Aside from hundreds of games being played over the course of 11 days, the focus of NBA Summer League in Las Vegas is always on the latest trends and rumors from around the league. The incoming rookie class with first overall pick Victor Wembanyama was impressive, but all the dialogue that took place between league personnel revolved around this offseason’s biggest questions.

Where will Damian Lillard be traded? What’s the latest on Pascal Siakam‘s situation? Is the NBA going to expand to Las Vegas any time soon? Who is the best player in the world right now?

No matter if you were in Thomas and Mack Center or Cox Pavilion, these were the questions being asked at NBA Summer League this year by fans and league executives alike. Nobody seems to have any answers at this time, yet opinions on each matter continue to be shared daily as rumors swirl around the NBA.

Over the last week, several NBA executives and agents spoke with ClutchPoints at length regarding the key topics laid out above, as well as some other hot topics. All of these league sources were granted anonymity in this story because they were not authorized to speak on the record.

Where things stand on Damian Lillard trade talks

There is always one player or one situation every single offseason dominating NBA trade rumors. Last year it was the Brooklyn Nets with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, as everyone at Summer League discussed what their futures in the league looked like. This summer, Damian Lillard was the focal point of trade conversations at Summer League in Las Vegas.

After finishing up his 11th NBA season with the Portland Trail Blazers, Lillard requested a trade from Portland and wants to team up with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo on the Miami Heat. However, the Trail Blazers have been very reluctant to give into their star’s trade request, as GM Joe Cronin and the Blazers’ front office are wanting to maximize the value they get for one of the league’s best overall players.

Trade discussions between the Heat and Blazers seem to be at a stalemate right now, as the two sides continue to work through their differences and create the framework for a potential deal to send the seven-time All-Star and All-NBA guard to South Beach. As far as if a deal will get done, the sense from many around the league is that it is just a matter of time.

“Damian Lillard will be a member of the Miami Heat by the time the 2023-24 season starts,” one longtime agent told ClutchPoints at Nba Summer League. “He wants to go there and it just wouldn’t make sense for Portland not to give Dame what he wants, especially after all he has done for them. The Blazers have every right to take their time here, but at the end of the day, it wouldn’t look good for them to keep him around heading into the new season, especially with all the youth they have to play around with.”

Ending up in Miami to begin the new season seems to be the mindset many share right now, but there is also the scenario where Lillard could actually remain on Portland’s roster to begin the new season.

“This could play out very similar to what we saw with Kevin Durant last year in Brooklyn,” one Western Conference executive said. “You know, KD wanted out of Brooklyn around this time last year and he ultimately began the season with the Nets because they were unable to agree to something with Phoenix. Then he got his wish at the trade deadline when the Nets and Suns figured things out. It wouldn’t shock me if the same thing happened with Dame given the timing of everything.”

Pascal Siakam trade rumors and future with Toronto

Other than Lillard dominating NBA trade rumors, Pascal Siakam’s future has been questioned in recent weeks with the Toronto Raptors undergoing major changes. Not only is Nick Nurse now the head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, but Toronto replaced him with first-time head coach Darko Rajakovic and All-Star point guard Fred VanVleet is now with the Houston Rockets.

The Raptors are currently at a crossroads, which is why Siakam’s name has come up time and time again. The Atlanta Hawks have shown the most interest in the two-time All-Star, with the Indiana Pacers also showing trade interest. As things stand right now, Toronto is not actively looking to deal Siakam and there are even some within the organization who are skeptical about even including him in trade discussions.

Siakam has just one season left on his contract and is eligible for an extension, so the Raptors have a big decision to make regarding if he will continue to be their leader.

“The funny thing with the Raptors is that they don’t care about any of these rumors or teams interested in Siakam,” an Eastern Conference executive shared with ClutchPoints. “Masai Ujiri and his group hardly say anything and when teams approach them regarding trades, they operate with more of a ‘well, what can you do for me’ type of mindset. As far as trading Siakam, I just don’t see them making that drastic of a move yet unless a team is willing to give up what Minnesota did last year for Rudy Gobert.”

As far as where Siakam could end up if he was to be traded, the Hawks and Pacers remain the two likely destinations, with the Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic being two dark-horse teams to watch. That does not necessarily mean that these are the only teams with a shot at landing the All-Star big man if Toronto looks to part ways with him this offseason.

“I don’t know how he would fit in there, but looks at the New York Knicks for example,” an agent stated. “They have draft picks, they’re an emerging team in the East and they can give the Raptors what they would want in terms of youth and expiring contracts. The Knicks are going to make a big move sooner than later. If they don’t want to trade him to another team in the East, look at the Houston Rockets. That’s another situation where draft picks are not a problem and youth can be leverage there to land an All-Star.”

Whether or not they are willing to offer him a contact extension this offseason could reveal whether or not the Raptors will keep Siakam around heading into the new season.

The latest on the NBA’s plans to expand

Every time Adam Silver holds a press conference, he is always asked about league expansion and when that is going to happen.

“We will turn to expansion once those new media deals are done,” Silver said last week at the annual APSE conference, via The Athletic. “It’s not a sure thing but, as I’ve said before, I think it’s natural that organizations grow over time.”

Right now, the NBA has no active plans to expand, yet it is inevitable and on the horizon. The belief around the league is that there will be two new franchises within the next few years. Two common cities appear to be in line to receive a new NBA franchise.

“Seattle and Las Vegas. This really isn’t hard to figure out,” one agent told ClutchPoints. “Just looks at the scene out here. The league has held Summer League in Vegas for years, the fans love it, there are various other professional franchises out here now. It just makes sense.”

The idea of expanding the league has been prominent for quite some time now, especially with the influx of talent through the years. As the skill level increases, so should the number of teams in the league.

“The G League has expanded through the years and just look at the amount of talent that has been elevated to the top level from there,” another agent pointed out. “I am not a fan of the idea of expanding because everything is great right now with our 30 teams, but it is going to happen. Too many good players don’t end up with contracts every year and that is a direct result of there not being enough opportunities right now. Seattle is definitely going to get the SuperSonics back and, honestly, I wouldn’t be shocked if the league already has a silent deal in place with Las Vegas.”

Nashville, Mexico City and Louisville have been three other cities mentioned in recent years as being possible destinations for new NBA franchises, but Las Vegas and Seattle have always been first and second on this list, in no particular order. It just seems destined that these two cities will end up with a new team.

Who would you chose to build a franchise with?

One question that always comes up at NBA Summer League revolves around who the best player in the league is. For years, the answer has always been LeBron James, but with the league’s all-time leading scorer nearing 40, many other superstars have been pegged as the top of the totem pole.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant are other superstars that have been mentioned as being the NBA’s best player through the years. If all the players in the league were thrown into a draft, though, who would ultimately be the top player those around the league would want to build their franchise around?

“I want to say Luka Doncic, but nobody would pass up on Giannis [Antetokounmpo] if given the opportunity to have him,” an Eastern Conference executive stated. “If I had to chose a second or third-year player, though, give me Keegan Murray. He’s not the most athletic nor the flashiest scorer, but there is nothing that kid can’t do and as his confidence grows, he’s going to be become the face of Sacramento.”

Many of those asked about who they would choose to build their franchise around chose Giannis, but there were a couple of league personnel who said they would choose 2023 NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic and two-time MVP Stephen Curry despite the Golden State Warriors star being 35 years old now.

The most intriguing answer to come from Summer League was a 25-year-old guard who has quickly turned himself into one of the best 15 players in the league after being named to the All-NBA First Team this past season.

“After what he did this past season, I don’t know how anyone would pass up on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander,” one Western Conference executive claimed. “I watched this guy beat up on us and our rivals multiple times this last year, and the confidence he has in his game is tremendous. He’s young, he’s unselfish and he’s still got room to grow. I really believe Shai is going to win an MVP Award in the next three seasons.”