Trade Deadline Outlook: Southeast Division
In the days leading up to the February 23 trade deadline, Hoops Rumors will be taking a closer look at each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. We’ll be identifying each team as a buyer, seller, or something in between, and discussing which teams and players are most likely to be involved in deals this month. We’ve already covered the Atlantic and Northwest. Today, we’re examining the Southeast.
Buyers:
The Wizards (33-21) have been one of the NBA’s best teams since the first 10 games of the 2016/17 season, but their roster probably isn’t quite deep or talented enough to match up to a healthy Cavaliers squad in the playoffs. Washington doesn’t exactly have a huge collection of promising young players to dangle in trade talks, but the team does have all of its future first-round picks, and could use at least one of them to strengthen its rotation. A deal similar to last year’s Markieff Morris acquisition wouldn’t move the needle enough to make the Wizards conference favorites, but it would make the club a little more dangerous in the postseason without mortgaging much of its future.
The Southeast’s second-place team, the Hawks (32-24), looked like sellers a month ago, but the team is prepared to buy now, and has several future draft picks and expiring contracts to dangle in trade discussions. As some observers have pointed out, Atlanta actually looks like a good fit for Carmelo Anthony, matching up better as a trade partner for the Knicks than most of Carmelo’s preferred destinations. Anthony’s no-trade clause makes a move to the Hawks extremely unlikely though, so the team will have to look elsewhere for scoring help on the wing or in the backcourt.
Sixers Notes: Simmons, Trade Talks, Colangelo
Although head coach Brett Brown indicated earlier this week that Ben Simmons‘ recovery is progressing at a deliberately slow and careful pace, the Sixers still expect to get their No. 1 pick on the court at some point this season.
“Our plan is to still see him on the court, playing games,” Brown told ESPN’s Jeff Goodman on Wednesday. “We just don’t know when. … I fully expect him to play this season. He thinks that, and he’s motivated to play.”
Of course, as Goodman notes, even though Simmons and Brown are on board with the 20-year-old making his NBA debut this season, that decision will ultimately be made by Sixers management. Despite some promising stretches this season, the Sixers aren’t currently close to a playoff spot, with a 21-35 record placing them 13th in the East. As such, it makes sense for the franchise to be careful with Simmons and Joel Embiid in the season’s final two months.
Let’s round up a few more Sixers notes…
- Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link) has been told that the Sixers remain active in trade talks on “almost anyone not named Embiid or Simmons.”
- Sixers general manager Bryan Colangelo hasn’t looked all that good lately, having been evasive about the nature of Embiid’s knee injury and then not completing a Jahlil Okafor deal as the team held him out of the lineup for two games due to swirling trade rumors. In separate pieces, John Smallwood of The Philadelphia Daily News and John Gonzalez of The Ringer examine Colangelo’s recent performance.
- January was the Sixers’ best month in three years, but February has been dominated by off-court headlines so far, and Philadelphia fans deserve better, writes Mike Kern of The Philadelphia Daily News.
Hawks Actively Looking To Add To Roster
At the time that the Hawks sent Kyle Korver to the Cavaliers last month, it looked like a fire sale may be imminent in Atlanta. However, the team pulled Paul Millsap off the market shortly thereafter and has solidified its hold on a top-five spot in the Eastern Conference. Now, with the trade deadline approaching, the Hawks are actively looking to add to their roster, according to Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Although Vivlamore doesn’t specify any particular players the Hawks are targeting, he notes that the team has several assets that could be used in a trade in the next seven days. The Hawks have had discussions with teams about Thabo Sefolosha and Tim Hardaway Jr., per Vivlamore, and those are just two of the many Atlanta players headed for free agency this summer. Tiago Splitter, Kris Humphries, Mike Muscala, and Mike Scott are on expiring deals too — so is Millsap, though the Hawks have said he’s not going anywhere.
In addition to those veteran players that could be included in deals, the Hawks will have a spot opening on their roster on Friday if they don’t re-sign Lamar Patterson, whose 10-day contract is set to expire. The team also has a collection of extra draft picks, including future first-rounders from the Timberwolves and Cavaliers.
Millsap and Dwight Howard have given Atlanta some solid production in the frontcourt this season, and Dennis Schroder has been effective at the point, but the team’s roster lacks additional impact players. A third big man, a backcourt scorer, or another wing are all options for the Hawks if they do make a move.
Tyronn Lue Denies Knowingly Playing Kevin Love Through Injury
FEBRUARY 16, 8:31am: Lue has backtracked on his earlier comments, telling reporters late last night that he misinterpreted a question about Love, Vardon writes in a new piece for Cleveland.com. According to Vardon, Cavs sources reviewed Lue’s comments and told reporters that the head coach misspoke — he was apparently referring to when Love suffered the injury, rather than when he learned about it.
FEBRUARY 15, 8:00pm: Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue knew Kevin Love was having knee problems when he played in the second night of a back-to-back last week, writes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com.
Love is expected to be out of action for six weeks after having surgery Tuesday to clean up “loose bodies” in his left knee. After the Cavs played last Wednesday, Lue indicated he would rest Love, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving for the next night’s game, but later changed his mind and played all three.
“It was already [hurt], loose bodies were already in there so he just played through it,” Lue explained to reporters tonight, “and then after it got to a certain point he got the MRI and he found out it was loose bodies floating around.”
The coach added that he didn’t regret his decision to play Love because he “was already heading for surgery.” All three players reportedly told Lue that they wanted to play.
An unidentified team source differed with Lue’s account, telling Vardon that Love banged his knee before Wednesday’s game, but the problem didn’t become fully evident until it swelled on Saturday.
Vardon notes that the incident raises questions about Cleveland’s stated commitment to giving players the proper rest before the playoffs. Lue said he will approach back-to-back situations differently through the rest of the season.
Western Notes: Kings, Tolliver, Kanter, Trade Deadline
The Kings are in position to be players at the trade deadline, but first they must decide which direction they want to pursue, writes James Ham of CSNBayArea. Sacramento entered tonight just a game and a half out of a playoff spot, but a 24-32 record suggests a lot of improvement is still needed. The Kings can’t offer a draft pick before 2021, but they have several expiring contracts to deal, including Ty Lawson, Darren Collison and Omri Casspi. Kosta Koufos has been the subject of trade rumors, and Olympics star Bogdan Bogdanovic, currently playing in Turkey, could be a valuable trade chip.
There’s more tonight from the Western Conference:
- Veteran forward Anthony Tolliver is hoping his stay in Sacramento won’t get cut short, relays Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee. A rash of injuries has created more playing time for the 31-year-old, and he has responded by shooting a career-best 45% from the field and 40% from 3-point range. Tolliver signed a two-year, $16MM deal over the summer, but only $2MM of his $8MM salary for next season is guaranteed before June 1st. That might make him attractive on the trade market for a team looking to cut salary, or the Kings could decide to save money by not bringing him back next season.
- Thunder backup center Enes Kanter had the cast removed from his fractured right forearm, according to Erik Horne of The Oklahoman. Kanter had surgery January 27th and is scheduled to be re-evaluated February 24th. His recovery time was originally projected at four to eight weeks. Kanter says he knows when he should be able to play again, but doesn’t want to release it publicly, fearing it might put pressure on him or the organization to hit the target date.
- Bobby Marks of The Vertical examines trade possibilities for the Clippers, Grizzlies and Thunder as next week’s deadline approaches. All three teams have dealt with major injuries this season.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 2/15/17
After a quiet Tuesday in terms of D-League moves, we have a few assignments and recalls to pass along for Wednesday. Here’s the latest:
10:15pm:
- The Raptors have recalled Bruno Caboclo from Raptors 905, the team announced in a tweet. The third-year forward has played just eight NBA games this season.
- The Grizzlies have recalled guard Wade Baldwin, center Deyonta Davis and forward Jarell Martin from their affiliate in Iowa.
- The Heat are sending Okaro White to their Sioux Falls affiliate so he will be eligible for the D-League All-Star Game, tweets Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel.
1:31pm:
- The Pelicans have recalled rookie forward Cheick Diallo from the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. Diallo had been playing for Charlotte’s D-League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, since New Orleans doesn’t have an affiliate of its own. He averaged 17. 0 PPG and 11.3 RPG in six games with the Swarm.
- Rookies Chinanu Onuaku and Kyle Wiltjer have been recalled from the D-League by the Rockets, according to the team (Twitter link). The duo helped lead the Rio Grande Valley Vipers to a dramatic win on Tuesday, totaling 55 points and 16 rebounds between them.
- The Pacers have recalled Rakeem Christmas from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the team announced today in a press release. The D-League’s All-Star break is now underway, which is why Christmas and others are being recalled to their NBA teams today.
Lance Stephenson Injured; Roster Spot In Jeopardy
An injury could cost Lance Stephenson a roster spot for the second time this season, writes Jerry Zgoda of The Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Stephenson suffered a Grade 2 ankle sprain Tuesday, which could sideline him for several weeks. The 10-day contract that he signed with Minnesota on February 8th will expire during the All-Star break, leaving the Timberwolves with a decision of whether they want to tie up a roster spot while he recovers.
“I don’t know, we’ll have to see how he responds,” Wolves coach/executive Tom Thibodeau said tonight when asked about Stephenson’s status. “I like the things he did when he was here.”
Stephenson appeared in four games for Minnesota, averaging 4.3 points and 1.8 rebounds in about 12 minutes per night.
The team didn’t offer any prognosis for Stephenson’s recovery, but Zgoda notes that a Grade 2 sprain usually involves a partial ligament tear, which involves rehab of three to four weeks and sometimes longer. He twisted his left ankle in the second quarter of Tuesday’s game with the Cavaliers and had to be helped off the court.
Stephenson suffered a similar fate in November when he had a severe groin injury while playing for the Pelicans. New Orleans felt it needed a healthy player, so the team waived Stephenson to sign Archie Goodwin. The move drew criticism from around the league, and Stephenson said that although he understood why the Pelicans did it, he thought it showed a lack of faith in him.
Knicks Notes: Green, Dolan, Anthony, Rose
The Warriors’ Draymond Green is the latest player to suggest that the turmoil surrounding the Knicks will keep free agents away, relays Ian Begley of ESPN.com. Green was especially critical of James Dolan for last week’s altercation with Charles Oakley, saying the team owner has a “slave master mentality” toward the former player. “When you look at what’s going on now with the [Carmelo Anthony] situation in their organization and now how you do a legend in Charles Oakley, I don’t know a free agent that would want to go there,” Green said. “I don’t know someone who would really want to go there.” Green also blasted Dolan for suggesting that Oakley has a problem with drinking or anger management.
There’s more tonight out of New York:
- Anthony offers a different opinion, saying he believes the Knicks can overcome their off-court problems and improve through free agency, relays Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. “I think the way the deals are structured now, even if you don’t want to come there’s an opportunity for you to make more money,” Anthony said. “A lot of times players look at that, that kind of overshadows other situations.”
- Point guard Derrick Rose is headed toward free agency, but he says money won’t be the determining factor in where he signs his next contract, Bondy writes in a separate piece. Rose watched huge deals being handed out last offseason, but claims that isn’t what motivates him. “I always been driven by playing basketball and wanting to be the best,” he said. “… You see numbers, you can’t look over them. But I’m just happy that I have an opportunity for them to see how I perform and let them see what I’m worth.” Rose adds that he hasn’t talked to team president Phil Jackson or GM Steve Mills about a possible trade or his long-term future in New York.
- Anthony has been chosen to replace Kevin Love in the All-Star Game, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. It will be his eighth straight All-Star appearance and his 10th overall.
Florida Notes: Ibaka, Ross, Wade, Riley
The Magic are viewing last summer’s trade for Serge Ibaka as a “calculated risk” that didn’t work out, relays Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. To obtain the veteran power forward, Orlando sent Victor Oladipo and Ersan Ilyasova to Oklahoma City, along with the 11th pick in the 2016 draft, which became Domantas Sabonis. Less than a year later, the Magic shipped Ibaka to the Raptors in exchange for Terrence Ross and a pick that will fall toward the end of the first round. Ibaka played 56 games for the Magic, averaging 15.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per night, but the team was just 21-36 with him on the roster.
“I think if you go back in time, you look at what was needed for us in the frontcourt and some of the voids we thought we had on the roster,” explained GM Rob Hennigan. “Then, you balance that with the logjam we had at the two guard at the time with Evan [Fournier] and Victor, we felt like it made sense. Sometimes you have to take a few shots down the field. Sometimes it pans out; sometimes it won’t. I applaud our aggressiveness. I think given the same situation, circumstantially, we would make the same trade. Sometimes, things don’t work out as you plan. I think it’s important to be proactive in trying to rectify that too.”
There’s more NBA news from the Sunshine State:
- Ross was inactive for tonight’s game, according to a tweet from the Magic. The team wasn’t notified before game time that both players passed their physicals and the deal was finalized, according to Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link).
- The Heat had been tied to Ibaka in trade rumors, but weren’t interested in trying to top Toronto’s offer, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. They were reluctant to give up much for a player who will be a free agent after the season and who may be older than his listed age of 27. Also, Miami wasn’t able to offer a first-round pick this year because its 2018 first-rounder may be shipped to Phoenix. Winderman notes that Tyler Johnson can block any trade until July and that most of the roster wouldn’t have enticed the Magic. The writer believes Josh Richardson would have been Miami’s best offer.
- A call from Heat president Pat Riley might have convinced Dwyane Wade to stay in Miami, the Bulls star says in a podcast with Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. Wade opted to sign with Chicago last summer after negotiations with the Heat stalled. “I love Pat and I know he loves me,” Wade said. “The fact that we didn’t talk, that hurt. That was my deciding factor when it came down to the end of the day and he didn’t show he wanted me there. I know the Arison family loved me and wanted me there. I know Spo [coach Erik Spoelstra] wanted me there.”
Raptors Notes: Ibaka, Ujiri, Biyombo, Powell
Power forward Serge Ibaka, who was acquired Tuesday in a trade with the Magic, won’t be making his Raptors debut tonight, the team announced (Twitter link). Ibaka passed his physical and was available for the game, but Michael Grange of Rogers SportsNet tweets that Toronto coach Dwane Casey decided to hold him out after today’s walkthrough, citing a hectic past 36 hours. Ibaka’s first game in a Raptors uniform will take place after the All-Star break on February 24th.
There’s more news out of Toronto:
- The Ibaka deal raises the stakes for the Raptors, Grange writes in a full story. Ibaka fills an obvious need for Toronto and immediately becomes the organization’s most experienced postseason player. Grange calls it a risk-free trade and notes that Pascal Siakam, Jakob Poeltl and Lucas Nogueira have made most of the starts at power forward this season after having a combined seven career starts coming into this year. “I think our team needed a boost, to be honest,” said team president Masai Ujiri, “and we’re at that point where I think everybody knows, it’s not rocket science, that [a starting power forward] was a missing link on our team.”
- Ibaka said he heard great things about Toronto from former Magic teammate Bismack Biyombo long before the trade took place, relays Josh Lewenburg of TSN Sports (Twitter link). Biyombo spent last season with the Raptors before signing with Orlando in July. “He always told me stories,” Ibaka said. “… He loves it here.”
- Second-year shooting guard Norman Powell can expect more playing time with Ross gone, according to Lewenburg (Twitter link). However, Casey wants Powell to concentrate more on defense and less on shooting than Ross did. Powell is averaging about 17 minutes and 7.2 points through 52 games.