Pacers Rumors: George, Afflalo, Crabbe, Davis
The latest Woj Bomb from Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical is a report suggesting that the Pacers are gauging the trade market for Paul George. Wojnarowski’s story hardly guarantees that George will be on the move in the next 24 hours, but after we heard for most of the season that the Pacers wouldn’t even consider a trade, it now appears that the team is a little more open to the possibility.
With that in mind, here are a few of the latest Pacers-related notes and rumors:
- George met with Pacers owner Herb Simon in recent days and said he’d love to remain with the Pacers for the long term, according to Sam Amick of USA Today. However, that stance came with a caveat, says Amick — Indiana needs to be capable of contending for a title if George is going to stay. As Amick explains, that’s why the Pacers need to decide very soon whether to be aggressive in fortifying the roster around George or whether to move him and rebuild.
- The Lakers are considered a potential landing spot for George in free agency in 2018, but Amick writes that L.A. may not want to wait that long. New president of basketball operations Magic Johnson is already in the process of trying to land the Pacers forward, per Amick.
- Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net confirms (via Twitter) that Magic Johnson plans to call the Pacers about George before the deadline, and the two heads of basketball operations in Indiana and Los Angeles already know one another pretty well. In the view of Gregg Doyel of The Indianapolis Star (via Twitter), the fact that new George rumors have surfaced shortly after Johnson’s hiring in L.A. is “not a coincidence.”
- Despite the Lakers‘ interest in George, Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times and Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News (Twitter links) downplay the likelihood of the team going all-in for him at this point.
- If the Pacers don’t move George and look to upgrade their roster, there are a number of options in play for the club. Amick identifies Jahlil Okafor, Arron Afflalo, Allen Crabbe, and Ed Davis as players that Larry Bird has inquired on as the deadline nears. We heard about Indiana’s Okafor talks on Tuesday.
Trade Rumors: Shumpert, Rockets, Wizards, Hawks
Although the Cavaliers have shown a willingness this season to move Iman Shumpert, the team has become a little more wary of a deal lately with J.R. Smith sidelined, per Marc Stein and Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com. The Rockets are interested in Shumpert, but don’t want to give up Patrick Beverley in a deal, as we heard this afternoon.
Despite Houston’s interest in Shumpert, a league source tells Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com that the Cavs don’t like what the Rockets are offering. According to Stein and Watkins, K.J. McDaniels is believed to be a part of Houston’s offer, though it’s not clear what other pieces the Rockets would put on the table.
While we wait to see if the Rockets and Cavs can move closer to a deal within the next 24 hours, let’s check in on a few more trade rumors and notes…
- The Wizards aren’t just looking for a scorer, according to J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com, who says (via Twitter) that the team is seeking another defender as well. Washington has been linked to P.J. Tucker, so the report makes sense. Michael adds (via Twitter) that it will be difficult to get someone one player capable of meeting both criteria, but the club appears willing to acquire a rental if it’s the right player.
- In an interview with Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (video link), Hawks GM Wes Wilcox strongly reiterated that Paul Millsap isn’t going anywhere at the trade deadline, and will be the team’s top priority in free agency this summer. Wilcox also confirmed that Atlanta is approaching the deadline as a buyer.
- Asked today about the Pistons‘ trade possibilites, head coach Stan Van Gundy said that the team hasn’t gone into trade discussions with a specific goal in mind. “We’ve been more open to listening and looking at things,” Van Gundy said, per Rod Beard of The Detroit News (Twitter link). Reports have suggested that the Pistons have listened to inquiries on guys like Andre Drummond and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, so the club isn’t closing the door on any possibilties.
Cavs Sign Derrick Williams To Second 10-Day Deal
FEBRUARY 22: Williams’ new 10-day contract with the Cavaliers is now official, the team announced today in a press release. When the deal expires, Cleveland will have to make a rest-of-season decision on Williams, and for now he looks like a good bet to stick with the team.
FEBRUARY 21: The Cavaliers will sign Derrick Williams to a second 10-day contract on Wednesday, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com reports. Williams’ first 10-day deal with the team expired during All-Star weekend.
Vardon notes that it’s likely the combo forward remains with the team for the remainder of the season. It was previously reported that Williams had done enough to secure another deal with the team and LeBron James has said he wants to see him in Cleveland long-term.
“We hope that this is a long-term thing,” James said. “He’s 25-years old. It doesn’t seem like it because we’ve been hearing his name for so long. But he’s 25, he hasn’t even gotten to his potential, to his prime yet. So hopefully this group, this locker room, myself, my leadership — just want to see him grow every day, and it’s a good place for him.”
Vardon notes that if the Cavs need a roster spot to complete a trade, they could terminate the contract and then re-sign him later for the entire season. After Williams officially signs the new 10-day deal, the team will have 14 players under contract.
Patrick Beverley Drawing Interest, Unlikely To Be Dealt
Rockets point guard Patrick Beverley is receiving interest on the trade market, reports Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com, who says that that the Bulls, Knicks, and Cavaliers are the primary suitors for Beverley. However, Watkins adds that Beverley would prefer to remain in Houston, and the team currently has no plans to move him (Twitter link).
Having agreed to acquire Lou Williams from the Lakers, the Rockets now have a little more depth in their backcourt, and with James Harden handling point guard duties for the club, perhaps rival teams saw an opportunity to pry Beverley away. However, the Rockets front office and coaches strongly value what Beverley brings to the club, as Watkins writes.
Beverley is a hard-nosed defender on a team known more for its offensive prowess. The 28-year-old also has a very favorable contract. After earning $6MM this season, he’ll make approximately $5.5MM next season and only about $5MM in 2018/19.
Earlier today, we learned that the Rockets have some interest in Iman Shumpert, and the Cavaliers would want Beverley in a deal involving Shumpert, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein (via Twitter). It’s not clear what Chicago or New York would be willing to offer for the veteran guard.
Pacers Gauging Trade Market For Paul George
The Pacers are gauging the trade market for Paul George and assessing their All-Star forward’s value, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.
According to Wojnarowski, Indiana has engaged with teams on “parallel fronts” this week. As we heard last Friday, the Pacers are exploring ways to upgrade their current roster, dangling their 2017 first-round pick and looking to convince George to eventually re-sign. However, Wojnarowski says that the team has also considered the possibility of moving George and rebuilding around young center Myles Turner. The franchise will make a decision on which path to take by Thursday afternoon.
As Wojnarowski writes, there’s no urgency for the Pacers to move George at this time, since he remains under contract through the 2017/18 season. Pacers sources have told Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders that George isn’t available, and I expect it would take a massive offer for Indiana to change its stance on the 26-year-old.
Still, for the Pacers, keeping George isn’t without its risks. The Celtics, who have been linked to George and Jimmy Butler, are widely viewed as having the strongest trade assets for a potential blockbuster, so if Boston makes a serious play for Butler this week, that could potentially take a tantalizing package off the table for Indiana.
Additionally, according to Wojnarowski, George is considering re-signing with the Pacers in 2018, but has also mulled the possibility of joining his hometown Lakers. Indiana – or any team that trades for George – could run the risk of losing the star forward to L.A. next summer.
Trade Rumors: Knicks, C. Lee, Raptors, Collison
As of this afternoon, Carmelo Anthony still hasn’t been approached by Knicks management about any trade scenarios, and reiterated that he expects to remain in New York through the deadline, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN.com. However, even if Anthony stays put, the Knicks could look to move a veteran player or two. Derrick Rose‘s name has surfaced in several rumors this week, and Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders makes a case for why New York should send him to the Timberwolves for Ricky Rubio. Elsewhere at Basketball Insiders, Steve Kyler reports that veteran guard Courtney Lee is believed to be available.
Here are a few more trade rumors and notes from around the NBA:
- The Raptors remain in the market for a big small forward or a wing who can shoot, sources tell Josh Lewenberg of TSN 1050 (Twitter link). Lewenberg suggests that Toronto could dangle Jared Sullinger‘s expiring contract, a point guard, and a draft pick as the team searches for a deal.
- In the wake of the DeMarcus Cousins trade, Kings point guard Darren Collison told reporters that he has spoken to Vlade Divac and the Sacramento GM said there are no plans to trade Collison (video link via ABC10). Given how Divac and the Kings dealt with Cousins, it’s probably fair to take those assurances with a grain of salt.
- Speaking of that Cousins deal, Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post provides some additional details on the first-round pick sent to the Kings in the swap. According to Bontemps (Twitter link), if the Pelicans keep the top-three protected pick in 2017, it will become protected only for the No. 1 overall pick in 2018.
Rockets Seeking Trade For Player Earning $10-12MM
11:31am: Iman Shumpert is one player who has drawn interest from the Rockets, league sources tell ESPN’s Marc Stein (Twitter link). Shumpert is making a little under $10MM this year, and will earn a little over $10MM in 2017/18.
11:23am: The latest trade rumor involving the Rockets is both oddly specific and non-specific, as Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports (via Twitter) that the club is looking to acquire a player earning a salary in the $10-12MM range. Houston is offering expiring contracts and cash savings to potential trade partners, according to Wojnarowski.
[RELATED: Rockets to acquire Lou Williams]
The Rockets’ six highest-paid players – all of whom are key rotation pieces – are on multiyear contracts, but players like K.J. McDaniels ($3.33MM), Nene ($2.898MM), and Tyler Ennis ($1.734MM) have no guaranteed money on their deals beyond this season, and could be among the pieces Houston would put on the table. Combining those three salaries would allow the Rockets to take back up to approximately $12MM.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that Houston already has nearly $88MM in guaranteed contracts on its books for the 2017/18 season, per Basketball Insiders. Acquiring a player earning $10-12MM for next season would take the team right up near the projected cap ($102MM), so GM Daryl Morey may be looking to use that room on a deadline acquisition instead of a summer free agent. If they were up against the cap, the Rockets would still have the mid-level exception to use in July to entice a free agent.
Having already struck a deal for Lou Williams, the Rockets will likely be focusing on adding a frontcourt player next. There’s no shortage of potential trade candidates in the $10-12MM range, but one potentially intriguing option would be Wilson Chandler.
Chandler is earning $11.233MM this season and $12MM+ next year, and was linked to the Rockets earlier this week. TNT’s David Aldridge tweeted last night that Denver remains on the lookout for a first-round pick and an expiring contract for Chandler or Danilo Gallinari, so perhaps there’s a fit there, though Houston is sending its 2017 first-rounder to the Lakers in the Williams deal.
DeMarcus Cousins Talks Trade, Kings, Davis
In his introductory press conference today, new Pelicans center DeMarcus Cousins told reporters that he still hasn’t spoken to anyone from the Kings since the trade sending him to New Orleans was made (Twitter link). According to Cousins, Sacramento general manager Vlade Divac attempted to call Cousins after the deal was finalized, but Cousins said “it’s done” (Twitter link via Justin Verrier of ESPN.com).
As Cousins explained to the media today, the hardest part about being traded was the “dishonesty” with which the Kings operated (Twitter link via Verrier). Sacramento had vowed multiple times, both publicly and privately, that Cousins wouldn’t be going anywhere this season, and it’s rare for a team to make that sort of promise to a player, then do an abrupt about-face.
Still, Cousins said today that he’s “all-in” on the Pelicans, though he wouldn’t yet comment on the possibility of signing an extension with the team (Twitter link via Ben Golliver of SI.com). Cousins is technically eligible to sign an extension now, though he could get more years and dollars beginning in July, when the new CBA goes into effect. Of course, by changing teams, he’ll miss out on an opportunity to sign a designated veteran extension with Sacramento, reducing his maximum possible earnings by about $30MM.
Cousins, who referred to himself and Anthony Davis as a “fire and ice” combination, said that he tried to sell the former No. 1 overall pick on Sacramento earlier this month when the Kings played the Pelicans (Twitter link via Golliver). Davis returned the favor, sending a text that said “I really want you to come to New Orleans” before the two teams agreed to a trade on Sunday night, Cousins confirmed today (Twitter link).
Eastern Notes: Bulls, Celtics, Hawks, Raptors
According to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, the Bulls‘ four primary decision-makers aren’t necessarily on the same page when it comes to how to approach the Jimmy Butler situation. Per O’Connor, GM Gar Forman is “comfortable with the status quo,” and owner Jerry Reinsdorf and president Michael Reinsdorf prefer to hang onto Butler. However, vice president of basketball operations John Paxson “sees the writing on the wall,” per one executive, and would be more open to a rebuild.
As we wait to see which direction the Bulls opt for on Thursday, let’s check out a few more notes from around the Eastern Conference…
- As we’ve heard all season, the Celtics remain reluctant to cash in their assets for anything short of a star player. If Boston doesn’t get an offer it likes, the team may be satisfied to hang onto both Nets picks and embark on “a longer-term (but potentially more lasting) build,” writes Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald.
- After playing out two 10-day contracts with the Hawks, Lamar Patterson has returned to the D-League’s Reno Bighorns, tweets Chris Reichert of The Step Back. That doesn’t necessarily mean that Patterson won’t return to Atlanta or another NBA club at some point this season, but many free agents are in a holding pattern until after the trade deadline passes.
- Speaking of those Hawks, head coach and president of basketball operations Mike Budenholzer says he wants to balance the club’s short- and long-term interests as Atlanta explores deadline deals, per Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution. Although Budenholzer says he’d be happy with his roster even if the team stands pat, Vivlamore hears that the Hawks have been “very active as buyers” as they explore possible moves.
- Ryan Wolstat of the Postmedia Network poses – and attempts to answer – a handful of burning Raptors questions, including whether Masai Ujiri has another trade up his sleeve before Thursday’s deadline.
And-Ones: Trade Rules, BIG3, Georges-Hunt
New NBA rules allow teams to place protections on draft picks that they’re in line to acquire if they want to flip them to another team, according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe. As Lowe explains, if the Celtics wanted to trade the rights to the Nets‘ 2017 first-rounder, they wouldn’t necessarily have to make it unprotected — the club could, for instance, trade the Nets pick to another team with top-two protection, then if Boston keeps the selection, that team could get Brooklyn’s unprotected pick from the C’s in 2018.
As we wait to see if the Celtics or another team takes advantage of that rule, let’s round up a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world…
- The BIG3 has formally announced a new group of 10 players who will be eligible for the upcoming draft. Keith Bogans, Rashad McCants, Voshon Lenard, and Mike James are among the former NBA players set to participate in the three-on-three league.
- Marcus Georges-Hunt‘s recent 10-day contract with the Heat has expired, but the rookie is drawing interest from multiple NBA teams, a league source tells Chris Reichert of The Step Back (Twitter link).
- After previously playing a game in 2015 in Johannesburg, South Africa, the NBA will be returning to the city this summer, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com. Team Africa will take on Team World at Johannesburg’s Ticketpro Dome on August 5, the league confirmed.
- Bobby Marks of The Vertical continues to publish his team-by-team trade guides this week, focusing more recently on playoff teams. Marks takes a closer look at the Celtics and Rockets, as well as the Raptors and Jazz.