Eastern Notes: Bulls, Okafor, Ainge, Lopez, Hawks
Before making today’s deal with Oklahoma City, the Bulls tried to obtain point guard Patrick Beverley from the Rockets, tweets Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago. Chicago reached out to Houston on Wednesday with an offer of Taj Gibson and Isaiah Canaan in exchange for Beverley, but the Rockets turned it down.
There’s more from the Eastern Conference on an active deadline day:
- The Sixers didn’t trade center Jahlil Okafor, but it wasn’t because they didn’t try, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). He says Philadelphia made a strong effort to unload Okafor but was unable to find equal value so close to the deadline.
- The Celtics were rumored to be seeking Jimmy Butler and Paul George, but decided to stand pat. GM Danny Ainge explained the conservative approach to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link). “We had a lot of conversations,” Ainge said. “There were things we could do to improve our team, but nothing that was good enough to do.” The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski claims that Boston was willing to make both of the Nets‘ first-round picks available (Twitter link).
- Nets GM Sean Marks didn’t indicate if he tried to trade Brook Lopez, tweets Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press. “Brook’s here and we’re happy he’s here,” Marks said when asked about the veteran center. “He’s been the face of this franchise for a long time.”
- After shipping Mike Scott to the Suns, the Hawks have two open roster spots, notes Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution (Twitter link). The team will focus on the buyout market and possibly D-League callups.
Timberwolves Balked At Rose/Rubio Swap
3:04pm: A source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post (Twitter link) that the Wolves got “extra concerned” that they wouldn’t be able to re-sign Rose this summer, and didn’t want to acquire him as a rental.
2:40pm: The Timberwolves walked away from trade negotiations involving Ricky Rubio and Derrick Rose, Marc Stein of ESPN reports. The Knicks made a final push for a Derrick Rose-for-Ricky Rubio trade with no additional pieces, but Minnesota balked. (Twitter links).
Earlier today, the Knicks pushed Minnesota to include additional trade pieces along with Rubio. Apparently unable to receive other assets (New York was said to be interested in Nemanja Bjelica), the Knicks made a final push at a straight-up trade offer.
Ian Begley of ESPN corroborated Stein’s report, claiming the Knicks’ willingness to lower their demands came too late in negotiations. Phil Jackson had been looking for draft picks in trade talks with other teams, which may have been the sticking point with Scott Layden of the Timberwolves.
Barring a buyout, Derrick Rose appears set to finish the season in New York before testing the free agent market. Ricky Rubio, who remains ahead of Tyus Jones and Kris Dunn on Minnesota’s depth chart, is under contract through 2018/19.
Mavs Working On Buyout Agreement With Deron Williams
2:57 PM: Dallas has told Williams that the team will pay him the full remaining amount of his $9MM salary if he would like to become a free agent, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link).
2:37 PM: The Mavericks are working with Deron Williams to come to an agreement on a buyout, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). The scribe adds that the Cavs, Jazz, and Hawks expressed interest in the point guard via trade. There would presumably be more teams interested in him should he hit the open market.
Williams sat out practice over the last two days with what coach Rick Carlisle is calling a “pending situation,” Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com reports (Twitter links). Williams is making $9MM this season after signing a one-year deal to return the Mavs during the offseason.
Dallas will be thin at the point guard position if it cuts ties with Williams. J.J. Barea remains out with a calf injury and he’s expected to miss at least three more contests. MacMahon (Twitter link) notes that the team could look to add a player via another 10-day deal.
The ESPN scribe adds that the team is preparing to give its top point guard spot to rookie Yogi Ferrell. Ferrell got his chance in Dallas after signing a 10-day contract earlier this season. He thrived in the starting role and helped the team get back into the playoff picture, as the Mavs sit just three games behind the Nuggets in the Western Conference’s eighth seed race.
Pierre Jackson is a player to keep an eye on later in the season, though that’s merely my speculation. Jackson was playing well for Dallas before straining his hamstring, an event that led the team to sign Ferrell. The injury was nearly a month ago and if Jackson is healthy enough to play, he could be a candidate to come to the team. However, it’s worth noting that a deal would have to be for the remainder of the season since Dallas already signed him to two 10-day deals.
Nets Waive Marcus Thornton
Thursday, 2:49 PM: Brooklyn has officially waived Thornton, according to a team press release.
Wednesday, 8:04 PM: The Nets will waive Marcus Thornton, a source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of the Vertical reports (Twitter link). Thornton came to Brooklyn in the Bojan Bogdanovic deal earlier today.
Thornton is on a one-year, $1.3MM deal, which is fully guaranteed. He was seeing regular minutes for the Wizards before rookie Sheldon McClellan took his role off the bench and the 29-year-old shooting guard didn’t play in Washington’s last 21 games.
In the 33 appearances this season, Thornton averaged 6.6 points and 1.2 assists per game while shooting 35% from the field. He’s also sported a 10.5 player efficiency rating.
Celtics, Cavs, Pacers, Others Stand Pat At Deadline
A number of teams who had been considered good bets to make trades at the deadline opted to stand pat, unable to find any deals to their liking, according to various reports. Here’s a breakdown of some of the teams that decided not to make a move:
- The Celtics didn’t make a trade today, a source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter link). All of Boston’s assets, including the Nets’ next two first-rounders, remain under team control.
- In essence, Kyle Korver was the big deadline acquisition for the Cavaliers, who stood pat today, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- Not only did the Pacers keep Paul George, but the team didn’t make any move to fortify the roster either, according to Nate Taylor of The Indianapolis Star and Scott Agness of Vigilant Sports (Twitter links).
- A source tells Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press that the Pistons didn’t make any trades today. In a tweet, Ellis expresses doubts about just how “available” some of Detroit’s players were.
- The Kings fielded offers for Ben McLemore, Darren Collison, and Arron Afflalo, but will wait until the summer to make more trades, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today.
- The Jazz also made no deadline deals, per Andy Larsen of Salt Lake City Hoops and KSL.com (Twitter link).
Trade Talks Between Wolves, Knicks Stalled?
1:42pm: The talks between the Knicks and Wolves have “stalled significantly” with the deadline less than 20 minutes away, per Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link).
11:40am: The Knicks and Wolves remain engaged in discussions on a potential deal headlined by Rubio and Rose, reports ESPN’s Marc Stein (Twitter link).
8:35am: Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio continues to be a “significant” trade target for the Knicks today, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (via Twitter). We’ve heard in recent days that the two teams have discussed multiple variations of a deal involving Rubio and New York point guard Derrick Rose.
There had been some skepticism about the Knicks’ ability to trade Rose this week, since he has a $21MM+ expiring salary and some members of the organization were believed to be reluctant to take long-term salary back for him. However, as Marc Berman of The New York Post has noted, the Knicks have had interest in Rubio for several years, so it’s possible that he’s a player for whom the team would sacrifice summer cap room.
Because the Wolves are far below the cap, the team could trade Rubio straight up for Rose, despite a gap of nearly $8MM between their 2016/17 salaries. For Minnesota, such a move would allow the club to reach the salary floor this season and create some cap flexibility going forward. Tom Thibodeau‘s history with Rose may also hold some appeal if the Wolves view the former MVP as more than a rental.
Still, if the two sides can get something done, it may not just be a one-for-one swap. The Knicks are said to have some interest in Wolves forward Nemanja Bjelica as well, and ESPN’s Marc Stein tweets that New York’s desire to get another piece in the deal has been a sticking point so far.
Trade Rumors: Sixers, Bradley, Tucker, Bogut
The Sixers are seeking deals for defensive-oriented guards capable of playing alongside Ben Simmons, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (via Twitter). According to Wojnarowski, Philadelphia has targeted Celtics guard Avery Bradley, but hasn’t gained any traction.
With Marcus Smart playing well lately and Jaylen Brown viewed as a potential star by the Celtics, Bradley could be somewhat expendable in Boston, but Philadelphia and Boston aren’t necessarily a great match in such a trade. Both teams are loaded with future draft picks, which is likely what the Sixers would offer for Bradley — the Celtics don’t really need any more picks, unless they think they could use them in a package for a star.
Here’s more from around the NBA with the trade deadline less than a half-hour away:
- At least three teams – the Pelicans, Cavaliers, and Celtics – have opted against meeting the Suns‘ asking price of a first-round pick for P.J. Tucker, reports John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link).
- The Sixers don’t expect to flip Andrew Bogut in another trade before the deadline, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein, who reports (via Twitter) that the two sides will immediately begin buyout discussions.
- At this point, the Nuggets don’t expect to make any moves before the deadline, sources tell Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post (Twitter link).
- The Pacers are still trying to fortify their roster, and remain in talks with the Kings about Arron Afflalo, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today.
Pacers Declined Nuggets’ “Monster Offer” For Paul George
The Nuggets made a “monster offer” for Paul George but the talks gained no traction, Marc Stein of ESPN reports. Per Stein and Chris Haynes of ESPN, it was conveyed to Denver’s front office that George would be “highly unlikely” to commit to the Nuggets on a long-term deal (Twitter links).
Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today corroborated Stein’s report, noting that the Nuggets “desperately” wanted in on the four-time All-Star (Twitter link). Haynes shed further light on George’s point of view, noting that he respects Denver’s vision, but- with the Spurs and Warriors in their way- didn’t envision the team having a path to the finals (Twitter link).
It may be a safe assumption that Nikola Jokic wasn’t a part of Denver’s offer. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (hat tip to RealGM.com), Jokic remains completely unavailable in trade talks. The Nuggets consider Jokic a franchise player who loves being in Denver.
Sam Amick of USA Today reiterated that George is “hell-bent” on becoming a Laker when he’s free agent-eligible, if no opportunity for a championship presents itself in Indiana (Twitter link).
We’d heard yesterday that the Lakers had inquired on George’s availability, but discussions- between team presidents Magic Johnson and Larry Bird- didn’t get past pleasantries. It appeared at the time that Indiana was simply feeling out the market for George, though the 26-year-old has been mentioned in several rumors today.
George has a player option worth $20,703,384 for the 2017/18 season.
Eastern Notes: Hawks, Celtics, Butler, Knicks
Whether it’s via trade or free agency, the Hawks are planning to add a third point guard to their roster, head coach Mike Budenholzer said today (Twitter link via Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution). Dennis Schroder has had a very solid season in Atlanta, but Malcolm Delaney has been up and down as his backup, and the team doesn’t really have additional depth at the position.
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- On The Vertical’s live trade deadline show, Adrian Wojnarowski suggested that one reason the Celtics and Bulls haven’t moved forward in Jimmy Butler talks is because the Bulls would want at least a couple players capable of joining their rotation immediately, and Boston is more interested in using draft picks in a potential package.
- The Knicks have yet to budge on their insistence that the Timberwolves add an additional player or draft pick to a Ricky Rubio/Derrick Rose swap, according to Ian Begley of ESPN.com. As Begley notes, it’ll be interesting to see if either side budges before the deadline.
- J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com takes a closer look at why the Wizards targeted Bojan Bogdanovic and were willing to give up a first-round pick for him.
Trade Rumors: C. Lee, Clippers, Pacers, Jazz, Kings
Earlier today, we heard that the Clippers recently showed interest in Courtney Lee, and according to Ian Begley and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com, the Clips and Knicks continue to talk. New York has been seeking draft picks in discussions on Lee and other players, and the Clippers don’t have any immediate first-rounders to offer, as Begley notes. So if the Knicks want to send Lee to Los Angeles, they may have to settle for a player or get a third team involved.
Here are more of the latest trade rumors from around the NBA:
- The Pacers have been talking to teams about possible trades that would allow them to clear roster spots, tweets ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. As Windhorst notes, teams suspect that might be related to their talks with the Celtics regarding Paul George. Of course, Indiana may also just be doing due diligence as well in case Boston ups its offer — the Pacers wouldn’t want to be stuck having to waive useful players to make a deal work.
- The Jazz don’t appear likely at this point to make a deal, says Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com (via Twitter). TNT’s David Aldridge notes (via Twitter) that Utah could still make a move for Deron Williams, but if Williams isn’t dealt, the veteran point guard won’t ask for a buyout from the Mavericks.
- The Kings continue to mull their options, but don’t appear to be moving forward with talks for players like Darren Collison and Arron Afflalo for now, according to Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post (Twitter link), who adds that Sacramento’s asking prices may be too high. If those prices come down, things could change.
- The Wizards continue to work the phones, but aren’t overly optimistic about getting another deal done by the deadline, tweets Bontemps.
- The market for Iman Shumpert appears to be cooling as the deadline approaches, per Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net (Twitter link). Amico says that teams are asking for a draft pick from the Cavaliers, and Cleveland doesn’t have many picks left.