Woj’s Latest: Bogdanovic, KCP, Butler, Sixers
The Kings still had four days to go before the 2017 trade deadline when they agreed to send DeMarcus Cousins to the Pelicans, but the team rushed to finalize the trade so that owner Vivek Ranadive wouldn’t change his mind about wanting to move the star center, Adrian Wojnarowski says in a podcast for The Vertical.
Both Wojnarowski and Bobby Marks were somewhat critical of the Kings, pointing out that the team should have been able to find a way to move Matt Barnes in the process of trading Cousins, rather than releasing him and eating his $6.4MM+ guaranteed salary for 2017/18. Wojnarowski also said that multiple free agents in recent years have used the Kings for leverage or turned down more money from Sacramento sign elsewhere, suggesting that the club needs to make good decisions and improve its reputation going forward.
The Vertical’s team, including Wojnarowski, Marks, and Chris Mannix, tackled many more topics within that podcast and a live chat with fans on Facebook, so let’s dive in and round up some of the highlights…
- The Wizards don’t want to trade a first-round pick for a rental player, but the team does have “significant interest” in Nets sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic, who will be a restricted free agent this summer. Wojnarowski also adds the Kings to the list of teams with real interest in Bogdanovic.
- Although the Pistons “love” Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, they’re hesitant about giving him a maximum salary contract in the offseason, so they have been open to listening to inquiries on him to gauge his value, says Wojnarowski. While Stan Van Gundy did say last month that no one on the roster is untouchable, a KCP deal seems like a long shot.
- If the Bulls are going to consider moving Jimmy Butler, they’ll need to blown away by an offer, per Wojnarowski. Mannix adds that the Celtics believe Jaylen Brown has star potential and would be very reluctant to include him in an offer for Butler.
- In recent weeks, the Sixers have shifted their focus from trading Nerlens Noel to trading Jahlil Okafor, but if the team doesn’t find a deal it likes for Okafor, Noel remains a trade candidate, says Wojnarowski. Although the Bulls have had “pretty consistent interest” in Okafor, Philadelphia continues to value him like a former third overall pick, and teams around the league are less bullish on his value, according to Woj.
- The Rockets, Thunder, and Hawks are among the teams on the lookout for help. Mannix says Houston remains in the market for a frontcourt piece, while Wojnarowski says the Thunder are still seeking a wing scorer. Woj also notes that Atlanta is focused on building around Paul Millsap, despite the fact that he can opt out this summer.
- The market for Nets center Brook Lopez is “really limited,” since the market is somewhat over-saturated with that type of player, says Wojnarowski.
- The Clippers are reluctant to give up any more draft picks, particularly for rental players, so they’re a candidate to dive into the buyout market after the deadline, according to Wojnarowski, who adds that the club has had some interest in Wilson Chandler and Nikola Mirotic.
- According to Wojnarowski, the Trail Blazers remain committed to Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum as core pieces, and are taking the long view on their roster rather than pushing for a playoff spot this season.
Cavaliers To Work Out Larry Sanders
The Cavaliers have had discussions with Joel Bell, the agent for free agent big man Larry Sanders, league sources tell Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net. Chris Haynes of ESPN.com tweets that Cleveland is believed to have a workout lined up with Sanders, while Keith Smith of RealGM adds (via Twitter) that the audition will happen today.
With Chris Andersen no longer on the roster and Kevin Love on the shelf with a knee injury, the Cavs are fairly thin in the frontcourt, so if Sanders impresses in his workout, he could earn a deal with the team, as Smith notes. Currently, the Cavs have 13 fully guaranteed contracts on their books, with Derrick Williams set to sign a new 10-day deal. That leaves one open roster spot, though I’d expect Cleveland to wait until after the trade deadline to make a decision on Sanders or any other free agent.
A first-round pick in 2010, Sanders hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2014/15 season, when he announced that he was leaving the game for personal reasons. The Bucks waived him under the stretch provision, and he remains on the team’s cap at about $1.866MM per season through 2021/22. That figure would be reduced by setoff if he signs with another organization.
Sanders, now 28, flashed promising upside during his initial stint in the NBA. In the 2012/13 season, the last time he was fully healthy, Sanders averaged 9.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game. Injuries and off-the-court problems limited him to 50 games over his last two seasons in the NBA.
Bell recently expressed optimism that his client would be on an NBA roster soon, telling Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times that a lot of teams had expressed interest in Sanders, and at least one of those clubs had made a contract offer.
Knicks Rumors: Rose, Carmelo, O’Quinn, Jennings
The Knicks have been actively exploring potential Derrick Rose trades with the deadline nearing, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (podcast link). As Wojnarowski notes, the club’s approach to Rose suggests there isn’t a ton of interest in re-signing him this summer.
According to Ian Begley of ESPN.com, some members of the Knicks organization are “wary” of taking on any long-term salary back in a deal for Rose, since the team could free up more than $21MM for 2017/18 by keeping the point guard’s expiring contract on the books.
As the Knicks mull what to do with Rose, here are a few more notes on the team from Wojnarowski and Begley:
- Rival executives around the NBA believed – as of Tuesday evening – that the Clippers and Celtics haven’t entirely closed the door on a Carmelo Anthony trade, writes Begley. Still, according to Wojnarowski, the Knicks have been underwhelmed by what teams are willing to give up for Anthony, reducing their motivation to move him.
- Per Wojnarowski, it’s possible that the Knicks hang onto Anthony through the deadline, then try to reopen trade scenarios around the 2017 draft. Begley reports that some people within the Clippers organization think that the All-Star forward would be open to waiving his no-trade clause and approving a move to Los Angeles in the summer.
- Even if the Knicks don’t move any marquee veterans, a deal this week is possible. According to Begley, teams have asked about guys like Kyle O’Quinn and Brandon Jennings in recent days.
Lakers Notes: Myers, Williams, Brewer
The Lakers are finalizing a deal with longtime player agent Rob Pelinka to be the team’s new GM, but he wasn’t the organization’s first choice for the job. Current Warriors GM Bob Myers was the team’s top choice for the gig, but the Lakers didn’t have confidence that Myers would be willing to leave Golden State, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.
Here’s more from Los Angeles:
- The Lakers had multiple offers which included first-round picks on the table for Lou Williams over the past few weeks, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com reports (Twitter links). Shelburne adds that the team was so confident that it could net a first-rounder, it offered that pick in DeMarcus Cousins negotiations.
- President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson said that he’s “already talked to five GM’s” and added that he’ll be the person handling trade inquiries going forward for the Lakers, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News relays (Twitter link).
- Corey Brewer didn’t expect the Rockets to trade him this season, but he’s looking forward to a new opportunity with the Lakers, as Mark Berman of Fox 26 passes along (Twitter link). “Yeah, I was shocked.“ Brewer said. “I’m going to be a Laker. So I have to make the most of that opportunity. I can talk to the young guys and try to help them. Brandon Ingram is going to be a really good player. So hopefully, I can take him under my wing, help him develop and be one of the best.”
Fantasy Hoops: Williams, Cousins, Hield
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Breaking Down The Trades: Part 2
The Lakers send Lou Williams to the Rockets for Corey Brewer and a future first-round pick.
Lou Williams was on the trade block all week and now that he’s heading to Houston, his fantasy value takes a hit. He still belongs on all season-long rosters, as he’s going to get a chance to contribute in high-powered offense. The Rockets rank second in the league in offensive efficiency and they’re fourth in PACE, so a reduced role doesn’t mean you’re dropping him.
Williams is having a career year in terms of efficiency. He’s hitting a career-high 38.6% of his 3-pointers this season and his true shooting percentage sits at 60.9%, which is also the highest of his career. His new teammate James Harden is one of the only guards with a higher player efficiency rating than Williams this season (Chris Paul, Westbrook and Isaiah Thomas are the only other guards with a higher PER).
Corey Brewer remains off the fantasy radar after the trade, but there’s a player on the Lakers who’s impacted by this trade. Jordan Clarkson should see his value rise considerably. Clarkson has played nearly 75% of his minutes alongside Williams this season and in fact, the two have played together the most minutes out of any two-man combination on the Lakers, per NBA.com. Williams led the team in usage rate this season and with him out of the picture, Clarkson could become a player worth rostering in every league.
Kings send DeMarcus Cousins and Omri Casspi to the Pelicans for Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway and a first-round pick.
“It’s ridiculous. It’s obvious what’s being done out here. It’s a nightly basis. I hope the world can see now what’s really going on out here. It’s getting ridiculous. It’s really ridiculous. … Yes. This is ridiculous, man. Ridiculous,” DeMarcus Cousin said.
How did that get up there? That’s what Cousins said about the referees after a game earlier this season and not what he said about the Kings organization after he was traded. Coincidentally, it’s what many casual observers were thinking when the Kings traded him in the middle of the night on Sunday. We passed along notes and reactions on the deal from reporters and teams from around the league and you can find them here, here and here. Let’s get into what the trade means in the fantasy realm.
For starters, Cousins isn’t going to keep up his historic usage rate. His 35.8% rate ranks second in the league behind Russell Westbrook and it would rank ninth all-time if he ended the season at that mark (Westbrook’s currently at 42.4%, which would be the best mark in league history if he maintains that rate through the end of the year).
Anthony Davis currently ranks 12th in the league with a metric of 29.6 and while both he and Cousins will see a decline in usage, it shouldn’t impact their fantasy values too much. Cousins is still a top-15 player overall and Davis remains in the top-5.
For the Kings’ side of the deal, it’ll be interesting to see if they agree to a buyout with Tyreke Evans. If he remains in town, he’s worth keeping an eye on. His minutes have been limited because of an ankle injury, but he played nearly 52 minutes in his final two contests before the All-Star break. He’ll have a great opportunity in Sacramento should he be healthy enough to stay on the court.
Willie Cauley-Stein will see his fantasy stock rise the most from this transaction. He’ll get to roam the paint in the Kings’ new free-flowing offense and he’s worth adding in all season long leagues.
Darren Collison should also see a boost in value if he remains on the team. He’s rumored to be on the trade block, so he may be a sell-high candidate in fantasy right now, as it’s unlikely that his new role will provide him with as much opportunity as he’s seen this season.
Buddy Hield may not be worth rostering right now, but it’s easy to envision him taking on a major role within a few weeks. Hield got off to a slow start to the season, but he’s made 43.0% of his 3-pointers since the start of December and he’s begun to look like an NBA player. Team owner Vivek Ranadive loves Hield’s game and it wouldn’t be ridiculous for the team put him in position to showcase his offensive skills. I’d speculate that the Kings eventually start to funnel him the ball akin to what the Sixers did during Michael Carter-Williams‘ and Nerlens Noel‘s respective rookie campaigns.
Fantasy questions? Take to the comment section below or tweet me at @CW_Crouse.
Statistics are current through the All-Star break.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 2/21/17
The NBA second half won’t get underway until Thursday, but with NBA and D-League teams returning from their respective All-Star breaks, assignments and recalls have gotten underway again. Here are Tuesday’s moves:
- The Jazz have recalled Joel Bolomboy from the Salt Lake City Stars following his participation in the weekend’s D-League All-Star game, per a team release. The rookie forward averaged 15.8 PPG and 13.2 RPG in 18 first-half NBADL games.
- Briante Weber has been recalled to the Warriors from Santa Cruz after playing in the D-League All-Star game, Golden State announced in a press release. Weber is still on his second 10-day contract with the Dubs, though the team could waive him at the trade deadline if it needs to open up that 15th roster spot.
- One other D-League All-Star is back with his NBA team, as the Heat confirmed that they’ve recalled Okaro White. White has been with the Heat since mid-January, but his early-season play with the Sioux Falls Skyforce earned him a spot in the D-League All-Star Game.
- The Nuggets have sent 2016 first-rounder Malik Beasley back to the D-League, the team announced in a press release. It’s the third assignment this season for Beasley, who will head to Sioux Falls and join Miami’s affiliate, since Denver doesn’t yet have a D-League team of its own.
- The Raptors have sent Bruno Caboclo, Pascal Siakam, and Fred VanVleet to the D-League, according to the team (Twitter link). Caboclo and VanVleet have gone back and forth between the NBA and NBADL all year, but it’s Siakam’s first assignment.
- Rookies Chinanu Onuaku and Kyle Wiltjer have been re-assigned to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rockets announced today (via Twitter).
- The Trail Blazers have assigned rookie guard Tim Quarterman to the D-League, according to a press release from the team. Quarterman joined the Windy City Bulls in his previous two NBADL stints via the flexible assignment rule, but will head to the Long Island Nets this time around.
Mavs Open To Trading Deron Williams, Jazz Interested
The Jazz have expressed interest in bringing Deron Williams back to Utah through a trade with the Mavericks, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com. The scribe adds that Dallas is open to trading both Williams and Andrew Bogut before the deadline, but he cautions that no deal is imminent.
The point guard is making $9MM this season and since it was a one-year deal with the same team he played for in the prior season, he has the right to block any trade. MacMahon adds that Williams still has a home in the Salt Lake City area and he enjoys Utah. He was drafted by the Jazz with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2005 draft before being traded to the Nets midway through the 2010/11 campaign.
The Jazz are roughly $13.6MM under the salary cap, but they do have 15 players under contract, as the team’s depth chart at Roster Resource indicates, so they would need to either send back or waive a player to complete a deal.
George Hill will likely remain the starter, but he’s missed 25 games this season because of injury. The team is 23-9 with Hill in the lineup, but just 12-13 when he’s unable to play. Utah could use depth at the point guard spot as it looks to make the playoffs for the first time since trading away Williams.
Wizards Interested In Shabazz Muhammad
The Wizards continue to search for help off the bench and they have shown interest in Shabazz Muhammad, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post tweets that the team is looking for someone who will remain under team control past this season. Muhammad will be a restricted free agent after the season.
It was reported earlier this week that the team would like to add a wing. Washington has been linked to P.J. Tucker, though he’ll be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
John Wall recently said that he expects the team to make a move before the deadline. “We’re looking at some options to help our bench out. Other than that I don’t know. I haven’t talked to [GM Ernie Grunfeld] about it.”
Celtics Notes: Drummond, George, Bradley
The Celtics would be a potential landing spot for Andre Drummond if the Pistons are open to moving their young center, a source tells A. Sherrod Blakely of CSN New England. Blakely wonders if Boston, having shown little interest in DeMarcus Cousins before he was dealt, could instead be eyeing a big man like Drummond.
While we’ve known for some time that the Pistons are open to dealing anybody on the roster at the right price, Drummond’s recent behavior on Twitter, Blakely argues, could indicate that something is brewing. Earlier today, Drummond retweeted an eyeball emoji tweet that Isaiah Thomas sent out. Worth noting, Blakely writes, is that the point guard did exactly such a thing shortly before the Celtics added Al Horford in the summer. Later, Drummond posted his own eyeball emoji tweet and removed all references to the Pistons from his Twitter biography.
Tempering expectations on the Drummond speculation is Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press, who says that multiple people with firsthand knowledge of the Pistons claim it’s very likely the 23-year-old stays in Detroit through the deadline.
There are a few more Celtics rumors bouncing around today:
- The Celtics may be unlikely to move one of their Nets picks for Jimmy Butler but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t include it in a deal for Pacers swingman Paul George. A CSN New England report filed Tuesday cites an article published by Frank Isola at the New York Daily News. “Everyone is talking about Butler to Boston but Danny Ainge and Larry Bird go way back. Paul George could be the sleeper,” said Isola’s source, an anonymous executive.
- One player that could make an interesting pieces at the trade deadline is Avery Bradley, says a recent CSN New England report. In a podcast, Zach Lowe of ESPN mentioned that Bradley will see his contract expire next season at the same time that Isaiah Thomas’ contract comes due and for that reason might be moved ahead of time.
- A report out of Toronto links the Celtics to both Jimmy Butler and Paul George but adds that the Celtics will likely hold onto their potential top pick. Ryan Wolstat of the National Post thinks Boston can offer an enticing package for Butler without including the pick.
Hornets, Rockets, Pelicans In Mix For Lou Williams
The Lakers’ front office turnover hasn’t stopped teams around the league from inquiring on Lou Williams. Speaking to reporters today, new Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson said that he has already spoken to 10 general managers, per Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). As Bill Oram of The Orange County Register notes (Twitter links), Johnson confirmed that most of his calls have been about Williams, adding that it will take “a lot” to get him.
As we’ve heard in the last 24 hours, the Jazz are in the mix for Williams, and so are the Wizards. However, they have plenty of competition. Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders reports (via Twitter) that the Rockets and Pelicans have also expressed interest in trading for Williams. Chris Haynes of ESPN.com adds Charlotte to the list of Williams suitors as well, tweeting that the Hornets have “aggressively” pursued the veteran guard.
With a 24-32 record, the Hornets aren’t currently in playoff position, but the team remains on the lookout for pieces to improve their 2016/17 roster, according to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. Deveney wrote earlier today Charlotte was one of many teams to inquire on Williams, suggesting that the Hornets have been looking for a scorer off the bench and depth at point guard.
A player like Williams would appeal to the Hornets and other clubs due to both his solid on-court production and his favorable contract. Despite only playing 24.2 minutes per game off the bench for the Lakers, Williams is averaging a career-high 18.6 PPG, and has established new career bests in three-pointers per game (2.1) and 3PT% (.386) so far. The 30-year-old is also earning just $7MM this season and remains under contract for $7MM in 2017/18.
According to both Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype and ESPN’s Marc Stein (Twitter links), teams around the NBA still expect Williams to be moved this week, despite the massive restructuring that took place in the Lakers’ front office.