LeBron Upset Cavs Didn’t Add George, Bledsoe?
Amid all the problems plaguing the Cavaliers this month, one underlying issue is LeBron James‘ frustration with the front office over not upgrading the roster, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Appearing on The Lowe Post podcast with ESPN’s Zach Lowe, Windhorst said James saw that the Cavs had a chance to land Paul George and Eric Bledsoe and was angry when both players ended up elsewhere.
Cleveland reportedly came close to acquiring George in a three-team trade shortly before the Pacers shipped him to the Thunder in early July. A deal was in place to trade Kevin Love to Denver in exchange for Gary Harris and the No. 13 pick, which the Cavaliers would have sent to Indiana to get George. Pacers president Kevin Pritchard had second thoughts about the trade and backed out before it was finalized.
The Cavaliers were also rumored to have interest in Bledsoe, who was among James’ summer workout partners and shares an agent in Rich Paul. Instead the Suns sent him to Milwaukee in exchange for little-used Greg Monroe and two draft picks.
“I’m sure if [Cavaliers owner] Dan Gilbert would ever speak freely, he probably never will, but he would say, ‘Well, I needed LeBron to commit past this year if I was going to trade, and LeBron wouldn’t commit, so therefore it’s LeBron’s fault this didn’t happen,'” Windhorst said. “Everybody’s going to have their own story. I’m just telling you that LeBron is there and he’s like, ‘We could have had Eric Bledsoe and Paul George, and instead we have a draft pick who I’m never going to meet [Brooklyn’s unprotected first-rounder] — Well, I don’t know about that, but I’m not meeting him this year — we have Isaiah Thomas, who is very clearly hampered and we have Jae Crowder, who’s having the worst year of his career.”
This offseason was the first for rookie GM Koby Altman, who was hired to replace David Griffin in late July. James had been a vocal defender of Griffin and questioned why the team refused to give him a new contract last season.
Nuggets Notes: Jokic, Hernangomez, Mudiay, Nurkic
The Nuggets will face a crucial decision with third-year center Nikola Jokic after this season, and Dan Feldman of NBC Sports examines the possibilities. Denver has a team option to keep Jokic for the minimum salary of a little more than $1.6MM next season, but that would make him an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2019. The Nuggets could choose to decline that option, making him a restricted free agent this summer with Denver being able to match any offers. Feldman estimates Jokic could get about $109MM [about $27MM annually] over four years in restricted free agency or $146MM over five years [about $29MM annually] in an offer from the Nuggets.
There are benefits to keeping Jokic on a minimum salary for another year with more than $110MM already committed for 12 players next season. Giving Jokic a max deal for 2018/19 could put the team so far into the luxury tax that it couldn’t escape by trading Kenneth Faried or Mason Plumlee. Opt-out decisions by Wilson Chandler [more than $12.8MM for next season] or Darrell Arthur [nearly $7.5MM] could help ease the tax burden, but neither is certain to do that.
There’s more today out of Denver:
- After being slowed by illness for much of the season, Juan Hernangomez is healthy and ready to contribute, relays Gina Mizell of The Denver Post. The second-year center contracted mononucleosis in October and was available for just two of the season’s first 12 games. He was sidelined by the flu in late December and has appeared in only 18 games so far. “I said to Coach [Michael Malone], ‘I’m ready if you need me,’” Hernangomez said. “I don’t say ‘I need to play.’ Of course I want to play. But I don’t [put] pressure on him, because he’s the coach and he makes the decisions. I just tell him I’m ready, in any case, and I’m ready to bring my energy.”
- The Nuggets need to admit Emmanuel Mudiay was a failed draft pick and find a veteran to help them reach the playoffs, contends Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post. The seventh pick in the 2015 draft, Mudiay has struggled with his shot since coming to Denver. Kizsla suggests Sacramento’s George Hill as an option, although the Kings would have to be persuaded to take Faried’s contract in return, or possibly Orlando’s D.J. Augustin as a lower-cost option.
- Jusuf Nurkic made his first trip back to Denver this week since being traded to Portland last year and wasn’t eager to reminisce, Mizell writes in a separate story. Nurkic said he has “no relationship” with Malone. “Everybody knows why we didn’t work [in Denver],” Nurkic said. “To be honest, I’m happy I’m here. The story’s over. I have a new story, and I’m really excited where I am.”
Southeast Notes: Whiteside, Heat, Howard, Wall
Heat center Hassan Whiteside believes his team’s lack of national exposure contributed to him being overlooked for the All-Star Game, relays Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Whiteside is having a solid season, averaging 14.7 points and 11.8 rebounds per night, and the Heat are fourth in the East at 27-20, but Kristaps Porzingis, Kevin Love and Al Horford were selected ahead of him as reserve frontcourt players.
“You know, it’s confusing,” Whiteside said. “I get confused about it sometimes. Is it about stats? Or is it about winning?”
Of the 15 teams with the league’s best records, the Heat were the only ones not to have an All-Star. Whiteside suggested it’s because the team has barely appeared on national television. TNT hasn’t televised a single Miami game this season, while ESPN has shown just one, with another scheduled broadcast bumped for a Celtics-Timberwolves contest.
- The Heat have taken a creative approach to getting maximum value out of their two-way players, Jackson adds in a separate story. Both are close to their NBA limit, with nine days left for Derrick Jones and six for Derrick Walton. Miami is conserving their time by not having them travel with the team on the flight home from Houston after Monday’s game and not having them at practice today. All two-way players will be eligible to join their teams after their G League season [or playoff run] is over, even if they have used all 45 days. For Jones and Walton, that will be March 24, unless Sioux Falls makes the postseason.
- Gambling on Dwight Howard has turned out to be a good move, Hornets coach Steve Clifford tells Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Howard’s problems with free throws and turnovers haven’t gone away, but his coach contends the 32-year-old center has made a difference by still being a dominant rebounder and rim protector. “This might be his best [season] since his second year in Houston,” Clifford said.
- Mavericks guard J.J. Barea is getting a strong reaction to his negative comments about John Wall, relays Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. After the Wizards lost Monday in Dallas, Barea told reporters he doesn’t believe Wall is liked by his teammates. “I’ve never had a teammate say he didn’t like me,” Wall said to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post (Twitter link). “If it’s true, nobody would be man enough to say it to me so I don’t believe it. … I don’t let that affect me.”
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/24/18
Here are Wednesday’s G League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:
- The Bucks have recalled Jabari Parker from the G League, the team announced today (via Twitter). The former No. 2 overall pick, who continues to rehab his ACL injury, practiced with the Wisconsin Herd on Monday and again on Tuesday.
Rockets Notes: Trade Market, CP3, Rotation
Although the Rockets had a big win over the Warriors on Saturday night, one January victory is a far cry from beating Golden State in a seven-game series in May. In order to give his team the best possible chance to knock off the defending champions, GM Daryl Morey figures to explore the trade market leading up to the deadline, so ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link) surveyed some of Houston’s potential options.
As Marks details, James Harden, Chris Paul, Eric Gordon, and Clint Capela are considered part of the Rockets’ core and won’t go anywhere at the deadline. Several other veterans, including Trevor Ariza, P.J. Tucker, and Luc Mbah a Moute, are important pieces in the rotation and are also unlikely to be moved. Ryan Anderson‘s contract makes him a potential trade chip, but that’s more likely to happen in 2018/19 than in the next two weeks, in Marks’ view.
That leaves the Rockets, who have already traded their 2018 first-round pick, with few trade assets of note, as Marks acknowledges. The former Nets front office executive points to Mario Chalmers and Arron Afflalo as the sort of smaller-scale trade (or buyout) targets the Rockets could look into in the coming weeks.
Here’s more out of Houston:
- In an in-depth Paul feature on SI.com, Lee Jenkins writes that Harden’s free agent pursuit of Paul last year began before the offseason started. According to Jenkins, Harden asked CP3 about his free agency plans during the 81st game of the regular season, when the Rockets faced the Clippers.
- Within the same piece, Jenkins suggests that Paul insists he has no plans to become a coach once his playing career is over. While the cerebral point guard, who already serves as a sort of on-court coach, is viewed as a good fit for that sort of role, he’s not interested in the travel that comes along with it, says Jenkins.
- With Harden, Paul, and the rest of the key Rockets players healthy – and Ariza and Gerald Green back from their two-game suspensions – Mike D’Antoni has more options at his disposal than he has all season. As Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle details, D’Antoni views that as a “good problem” and may extend his rotation beyond his usual eight or nine players for the next little while.
Poll: Which Team Will Win Eastern Conference?
The Cavaliers’ recent problems – both on the court and off it – have been well documented, but the focus on Cleveland’s issues has overshadowed the fact that several of the other teams expected to contend in the East have been dealing with problems of their own.
Heading into the season, the Cavs, Celtics, Raptors, Wizards, and Bucks were widely viewed as the top five teams in the Eastern Conference. As of today though, the Bucks (24-22) find themselves holding the No. 7 seed in the East, and they’re still reeling from the front office’s decision to fire head coach Jason Kidd. While it’s possible that Kidd’s ouster will lead to a second-half run that puts Milwaukee in good position to win a playoff series or two, the team’s performance to date has been disappointing, particularly on the defensive end.
The Wizards (26-21), meanwhile, are hanging onto the No. 5 seed out East, but their results have been underwhelming too. John Wall admitted that a recent team meeting didn’t have the desire effect, and Washington has suffered some bad losses this season. The club has been defeated twice by both the Nets and Hornets, and dropped games to the Hawks and Mavericks too — three of those losses were by 23 or more points.
Boston, Toronto, and Cleveland currently hold the top three spots in the East, but the Celtics (34-14) have lost four in a row and are leaning heavily on All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Al Horford. An injury to either player could spell trouble for the C’s. As for the Cavs (27-19), they’ve lost six of seven, and Cleveland players have questioned whether this year’s team has the ability to pull its usual feat of flipping a switch for the postseason.
The Raptors (31-14) aren’t dealing with an identity crisis at the moment, but they have a history of struggling in the playoffs. Even taking into account their new, modernized style of play on offense, there’s some skepticism among league observers that the Raps are capable of finally getting over the hump and winning the East.
The Heat (27-20), Pacers (25-22), and Sixers (22-21) round out the East’s current playoff teams, with the Pistons (22-23) looking to enter that picture. It’s hard to imagine any of those clubs winning three postseason series, however.
So what do you think? Which team will represent the Eastern Conference in this year’s NBA Finals? Will the Cavaliers get it together eventually, or will this be the year that LeBron James‘ streak of Finals appearances comes to an end?
Vote below and jump into the comment section to share your two cents!
Which team will win the Eastern Conference?
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Boston Celtics 47% (893)
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Toronto Raptors 22% (417)
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Cleveland Cavaliers 19% (361)
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Another team 5% (91)
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Milwaukee Bucks 4% (76)
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Miami Heat 2% (42)
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Washington Wizards 1% (21)
Total votes: 1,901
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Revisiting The Last Five NBA Trade Deadlines
The NBA’s 2018 trade deadline is now just 15 days away. A ton of players have already been mentioned in trade rumors, and many teams around the league are reportedly looking to buy or sell, but some NBA reporters have recently cited sources who believe that it may ultimately be a quiet deadline.
Of course, “quiet” is a relative term. Even if there are no franchise-altering deals completed at this year’s deadline, we should still expect to see several trades get done. After all, none of the last five NBA deadlines have featured fewer than eight deadline-day swaps, and there have always been a couple more moves made in the two weeks leading up to the deadline as well. In some years, those trades are just a little more interesting.
As we wait to see how eventful the 2018 trade deadline will be, let’s take a look back at the last five deadlines to get some context for what kind of activity we can expect this time around…
2017
- Deadline-day trades: 8
- Other trades in two weeks before deadline: 6
- Most notable players moved: DeMarcus Cousins (to Pelicans); Serge Ibaka (to Raptors); Jusuf Nurkic (to Trail Blazers); Lou Williams (to Rockets)
- Last season’s trade deadline actually ended up being pretty active, with plenty of moves being made before deadline day arrived. One All-NBA big man (Cousins) was traded in an unexpected blockbuster, with several other impact players on the move too. Cousins, Ibaka, and Williams netted first-round picks for the Kings, Magic, and Lakers, respectively, as did Bojan Bogdanovic for the Nets. The Blazers actually landed a first-rounder along with Nurkic in their swap with the Nuggets.
2016
- Deadline-day trades: 8
- Other trades in two weeks before deadline: 2
- Most notable players moved: Tobias Harris (to Pistons); Markieff Morris (to Wizards); Jeff Green (to Clippers)
- No massive deals went down at the 2016 deadline, though there were a few interesting moves, including one that ultimately didn’t happen — the Pistons, Rockets, and Sixers completed a three-way trade that included Donatas Motiejunas and a first-round pick, but the deal was voided due to the results of Motiejunas’ physical. The Grizzlies and Suns secured first-round picks for Green and Morris, respectively, while the Cavaliers sent a first-rounder to the Trail Blazers in order to dump Anderson Varejao‘s contract.
2015
- Deadline-day trades: 12
- Other trades in two weeks before deadline: 2
- Most notable players moved: Isaiah Thomas (to Celtics); Goran Dragic (to Heat); Reggie Jackson (to Pistons); Enes Kanter (to Thunder); Brandon Knight (to Suns); Will Barton (to Nuggets)
- 2015 was one of the most eventful deadlines in recent memory, with a dozen trades completed on the season’s final day for deals. Point guard trades ruled the day, with some of those acquisitions turning out better than others — the Celtics were certainly happy to give up Marcus Thornton and a protected first-round pick for Thomas, but the Suns and Bucks probably regret the three-way deal that sent Knight to Phoenix and Michael Carter-Williams to Milwaukee. That trade saw the Sixers acquire the future Lakers first-rounder that they ultimately used to move up for Markelle Fultz. In total, eight first-round picks changed hands in these 14 trades.
2014
- Deadline-day trades: 9
- Other trades in two weeks before deadline: 2
- Most notable players moved: Evan Turner (to Pacers); Andre Miller (to Wizards); Spencer Hawes (to Cavaliers)
- While 2014’s deadline was reasonably busy, most of the deals were modest moves — the fact that no first-round picks were involved in any of these trades reflects how quiet the deadline was. The Pacers‘ acquisition of Turner was probably the most notable deal, since Indiana parted ways with its longest-tenured player, Danny Granger, in that swap. Granger had spent his entire nine-year career with the Pacers at that point, but only played another 42 NBA games after being traded.
2013
- Deadline-day trades: 10
- Other trades in two weeks before deadline: 2
- Most notable players moved: J.J. Redick (to Bucks); Thomas Robinson (to Rockets); Marcus Morris (to Suns); Jordan Crawford (to Celtics)
- Robinson and Morris aren’t necessarily household names now and weren’t at the time, but the deals involving them were noteworthy since they were recent lottery picks — Morris was selected 14th in 2011, while Robinson was the fifth overall pick in 2012. Overall though, it was another deadline lacking in blockbusters, as no first-round picks changed hands in these 12 swaps. The Raptors‘ acquisition of Rudy Gay, which happened about three weeks before the 2013 deadline, was probably the biggest in-season move of the year.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Buss: Entire Lakers’ Organization Behind Luke Walton
Lakers ownership and management continue to voice their support for Luke Walton, with controlling owner Jeanie Buss the latest to praise the club’s head coach. As Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN details, Buss was asked on Tuesday whether Walton will remain the Lakers’ head coach through the season and the 2018 offseason, and she essentially dismissed the idea that it’d even be up for debate.
“Luke Walton is the Lakers’ coach, period,” Buss said. “There’s no worrying about it, there’s no speculation. He’s done a terrific job. He is somebody that the entire front office, the organization is behind.”
Walton’s job performance was questioned – most notably by LaVar Ball – when the Lakers lost nine consecutive games at the end of December and start of January. However, Walton’s Lakers have looked very good since snapping that streak. The club has won seven of its last nine games, including three in a row — L.A. is coming off a Tuesday night upset of the Celtics.
While the Lakers didn’t respond immediately to Ball’s criticisms earlier this month, Buss and Magic Johnson tweeted support for their head coach a week and a half ago, and Buss’ comments this week further cement Walton’s job security in Los Angeles. The Lakers’ private stance reportedly lines up with its public stance, as ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne has previously suggested that Walton’s job status was “not even a conversation” for the franchise.
Mavs Sign Kyle Collinsworth To Second 10-Day Deal
JANUARY 24: The Mavs have made it official, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed Collinsworth to a new 10-day contract. Collinsworth’s new deal will run through next Friday.
JANUARY 23: Kyle Collinsworth‘s initial 10-day contract with the Mavericks expired last night following Dallas’ blowout win over the Wizards, but the rookie guard is expected to get a new deal soon from the club. According to Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News, Collinsworth said after that game that coaches told him he’ll be signed to a second 10-day contract on either Tuesday or Wednesday.
Collinsworth, 26, was on a two-way contract with the Mavs earlier this season, but was waived from that deal on January 10. He signed a 10-day pact just three days later, and appeared in a pair of games during that stretch. In Monday night’s win, Collinsworth posted four points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals, with a +23 rating in just 19 minutes.
The Mavericks currently have 14 players on fully guaranteed contracts, leaving an open spot to re-add Collinsworth. Once his second deal is finalized, he’ll spend another 10 days on the Mavs’ roster, then Dallas will be forced to decide whether to let him go or sign him to a rest-of-season contract.
Jazz Have Interest In Willy Hernangomez
The Jazz are among the teams that have shown interest in Knicks big man Willy Hernangomez, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Bondy had reported earlier this week that Hernangomez is the Knick receiving the most trade interest from rival clubs.
With four centers on their roster, the Knicks will likely try to move one of Hernangomez, Enes Kanter, and Kyle O’Quinn before the February 8 trade deadline (Joakim Noah is considered virtually untradable). While there’s certainly no guarantee that Hernangomez will be the player dealt, Bondy observes that head coach Jeff Hornacek doesn’t appear to be the “biggest fan” of the young center.
Hernangomez, who had a solid rookie campaign a year ago, has fallen out of New York’s rotation this season and has repeatedly expressed a desire to play more, whether that happens with the Knicks or another team. As Bondy details, the 23-year-old sounds encouraged to hear that other clubs are looking into trading for him.
“I feel good to know that I’m not even playing and a lot of teams are interested in me. That makes you happy, you can see that you did something good and somebody thinks you can be good in this league,” Hernangomez said. “Like I said, I’m not worried about what’s going to happen in the next couple of weeks. I’m working to be ready for my minutes to come. I’ll be ready. I got a chance to play here, whatever it is.”
As we detailed this morning, the Jazz have no shortage of trade candidates on their roster, so they’re a candidate to make a move or two at the deadline. One of the players on the trade block in Utah is Derrick Favors, who has played the fourth-most minutes on the team. If Favors is dealt, it would make sense to target a younger, cheaper frontcourt player like Hernangomez to assume some of those minutes and to provide insurance behind Rudy Gobert, who has battled injuries this season.