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The Brooklyn Nets were among the early teams linked to Tyler Herro in multi-team trade talks between the Portland Trail Blazers and Miami Heat surrounding Damian Lillard, per SNY. Recently, the Utah Jazz were linked to Herro, per Yahoo Sports.

The Toronto Raptors can also be added to the list of teams that have expressed exploratory interest in acquiring Herro as part of multi-team trade talks between the Blazers and Heat involving Lillard, league sources told HoopsHype.

Over the past two seasons in Miami, Herro has won a Sixth Man of the Year award and started all 67 games played last season. He’s been consistent in either role, averaging 20.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists on 44.3 percent shooting overall, 38.7 percent from downtown, and almost automatic at the foul line at 89.8 percent the past two seasons.

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The Atlanta Hawks and Indiana Pacers have been the two teams most prominently connected to Toronto Raptors All-Star forward Pascal Siakam since the NBA draft.

Atlanta, however, can’t trade Dejounte Murray now after recently extending him, and Bogdan Bogdanovic also has a trade restriction from his extension that expires in September. Can the Hawks create a worthwhile package around De’Andre Hunter, whose name has come up in other trade talks, with additional young rotation players and multiple future first-round picks, as colleague Yossi Gozlan recently wrote on HoopsHype?

That’s a question rival executives monitoring the Siakam market are asking. After re-signing center Jakob Poeltl this summer, Clint Capela would seemingly be an unrealistic trade target for Toronto. Thus far, Atlanta has appeared to be the most consistent team with a desire to land Siakam and has shown a willingness from ownership to swing for the fences to win now after the Murray trade a year ago.

The Pacers have been linked to Siakam but added two young forwards with upside this offseason, including Jarace Walker through the NBA draft and Obi Toppin via a trade with the Knicks. Siakam would represent a shift in Indiana’s patient approach thus far around the backcourt of Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin, along with center Myles Turner.

Recently, the Orlando Magic was the latest team linked to Siakam with trade interest reported by SportsNet, but a league source who spoke with HoopsHype called that talk more noise than substance at this time. With Rookie of the Year, Paolo Banchero, and Franz Wagner entrenched at both forward spots, Siakam would likely have to move to center if acquired. Magic President Jeff Weltman was towards the end of his Raptors tenure when the franchise drafted Siakam, and this would mark the second former Raptor he’s been linked to acquiring following Fred VanVleet’s rumored interest in free agency.

Despite the palpable buzz surrounding Siakam, some around the league aren’t buying that he’ll be traded. “Toronto always does the same thing,” as one NBA scout told HoopsHype at Vegas Summer League. “They dangle their guys, and then they pull them back.”

In other Raptors news, Toronto is also considering adding another point guard in free agency, league sources told HoopsHype.

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The Dallas Mavericks have continued to explore ways of improving the roster with Tim Hardaway Jr. and JaVale McGee available for trade.

Dallas was recently linked yet again to Bojan Bogdanovic, this time along with Killian Hayes, per The Athletic. The Mavericks have attempted to acquire Bogdanovic in various trade discussions with the Detroit Pistons since the early portion of last season.

Detroit set a high asking price of essentially two first-round picks for Bogdanovic when teams called expressing trade interest last season. Hayes is expected to be a trade candidate for Detroit with a loaded backcourt including Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Monte Morris, Alec Burks, and Marcus Sasser heading into training camp. Ausar Thompson and Joe Harris could also play guard in various lineups for Detroit.

In other news, the Mavericks have also expressed exploratory interest in several free agent forwards, including Kelly Oubre Jr. and Derrick Jones Jr., league sources told HoopsHype.

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New York, Phoenix, and Indiana had exploratory discussions on a three-team trade where Cam Payne would’ve joined the Knicks, TJ McConnell would’ve joined the Suns, and Evan Fournier and draft pick compensation would’ve gone to the Pacers, league sources told HoopsHype. There were also variations of the talks, which involved Jordan Nwora, HoopsHype has learned. Had the trade come to fruition, New York would’ve created a traded player exception of over $19 million. However, talks have since stalled.

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The Brooklyn Nets agreed to a one-year deal with forward Darius Bazley and are expected to release guard Edmond Sumner, league sources told HoopsHype.

Bazley, 23, shot 37.7 percent from three-point range last season with the Thunder and Suns. Sumner was a spark plug off the bench averaging 7.1 points in 13.9 minutes last season for Brooklyn. The 27-year-old guard is expected to have several potential suitors.

In other Nets news, sharpshooter Armoni Brooks has made a strong case for a two-way contract with the Nets during an impressive Summer League stint. Multiple EuroLeague teams have also expressed interest in Brooks, who’s averaging 16.7 points and shooting 48.9 percent from the field and 45.5 percent from three-point range in four games for Brooklyn thus far.

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The Hornets are searching for a veteran point guard after losing Dennis Smith Jr. to the Brooklyn Nets in free agency and failing to land Aaron Holiday before he signed with the Houston Rockets, league sources told HoopsHype.

Charlotte offered Smith Jr. more than a minimum contract, league sources told HoopsHype, but it wasn’t enough. For Smith Jr., he saw a greater opportunity to play in Brooklyn, whom he heard from immediately at the start of free agency and was a priority, which also appealed.

Looking ahead, Delon Wright is a trade target the Hornets are monitoring, league sources told HoopsHype.

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Miami Heat center Orlando Robinson has been the best player in Summer League according to our HoopsHype global rating. Robinson is poised to become the latest undrafted Heat player to carve out a key rotation spot after signing a two-year, $3.92 million deal, which includes a partial guarantee for the upcoming 2023-24 season, as HoopsHype first reported.

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Harry Giles, the former No. 20 pick of the 2017 draft, recently worked out for several teams in Las Vegas during NBA Summer League. Among those who sent representatives to attend the workout included the Pistons, Cavaliers, Knicks, Bucks, and Timberwolves, league sources told HoopsHype.

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* Denver Nuggets rookie point guard Jalen Pickett has drawn comparisons to Andre Miller and appears primed for a rotation spot after signing for the most guaranteed money of any second-round pick in the draft class, as first reported by HoopsHype.

“Andre was a big physical guard with a very high IQ,” Pickett told HoopsHype. “He plays the game similar to how I play. He was really effective. It’s great to have him in Summer League. He’s been a big mentor for me, talking about basketball, how to play, and what he used to do.”

Despite comparisons to Miller and earning All-Big Ten First Team honors, some questioned Pickett’s long-term upside at 23, which he pushed back on looking ahead.

“It’s crazy because as a senior, I’m coming in ready to contribute, which is a good part about it,” Pickett told HoopsHype. “I’m ready to play right away. The second part of it is your ceiling is considered kind of lower, but I have a lot of basketball I can improve on. My jump shot can get crispier, and my handles can get tighter. I feel like I have tremendous upside, and I can play for a long time, hopefully for 10-15 years. Being 23, I’m very young, so I don’t understand that whole dynamic.”

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* Boston Celtics rookie Jordan Walsh recently was a trending topic on NBA Twitter thanks to a 25-point, eight-rebound performance at Vegas Summer League, but believes defense will be his pathway to playing time this season.

“After high school, everything starts over,” Walsh told HoopsHype. “It’s a clean slate for everybody. It no longer matters if you were a five-star recruit, No. 1 in the class, or the last person in the class. It’s all about the production you bring to the team and organization. I felt like whether I was Top 10 or Top 100, I felt like I could rest my hat on playing defense and being able to guard one through four. Even in the NBA now, I feel like that’s my identity. A guy like Herb Jones was also a second-round pick who could guard one through four and does a lot of little things to win, is a guy I can relate to and am modeling myself after. At one point, I can become more of a point forward type of player for an organization. It all starts with defense, and that’ll help me earn my stripes in the league.”

In addition to Jones, Walsh has heard comparisons of Lu Dort along with Scottie Pippen or Andre Iguodala when he was in his prime, he told HoopsHype.

“If I get a chance to play with these guys and help the team, I want to be on the All-Defensive First or Second Team or Defensive Player of the Year,” Walsh told HoopsHype. “My goals are defensively oriented and winning a championship, which is No. 1. If I’m able to accomplish any of those things, I’d feel my rookie year went pretty well.”

On offense, Walsh hopes to be a compliment to Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, and Kristaps Porzingis by hitting an open jump shot or attacking a closeout.

“This narrative carried over from college that I couldn’t shoot the ball and I was scared isn’t true,” Walsh explained. “I feel like even though it’s Summer League and it’s a small sample size, I feel like people can see I can shoot the ball, and I’m willing to shoot it. I’m shooting it at a good rate. If that’s my biggest knock, and I can prove that’s a strength, then I feel like that will say a lot about the grind I put in.”

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* Atlanta Hawks second-round picks Mouhamed Gueye and Seth Lundy believe they have a chance to earn rotation minutes this season.

The Hawks are expected to play Gueye at the three and four. The Senegalese big man believes he’ll be the sleeper of the NBA Draft when people look back at this year’s class. “There aren’t 39 players better than me in this draft, that’s for sure,” Gueye told HoopsHype. “People who missed out will have missed out. I’m glad I’m in Atlanta.”

Hawks Summer League coach Antonio Lang went a step further when describing Gueye’s upside. “The sky’s the limit with him,” Lang said. “He has so much he can do that we have to narrow it down and get him good at certain things. We think the future is really bright for him.”

Meanwhile, Lundy believes his shooting ability can help him earn playing time after signing a two-way contract with Atlanta.

“I know my role,” Lundy told HoopsHype. “I know I’m a shooter and a 3-and-D guy. I keep it as simple as that. That’s what I’m going to get paid for, so that’s what I’m going to stick to.”

If given the opportunity, Lundy believes he’ll be able to show more to his game at the pro level and stick as a role player over time.

“I was always told to be a shooter, but I feel like I can bring way more to the table,” Lundy said. “I can make plays for others, and I feel like I’m an underrated passer as well. My defense is only going to get better. Once you play defense, you’re going to get on the court, and as long as I knock shots down, I’m going to have a long career.”

You can follow Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) on Twitter.