Danny Ainge gave no tells during the Utah Jazz summer league press conference on Saturday. the Jazz team president answered, maybe, three questions during the whole session, leaving most of the talking to General Manager Justin Zanik.

With the giant trade that recently took place for defensive stalwart Rudy Gobert, it’s clear the Jazz are in more of a reconstruction than an addition phase of team building. Maybe the relationship between Gobert and Donovan Mitchell was so bad that one of them had to be traded this offseason. Though, had they made the Western Conference Finals this past season, or the one before, it probably could have been managed.

Regardless, Gobert is out, as well as another starter, Royce O’Neal, so of course the heads of the Jazz front office were asked if Mitchell could be traded, or if he’s considered untouchable.

“Look, if you had asked me three months ago about anybody on the roster or any sort of change, change is inevitable in the NBA,” Manik told the media. “I’m not trying to be cryptic or anything else, but Donovan’s on our roster and he’s a very, very important part of what we’re trying to do. Things evolve in the NBA, so I couldn’t sit here and say anybody is, we’re trying to build a championship team but there’s no intent there.”

If Manik doesn’t want his response to be considered cryptic, fine, but it’s at the very least non-committal. He stopped himself from using the word “untouchable,” and he didn’t say Mitchell is a very, very important part of that roster. He said Mitchell is a “very, very important part of what we’re trying to do.”

What are the Jazz trying to do (insert Brian Windhorst meme?) It appears that they are trying to build up as much draft capital as possible, and with their roster and location it’s the only move they have. Their best chance at the NBA Finals was in 2021. They had a .722 winning percentage and home court advantage on the Los Angeles Clippers in the second round when Kawhi Leonard went down with an ACL injury. The Jazz lost the next two games and were eliminated.

They ran it back in 2022, finished the season with a five seed, a .598 winning percentage, and managed to go down 2-1 in the first round to the Dallas Mavericks sans Luka Dončić before losing that series. The Jazz have maxed out, and now it’s time to get as much value as possible for the players on their roster.

While they shouldn’t announce at a summer league press conference that they’re fielding offers for Mitchell, it’s safe to assume that between now and the Feb. 2023 trade deadline the Jazz aren’t hanging up the phone on any team inquiring about him. It would be poor management, and against everything that Ainge did with the Celtics to operate with that mindset.

When the Celtics’ 2007 draft pick wasn’t in the top two he packaged it in a trade for Ray Allen. He later traded Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce for a pirate’s booty of draft picks, and kept adding as many as he could. The Jazz received five combined first-rounders in trading for O’Neal and Gobert. It’s reasonable to believe that they could get at least three more in a trade for Mitchell.

It’s the only way for the Jazz to quickly put a container together, with the step backwards they have to take by unloading the players on their roster that currently have value. Victor Wembanyama is potentially the next European NBA star and he will likely be in next year’s draft. He is nowhere near as good as Mitchell today, but his ceiling is much higher.

The Jazz played their summer league press conference as close to the vest as possible, but don’t expect Mitchell to be on the Jazz come next summer league. Playing on a bad team will frustrate him, and there should be plenty of teams looking to acquire a three-time All-Star who is not happy in his current situation.

Trading Mitchell may not have been the Jazz’s intent on Saturday, but it’s the likely outcome in the near future.

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After clearing waivers, free-agent forward Danilo Gallinari has agreed to a two-year, $13.3 million deal with the Boston Celtics, his agent, Michael Tellem of Excel Sports, told ESPN on Sunday.

Gallinari’s deal includes a player option on the second year and will be fully guaranteed, Tellem told ESPN.

Gallinari, joining an improved Celtics bench that will also include guard Malcolm Brogdon, who was acquired in a trade with the Indiana Pacers, will make $17 million-plus this season when adding on to the partial guarantee from his 2022-23 contract before the San Antonio Spurs waived him.

Gallinari was part of the Hawks-Spurs trade that landed All-Star guard Dejounte Murray with Atlanta.

Gallinari, 33, averaged 11.7 points on 38% 3-point shooting for the Hawks last season. In 13 NBA seasons, he has averaged 15.6 points and 4.8 rebounds.

Gallinari has made 1,426 career 3-pointers, the fifth-most by a player 6-foot-10 or taller all-time, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. He trails only Dirk Nowitzki (1,982) Rashard Lewis (1,787) Kevin Durant (1,770) and Peja Stojaković (1,760).

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LAS VEGAS — Oklahoma City Thunder forward-center Chet Holmgren and Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. didn’t put on much of an offensive display Saturday night, but both showed the all-around games that made them such attractive choices at the top of last month’s NBA draft.

In one of the most anticipated games of this year’s schedule here at the NBA’s annual summer league, Smith finished with 12 points on just 5-for-19 shooting from the field while Holmgren had 12 points on 3-for-10 shooting in Houston’s 90 -88 wins.

But Smith also had nine rebounds, four steals and three blocks in 30 minutes. And he forced a missed layup by Thunder guard Josh Giddey that would have tied the score at the buzzer.

“I feel like that’s my greatest attribute, is defense,” Smith said. “Being able to guard multiple positions, being able to defend the rim and just being able to make things hard for players that play like me.

“I feel like I’m the best matchup for somebody who can shoot, who can get to different spots and just — I feel like I’m just a matchup nightmare for anybody of that caliber.”

Smith’s appeal coming into the draft was his ability to impact the game at both ends. At 6-foot-10, he has a quick, high release on his jumper and long arms and quick feet to wreak havoc defensively.

He showed both facets of his game in one sequence in the second quarter, when he blocked Holmgren’s shot inside then buried a 3-pointer at the other end on Houston’s next possession.

And while Smith struggled with his shot, he was more aggressive in taking 19 attempts, a significant difference from his first game against the Orlando Magic here Thursday night. He was 4-of-10 shooting against the Magic.

“My shot wasn’t falling, but I felt like I could impact the game in different ways, like just trying to play defense as hard as I can, try to get every rebound, trying to block shots,” Smith said.

Holmgren, meanwhile, was competing in his first game in Las Vegas, after playing twice earlier this week in Salt Lake City.

Like Smith, he couldn’t get anything going offensively on Saturday. But also like Smith, Holmgren filled up the stat sheet, compiling eight rebounds, two assists, two steals and four blocks. It was an indication of the many ways the 7-foot-1 Holmgren can make an imprint on the game.

“I’m just trying to learn from every single experience,” Holmgren said. “You know, every time we go out there, whether it’s good or bad, you know, the worst thing you can do is, you know, have a great game or a great summer league and not learn from it. So I’m just trying to learn from everything that happens.”

Listed at just 195 pounds, Holmgren’s weight garners plenty of attention. But his length, timing and quickness give him the potential to be a force as a weakside help defender.

On multiple occasions, Holmgren came flying across the lane to blow up plays or swat shots away, and he said he is always looking for ways to impact the game.

“Just trying to try to cover up gaps, holes [in the defense],” he said. “Wherever it’s gonna be, no matter how good your defense is, no matter how good defenders you have, disadvantages are gonna happen in a game, whether it’s in transition or in the half court. You never know which way the ball is gonna bounce off the rim. So just having length and being able to cover space and cover up gaps, protect the rim, get deflections, whatever it might be.”

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In his first comments since officially signing a two-year, $13.2 million deal with LA, Wall believes he can help fill a missing component for the Clippers at point guard.

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NBA 2K23 Summer League kicked off Thursday night with a matchup between Orlando’s Paolo Banchero and Houston’s Jabari Smith Jr., the No. 1 and No. 3 picks, respectively, in last month’s NBA draft.

The Magic won 91-77 in the first meeting between two of the NBA’s most anticipated rookies, with Banchero notching 17 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists. Smith had a quieter night in his Rockets debut, finishing with 10 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists.

no. 5 overall pick Jaden Ivey made his debut with the Detroit Pistons, scoring a team-high 20 points en route to an 81-78 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Blazers rookie Shaedon Sharpe, the No. 7 pick, had his debut cut short by a shoulder injury that ended his night after just six minutes.

The action continued Friday with several other rookies getting their first action in Vegas.

Which first-year players stood out? Our NBA insiders break down the rookies who stole the show through the first two days in Las Vegas.

NBA summer league 2022: One player to watch on every team

no. 1 vs. no. 3: Banchero and Smith meet for the first time

Banchero came into the NBA draft process billed as the most NBA-ready prospect in the class. Smith, on the other hand, oozes potential but turned 19 less than two months before draft night and was always going to need time to develop. When they took the court against each other Thursday night, both players proved those scouting reports — at least for one night — to be accurate.

Banchero, who looked every bit the 6-foot-10 and 250 pounds he’s listed at, used his size and physicality to get wherever he wanted on the court. He finished with 17 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists in 25 minutes. He played the way he likely will for Orlando next season: by serving as a de facto point guard in a power forward’s body.

He didn’t always get a lot of separation and has work to do defensively, and he admitted after the game he’s using summer league to get himself into shape, but even in a one-game sample it was easy to see what put him atop the draft.

Smith, on the other hand, is going to take a lot more time — and it showed. He was at times last season at Auburn for not being assertive enough with his teammates in getting the ball, and that happened Thursday night.

But there’s plenty to like about his game. Smith’s high, quick release, combined with his 6-10 frame, has the potential to make him a serious spot-up shooting threat. In time, he could easily put on weight to expand his game like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard and other young, projectable wings before him.

He competes hard on defense and has quick feet, which gives him significant upside at that end, as well.

Smith’s development is going to take time, particularly on a very young Rockets team with some inexperienced guards getting the lion’s share of the ballhandling minutes, led by last year’s No. 2 overall pick Jalen Green.

Two other significant rookies also stood out in this game: Houston’s Tari Eason (No. 17 overall) and Orlando’s Caleb Houston (No. 32 overall).

Eason, a 6-8 forward from LSU, has the kind of rangy build that could make him an elite defensive wing. His 3-point shot, though, is going to take a lot of work to make him into a true 3-and-D player, and he did a lot of extra work on offense in this game that he wo n’t be doing in regular-season action.

Houston, a former five-star recruit Michigan who struggled as a freshman and fell out of the first round, is a very intriguing prospect. He finished with 20 points on 5-for-9 shooting from 3-point range in 28 minutes. The 6-foot-8 Houston is the kind of long, athletic forward who could be a real find for Orlando if he develops into the player he was supposed to be before his lone collegiate season. — Tim Bontemps

Ivey and Duren shine for the Pistons

The Detroit Pistons came away from the NBA draft last month feeling like major winners after adding a pair of lottery picks — No. 5 overall pick Ivey and No. 13 overall pick Jalen Duren — to a budding young core centered around Cade Cunningham, last year’s top overall selection. Both Pistons fans and Cunningham, who watched from the sidelines, got their first glimpse at the duo during Thursday’s opener against the Portland Trail Blazers — from the opening play of the game.

On the first possession of the game, Ivey tossed an alley-oop toward the basket for Duren, who finished a two-handed dunk with authority.

Ivey scored a team-high 20 points with 6 rebounds and 6 assists while showcasing the athletic traits he brings to a Pistons backcourt that has a chance to be dynamic. Ivey zoomed past defenders with a quick first step and barreled toward the basket like a runaway train. However, his summer league debut was still a bit erratic, especially during the first half while he was trying to adjust to the speed of the game. He made some errant passes and ill-advised decisions that led to five turnovers and five fouls.

Duren, meanwhile, had been waiting all week for the draft night trade that brought him to Detroit to become official, and he was officially added to the roster the morning before the first game. Although the team kept him on a minutes restriction that limited him to 12 minutes, he made the most of his time on the court. Duren, who does not turn 19 until November, finished with nine points, a rebound and a pair of blocks. His size and vertical ability were so imposing that he looked far from the youngest player in last month’s draft.

There will certainly be growing pains with both rookies, but their debuts provided enough reasons for continued optimism about the future in Detroit. — Jamal Collier

Mathurin leads all scorers for the Pistons

Bennedict Mathurin, the Indiana Pacers’ highest draft pick (No. 6) since Rik Smits in 1988, looked the part in his first summer appearance Friday against the Charlotte Hornets. Mathurin led all scorers with 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting, knocking down three 3-pointers.

Mathurin’s ability to shoot the NBA 3 is the bedrock of his game entering the league. Opponents must respect Mathurin potentially pulling up off the dribble – one of his three makes was off the dribble in transition – which enhances his ability to create space as a driver. Mathurin leveraged that room to get off pull-up jumpers with a similarly smooth stroke.

I would like to see Mathurin develop his plan to attack hard closeouts. He dribbled in after one for a pull-up midrange attempt, the once-dominant NBA strategy that now has lost favor to a side step or one-dribble reset for an open 3-pointer. Mathurin’s athletic repertoire also includes the ability to drive closeouts and the leaping ability that saw him finish a transition lob off the backboard from 2021 Indiana first-round pick Chris Duarte with a powerful dunk.

At the defensive end of the court, Mathurin’s strong fame aids him as an on-ball defender. He could stand to be more active defensively off the ball.

On the other side, Hornets center Mark Williams faced more of a learning curve in his debut. Without a strong pick-and-roll point guard to set him up like he’ll have with LaMelo Ball during the regular season, Williams frequently caught the ball in the middle of the paint and struggled to finish. Williams, who shot 72% during the 2021-22 season at Duke, was 2-of-8 from the field. He did contribute eight rebounds and a pair of blocks in that span. — Kevin Pelton

Agbaji should give Cleveland fans hope for the future

Cleveland’s Ochai Agbaji scored 16 points in an encouraging summer league debut, but it’s how he did it that should have Cavs fans most excited. Twelve of Agbaji’s 16 points came from beyond the arc, and he proved to the NBA world that he could not only knock down catch-and-shoot 3s, but create his own looks from deep too, as he hit this NBA-ready step- back early in the first.

Abgaji looked confident in his debut, and he has good reasons for that — he arrived in Vegas with one of the best résumés of any rookie in his class. The 22-year-old shooting guard not only helped the Kansas Jayhawks win the NCAA title in April, but he was also named a first-team All-American and Most Outstanding Player in the Final Four. Those achievements owe a lot to the simple fact this rookie played a ton of college hoops — he was the only senior drafted in the first round this season, and the oldest lottery pick in this year’s draft.

Still, the Cavs are hoping Agbaji’s best days are still ahead of him and that he can help this group improve its offensive efficiency. Last season, the Cavs ranked fifth in the league in defense but just 20th in offense, thanks in part to a mediocre output from beyond the arc.

Agbaji has the potential to become an elite 3-point scorer, and his debut didn’t do anything but support that claim. He took nine 3s in his first game as a pro, making four of them. If he can add some perimeter strength to this Cavs core that already features Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, Cleveland’s future is only getting brighter. — Kirk Goldsberry

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LAS VEGAS — Quentin Grimes’ goal was to “dominate” summer league play.

It took him some time Friday night, but the Knicks’ young guard followed through in his team’s opening game.

After missing eight consecutive shots, Grimes took off in the second half, leading the Knicks to a 101-88 victory over the defending Las Vegas Summer League champion Warriors at the Thomas and Mack Center.

With team president Leon Rose, owner James Dolan coach Tom Thibodeau and teammates Julius Randle, Immanuel Quickley, Cam Reddish and Obi Toppin in attendance, Grimes finished with 24 points, eight assists, four rebounds, two steals and just one turnover in 32 quality minutes .

“I feel like I kind of dominated or almost got close in the second half,” Grimes said. “Just try to dominate offensively, defensively by being in the right positions. It’s not always about making shots.”

While his perimeter jumper was off for most of the night — the former first-round pick out of Houston went 4-for-14 from 3-point range — the 6-foot-4 Grimes kept on shooting.

Even after hitting two in a row from distance early in the third quarter to get going, Grimes didn’t settle for long jumpers. He attacked the basket and finished through contract, something he has worked on this offseason to complement his 3-point shot. He hit seven of his last 12 shots, and also was a strong distributor on this night.

“Hopefully I’ll have a bigger role as a playmaker [this year] and also stick to my roots as a defensive player and as a shooter,” he said.

This is a crucial offseason for Grimes, the best Knicks rookie last year, whose progress was set back by a knee injury late in the year. Thibodeau has raved about his defense, which may give Grimes a shot at a starting role in the backcourt next year, alongside newcomer Jalen Brunson.

He is hoping to make a statement over the next 10 days in Las Vegas. With that in mind, Friday night was a strong start for him.

Feron Hunt added 17 points, Jericho Sims had 16 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks and Miles McBride chipped in 14 points and seven assists in the win.

Moses Moody, a lottery pick a year ago, led all scorers with 34 points for the Warriors.

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LAS VEGAS — The Taj Gibson era with the Knicks has come to a close.

The veteran center, a Tom Thibodeau favorite going back to their days with the Bulls, was waived on Friday, the team announced, creating $5.1 million in cap space.

The 37-year-old Gibson, who spent the last three seasons with the Knicks, is expected to sign with the Wizards, The Athletic reported. The Knicks have three centers on their roster in Mitchell Robinson, newcomer Isaiah Hartenstein and Jericho Sims, making Gibson somewhat expendable. Even at his age, Gibson is still a quality defender and has improved as a 3-point shooter, hitting 15-of-38 attempts last season.

The Knicks have yet to announce their free agent signings — the team has agreed to deals with free agent point guard Jalen Brunson, Hartenstein and Robinson — despite the moratorium being lifted on Wednesday.

Gibson’s release cleared a second roster spot for the Knicks, who already have Trevor Keels and Feron Hunt on two-way deals.

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LAS VEGAS — If there are hard feelings between the Mavericks and the Knicks over Jalen Brunson, Mark Cuban did a good job of hiding any animosity.

The Dallas owner had only positive things to say on Friday about the point guard who has agreed to a four-year, $104 million deal to join the Knicks.

“Jalen earned the right to do that,” Cuban told The Post from the NBA summer league at the Thomas and Mack Center. “NBA teams always say, well, it’s a business when you trade somebody or whatever, and it’s a business. He earned the right to make a decision as a free agent. So he made the choice. More power to him. I wish him nothing but the best.

“Jalen is a great basketball player. That’s why we wanted to keep him. The Knicks will love him; the city will love him. The thing about Jalen, you give him a task and tell him where to improve his game, he’ll work his ass off to do it. You guys got a good one.”

Brunson, 25, developed into a difference-maker with the Mavericks after getting selected in the second round in 2018. He helped Dallas reach the Western Conference final this year after a breakout postseason performance saw him average 21.6 points in 18 playoff games.

When asked about reports of potential tampering by the Knicks, Cuban smiled.

“That’s up to the NBA, that’s not my job” the owner said.

The Knicks hired Brunson’s father, Rick, to join coach Tom Thibodeau’s staff, and team president Leon Rose’s son, Sam, is Brunson’s agent.

Cuban also didn’t have a problem with Knicks executives William Wesley and Allan Houston, along with forward Julius Randle, attending an opening-round playoff game between the Mavericks and Jazz, which drew headlines at the time.

“Oh, I don’t care. They can buy tickets,” Cuban said. “Being at a playoff game doesn’t change anything.”

Two other members of the Mavericks, coach Jason Kidd and former Knick Reggie Bullock, also discussed Brunson’s departure on Friday.

“We can’t replace Brunson. He’s a great player,” Kidd said on ESPN. “I’m happy for him and his family, signing a deal in New York. It’s well deserved. We wanted him back, but he picked New York.”

Bullock, who enjoyed a strong season with the Knicks in 2020-21 but wasn’t brought back, had similar positive things to say about Brunson.

He did offer an interesting thought on him joining the Knicks, though.

“That’s his problem, that’s him,” Bullock, who is close with Randle and Thibodeau, told The Post. He later said: “He’ll do great. Great off-the-court guy. … Great point guard, he works hard, he’s going to lead them into the right direction. ”

Cuban declined to say if the Mavericks considered upping their offer to Brunson. ESPN had reported they were only willing to offer him a five-year deal in the ballpark of the four-year, $85 million deal Raptors guard Fred VanVleet signed in 2020. Brunson declined a four-year, $55.5 million contract from Dallas after the trade deadline, and now he is a Knick.

“I’m happy for him. It’s not like he was just some guy, well, he was just a player, he got his money, ”Cuban said. “He’s a good guy, man. He’s got a heart of gold. There’s nothing not to like.”

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James Harden said after the 76ers lost to the Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinals that he would be back in Philadelphia the following season. It turns out that it will cost him.

On Friday, the 32-year-old former NBA MVP reportedly agreed to a two-year contract with the 76ers — and is taking a $15 million pay cut for the 2022-23 season, according to The Athletic’s and Stadium’s Shams Charania.

The deal, which includes a player option for the second year, comes after Harden declined his $47.4 million player option on Wednesday, a move that was seen as a desire by Harden to give Philadelphia more salary-cap space and roster flexibility to improve the pieces around him and NBA scoring champ Joel Embiid.

It paid off this week. Harden’s pay cut allowed Philadelphia to land free agent PJ Tucker and re-sign Daniel House Jr. Tucker, who came over from Miami, agreed to a reported three-year, $33.2 million fully-guaranteed contract. House’s deal is reportedly for two years and $8.5 million.

The moves also provides the 76ers with a familiar look — Harden, Tucker and House played together for three seasons in Houston from 2017-20, with current 76ers president Daryl Morey serving as Rockets GM during that time as well.

Harden came over to Philadelphia at the trade deadline last season in a blockbuster deal with the Nets for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond plus draft picks. Though Harden averaged 21 points, 10.5 assists and 7.1 rebounds in 21 games for the 76ers, there were concerns about his age and commitment as well as a reluctance to be aggressive, particularly in the playoffs.

In the 76ers’ season-ending loss to the Heat in Philadelphia, Harden took just two shots in the second half.

“I’ll be here,” Harden said after the loss. “Whatever allows us to continue to grow and get better and do the things necessary to win and compete at a high level.”

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Although less than a month has passed since the Golden State Warriors won the 2022 NBA Finals in six games over the Boston Celtics, teams are headed to the desert to get their 2022 draft picks and latest signees out onto the court.

NBA 2K23 Summer League is taking place July 7-17 in Las Vegas at the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion. The 75-game event will feature all 30 NBA teams, with each playing five games.

After each team has played four games, the two teams with the best record will play in the championship game on July 17, with the other 28 teams playing consolation games that weekend.

The action began Thursday night, when 2022 No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic faced off against No. 3 picks Jabari Smith and the Houston Rockets. On Saturday, Smith will face No. 2 pick Chet Holmgren and the Oklahoma City Thunder (8 pm ET, ESPN2) and Banchero will meet No. 4 picks Keegan Murray and the Sacramento Kings (4 pm ET, ESPN).

This year’s lottery picks aren’t the only ones set to play in Vegas, as 2020 No. 2 pick James Wiseman will suit up for the Warriors for the first time since April 2021.

What should fans and teams be looking for from the most interesting prospects at summer league? NBA Insiders Jonathan Givony and Kevin Pelton go team by team, highlighting one player to watch and why.

Chet Holmgren’s summer league debut

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