Knicks Discussed Acquiring Tobias Harris
The Knicks pondered the possibility of pursuing Sixers forward Tobias Harris in a trade prior to their recent winning streak, Ian Begley of SNY TV reports (video link).
Harris’ name has been bandied about on the rumor mill for quite awhile and The Athletic reported last month that the Sixers were gauging interest in the veteran forward. It appears that the Knicks had some interest and could continue to look at Harris, depending upon how the next few weeks play out.
Harris had eight points, six rebounds and two assists in Philadelphia’s 119-112 win over the Knicks on Sunday as New York lost its third straight after an eight-game winning streak.
“The Knicks, at least internally, talked about the idea of acquiring Tobias Harris via trade before their winning streak started,” Begley said. “… Tom Thibodeau spoke highly of Harris before the game. That’s just one name to keep an eye on.”
With the Sixers’ addition of James Harden and the emergence of Tyrese Maxey last season, Harris’ numbers dropped somewhat last season. He averaged 17.2 points per game, compared to 19.5 PPG the previous season. This season, Harris is averaging 17.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists.
Harris is highly respected around the league for his professionalism, but his salary makes him difficult to trade. He’s making $37.6MM this season and $39.3MM in 2023/24, the final year of his contract.
“I know that he does have some fans in the organization,” Begley said. “He’s making a lot of money. It would be a big trade to pull off salary-wise but it’s at least something the Knicks kicked around internally prior to this winning streak.”
Philadelphia, naturally, has championship aspirations, so it’s difficult to gauge what it would hope to get for Harris and still remain in the hunt for an Eastern Conference title. The Knicks would love to move Evan Fournier, who’s making $18MM in the second year of a four-year contract that includes a team option in the final year.
Derrick Rose, also out of the Knicks’ rotation, is earning $14.5MM this season with a team option on next year’s salary. Cam Reddish has an expiring $5.9MM deal. But the Sixers would also likely want a younger, cheaper player who could take Harris’ spot, such as Obi Toppin ($5.3MM), to help them this season. Toppin is currently sidelined by a leg injury.
Harden is reportedly considering a reunion with the Rockets in free agency next summer.
Central Notes: Bogdanovic, Middelton, Lopez, Haliburton
The Pistons may have the league’s worst record, but that won’t deter Dwane Casey from proclaiming that Bojan Bogdanovic deserves All-Star recognition, Mike Curtis of the Detroit News writes.
“I hope people don’t look at our record as a rebuilding team and punish him for that because to me, Bogey’s an All-Star,” the Pistons’ head coach said. “I’ve coached a lot of offensive players in my career when you talk about (Dirk) Nowitzki, (DeMar) DeRozan, a lot of those guys, Kevin Garnett. Offensively, he’s right up there with those guys as far as scoring the basketball.”
Bogdanovic, who signed a two-year extension with the Pistons early this season, is averaging a team-high 20.8 points.
We have more from the Central Division:
- Bucks forward Khris Middleton made his long-awaited return from wrist surgery early this month, but now swelling in his knee has sidelined him, Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes. “I would say way better than I was last week when I stopped playing,” Middleton said Saturday. “A lot of swelling in my knee went down. Just taking it day-by-day. Just trying to make sure the next time I go back out there I’ll be out there for the long run.” Middleton missed his fifth consecutive game on Sunday, Eric Nehm of The Athletic tweets.
- Bucks center Brook Lopez was sidelined much of last season due to a back injury. Lopez has not only been healthy this season, he has emerged as a candidate for the Defensive Player of the Year award. He told Rohan Nadkarni of Sports Illustrated that he’s humbled to be in that discussion. “Absolutely it would mean something, it would be a great honor,” Lopez said. “I’ve had a very interesting career arc. The changes I’ve had to make to my game to stay in the league, I’m proud of that and I’m proud of the player I’ve become. It would definitely be an honor.”
- Tyrese Haliburton was held to one point the first time the Pacers faced the Heat this month. The rematch was way different, as he erupted for 43 points and set a franchise-record with 10 3-pointers on Friday. Haliburton felt he had something to prove to Miami, Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star relays. “Last time we played these guys, they really had me in check,” he said. “I just had to come out here and respond the right way.”
Poll: Which Teams Will Be Trade Deadline Sellers?
In the Eastern Conference, only three games separate the No. 6 seed (the 18-16 Knicks) from the No. 11 seed (the 14-18 Bulls). Both the Magic and Wizards are just 13-21, yet they’re only two-and-a-half games back of the play-in tournament, with the Raptors (15-18) currently holding the No. 10 seed.
Out West, the Warriors have struggled to this point, currently holding a 15-18 record and the No. 11 seed, yet they’re only four games back of the Suns (19-14), the current No. 4 seed. The Lakers dropped to 13-20 on Sunday after giving up a league-high 51 points in the third quarter to Dallas (Twitter link via ESPN’s Tim MacMahon), yet they’re still only three games back of the final play-in spot (currently held by the 16-17 Timberwolves).
The bunched-together standings are a major reason why relatively few sellers have emerged on the trade market with the February 9 deadline just six weeks away. In the West, the Rockets and Spurs are obvious candidates to deal away veterans, while the Pistons, Magic and Hornets figure to make some of their veterans available in the East, though Charlotte hasn’t been mentioned in any real rumors yet.
A couple teams are in a sort of awkward middle ground. The Pacers (17-16, No. 8 in the East) and Jazz (19-16, No. 7 in the West) were viewed as sellers entering the fall and were not expected to have a record above .500 roughly 40% of the way through the regular season, and yet they’re right in the mix for a playoff spot.
Several teams with playoff ambitions have been inconsistent thus far: the Knicks, Hawks, Heat, Raptors, Bulls, Wizards, Mavericks, Blazers, Timberwolves and Warriors (you could even throw in the Clippers and Kings). Out of that group, the Raptors, Bulls and Wizards are eyed by rival teams as possible sellers if they continue to have subpar results.
That leads us to our poll: Which teams will emerge as deadline sellers? Vote and then head to the comments and let us know what you think!
The wild thing is, it’s possible that any (or all) of the five teams listed in our poll could become buyers instead of sellers, and it could be an entirely different group that emerges as sellers in several weeks! That’s both exciting and confusing for trying to get a read on the market.
Which Teams Will Become Sellers?
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Two or more of the group 33% (406)
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Bulls 26% (322)
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Wizards 13% (155)
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Other teams not listed 10% (119)
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Jazz 7% (90)
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Raptors 6% (76)
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Pacers 5% (59)
Total votes: 1,227
Jalen Brunson Exits Sunday’s Game With Possible Injury
Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson exited Sunday’s loss to the Sixers in the fourth quarter and headed back to the locker room, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic (all Twitter links).
As Katz details, Brunson appeared to be favoring his right hip in the second half. Head coach Tom Thibodeau said after the game that he wasn’t sure why Brunson had to sub out, but noted that the 26-year-old was being evaluated by the team’s training staff.
Brunson wasn’t made available to speak to the media after the game, Katz adds, and the Knicks haven’t made any formal announcements regarding his status, so it’s too early to say what might be ailing him, or if he might miss additional time.
The Knicks gave Brunson a four-year, $104MM contract as a free agent in the offseason, and he’s played at a high level so far. Through 33 games (32.4 minutes per contest), he’s averaging 20.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 1.1 steals on .458/.365/.875 shooting.
After dropping Sunday’s game, the Knicks have now lost three straight following an eight-game winning streak. They currently hold an 18-16 record, the No. 6 seed in the East, and their next game is Tuesday at Dallas, Brunson’s former team.
Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Caruso, Timberwolves, Williams
The Nuggets might to be turning a corner on the defensive end, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post. Denver has won six of its past seven games to move to 20-11, and the team is 12th in defensive rating over that span, up from 23rd on the season, Singer notes.
As Singer details, the third quarter of Friday’s home win over Portland was a particularly impressive defensive stretch, with the Nuggets outscoring the Blazers 35-16. Michael Porter Jr., who made his return to the lineup after a 13-game absence with a left foot injury, played a big part in that effort, as did Jamal Murray, who sat out Tuesday’s game due to knee maintenance.
“When our defense turned up, the offense is great, but I just get so excited when I see five guys locked in, on a string,” head coach Michael Malone said, per Singer.
Porter described his injury as a form of plantar fasciitis, and he finished with 18 points and five rebounds in 27 minutes, Singer adds. Murray nearly notched a triple-double, recording 25 points, eight rebounds, 12 assists and a couple steals.
Here’s more from the Northwest:
- In a subscriber-only story for The Denver Post, Singer says league-wide parity has contributed to a lack of sellers on the trade market thus far. The Bulls haven’t shown any interest in dealing away contributing players yet, but if that changes, Alex Caruso would be a nice bench upgrade for the Nuggets, according to Singer, who also thinks an upgrade over Zeke Nnaji and DeAndre Jordan at the backup five might be needed if Denver doesn’t trust either player for a postseason run.
- Four Timberwolves role players — Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid, Jaylen Nowell and Nathan Knight — have a special bond, and their camaraderie has helped the team during tense moments, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “I want to see the whole team succeed. But those are guys that I’m very, very close with,” Nowell said. “They’re really like blood brothers. It hits a little different when you see your family being successful.” All four are at key junctures in their careers — McDaniels is eligible for a rookie scale extension in the summer, Reid and Nowell will be unrestricted free agents, and Knight is playing on a non-guaranteed deal.
- Rookie big man Jaylin Williams, the 34th overall pick of June’s draft, sustained a concussion on Wednesday in a G League contest for the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder announced. The second-rounder is now in the league’s concussion protocol. Williams has only made seven NBA appearances thus far, averaging 3.0 PPG and 2.3 RPG in 8.7 minutes per contest, but he has been a regular with the Blue, the Thunder’s affiliate, averaging 14.1 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 5.3 APG and 1.4 SPG on .626/.364/.741 shooting in 11 games (30.6 MPG).
Community Shootaround: Christmas Day Games
Merry Christmas to all who celebrate! December 25 is one of the marquee dates on the NBA’s calendar, with the league offering up the following five-game slate to audiences this year, in order of tip-off:
- Philadelphia 76ers at New York Knicks
- Los Angeles Lakers at Dallas Mavericks
- Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics
- Memphis Grizzlies at Golden State Warriors
- Phoenix Suns at Denver Nuggets
Given that the schedule is created months in advance, it’s a virtually impossible task for the NBA to pick the 10 best teams for its Christmas Day schedule. You could argue that’s not even the goal — after all, it’s probably safe to assume NBA executives didn’t expect the Knicks and Lakers to be top-10 teams this season. They were chosen to play on December 25 because of the size of their respective markets and fan bases.
Still, the NBA did reasonably well with this season’s schedule. The Sixers and Knicks have both surged in December and enter today’s game on hot streaks. The Bucks/Celtics matchup is a clash of the two clubs who have traded the East’s No. 1 seed back and forth for much of the season. And with Devin Booker back, the Suns and Nuggets (both top-four seeds in the West) will have all their stars available for the late game tonight.
Injuries to Anthony Davis and Stephen Curry take some of the luster off the Lakers’ and Warriors‘ games, and both clubs have struggled this season anyway. Still, the defending champions are assured of a spot on Christmas Day, and their opponent – the Grizzlies – is one of the league’s most exciting teams, so it’s hard to complain about that game. The Mavericks/Lakers contest is the worst of the bunch based on the two teams’ records, but it will still feature LeBron James vs. Luka Doncic.
Which teams not in action today deserved a Christmas Day showcase? In the East, you could make a case for the Cavaliers and the Nets, but Cleveland wasn’t expected to be quite this good this soon, and Brooklyn’s roster appeared to be very much in flux when the NBA was setting its schedule, as Kevin Durant wryly observed earlier this week (Twitter video link via Ian Begley of SNY.tv).
It would have been great to see a full-strength Pelicans squad playing on Christmas, but they weren’t considered a sure thing entering the season, and Zion Williamson‘s health is always a question mark — he has actually missed the last two games, while Brandon Ingram has been sidelined since November 25, so New Orleans likely wouldn’t have had its full arsenal available today.
The Clippers are another notable omission out West, and the NBA probably wouldn’t have minded finding room for them on the schedule with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George healthy and beginning to round into form.
We want to know what you think of this year’s December 25 schedule. Which of today’s games are you most excited about? Which ones do you think you might skip? Which teams are you disappointed not to see playing today?
Head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!
James Harden Considering Return To Rockets In Free Agency
Just two years after requesting a trade out of Houston, star Sixers guard James Harden is seriously mulling the possibility of returning to the Rockets when he becomes eligible for free agency in the summer of 2023, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
According to Wojnarowski, Harden and his camp have been “openly weighing Houston in recent weeks and months.”
Wojnarowski describes the city as having a “magnetic pull” on the former MVP due to the community, lifestyle, and family he had there. Having spent seven-and-a-half years of his NBA career with the Rockets, Harden could choose to return to Houston if he opts for “comfort and familiarity” over a chance to immediately contend for a title, Woj writes.
However, that doesn’t mean Harden is set on leaving Philadelphia. The Sixers have been on a roll lately and Harden’s on-court partnership with Joel Embiid finally seems to be firing on all cylinders. If that success continues and the team enjoys a deep playoff run in the spring, the 33-year-old guard would likely become more inclined to stick around beyond this season, Wojnarowski writes.
A free agent this past summer, Harden could have signed with the 76ers for up to five years, but decided to negotiate a shorter-team deal, signing a two-year, $68.6MM pact with a player option for the second season.
The contract – which saw Harden accept a significant pay cut – freed up space under the hard cap for Philadelphia to add a couple free agents (P.J. Tucker and Danuel House). There was a belief outside the organization that the agreement came with an understanding that Daryl Morey and the Sixers’ front office would be willing to offer Harden a more lucrative long-term contract next summer.
Although Harden has connections with Morey and CEO Tad Brown in Philadelphia, his working relationships with Embiid and head coach Doc Rivers are more of a “work in progress,” according to Wojnarowski.
However, as Wojnarowski points out, the current version of the Rockets isn’t the same one Harden remembers — his exit came just after Morey and longtime head coach Mike D’Antoni left the organization, and the roster has also undergone a major overhaul in recent years. If Harden is legitimately interested in returning to Houston, the franchise would have to consider how reacquiring him would impact the development of core pieces like Jalen Green, Jabari Smith, and Kevin Porter, Woj observes.
For what it’s worth, Houston projects to have a substantial chunk of cap space, so from a practical perspective, signing Harden as a free agent would be doable. ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link) has the club projected at about $45MM in cap room, and that number would increase without Eric Gordon‘s $20.9MM non-guaranteed salary on the books.
Harden, who has made 10 consecutive All-Star teams, has missed some time due to injury this season, but has been productive when healthy, averaging 21.4 points, 10.9 assists, and 6.6 rebounds in 37.8 minutes per night. His .364 3PT% is his highest mark since 2018/19.
Devin Booker Expected To Return On Sunday
Suns guard Devin Booker is expected to be available on Sunday following a three-game absence due to a groin injury, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
Phoenix will be visiting the West-leading Nuggets in the fifth and final game of the NBA’s Christmas Day slate. Booker is officially listed as questionable for the contest, but Wojnarowski’s report suggests the Suns’ top scorer won’t miss the opportunity to play on a national stage in a marquee Western Conference showdown.
Booker, a three-time All-Star, is averaging a career-high 28.0 points per game in his first 28 contests (35.6 MPG) this season for the Suns. He has also contributed 5.8 APG and 4.8 RPG with a shooting line of .477/.370/.850.
Assuming Booker is able to play on Sunday, he’ll presumably replace Landry Shamet in the starting lineup. Shamet started in Booker’s place on Friday after Damion Lee occupied that spot for the previous two games.
Pacific Notes: Baldwin, Wiseman, Sabonis, LeBron, Bryant
As the Warriors‘ nightmarish road trip wrapped up Wednesday in Brooklyn, there were encouraging signs from two players who spent much of the season in the G League, writes C.J. Holmes of The San Francisco Chronicle. Given extended minutes in the blowout loss, rookie forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. posted career highs with 17 points and five three-pointers and he got to experience his first matchup with Kevin Durant.
“I mean, KD is going to be KD,” Baldwin said. “He’s going to hit his tough shots. He’s going to get to his spots and I thought a lot of guys stepped up and accepted that challenge.”
Also setting a career high was third-year center James Wiseman, who made 12-of-14 shots from the field and scored 30 points. Holmes notes that he showed a soft touch around the basket and sank his first three-pointer of the season.
“James did a great job tonight,” coach Steve Kerr said. “It’s fun to kind of see him let loose and get some minutes and make the most of it. He did a lot of good things offensively.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- After missing two games with an illness, Donte DiVincenzo should be able to return for the Warriors on Sunday against Memphis, tweets Kendra Andrews of ESPN. However, Andrew Wiggins (right adductor strain) and JaMychal Green (health and safety protocols) have both been ruled out.
- X-rays confirmed that Kings big man Domantas Sabonis suffered an injury to his right hand Friday night, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Further testing will determine the extent of the damage, and Sabonis’ pain tolerance could factor into how much time he will miss. Sabonis leads the NBA with 23 double-doubles, and is one of three players averaging 10 rebounds and five assists per game, along with Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
- With Anthony Davis injured, the Lakers need more from LeBron James than he’s capable of providing at nearly age 38, per Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. Goodwill points out that James is taking the second-most shots of his career, while his efficiency is at the lowest point since 2015. He’s also attempting more three-pointers and fewer free throws this season and doesn’t appear capable of leading L.A. to the playoffs without another star on the court.
- Thomas Bryant, who left Friday’s game with a shoulder injury, isn’t on the Lakers’ injury report for Sunday, tweets Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register.
Southeast Notes: Magic, Houstan, Young, Kuzma
The Magic are in the midst of their best nine-game stretch in more than a decade, but there’s no single reason why it’s happening, writes Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando has moved into the race for the play-in tournament by winning eight of its last nine games, and head coach Jamahl Mosley believes everything he’s been trying to teach his young players over the past two seasons is taking hold.
“We’ve been saying it from the beginning: understanding we’re close (and) getting over the hump,” Mosley said. “You just have to stick with that process. The growth, understanding those close games and what those mean later on in the season. It’s just the belief system these young men are starting to grow into.”
The Magic own the NBA’s second-best rating in clutch situations and have started winning tight games that they couldn’t close out earlier in the season. Orlando is also among the league’s top seven teams in both offensive and defensive rating during the last two and a half weeks.
“As a young team, sometimes we can get caught up in ‘Oh, we won a certain amount of games. Let’s get comfortable,’” said Wendell Carter Jr., who returned to the lineup Friday after missing more than a month. “I feel like the biggest thing for us is to continue to do what got us here. Not to change the formula or too many things. Just do what got us to this point.”
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- The Magic have considered sending Caleb Houstan to the G League to get more playing time, tweets Aaron Goldstone of Orlando Pinstriped Post. The rookie small forward has appeared in 22 of the team’s 34 games.
- Trae Young‘s father responded to a recent article by Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report speculating about Young’s future in Atlanta and a tweet by Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer suggesting the Hawks guard isn’t willing to play off the ball alongside Dejounte Murray. “Although I like Kevin’s stuff, now there’ll be articles on Trae like this just because ‘rival execs’ believe something!” Ray Young tweeted. “Trae doesn’t talk to other teams. He’s busy trying to win in Atlanta. Will this ever end?”
- With their roster almost fully healthy, the Wizards understand they have to start producing to prevent a shakeup at the trade deadline, per Josh Robbins of The Athletic. “It’s tough for you to make decisions without a healthy team, and we’ve got to make up some ground,” Kyle Kuzma said. “We’ve been injured a lot, but we’ve got a chance to rewrite some things. The trade deadline is in six weeks, and everyone in this locker room knows about that.”