Nets Notes: Marks, Harden, Simmons, Irving, Mills, Nash
Nets general manager Sean Marks said the decision to move on from James Harden was a difficult one, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
“Make no bones about it: We went all-in on getting James Harden and inviting him to the group,” Marks said during a video conference call discussing the trade deadline Friday afternoon. “And these decisions to move on from a player like that, of that caliber, are never easy ones. I just want to be clear that this is not something that you think, great, let’s just make a split decision and move on from that. I give James a lot of credit for having open dialogue, open discussions with me and with the group, [Nets coach Steve Nash] and [owner] Joe Tsai and everybody over the last 24, 48 hours.
“Again, I said they’re not easy, but I think that’s something we pride ourselves on is being open and honest. James was honest with us and we were honest with him. I think it’s a move that enables him to have a fresh start, enables this team to have a fresh start, without trying to push things to make things work. If we realize this is not going to work, short-term or long-term, then it’s time to say for both parties involved, this is better off.”
Marks went on to say that trading Harden wasn’t about the team’s 10-game losing streak, it was based on his entire tenure in Brooklyn, and the newly-acquired players help the Nets in ways that Harden couldn’t.
“It’s not just eight or nine games,” he said. “The things that we’ve had to deal with over the course of the last year since James has been here is, to be quite frank, the Big Three, quote unquote, haven’t had significant time to play together for a variety of different circumstances. So, I think the frustration is more in that than in eight or nine games. Obviously it was not, and it currently isn’t, trending in the right direction, but we’re not going to make a decision off of one, two, five games, whatever it may be. The sample size has to be bigger. And at that point, we’re sitting here saying, ‘Yeah. We’ve seen enough.’ On both sides.
“We obviously thank James immensely for everything he’s done. Let’s be honest, he’s come in here and set all kinds of Brooklyn Nets records in such a short time. He’s a hell of a player, without a doubt. Again, these are not easy decisions, but we’re very grateful for what James has done over his short time here, but at the same time, adding these three players — Seth [Curry], Andre [Drummond] and Ben [Simmons] — help us in needs James doesn’t fulfill.”
When asked if the Sixers tampered by talking to Harden, Marks said that was for the league to decide.
“Unfortunately, the world we live in right now, so much of this is being played out in the media,” Marks said, per Bontemps. “So much of this is, whether it’s scuttlebutt, hearsay, and so forth, it’s just the nature of the beast. It’s just the nature of the world we’re in. I’m not going to start making accusations at everybody else. Again, this particular set of circumstances was played out in the media far earlier than any conversations were ever had. I don’t know and again if this is where it ends up, that will be completely up to the league to look into these set of circumstances.”
There are several more interesting quotes from Marks in Bontemps’ article. I recommend checking it out.
Here’s more on the Nets:
- Kyrie Irving said there were hints that Harden was unhappy in Brooklyn, as Brian Lewis of The New York Post relays. “I can’t really say that you feel that [unhappiness] in the locker room, but we get hints,” Irving said. “So we just wish him well. We want him to be ultimately successful. Now we move forward with the guys that are coming in. We’re excited. I just want everyone to be happy and do things they love to do, and be a part of things they can see themselves being successful at. It probably wasn’t here with us and he made a choice and we respect him for it. No love lost.”
- Nets guard Patty Mills said that his fellow Australian Simmons is in a good place at the moment, Lewis writes in a separate article for the Post. “He’s in a really good place right now, speaking to him a fair bit lately and seeing what he’s been up to in terms of staying ready and getting his body right and getting game ready,” Mills said. “So it was good and pleasing for me to see and feel where he’s at. From that standpoint, you get a really hungry person who’s looking forward to playing basketball again, and especially with our group.”
- Nash was reflective on what could have been with the “Big Three” era, per ESPN’s Nick Friedell. “You’re up 2-0 against the NBA champs, and then to not have James in the first games and then Kyrie in the last games, James being on one leg, Jeff Green being out of the lineup, all sorts of things that hampered our opportunity to win,” Nash said. “To take them to overtime in Game 7, you definitely think there are some what-ifs, but that’s life. You can’t look back. You’ve got to look forward.”
Hawks Rumors: Simmons, McCollum, White, Collins, Bogdanovic, Gallinari
Although the Hawks didn’t make more trades prior to Thursday’s deadline, that doesn’t mean they weren’t active in discussions to try and upgrade the roster, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. The Hawks believed trading Cam Reddish to the Knicks last month would help clear the rotational logjam at wing and give clarity to the roster, Kirschner writes.
Atlanta has gone 9-5 since Reddish was dealt. After starting the season a disappointing 17-23, the Hawks currently sit with a 26-28 record, 10th in the East, one game ahead of the Wizards for the final Play-In spot.
The Hawks were in discussions about deals for Ben Simmons, CJ McCollum, and Derrick White, but all fell through for various reasons, sources tell Kirschner. Atlanta called Portland about McCollum before he was traded to New Orleans, but Portland wanted multiple rotation players and draft picks, which tabled the discussion.
For Simmons, the Hawks offered John Collins, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and picks. However, the deal wasn’t seriously considered by the Sixers, as they were set on acquiring a second star. Once James Harden became available, that’s all Philly was focused on.
Some members of Atlanta’s organization were skeptical of Simmons’ potential fit with center Clint Capela, another non-shooter, per Kirschner’s sources. Others in favor of the deal thought that adding an elite defender would help mask Trae Young‘s deficiencies on that end, and that shooting was an overall strength of the roster, which would’ve helped Simmons.
The Hawks offered Bogdanovic for White, but the Spurs wanted a first-round pick as well, which Atlanta declined because it wasn’t clear that White would be an upgrade over Bogdanovic. There were mixed feelings about the deal inside the organization.
Here are some more interesting notes from Kirschner:
- Danilo Gallinari was discussed with Toronto and other teams, but the talks didn’t go far, says Kirschner. It’s expected that Atlanta will field calls about him in the offseason or possibly even consider waiving and stretching him, as his contract for next season is only partially guaranteed at $5MM ($21.45MM total). Moving off that money would help Atlanta stay out of the luxury tax, which ownership is only willing to pay if it believes the club is a true contender.
- The Hawks remain high on De’Andre Hunter and believe a healthy offseason will be crucial to his progress. They’re also happy with Onyeka Okongwu‘s progress as a sophomore, and Kirschner thinks that eventually the team will have to decide whether to keep Okongwu or Capela long-term.
- Collins’ camp denies that he ever asked for a trade, despite reports that he was unhappy. Many teams around the league are interested in his services, which is evident based on his name perpetually popping up in rumors.
- Kirschner believes former Hawk DeAndre’ Bembry would be a good fit for Atlanta’s open roster spot after he was waived by the Nets as part of the Simmons trade. Gary Harris could also be a nice addition, if the Magic opt to buy him out, Kirschner opines.
Thunder Waive KZ Okpala
The Thunder have waived forward KZ Okpala, the team announced. Okpala was acquired via trade from the Heat earlier this week.
The 32nd overall pick in the 2019 draft out of Stanford, Okpala appeared in just 63 games across three seasons for Miami. In 2021/22, he has averaged 3.7 PPG and 2.0 RPG in 21 contests (11.6 MPG). Okapala hasn’t played since December due to a wrist injury.
If someone claims Okpala off waivers, he’ll eligible for restricted free agency at season’s end. Otherwise, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent once he clears waivers. By waiving Okpala, the Thunder clear a spot on their 15-man roster.
It’s possible they could ink Mamadi Diakite to a new deal, since they ended his 10-day contract a day early to complete the trade for Okpala. The trade was clearly about Miami’s future first-round pick that is owed to OKC, which was amended as part of the trade.
Instead of owing Oklahoma City their top-14 protected first-round pick in 2023, the Heat will now owe OKC their 2025 first-rounder (also top-14 protected).
That ’23 first-rounder would have been top-14 protected for three straight seasons before becoming unprotected in 2026. Now, the Heat’s ’25 first-rounder will be lottery-protected for just one year before becoming unprotected in ’26.
Essentially, the Thunder improved their odds of gaining a higher first-rounder by pushing the pick a couple years into the future (when the Heat could theoretically be less assured of having a playoff-caliber roster) and ensuring it has just one year of protection.
The 2026 second-rounder the Heat acquired in the trade will be the least favorable of the Thunder’s, Mavericks’, and Sixers’ second-rounders that year, according to the Heat’s announcement.
Patrick McCaw Signs G League Deal
Veteran Patrick McCaw has signed a NBA G League contract and will be suiting up for the Delaware Blue Coats, the Sixers‘ affiliate, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
McCaw, 26, was the 38th overall pick of the 2016 draft by the Bucks. He was traded to the Warriors on draft night, and spent his first two seasons with the club, winning two championships in the process.
He had a peculiar path after that, as he turned down a qualifying offer from Golden State in the summer of 2018 and a subsequent two-year, $5.2MM offer with a guarantee on the first year. That offer would have paid him substantially more than he ended up earning with the Cavs and Raptors during the 2018/19 season. McCaw explained that he didn’t want to re-sign with the Warriors because he was seeking “a new opportunity.”
McCaw’s stint with the Cavs in 2018/19 was brief, appearing in just three games before being waived, then signed with the Raptors and won his third championship in three seasons in a limited, reserve role. However, he struggled with left knee injuries the past few seasons with Toronto, and was waived in April of last year. He has been a free agent ever since.
In 199 career games with the three teams, McCaw holds averages of 3.8 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 16.9 minutes per contest. He’s a rangy, versatile defender, but isn’t a threat on offense.
Bucks Notes: Lopez, Ibaka, Trade Kicker, Cash
Bucks center Brook Lopez didn’t undergo surgery right away when a back injury sidelined him after opening night. As Eric Nehm of The Athletic relays, Lopez said he and the team tried several different treatments before ultimately deciding that he had to go under the knife.
“That option wasn’t on the table for the most part until it kind of was. We didn’t think we needed surgery and then we got to the point where it became an option, became available,” Lopez said. “It was a little disappointing at first, but again, I think our guys have done a great job helping me heal and then giving me great work to do that I’m able to do, both now and then giving me stuff to do in the meantime. It sort of made my return easier.”
Lopez explained that he had a “bit of a bulging disc” in his lower back that had to be addressed in the procedure, writes Nehm. The Bucks have expressed confidence that the veteran center will make it back this season, but haven’t offered a set timeline. Asked whether he could provide a timetable on his return, Lopez didn’t offer any specifics.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. It won’t be today, but sometime past today,” he joked.
Here’s more on the Bucks:
- In a separate story for The Athletic, Nehm looks at what newly-acquired big man Serge Ibaka will bring to the Bucks. Ibaka, who can knock down outside shots and protect the rim, will likely become Milwaukee’s third big man behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis, but his recovery from a back issue has limited his effectiveness this season. If Lopez can return before the end of the season, Ibaka may end up just being an insurance piece, Nehm writes.
- Ibaka waived his full 15% trade kicker as part of the trade agreement, a source tells Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype (Twitter link). In order to make the deal work from a financial perspective, Ibaka wouldn’t have been able to cash in on his full trade bonus — it appears he didn’t insist on receiving any portion of it.
- The Bucks received $3,285,000 in cash from the Clippers as part of the Ibaka trade, reports John Hollinger of The Athletic (Twitter link). That was the maximum amount the Clips could’ve sent out in a deadline deal. They’ve now reached the $5,785,000 limit for the 2021/22 league year.
Larry Nance Jr. Undergoes Knee Surgery, Out Six Weeks
FEBRUARY 11: Nance underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his right knee this morning, the team confirmed in a press release. The Pelicans said a timeline for Nance’s recovery would be provided at a later date. An estimated six-week timeline has been reported, as noted below.
FEBRUARY 9: The Pelicans just acquired Larry Nance Jr. Tuesday as part of a seven-player trade, but he’s currently sidelined with right knee soreness and is expected to undergo surgery on Friday, a source tells Christian Clark of NOLA.com.
ESPN’s Andrew Lopez confirms (via Twitter) Clark’s report that Nance is scheduled to have surgery Friday. Sources tell Lopez that Nance is expected to miss up to six weeks.
Six weeks from Friday is March 25; if he’s active again by that date, Nance would have nine games left in the regular season to get acclimated with his new team.
As Clark relays, Nance was injured on January 5 while attempting a layup against Miami. An MRI the next day revealed “no significant damage,” but he’s been sidelined ever since. Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said Nance suffered “a little setback” last Friday.
Nance had missed 18 straight games prior to the trade that sent him from Portland to New Orleans. Fellow newly-acquired teammates CJ McCollum and Tony Snell are expected to be active for the Pelicans on Thursday, says Clark.
In 37 games (23.2 MPG) with Portland this season, Nance averaged 6.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.0 APG, and 1.0 SPG on .515/.306/.653 shooting. The 29-year-old was traded to Portland from Cleveland in the offseason, as part of a three-team sign-and-trade that sent Derrick Jones Jr. and Portland’s protected 2022 first-round pick to the Bulls, and Lauri Markkanen to the Cavs.
Nance, 29, is a versatile two-way contributor in the frontcourt when healthy. He’s a strong defender across multiple positions and possesses a high basketball IQ offensively, although he can be a little too unselfish at times given his explosive leaping ability. Nance is earning $10.7MM this season and will make $9.7MM in 2022/23.
Harden Directly Asked Nets’ Marks, Tsai For Trade To Sixers
For much of the 2021/22 season, Nets guard James Harden insisted during conversations with general manager Sean Marks and team owner Joe Tsai that he wanted to remain in Brooklyn beyond this season, according to Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne (Insider link). And initially, signing a long-term deal with Brooklyn was Harden’s preferred option, since he could always force a trade down the road if he needed to.
However, as the season progressed, Harden began talking to various player agents to get advice about how best to make his way to Philadelphia, according to ESPN’s duo. As Wojnarowski and Shelburne detail, the Nets would often quickly learn what Harden – who has a reputation for being passive-aggressive rather than confrontational and was worried about the optics of making another trade request – was saying to agents and other third parties.
Finally, with the trade deadline fast approaching, Harden directly told Marks and Tsai that he would prefer to play for the Sixers, asking the GM and team owner on a FaceTime call to send him to Philadelphia, sources tell ESPN.
The Nets told him they would only make a deal if it was a good one for the organization, which Harden understood. While the two sides agreed at that point that Harden wouldn’t play until after Thursday’s deadline, the former MVP appeared to have already checked out on the team, according to Wojnarowski and Shelburne, who say Harden informed management he was headed to Houston on Wednesday to wait out the deadline.
Here’s more from Wojnarowski and Shelburne on the Harden/Ben Simmons blockbuster:
- Marks and Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey engaged in plenty of posturing in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline before eventually getting more serious late on Wednesday night, sources tell ESPN. Up until that point, Marks had listened to a couple of Morey’s trade pitches, but rebuffed them.
- According to Wojnarowski and Shelburne, when the two sides reengaged and eventually neared the finish line on Thursday, Marks told Morey he needed to hang up the phone to run the proposed deal by Tsai, prompting Morey to yell, “Stay on the f—ing phone!” Marks jokingly replied, “We’re dropping F-Bombs now, Daryl?” He ultimately got Tsai’s approval to move forward on the trade.
- Simmons’ agent Rich Paul met with Nets star Kevin Durant and Durant’s business partner Rich Kleiman nearly a month ago and pitched the idea of a Harden/Simmons swap, per Wojnarowski and Shelburne. Durant initially wasn’t interested in the idea, but the equation changed after he injured his knee and Harden became increasingly disengaged during his absence.
- Harden doesn’t have a direct history with Sixers star Joel Embiid, but has always been a fan of the center and pushed Morey to trade for him when they were both in Houston, according to ESPN’s duo. “James respects players who do a good job defending him,” one source said. “And Joel has always done that.”
- Although Simmons never got over what he viewed as a lack of public support from head coach Doc Rivers following last spring’s playoff loss to the Hawks, the two men had been speaking again in recent weeks, with conversations “increasing in substance,” per Woj and Shelburne. However, their final conversation on Thursday was mostly just an exchanging of pleasantries, sources tell ESPN.
Lakers Rumors: Westbrook, Hield, LeBron, Davis, Pelinka, Jordan
Last summer, the Lakers appeared to be on the verge of a deal with the Kings for Buddy Hield before pivoting and acquiring Russell Westbrook from Washington. Westbrook’s stint in Los Angeles hasn’t worked out like the Lakers have hoped, which apparently prompted the team to see if it could get a do-over of sorts on that offseason decision.
According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, sources say that one Westbrook trade idea the Lakers discussed earlier in the season would’ve involved Hield coming to Los Angeles. Obviously, that idea didn’t get off the ground — Westbrook ultimately remained in L.A. through the deadline, while Hield was sent to Indiana in a six-player blockbuster.
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- As we relayed on Thursday, Lakers VP of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said he had conversations with LeBron James and Anthony Davis leading up to the trade deadline, suggesting there was “alignment” with the stars on the team’s decision to stand pat. However, a source familiar with James’ and Davis’ thinking who spoke to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin disputed that characterization. “Totally false,” that source told McMenamin (video link; hat tip to RealGM). “There was no conversation between Rob Pelinka, LeBron James and Anthony Davis on Thursday. There was no go-ahead of an OK to have inaction at the deadline.”
- In a column on the Lakers’ trade deadline activity, Bill Oram of The Athletic suggests that rival teams may be leery of engaging in discussions with Pelinka due to his decision to pull out of what the Kings viewed as a trade agreement for Hield last summer.
- As the Lakers peruse the buyout market in search of a player who could improve their roster, center DeAndre Jordan appears to be the most likely candidate to be waived, says Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Jordan is out of the team’s regular rotation and isn’t a fit with the Lakers’ “small-ball ethos,” Buha explains.
Southeast Notes: Magic, Bol, Harris, Hawks, Oubre
According to president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman, the Magic‘s relatively quiet deadline wasn’t for lack of trying.
“We’re always aggressive, but sometimes aggressiveness doesn’t equal activity,” he said, per Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel.
In their lone move, the Magic acquired PJ Dozier and Bol Bol from Boston. They’ve already waived Dozier, who is out for the season with a torn ACL. Bol is recovering from foot surgery and may not be back this season either, but Weltman said the team is intrigued by the young big man and has yet to make a decision on him.
“We’ll have to get our people to get to know him and understand his situation,” Weltman said. “It’s around that timeline — about the end of the season — but I’m really not sure. When we get back from the trip, we’ll get him in here and get an understanding of what he’s dealing with and how far along he is.”
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- Magic wing Gary Harris isn’t a lock to be bought out in the coming days or weeks, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac. As a veteran on a rebuilding team with a big contract, Harris is a logical buyout candidate, but Smith hears that the team likes how he has helped its young guards. Orlando is also dealing with some injuries in the backcourt.
- Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk wasn’t eager to shake up his roster after seeing how well the team has played since the Cam Reddish trade, he said on Friday. “Our last 12 games, we’re 9-3, so we feel good about the impact that (trade) had,” Schlenk said (Twitter links via Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution). “Kind of have a set rotation now of guys, kind of know their roles. We looked at a lot of different stuff, but we’re comfortable with this group.” Schlenk added that the Hawks made a strong second half run last season: “We want to give them that opportunity to prove it to the world they can do it again.”
- The Hawks have an open spot on their 15-man roster following the trade deadline, but aren’t targeting any specific types of players, according to Schlenk, who said the priority will be not to mess with the team’s chemistry. “We’ll look to see who’s out there, whether we look at young guys to bring in on 10-days, or whether there’s a veteran that becomes available that we feel like would fit in,” he said, per Spencer (Twitter link).
- Hornets forward Kelly Oubre was fined $15K on Wednesday for violating league rules prohibiting the use of profane language directed toward the spectator stands, the league announced (via Twitter). The incident in question took place in Charlotte during the second quarter of Monday’s game vs. Toronto.
Sixers Notes: Harden, Maxey, Simmons
Between the time the Nets agreed to send James Harden to the Sixers and the time the trade was formally announced on Thursday, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported (via Twitter) that Harden would be picking up his $47.4MM player option for 2022/23 as part of the deal.
However, Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com says that didn’t actually happen. If Harden wanted to opt in during the season, Neubeck explains, he would have had to officially do so before the trade was completed. He didn’t do that, according to Neubeck, who reports that the All-Star guard now won’t be able to exercise that option until the end of the season.
This may end up being just a technicality. Neubeck suggests the Sixers likely aren’t concerned about this piece of bookkeeping, since both sides are “operating under the belief that this is a long-term relationship.” Still, it’s a technicality worth noting, given how quickly Harden’s stint in Brooklyn went south. Until he exercises that option – or signs a new contract – the 32-year-old is only locked up through this season.
If Harden eventually does officially pick up his 2022/23 option, it would postpone his free agency by a year, but would technically become eligible for slightly more money over the next five years. His maximum salary would be a little higher with an opt-in and a four-year extension than it would be with an opt-out and a new five-year contract.
Here’s more on the Sixers:
- Harden’s Sixers debut date remains up in the air, Neubeck writes in the same story. The former MVP is expected to report to the team at some point this weekend and will be evaluated by Philadelphia’s health and performance staff. It’s possible that Harden, who hasn’t played since February 2 due to a minor hamstring issue, won’t suit up for his new team until after the All-Star break, says Neubeck. The earliest he could play is next Tuesday vs. Boston.
- Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey is thrilled to still be in Philadelphia after Thursday’s blockbuster trade and can’t wait to play alongside Harden and Joel Embiid, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “It’s two MVP-caliber players on top of what we have here already,” Maxey said. “I think one thing that’s really going to help us is the chemistry and the brotherhood that we have here. It’s easy to welcome someone in, no matter who it is, Paul [Millsap], James, it’s easy to welcome people in because of the continuity we have here already. The guys here like each other, like being around each other, like talking to each other and also like playing extremely hard for each other on the court. [So we’ll] try to make the transition as easy as possible. It’s going to be great, and I just can’t wait.”
- Yaron Weitzman of FOX Sports has published a terrific in-depth look at the long process that led to the Sixers’ Simmons trade, sharing quotes from sources and revealing several new behind-the-scenes details.
- In a story for PhillyVoice.com, Neubeck considers what the Sixers will look like on the court following their acquisition of Harden, examining which five players will be part of the team’s starting and closing lineups.