Community Shootaround: Mavs’ Trade Options
With Dwight Powell out for the season due to an Achilles injury, there’s plenty of media speculation regarding what Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and the team’s front office will do before the trade deadline.
Beyond Kristaps Porzingis Maxi Kleber, and Boban Marjanovic, the Mavs don’t have a lot of options up front. Porzingis has been dealing with right knee soreness and Dallas surely doesn’t want him to log heavy minutes on his surgically repaired knee.
If the Mavs want to get another big on the trade market, they have a couple of major assets. They possess a giant $11.8MM trade exception and Courtney Lee‘s $12.76MM expiring contract.
Among the names tossed about as potential trade targets including Detroit’s Andre Drummond, Sacramento’s Nemanja Bjelica, Cleveland’s Tristan Thompson and Kevin Love, San Antonio’s Jakob Poeltl, Washington’s Ian Mahinmi, Minnesota’s Gorgui Dieng and Golden State’s Willie Cauley-Stein.
ESPN reported that the team is kicking the tires on veteran free agent center Joakim Noah. In-house options include Dorian Finney-Smith, Isaiah Roby and Justin Jackson, all of whom could see more action at power forward with Porzingis sliding to center. However, it seems likely the Mavs will make some type of move to fortify their suddenly depleted frontcourt.
That brings us to our question of the day: Should the Mavs make a major trade with Dwight Powell out for the season or should seek other avenues to beef up their frontcourt?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this option. We look forward to your input.
Western Notes: Vanderbilt, Burks, Drummond, Howard
Nuggets reserve forwards Jarred Vanderbilt and Vlatko Cancar could be the beneficiaries of Mason Plumlee‘s misfortune, according to Mike Singer of the Denver Post.
Plumlee will be out 2-4 weeks with a foot injury. Vanderbilt, a 2018 second-round pick, had played in 13 G League games and four with the NBA club this season. Cancar had appeared in seven Nuggets games entering Wednesday’s action.
“Just find ways, that’s our biggest challenge right now,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said of Plumlee’s injury. “Don’t waste an ounce of energy on the guys that can’t play, let’s figure out who can play and go out there, fight and give ourselves a chance.”
We have more Western Conference news:
- Alec Burks is the Warriors’ most valuable trade chip and the team is likely to make at least one deal before February’s deadline, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area relays. The versatile wing, who scored 33 points on Monday, is making just $2.32MM this season. Several teams in recent weeks have expressed interest in Burks, according to Poole.
- Detroit’s Andre Drummond, Sacramento’s Nemanja Bjelica, Cleveland’s Tristan Thompson and Kevin Love and San Antonio’s Jakob Poeltl are potential trade targets for the Mavericks, Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News writes. The Mavs are seeking help in the wake of Dwight Powell‘s season-ending injury.
- In an unusual decision for a player of his age, Dwight Howard has decided to participate in the Slam Dunk Contest during All-Star weekend, according to a league press release. Howard, who has turned into a valuable member of the Lakers’ bench, participated in three previous dunk contests early in his career but hasn’t been in one since 2009.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/22/20
Here are Wednesday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the league:
- The Pacers recalled guard Victor Oladipo from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the team’s PR department tweets. Oladipo practiced with the Mad Ants as part of his rehab. He’s expected to make his season debut with Indiana next week.
- The Spurs recalled rookie swingman Keldon Johnson and forward Chimezie Metu from their Austin affiliate, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News tweets. Johnson has made two cameos with the NBA club this season while Metu, a 2018 second-round pick, has played in 11 games.
- The Jazz assigned rookie guard Miye Oni to the Salt Lake City Stars, according to the G League transactions log. Oni has appeared in three games with Utah.
Knicks Notes: Rebuilding, Development, Davis, Smith Jr.
Following their failure to land a star on the free agent market last summer, the Knicks are in the midst of another long rebuild, Steve Popper of Newsday writes. Their young players have not shown signs of future stardom and the seven veteran free agents signed over the summer have failed to lift the franchise from the bottom of the standings, Popper continues. Most of the young players, as well as the veterans, are on the trading block. That includes Julius Randle, the only free agent who received a full guarantee on the second year of his contract.
We have more on the Knicks:
- The club is struggling with the dilemma of improving its chances of winning by playing veterans and devoting more time to toward developing young players, as Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic details. The Knicks have doled approximately 40% of their minutes to players 22 years old or younger, second in the NBA behind only the Hawks, but have relied on their veterans in recent games.
- The home game against the Lakers on Wednesday provided the only opportunity this season for fans to show some love for potential free agent Anthony Davis, Marc Berman of the New York Post notes. Signing with the woeful Knicks doesn’t appear to be on Davis’ radar but the Knicks will have plenty of cap room and Berman, citing sources, claims Davis’ agent, Rich Paul, would one day like to bring his superstar client to New York.
- Guard Dennis Smith Jr. was available to play on Wednesday, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News tweets. Smith missed the last 13 games due to an oblique strain.
Jusuf Nurkic Practices In Full, Inching Toward Return
Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic is progressing toward a return from the serious leg injuries he suffered last March. Nurkic fully participated in practice on Wednesday, including a 5-on-5 halfcourt scrimmage, Jason Quick of The Athletic tweets.
“I guess it’s a milestone, but it’s part of his progression,’‘ head coach Terry Stotts said.
The team had targeted this week to increase his workload, but there’s still no definitive date for his return to action, Quick adds.
Nurkic, 25, was a major reason for Portland’s success in recent seasons. He was enjoying a career year, posting a career high 15.6 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 3.2 APG and 1.4 BPG before he suffered compound fractures to his left tibia and fibula in a double-overtime win over the Nets on March 25.
The most recent report regarding a timetable indicated that Nurkic and the club were targeting a return close to the All-Star break next month.
Portland has been one of the most disappointing teams in the league this season. Its 19-26 record ranks 10th in the Western Conference, though the Blazers are not far from the eighth and final playoff spot. Injuries to Zach Collins and Rodney Hood have factored into the severe drop-off after winning 53 games in the regular season a year ago and advancing to the Western Conference finals.
Nurkic’s return could certainly boost their prospects of returning to the postseason, though Hassan Whiteside (15.5 PPG, 14.1 RPG, 3.0 BPG) has been a solid replacement in the middle after being acquired from the Heat during the offseason.
Mavs Notes: Porzingis, Noah, Powell Replacements, Trade Options
Kristaps Porzingis could see a lot more action at center the remainder of the season, according to Eddie Sefko of the team’s website. The Mavericks need to replace the minutes of Dwight Powell, who is out for the season with a ruptured right Achilles. When paired with Maxi Kleber, Porzingis can play either center or power forward. Porzingis can utilize his playmaking skills from the middle, as he did for a stretch against the Clippers on Tuesday.
“We’ve done it some,” coach Rick Carlisle said while adding, “The bind you get in is with rebounding and that was obvious in the second half. We were really up against it on the boards. … But in terms of the lineup and everything else, there’s a lot of things we’ve got to keep on the table.”
We have more on the Mavericks:
- The Mavs’ front office has made contact with free agent center Joakim Noah, Tim MacMahon of ESPN tweets. However, the team has concerns about Noah’s health and is also looking at overseas and G League options, MacMahon adds. Noah, 34, appeared in 34 games with the Grizzlies last season. Dallas would have to open up a roster spot to bring in a free agent.
- Washington’s Ian Mahinmi, Minnesota’s Gorgui Dieng and Golden State’s Willie Cauley-Stein and Cleveland’s Tristan Thompson are some of the trade options the team could pursue in the wake of Powell’s injury, Sefko writes in a separate piece. Rookie Isaiah Roby and Justin Jackson could also pick up some of those minutes, Sefko adds, and the Mavs might pursue another G League option, Ray Spalding, of the Greensboro Swarm, who was on Dallas’ roster for part of last season.
- Even before Powell’s injury, the team was perusing the trade market for players with size who can score 15 points a game, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (video link). “They have assets. They have a trade exception, they have Courtney Lee, who’s a contract that can be traded. Watch out for them,” Windhorst said.
- The Mavs have two trade exceptions available to utilize prior to February’s deadline, including one worth over $11.8MM. Check out the list of all trade exceptions here.
Community Shootaround: Derrick Rose
Derrick Rose is suddenly a hot commodity again. A Yahoo Sports report on Monday indicated that the Lakers, Sixers and several other playoff contenders were interested in dealing for Rose, who is enjoying a career rebirth after nearly retiring a couple of years ago due to knee pain.
Rose had a bounce-back season in Minnesota last year, averaging 18 points in 51 games before his season was cut short by another injury. But he didn’t attract a lot of attention in the free agent market before signing a two-year, $15MM contract with the Pistons.
While the Pistons have floundered due to injuries, particularly to star forward Blake Griffin, Rose has been an offensive juggernaut. He’s averaging 18.3 PPG in 25.8 MPG and shooting a career-high 50.2%. At an age where most guards have lost a step, Rose has seemingly found the fountain of youth. He’s consistent breaking down defenses with quickness and guile and finishing at the rim.
He’d certainly help nearly any of the contenders, either as a starting guard or sixth man, a role he filled with the Pistons until he was inserted into the lineup three games ago. The Lakers have plenty of point guards on the roster but Rose would be an upgrade over any of them. He’d give the Sixers a change of pace option to take pressure off Ben Simmons and dramatically improve their bench.
The Clippers reportedly have only mild interest in Rose, perhaps because they gave up so many assets to secure Paul George‘s services. The Nuggets haven’t publicly been named as a suitor but he could be the piece that puts them on par with the Los Angeles teams. And he’d make marginal contenders like the Heat and Mavericks a lot more dangerous in the postseason.
The Pistons could just hold onto Rose, who has stated he’s happy where he is, and hope for better results next season if Griffin comes back healthy. But it’s more likely they’ll try to cash in and get a future asset or two while Rose is in a groove.
That leads us to our question of the day: If Derrick Rose is traded, where do you think he’ll wind up?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Northwest Notes: O’Neale, Covington, Timberwolves
The fourth and final year of Royce O’Neale‘s extension is partially guaranteed, Tony Jones of The Athletic tweets. The Jazz signed the forward to a four-year, $36MM extension on Sunday. O’Neale’s first three years during the extension, which kicks in next season, are fully guaranteed. He’ll receive $8.5MM in 2020/21, $8.8MM in 2021/22 and $9.2MM in 2022/23, according to The Athletic’s John Hollinger, who notes that the partially guarantee on O’Neale’s $9.5MM salary in 2023/24 will be $2.5MM.
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- O’Neale’s ability to guard four positions makes the extension a worthwhile investment for the Jazz, Ben Dowsett of Forbes.com opines. O’Neale is the fastest player on the team and also the best rebounder other than the team’s centers, Dowsett continues. The forward might have received offers at or above the four-year, $51MM maximum extension Utah could have offered him if the team had allowed him to enter restricted free agency, Dowsett adds.
- Robert Covington has heard his name bandied about in trade rumors but the Timberwolves forward is trying to block out the speculation, as he told Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The Rockets were reportedly pursuing Covington, who is signed through the next two seasons, though their interest has apparently waned. “I’m not even focused on that,” Covington said. “My main focus is this team and what I do every day. I’m not going to get caught up in rumors or hype or what not.”
- Covington, Gorgui Dieng and Andrew Wiggins are some of the players who have exceeded preseason expectations for the Timberwolves, Britt Robson of The Athletic writes while handing out his midseason grades.
Jaylen Brown Doubted Extension Would Get Done
Celtics swingman Jaylen Brown thought the team wouldn’t budge from its original $80MM extension offer before the front office substantially sweetened the pot, he told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on the Woj Pod (hat tip to Nick Goss of NBC Sports Boston). Brown eventually signed a four-year, $115MM rookie scale extension, which included a guaranteed $103MM and another $12MM in incentives.
“To be honest, I came with the mindset I didn’t think that anything was going to get done,” Brown told Wojnarowski. “I wasn’t sure that anything was going to get done. The first offer was four years, $80 million. I didn’t think they were going to budge from that. So, I came with the mindset, I told (agent Jason) Glushon that, ‘Let’s see what can happen, you know?’ For me, I didn’t think Jason was going to be able to get anything done. I thought they were going to stay at ($80MM) and that was going to be it.”
Without an extension, Brown would have plunged into restricted free agency this summer. He was fully prepared to do that until the offer grew.
“I was hell-bent, I was already locked in, focused, ready to carry the weight that I was going to go into this year playing my fourth year out. And then they jumped up, and that just showed they wanted me here in the organization,” he said on the podcast. “They appreciated my value. They thought that I added to winning. It was an offer that was too hard to kind of turn down.”
Brown was averaging a career-high 20 PPG, 6.9 RPG and 2.3 APG heading into the team’s game against the Lakers on Monday.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/20/20
Here are Monday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the league:
- The Celtics recalled rookie guard Carsen Edwards prior to their game against the Lakers, the team’s PR department tweets. Edwards has come off the bench in 27 games with Boston this season, averaging 3.2 PPG in 9.9 MPG.
- The Knicks recalled rookie forward Ignas Brazdeikis from their Westchester affiliate, the team’s PR department tweets. Brazdeikis has appeared in nine games with the NBA club, averaging 1.9 PPG in 5.9 MPG.
- The Pacers assigned guard Victor Oladipo to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants for a practice, the team tweets. Oladipo is expected to make his long-awaited season debut next week.
- The Wizards recalled rookie guard Admiral Schofield, the team tweets. Schofield has appeared in 24 games with the Wizards this season but did not play in the team’s win over Detroit on Monday.
- The Clippers recalled guard Terance Mann from their Agua Caliente affiliate, the team announced today. Mann has played 27 games for the Clippers this season, averaging 1.9 PPG in 8.1 MPG.
- The Thunder assigned center Justin Patton to the Oklahoma City Blue, according to a team press release. Patton is averaging 12.1 PPG and 8.2 RPG in 23 games with the Blue. He has appeared in five games for the Thunder this season, averaging 1.8 PPG in 4.8 MPG.