Bulls Continue To Pursue Jahlil Okafor
The Bulls have been linked to Jahlil Okafor and they continue to have conversations with the Sixers about acquiring the big man, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports (Twitter link). It’s unclear what Chicago is willing to give up in exchange for the former No. 3 overall pick.
The Sixers are reportedly seeking at least one first-rounder in exchange for Okafor, as I mentioned in the center’s Trade Candidate piece. The Pacers recently showed interest in Okafor after reports indicated they were willing to move their 2017 first-rounder in a trade.
Philadelphia discussed Okafor with the Pistons regarding a deal that would send Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to Philly, but Detroit was uninterested in such an offer. The Sixers previously had discussions with the Pelicans before they acquired DeMarcus Cousins and the team was close to shipping Okafor to Portland before the Blazers traded for Jusuf Nurkic.
Cavaliers Notes: Shumpert, Mack, Sanders
Iman Shumpert has been the subject of trade rumors with the Wolves and Rockets among the teams showing interest, but coach Tyronn Lue believes the Cavaliers will keep him on the team, as Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com relays. “You wish you could trade and get all the people you say you can get, but it never happens. … If you hear about 200 trades, there’s probably two that happens,” Lue said.
Here’s more out of Cleveland:
- Back-up point guard isn’t as much of a need for the Cavs as it was earlier in the season, Vardon writes in the same piece. “In the playoffs you can always get away with playing [LeBron James] at the backup point guard,” Lue said. “The backup point guard situation was more so to not play Bron and [Kyrie Irving] so many minutes throughout the regular season, but, I mean we just gotta go with what we got.”
- The Cavs recently engaged in trade talks with the Jazz regarding a swap of Shelvin Mack and Jordan McRae, Chris Haynes of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). Haynes adds that the discussions have stalled out.
- Lue said he was impressed with Larry Sanders, who worked out for the Cavs today, as Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal tweets. Lue added that the biggest question with the big man is whether he loves the game or not.
Cavs Sign Derrick Williams To Second 10-Day Deal
FEBRUARY 22: Williams’ new 10-day contract with the Cavaliers is now official, the team announced today in a press release. When the deal expires, Cleveland will have to make a rest-of-season decision on Williams, and for now he looks like a good bet to stick with the team.
FEBRUARY 21: The Cavaliers will sign Derrick Williams to a second 10-day contract on Wednesday, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com reports. Williams’ first 10-day deal with the team expired during All-Star weekend.
Vardon notes that it’s likely the combo forward remains with the team for the remainder of the season. It was previously reported that Williams had done enough to secure another deal with the team and LeBron James has said he wants to see him in Cleveland long-term.
“We hope that this is a long-term thing,” James said. “He’s 25-years old. It doesn’t seem like it because we’ve been hearing his name for so long. But he’s 25, he hasn’t even gotten to his potential, to his prime yet. So hopefully this group, this locker room, myself, my leadership — just want to see him grow every day, and it’s a good place for him.”
Vardon notes that if the Cavs need a roster spot to complete a trade, they could terminate the contract and then re-sign him later for the entire season. After Williams officially signs the new 10-day deal, the team will have 14 players under contract.
Lakers Notes: Myers, Williams, Brewer
The Lakers are finalizing a deal with longtime player agent Rob Pelinka to be the team’s new GM, but he wasn’t the organization’s first choice for the job. Current Warriors GM Bob Myers was the team’s top choice for the gig, but the Lakers didn’t have confidence that Myers would be willing to leave Golden State, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.
Here’s more from Los Angeles:
- The Lakers had multiple offers which included first-round picks on the table for Lou Williams over the past few weeks, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com reports (Twitter links). Shelburne adds that the team was so confident that it could net a first-rounder, it offered that pick in DeMarcus Cousins negotiations.
- President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson said that he’s “already talked to five GM’s” and added that he’ll be the person handling trade inquiries going forward for the Lakers, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News relays (Twitter link).
- Corey Brewer didn’t expect the Rockets to trade him this season, but he’s looking forward to a new opportunity with the Lakers, as Mark Berman of Fox 26 passes along (Twitter link). “Yeah, I was shocked.“ Brewer said. “I’m going to be a Laker. So I have to make the most of that opportunity. I can talk to the young guys and try to help them. Brandon Ingram is going to be a really good player. So hopefully, I can take him under my wing, help him develop and be one of the best.”
Fantasy Hoops: Williams, Cousins, Hield
Hoops Rumors is examining the fantasy basketball landscape in order to help you dominate the competition. Check back weekly for more analysis.
Breaking Down The Trades: Part 2
The Lakers send Lou Williams to the Rockets for Corey Brewer and a future first-round pick.
Lou Williams was on the trade block all week and now that he’s heading to Houston, his fantasy value takes a hit. He still belongs on all season-long rosters, as he’s going to get a chance to contribute in high-powered offense. The Rockets rank second in the league in offensive efficiency and they’re fourth in PACE, so a reduced role doesn’t mean you’re dropping him.
Williams is having a career year in terms of efficiency. He’s hitting a career-high 38.6% of his 3-pointers this season and his true shooting percentage sits at 60.9%, which is also the highest of his career. His new teammate James Harden is one of the only guards with a higher player efficiency rating than Williams this season (Chris Paul, Westbrook and Isaiah Thomas are the only other guards with a higher PER).
Corey Brewer remains off the fantasy radar after the trade, but there’s a player on the Lakers who’s impacted by this trade. Jordan Clarkson should see his value rise considerably. Clarkson has played nearly 75% of his minutes alongside Williams this season and in fact, the two have played together the most minutes out of any two-man combination on the Lakers, per NBA.com. Williams led the team in usage rate this season and with him out of the picture, Clarkson could become a player worth rostering in every league.
Kings send DeMarcus Cousins and Omri Casspi to the Pelicans for Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway and a first-round pick.
“It’s ridiculous. It’s obvious what’s being done out here. It’s a nightly basis. I hope the world can see now what’s really going on out here. It’s getting ridiculous. It’s really ridiculous. … Yes. This is ridiculous, man. Ridiculous,” DeMarcus Cousin said.
How did that get up there? That’s what Cousins said about the referees after a game earlier this season and not what he said about the Kings organization after he was traded. Coincidentally, it’s what many casual observers were thinking when the Kings traded him in the middle of the night on Sunday. We passed along notes and reactions on the deal from reporters and teams from around the league and you can find them here, here and here. Let’s get into what the trade means in the fantasy realm.
For starters, Cousins isn’t going to keep up his historic usage rate. His 35.8% rate ranks second in the league behind Russell Westbrook and it would rank ninth all-time if he ended the season at that mark (Westbrook’s currently at 42.4%, which would be the best mark in league history if he maintains that rate through the end of the year).
Anthony Davis currently ranks 12th in the league with a metric of 29.6 and while both he and Cousins will see a decline in usage, it shouldn’t impact their fantasy values too much. Cousins is still a top-15 player overall and Davis remains in the top-5.
For the Kings’ side of the deal, it’ll be interesting to see if they agree to a buyout with Tyreke Evans. If he remains in town, he’s worth keeping an eye on. His minutes have been limited because of an ankle injury, but he played nearly 52 minutes in his final two contests before the All-Star break. He’ll have a great opportunity in Sacramento should he be healthy enough to stay on the court.
Willie Cauley-Stein will see his fantasy stock rise the most from this transaction. He’ll get to roam the paint in the Kings’ new free-flowing offense and he’s worth adding in all season long leagues.
Darren Collison should also see a boost in value if he remains on the team. He’s rumored to be on the trade block, so he may be a sell-high candidate in fantasy right now, as it’s unlikely that his new role will provide him with as much opportunity as he’s seen this season.
Buddy Hield may not be worth rostering right now, but it’s easy to envision him taking on a major role within a few weeks. Hield got off to a slow start to the season, but he’s made 43.0% of his 3-pointers since the start of December and he’s begun to look like an NBA player. Team owner Vivek Ranadive loves Hield’s game and it wouldn’t be ridiculous for the team put him in position to showcase his offensive skills. I’d speculate that the Kings eventually start to funnel him the ball akin to what the Sixers did during Michael Carter-Williams‘ and Nerlens Noel‘s respective rookie campaigns.
Fantasy questions? Take to the comment section below or tweet me at @CW_Crouse.
Statistics are current through the All-Star break.
Mavs Open To Trading Deron Williams, Jazz Interested
The Jazz have expressed interest in bringing Deron Williams back to Utah through a trade with the Mavericks, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com. The scribe adds that Dallas is open to trading both Williams and Andrew Bogut before the deadline, but he cautions that no deal is imminent.
The point guard is making $9MM this season and since it was a one-year deal with the same team he played for in the prior season, he has the right to block any trade. MacMahon adds that Williams still has a home in the Salt Lake City area and he enjoys Utah. He was drafted by the Jazz with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2005 draft before being traded to the Nets midway through the 2010/11 campaign.
The Jazz are roughly $13.6MM under the salary cap, but they do have 15 players under contract, as the team’s depth chart at Roster Resource indicates, so they would need to either send back or waive a player to complete a deal.
George Hill will likely remain the starter, but he’s missed 25 games this season because of injury. The team is 23-9 with Hill in the lineup, but just 12-13 when he’s unable to play. Utah could use depth at the point guard spot as it looks to make the playoffs for the first time since trading away Williams.
Wizards Interested In Shabazz Muhammad
The Wizards continue to search for help off the bench and they have shown interest in Shabazz Muhammad, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post tweets that the team is looking for someone who will remain under team control past this season. Muhammad will be a restricted free agent after the season.
It was reported earlier this week that the team would like to add a wing. Washington has been linked to P.J. Tucker, though he’ll be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
John Wall recently said that he expects the team to make a move before the deadline. “We’re looking at some options to help our bench out. Other than that I don’t know. I haven’t talked to [GM Ernie Grunfeld] about it.”
Jazz Testing Market For Favors; Suns Interested
FEBRUARY 21, 9:03am: The Suns have expressed interest in discussing a Favors deal with the Jazz, per Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. Utah isn’t considered overly likely to part with the power forward, however, as Jones writes.
FEBRUARY 20, 9:10pm: The Jazz have tested the market for Derrick Favors over the past several weeks, Zach Lowe of ESPN.com writes. However, it’s unclear how serious Utah is about moving the former No. 3 overall pick.
Lowe adds that the franchise is “all-in” to keep Gordon Hayward and it doesn’t want to weaken the team this season since it’s in good position to make the playoffs. The scribe adds that the team could be testing the market for Favors now to set up a trade around the draft.
The Jazz currently have roughly $13MM in cap room, but they have several players in line for raises next season. Rudy Gobert‘s massive extension becomes effective this summer and George Hill will join Hayward as a free agent. If the team can re-sign both Hill and Hayward, it may need to shed salary elsewhere.
Favors doesn’t play many minutes alongside Gobert, a player who is clearly in the team’s long-term plans. The 25-year-old power forward is having a middling season by his standards, averaging just 9.2 points per game while sporting a 15.3 player efficiency rating.
Trade Candidate: Carmelo Anthony
As the February 23 trade deadline nears, Hoops Rumors will be taking a closer look at several players we consider trade candidates, discussing their value, speculating on potential destinations, and explaining why they are – or should be – available. These players won’t necessarily be dealt in advance of the deadline, but it won’t be surprising if they are.
Carmelo Anthony, F
New York Knicks
2016/17 salary: $24,559,380
Under contract through the 2018/19 season, though his deal contains an ETO for the final year
Trade restrictions: No-Trade Clause
The Knicks surprisingly beat the Spurs last weekend in what could be Carmelo Anthony’s final home game as a member of the team. New York doesn’t have another game before the February 23 trade deadline and while the odds are against an Anthony trade, if he were to be moved, it wouldn’t be the most shocking trade to happen this week.
How Did We Get Here?
It appears that team president Phil Jackson wants Anthony to play for another team, as evidenced by his disparagement of the 10-time All-Star. The Zen Master subtweeted the star and he allegedly had a hand in the article written by his close associate, Charley Rosen, which condemned Anthony. Rosen opined that Anthony’s legs had similar principles to a homerun leaving Yankee Stadium and he concluded his subjective piece with this sentiment: The only sure thing is that Carmelo Anthony has outlived his usefulness in New York.
Anthony still has plenty left in the tank. At age 32, he’s no longer the nimblest of athletes. When he drives at defenders, he powers into them at a controlled speed while always remaining a threat to stop and utilize his deadly jumpshot. He’s not going to rival LeBron James‘ all-around game on a nightly basis, but he’s still a top-30 player in the league and he’s one of the best on the offensive end.
There’s a recipe for constructing a winning Melo team, yet for the longest time, Jackson seemed disinterested in reading anyone else’s cookbook. Anthony needs to be surrounded by shooters along with a defensive anchor in the post while playing in a free-flowing offense. For over half of his tenure with the Knicks, Jackson insisted on the triangle, an offense which has principles installed in sets around the league but it hasn’t been successful as a standalone offense for quite some time. Kristaps Porzingis can develop into the team’s defensive anchor, but Jackson’s signing of Joakim Noah delays his development at the five. Additions Courtney Lee and Lance Thomas are good fits for the quintessential system, but Derrick Rose and Brandon Jennings are equally poor fits for it.
The mismatch of talent will likely lead New York to the lottery again this season. If this team was winning, the Jackson-Anthony estrangement might be blanketed, but that’s not the case, as our Reverse Standings indicate.
Why Trading Anthony Is Problematic
Wolves Discuss Point Guard Swap With Knicks, Pistons
10:30 PM: The Knicks have discussed adding Ricky Rubio in talks with the Wolves, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com reports (video link). Windhorst adds that Minnesota has had discussions with the Pistons regarding a Ricky Rubio-Reggie Jackson swap, but the Wolves are not interested in bringing Jackson aboard. A three-way trade that sends Rose to Minnesota, Rubio to Detroit and Jackson to New York could be in play, Windhorst adds. He notes that Rubio and Jackson are two of the players most likely to be traded before the deadline.
Minnesota doesn’t necessarily view Rose as a long-term fit, as the team wants to clear space for Kris Dunn and would like to get out of Rubio’s deal. The Spanish point guard has three years remaining on his contract, while Rose will be a free agent after the season.
10:14 PM: Several teams have reached out to the Knicks regarding a Derrick Rose trade, Ian Begley of ESPN.com reports. Begley adds the Wolves are among the teams to have discussions with the franchise.
It’s unclear what the Knicks would receive in return should they send Rose to Minnesota. New York acquired the point guard in the offseason with the hope that he would help the team get to the playoffs this season. The team is currently 23-34 after losing seven of their last 10 games and it appears the franchise will have a hard time achieving that goal.
Rose is averaging 17.7 points per game this season and he hasn’t missed any games because of the knee issues which plagued him over the past few years. He previously played for Wolves executive/coach Tom Thibodeau in Chicago for seven seasons.