NBA rumors: Klay to Bahamas
Klay Thompson hinted at suiting up for the Bahamas next summer during an ANTA world tour in the Phillipines.
When that time comes, I will give it serious consideration just because of what the Bahamas meant to the Thompson family, especially my father. Klay ThompsonThere is no doubt that Klay has a strong connection to the Bahamian national team. Klay's father, Mychal Thompson was born in Nassau and Klay's brother, Mychel Thompson is currently an assistant coach on the team. Last week, the Bahamas dominated the Olympic Pre-Qualifiers, sweeping the competition and pocketing one of five Olympic Qualifiers tickets. The Bahamians' high level of basketball was acknowledged by Klay a few days ago:
When it comes to the Bahamian basketball, I couldn't be more proud of what they've accomplished in the past few weeks especially Chris De Marco, Buddy Hield, Deandre Ayton, Eric Gordon, and the rest of the Bahamians. Those guys had the biggest win in our country's history as far as beating Argentina twice on their home soil. [It's] not an easy task. Argentina is one of the best teams in the world, and it's just gonna do wonders for the country Klay ThompsonIn order for Klay to be able to join Eric Gordon, Buddy Hield, and Deandre Ayton on the Bahamian national team, there are several steps that must be taken. In accordance with FIBA's internal rules, foreign-born players with bloodline connections must possess a passport before 16. If they get their passport later, they may still compete, but FIBA will treat them as "naturalized" players rather than locals. Here's the kicker: each national team roster can only have one naturalized player. Seeing as Eric Gordon is already a naturalized player for the Bahamas, the team would then have to choose between Gordon and Thompson.
So, while it's certainly possible, Klay Thompson still has a long way to go before he can be considered part of the national squad.
NBA rumors: Lack of Damian Lillard suitors explained
Another day passes and Damian Lillard is still a Trail Blazer. Many wonder how this is possible for an All-Star player like Lillard. (I mean, his agent actively advised teams against trading for him, but still.) Sean Deveney, senior contributor for Forbes believes the lack of a bustling market could also be due to Lillard's contract, age, and injury prevalence.
"There's not that many teams that are going to give you a bunch of players and picks for a 33-year-old who can't stay healthy and has a giant contract sitting there.," said one NBA front-office executive. We've all witnessed this to be true in the shape of Miami's lowball offer to the Blazers. An offer that Charles Barkley even called, "unfair,"
Over the next four seasons, Lillard is guaranteed around $215 million. If picking up that contract wasn't enough of a gamble already, the fact that Lillard's 33-years-old and has missed 77 games the past two seasons makes it even riskier. According to Deveney's league source, "It was not anything Dame said or Aaron Goodwin said that shut down the market. That stuff didn't help. But there weren't teams lined up for him even before that."
Hopefully, Lillard's limited list of destinations doesnt come back to haunt him. It's possible that Lillard's steep price tag, age, and injury history all contributed to the lack of trade activity.
NBA rumors: Sixers good vibes
It feels like things haven't worked out for Philadelphia since that Game 6 loss to Boston. Morey and Harden had their public falling out. Embiid changed his Twitter bio, removing "Processing…" and the location "Philadelphia, PA" from it. Still, things may be alright in the city of Brotherly Love.
Despite the social media update and persistent NBA rumors, ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported that, "Embiid is happy to be a Sixer." In addition, according to a league source, Embiid trusts Morey and managing partner Josh Harris. It's been reported that Embiid is excited to play under new head coach Nick Nurse and is gearing up for the season with or without Harden.
Now, admittedly, the optics here are confusing. Two weeks ago, you would've thought Philadelphia was burning down. Now, everything is peachy keen? So, here's the rub:
The guy that Morey wants to keep happy is Embiid, not Harden. Although Harden was Embiid's most effective half-court playmaker since Jimmy Butler, Embiid is the centerpiece. According to SB Nation's Paul Hudrick, "Why would Morey risk throwing a long-term deal, no matter how big or small the dollar amount, at a player that might not help Embiid throughout his current max deal that has a player option for 2026-27?"
Keep in mind, Joel Embiid is coming off a sensational season where he averaged 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.7 blocks per game, while shooting 54.8 percent from the field and 33.0 percent from deep. With that said, Embiid is the guy Morey wants to keep happy. After all, he's the reigning MVP. This might be why Morey decided to hold off on a long-term deal for Harden, and why Embiid will remain the focal point of the team for the time being.
