike's statement alluded to a suspension and not a termination.
"Kyrie stepped over the line," Knight said. "It's kind of that simple. He made some statements that we just can't abide by, and that's why we ended the relationship. And I was fine with that."
Also Read: Julius Erving thinks Kyrie Irving's NBA career is not over: "Owners are greedy, so he's gonna end up in the league playing with somebody"
Knicks hoarding draft picks for future blockbuster trade
The New York Knicks have a nice haul of future first-round picks after the moves they made in the offseason.
Shams Charania of The Athletic said on "Run It Back" with Michelle Beadle that the Knicks will hoard their picks until a megastar becomes available.
"Executives around the league, they're viewing and believing that the Knicks are kinda hoarding those first-round picks just waiting for that next megastar to become available," Charania said. "Whoever that megastar is, they'll be right there for it."
: FanDuel.com/TV.@ShamsCharania on the #Knicks future and Leon Rose passing on Donovan Mitchell this offseason 🏀
#RunItBack with @MichelleDBeadle @ChandlerParsons @bansky
📺: FanDuel.com/TV https://t.co/uLprz41EFc
It's unclear which megastar will become available, but there are a lot of interesting storylines to follow before the NBA trade deadline. The Knicks missed out on Donovan Mitchell, so they might be more motivated in bringing a megastar back in New York.