Goran Dragic reported to the Toronto Raptors despite initially expressing a hope he would end up with a contending team following his trade from the Miami Heat.

According to TSN, the Raptors still hope to trade Dragic for an asset or two by the deadline.

“He's been fantastic,” Nick Nurse said. “I checked in with him after the trade, a few days after some of that stuff. We discussed possible roles, and he's just like, 'coach, whatever, I'm good’. He's very enjoyable to talk to. He's got a super high IQ. He loves the game, obviously, competes to win, plays smart. He's been really, really fun to have.”

Dragic addresses a need at the guard position as he could either play next to Fred VanVleet or he can also anchor a second unit.

The Washington Wizards can officially present a four-year, $181.5 million extension to Bradley Beal on Friday.

Beal previously signed a two-year, $72 million in October 2019.

Tommy Sheppard said in an interview earlier this month the team plans to offer the extension “at dawn.”

Beal, however, will take slightly more time to decide. 

“My biggest thing is getting us off going to a good start,” Beal said Monday, after noting the deal is for Sheppard, team owner Ted Leonsis and his agent Mark Bartelstein to figure out. “We worry about the contract money and all that later. I’ll let them deal with it when the time comes, for sure. I got all year to sign, too. So I’m not in a rush.”

Beal could stand to earn roughly $50 million more if he waits and chooses to become a free agent in 2022. Beal will by then have reached 10 years of service in the NBA and be eligible for a contract worth 35 percent of the salary cap.

Joel Embiid responded to a report this week that indicated Ben Simmons feels his career would be in a better place if he didn't play with Embiid.

“I saw (the report),” Embiid said. “I don’t know if it came from him or whatever, but over the past few months stuff has been put out there. And, looking by the reaction of him not being here, I feel like it’s fair to assume that it’s coming from ... whether it’s his agent or his people or whatever. Like I said, it is disappointing, but I feel like over the years the way our team has been built around — like you look at last year, I was the worst three-point shooter of the starting lineup and I shot 38 percent from three. 

“We’ve always had shooters, and I feel like I can really play with anybody and I can make anybody be better on the court. I don’t necessarily need shooters. But I feel like over the years — like you look at when we got Al (Horford), it’s because we needed a stretch five, just to make sure that was for him. And most of my career I’ve had to kind of step out to the three-point line quite a bit — which I don’t mind. I like to be a basketball player; I like to do everything on the basketball court. But I feel like our teams have been built — whether it’s the shooting, the stretch five and all that stuff — I feel like he’s always had it here.”

Embiid continued and spoke of the many three-point shooters still on Philadelphia's roster. 

“It was kind of surprising to see what was said,” Embiid continued. “Even going back to the reason we signed Al. We got rid of Jimmy (Butler), which I still think was a mistake, but he needed the ball in his hands and that’s the decision they made. But, like I said, it is surprising. But I’m really focused on the guys that are here. 

“The situation is weird, disappointing, borderline kind of disrespectful to all the guys that are out here fighting for their lives. Some guys rely on the team to be successful, to stay in the league and make money somehow. Because, if you’re on a winning team, you’re always going to have a spot in the league, just because you’re on a winning team and you contributed. Obviously we’re a better team with him. We’re not a better team without him, that’s for sure. We are a better team with him but, like I said, it is surprising. But I’m focused on the guys that are here. 

“We’re trying to get better, trying to get on the same agenda. … Every single day we’ve got to attack it, and try to get better every single day. But we are a better team with him. There’s no question about it. We still hope that he changes his mind, but I owe it to these guys to worry about what we have here. That’s the front office’s job to figure out what’s going to happen. That’s not my job; I’m not a GM, I’m not an owner, so that’s none of my business, honestly.”

Simmons is currently holding out but the 76ers hope he eventually reports. 

Steve Kerr has emerged as the favorite to replace Gregg Popovich as head coach of USA Basketball, sources tell Marc Stein of Substack.

Erik Spoelstra is another natural candidate but he lacks prior experience on the national team coaching staff, which is believed to be a prerequisite for the job.

Kerr was an assistant under Popovich on the Olympic team that overcame a loss to France in its opener in Tokyo to win the gold.

The decision on who to hire as head coach is the first one for Grant Hill since replacing Jerry Colangelo. 

When Kyrie Irving took a personal leave last January, the Houston Rockets inquired about the potential availability of him in James Harden trade talks.

Sources tell Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report that the Nets never entertained trading Irving.

Multiple executives across the league have speculated that a trade of Irving to the Philadelphia 76ers for Ben Simmons could solve each of their problems. Irving is currently unable to play home games with the Nets due to his position on not taking a COVID-19 vaccine, while Simmons has requested a trade and doesn't plan to report.

Several league sources with knowledge of the situation have strongly pushed back on the notion that either Irving or the Nets are interested in a trade. 

"Kyrie came to Brooklyn to win a championship alongside Kevin Durant," one veteran executive told Bleacher Report.

James Harden's camp, meanwhile, have communicated that they expect Irving to remain with the Nets.

The Nets have worked patiently behind closed doors with Irving during other incidents.

"I'm sure Sean Marks and Steve Nash aren't thrilled with the situation, but despite all the s--t that goes on, they still treat him really well there," one league source with knowledge of the situation said. "They hear him out. They make the effort to try and communicate with him. That's why Brooklyn is a special place."

The Detroit Pistons have waived Deividas Sirvydis.

The Pistons have also signed Jared Cunningham to their training camp roster.

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed Elijah Bryant to a camp deal.

The Bucks waived Bryant last week.

Bryant appeared in one game with the Bucks last season.

While sources say Gregg Popovich could return for the 22-23 season as head coach of the San Antonio Spurs, Zach Lowe has identified a number of potential candidates to replace him.

Will Hardy, Brett Brown, Manu Ginobili and Becky Hammon will be the leading candidates. 

Hardy is a longtime assistant coach with the Spurs and is now working under Ime Udoka with the Boston Celtics.

Brown spent several seasons as head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers before he was relieved of his duties after the 19-20 season.

Ginobili rejoined the Spurs last week as an advisor last week but his appetite for coaching is unclear.

Hammon has been a candidate for several head coaching jobs in recent years.

James Harden explained why he's taking his time on making a decision on whether he will sign a contract extension with the Brooklyn Nets before the season starts. 

"You know, I think over the course of my career I've never been a free agent before, so I've always just been loyal and just signed it, you know, the contract extension," said Harden to Malika Andrews. "Just being there, being there, being there. I just want to take my time with it. It would be very, very difficult to leave here, or to even leave Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving.

"But I think this season I just want to focus on winning the championship and everything else will work itself out.”

Harden also told the YES Network this week that he doesn't see himself anywhere else.

Harden previously turned down a two-year, $103 million extension with the Houston Rockets prior to his trade during the 20-21 season.

Harden could sign a three-year, $161.1 million extension on top of his 22-23 season, or also sign a five-year, $235 million deal during the 2022 offseason.

There project to be very few teams with cap space in 2022 and none currently enough to sign Harden to his current number.

Sean Marks previously indicated he was hopeful Brooklyn would sign both Harden and Kyrie Irving to extensions before the start of camp. 

Tommy Sheppard cleared the record indicating that Russell Westbrook never demanded a trade from the Washington Wizards. 

The Wizards traded Westbrook to the Los Angeles Lakers several hours before the draft in July.

“I really have to make sure the record is straight on that,” Sheppard said in an interview with NBC Sports Washington’s Chris Miller. “Russell actually never asked to move on. He just said, ‘If I can get to the Lakers, that’d be something I would love to do. If not, I’ll be back here.’ I said, ‘What about the Clippers?’ He said, ‘Hell no.’ So Russell was happy being here and we were very grateful for him being here.”

Westbrook reportedly reached out to Kawhi Leonard in 2019 about joining him on the Clippers via trade before it eventually became Paul George moving from the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

The Clippers, for their part, were reportedly not interested in Westbrook this offseason.