NBA Free Agency Rumors: Sixers, Celtics Focusing on Draft Picks in Kawhi Leonard Trade Packages
After a frantic first few days to open NBA free agency, chatter has started to calm down a bit around the league.
Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard is still looking to get out of San Antonio and there are plenty of teams lining up to make trades for the two-time Defensive Player of the Year, but the possibility of Leonard simply being a one-year rental is affecting the market.
Restricted free agents Marcus Smart and Clint Capela are two of the biggest impact players still available on the market and veterans Dwyane Wade and Jamal Crawford are just some of the many other players still waiting on deals.
NBA Summer League is on the verge of wrapping up and teams will not start training camp until September, so there will be a lull in competitive basketball for a little while.
Check out all the latest news and rumors around the league below.
News and Rumors
• The Cavaliers have waived Kendrick Perkins. (Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN.com)
• There is a belief the 76ers have better insight into Kawhi Leonard's medical history than even the Spurs as Sixers' team orthopedic surgeon Jonathan Glashow, who is based in New York, is one of the primary outside physicians Leonard has been seeing. (Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne, ESPN.com)
• The Lakers are waiting out the Spurs in Kawhi Leonard trade discussions because they are confident they could sign him as a free agent next offseason. (Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne, ESPN.com)
• Kawhi Leonard is thinking about attending Team USA mini-camp next week to show how much he has recovered from his quad injury. However, Leonard is concerned that participating could lead to the Spurs trying to hold onto him and make him report to training camp in September instead of it helping to progress trade talks. (Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne, ESPN.com)
• The Trail Blazers, Nuggets, Suns, Wizards, Clippers and Raptors have all talked with the Spurs about Kawhi Leonard trades. Portland has not offered Damian Lillard or CJ McCollum in any deal. (Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne, ESPN.com)
• The Celtics are not offering Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward, Kyrie Irving or Al Horford in Kawhi Leonard trade packages. (Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne, ESPN.com)
• The 76ers are not offering Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons or Markelle Fultz in Kawhi Leonard deals. (Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne, ESPN.com)
• The 76ers and Celtics are sending pick-heavy packages to the Spurs for Kawhi Leonard. (Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne, ESPN.com)
• Nemanja Bjelica backed out of his one-year deal with the 76ers to stay in Europe a week after he was unable to return to the United States to complete his physical with the team due to visa complications. (Keith Pompey, Philadelphia Inquirer)
• The Kings are trading Garrett Temple to the Grizzlies for Ben McLemore, Deyonta Davis and cash. (Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN.com)
• The 76ers were unable to get general manager Daryl Morey away from the Rockets. (Marc Stein, The New York Times)
• Dante Cunningham agreed to a one-year deal with the Spurs. (Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN.com)