The Toronto Raptors and Portland Trail Blazers have discussed the framework of a trade centered on Pascal Siakam for CJ McCollum, but those talks have not gained any meaningful traction.

With the Raptors selecting Scottie Barnes at No. 4 in the draft, rival executives believe Siakam will become more available in a trade.

Siakam signed a four-year, $130 million contract extension with the Raptors in 2019. Siakam cannot become a free agent until 2024.

McCollum signed a three-year, $100 million extension with the Blazers in 2019 and also cannot become a free agent until 2024.

The Golden State Warriors have added three potentially high end talents over the past two drafts in James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, but most are skeptical whether the team can afford to be patient during their title window with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson. Curry is 33 while Green and Thompson are each 31.

Joe Lacob, however, believes the Warriors have enough to win in the present while preserving the future and their desire to make a major trade has been overblown.

“Honestly, this is sort of my dream,” Lacob said. “And I know this isn’t popular with a lot of people. They think we ought to go get the next star. We already have the stars. And we have a payroll that’s — and I’ve said this when I was interviewed before, but nobody listened. It’s very unlikely, I’ve said that we’re not going to trade for anybody that people are expecting. Very unlikely. It’s not impossible. But if it was going to be somebody, it was going to be somebody really great. It was going to be a big trade. It’s unlikely.”

The Warriors rejected the overtures of the Philadelphia 76ers on trading Ben Simmons for virtually every asset they had outside their three future Hall of Famers. Bradley Beal hasn't requested a trade and the Warriors may not be prepared to offer what it would take to be the best offer due to how much they value their own young players.

“So the more likely path — and the path that I think, as an owner, I feel most comfortable with, quite frankly — is to bridge the gap to the future,” Lacob said. “We’ve got three or four contracts and big players that are still in their early 30s, still have quite a bit of time to go, especially in this day and age. If we can kind of have a Wiseman and a Kuminga and a Moody and a Poole (help in the meantime). They don’t have to be awesome next year. With a great investment in our player development staff, we just want them to show great potential.”

Lacob believes the Warriors have enough to compete for a title as currently constructed. 

“If we can’t, then you should look at Joe Lacob and Bob Myers and Steph Curry and Klay Thompson and Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins and say you weren’t good enough,” Lacob said. “You’re paying all that money you weren’t good enough. They need to be good enough and they should be. They’ve won before. They’re a little older, but they’re still really good. Klay will be back. That’s the key. I think we’ll be good enough. Yes.

“Now, we add a few veterans. We’re going to do that (in free agency). You’ll see in the next few days. Then we now have some incredible potential that we can bridge to the future. When you can do both those things at once, it’s magic. Who does that? The Lakers didn’t make the playoffs for six straight years. I don’t want to be the Lakers, I don’t want to be six years out. It’s too important to me. I don’t want to sit and be a losing team. I think we’re going to be good and hopefully great every year.”

The Minnesota Timberwolves have tendered qualifying offers to forward Jarred Vanderbilt and Two-Way guard Jordan McLaughlin. Both players will now be restricted free agents.

Vanderbilt had his most successful NBA season, as he finished his first full year with the Wolves. The 22-year-old forward played in 64 games and started 30 times. The Kentucky product averaged 5.4 points and 5.8 rebounds in 17.8 minutes per game.

McLaughlin completed his second Two-Way contract with Minnesota in 2020-21. He played in 51 games, mostly off the bench, for the Timberwolves in his second season out of USC. McLaughlin averaged 5.0 points and 3.8 assists in 18.4 minutes per game.

Serge Ibaka will exercise his $9.7 million player option with the LA Clippers for 2021-22. After spending three-and-a-half seasons with the Toronto Raptors, and winning the 2019 NBA title, Ibaka joined the Clippers last season.

In 41 games (39 starts), Ibaka averaged 11.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. The soon-to-be 32-year-old was seen as the perfect veteran floor-spacing, rim-protecting option for LA.

In mid-March, Ibaka suffered a back injury. He then missed the vast majority of the remainder of the regular season. Ibaka returned to play in LA's final two regular season games and the Clippers first two playoff games. He reaggravated the injury early in Game 2 of the first round series against the Dallas Mavericks and missed the rest of the post season.

The New Orleans Pelicans have declined their 2021-22 team option for wing Didi Louzada. The Pelicans then issued Louzada a qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent.

Louzada was drafted in the second round of the 2019 NBA Draft, and the Pelicans acquired his draft rights from the Atlanta Hawks in a draft-related trade. Louzada then stayed overseas with Sydney of the Australian NBL for two seasons.

The Brazilian wing joined New Orleans late in the 2020-21 season, after the NBL season completed. He signed a two-year deal, because that was all the Pelicans could offer at the time.

By declining Louzada's team option, New Orleans can now offer him a longer deal, and up his salary just slightly. With a very flexible summer that could see the Pelicans have over $30 million cap space, expect Louzada's situation to drag out a bit. New Orleans likely will re-sign him, but after they make their other roster decisions first.

The New York Knicks have exercised their 2021-22 team option for center Mitchell Robinson. Robinson will now be on the Knicks books for $1.8 million.

New York and Robinson still have lots of contract options moving forward. If Robinson simply plays out this contract, he'll be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2022. New York could also reach an extension of up to four years, worth as much as $51 million with their young center. That extension would start with the 2022-23.

The Knicks and Robinson can also use some of New York's cap space this year in a renegotiation and extension. This would allow the Knicks to bump Robinson's salary for this season, while adding on some additional years.

The 23-year-old Robinson continues to show promise, but missed over half of last season due to injuries. When healthy, he's shown he can be an elite finisher, shot-blocker and a very good rebounder.

New York also waived center Norvel Pelle. This move was expected and will free up $1.7 million in cap space for the Knicks.

Bryn Forbes is a free agent after a successful season with the Milwaukee Bucks. Forbes is one of the better three-point shooters in the NBA though he has defensive limitations on the other end of the floor. 

The Brooklyn Nets are believed to be the leading candidate to sign Forbes, according to sources that spoke with Bleacher Report.

The Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans will also pursue Forbes.

Forbes didn't play in the final three games of The Finals as Mike Budenholzer went with Jeff Teague instead.

While Richaun Holmes is ultimately expected to re-sign with the Sacramento Kings in free agency, he is expected to receive interest from a number of other teams.

The Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors have interest in Holmes.

Holmes was also expected to receive interest from the Charlotte Hornets, but their trade for Mason Plumlee and selection of Kai Jones in the draft has seemingly taken them off the board for a center. 

Holmes averaged 14.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 29.2 minutes this past season with the Kings. 

The Chicago Bulls and Lonzo Ball have mutual interest on an offer sheet worth $80 million over four years.

With the New Orleans Pelicans extending an offer sheet to Ball, they would have the opportunity to match the offer sheet.

Ball is coming off his second season with the Pelicans and improved his perimeter shooting and his return to the team has been endorsed by both Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. 

The Boston Celtics have also been mentioned as another team with interest in signing Ball.

Tommy Sheppard began draft day discussing trades that would have built around a pairing of Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal with the Washington Wizards, but a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers quickly materialized in the hours leading to the start of the draft.

The Lakers were close to the finish line on a trade of Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the Sacramento Kings for Buddy Hield. The parties and players involved in the trade were surprised to see it fall apart with the Lakers pivoting to the Westbrook trade.

Westbrook reportedly expressed a preference to be traded from the Wizards this offseason with the Lakers as his chosen destination. 

As for Hield eventually going to the Lakers, neither the Wizards or Kings have interest in a sign-and-trade for Dennis Schroder.