NBA Rumors: New Lakers trade target, Spurs pipe dream, Knicks-Randle future

Folks, it's still that time of year. Don't let the silence fool you. NBA front offices are hard at work filling out rosters and looking for opportunities on the trade front. The new collective bargaining agreement has complicated the offseason approach for every team, but there's still plenty of drama yet to unfold.

Here are the latest NBA rumors on this fine hump day.

NBA Rumors: Knicks aren't involving Julius Randle in trade talks

A forgotten aspect of the New York Knicks' offseason is that Julius Randle is healthy again. The 29-year-old, who appeared in the All-Star Game last season, has been out of sight and out of mind after a shoulder injury sidelined him down the stretch. New York beat Philadelphia in six without Randle, and looked primed for a deep run until more injuries piled up.

Now, New York has a new No. 2 scorer in Mikal Bridges, who arrived via trade with the Brooklyn Nets a month ago. How Bridges and Randle coexist offensively will be fascinating to monitor, especially when one considers the overlap between Bridges and the newly re-signed OG Anunoby. New York is going to put a tall, strong starting lineup around Jalen Brunson — Randle, Anunoby, and Bridges, along with Mitchell Robinson at the five spot.

That's a lot of muscle and wingspan. It's also a bit awkward in terms of fit. Randle is a singular force of nature, bullying mismatches with his 250-pound frame and facing up for every manner of in-between bucket. Randle loves a pull-up jumper, he loves a strong drive to the rim, and he's a highly adept passer for his position, averaging 5.0 assists prior to the injury last season. How he fits into an offense that ran so beautifully through Brunson down the stretch — an offense that now needs to incorporate Bridges — is unclear.

New York also has money concerns. Randle has a $31 million player option for the 2025-26 season. Odds are he picks it up, but he's reaching the end of this deal. New York extended Brunson over the summer at a discount and Bridges is expected to follow suit. But, with Anunoby locked up on a major deal, and long-term futures of Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart to consider, the Knicks aren't flush with cap flexibility.

Despite it feeling like a matter of when, not if the Knicks try to trade Randle, he's not on the market. Not yet, according to Fred Katz on The Lowe Post.

Randle requires a certain percentage of the offensive workload to excel. He's not a great shooter, he doesn't cut and screen at the highest level, and he's not built to stand in the dunker's spot. He needs to create off a live-dribble and throw his weight around. He can do so effectively, but with Brunson and Bridges leading the charge, it's fair to wonder if the Knicks won't have a better use for Randle's offensive airspace.

If he struggles out of the gate, expect New York's trade stance to evolve quickly. Randle should still have value around the league due to the sheer volume of his production.

NBA Rumors: Spurs called Cavs about Darius Garland, but were rejected

The San Antonio Spurs' top priority entering the offseason was rather obvious: find a point guard to orchestrate the offense and feed Victor Wembanyama easy looks. Mission accomplished, as Chris Paul inked a one-year, $11 million contract to spend the twilight of his career aiding the league's next cornerstone.

After how great CP3 made Deandre Ayton look in Phoenix, it's hard to fathom how much he can help Wembanyama. He's not the All-Star point god of yesteryear, but Paul still operates with the vision and tempo of an all-time great. He never gets sped up, he's focused on elevating teammates, and he's a battle-tested leader. Paul's fiery demeanor should bode well for a young locker room in need of guidance.

Paul is not a long-term solution, though. He can retire at season's end, or simply decide to chase a ring somewhere else. That doesn't mean San Antonio didn't try to land a younger guard, though, nor does it mean the Spurs will shy away from those conversations moving forward. According to Yahoo's Jake Fischer, Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star Darius Garland is on the Spurs' radar.

"Before San Antonio brought Chris Paul to organize the Spurs’ offense around Victor Wembanyama, sources said San Antonio called various teams around the league exploring veteran guards who have still yet to enter their primes. Cavaliers All-Star guard Darius Garland was another talented ball-handler the Spurs called about, sources said, although Cleveland has rebuffed any inbound trade interest for Garland to date."

It's noteworthy that Cleveland has rebuffed "inbound trade interest" in light of the Donovan Mitchell extension. There were several rumors about a potential trade request from Garland if Mitchell re-signed, but it's clear those were not planted by Garland personally. Cleveland has made no effort to break up the quadruplet of Mitchell, Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen.

That could change, depending on how the first season under new head coach Kenny Atkinson unfolds. Garland and Mitchell are an imperfect fit, especially on defense. Last season in particular was a struggle for Garland as he battled through injuries. The Spurs probably hoped to buy low on the 24-year-old — and what a fit that would've been — but for now, Garland is under lock and key in Cleveland.

The Spurs will ride with CP3 for now and hope that Cleveland has a change of heart down the line.

NBA Rumors: Lakers connected to Nets wing Cam Johnson in trade talks

The Los Angeles Lakers' inaction this offseason has been utterly unacceptable. LeBron James is entering the twilight of his career, quite possibly inking his final NBA contract in the early days of free agency. He deserves to go out swinging. The Lakers were the seventh seed last season and lost to a Denver Nuggets team on its last legs. That roster, simply put, was not up to par with a competitive Western Conference.

Rather than aggressively pursuing upgrades like several other West contenders, the Lakers stood pat. Quite literally did nothing, or next to it. Taurean Prince and Spencer Dinwiddie left for new teams. In return, the Lakers have added... Dalton Knecht and Bronny James, their 2024 NBA Draft picks, one of whom was selected primarily for his family connections.

The Lakers got worse, if anything. Optimistic fans will point to the improving health status of Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent, but let's be real. The Thunder added Isaiah Hartenstein. The Kings added DeMar DeRozan. The Warriors are trying their damnedest to add Lauri Markkanen. Los Angeles has watched this all unfold, leaning on JJ Redick player development comments and the allure of an unproven entity at head coach.

Maybe Redick is a next-level basketball genius, but assuming he alone cannot change Los Angeles' fortunes, the Lakers need to do something. The free agent pool is drying up fast, so it's about time for Los Angeles to engineer a trade. At long last, we have a tangible connection to an impact player on another team. It's a day for celebration in the Lakers fandom.

Here's the latest from Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

"While the Kings, Magic and Lakers are interested [in Nets wing Cam Johnson], one recent report claimed the Spurs, Raptors or Warriors could be a 'dark horse.'”

So, the Lakers are poking around Cam Johnson, whose future with the Nets is unclear following the Mikal Bridges trade. Brooklyn is rebuilding, full stop. Johnson is 28, smack in the middle of his prime, and ready to help a contender.

He would make a great addition to the Lakers' wing rotation. Standing 6-foot-8, Johnson is a dynamic catch-and-pull shooter with excellent role player instincts. He cuts, passes in the flow of the offense, and makes decisive moves with the rock. The Lakers' 3-point shooting was way down last season and Redick has talked about getting their volume back up. Johnson helps in that department.

As the report clearly states, Johnson — due roughly $23 million annually over the next three seasons — has a wide range of suitors. It's one thing for the Lakers to show interest, but it's another to actually put together the necessary package and get him. D'Angelo Russell's expiring $18 million contract is an obvious salary-matching tool. Let's see if Rob Pelinka can pull it off.