Community Shootaround: Hawks’ Future Plans
Less than a week after the trade deadline, there’s already some buzz around the Hawks and their offseason plans.
Both Jake Fischer and Marc Stein have reported since Thursday’s deadline that there’s speculation around the league the Hawks might make Trae Young available, adding that the Spurs and Lakers are two potential landing spots if Atlanta goes in that direction.
Of course, Young’s backcourt partner was the subject of heavy trade rumors in recent weeks. The Hawks ultimately decided the offers they received for Dejounte Murray weren’t good enough.
The front office also decided to hold onto Clint Capela, Bogdan Bogdanovic, De’Andre Hunter, and AJ Griffin, all names that surfaced on the rumor mill.
The above-mentioned players are signed through at least next season, so the Hawks have very little payroll flexibility. It would be hard to imagine the Hawks running it back another season with the same core group of players, unless they drastically improve in the second half.
The front office hired Quin Snyder with much fanfare last February to get the most out of the roster it had assembled. But the Hawks continue to spin their wheels, entering the week five games below .500. They still have a good chance of making the play-in tournament but no one considers them a serious postseason threat.
Their recent drafts have been underwhelming. Jalen Johnson has emerged as a reliable starter in his third season but 2022 first-rounder Griffin and 2023 selection Kobe Bufkin have struggled to crack Snyder’s rotation.
That brings us to our topic of the day: What moves should the Hawks make this offseason? Should they trade Young and/or Murray? Or should they seek frontcourt upgrades to complement them?
Please take to the comments section to weigh on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Central Notes: Beverley, Lillard, Lowry, Duren, Siakam
The Bucks’ biggest trade deadline move was the acquisition of pesky guard Patrick Beverley from the Sixers. General manager Jon Horst said Beverley provides “point-of-attack defense and defensive versatility.”
“He’s proven to be able to guard multiple positions in his career. He is an impactful point-of-attack defender,” the Bucks GM said, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “He plays with a physicality and a toughness that we think will help us.”
Damian Lillard has had some tense moments with Beverley during his career but he’s glad to have him as a Bucks teammate, Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report tweets. “He brings an edge and a defensive tenacity on the perimeter that we need,” Lillard said. “There are not many players who bring it on a nightly like him. I look forward to working together. Our past personal issues don’t trump an opportunity to win a championship.”
We have more from the Central Division:
- The Bulls had some interest in signing Kyle Lowry after he was bought out by Charlotte, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports, but Lowry chose to sign with the Sixers. Chicago could still sign another player via the buyout market. ‘‘If there’s someone who has an interest or [the front office feels] like it would be a good fit, they’ll bring me in and we’d probably get on the phone with the player,’’ coach Billy Donovan said. ‘‘But as of right now, nothing has moved forward in terms of any plans.”
- The Pistons are increasingly looking to take advantage of Jalen Duren‘s passing skills, James Edwards III of The Athletic writes. Duren had a six-assist game against Sacramento during their current West Coast road trip. “When we throw it into him, it’s an opportunity for everyone to be open,” guard Jaden Ivey said. “He looks for us out on the perimeter. He’s finding guys. If he doesn’t have anything, he uses his strengths and abilities to put the ball in the basket.”
- Pacers forward Pascal Siakam is still getting adjusted to playing with point guard Tyrese Haliburton. Siakam has been dazzled by Haliburton’s creativity, Tim Bontemps of ESPN writes. “I’ve just got to like always be ready and we’ve got to figure out rhythms. Him understanding my rhythms and me understanding also his rhythms,” Siakam said. “I definitely haven’t played with someone like him before, so I’m just learning on the fly and, and I think the more we’re out there we’ll get comfortable.”
Grizzlies Notes: Watanabe, Jackson, Jemison, Gilyard
Yuta Watanabe was initially “sad” when he found out from his agent that he’d been traded. When he heard he was going to the Grizzlies, his demeanor changed, he told the media (video link) after a team shootaround on Monday.
“I’m excited now. Good to be back here,” he said. “This is where my NBA career started … I’m a grown man now, playing with confidence. … I’m so much better than I used to be.”
Watanabe, who played 33 games for Memphis in his first two NBA seasons from 2018-20, was included in the three-team deal among the Grizzlies, Nets and Suns on Tuesday.
We have more on the Grizzlies:
- Memphis signed GG Jackson to a four-year contract on Friday. The last year of the deal – 2026/27 – will be a team option, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. Jackson had been on a two-way contract.
- Jackson was not in uniform on Monday. He was held out by the club due to a violation of team rules, coach Taylor Jenkins told Jonah Dylan of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. The rookie second-rounder had scored in double figures in his last four games.
- Trey Jemison, who was added on a two-way deal on Friday, received a two-year contract, Scotto confirms (via Twitter).
- Two-way player Jacob Gilyard is closing in on his 50-game NBA limit for the season, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets. Gilyard had only three games remaining entering Monday’s action. He is not eligible to be on the active roster once he reaches 50 games, unless he signs a standard contract.
New York Notes: Sharpe, Johnson, Simmons, Knicks Injuries, Bogdanovic
Nets big man Day’Ron Sharpe will return to action on Tuesday night against the Celtics, according to Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily.com. Sharpe has missed the last 15 games due to a left knee hyperextension.
“I ain’t think I would be out this long,” Sharpe said. “But you know, it could have been worse.”
Cameron Johnson, who has missed the last three games due to an adductor issue, won’t play the first of two consecutive games against Boston. He participated in full-court five-on-five at practice on Monday but may be held out until after the All-Star break.
We have more from the New York teams:
- Nets guard Ben Simmons scored a season-high 13 points against San Antonio on Saturday, missing just one field goal attempt. Simmons is gaining more confidence in his body after missing a good chunk of the season, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post . “Feeling better. It takes time. It’s one of those things where it’s just up and down each day. But I’m just staying with it. The storm doesn’t last forever,” Simmons said. “You know, I’m gonna get back to where I was. So just staying on it. And you know, each day is a day to get better.”
- Frontcourt injuries have sapped some of the Knicks’ greatest strengths — notably, strength, size and rim protection, Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post writes. That was evident in a loss to Indiana on Saturday. The Knicks will have to make do with a depleted frontcourt once again when they play Houston and Orlando prior to the All-Star break. “It’s always tough when you’re small,” Donte DiVincenzo said, “but I think over these next two games, we’ve just got to find a way to win. Hopefully, we get guys back, but if you don’t, you’ve gotta be ready, gotta be scrappy, and collectively we have to hit the boards a little bit better.”
- Bojan Bogdanovic got a taste of what it’s like playing for the home team in Madison Square Garden on Saturday, producing 11 points in 33 minutes during his Knicks’ debut. He was acquired from Detroit at the trade deadline and was blown away by the atmosphere at the Knicks’ home arena, Sanchez writes in separate story. “It’s crazy. I think that we all European players dream to play in the Garden,” he said. “So being able to be part of the Knicks, it’s really special for me. The building was on fire the whole game. So I really appreciate the support and love that they showed me (Saturday).”
Pacific Notes: Kings, Dinwiddie, Pelinka, George
Many NBA observers expected the Kings to make a big move before the trade deadline. Instead, they basically stood pat, only accommodating a minor salary dump deal.
General manager Monte McNair explained that in a market with more buyers than sellers, the price tags for doing business were very high. Plus, the new CBA has made teams, including the Kings, more cautious about approaching tax aprons, according to Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee.
“We’re always active in trying to see what’s out there, but weighing that against what we already have here,” McNair said. “Obviously this year after exploring those opportunities, we ended up keeping this group together. We know the job is never done. We’ll continue to vet those opportunities to make our team better, but we’re excited for what we’ve got going forward.”
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- The Lakers added approximately $7MM to their luxury tax bill by signing free agent guard Spencer Dinwiddie, cap expert Yossi Gozlan tweets. The Lakers used around $1.5MM remaining from their prorated mid-level exception to add Dinwiddie. They could’ve potentially saved about $15MM by trading a player at the deadline to duck the tax. Instead, they chose to retain all their pieces and invest more into the roster.
- The Lakers came out winners at the trade deadline by being prudent and not overpaying for Hawks guard Dejounte Murray, Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times opines. They avoided giving up a first-round draft pick and Austin Reaves in a potential deal. It showed that general manager Rob Pelinka would no longer mortgage the future to appease LeBron James, who had been pushing for a major move.
- Paul George erupted for 33 points against Detroit on Saturday. Afterward, George reiterated that he’s hoping to sign an extension with the Clippers, Janis Carr of the Orange County Register reports. “That’s the goal,” George said. George holds a $48.8MM player option for 2024/25. In order to sign an extension, George would have to decline that option, at which point he would be eligible to receive up to approximately $220MM over four years on his new deal.
Northwest Notes: Hendricks, Jazz’s Trades, Biyombo, Waters
The Jazz‘s deadline trades will thrust lottery pick Taylor Hendricks into a larger role, according to Sarah Todd of The Deseret News.
With Kelly Olynyk, Simone Fontecchio, and Ochai Agbaji no longer on the roster, the Jazz will take a longer look at their young players. Hendricks, who has appeared in 14 games off the bench, tops the list. He played 18 minutes against Phoenix on Thursday.
“Taylor’s life is very different now,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said. “Taylor is going to be a part of our rotation. He’s going to be playing every night. How much he plays every night will be determined by how well he plays.”
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- Jazz general manager Justin Zanik went into detail about the team’s future plans and why they made those trades during a post-deadline press conference. Zanik laid out his reasoning for dealing the above-mentioned trio. “Two of those guys were going to be free agents. Maybe we bring them back, maybe not,” he said, per Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake City Tribune. “We didn’t trade anybody of our core. We traded one starter who has started during our run that started basically half the year. The other two were rotation players. Last year, we traded three starters. This is the second kind of calibration around our core, and sometimes that takes time. I wish that it was quick and then all of a sudden we have a long and prosperous run right now. We’ll do that in a second. It’s just not available.”
- The Thunder added veteran big man Bismack Biyombo after the Grizzlies waived him. He’ll play a situational role, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman writes. Biyombo will basically be used as insurance and add some size and rebounding when needed.
- The Thunder also made another personnel move after the deadline, promoting Lindy Waters from two-way status to a standard deal. According to Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype (Twitter link), Waters inked a two-year deal, which is fully guaranteed for the rest of this season and includes a team option for next season.
Nets Notes: Schroder, Bates-Diop, Smith Jr., Future
Dennis Schröder had a splashy Nets debut on Saturday. The veteran point guard racked up 15 points and 12 assists in a 20-point win over San Antonio after he was acquired in a trade with the Raptors.
“He was able to show his ability to be a point guard on the floor,” coach Jacque Vaughn said, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “Whether that was getting plays from me on the fly, organizing and getting our group into good sets, and just the overall feel of understanding the flow of the game, what’s needed. You saw his ability to have a toughness about him, whether that was guarding [Victor Wembanyama] or guarding other perimeter guys.”
We have more on the Nets:
- Forward Keita Bates-Diop saw four minutes of action on his Nets debut on Saturday, Lewis notes in a separate story. He was acquired from the Suns in the Royce O’Neale trade. “Keita brings high IQ, intellect guy that’s still getting better. We’ll be able to see how he can impact on both ends of the floor,” Vaughn said. “We got a chance to play against him the first time in Phoenix, so knowing he’s been able to fit into systems and be able to space the floor but also be a traditional big, just because he does have a high IQ.”
- Dennis Smith Jr. got a scare on deadline day when ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted he would be going to Toronto in a trade. That tweet was quickly corrected but Smith’s phone blew up with messages afterward, James Herbert of CBS Sports writes. Smith didn’t want to be on the move. “I ain’t even get no pregame nap that day. You know what I’m saying? I ain’t even take no nap. I was sick,” Smith said. “I went outside, took a little walk, just tried to decompress real quick. But it was crazy. It was crazy.” Nets assistant GM Andy Birdsong called Smith to assure him he was staying put.
- In the aftermath of the Nets’ moves, Lewis took a deep dive on what the future approach might be. They have seven tradable first-round picks to find another high-impact player to pair up with Mikal Bridges and should be in position to re-sign Nic Claxton while also having the mid-level exception and the bi-annual exception at their disposal this offseason.
Community Shootaround: Pistons’ Future
The team with the league’s worst record was the most active before the trade deadline.
The Pistons reshuffled their roster, though it’s fair to wonder just what all that activity accomplished. It started a few weeks earlier, swapping some backup forwards and draft capital with the Wizards mainly to shed Marvin Bagley Jr.‘s contract.
They also made three trades before Tuesday’s deadline, most notably giving up sharpshooters Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks to the Knicks. Detroit general manager Troy Weaver failed to get a first-round pick in return, instead picking up two second-rounders, a young rotation wing in Quentin Grimes and more future cap space.
A trade with the Jazz netted forward Simone Fontecchio, who scored 20 points in his Pistons debut on Saturday. Outside of Grimes and Fontecchio – and perhaps Troy Brown Jr. – the players they added probably won’t be on next year’s roster.
The Pistons are projected to have $58-$64MM in salary cap space this offseason. The question is ‘What do they do with it?’
There have been rumblings of a reunion with Tobias Harris when the Sixers forward hits free agency but that doesn’t solve Detroit’s fundamental issue – it doesn’t have any superstars.
Cade Cunningham was supposed to be that type of player as the top pick in the 2021 draft. His sophomore season was a washout due to a shin injury. He has posted solid numbers this season but hasn’t played at an All-Star level.
Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, the 2022 first-round picks, have shown the ability to be quality starters but haven’t produced on a consistent basis.
A bigger question is whether Cunningham and Ivey can develop true chemistry. Both are more comfortable with the ball in their hands, with Cunningham playing a craftier, more deliberate style while Ivey thrives at a higher pace.
Owner Tom Gores continues to express confidence in Weaver, even though the GM’s four-year rebuilding project has been a colossal failure. Given the team’s activity at the trade deadline, it seems as if Weaver will continue in his role during the offseason.
That brings us to our topic of the day: What should the Pistons do this summer to turn their fortunes around? What players should they target in free agency and trades with their cap space? Should they be patient with the backcourt pairing of Cunningham and Ivey or trade one of them?
Please take to the comments section to weigh on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Shaedon Sharpe Undergoes Core Muscle Surgery
FEBRUARY 9: Sharpe has undergone his core muscle procedure, according to a press release from the Trail Blazers, who stated that the guard will be reevaluated in six weeks.
FEBRUARY 6: Trail Blazers shooting guard Shaedon Sharpe will undergo corrective surgery to fix a core muscle injury, the team announced in a press release.
Sharpe hasn’t played since January 11 due to a lower abdominal strain. While attempting to ramp up his basketball activities during his rehab, Sharpe experienced worsening of his symptoms. Due to his lack of progression, it was determined that surgery was necessary. The procedure is tentatively planned for later this week.
While a timetable has yet to be determined, it’s fair to assume Sharpe’s injury could end his season, especially given that the Blazers are well out of the playoff race. The No. 7 pick in the 2022 draft, Sharpe is averaging 15.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 33.1 minutes per game this season. He has started 25 of 32 games.
As a rookie, Sharpe appeared in 80 games (15 starts), averaging 9.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 22.2 minutes per game.
Bucks Send Robin Lopez, Cash To Kings
10:13pm: The trade is official, per a press release from the Bucks. Milwaukee acquired the draft rights to Dimitrios Agravanis, the 59th overall pick in 2015, from Sacramento in the deal.
1:59pm: The Bucks are dealing little-used big man Robin Lopez to the Kings along with cash considerations, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports (Twitter links). He’s expected to be waived by Sacramento and become a free agent.
The cost-cutting move by Milwaukee will open up a roster spot and save it $8.6MM in luxury tax penalties. This trade deadline is the last time teams in the second tax apron are allowed to send out cash in trades, ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (Twitter links).
Lopez was on a veteran’s minimum salary deal, so Sacramento didn’t have to match a salary or use a traded player exception to pull off the deal. The Kings had an open roster spot to make the trade.
Lopez, 35, has appeared in 16 this season, including two starts, but averaged just 4.1 minutes in those appearances.