Pelicans Not Trading Anthony Davis Today
The Pelicans will hang onto All-NBA big man Anthony Davis through the trade deadline, agent Rich Paul tells Joe Vardon of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The news sets up the Davis trade talks to be the hottest NBA story of the summer, with several teams expected to make offers. It will be celebrated most in Boston, where the Celtics have been to unable to engage the Pelicans in negotiations for Davis because of Rose Rule restrictions. Those will be lifted once Kyrie Irving opts out of his current deal, and Boston is expected to aggressively pursue Davis with a package of draft picks and young players.
It’s not good news for the Lakers, who lose the advantage of trying to deal for Davis without the Celtics involved. L.A. has offered various packages centered around young talent and future first-rounders, but wasn’t able to make any traction with the Pelicans’ front office, which believes the Lakers’ best offers will still be on the table this summer.
The Knicks and Clippers, who made trades in the past week that could enable them to offer two max deals in free agency, may also pursue Davis in hopes of forming the next superteam. They are both on his list of preferred locations, along with the Lakers and Bucks.
A more immediate concern is how much Davis will play over the next two months and whether it will become a distraction for the Pelicans. Although Davis recently received medical clearance after being sidelined with a fractured left index finger, New Orleans has been holding him out of a lineup to avoid further injury in case a trade was finalized before the deadline. Now that the deadline has passed, Davis wants to get back on the court, and it’s not clear whether Pelicans management will be on board.
New Orleans will be a long shot to make the playoffs, no matter how well Davis plays for the rest of the season. At 24-31, the Pelicans are six games out of the eighth spot in the West and just traded one of their top talents, sending Nikola Mirotic to the Bucks.
Arthur Hill contributed to this story.
Grizzlies Hanging Onto Mike Conley
The Grizzlies are sending Marc Gasol to Toronto, but won’t make a trade involving their other longtime star, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that Memphis will hang onto Mike Conley through the deadline after discussing possible deals with multiple clubs.
The Jazz, Pistons, Raptors, and Pacers were among the clubs that reportedly had some level of interest in Conley, with Utah and Detroit making offers that featured first-round picks.
According to Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com (Twitter link), Memphis will revisit the trade market for Conley in the summer. However, the club also isn’t opposed to the idea of keeping him beyond this season and retooling around Conley and Jaren Jackson moving forward.
Conley’s lucrative long-term contract with the Grizzlies runs through at least 2019/20, with a player option for 2020/21 which is a near lock to be exercised.
Kings, Blazers Swap Skal Labissiere, Caleb Swanigan
The Kings have sent Skal Labissiere to the Trail Blazers in exchange for Caleb Swanigan in a swap of little-used power forwards, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
A late first-round pick in 2016, Labissiere has barely played this season, appearing in 13 games and averaging 8.7 minutes per night. The Kings already picked up his option for next season, which will pay him $2,3MM.
Swanigan is averaging 8.1 minutes in 18 games. He will make a little more than $2MM next year.
Latest On Anthony Davis
Some members of the Pelicans organization want to get the Anthony Davis trade done today to eliminate the public relations distraction, but those feelings don’t go all the way to the top, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link). The NFL’s Saints remain the priority for owner Gayle Benson and VP Mickey Loomis, who aren’t bothered by the Davis situation.
There’s more news about the top name on the trade market:
- The Lakers’ last offer to the Pelicans involved Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Ivica Zubac, Josh Hart and a pair of first-round picks, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7. He suggests the Celtics are prepared to offer Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart, Robert Williams, Al Horford (assuming he opts in) and possibly three first-round picks this summer.
- Davis will pressure the Pelicans to start playing him if he’s not dealt before the deadline, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link). “Every game,” a source said. Davis has been sidelined with a fractured left index finger, but recently received medical clearance.
- Gambadoro expects Davis to be in the lineup for tomorrow’s game against Minnesota (Twitter link).
Trade/Buyout Rumors: Kaminsky, Vonleh, Kanter, More
The Hornets are still “pushing hard” for a taker for Frank Kaminsky and there are indications that teams are interested, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times. The fourth-year center will be a restricted free agent this summer and doesn’t appear to be in Charlotte’s long-range plans.
The ninth selection in the 2015 draft, Kaminsky has only appeared in 24 games under new coach James Borrego and is averaging 5.5/2.5/1.1 in about 11 minutes per night. He has fallen completely out of the rotation over the past two months, playing just 41 minutes in Charlotte’s last 23 games.
There’s more to pass along as the deadline gets closer:
- The Nuggets have expressed interest in acquiring Noah Vonleh from the Knicks, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN. Vonleh has been productive in New York since signing a minimum contract, averaging 8.6 points and 8.5 rebounds per night, mostly as a starter. He will be a free agent this summer. Denver has a pair of trade exceptions that Vonleh would fit into and is about $7MM under the luxury tax.
- While Enes Kanter probably won’t be traded today, he’s expected to reach the buyout market, and rival executives believe the Celtics will be among the teams with interest in him, sources tell Begley (Twitter link).
- Elsewhere on the buyout market front, Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link) adds the Pacers to the list of clubs that will have interest in Wesley Matthews if and when he’s bought out.
- The Rockets, another team with potential interest in Matthews, still intend to be active on the buyout market after sneaking under the luxury tax threshold today, a source tells Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Arthur Hill contributed to this post.
Caris LeVert Set To Return For Nets
The Nets‘ most significant addition at the trade deadline may be the return of one of their own players. According to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link), injured guard Caris LeVert is ready to get back on the court and will be available for tomorrow night’s game against Chicago.
LeVert, 24, was off to a great start in 2018/19 before going down with a gruesome right foot injury in November. While it initially looked like we might not see him again until the 2019/20 season, the third-year guard was diagnosed with a dislocated foot, with the team indicating that he was expected to return before the end of the season. He’s now on track to return to the Nets before the All-Star break.
Prior to the injury, LeVert 18.4 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.7 APG, and .475/.311/.721 shooting in 14 games (29.7 MPG). While it remains to be seen whether he’ll pick up right where he left off, LeVert should help the Nets solidify a playoff spot, adding more talent to a squad that could be a tough out in the postseason.
Hoops Rumors’ 2019 NBA Trade Deadline Live Chat
It’s happening! The trade deadline is approaching and in addition to our standard coverage of the NBA, we’ll be hosting a live chat for fans to discuss all the player movement from around the league.
Upset that your team didn’t get Anthony Davis? Feel a certain way about the top teams in the Eastern Conference bulking up? Do you simply want to vent about anything going on within NBA circles?
We’ve got you covered on everything going on around the NBA! We’re live starting at 12:00 pm CT through the trade deadline!
Join Hoops Rumors’ live 2018 NBA Draft chat
Mike Conley: “I’ll Play Anywhere”
Mike Conley is denying a rumor that he and his representatives are trying to quash a trade to Utah, tweets Omari Sankofa II of The Athletic.
“I’ll play anywhere,” the Grizzlies guard said during today’s shootaround. He claims he doesn’t know how speculation started that wants to head East, adding that he doesn’t have a preference for either conference.
Conley has been the subject of intense speculation since Memphis let it be known last month that it was willing to listen to offers for him and Marc Gasol. A report on Wednesday said the Jazz were making progress in a deal for Conley, but he and his representatives were resisting it, hoping to wind up in Indiana, Toronto or Detroit instead.
Memphis is seeking multiple first-round picks in any Conley deal. Utah reportedly offered a first-rounder and second-rounder, along with a pair of expiring contracts (believed to be Ricky Rubio and Derrick Favors), but declined when the Grizzlies asked for Dante Exum.
Shumpert To Rockets, Burks to Kings In 3-Team Trade
FEBRUARY 7, 11:33am: The trade is now official, the Cavaliers confirmed in a press release. Here are the full details:
- Cavaliers acquire Knight, Chriss, the Rockets’ 2019 first-round pick, and the Rockets 2022 second-round pick.
- Rockets acquire Shumpert, Stauskas, Baldwin, and the Bucks’ 2021 second-round pick (from Cleveland).
- Kings acquire Burks and lesser of the Rockets’ and Warriors’ 2020 second-round picks.
FEBRUARY 7, 7:21am: The draft pick the Kings are receiving from Houston in the deal will be the lesser of the Rockets’ and Warriors’ second-rounders in 2020, tweets James Ham of NBC Sports California.
FEBRUARY 6, 8:10pm: The Cavaliers will also receive a lottery-protected 2019 first-round pick from the Rockets, relays Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who states that the front office is “thrilled” by what it was able to get in return for Burks.
7:25pm: The Kings, Rockets and Cavaliers have agreed to a three-team deal that will send Iman Shumpert to Houston, Alec Burks and a second-round pick to Sacramento and Marquese Chriss and Brandon Knight to Cleveland, tweets Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
The Rockets will also receive Nik Stauskas and Wade Baldwin from the Cavs, adds ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Both guards were acquired Sunday when Cleveland shipped Rodney Hood to Portland. Houston hasn’t decided whether to keep both players for the rest of the season, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
Because they were just acquired, Stauskas and Baldwin can’t be aggregated in the same trade, so the Cavaliers and Rockets will have to make two separate deals, tweets Keith Smith of Real GM. Burks will be traded for Knight, while Chriss’ $3.2MM salary will be absorbed with the TPE that Cleveland created by sending Hood to the Trail Blazers.
The Cavaliers had to include both guards to remain below the luxury tax, Bobby Marks posts on ESPN Now. They created a $1.5MM trade exception for each player and are now $1.2MM under the tax. Knight carries cap hits of $14.6MM for this season and $15.6MM for 2019/20, while Chriss has a $3.2MM expiring deal. Cleveland is dangerously close to tax territory for next season, Marks adds, hovering about $10MM below without accounting for a projected top five draft pick.
Houston will save $6.3MM in projected tax payments and bring its bill down to $6.1MM, Marks notes in a separate post. The total could drop even lower depending on what happens with $1.5MM in bonuses for Clint Capela, who is sidelined after thumb surgery. The Rockets will inherit Shumpert’s Bird rights and will sit about $4MM above the tax threshold with the addition of the three players.
The Rockets had been seeking veteran wing help and were hoping to unload the contracts of Knight and Chriss after acquiring them from Phoenix over the summer in a deal to unload Ryan Anderson‘s hefty salary. Shumpert has an $11MM expiring contract. Burks also has an expiring deal worth a little more than $11.5MM.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Mohamed Bamba To Miss Significant Time With Stress Fracture
FEBRUARY 7: While he didn’t provide details or an updated recovery timeline, Magic coach Steve Clifford said today that Bamba underwent a procedure on his injured left leg after all, per John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com (Twitter link).
FEBRUARY 5: Magic center Mohamed Bamba will miss significant time with a stress fracture in his left tibia, the team announced on Tuesday (Twitter link). The team confirmed a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that Bamba would not undergo surgery.
“Thankfully, we caught this early and we are able to treat Mo without surgery,” Magic president Jeff Weltman said in a statement. “His return to action will depend on how he responds to treatment.”
Bamba, 20, has averaged 6.2 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 1.4 BPG for Orlando in 47 games (one start). The Magic drafted the New York native with their first-round pick (sixth overall) in the 2018 NBA Draft.
At 22-31, the Magic are currently three games back of the Heat for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. With the club’s postseason hopes dwindling, Orlando will likely take a cautious approach with Bamba.