NBA Rumors: Warriors trouble in paradise, Lakers-Wizards trade, Bulls conundrum

We have finally arrived. It's opening night in the NBA, folks, which means basketball is officially back. With it comes an ongoing stream of trade rumors and hypothesizing. The league has never been better from a parity standpoint. There are a ton of quality teams in both conferences. As such, front offices are constantly on the lookout for the slightest edge.

This was a more chaotic offseason than expected, with several high-profile names changing teams. Paul George in Philly, Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges in New York, DeMar DeRozan in Sacramento. There's more change on the horizon.

This past Monday, Oct. 21, was the deadline for rookie-scale extensions in the NBA. Now that rosters are mostly settled and cap sheets are semi-locked, here is the latest buzz worth your attention.

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NBA Rumors: Bulls not comfortable with Josh Giddey's asking price

Among those who failed to secure a rookie-scale contract extension before Monday's deadline was Chicago Bulls combo guard Josh Giddey, who arrived via offseason trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Bulls essentially forked over their best trade asset, Alex Caruso, to acquire Giddey and center him in their rebuilding plans. The lack of long-term security is at least mildly concerning.

Giddey wanted $30 million annually, per NBA insider Jake Fischer, but the Bulls are intent on evaluating him during his first season with the team before committing those resources. Giddey, notably, becomes a restricted free agent next summer, which allows Chicago to match any offer sheet he signs with a different team.

The baked-in protection of restricted free agency does give the Bulls time, but it's hard to imagine Giddey ever living up to his own lofty demands. Last season was a struggle for the 22-year-old, who actively held OKC back in the playoffs. He should take on a more robust role in Chicago's offense, but Giddey's core weaknesses — a thin frame, inconsistent 3-point shooting, iffy finishing — won't disappear. If anything, putting the ball in Giddey's hands more frequently could illuminate his shortcomings more harshly.

Of course the raw numbers will look better in Chicago, but the Bulls famously received several pick-heavy trade offers for Caruso, only to accept OKC's straight-up swap for a player Chicago's front office isn't comfortable extending. If we get to next summer and the Bulls aren't thoroughly convinced, all it takes is one overeager suitor to price Giddey out of Chicago. That would be a disastrous outcome.

NBA Rumors: Lakers connected to Wizards' Kyle Kuzma as potential trade target

Rob Pelinka and the Los Angeles Lakers front office basically coasted through the summer without engineering meaningful changes to the roster. JJ Redick was hired as the new head coach and LeBron James inked a new contract, but in terms of meaningful roster additions, there's not much to write home about. If the Lakers are banking on rookie Dalton Knecht to elevate this roster to the next level, we shouldn't expect much from LA this season.

That said, Los Angeles is evidently open to putting more talent around LeBron and Anthony Davis. The Lakers have a couple first-round picks available to trade and plenty of movable contracts, such as Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves, and Gabe Vincent.

Zach LaVine is easily the biggest name connected to Los Angeles, but according to Anthony Irwin of Clutch Points, several other potential targets are worth monitoring. Among them is Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma, who began his career in a Lakers uniform.

Bleacher Report's Erik Beaston went as far as to argue that Kuzma is Los Angeles' best option, rather LaVine, Walker Kessler, or another name on Irwin's list.

"Acquiring Kuzma would allow the team to bring Hachimura off the bench," Beaston writes, "a role he has thrived in before, including the 2023 playoffs. It is a spot the organization previously wanted him to fill."

That is a fine argument, although Kuzma's production in Washington has been bloated by circumstance. He's bound to be more efficient in a winning environment, surrounded by stars of LeBron or Davis' caliber, but Kuzma's impact as a scorer does not always extend to other areas of the game. He's a fine defender at best and a lackluster passer. That said, the numbers popped as DC's No. 1 option last season. If the Lakers can add a 24.5 points-per-game scorer, odds are it helps.

Kuzma would indeed move Hachimura to the Lakers bench, which is a major boost to the a weak second unit. Washington has asked for multiple first-round picks in past Kuzma trade talks, however, so Los Angeles will need to think long and hard about the long-term implications of reuniting with the 29-year-old.

NBA Rumors: Warriors can't agree to terms on extension for Jonathan Kuminga

Jonathan Kuminga wanted a full $224 million max extension from the Golden State Warriors, which was never on the table. That would have put him in the same boat as Cade Cunningham, Scottie Barnes, and Tyrese Maxey, the best players from a talented draft class. Kuminga made significant strides in his third campaign with the Dubs, but he is far from a max-level asset at this stage.

Golden State and Kuminga were unable to come to terms on a new contract before the Oct. 21 deadline, which means Kuminga will finish out the season before testing restricted free agency next summer. After all the sacrifices Golden State made to keep Kuminga in a Warriors uniform this offseason, the mere possibility of him leaving for nothing stings.

There is an ace in the Warriors' back pocket, of course, as they can match any offer sheet Kuminga signs with another team. But, if Golden State isn't comfortable handing Kuminga the max now, odds are that won't change by next July. An elevated role could boost Kuminga's scoring numbers, but his rocky relationship with Steve Kerr and his inconsistent offensive decision-making are potential hangups.

Golden State will hope that Kuminga can take another leap and make this decision easier. But if these uncertainties linger into next offseason, there's a nonzero chance that another team submits a bid outside the Warriors' comfort zone. If Golden State ends up losing Kuminga for nothing after holding him out of Paul George and Lauri Markkanen trade talks, well, that'd be a bad look.