NBA rumors: Dame silences trade buzz, DeRozan contract talks, Nic Claxton sleeper

The first day of the NBA Playoffs blessed us all with great basketball. Knicks-Sixers is primed to be an all-time first round series. The Wolves announced their arrival, the Cavs took care of business in the face of Donovan Mitchell trade buzz, and the Nuggets (once again) toppled the Lakers.

Even with half the league focused squarely on the playoffs, however, a summer of change is creeping over the horizon. From the top of the standings to the bottom, we can expect a lot of personnel changes and narrative developments this offseason. The new CBA is an important new wrinkle, and there is always a surprise or two around the corner this time of year.

Here are the NBA rumors worth your attention today.

NBA rumors: Pelicans lurking as potential Nic Claxton destination

The Brooklyn Nets face an offseason of uncertainty under new head coach Jordi Fernandez. Without ownership of their own draft picks, it's hard to decipher the path forward. Brooklyn wants to go star-hunting, but that would require a bonafide All-Star actually expressing interest in playing for the Nets. Meanwhile, a rebuild doesn't really work, because Brooklyn can't take advantage of the lottery. Their high draft pick would simply be rerouted to Houston.

So, in the end, Brooklyn probably tries to run it back while maintaining flexibility for future additions. The most consequential free agent on the Nets roster is Nic Claxton, who is slated to make in the ballpark of $20-25 million annually on his next deal, per HoopsHype's Michael Scotto. The Nets' odds of retaining Claxton are "above 50 percent," according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

That said, Brooklyn will face competition. There are some in the Nets organization who believe the Oklahoma City Thunder could make a run, but the strongest signals appear to be coming from the New Orleans Pelicans.

"I know there are members of the Pelicans organization who like Claxton, and the future of Jonas Valanciunas is uncertain, given how close the team will be to the luxury tax next season and his lack of usage at the end of the games, including the Play-In loss to the Lakers." (Michael Scotto, HoopsHype)

New Orleans is expected to look for an upgrade at the center spot. Claxton would cost more than Valanciunas, but if he's wrapped into a sign-and-trade in exchange for multiple existing contracts, Claxton can improve the Pelicans' frontcourt without pushing them into the luxury tax.

One of the benefits with Jonas Valanciunas is his ability to space the floor for Zion Williamson, but Claxton's versatility and rim protection at the five spot — combined with the defensive playmaking of Herb Jones, Jose Alvarado, and others in the New Orleans lineup — would make the Pelicans very hard to score on. Spacing becomes a question, but Zion tends to get to the rim even when the paint in packed.

NBA rumors: DeMar DeRozan turns down $80 million contract from Bulls

The Chicago Bulls were dispatched by the injury-plagued Miami Heat in the final Eastern Conference Play-In game, leading president Arturas Karnisovas to pledge changes in the offseason. It's unclear where those changes will come from, however, as the front office is "determined" to re-sign upcoming free agent DeMar DeRozan, according to NBC Sports' K.C. Johnson.

"A source said the Bulls recently offered DeRozan’s representative a two-year deal at a high annual salary, perhaps as much as $40 million per season. For now, DeRozan is seeking a longer-term deal, but that merely be part of negotiations."

DeRozan has been excellent in Chicago, to be fair. He's easy to root for as well, making an impact in the community and offering leadership in the locker room. The Bulls would miss him, but one could argue that hard cuts are a necessity for this Chicago team. A Zach LaVine trade alone will not provide the change needed to vault the Bulls to contention, nor drop them to the bottom of the standings.

Letting DeRozan walk can preserve financial flexibility while meaningfully tanking the Bulls' short-term competitive odds. It's never fun to rebuild, but oftentimes, it is imperative in today's NBA. The Bulls cannot keep running back the same group and expecting different results. No team has embodied the defiinition of insanity better than the Bulls in recent years. It is time to break the cycle.

Still, DeRozan for two years at $80 million is exceedingly reasonable. That contract would be easy-ish to trade, and it wouldn't tie the veteran to Chicago through his age-39 season. A four-year deal would. God forbid DeRozan gets a five-year deal. DeRozan would surely be willing to sacrifice annual dollars for long-term security, but that would not behoove the Chicago front office. If the Bulls are going to keep DeRozan, it has to be a one or two-year agreement at most.

NBA rumors: Damian Lillard content with Bucks despite team struggles

There has been a lot of noise about Damian Lillard's happiness amid the Milwaukee Bucks' late-season struggles. Lillard is away from Portland for the first time in his NBA career and the Bucks' season has gone sideways. Doc Rivers is 17-19 as Bucks head coach and now, Giannis Antetokounmpo could miss some or all of Milwuakee's first-round series against the Indiana Pacers.

Despite the negative vibes infecting the Bucks franchise, however, Damian Lillard is content with his current situation, at least on the basketball court.

"I saw somebody say “Dame’s not happy in Milwaukee” or something like that. And I know the truth. I love the situation that I’m in. I also know what I have going on outside of basketball that kinda drains me at times."

Dame is not drumming up drama in the Bucks locker room. While Lillard's last few weeks in Portland were atypically venomous, Lillard has long predicated loyalty above all else. He's not the kind of player who demands a trade at the first sign of trouble. Maybe after a decade of mediocrity, but one half-season of struggles? That won't chase Lillard out of town.

Lillard's loyalty to Milwaukee probably isn't as strong as his loyalty to Portland, a franchise he has vowed to return to one day. But, still, the Bucks don't need to worry about Dame demanding a trade or causing a stir. That could change with a particularly egregious first-round loss, but frankly, any Dame trade rumors will start with the front office — not the player.

If the Bucks decide the Dame experiment failed, and opt to trade an aging, undersized guard who is clearly on the decline, that is justifiable. It's probably too early for Milwaukee to pull the plug after giving up so much in the trade, but Lillard's future with the Bucks probably isn't as cut-and-dry as fans would like.