NBA Rumors: LeBron subtly pressures Lakers, Warriors led astray, 76ers wide net

It's not the most exciting portion of the NBA offseason. That much is true. That doesn't mean we cannot unearth juicy storylines as we project toward what is sure to be an exciting 2024-25 campaign. Front offices around the league are hard at work — most of them, at least — filling out remaining roster spots and preparing for training camp in a couple months.

The NBA rumors are still circulating, as this league never truly sleeps. Here are the storylines most worthy of your attention on this fine Thursday afternoon.

NBA Rumors: 76ers considering six free agents to fill out roster

The Philadelphia 76ers continue to trawl the bottom of the free agent barrel with 13 of 15 full-time roster spots filled. Daryl Morey has openly stated his plans to carry an open roster spot into the season for the purpose of flexibility, so the Sixers are essentially looking for the final piece to the puzzle ahead of training camp.

There are a few potential avenues here. The Sixers can just sign a proven vet to a guaranteed contract. Or, Philadelphia can audition multiple players in camp on non-guaranteed or Exhibit 10 contracts, elevating the "winner" of an open camp battle into that 14th roster spot. Either way, we know of at least six potential targets, according to the latest report from Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

In addition to the Sixers' well-documented interest in Philly native Marcus Morris Sr., the pool of potential Daryl Morey targets includes Lamar Stevens, Danilo Gallinari, Jae Crowder, Davis Bertans, and Thaddeus Young.

Some names will generate more buzz than others — Thad Young is a former Sixer, Jae Crowder was a regular rotation piece last season, and Lamar Stevens isn't ancient by league standards — but on the whole, nothing to get Sixers fans too riled up. There are clear positional needs on the roster. Philadelphia still lacks size and physicality on the wing. A power forward that can defend, rebound, and hit a few 3s (Crowder is the obvious target here) would be the ideal pickup.

NBA Rumors: Warriors never really had a chance at Lauri Markkanen

The Golden State Warriors big offseason target was Utah Jazz All-Star Lauri Markkanen. For months, there were credible reports linking Markkanen to the Dubs, citing Golden State's earnest desire to add another All-Star to its revamped roster. It made sense. The Warriors' patience has finally paid off in the form of tradeable draft picks, quality prospects, and elevated financial flexibility following the departures of Klay Thompson and Chris Paul.

Despite possessing all the resources (in theory) to acquire Markkanen, the Warriors never appeared overly dedicated to the pursuit. Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga were both withheld from negotiations to the bitter end, which does not read as a strong signal of Golden State's interest. Moreover, there wasn't much pressure on the Jazz to trade Markkanen. He enjoys Utah and he's in the prime of his career. The Jazz can figure out how to tank with Markkanen on the roster.

In the end, Markkanen inked a restructured five-year contract that renders him ineligible for trades until next summer. The Warriors are left to search elsewhere, and according to the latest report from Anthony Slater of The Athletic, this was always the inevitable outcome. He calls the Markkanen's perceived availability "a mirage."

"Markkanen signed an extension in Utah, and several sources from multiple inquiring teams said they believe, in retrospect, this was always the Jazz's intended outcome. Markkanen's true availability was a mirage."

This shouldn't come as a shock. Throughout the Markkanen sweepstakes, there was always a sense that Utah remained firmly in the driver's seat. In fact, that was just the factual dynamic of the situation. The Jazz had the ability to extend Markkanen. That much was never in doubt. It would have required a truly substantial offer from Golden State to pry the 27-year-old out of Utah without internal pressure from Markkanen. We hardly ever see trades of this magnitude unless there is more or less a guarantee that the star in question is about to leave.

So, yeah, the Warriors were on a wild goose chase all summer.

NBA Rumors: LeBron James applies indirect pressure to Lakers front office

After tons of speculation, LeBron James re-signed with the Los Angeles Lakers on a two-year, $104 million contract in free agency. It's a pretty simple agreement that ties James to LA through his 23rd NBA season, after which he is widely expected to retire. As James enters the twilight of his career, it's important for us all to remain conscious of the privledge we have before us: a chance to watch a legend still at the top of his game as he approaches his age-40 season. We won't see another LeBron for a long, long time.

Also, it's important for the Lakers to take this moment seriously. Los Angeles has quite literally not signed a major free agent all summer long. Not a single trade. Rob Pelinka has done next to nothing, aside from hiring JJ Redick (after a comical week-long failure to recruit Dan Hurley) and draft Dalton Knecht. LeBron is about to retire, and the Lakers are openly touting player development with a roster that desperately lacks high-level prospects.

James was never going to leave the Lakers, thus Los Angeles' ability to act without any real sense of urgency, but he can pressure the front office from afar. That is precisely what the 20-time All-Star did after Team USA's Olympic gold medal victory in Paris.

He is not directly addressing Rob Pelinka, Jeanie Buss, or the Lakers front office. But we all can read between the lines. We learned about context clues in what, first grade? The Lakers have been eliminated in the first round in back-to-back postseasons. Los Angeles is toiling around the middle of the pack in the Western Conference, far removed from the upstart upper echelon of OKC, Dallas, and Minnesota. A major trade or two could've swung the pendulum back in LeBron's favor, but instead, the Lakers have hid behind their own tail like a dog on the Fourth of July after the new CBA restrictions were announced.

Who thought we'd reach the point where the Lakers were too cheap to build a contender around the greatest basketball player of a generation, maybe of all time? It's unfortunate. Hopefully James' semi-subtle nudging is enough to wake the Lakers front office from their stupor.