Lakers Unlikely To Trade Westbrook, Targeting Role Players
The Lakers are unlikely to make a trade involving Russell Westbrook today and are focusing more on smaller deals involving “fringe starters,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said during an appearance on Get Up this morning (video link).
A Lakers team source previously told Dave McMenamin of ESPN (video link) that he would like to see the club “rip the bandaid off” by moving Westbrook, but doing so will be extremely difficult.
“With $47 million due to him next season, there’s just not a marketplace to do that,” Wojnarowksi said, referring to Westbrook’s pricey player option for 2022/23 that no team will want to take on. “The Lakers have shown a real reluctance to incentivize a deal, meaning add draft picks to it. They have picks that are still going out in other deals. At what point do you stop just completely mortgaging your future for deals that probably don’t result in all of a sudden you having a championship contender? And now you’ve just dug yourself a deeper hole.”
As Wojnarowski points out, the Lakers’ problems run deeper than just Westbrook. The former MVP didn’t play on Wednesday due to back tightness and L.A. still lost to a retooling Portland team missing several players. Rather than trying to trade Westbrook, the Lakers are exploring the market for ways to improve the roster around him, says Wojnarowski.
“Right now, the deals the Lakers are really looking at, they’re around the fringes,” Woj said. “Players like Alec Burks in New York, Dennis Schröder in Boston. Any number of role players, of fringe starters, that they might be able to cobble together the assets to get. But the idea of a Westbrook trade? Listen, nothing’s impossible, but I think it’s highly unlikely.”
An earlier report stated that the Lakers, Knicks, and Raptors had discussed the framework of a three-team trade that would involve Burks. However, Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link) hears from one party with interest in the situation that those talks were stalled as of Thursday morning.
Schröder, of course, was formerly a Laker before leaving as a free agent during the 2021 offseason to sign with the Celtics. Bill Oram of The Athletic reported earlier this week that Schröder had some interest in returning to Los Angeles as Westbrook’s backup last summer, but the team brought in Kendrick Nunn to fill that role instead. Nunn has yet to make his Lakers debut due to a knee injury.
Trade Rumors: Mavs, R. Lopez, Hawks, Wizards, Pistons, More
The Mavericks have made Dwight Powell available, but they remain uninterested in moving Jalen Brunson or Dorian Finney-Smith, reports Matt Moore of ActionNetwork.com. If those two players are off the table, Dallas may have a hard time finding a deal that significantly upgrades its roster.
According to Moore, Tim Hardaway Jr., who is out indefinitely due to a foot injury, is the player the Mavericks have shopped most aggressively. Hardaway was having a down year prior to his injury and is on a sizable long-term contract ($53.7MM for three years after this season), so his value will be limited.
Still, Moore notes that Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle is a big fan of Hardaway, whom he coached in Dallas. Moore has also heard that the Wizards and Mavericks discussed a deal involving Hardaway and Spencer Dinwiddie, though a source tells Moore that the two sides didn’t make much progress.
Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- The Magic have been willing to discuss center Robin Lopez, but are apparently asking for a first-round pick, according to Moore. I’d be surprised if a team is willing to meet that price.
- The Hawks may have a quiet deadline, with John Collins appearing increasingly unlikely to be dealt, but they remain on the lookout for a backup point guard, Moore reports.
- Within his trade-rumor roundup, Moore also says the Wizards have been willing to discuss anyone besides Bradley Beal or Kyle Kuzma, and adds that Pistons guard Cory Joseph is “gettable.” Moore has received mixed intel on whether Detroit is interested in moving Kelly Olynyk.
- Pacers center Myles Turner appears less likely to be dealt now that the team has moved Domantas Sabonis, but the Knicks continue to pursue Turner, a league source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post. The big man is dealing with a foot injury that may sideline him until at least March.
- With Harrison Barnes looking like a good bet to stay with the Kings through the deadline, Richaun Holmes and Marvin Bagley III are the Sacramento players most often identified by rival teams as candidates to be moved in the next few hours, says Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Northwest Notes: Ja. Green, Beasley, Jazz, Muscala
Nuggets forward JaMychal Green, one of the team’s top remaining trade candidates, showed his value on Tuesday night, pouring in 20 points on 6-of-7 shooting in just 17 minutes, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post. Green and his $8.2MM cap hit could be necessary if Denver makes a move for a small forward, but the veteran suggested after Tuesday’s game that he’s not worried about being the subject of trade rumors.
“I’m still getting paid, man, first and the 15th,” Green said with a laugh, according to Singer.
Of course, Green has reason not to be concerned. The contract he signed in the offseason gives him the ability to veto a trade, and Singer has reported that the 31-year-old likely wouldn’t approve a move to a non-contender. That will increase the level of difficulty for the Nuggets as they consider their options today.
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- Timberwolves wing Malik Beasley, the subject of trade rumors in recent weeks, said this week that his preference would be to stay in Minnesota. “I’m just working hard and doing what I gotta do, whether I’m here or anywhere else,” Beasley said (Twitter link via Dane Moore). “I’d rather be here, but it’s a business, so you can never know what can happen.”
- Tony Jones of The Athletic takes a look at how Nickeil Alexander-Walker will fit in with the Jazz, writing that the third-year guard represents a low-risk, high-reward addition to the roster. Utah isn’t necessarily done dealing, but has been reluctant to add a first-round pick to its trade offers, according to Jones, who adds that it remains to be seen whether newly-acquired forward Juan Hernangomez will remain on the roster for the rest of the season.
- Thunder big man Mike Muscala will be sidelined through the All-Star break due to a right ankle injury, per head coach Mark Daigneault (Twitter link via Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman). Muscala is knocking down 42.9% of his threes this year and could theoretically be a trade candidate, but his ankle issue will hurt his value and Oklahoma City seems to like having him around anyway. Muscala has been in OKC since 2019.
Trade Deadline Notes: Lakers, Bulls, Cavaliers, Hornets
The Lakers‘ recent slide continued on Wednesday night with a bad loss to a Trail Blazers team that just traded multiple starters and had others unavailable due to injuries. Los Angeles is now 26-30, ninth in the Western Conference, and the team is looking for answers heading into Thursday’s trade deadline, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
“Obviously, this is something that’s weighing on this group that we’re all trying to get through,” LeBron James said. “Almost feels like it’s a fog, just fog in the air. And we’re all trying to see what’s on the other side of it.”
[RELATED: Lakers, Knicks, Raptors Have Discussed Possible Three-Team Trade]
The Lakers’ trade assets are limited and the front office is reportedly reluctant to part with a future first-round pick. However, there’s reportedly a feeling of increased urgency within the locker room to make a move today to try to jump-start the struggling club, with James hinting he wouldn’t mind seeing some changes.
“I feel good about what tomorrow has in store, and we’ll see what happens,” James said on Wednesday night. “We’ll see what happens as far as the deadline, but other than that, I’m kind of just focused on what we can do to be better.”
Here are a few more trade-related notes from around the league:
- Although the Bulls are a candidate to make a trade today to upgrade their depth, they might end up waiting until after the deadline to try to make an addition on the buyout market, writes Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com. “The Bulls are worried about the guys they have coming back from injury, and I know they’d like to get something done,” a source told Bulpett. “They just may not be willing to give up a young asset to get a deal made before the deadline.”
- While it’s not impossible for the Cavaliers to add another high-salary player today, it would almost certainly require them to give up a rotation piece now that they’ve moved Ricky Rubio‘s expiring contract, says Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). According to Fedor, the idea of parting with one of their regular contributors isn’t all that appealing to the Cavs.
- “Early rumblings” suggest the Hornets may not end up making a major move at today’s trade deadline, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Boone suggests the club hadn’t gained traction on any trade scenarios as of Wednesday night.
Harden Reportedly Wants Trade To Sixers But Hasn’t Made Formal Request
Nets star James Harden would like to be traded to the Sixers, but hasn’t formally asked the Nets to move him, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
As Wojnarowski explains, Harden’s reluctance to make a trade request stems from a fear of the public backlash he would face for trying to force his way to a new team for a second consecutive season.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer previously reported that Harden wanted to be traded to the 76ers.
According to Wojnarowski, Harden is hopeful that the Sixers and Nets will be able to work out a deal prior to today’s deadline that sends him to Philadelphia, with Ben Simmons and other assets headed to Brooklyn. However, sources tell Woj that Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and Nets general manager Sean Marks have yet to engage in serious dialogue on a deal.
There’s an expectation that the Nets and 76ers will talk on Thursday, so there’s still a possibility that the two sides could come to an agreement, Wojnarowski reports. However, Brooklyn would likely want a collection of assets beyond Simmons — Seth Curry, Matisse Thybulle, and future first-round picks have been repeatedly cited as pieces that would appeal to the Nets.
Both sides will have a handful of factors to take into account as they weigh whether or not to make a deal today. If Harden truly wants to go to the Sixers, Philadelphia could afford to be patient and try to land him as a free agent in the offseason when they wouldn’t necessarily require the Nets’ cooperation. Clearing the cap room required to sign Harden outright would be tricky, but not impossible, so Brooklyn may feel some urgency to get something in return for the All-Star guard today rather than risk facing that scenario this summer.
On the other hand, if and when the Nets get healthy, their roster as currently constructed has more championship upside than the Sixers’ roster does. Philadelphia may feel some pressure to get something done today in order to get Joel Embiid help to contend for a title this year, rather than face the possibility of having an asset like Simmons remain on the shelf for the rest of the season.
According to Wojnarowski, the Sixers have “largely retreated” on other trade discussions involving Simmons until they determine one way or another whether they can move him for Harden.
If the discussions between the Nets and Sixers hit a dead end today, it’s still possible Philadelphia will hang onto Simmons until the summer. More trade options, including a renewed opportunity to land Harden, could be available to the team at that point.
Harden, who hasn’t played since last Wednesday due to a minor hamstring issue, didn’t accompany the Nets to Washington for Thursday’s game vs. the Wizards, tweets ESPN’s Zach Lowe. Wojnarowski mentions in his story that Harden’s ongoing absence has led to speculation that he’s “purposely shutting down to send a message on his waning desire to remain with the Nets.”
Stein’s Latest: Lillard, Wall, Westbrook, Mavs, Turner, Harden, Simmons
The Trail Blazers‘ roster makeover this week has prompted multiple teams to place a call to Portland’s front office in an effort to engage in trade talks involving Damian Lillard, according to Marc Stein at Substack. However, Stein hears that those inquiries have been “swiftly rebuffed” by the Blazers.
Reporting following the CJ McCollum trade this week indicated that Portland’s plan is to reshape its roster around Lillard, and the star point guard still sounds committed to sticking it out with the Blazers. As Stein writes, there’s a growing expectation from the outside that Lillard probably won’t return from his abdominal surgery this season, with the Blazers seemingly shifting their short-term focus from playoff contention to draft positioning.
Here’s more from Stein:
- A source close to the situation tells Stein that the Rockets remain unwilling to consider a John Wall/Russell Westbrook swap unless the Lakers are willing to put their 2027 first-round pick in a deal. There has still been no indication that Los Angeles is open to that concept, says Stein.
- The Mavericks made a run at Caris LeVert before the Pacers traded him to Cleveland, but were unable to make a deal, according to Stein, who notes that the Cavaliers were able to offer better assets than Dallas. A Mavs offer may have required Indiana to take the long-term contract of injured swingman Tim Hardaway Jr., Stein writes.
- Although a trade of Myles Turner hasn’t been entirely ruled out, the big man is widely expected to remain with the Pacers through the deadline, per Stein.
- Stein says his best read of the James Harden/Ben Simmons situation is that there’s a price point at which the Nets would be willing to make a deal today, but it would be “steep” and it’s unclear if the Sixers have the appetite to meet it.
Lakers, Knicks, Raptors Have Discussed Possible Three-Team Trade
7:08am: In a full story on the talks involving the Lakers, Knicks, and Raptors, Scotto says Toronto has discussed sending a first-round pick to New York, while Los Angeles has talked about sending a second-round pick. The Knicks have sought additional draft compensation, according to Scotto.
The new details from Scotto are a little surprising. Based on the underwhelming seasons Noel and Horton-Tucker have had, and the guaranteed money left on their contracts beyond 2021/22, including a first-round pick seems like a steep price for the Raptors. I’d also be pretty shocked if the Lakers could make this move without giving up more draft assets beyond a single second-rounder.
6:40am: The Lakers, Knicks, and Raptors have engaged in talks about a possible three-team trade, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
According to Scotto, the framework the teams have discussed would see the Lakers get Cam Reddish and Alec Burks, the Knicks acquire Goran Dragic and draft capital, and the Raptors receive Talen Horton-Tucker and Nerlens Noel. It’s also possible Lakers guard Kendrick Nunn could find his way into the hypothetical deal, Scotto adds.
It’s an intriguing concept. The struggling Lakers would get a couple players capable of immediately stepping into the rotation and playing alongside their stars; the slumping Knicks would move off a series of players on multiyear deals in exchange for an expiring contract and more draft assets; and the Raptors would turn Dragic’s expiring contract into a veteran center in Noel and a young prospect in Horton-Tucker, who hasn’t played well this season but is still just 21 years old and has some upside.
While Scotto doesn’t specify one way or the other, the draft picks going to New York in the proposed deal would presumably come from the Lakers, based on the players changing hands. Based on a combination of their contracts and recent production, Reddish and Burks have the most trade value of any of the players included in this trade scenario. Los Angeles has the ability to offer either a 2027 or 2028 first-round pick, as well as second-rounders.
It’s worth noting that the NBA’s trade rules wouldn’t prevent the Knicks from being able to flip Reddish in a deal like this one even after acquiring him less than a month ago, since the structure of this trade wouldn’t require him to be aggregated with any other players for salary-matching purposes — New York could use Noel and Burks to match Dragic’s incoming salary.
Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) has also heard that the Lakers and Raptors have talked about Horton-Tucker and says Toronto has been “quite active” in trade discussions. However, Fischer notes that the Raptors have explored many Dragic-related scenarios and downplays the idea that any talks with Los Angeles have gotten too serious yet.
Hoops Rumors’ 2022 NBA Trade Deadline Primer
Deadline day is finally here. NBA teams will have until today at 2:00 p.m. central time to finalize trade agreements. Anyone not traded by that time will be ineligible to be moved until after his team’s season comes to an end this spring.
It has already been an active trade season around the league. with six deals completed in the last week. Some of those were major moves too, including the Kings and Pacers completing a six-player swap involving Domantas Sabonis and Tyrese Haliburton, and the Pelicans acquiring CJ McCollum from the Trail Blazers. Caris LeVert, Norman Powell, and Robert Covington are among the other players who have been on the move since last Friday.
Even after all that pre-deadline activity, there are plenty of storylines to keep an eye on today.
Will the struggling Lakers make a move in an effort to shake things up and turn their season around? Will the Pistons get an offer they like for forward Jerami Grant? Are retooling teams like the Trail Blazers, Kings, and Pacers done dealing, or do they have more up their sleeves? And, most importantly, will the Nets and Sixers move forward on a long-rumored blockbuster involving James Harden and Ben Simmons?
We’ll be keeping tabs on all the latest news and rumors all day long on Hoops Rumors, leading up to 2:00 p.m. CT.
In the meantime, here are some of our features and trackers to help you prepare for today’s action:
- Trade deadline previews by division:
- Trades completed so far during the 2021/22 season
- Current NBA roster counts
- Players with the ability to veto trades
- Players with trade kickers
- Players who are ineligible to be traded
- Teams with traded player exceptions available
- Hoops Rumors Glossary: Explaining the traded player exception and salary-matching rules
- Traded 2022 first round picks
- Traded 2022 second round picks
- Cash sent and received in NBA trades in 2021/22
Trade Rumors: Harden, Westbrook, Nuggets, Raptors
On NBA Countdown on Wednesday evening (hat tip to RealGM), ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski continued to relay that the Nets and Sixers aren’t involved in meaningful discussions involving James Harden.
“Let’s start here: we are certainly less than 24 hours from the NBA trade deadline,” said Wojnarowski. “There has not been meaningful dialogue between the 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets. Now that doesn’t mean it won’t happen between now and tomorrow’s trade deadline. But any potential James Harden trade to Philadelphia or anywhere, it would take a significant amount of negotiation. It’s not as simple as just Ben Simmons for James Harden.”
Woj went on to say the Nets still believe they can win a title when healthy no matter what seed they enter the playoffs as. He also said that the Nets are prepared for Harden to leave this summer, but still think he gives them the best chance of winning a title this season.
“I think Brooklyn is prepared for the idea that they’ll just treat James Harden, if his plans are to leave, treat it like Toronto did Kawhi Leonard. And say ‘this is probably a one shot deal. We want to win a championship. Our best chance is to do that.’ Who knows what happens when Harden gets back with Kevin Durant. They start playing together again the way they had planned to from the beginning. They’ve been separated because of the injuries.”
Here’s are some more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Russell Westbrook is unlikely to be traded by the deadline, sources tell Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. The one exception to that would be if LeBron James pushes the Lakers to deal Westbrook to the Rockets for John Wall, but Los Angeles would have to give up additional assets or take on unwanted salary, making it doubtful, says Pincus.
- The Nuggets are on the hunt for a wing defender and are willing to discuss their 2027 first-round pick, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post. Sources tell Singer that Denver is searching for a non-rental player, so they’d need to be under contract for multiple seasons. The trouble the Nuggets are running into is being able to match salaries, considering JaMychal Green would likely need to be involved — Green can veto any trade and is only interested in playing for a contender.
- The Raptors aren’t willing to compromise future flexibility for a short-term solution, and are only willing to take on money beyond 2022/23 in a trade if the player fits well with the team, as Michael Grange of Sportsnet relays (Twitter link).
Knicks Rumors: Reddish, Fournier, Burks, Randle
Despite trading a protected first-round pick for Cam Reddish last month, the Knicks haven’t shut down inquiries about their new young wing, as Ian Begley of SNY.tv relays. Reddish was brought up in trade discussions with at least one other team, although it’s not clear who initiated the conversation.
As Begley notes, at 24-31 and having lost 10 of their last 12 games, nothing should be considered off the table for the Knicks, so they’re likely just seeing how other teams value Reddish.
Because he was just traded, Reddish can’t be aggregated with another player in a larger deal for salary-matching purposes — he could still be dealt in a multi-player trade, but New York wouldn’t be able to add his salary to another player’s within that trade in order to acquire a higher-salaried player.
Begley believes the Knicks are unlikely to flip Reddish at the deadline unless they receive a “significant player” on a similar contract.
Here’s more from New York:
- In a separate article for SNY, Begley writes that the Knicks have had trade discussions involving Evan Fournier. The Knicks and Pelicans had dialogue about Fournier with New Orleans receiving draft compensation, but the talks fell apart. The Pelicans have since traded for CJ McCollum, so they’re likely no longer interested in Fournier.
- The Knicks called the Trail Blazers about McCollum prior to him being traded, but were unable to provide the cap relief Portland was after, Begley surmises.
- Begley notes that Alec Burks continues to be involved in trade calls. It’s unclear which teams might be interested in his services.
- For his part, Fournier hopes the Knicks stand pat at the deadline, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. “I really do believe we have the right pieces. We have talent, we have toughness, we have everything. And we’re not that far from playing better and getting wins. It’s just about finding a way to play and sticking with that and building confidence and all that,” Fournier said after the Knicks were blown out by the Nuggets Tuesday.
- Several teams, including the Kings, have been interested in Julius Randle, but after the Domantas Sabonis trade, Randle would be redundant in Sacramento, writes Begley.