Suns’ Bradley Beal Not Interested In Bulls Trade
Suns guard Bradley Beal is not amenable to waiving his no-trade clause to be moved to the Bulls, a source tells Fred Katz of The Athletic.
Chicago has reportedly held conversations with Phoenix about the idea of acquiring Beal to help facilitate a Suns trade for embattled Heat All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler. On Monday, the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals MVP was suspended by Miami for the third time this year.
Because the Heat have no interest in taking on salary beyond 2025/26, Katz notes, a third team seems needed to land Butler with Phoenix All-Stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, creating a new “Big Three” of formidable veterans.
Two-time All-Star Chicago wing Zach LaVine‘s $43MM salary would have made him a clear financial fit in a hypothetical three-team deal, though he is under contract for two more seasons after this one and may not have appealed to Miami for that reason.
Things have not gone according to plan for the Suns this season. Day-one starters Beal and Jusuf Nurkic have both been demoted to the bench, and the club has struggled in the Western Conference under new head coach Mike Budenholzer. Nurkic is no longer in Budenholzer’s rotations at all, while Beal is the club’s sixth man. Phoenix is currently 23-21 on the year, good for the No. 7 seed in the West.
Katz reports that, despite his lack of interest in joining the Bulls, Beal would be open to being dealt away from the Suns, provided he is sent to a “winning team.” He also finds cold-weather destinations less appealing, Katz adds. The Bulls, being in such a climate and also sporting a sub-.500 record (19-27), are not among trade destinations Beal would approve.
Across 31 healthy games this year, the 6’4″ guard is averaging 17.2 points per night on an efficient slash line of .485/.396/.764.
The 31-year-old is owed $160MM across this season and the next two. Beal, who has not made an All-Star team since his Wizards-era prime, is one of just two players in the NBA with a full no-trade clause, along with 21-time All-Star Lakers forward LeBron James.
Nuggets Notes: Gordon, Starters, Trade Needs
Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon claims his lingering calf injury doesn’t bother him anymore, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. The veteran big man has been playing under a minutes restriction, but it sounds like he’s eager to change that.
“I’m ready,” Gordon said. “I don’t feel my calf anymore. Yeah. I’m ready. So it’s on the training staff and the coaching staff now.”
Gordon has yet to play more than 25 minutes in a contest since returning from the calf injury on January 12. Durando notes that staggering the minutes of Gordon and Jokic has had an intriguing benefit for Denver — the Nuggets sport a +9.5 net rating when Gordon plays without Jokic. Denver has historically suffered when its three-time MVP, who generally plays alongside Gordon, sits. The 6’8″ forward is the 2023 champs’ top defender, as well as a savvy and efficient post scorer.
“We just need to continue to stay with it,” head coach Michael Malone said of the team’s current strategy. “Bring him off the bench for the time being, and utilize him in any way we can to help us get wins.”
There’s more out of Denver:
- As Gordon’s health continues to improve, it begs the question of just when — or if — he should be returned to the Nuggets’ starting five. The Denver Post’s Troy Renck and Bennett Durando consider whether or not such a move should happen, and how it would impact the way in which Denver approaches this year’s trade deadline. Russell Westbrook has been starting ahead of Gordon lately, with forward Michael Porter Jr. playing up a position to accommodate the extra guard.
- After a middling 11-10 start to the season, with Jokic averaging 37.7 minutes a night, the Nuggets hardly looked like they’d have much left in the tank for the playoffs. But something has shifted lately. Now, Denver is 28-17, currently good for the Western Conference’s No. 4 seed. In another story for The Denver Post, Durando assesses the team’s needs at the trade deadline, suggesting that a frontcourt upgrade or some long-range bench sniping could help improve the team for the 2024/25 home stretch.
- In case you missed it, Jokic continues to make a case for earning his second consecutive MVP award this spring — and his fourth in five years.
Community Shootaround: Eastern All-Star Reserves
The NBA revealed the 10 All-Star starters for the 2024/25 season last Thursday, featuring the typical five players from each conference. This coming Thursday, the All-Star reserves will be announced on TNT.
Today, we’ll be focusing on the Eastern Conference reserves, which are voted on by coaches from around the league. Jalen Brunson, Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Karl-Anthony Towns comprise the East’s starting lineup, leaving seven open spots off the bench.
While the East’s talent pool is generally not as well-regarded as the West’s, there are plenty of players having All-Star caliber seasons in ’24/25. His vote obviously doesn’t count, but Zach Harper of The Athletic says his picks would be Damian Lillard, Trae Young (two backcourt spots), Evan Mobley, Jaylen Brown, Pascal Siakam (three frontcourt spots), Cade Cunningham and Darius Garland (two wild card spots).
Had they been healthier, Harper writes, Magic forwards Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero would have been in the conversation for Siakam’s spot, but they both missed extended time with torn obliques. Nikola Vucevic, Jarrett Allen and LaMelo Ball are the other players who received consideration from Harper but didn’t make his final cut.
They aren’t mentioned in Harper’s story, but Tyler Herro, Zach LaVine, Tyrese Haliburton, Tyrese Maxey, Jalen Johnson and Scottie Barnes are among the other candidates in the East who could be voted in by coaches. I’d be pretty shocked if Josh Hart or Derrick White get selected, but they’re both having solid seasons too.
I think Herro probably has the most compelling case of the players that Harper omitted. He has been Miami’s best and most consistent player, has only missed one game, and has been highly efficient offensively.
But I don’t think he deserves to be selected over Lillard, Cunningham or Garland, and Young leads the NBA in assists per game by a significant margin. The Heat and Hawks have almost identical records and neither player is a great defender, so there isn’t much of a differentiator there. Tough call between those two.
Allen is a very good player, but his stats aren’t gaudy, and I don’t expect to see four Cavaliers in the All-Star game. Ball’s stats are gaudy, but his efficiency isn’t great, he doesn’t guard, he has missed several games due to injuries, and Charlotte has the fourth-worst record in the NBA.
Haliburton, Maxey and Barnes made the cut in ’23/24, but their numbers have largely declined in ’24/25. Team record and missed games could work against Maxey and Barnes as well.
LaVine and Vucevic are having great offensive seasons. Neither is known for their defense, and the Bulls are just 19-27. Johnson has missed nine games.
Hart has arguably been more impactful to winning for the Knicks than Siakam has been for the Pacers. But he’s fifth on the team in points per game (Siakam leads Indiana in that category) and including him would mean three Knicks (30-16, No. 3 seed) would make the All-Star game vs. zero Pacers (25-20, No. 5 seed). It’s hard to envision that happening.
We want to know what you think. Which players should be selected as All-Star reserves in the Eastern Conference? Did we miss anyone who deserves consideration? Head to the comment section to weigh in.
Warriors’ Kuminga Out At Least Two More Weeks; Green Day-To-Day
Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, who sustained a right ankle sprain on January 4 and has missed the past 11 games, will be out for at least two more weeks, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link).
According to the Warriors, Kuminga was recently reevaluated. He’s making good progress in his recovery and will start light on-court individual workouts in the next week, but he won’t return to action until after the February 6 trade deadline.
Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported a few days ago that Kuminga was still weeks away from returning, so Golden State’s announcement is more of a confirmation than anything new.
“He’s not close to coming back,” head coach Steve Kerr said of Kuminga on Saturday, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “He’s on a bike just now. He’s not been on the court in any other capacity other than just shooting stationary shots. So it’s going to be some time.”
It’s unfortunate news for the 22-year-old, who was playing his best basketball of the season prior to the injury, averaging 24.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.0 steal in the six games leading up to Jan. 4. Kuminga will be a restricted free agent in the offseason.
On a more positive note on the injury front, Draymond Green is now considered day-to-day following his own reevaluation. The former Defensive Player of the Year has missed the past four contests with a left calf strain, but he has been doing some light on-court work recently and will soon begin practicing.
Heat Suspend Jimmy Butler Indefinitely
3:51pm: Butler’s indefinite suspension is now official, according to the Heat (Twitter links).
“The suspension is due to a continued pattern of disregard of team rules, engaging in conduct detrimental to the team and intentionally withholding services,” the team said in a statement. “This includes walking out of practice earlier today.”
As Marks points out (via Twitter), the “withholding services” line means Butler will lose 1/91.6th of his salary per game, which works out to $2,663,685 over the next five contests.
3:03pm: The Heat plan to suspend six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler indefinitely, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN.
According to Charania, Butler walked out of shootaround on Monday morning after he was informed that the team planned to start Haywood Highsmith over him going forward.
While Butler’s latest suspension is considered indefinite, he will miss a minimum of five more games, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. As Will Guillory of The Athletic observes, that five-game timeline isn’t a coincidence — it means he won’t suit up for the team again prior to the February 6 trade deadline (Twitter link).
Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald hears Butler wasn’t pleased with the news and angrily left mid-shootaround. That gave the Heat cause to suspend him without pay while also ensuring he won’t get injured in a game before the deadline (Twitter link).
The language the Heat use in their press release will be key to determining how much money Butler could miss out on, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter links). Butler will be docked $532,737 per game if Miami calls it failure to render services, while conduct detrimental to the team would cost Butler $336,543 per contest.
As Jackson and Anthony Chiang write for The Miami Herald, the original plan had been for Butler to play on Monday following a two-game suspension, though his role going forward was a major question mark. Overall, Butler has been suspended nine games to this point; that figure will now rise to at least 14.
The first suspension, covering seven games, was referred to as conduct detrimental to the team; the second, covering two games, was for a “continued pattern of disregard of team rules, insubordinate conduct and conduct detrimental to the team, including missing… a team flight to Milwaukee.” The National Basketball Players Association plans to file a grievance to dispute the suspension, and Butler could get some of his salary back in the future.
It has been exactly eight years since Butler came off the bench, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Obviously, the 35-year-old wasn’t interested in that scenario after butting heads with management for the past several weeks.
“It kind of feels normal now at this point,” Tyler Herro said of having Butler back from a suspension again Monday morning, prior to the breaking news. “Kind of is what it is, but nothing’s guaranteed. We’ve just got to be ready to roll with whatever cards we’re dealt tonight. We’ve just got to be ready to go.”
Butler has been at odds with Miami over his contract, which pays him $48.8MM in 2024/25, with a $52.4MM player option in ’25/26. Last offseason, he was hoping to decline that option and add an additional year (and more money) onto his maximum-salary deal, but the Heat had no interest in that scenario; in fact, president Pat Riley publicly criticized Butler for his lack of availability, which reportedly caught Butler off guard.
Charania first reported that the Heat were open to listening for trade offers for Butler, who has repeatedly let it be known that he intends to decline his player option to hit free agency in the offseason. About a week after that reporting, the team announced that it wouldn’t trade Butler, but then he privately asked to be traded and Miami then said it did plan to deal him.
The Suns have reportedly been the most aggressive team in pursuit of Butler, but this news doesn’t mean there’s any progress between the two teams in trade talks, per John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link). The major hold-up in a potential deal is that Miami has no interest in taking on Bradley Beal‘s maximum-salary contract, which covers two more seasons beyond ’24/25 and features a full no-trade clause.
Jaren Jackson Jr., Scottie Barnes Named Players Of The Week
Grizzlies forward/center Jaren Jackson Jr. has been named the Western Conference’s Player of the Week, while Raptors forward Scottie Barnes has won the award in the East, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).
It’s the first time either player has won the weekly award, according to their respective teams.
Jackson, who was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2023, had a stellar week for Memphis, which went 4-0 to extended its overall winning streak to six games. He averaged 25.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 blocks in his four appearances, posting an excellent shooting line of .576/.381/.826. He also averaged a staggering plus-17.5 per game over that stretch (the team’s average margin of victory was 12.3 points).
The 25-year-old big man is a strong candidate to be named to his second All-Star team later this week, as he leads the Grizzlies in scoring and is their best — and most important — defender. Memphis is currently 31-15, the No. 3 seed in the West (mere percentage points behind No. 2 Houston, which is 30-14).
Barnes, meanwhile, helped guide Toronto to a somewhat surprising 3-0 week, with two victories over Atlanta and one vs. Orlando. He filled the stat sheet by averaging 22.0 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.7 SPG and 1.0 BPG on .468/.364/.857 shooting. Impressively, his average plus/minus was even better than Jackson’s (+19.3).
After starting the season with an atrocious 8-31 record, the Raptors have won five of their past six games and are now 13-32. While he has played at an All-Star caliber level when healthy, Barnes has missed 13 games due to injuries and the team’s record will likely be weighed against him. The fourth-year forward earned his first All-Star nod in 2023/24.
According to the NBA, the other nominees were Lakers teammates Anthony Davis and LeBron James, Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Clippers teammates James Harden and Norman Powell, Anfernee Simons and Amen Thompson. Bucks teammates Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, Jalen Brunson, Cade Cunningham, Tyrese Haliburton, Tyrese Maxey and Jayson Tatum were nominated in the East (Twitter link).
No Untouchables In Bulls’ Trade Talks
Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, and Lonzo Ball have been the Bulls players most frequently cited this season as trade candidates, but head of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas would be open to moving just about anyone on the roster if he thinks the deal is in the team’s best long-term interests and helps Chicago keep its top-10 protected 2025 first-round pick, says Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.
Cowley identifies Matas Buzelis as the only exception, but clarifies that the rookie forward isn’t “completely untouchable” either.
The report doesn’t come as a real surprise. Chicago has also reportedly made forward Patrick Williams available, and Cowley suggested last month that guards Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu aren’t off the table in trade talks.
The Bulls also aren’t likely to be especially attached to reserves like Jalen Smith, Jevon Carter, Chris Duarte, Torrey Craig, and Talen Horton-Tucker, while youngsters Dalen Terry and Julian Phillips haven’t established themselves as long-term keepers.
That leaves Josh Giddey, who was viewed as Chicago’s probable point guard of the future when the team acquired him last summer from Oklahoma City in exchange for Alex Caruso. Giddey didn’t sign a rookie scale extension last fall and has had an up-and-down first season as a Bull, but I’d still be a little surprised if he’s moved by next Thursday, given that his value on an expiring contract would be limited.
A source tells Cowley that Karnisovas has come down to some extent on what teams viewed as “unrealistic” asking prices for his top trade chips earlier in the season, though that doesn’t mean he’s simply willing to sell off players to the highest bidder.
Discussing the latest on Vucevic within a trade rumor round-up on his Substack, Marc Stein of The Stein Line reports that the Bulls are still seeking a first-round pick in return for the veteran center. Stein describes the Warriors as “at the front of the line” of Vucevic suitors, but says Golden State has been unwilling to offer more than second-round capital to this point.
As for LaVine, he was at the center of one of the season’s earlier notable trade rumors when a report in mid-December indicated that the Nuggets had real interest in the Bulls guard. However, LaVine has been on a tear since then, further increasing his value by staying healthy and averaging 27.0 points per game on .524/.467/.786 shooting over his past 18 games. Nuggets guard Jamal Murray has heated up too, putting up 21.3 PPG and 5.9 APG with a .485/.404/.913 shooting line during the same time frame.
As Bennett Durando of The Denver Post writes, Murray’s resurgence will likely make “big-game hunting less of a priority” for the Nuggets, while LaVine’s heater will make it more difficult for Denver to meet Chicago’s asking price. So the odds of a trade sending LaVine to the Nuggets look slimmer than they did a month ago.
In case you missed it, we wrote about another Bulls-related rumor earlier today, passing along word that Chicago has talked to the Suns about Bradley Beal.
Southeast Notes: Okogie, Butler, Hawks, Bitadze
Since Phoenix acquired Nick Richards from Charlotte earlier this month, most of the focus has been on how the big man is helping the Suns. But the deal has also had a positive effect on the Hornets, according to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer, who says veteran swingman Josh Okogie has been just what the team needs.
Okogie set new personal season highs with 16 points and 10 rebounds on Friday vs. Portland. He also has 11 steals in his first four games as a Hornet and has an eye-popping +28.0 net rating in his 83 minutes on the court. His impact has extended beyond his statistical output — the 26-year-old has earned praise from head coach Charles Lee for his vocal leadership.
“Love the impact that he’s given our team,” Lee said. “No. 1, he just has a great feel for the league, the game, what the game asks of you, the competitiveness. He’s already added a vocal element to our team, which I think we can definitely use. When you have a young team, and as much as I talk, they get tired of hearing me probably. So, it’s nice when their teammates speak up and have things to say.”
It’s possible the Hornets will look to flip Okogie, who is on a pseudo-expiring contract (his $7.75MM salary for next season is non-guaranteed), to a new team at next week’s deadline in order to expand their return from trading Richards. But Okogie has fit in nicely and sounds enthusiastic about the idea of finishing the season in Charlotte.
“It’s been fun,” he said. “It’s a good group with a lot of energy, plays free, plays loose and just likes to have fun. It’s kind of refreshing to go out there and just play as hard and that be what the coaches and the organization (are) trying to implement in the players.”
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- Within his latest trade rumor round-up at Substack, Marc Stein of The Stein Line lists the Hornets and Wizards as a couple more of the teams known to be interested in facilitating a trade involving Heat forward Jimmy Butler, alongside Toronto and Detroit, among others. While Phoenix has been the team most consistently identified as a suitor for Butler, rival teams are still wondering if the Bucks might get involved in the bidding, Stein adds.
- Rookie forward Zaccharie Risacher, who has missed the Hawks‘ past six games due to a left adductor strain, has been upgraded to questionable for Monday’s contest in Minnesota, the team announced (via Twitter). Big man Larry Nance Jr. is also listed as questionable to suit up after returning to action on Saturday from a 12-game absence for right hand surgery. While Nance has returned to the court and Risacher appears to be on the verge of joining him, Atlanta will be without Trae Young, who has been ruled out for Monday’s contest due to right hamstring tightness (Twitter link via Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks). De’Andre Hunter is listed as questionable too as he continues to deal with the illness that forced him to miss Saturday’s game.
- Magic center Goga Bitadze has been out since January 12 but appears on the verge of clearing the NBA’s concussion protocol. He said he feels “good to go” for Monday’s game in Miami, as Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel relays (Twitter links). “Obviously, you know, it’s going to be probably be a little dusty. Is that how you say it? Or rusty?” Bitadze said. “… Well, it’s going to be dusty and rusty. We’re going to see. First game back. (I’m) really excited.”
Lakers Rumors: Vucevic, Poeltl, Valanciunas, Kessler, Finney-Smith
Lakers star Anthony Davis told ESPN’s Shams Charania last week that he believes the team needs to add another center, but league sources inform Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link) that Bulls center Nikola Vucevic and Raptors center Jakob Poeltl aren’t viewed as likely targets for Los Angeles.
As Stein explains, the Bulls continue to seek a first-round pick in exchange for Vucevic, while the Raptors’ asking price for Poeltl – a player they prefer to keep – is thought to be even higher than that. Both players are also earning in the $20MM range, which may be more than the Lakers want to spend on another big man, Stein adds.
Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas, who has a $9.9MM salary and is unlikely to cost more than second-round draft capital, still appears to be the most “gettable” big man on the trade market for the Lakers, according to Stein, though he cautions that there’s still no “substantial momentum” toward a deal between Los Angeles and Washington.
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter video link) said during an appearance on NBA Countdown on Saturday that the Lakers have attempted to trade for Jazz center Walker Kessler “many times,” but haven’t been able to meet Utah’s “steep” asking price. “I’m sure they’ll keep trying,” Charania said. However, Stein wrote today that Kessler is believed to be “as close to unavailable as it gets.”
- While the Lakers remain on the lookout for additional reinforcements on the trade market, last month’s acquisition of Dorian Finney-Smith has been a success so far. As Dan Woike writes for The Los Angeles Times, Finney-Smith has made both a “tangible and intangible” impact during his first month in L.A., giving the team toughness and three-point shooting on the court and quickly becoming a locker room favorite off the court. “Doe is comfortable with who he is — like the player, the person,” head coach J.J. Redick said. “And in my experience… people that are like that, people gravitate towards that. People want to follow that. That’s what Doe is.” The Lakers are outscoring opponents by 10.7 points per 100 possessions with Finney-Smith on the court.
- A week ago, LeBron James said the Lakers have little “room for error.” Since then, the team has gone 3-0, outscoring its opponents by 54 points in those three games. With forward Jarred Vanderbilt back in action and several other role players giving L.A. good minutes, Khobi Price of The Orange Country Register considers whether the club’s margin for error has widened.
Sixers Rumors: Yabusele, Gordon, Embiid, George, Edwards
The Sixers‘ minimum-salary investment in Guerschon Yabusele has paid off in a big way this season, with the big man playing a regular role in Philadelphia and submitting strong numbers, including 10.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game with a .394 3PT%. The 76ers “love” the Frenchman, Marc Stein writes at his Substack.
However, as Adam Aaronson and Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype outline for PhillyVoice.com, retaining Yabusele beyond this season might not be easy. The Sixers will only hold his Non-Bird rights, which will prevent them from offering more than 20% above his minimum salary unless use another cap exception. Philadelphia should have the taxpayer mid-level exception available, but even if that’s enough to re-sign Yabusele, it would mean not being able to use the MLE to bring in additional help.
With that in mind, the Sixers may to make a difficult decision on Yabusele at this year’s deadline, according to Stein, who reports that multiple playoff teams have submitted trade offers for the 29-year-old. Given that Philadelphia is just 17-27, is well above the tax line, and isn’t assured of hanging onto Yabusele beyond this season, entertaining those offers might be in the team’s best interest.
Veteran swingman Eric Gordon, who has made 49.2% of his three-point attempts in his last 14 outings since returning from oral surgery, has also generated trade interest, Stein writes, adding that the 76ers want to see how the next week-plus plays out before making any final decisions about their trade deadline plans.
Here’s more on the Sixers:
- Joel Embiid‘s swollen left knee has responded well to treatment and he was partial participant in practice on Monday, per Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter links). However, the former MVP has been ruled out for Tuesday’s game vs. the Lakers as well as Wednesday’s vs. the Kings, according to the team.
- Paul George, who underwent an MRI on his injured finger on Sunday, didn’t practice on Monday and won’t play on Tuesday, Neubeck adds. The club is still reviewing the results of the forward’s MRI.
- John Hollinger of The Athletic takes stock of the Sixers’ current situation, explaining why tanking this season to try to protect their top-six protected 2025 first-rounder doesn’t make much sense, given how close they are to a play-in spot and the head-start that the NBA’s other tanking teams have gotten. Hollinger could see Philadelphia either buying or selling at the deadline, given the club’s tradable draft assets still on hand and its position relative to the tax line.
- Within the same story, Hollinger highlights Sixers two-way player Justin Edwards, writing that the rookie has shown he’s capable of being a solid NBA role player. “I feel like a broken record, but he just seems to always be in the right place on offense,” head coach Nick Nurse said of Edwards on Friday. “He’s got a few levels, he can go all the way to the rim, he’s got enough of a pull-up if there’s too much traffic there, and he’s got a decent sense (of when) to (kick) it out.”