Heat In Mix For Andre Iguodala
The Heat have emerged as a potential suitor for Grizzlies forward Andre Iguodala, according to Shams Charania of Stadium (video link), who reports that the two teams have had discussions.
While Miami would be a nice on-court fit for Iguodala, it may be tricky for the two teams to come to a trade agreement that works for everyone. The Heat’s only sizable expiring contracts belong to Meyers Leonard and Goran Dragic, who are key parts of the team’s rotation and seem unlikely to be moved for the former Finals MVP. As such, Memphis would likely have to be willing to take on a multiyear deal, with James Johnson, Dion Waiters, Kelly Olynyk, and perhaps even Justise Winslow among the candidates.
[RELATED: Dillon Brooks On Iguodala: Can’t Wait Until We Trade Him]
Additionally, the Heat are right up against a hard cap this season, so they won’t be able to take on more money than they send out. For instance, even though Johnson’s $15.35MM cap hit meets the salary-matching requirements to take back Iguodala’s $17.19MM salary, Miami would have to send out at least one more player because it can’t accommodate that extra money.
Finally, the Heat don’t have much draft capital available to dangle in trade talks, having moved so many of their future picks already. Their next available picks for trade purposes would be a conditional 2024 second-rounder or a conditional 2025 first-rounder. They also control the less favorable of the Sixers’ and Nuggets’ 2022 second-round picks, which could be included in a deal.
On top of all those roadblocks, there’s the question of whether or not Iguodala would be happy to land with the Heat. South Beach is a popular destination for most NBA players and Miami is a legit contender in the East, so presumably the 36-year-old would be satisfied with that outcome. However, Charania notes that Iguodala may want to play closer to home on the West Coast, and a report on Monday indicated the veteran could sit out the rest of the season if he isn’t sent to one of his preferred landing spots.
Although it’s not clear what those preferred landing spots are, it’s probably safe to assume the Lakers and Clippers are among them. If Iguodala is bought out, the two L.A. teams would likely be the frontrunners to sign him, but the Grizzlies have insisted all season long that they’ll find a pre-deadline trade involving the ex-Warrior. We’ll find out this week if they’re right.
O’Connor’s Latest: Capela, Covington, D-Lo, Nets, More
The Rockets, Hawks, and Timberwolves recently discussed a three-team trade that would have sent Robert Covington to Houston, Clint Capela to Atlanta, and Brooklyn’s 2020 first-round pick (from Atlanta) to Minnesota, league sources tell Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer.
As O’Connor explains, the Timberwolves’ goal would have been to use that Brooklyn first-rounder as part of a trade package for D’Angelo Russell. According to O’Connor, Minnesota was willing to include its own 2020 first-round pick in that offer too, but the Warriors turned them down, putting those three-team talks on hold.
We don’t know exactly what protections the Timberwolves might have wanted to put on their pick, or what contract(s) they wanted the Warriors to take on in that offer for Russell, but it’s still worth noting that Golden State declined an offer featuring multiple first-rounders. While the Dubs are reportedly open to listening to inquiries on D-Lo, their asking price is high, and it appears they’d be happy to wait until the offseason to revisit Russell’s trade market, if necessary.
Here’s more from O’Connor:
- The Warriors‘ price tag on Russell is one reason the Timberwolves‘ asking price for Covington is so high, O’Connor writes. O’Connor also adds the Nuggets to the list of teams with interest in Covington, though he acknowledges that interest is “minimal,” suggesting the Rockets and Sixers are more serious suitors.
- The Rockets and Hawks have had some discussions about Capela without the Timberwolves‘ involvement, per O’Connor.
- The Rockets offered Capela to the Nets in a deal that would have included Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince, league sources tell O’Connor. We’ve heard Houston wants to get a wing and another big man for Capela, so the ask makes sense, but it’s not a surprise that Brooklyn turned it down.
- The Hawks are believed to be wary about investing $20MM+ per year in John Collins on his next contract, preferring a less expensive center like Capela or Tristan Thompson, sources tell O’Connor. For what it’s worth, Hawks beat writer Chris Kirschner of The Athletic (Twitter links) suggests the recent Collins-related rumblings are coming from other teams, not Atlanta.
Dillon Brooks On Iguodala: Can’t Wait Until We Trade Him
Before the Grizzlies defeated the Pistons on Monday night, maintaining their hold on the No. 8 seed, a report surfaced suggesting that Andre Iguodala is preparing to sit out the season if he’s not traded to one of his preferred landing spots, or bought out. After Memphis’ win, forward Dillon Brooks weighed in on the Iguodala rumors, as Evan Barnes of The Memphis Commercial Appeal relays.
“Andre Iguodala’s a great player. I feel like he’s doing the right thing for his career, but we don’t really care,” Brooks said. “It’s not a distraction at all. I laugh at that type of stuff.
“A guy that’s on our team that doesn’t want to be on our team,” Brooks continued. “I can’t wait ’til we find a way to trade him so we can play him and show him what really Memphis is about.”
Although no other Grizzlies players conveyed a similar sentiment to reporters, Brooks’ teammates Ja Morant and De’Anthony Melton published cryptic tweets seemingly supporting his message.
Iguodala was sent from the Warriors to the Grizzlies in a July trade as Golden State cleared salary to bring in D’Angelo Russell. Although that trade was a salary dump that netted Memphis a first-round pick, the Grizzlies are confident Iguodala can be flipped for positive value and has insisted all season long they plan to move him rather than buy him out. The team has until Thursday afternoon to make that happen.
The Grizzlies and Iguodala reportedly reached a mutual agreement in the fall to have him remain away with the team, so the front office has no issue with his absence, but it’s not hard to see why some Grizzlies players may share Brooks’ sentiment.
When Iguodala talked in September about the trade, he recalled predicting in the summer that he’d be moved to “Memphis or some s–t,” implying that it was among the worst possible outcomes. And even as the upstart Grizzlies have outperformed expectations and moved into the playoff picture, the former Finals MVP has shown zero interest in playing for the team.
While a few young Grizzlies players may be eager to show Iguodala what he’s missing out on, veteran forward Jae Crowder took a more measured stance, as Barnes details.
“I would like to keep a lot of stuff in-house but we respect what he’s done,” Crowder said of Iguodala. “He’s a Hall-of-Famer. In my eyes, he’s a Hall-of-Famer. He’s proven in this league, so as long as he handled it like a professional, I believe he is. … I would not say that he’s been a distraction at all. Like I said, he hasn’t been here. But we respect what he wants at this time of his career, and you have to respect it.”
Suns, Pistons Discussing Luke Kennard Trade
The Suns and Pistons are discussing a possible trade that would send Luke Kennard to Phoenix, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that a Suns first-round pick is in play.
Kennard, 23, is a career 40.2% three-point shooter and had taken on an increased role in Detroit this season, averaging a career-best 15.8 PPG and 4.1 APG in 32.9 minutes per contest. The 23-year-old has been limited to 28 games, having been sidelined since December 21 with a knee injury.
A third-year guard who will be extension-eligible during the 2020 offseason, Kennard could be a nice fit on a Suns team that has lacked reliable outside shooting. Phoenix ranks among the NBA’s bottom 10 teams in terms of both three-point attempts and three-point percentage this season, and the club’s most consistent long-distance threat has been a rookie, Cameron Johnson.
It wouldn’t be difficult for Phoenix to match Kennard’s $3.8MM salary — Wojnarowski suggests (via Twitter) that a potential package gaining some traction would feature Jevon Carter, Elie Okobo, and a first-round pick.. If the Suns are willing to part with their 2020 first-rounder, I expect they’d want to add some form of protection, since it currently projects to land at No. 11.
As Gina Mizell of The Athletic tweets, the Suns’ current VP of basketball operations, Jeff Bower, was the Pistons’ general manager when Detroit selected Kennard with the No. 12 pick in the 2017 draft, so he’s very familiar with the former Duke standout. Phoenix envisions Kennard as a floor-spacer who could complement scorers and play-makers like Devin Booker, Kelly Oubre, and Ricky Rubio, per Wojnarowski.
Trade Rumors: Clippers, Pelicans, Randle, Rose
Appearing today on The Lowe Post with Zach Lowe, Brian Windhorst of ESPN said the Clippers are in the market for a center, which is something Marc Stein of The New York Times and others have reported as well.
While Ivica Zubac and Montrezl Harrell have been very effective so far this season in Los Angeles, Windhorst suggested the Clippers may be a little nervous about entering a playoff series against Rudy Gobert and the Jazz or Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets with that frontcourt duo.
Windhorst mentioned Pistons big man Andre Drummond as a possible Clippers target, though he cautions that such a deal would be difficult, noting that Drummond is simply a best-case example of the type of player L.A. may be targeting. A lower-cost option like Suns center Aron Baynes would also be a good fit for the Clips, in Windhorst’s view.
The Clippers have been linked to a wide variety of potential trade targets at a few positions this winter, and appear willing to move their 2020 first-round pick to upgrade their roster. During his discussion with Windhorst, Lowe said the Clips look like “the biggest lock in the league to do something,” adding later in the podcast that he’d be shocked if they weren’t willing to give up that first-rounder for Marcus Morris.
Here are a few more trade rumors and notes from around the NBA:
- Rather than selling, the Pelicans may actually be interested in acquiring another veteran player at the deadline, according to Windhorst, who said on The Lowe Post that New Orleans believes its early-season struggles could be attributed in part to how young the team’s roster was.
- The Knicks have had some internal discussions about gauging Julius Randle‘s trade value, sources tell Marc Berman of The New York Post. Randle is the only one of New York’s 2019 free agent signees who has a fully guaranteed salary for 2020/21, and Berman suggests that moving him would create more flexibility to re-sign Marcus Morris. The Knicks will have the ability to open up plenty of room even with Randle still on their books.
- Derrick Rose, who left Sunday’s game with an injury initially believed to be a groin issue, has been ruled out for Monday’s contest with an adductor strain. Rod Beard of The Detroit News takes a look at whether Rose’s injury could throw a wrench into the Pistons‘ trade deadline plans.
Wizards Considering Buying At Deadline?
There’s a chance that the Wizards could emerge as an under-the-radar buyer at this season’s trade deadline, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said today on The Lowe Post podcast with Zach Lowe.
Although the Wizards’ record is just 17-31, they’re only 3.5 games removed from the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. The 21-27 Nets and 21-28 Magic aren’t exactly running away with the final two playoff spots, and only one team (the 19-33 Bulls) currently sits between Washington and those seventh and eighth seeds.
Besides the fact that the Wizards can still talk themselves into a playoff chase, they also may be tempted to make a move for Bradley Beal‘s sake. As Windhorst notes, Beal has expressed some frustration lately, first with the Wizards’ “culture” and then with an All-Star snub that could be attributed in large part to Washington’s losing record.
Although Beal signed an extension with the Wizards last offseason, that wasn’t a long-term deal. He can still reach free agency in 2022, and could make things difficult for the franchise before then if he expresses discontent with his situation. It’s safe to assume Beal would rather push for the postseason than see the front office sell off productive veterans like Davis Bertans and bottom out.
Even if the Wizards do look for an upgrade at the deadline, they seem unlikely to do anything drastic, such as giving up a first-round pick. Windhorst points to Cavaliers big man Tristan Thompson, who is reportedly on the trade block, as one possible target for the team. If Cleveland is willing to let Thompson go for Ian Mahinmi‘s expiring contract and a second-round pick, perhaps the Wizards would be motivated to make a move, but the Cavs will probably be aiming higher for their longest-tenured player.
Celtics Among Teams Exploring Clint Capela Trade
The Celtics are among the teams engaged in talks with the Rockets about a possible Clint Capela trade, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
Boston has long been considered a possible fit for Capela, since the team has relied for most of the season on low-cost big men like Enes Kanter and Daniel Theis. Acquiring an impact center like Capela, who’s capable of rim-running on offense and protecting the paint on defense, could make sense for a club that’s loaded with quality wings and has Kemba Walker running the show at the point.
Capela’s $14.9MM cap hit complicates matters to some extent, since the Celtics likely don’t want to move Marcus Smart and have no other expendable mid-level-type contracts for salary-matching purposes. Still, it’s not impossible for Boston to match Capela’s salary without using Smart — the team could package three less expensive players, including one or both of Kanter and Theis, to get to the necessary $9.9MM. Houston may not want to cut multiple players to accommodate those incoming pieces, but some could hypothetically be re-routed to teams with open roster spots.
The Celtics also have extra first-round picks available to include in a trade, if they so choose. In addition to their own 2020 first-round selection, the C’s hold the Grizzlies’ top-six protected first-rounder, and the Bucks’ first-rounder.
As Wojnarowski notes (via Twitter), the Rockets’ ultimate goal in dealing Capela would be to acquire a wing and another center. Securing a package that features one of Boston’s centers and a first-round pick which could be flipped for a wing would be one path to achieving that goal. Robert Covington and Andre Iguodala are among the players on Houston’s radar, Woj adds.
The Hawks have been cited most frequently as a potential landing spot for Capela, and the Kings are said to have expressed interest as well.
Spurs Rumors: Gay, Carroll, Belinelli, Bertans
The Spurs are “looking at everything” and weighing a variety of potential paths at the trade deadline, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on a Sunday podcast with Bobby Marks. At 22-26, San Antonio is 1.5 games behind the eighth-seeded Grizzlies and is at risk of missing the postseason for the first time since the turn of the century. The club will have to decide whether to push to continue that streak, take a step back and retool, or simply stand pat.
Having spoken with executives around the NBA, Jabari Young of CNBC Sports says there’s a belief the Spurs want to push for the playoffs. “They are 100% obsessed with getting that eighth seed,” one executive told Young.
If that’s the case, it wouldn’t make sense for San Antonio to trade DeMar DeRozan or LaMarcus Aldridge. However, moving Rudy Gay is a scenario that rival executives consider more realistic, Young suggests.
“If they get a nice asset back, I think they would do something with Rudy Gay, but I think their asking price is too high,” an exec told Young.
Here’s more on the Spurs:
- In his conversation with Marks, Wojnarowski speculated that the Spurs may view the idea of trading veterans like DeRozan, Aldridge, and Gay as an “all-or-nothing” proposition. In other words, in the unlikely event that the team could move all three players and get good value back, it could be worth rebooting the roster. Otherwise, it might not make sense to move just one or two of them.
- The Spurs are working with agent Mark Bartelstein in an effort to find a new home for little-used veteran forward DeMarre Carroll, according to Jabari Young. After signing a three-year deal with San Antonio last summer, Carroll has appeared in just 15 total games this season, including two since Christmas. He has admitted that his reduced role has been “difficult.”
- According to Young, the Spurs are also shopping Marco Belinelli, a 37.5% career three-point shooter who is on a $5.85MM expiring contract. No serious suitors have emerged for Belinelli, who is considered a liability on defense, Young adds.
- If Davis Bertans hadn’t been traded last summer, he would’ve seriously considered re-signing with the Spurs in the summer of 2020, a league source tells Michael Scotto of Bleacher Report. That ship has probably sailed now though, according to Scotto, who revisits the saga that saw Marcus Morris renege on a free agent agreement with San Antonio. Morris didn’t tell the franchise directly that he was backing out of his commitment and the Spurs learned of his intentions after he failed to show up for his physical, says Scotto.
Woj’s Latest: Love, Bucks, Lakers, Clippers, More
ESPN insiders Adrian Wojnarowski and Bobby Marks published a pair of podcasts on Sunday examining each of the NBA’s two conferences, breaking down trade possibilities and scenarios for a number of teams.
The two podcasts, which are worth listening to in full, included several interesting notes and tidbits on the trade market, so we’ll pass along several of the highlights right here:
Eastern Conference (full podcast link):
- The Cavaliers are resigned to the fact that they likely won’t end up moving Kevin Love by Thursday, per Wojnarowski. Unless something “comes out of nowhere,” Cleveland may end up having to revisit Love’s trade market in the offseason, Woj adds.
- Based on how well they’ve played this season, the Bucks will be somewhat “risk-averse” at the deadline, according to Wojnarowski. Although Milwaukee may make a move, the buyout market could be a safer bet for an upgrade around the edges of their roster. For what it’s worth, ESPN’s Zach Lowe suggested today that, given their crowded rotation, the Bucks could use Indiana’s 2020 first-round pick to make “some sort of consolidation trade” if they don’t think it’d disrupt their chemistry.
- Wojnarowski is hearing the same thing that Lowe is about Hawks center John Collins — teams have been monitoring him, and Atlanta is in the market a for a center, but it would be a surprise if the club trades Collins at this point.
- If the Pistons can get a first-round pick for Andre Drummond, they seem likely pull the trigger. If not, they may have to decide whether it’s worth it to accept expiring contracts and a second-rounder or two, says Wojnarowski.
- The Nets are active in trade talks and could make a deal as long as it makes sense for next year’s team, according to Woj and Marks. For what it’s worth, while sources told Lowe that Brooklyn won’t trade players such as Spencer Dinwiddie, Caris LeVert, or Jarrett Allen for draft picks, Lowe wonders if the Nets will eventually consider a move involving a player like Dinwiddie and LeVert, since the team’s backcourt hasn’t fully meshed when everyone has been healthy this year.
Western Conference (full podcast link):
- While the Lakers and Clippers may be active on the trade market, they may not be feeling tremendous pressure to do anything, since they’re expected to be the top two choices for many players on the buyout market, Wojnarowski points out.
- Andre Iguodala, for instance, would almost certainly gravitate toward either the Lakers or Clippers if he’s bought out, per Wojnarowski. However, as we’ve heard all season, the Grizzlies remain firm on finding a trade and avoiding a buyout for the former Finals MVP.
- Speaking of Iguodala, Wojnarowski says the Rockets tried for “months” to find a way to acquire him, exploring a number of multi-team possibilities. They’ve backed off that pursuit after not finding any viable scenarios
- Woj and Marks agree that there’s no pressure on the Thunder to move any of their veteran trade candidates. Lowe made a similar point today, writing that it could make sense to stand pat with guys like Danilo Gallinari, Dennis Schroder, and Steven Adams, who could be traded (or signed-and-traded, in Gallinari’s case) in the summer.
Trade Rumors: Covington, Mavs, Morris, Clippers, DSJ, More
As we noted earlier this morning, the Timberwolves‘ asking price for Robert Covington is believed to be high, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be moved before this week’s deadline. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski suggested during a podcast with Bobby Marks that he’s “very confident” Covington will be dealt, while ESPN’s Zach Lowe cited sources who said Covington is “as good a bet as any high-wattage player to move this week.”
That doesn’t mean the Timberwolves’ asking price will be met, but there are multiple teams interested in the veteran wing. Besides Houston and Philadelphia, Covington’s list of suitors includes the Bucks and Mavericks, according to Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, who report that the Mavs and Rockets both discussed potential trades for Covington during the 2019 offseason.
Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link) agrees that the Mavericks are in the market for a wing, but disputes the idea that Dallas is “actively” bidding on Covington, and again suggests the team is reluctant to pursue Grizzlies forward Andre Iguodala, as he reported in December.
Meanwhile, Charania provides another interesting note on Covington, suggesting that some rival executives are wary of the veteran’s injury history and the two years and $25MM left on his contract. The injury concerns are fair, but Covington’s team-friendly contract is believed to be one of the reasons why he’s so sought-after — perhaps there are some potential suitors who are nervous about cutting into their cap room for 2021.
Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Marcus Morris (Knicks) and Davis Bertans (Wizards) may cost a lottery-level first-round pick and appear unlikely to be dealt, according to Charania and Krawczynski. Still, New York will remain open to the idea of moving Morris if offers improve this week, tweets Wojnarowski.
- The Kings are among the teams that have spoken to the Rockets about Clint Capela, league sources tell Charania and Krawczynski. Capela is said to be on the block as Houston seeks a wing.
- Marc Stein of The New York Times, who reported last month that the Clippers are exploring the market for a wing and/or a big man, tweets that many rival teams expect the Clips to make at least one trade this week.
- The Magic have inquired on Knicks point guard Dennis Smith Jr., an NBA source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post. With Markelle Fultz in place as a building block in Orlando, it doesn’t seem like an ideal fit for Smith, another play-making point guard who struggles with his shot. The Knicks’ guard has reportedly drawn interest from Minnesota as well.
- Several teams have had recent conversations with the Knicks about possible deals involving Bobby Portis, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Portis has no guaranteed money beyond this season, as his $15.75MM salary for 2020/21 is a team option.