Warriors Notes: Giannis, Front Office, Kerr, More
The Warriors are reportedly among the most serious suitors for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Team owner Joe Lacob is a huge fan of the 10-time All-Star, according to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area, who hears from sources that Golden State is “ready to give up a whole lot” to acquire Antetokounmpo.
The Warriors are “aligned” in their belief that Giannis is the type of player worth going all-in for, Poole adds.
“If we’re talking about trading draft picks that will be going out when Steph (Curry) isn’t here,” Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. said last week, “it’s going to have to be a player that we think we’ll be getting back that is going to be here when those picks are going out. And that player’s going to have to be pretty impactful.
“It would take a good amount, positionally, play style, archetype, all that. I would leave it pretty broad and open. But if there’s a great player to be had, we’ve got everything in the war chest that we would be willing to use.”
Appearing on NBA Countdown on Friday (YouTube link), ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said he thinks the Warriors might have the best current trade package among the group of teams pursuing Antetokounmpo. However, that may not be the case in the offseason, when other suitors will have additional draft assets to include in offers.
“I think (the Warriors) have to be very aggressive,” Windhorst said. “They understand it — they are in the eye of this storm. Because if they are going to make this move, they’re going to have to close, I really believe, by next Thursday. Their offer cannot really improve by the summer.”
Here are a few more notes on the Warriors:
- If Golden State does trade for Antetokounmpo, the decision will have lasting implications for years to come, writes Nick Friedell of The Athletic. Organizational mainstays Curry and Draymond Green say they aren’t the type of players to push for deals, but they’re generally kept in the loop when moves are being considered. “We’ve got a great team in this locker room,” Green said. “If a move is made, a move is made. But that’s not our job, that’s not our place to sit and wait or worry about if a move is gonna be made. … We’re not chasing anything but greatness. And you don’t chase greatness by whining about a roster. You chase greatness by embracing the roster that you have, getting the best out of every single guy, and that’s what we’ve done for years and that’s what we’re gonna continue to do.”
- Head coach Steve Kerr doesn’t expect any deals to be completed until closer to the February 5 deadline, as Eden Collier of NBC Sports Bay Area relays. “I talk to Mike (Dunleavy) pretty much every day, and he keeps me up to speed,” Kerr said on 95.7 The Game’s Steiny and Guru show. “But honestly, what he told me the other day was that everything’s going to go ’til the last second. There literally hasn’t been a single thing where he’s called me and said, ‘So-and-so offered this or that.’ Not one thing. … It’s all speculation at this point. It’s going to go down to the wire.”
- Multiple Warriors executives, including Dunleavy and assistant GM Larry Harris, were in New Zealand on Friday scouting NBL prospects Karim Lopez and Dash Daniels, tweets Olgun Uluc of ESPN. Both players are considered potential first-round picks.
- Kerr is on an expiring contact and he’s undecided on whether he’ll return to coach Golden State for a 13th season, he tells Anthony Slater of ESPN. “Let’s wait until the end of the year and see if everybody’s aligned,” Kerr said. “If we are, then we’ll keep going. If not, then we won’t. (It’ll depend) how the season ends, what the future looks like, all of that factors in. And they, meaning Joe and management, they’ve got a lot to think about. It’s a really interesting time for the organization.”
Eastern Notes: Raptors, MPJ, Nuggets, J. Smith, Enaruna
While the Raptors have primarily been linked to centers on the trade market, Eric Koreen of The Athletic believes they could use additional shooting around Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram more than a big man.
As Koreen writes, Toronto has looked particularly overmatched this season against New York, which has multiple wing defenders capable of slowing down Ingram and Barnes. The Raptors went just 7-of-26 from three-point range in Wednesday’s loss to the Knicks, and are currently 24th in the NBA in three-point attempts and makes per game and 27th in three-point percentage (34.2%).
“We took only one three in that (third) quarter, and that’s not sustainable,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said. “You cannot play against great teams and win (like that).”
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Michael Porter Jr. views the summer trade that sent him from Denver to Brooklyn as a win-win for both the Nuggets and the Nets, tweets Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “I would say it’s a very unique situation where I think both organizations and both teams kind of benefited from the trade,” Porter said. “I don’t look back at it with any saltiness toward the (Nuggets) organization or anything. I think they got a lot of trading me. They got not only Cam (Johnson), but (Jonas) Valanciunas, Bruce (Brown), Tim Hardaway Jr., who’s playing amazing. … I think it’s cool. … So it probably is one of those unique trades where it kind of worked out for everybody.” The 6’10” forward made those comments on Thursday ahead of his first game in Denver as an opposing player, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Porter finished with 38 points, 10 rebounds and two steals, but he was disappointed that Brooklyn’s comeback bid came up short. “There was a little motivation,” Porter said. “We should’ve pulled it out, though. I felt like I missed a couple shots I should’ve made down the stretch.”
- Bulls big man Jalen Smith experienced tightness in his right calf during Thursday’s loss to Miami, per Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic (Twitter link). Smith, who has been starting recently, was ruled out after just 15 minutes of action. However, the injury doesn’t appear serious — he’s listed as questionable for Saturday’s rematch with the Heat.
- The two-way contract Tristan Enaruna signed with the Cavaliers this week covers two seasons, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). The Dutch forward has been a key contributor at the G League level this season for Cleveland’s affiliate team, the Charge.
Former Hornet Amari Bailey Seeking NCAA Return
Amari Bailey, who was selected 41st overall in the 2023 draft and appeared in 10 games on a two-way contract with the Hornets in 2023/24, is trying to become the first player to return to college after playing in NBA games, reports Dan Murphy of ESPN.com.
Still just 21 years old, Bailey played one season at UCLA prior to being drafted. The 6’3″ guard has hired an agent and a lawyer in an attempt to be granted one more season of college eligibility, Murphy writes.
“Right now I’d be a senior in college,” Bailey told ESPN. “I’m not trying to be 27 years old playing college athletics. No shade to the guys that do; that’s their journey. But I went to go play professionally and learned a lot, went through a lot. So like, why not me?”
Big man Charles Bediako, who spent a couple months with the Spurs on a two-way deal but didn’t appear in any NBA games, has sued the NCAA for an additional year of college eligibility. He was recently granted a temporary restraining order, allowing him to participate in activities and games for Alabama while he awaits a hearing on a preliminary injunction regarding his eligibility.
That injunction hearing was delayed earlier this week due to weather, and Bediako’s temporary restraining order was extended for 10 more days, per Jeff Borzelo of ESPN. The judge, an Alabama booster, has recused himself from the case after the NCAA filed a motion asking him to do so, according to Matt Stahl of AL.com.
“The NCAA has not and will not grant eligibility to any players who have signed an NBA contract,” NCAA senior vice president of external affairs Tim Buckley said when asked about Bailey’s plan to return. “Congress can strengthen NCAA rules so professional athletes cannot sue their way back to competing against college students.”
Bailey spent last season in the G League with the Long Island Nets and the Iowa Wolves, averaging 13.1 points, 4.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.0 steal on .434/.325/.714 shooting in 25 games (26.2 MPG). He tells Murphy he has been training at his home in California and hopes to land with a school that gives him a chance to make the Final Four in 2026/27.
“It’s not a stunt,” Bailey said. “I’m really serious about going back. I just want to improve my game, change the perception of me and just show that I can win.”
Doncic Available, Reaves Out Friday For Lakers
January 30: Doncic has been upgraded to available, while Reaves has been ruled out, head coach JJ Redick told reporters, including Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter links).
“[Austin] continues to progress. He hasn’t had any setbacks,” Redick said, per Khobi Price of The California Post (Twitter link). “Yesterday was five weeks from the injury. He’s right on schedule, if not a little bit ahead of schedule. So it’s just him being fully confident in his body. And he continues to get great work on the court.”
January 29: Fifth-year guard Austin Reaves has been upgraded to questionable for Friday’s contest at Washington, the Lakers announced on their injury report (Twitter link via Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times).
Reaves, who is expected to become a free agent this summer, has been out since December 25 after sustaining a Grade 2 left gastrocnemius strain. The gastrocnemius is the largest and most powerful muscle in the calf.
In 23 appearances this season (35.3 minutes per game), Reaves has averaged 26.6 points, 6.3 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 1.0 steal on .502/.365/.873 shooting. He has missed the Lakers’ last 17 games (23 overall).
Reaves suffered a mild left calf strain on December 8 and returned to action on December 23. He experienced soreness in his calf in his second game back, with an MRI later confirming the second strain. While they seem likely to be connected, Reaves’ initial strain was reportedly to a different part of his calf, which is also comprised of the soleus and plantaris muscles.
Head coach JJ Redick announced a couple weeks ago that Reaves was “progressing well” from his injury and on track to return at some point on the Lakers’ eight-game road trip.
Los Angeles has gone 15-8 with Reaves in the lineup this season, vs. a 13-10 mark without him. The 27-year-old has some of the best on/off figures on the Lakers, though it’s a fairly small sample size since he’s missed half of the team’s games.
Star guard Luka Doncic, who slipped off the sidelines of the Cavaliers’ raised court in Wednesday’s blowout loss in Cleveland, is also questionable Friday due to left ankle soreness.
Cavs Rumors: Giannis, Hunter, Ball, Lakers, Ellis, More
While there have been no indications to this point that the Cavaliers are considering making an offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo, the possibility can’t be ruled out, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscriber link).
“It’s Giannis,” a rival NBA executive told Fedor. “Nothing more needs to be said.”
As Fedor writes, the Cleveland’s pathway to a potential deal for the Bucks superstar would be very complicated and would require a significant reduction in payroll — as a second-apron team, the Cavaliers can’t currently aggregate salaries for matching purposes and can’t take in more money than they send out. So in that sense, a Giannis trade is a long shot.
On the other hand, sources tell Fedor that the Cavs have been aggressively looking for roster upgrades ahead of the deadline, and they also have one of the top players who could theoretically be dangled in talks for Antetokounmpo — Evan Mobley, last year’s Defensive Player of the Year. On the Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link), ESPN’s Brian Windhorst also pointed to Mobley as a centerpiece to a potential Cavs offer.
The Cavaliers, who have dealt with several injuries in 2025/26, have underachieved this season and are facing pressure to contend for championships. No individual player they could theoretically acquire would be remotely as impactful as Antetokounmpo, who has finished top four in MVP voting each of the past seven years.
Still, Cleveland is on the upswing, Fedor notes, having won five straight games and seven of the past eight. The front office has also yet to show any desire to make that sort of drastic mid-season overhaul, with blockbuster moves viewed as more likely to occur in the offseason, depending on what happens in the playoffs.
Here are a few more highlights from Fedor’s report:
- Fedor continues to hear De’Andre Hunter and Lonzo Ball are the most likely Cavs to be headed out of Cleveland in the coming days. Confirming reporting from Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, Fedor says the Cavaliers have discussed a trade framework with the Lakers that would send Hunter to Los Angeles in exchange for Rui Hachimura and Dalton Knecht. Sources tell Fedor the Lakers have also countered by offering the expiring contracts of Gabe Vincent and Maxi Kleber. Those talks have involved a third team as well — Fedor doesn’t specify which club it is, but Siegel said it was the Nets.
- Before they reportedly started listening to offers for Giannis, the Bucks explored the possibility of acquiring Hunter using a package built around Bobby Portis. The Cavs declined that proposal, sources tell Fedor.
- Fedor confirms the Cavs are one of many suitors for Kings guard Keon Ellis, noting that Malik Monk could be included as well if Hunter is sent to Sacramento.
- Reiterating a point he previously made, Fedor says the Cavs are eyeing Mavericks forward Naji Marshall. The framework would involve Ball and unspecified draft assets being sent to Dallas, though Fedor points out that Marshall has drawn interest from multiple teams. It’s also unclear if the Cavs would be willing to part with their lone tradable first-round pick (either 2031 or 2032) for a role player, even a quality one like Marshall.
- Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu, Pelicans forward Saddiq Bey and Wizards forward Justin Champagnie are among the other players who might interest the Cavs, Fedor writes.
Suns’ Jalen Green Expected To Return Friday
Fifth-year guard Jalen Green, who has missed the Suns‘ last three games after experiencing tightness in his right hamstring last week, is set to return for Friday’s contest in Cleveland, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
Green has been limited to just four appearances this season after repeatedly aggravating a right hamstring strain he initially suffered in training camp. He isn’t listed on the injury report for tonight’s game, Rankin writes.
A former No. 2 overall pick, Green underwent an MRI over the weekend, which didn’t reveal a new injury. He missed the first eight games of the season due to the right hamstring strain, then was sidelined for 33 consecutive contests after re-injuring it on November 8.
Green just returned to action on Jan. 20 following that lengthy absence. He experienced the tightness in his second game back.
The 23-year-old averaged 20.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists on .422/.343/.799 shooting in 307 games across his first four seasons, all of which were spent with Houston (32.7 minutes per contest). Green, who was sent to Phoenix last summer as part of the Kevin Durant blockbuster, has averaged 11.8 PPG, 1.8 RPG and 2.0 APG on .432/.421/.778 shooting in just 13.5 MPG this season.
Spencer Jones Among Two-Way Players Nearing Active-Game Limit
Second-year forward Spencer Jones has emerged as a key part of the Nuggets‘ rotation this season, starting 31 games and averaging 23.5 minutes per night for the Western Conference’s No. 3 team. However, Jones’ two-way contract only allows him to be eligible for up to 50 regular season games and he’s just three away from that limit — he has appeared in 43 contests and was a DNP-CD in four more early in the season.
While the Nuggets have let Jones and his representatives know that they want to promote him to the standard roster, the 24-year-old is also aware he may run out of games before that happens, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscription required).
“You want to figure out, where you’ve got a championship push, everything you need to make that push. So yeah, I always knew the decision wasn’t going to be until the (trade) deadline, (that it) won’t be decided until around then,” Jones said. “I may run out of games before then. So they’ve mentioned the possibility of sitting out one or two just ’cause. So we’ll see how it pans out.”
Denver has an open spot on its 15-man roster, so the front office could convert Jones’ contract today without making a corresponding move. However, the Nuggets will likely want to hold that spot open for a few more days to maximize their roster flexibility at the trade deadline.
The Nuggets are also operating above the luxury tax line by about $400K and have reportedly made it a priority to finish this season as a non-taxpayer. That means Jones might have to wait for his promotion until after Denver makes a move to shed a little salary.
If they were to trade one of their lowest-paid players without taking back any salary, the Nuggets could sign Jones and remain below the tax line due to the gap between a full-season and prorated salary. For instance, Hunter Tyson‘s deal features a $2,221,677 cap hit, whereas a minimum-salary contract for Jones would count for just $871K as of February 6 (Denver could also use a portion of its mid-level exception to sign Jones for more than the minimum).
“Whatever happens with Spence, he’ll be fine. What he’s done and what he’s put on tape is a professional basketball player that belongs in a rotation,” head coach David Adelman said. “And he’s earned it. … We’ll figure it out. What that means, I don’t know. And those are Ben (Tenzer) and Jon (Wallace) questions; we’ll have that conversation with them. But we’ll do the best we can do for (Jones) and for the whole roster as we go forward.”
As Durando points out (via Twitter), Jones got a bit of a reprieve when the Nuggets had a game postponed last Sunday and rescheduled for March. But Denver still plays four times between now and next Thursday’s deadline, so if the club isn’t ready to promote Jones until after the deadline, he’ll have to sit out one of those four contests.
There are several other two-way players around the NBA who are nearing their active game limits. Here are the players who are within 10 of the limit, with the number of games they have remaining noted in parentheses:
- Chris Youngblood, Thunder (2)
- Pat Spencer, Warriors (3)
- Jabari Walker, Sixers (3)
- Note: The Sixers have reached their limit of 90 “under-15” two-way games and must maintain a full 15-man standard roster to use their two-way players.
- Daniss Jenkins, Pistons (4)
- Johnny Juzang, Timberwolves (4)
- Nae’Qwan Tomlin, Cavaliers (5)
- Sidy Cissoko, Trail Blazers (7)
- JD Davison, Rockets (8)
- Ryan Nembhard, Mavericks (9)
- Caleb Love, Trail Blazers (10)
- Kobe Sanders, Clippers (10)
Trade Rumors: Magic, Raptors, Celtics, Cavs, Thunder, AD
Sources around the NBA expect the Magic to make a move at the trade deadline to move under the luxury tax line, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst. Orlando is operating about $5.6MM into the tax, so a deal involving Tyus Jones‘ expiring $7MM contract could address the issue. However, as Bontemps and Windhorst point out, it wouldn’t do anything to alleviate Orlando’s cap crunch in future seasons.
The Magic project to be in second-apron territory next season and will likely be opening negotiations with standout guard Anthony Black on a rookie scale extension that would begin in 2027/28. Rivals teams are curious to see if the team will be looking to move off of longer-term salary at the deadline or in the offseason, per ESPN’s duo, and are also wondering whether the front office has any regrets about the maximum-salary extension it gave Paolo Banchero last summer.
“Banchero is a physically gifted and highly talented player who doesn’t always make his team better, and it reminds you at times of Carmelo Anthony in that way,” one Western Conference executive said. “He’s young, and I’m sure they believe that he can mature into a player who does that. But I’d guess (Orlando) is concerned about having given him a full max with an opt out.”
We have more trade rumors from across the league:
- According to Bontemps and Windhorst, while it remains unclear whether a favorable opportunity will present itself, sources view the Raptors as a potential buyer with the assets necessary to be aggressive on the trade market at the deadline. “There are only a few teams out there who have full control of their drafts,” an Eastern Conference executive told ESPN. “That makes (the Raptors) a buyer if they want. But when you look at their contracts ($165MM to their top five players next year), they’re going to need those picks.”
- Rival teams view the Celtics as a candidate to make a deal for frontcourt help, but an upgrade along the margins is more likely than a significant deal for a player like Jaren Jackson Jr., Bontemps and Windhorst write.
- ESPN’s duo also checks in on the Cavaliers, noting that the team is heading toward a “gut check moment” with Donovan Mitchell, who has one more guaranteed year left on his contract and has yet to reach the conference finals. Cleveland also has the NBA’s highest payroll and projects to be in the second apron again next season. “Cleveland is active (in trade discussions),” one exec told Bontemps and Windhorst. “We’re not sure what they’re trying to set up — and they may not be either — but they’re active.”
- While the Thunder are unlikely to make any significant changes to their 38-11 roster at the trade deadline, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said in the latest Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link) that he has heard some rumblings about them poking around the market for centers.
- Responding to a report that stated he wants his client Anthony Davis to be traded, agent Rich Paul referred to it as “fake news” (Twitter video link). However, while Paul made it clear he has nothing against the Mavericks or Dallas, he didn’t exactly deny the substance of that report, which suggested he wants Davis on a team that’s more likely to extend him. “It’s not like you want a guy moved just for the sake of being moved,” Paul said on the Game Over podcast. “If a guy is happy where they are, great. You care about people’s families. You care about the guys’ well-beings, and you care about if they’re happy. Now, from a business perspective, you want guys to be positioned and you want guys to be paid. I really don’t care where the money comes from. The money can come from the 31st team of the NBA for all I care. It doesn’t matter, as long as my guy’s positioned and paid, that’s all I want to do.” At this point, a Davis trade appears unlikely to happen by Thursday’s deadline.
Nikola Jokic Plans To Return On Friday
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic plans to return to action on Friday night when Denver hosts the Clippers, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
Jokic has been on the shelf for a month due to a hyperextended left knee and bone bruise. He last played on December 29 and has missed the Nuggets’ past 16 games.
Charania said in mid-January that the Nuggets were optimistic about Jokic’s odds of returning to action before the end of the month. However, Charania subsequently suggested during a TV appearance on Tuesday that the three-time MVP would be reevaluated next week and that Denver was prepared to hold him out for a little longer than initially expected to make sure he was back to 100%.
Based on the timeline Charania outlined earlier this week, Jokic would have missed intra-conference showdowns vs. the Clippers and Thunder this weekend and would have become ineligible for end-of-season awards by missing his 17th and 18th games, ensuring he’d have no path to reach the 65-game minimum.
Instead, he appears on track to play in home games against L.A. and Oklahoma City and will remain award-eligible for now — if he doesn’t miss a game the rest of the way, Jokic would reach 66 appearances for the season.
Jokic will certainly warrant MVP and All-NBA consideration if he gets to the 65-game threshold. Prior to the injury, he was averaging a career-high 29.6 points per game while leading the NBA with 12.2 rebounds and 11.0 assists per contest. His shooting line on the season is an incredible .605/.435/.853.
The Nuggets played well during Jokic’s injury absence, going 10-6 to maintain their hold on the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. However, their depth will continue to be tested even with Jokic and fellow center Jonas Valanciunas back from their respective injuries.
Forward Aaron Gordon was diagnosed this week with a right hamstring strain and is expected to be sidelined for four-to-six weeks. Additionally, starting shooting guard Christian Braun has suited up for just three contests since November 12 due to an ankle injury.
Examining The NBA Trade Market: Wings
Last week, we examined several big men who are candidates to be on the move prior to the February 5 deadline. On Monday, we outlined what each NBA team can and can't do on the trade market.
Today we'll take a closer look at several wings who could be dealt over the next six days. There's a wide range of contracts and player values among this group, with significant question marks starting at the top.
Let's dive in...
