NBA Rumors: LeBron-Knicks pipe dream, Pistons reshape front office, NBA Draft trade buzz

The NBA Finals are set. Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks, which means we get Kyrie Irving against his former team, Luka Doncic vs. Jayson Tatum, and Joe Mazzulla vs. Jason Kidd. This should be a lot of fun.

As the final four to seven games of the 2023-24 season inch closer, the 28 non-participant teams are looking ahead. The NBA Draft is less than a month away, followed shortly thereafter by free agency. Several stars and impact role players are eligible to leave their teams this summer. The new collective bargaining agreement only ratchets up the pressure as teams look to balance their checkbooks and plan for the future. Get ready for a bunch of radical changes, be it signings or trades.

As the scuttlebutt proliferates, here are the NBA rumors most worthy of your attention on this fine Friday. Enjoy your weekend, hoops fans.

NBA Rumors: Multiple teams interested in drafting UConn's Donovan Clingan

One of the hottest names in pre-draft circles is UConn big man Donovan Clingan. The sophomore put together a dominant NCAA Tournament run en route to his second straight title with the Huskies. Now, he's allegedly flashing a jump shot in workouts and winning over scouts with his unteachable combination of size and defensive IQ.

Listed around 7-foot-3 in shoes with a 9-foot-7 standing reach, Clingan measures comparably to Rudy Gobert. He's much heavier than Gobert was as a prospect and operates at a very high level on defense. There are natural concerns about Clingan's mobility and endurance, but his floor is among the highest in the draft. He is going to anchor a defense from day one.

Right now, ESPN's Jonathony Givony and Jeremy Woo project Clingan to the Portland Trail Blazers at No. 7. That said, Clingan could go higher, with several teams potentially interested in trading up for the two-time champ.

"There's chatter around the league that teams such as Portland, Memphis and Chicago might look to move up to draft Clingan earlier than this, but in this mock scenario, he falls right into the Trail Blazers' lap. Clingan brings size, length, defensive prowess, nonstop intensity and passing ability along with a back-to-back national championship pedigree. He has plenty of room for growth alongside the Blazers' core at just 20 years old."

Portland, Memphis, and Chicago are all teams with potential needs at the five spot. The Blazers and Bulls could seek to replace their current starting centers (Deandre Ayton and Nikola Vucevic), while Memphis could view Clingan as the natural successor to the recently-dealt Steven Adams.

He doesn't offer the highest ceiling, at least not on offense, but Clingan feels like one of the safest bets on the board. He is going to block shots, deter rim attempts, and inhale rebounds. On the other end, Clingan should do enough as a finisher, passer, and screener to compensate for limited touch and a shallow bag.

NBA Rumors: Pistons fire GM Troy Weaver amid front office overhaul

The Detroit Pistons' front office is due for a complete overhaul. After hiring ex-Pelicans exec Trajan Langdon as president of basketball operations, Detroit is parting ways with GM Troy Weaver, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. Weaver spent roughly four years in charge of the Pistons' front office. Langdon, who served as New Orleans' GM since 2019, was given the freedom to reshape Detroit's staff in his image.

As a result, the Pistons have reached out to Pelicans VP of basketball administration Michael Blackstone to potentially fill Weaver's shoes in the GM role. Langdon would have final say on all basketball decisions, with Blackstone serving as his right-hand man. In addition to firing Weaver, Langdon has the option to let go of Monty Williams. It is unclear how Detroit plans to proceed with its (very expensive) head coach.

Weaver's four-year stint in Detroit was riddled with incompetence. He is far from the only person deserving of blame, but the Pistons have been entrenched at the bottom of the NBA standings for too long without making discernible progress. For every NBA Draft hit — Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson — there was a glaring miss, such as wayward No. 7 pick Killian Hayes.

There is a stark difference between a purpose-driven rebuild and flat-out mismanagement. Detroit went four years without a hint of improvement. Even as the young talent piled up, the Pistons' record flatlined. One can criticize the coaching hires, the draft picks, the free agent signings — it's one long chain of disappointment. The Pistons need to start putting winning pieces around Cunningham, Thompson, and their young core. Detroit can't skip steps or jump the line, but at the same time, the Pistons cannot hang their best players out to dry with a shoddy roster. It takes a productive basketball ecosystem to cultivate elite prospects into elite NBA players.

Weaver was reportedly offered a remote scouting role to stay with the organization, but he declined.

NBA Rumors: Knicks dubbed 'surprise' landing spot for LeBron James

We all expect LeBron James to re-sign with the Los Angeles Lakers, but the 39-year-old is a free agent. Nothing is set in stone and the Lakers will need to prove their commitment to winning. James has let Los Angeles conduct an independent coaching search and Rob Pelinka has never shown much of a desire to bend to LeBron's will, but there is pressure on the Lakers to appease the greatest player of his generation.

Should LeBron entertain the possibility of leaving, there are only a select few teams that have a shot. He could return to a former stomping ground, such as Cleveland or Miami. Or, James could target the one established contender with significant cap space — the Philadelphia 76ers.

If he opts to go the sign-and-trade route, however, the most logical James destination of all is the New York Knicks. Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz made the connection in a recent column focused on potential "surprise landing spots" for top free agents.

"LeBron James has long been complimentary of the New York Knicks and Madison Square Garden. While the Knicks haven't been good enough throughout most of James' career for him to consider joining them, the 2023-24 season proved that this team is ready to win a championship... James would join a core of Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo and Mitchell Robinson, and the Knicks could still re-sign OG Anunoby and Isaiah Hartenstein as well. Although James figures to re-sign with the Lakers, there's never been a better time for him to finally play in New York."

LeBron is a great basketball player, but he's also a billionaire businessman who loves to squeeze every ounce of profit out of his megastar status. If James leaves the sunny shores of L.A. and the fruitful business connections he has in Hollywood, it only makes sense for him to relocate to New York. The Sixers, Heat, and Cavs all sound great on paper, but the Knicks are a prestige franchise in America's richest city. There are plenty of media opportunities and capitalist ventures for James to pursue in his off=time.

I am dubious of putting LeBron through the Tom Thibodeau boot camp in his 40th year of life, but the Knicks are a great basketball fit. Jalen Brunson emerged as a bona fide superstar in the playoffs, while New York's supporting cast is among the best in basketball at full strength. Surrounded by an elite defensive backbone, a hearty collection of shooters, and another high-volume creator to ease his burden, James would be well-positioned to contend in the weaker Eastern Conference.