The Clippers may not be done with Kawhi Leonard after all.
Leonard’s proposed return to Toronto is still on ice while the NBA continues its investigation into possible salary-cap circumvention involving the Clippers. The Raptors reportedly agreed to send Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round picks, a first-round swap and two second-rounders to Los Angeles, but they have been hesitant to make anything official until they know what kind of punishment could follow.
If Toronto backs away, the Clippers sound ready to keep moving with Leonard in the fold. Ramona Shelburne said during an appearance on ESPN LA that the Clippers are “fine with Kawhi Leonard being back on their team,” according to NBA on SI.
That would be a notable twist, considering Leonard has seemed headed elsewhere for months. For now, though, the deal remains unresolved, and there is still no timeline for the league to finish its investigation. The Clippers and NBA are in settlement talks, and commissioner Adam Silver has said he wants the matter wrapped up before the season.
If that happens, Leonard could still end up back with the Raptors. If it doesn’t, the offseason’s oddest breakup may somehow circle back to where it started.
In Phoenix, Mat Ishbia made his stance on Devin Booker crystal clear.
He was asked again whether he would trade Booker to the Pistons, and this time his answer was blunt: “When I’m dead.”
He didn’t stop there. “Devin Booker will never be a Detroit Piston,” Ishbia added, via NBA on SI. “I am from here, and I don’t care about the Pistons.”
That should close the door on that idea. Booker has Michigan roots - he grew up in Grand Rapids and remains a fan of several Detroit sports teams - but he also signed a two-year, $145 million extension with the Suns last summer.
Phoenix reached the playoffs last season and added Miles Bridges and rookie Koa Peat this offseason. For now, at least, Booker’s future appears locked in with the Suns, and Ishbia made it sound like Detroit is not part of the conversation.
As for Memphis, Taylor Hendricks is the kind of player who can quietly become much more important than his name suggests.
He was not the centerpiece of the trade that sent Jaren Jackson Jr. from Memphis to Utah, but Sam Trigg of NBA on SI pointed to Hendricks as a possible breakout candidate for the Grizzlies. After the trade, the 22-year-old put up 10.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 26 games.
That kind of stretch matters, especially after injuries slowed much of his first few NBA seasons.
Hendricks, the former No. 9 overall pick, stands 6-foot-9 with a 7-1 wingspan. He gives Memphis another long, versatile defender who can, at least in theory, help stretch the floor. The shot is still the big question, though, after he hit just 32.4 percent from three with the Grizzlies.
Still, he is young, athletic and versatile, and on a roster trying to sort out what comes next, that usually earns more runway. The Grizzlies also have Cameron Boozer, Isaiah Stewart and Quinten Post, with Zach Edey returning from injury.
In Other News...
Suns Just Raised The Stakes On Miles Bridges Fast
The Suns missed out on Jonathan Kuminga, but they still came away with a swing for the present in Miles Bridges, a player who arrives with both upside and a ticking clock attached. Phoenix is clearly trying to sharpen the roster around Dillon Brooks and add more scoring punch, and Bridges gives the front office another chance to see whether a bigger role can turn into something more lasting.
The catch is that this kind of move usually comes with a second decision not far behind the first. The Suns already showed with Mark Williams that they are willing to extend a player after trading for him, and Bridges could push them into a similar conversation if he settles in as one of the teams core pieces. The question now is whether Phoenix sees him as a short-term fit or as someone worth paying to keep around if his impact grows quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Dunn Is Running Out Of Chances With The Suns
Ryan Dunn is heading into his third season in Phoenix with his place on the roster looking less secure than it once did. The Suns have several other young players and established veterans in the mix, and that has left Dunn fighting for a consistent role rather than stepping into one cleanly.
The longer that logjam lasts, the more his situation starts to look like a make-or-break stretch with the team. If Phoenix decides to move in another direction, Dunn would still have avenues to keep his career moving, whether that means finding work overseas or trying to reopen an NBA door later on. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Durant Just Reopened A Brutal Debate About His Suns Run
Kevin Durants time in Phoenix is still being measured against the promise that came with it, and his latest reflections only sharpen that conversation. He said the Suns had the pieces to be successful and entered with championship expectations, but the results never matched the vision, and his exit to the Houston Rockets last summer marked the end of a short, high-profile run that never quite found its footing.
The most difficult part for Suns fans is how quickly the window closed on the Durant-Booker-Beal era, with the partnership never delivering the breakthrough the franchise was chasing. Phoenix did at least recoup real value in the deal, landing a top ten draft pick along with Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks, but the lingering question around Durants Suns tenure remains the same one that followed him out the door. [Read more 🡒]