Kevin Durant Wants James Harden To Stay With Nets
Amid rumors that the Nets are willing to talk with the Sixers about a possible James Harden trade, Kevin Durant wants to see his All-Star teammate remain in Brooklyn, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on tonight’s “NBA Countdown” (hat tip to Real GM).
Durant is currently sidelined with a knee injury, but hopes to return after the All-Star break. When he does come back, he wants “everyone in Brooklyn to be as committed to winning a title as he is,” Wojnarowski said.
There have been reports in recent weeks that Harden is unhappy in Brooklyn and is planning to test free agency this summer. He has a $47.4MM player option for the 2022/23 season, which he may turn down in hopes of landing a longer-term contract.
Assuming they keep him through the trade deadline, the Nets would still have the advantage of being able to offer more money and more years than any other team, but that may not be enough if Harden is determined to go to Philadelphia.
Harden, who has denied being the source for the free agency speculation, has been telling Durant and Nets management that he wants to stay with the team, according to Wojnarowski.
LeBron James Will Play Tonight
After missing five games with swelling in his left knee, Lakers star LeBron James will return for tonight’s nationally televised contest with the Knicks, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
James was originally listed as doubtful, but he tested the knee and decided he was able to go. He hasn’t played since January 25 when he logged 34 minutes in a win over the Nets.
The Lakers went 1-4 while he was sidelined and are currently ninth in the Western Conference with a 25-28 record.
James will replace Avery Bradley in the starting lineup, tweets Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register. Malik Monk will remain in a starting role.
James has missed 17 games so far this season, but he’s still putting up elite numbers when he does play, averaging 29.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists per night while shooting 52.2% from the field and 35.2% from three-point range.
Clippers Rumors: Frank, George, Leonard, Luxury Tax, Ibaka
The Clippers were involved in the first trade of deadline week and there may be more to come, writes Andrew Grief of The Los Angeles Times. A day after acquiring rotation players Norman Powell and Robert Covington from the Trail Blazers, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank told reporters that “roster building is very much ongoing.”
Frank has a track record of being active around the deadline since he joined the franchise five years ago, Greif notes. He is determined to build the best possible roster around Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, even though there’s no guarantee that either player will return from injury in time to play this season.
Frank would like to find another ball-handler after sending backup point guard Eric Bledsoe to Portland in Friday’s trade. Coach Tyronn Lue said Terance Mann will fill that role for now, and Frank isn’t necessarily seeking a traditional point guard to replace Bledsoe.
“Instead of saying point guard, I really look at ‘play starter,’ ‘play finisher,’ ‘connector,’” Frank said. “And, look, our two best players have the ball in their hands 60% of the time. And point guards, as you know, what a point guard was 20 years ago is different than what is 10 years ago is different than today. … “I don’t even call it a point guard, it’s like, ‘OK, can we find a guy who can do these skill sets that maybe relieve some of the burden on Kawhi and Paul? And guess what? That player can be a forward. It doesn’t have to necessarily be a quote-unquote point guard.”
There’s more on the Clippers, all from Greif’s story:
- George was shooting with his left hand before this morning’s practice. He has an MRI exam on his injured right elbow scheduled for February 24, but it won’t be the “ultimate decision-maker” on whether he tries to return before the season ends, Frank said. He added that the team is still in the dark about Leonard’s status. “No one knows, he doesn’t know,” Frank said. “But all you can do is just every day continue to control what you can control and see how he responds. Literally nothing has changed and I know it’s probably a frustrating answer or response but it’s just the reality. We don’t know.”
- Getting Powell and Covington added close to $20MM to this year’s projected luxury tax bill, pushing it past $112MM, and Frank said owner Steve Ballmer is willing to pay whatever it takes to upgrade the roster. “We never thought it was realistic for us to get a player like Norm Powell for a team that won’t have salary cap space for a long, long, long time,” Frank said. “It’s really, really hard to get players like Norm, who are under a long-term deal, who are in their prime.”
- Trade rumors are surrounding Serge Ibaka, who is the third-string center and has a $9.7MM expiring contract, but Frank said it’s possible he will be kept past the deadline. “Like anything, look, we will continue to look for opportunities to enhance the team,” Frank said. “Whether it is Serge or other situations.”
Scotto’s Latest: McCollum, Covington, Finney-Smith, Raptors, Gallinari
In the wake of Friday’s trade that sent Norman Powell and Robert Covington to the Clippers, many executives around the league expect the Trail Blazers to move CJ McCollum either before the deadline or during the offseason, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The Pelicans and Mavericks are among the teams with interest in McCollum, Scotto adds.
Joe Cronin, the interim general manager in Portland, said the trade with L.A. was designed to create more playing time for Anfernee Simons, who has emerged as a potential star in his fourth NBA season. Cronin calls Simons, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, a “core piece” and said the team “wanted to create a runway here for him.” The same reasoning could apply to moving the 30-year-old McCollum, who will make $69.13MM over the next two seasons.
Scotto shares a few more trade-related tidbits:
- After Friday’s trade was completed, several teams called the Clippers to see if they were interested in flipping Covington, who has a $12.975MM expiring contract. However, L.A. sees Covington as insurance if Nicolas Batum decides to turn down his $3.3MM player option this summer and would consider re-signing him even if Batum remains with the team. Scotto views Serge Ibaka as the next Clipper who might be traded.
- Sources tell Scotto that the Mavericks passed on an offer of a potential late-lottery pick in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith. The 28-year-old forward will be a free agent this summer, but Scotto cites “sentiment around the league” that Finney-Smith is outplaying his maximum extension of $55.6MM over four years.
- Pacers center Myles Turner is among the names the Raptors have considered in their search for help in the middle. Scotto identifies Jakob Poeltl, Robert Williams, Nicolas Claxton and Jusuf Nurkic as other potential Toronto targets, saying the Raptors have considered offering a first-round pick to the Spurs for Poeltl. The price for Turner would be even higher, as Indiana wants either two first-round picks or one first-rounder and a young player with potential.
- The Raptors are among several teams with interest in acquiring veteran forward Danilo Gallinari from the Hawks. Scotto notes that Goran Dragic, who hasn’t played since November, could be used to help match salaries in a deal with Atlanta.
Western Notes: Looney, Cronin, Blazers, Clippers, Engelland
Warriors center Kevon Looney has served as a surprise iron man for the team this season, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. Looney is one of six NBA players to start in every one of his team’s games, joining Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Mikal Bridges, Franz Wagner and Saddiq Bey.
“Loon just does his work every single day,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “He’s the ultimate pro. He understands his body. He understands what it takes to maintain his health and his conditioning, and he’s worked really hard to get to this point.
“He’s been through an awful lot in his career, as you well know, dealing with two hip surgeries and the neuropathy issue from a couple years ago.”
Much of the Warriors’ success has been attributed to Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins, but Looney has played an important role for the club. In 53 games, he’s averaged 6.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 21.1 minutes per contest, shooting 55% from the floor.
Here are some other notes from the Western Conference:
- Blazers interim general manager Joe Cronin cited cap flexibility for why the team traded Norman Powell and Robert Covington to the Clippers on Friday, Ben Golliver of The Washington Post tweets. Portland acquired Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson and a 2025 second-round pick in the deal, ducking below the tax this season and clearing some money from the team’s books in future seasons.
- Kevin Pelton of ESPN grades the Blazers-Clippers trade, explaining why he likes the deal more for Los Angeles than Portland. L.A. currently ranks 8th in the Western Conference at 27-27, while Portland sits at 10th with a 21-32 record. Both teams have dealt with injuries to star players this season, as Paul George and Damian Lillard have only played in 26 and 29 games, respectively. Kawhi Leonard has also remained out as he rehabs a torn ACL.
- Spurs assistant Chip Engelland has cleared the NBA’s health and safety protocols, according to Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link). San Antonio now has all of its coaches back. Engelland entered protocols on January 26, the same day that assistants Becky Hammon and Darius Songaila both exited them.
Markieff Morris’ Playing Status Uncertain
Despite veteran forward Markieff Morris wanting to return, the Heat have been unwilling to clear him and are concerned about potential liability issues, according to Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.
Morris will miss his 44th consecutive game on Saturday and hasn’t played since November 8, when Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic blindsided him with an intentional hit from behind. The hit came after Morris’ hard foul on Jokic, and both players were ejected from the game.
Morris dealt with neck pain after the contact and was diagnosed with whiplash. The Heat recently changed his status to out due to “return to competitive conditioning,” but no further details have been provided. The 32-year-old has only appeared in 10 games since signing with the club in August.
As Jackson and Chiang note, Morris also missed six weeks in 2019 after being diagnosed with transient cervical neurapraxia (neck injury). With the veteran’s future unclear, Jackson and Chiang speculate that Miami could look to acquire another power forward ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline.
Morris took to social media on January 6 to address Jokic and his injury, writing, “Ain’t sh– wild about it! It’s a real injury! Imagine having a 300 pound sloppy fat boy run full speed and make direct contact with your spine! I’ll be back soon like I said.”
Morris, a 10-year NBA veteran, entered the season holding career-averages of 11 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 24.9 minutes per game. Miami currently doesn’t have a backup power forward behind P.J. Tucker, who also signed with the team last offseason.
Southwest Notes: Collins, Grizzlies, Murray, Pelicans
Spurs big man Zach Collins played his first NBA game in nearly 18 months on Friday night, recording 10 points, seven rebounds and two steals off the bench in just 13 minutes. His performance helped San Antonio defeat Houston 131-106, as the Spurs bounced back from a 17-point loss to Miami on Thursday.
“He was pretty awesome for his first pro game in two years,” head coach Gregg Popovich said of Collins, per Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link). “I can’t even imagine what was going through his head before and during the game. He was very good. A lot of rust in there probably after a couple of years. We are happy for him.”
Collins last played in August of 2020 with the Blazers. He has undergone two surgeries on his foot since then, also signing a three-year, $22MM deal with San Antonio as a free agent last offseason.
Collins only played 11 games in 2019/20 and missed the entire ’20/21 season. During the ’18/19 campaign with Portland, he averaged 6.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 17.6 minutes per game, appearing in a total of 77 contests.
There’s more from the Southwest Division today:
- Mark Giannotto of the Memphis Commercial Appeal makes a case for why the Grizzlies shouldn’t harm their chemistry by making a major deal ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline. Memphis currently owns the third-best record in the NBA at 36-18. The team has seen productive seasons from MVP candidate Ja Morant, big man Jaren Jackson Jr. and others, showing great chemistry on both ends of the floor.
- Spurs guard Dejounte Murray isn’t bothered by not making the All-Star team, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News tweets. Murray is averaging a career-high 19.6 points, 8.4 rebounds and 9.2 assists per game. “I am not going to be mad, angry about it,” he said. “I didn’t make it, it’s fine. Everyone that made it, we were well deserved. Good for them. Just to be in the conversation, from where I come from…I am thankful and grateful.”
- William Guillory of The Athletic examines potential trade scenarios for the Pelicans, who currently rank 11th in the Western Conference at 20-32. New Orleans is only one game behind Portland (21-32) for a spot in the play-in tournament. The team will be seeking its third straight win when it plays Houston on Sunday.
Greg Monroe Signs 10-Day Contract With Bucks
12:27pm: Milwaukee has officially signed Monroe to a 10-day deal, the team announced in a press release.
8:10am: The Bucks have agreed to a 10-day contract with veteran center Greg Monroe, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.
Milwaukee has an open roster and don’t have anyone in protocols, so it appears it’ll be a standard 10-day deal.
According to Scotto, Monroe had multiple 10-day offers before choosing the defending champions. Monroe signed 10-day contracts with the Timberwolves and Wizards under the hardship exception earlier this season and appeared in five games. He averaged 5.6 PPG, 6.2 RPG and 2.4 APG in 16.2 MPG.
Prior to this season, Monroe hadn’t appeared in an NBA game since the 2018/19 campaign. In 637 career games, Monroe has averaged 13.1 PPG, 8.3 RPG and 2.1 APG. Monroe began his career with Detroit after being drafted in the 2010 lottery.
This is his second stint with Milwaukee. He appeared in 165 games with the Bucks from 2015-17.
Brook Lopez hasn’t played since the season opener and underwent back surgery in early December. Bobby Portis and Giannis Antetokounmpo have played out of position in his absence.
Knicks Notes: Walker, Burks, Robinson, Trade Deadline
Kemba Walker admits he’s struggling with his reduced role on the Knicks, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes. Walker didn’t score against Memphis and Sacramento in his last two appearances. He scored in single digits the previous four games.
“It’s pretty difficult,” Walker said. “It’s just so different. I’m in a whole different position and role. But yeah, that’s on me to learn how to play with guys and learn when to get my shots and it’s just taking more time than what I’d like.”
The team’s brass is reportedly looking to move Walker before Thursday’s trade deadline.
We have more on the Knicks:
- While Alec Burks has been mentioned frequently in trade rumors, the Knicks are seemingly not eager to move him, according to Ian Begley of SNY TV. They’re open to including Burks in a trade if it allowed them to shed other veterans but they’re not interested in trading Burks alone to create a spot in the rotation, according to Begley’s sources. Burks’ contract runs through the 2023/24 season, though the final year is a team option.
- Mitchell Robinson was a bright spot in a loss to the Grizzlies, contributing 14 points, 11 rebounds and a whopping eight blocks. RJ Barrett said good health has allowed Robinson to show his talent, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. The young center, who is currently extension-eligible and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, was sidelined earlier this season by a concussion and fractured hand. “He’s just healthy,’’ Barrett said. “Now you’re seeing a guy getting in a groove. He’s such a gift offensively and defensively.”
- With all the chatter surrounding the team, it seems almost inevitable the front office will make some moves before the trade deadline. The Athletic’s Fred Katz and John Hollinger discuss the front office’s potential approach in the coming days.
Central Notes: Grant, Cunningham, Allen, Lopez
Pistons head coach Dwane Casey said he’s spoken with Jerami Grant about all the trade rumors surrounding him. Casey advised Grant to take them as a compliment.
“My thing to him was if your name is being mentioned, it’s a badge of honor,” Casey said. “If you don’t see your name, nobody else wants you, that should tell you something. He understands. There’s no change in his personality, no change in his approach. He’s a pro.”
We have more from the Central Division:
- Pistons rookie Cade Cunningham has missed two games with a right hip pointer, but it’s not a serious issue, according to Casey. “He’s just got to get those muscles in his behind firing the right way and the soreness out,” he said. “Those hip pointers are painful. … We’ll see how it goes (Saturday). It’s going to be a day-to-day thing to see how the soreness goes away.” The Pistons play at Minnesota on Sunday.
- The Cavaliers feel Jarrett Allen deserved a spot on the All-Star team. Allen wasn’t chosen as an All-Star reserve and he responded with a career-high 29 points and 22 rebounds against Charlotte on Friday. “I think Jarrett got snubbed,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said to Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “You look at what he’s done over the year and there’s no real way to justify him not making it. It’s difficult because there are a lot of talented players out there, but if we respect winning the way we say we respect winning, there’s no way that Jarrett Allen doesn’t make the All-Star team. I’ll speak on his behalf. We’re extremely disappointed that he didn’t make it.”
- The Bucks expect Brook Lopez to return sometime during the regular season but it won’t be in the near future, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Lopez underwent back surgery in early December. “On the most basic level, we’re going to be in L.A. and that is where his surgery was,” coach Mike Budenholzer said this week. “I think it’s time for his four-week, three-week, I don’t know, however many weeks it has been, check-up. But having said that, he’s been doing some work on the court individually. He’ll continue to do that stuff.”