Charania’s Latest: Rockets, Mavs, Drummond, Pelicans
Although James Harden is in his eighth year with the Rockets, it has been newcomer Russell Westbrook who has “taken the initiative within the locker room” as of late, writes Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Sources tell Charania that Westbrook has delivered “several passionate messages” to the team and has emerged as a leader. There’s no indication that’s been a problem for Harden, with Charania suggesting there’s a “renewed closeness” between the Rockets’ two star guards.
“Russell’s a good leader, and we’ve needed the motivation,” a Rockets source told The Athletic, referring to the team’s up-and-down recent play.
With the trade deadline approaching, the Rockets continue to explore the trade market in search of upgrades. Sources tell Charania that Houston is specifically looking for a wing and continues to make future draft picks available in discussions.
Here’s more from Charania’s most recent article:
- Rival teams believe the Mavericks are looking to open up a spot on their 15-man roster for added flexibility, according to Charania, who reiterates that Dallas is in the market for a wing and/or a big man. The Mavs could go the free agent route to acquire a big, Charania adds.
- The Pistons don’t appear to have any momentum toward an Andre Drummond trade. We previously heard that the Hawks and Knicks have pulled out of the Drummond sweepstakes, and Charania suggests that’s the case for the Celtics too. Sources tell The Athletic that no teams have made the Pistons a quality offer that meets their asking price of a first-round pick or a good young player.
- The Pelicans are telling teams they want to evaluate their current core for a longer period of time now that everyone is healthy, per Charania. It’s unclear if New Orleans will reconsider that stance at all before the February 6 trade deadline.
Southeast Notes: Bertans, Magic, Parsons, Goodwin
A number of teams around the NBA are holding out hope that the Wizards will make Davis Bertans available before the trade deadline, writes Chris Mannix of SI.com. However, for the time being, general manager Tommy Sheppard and the front office appear to be sticking to their stance that they intend to retain Bertans and try to re-sign him this summer.
According to Mannix, inquiries on Bertans have “gone nowhere.” Multiple executives tell Mannix that the Wizards are unwilling to even discuss a potential deal.
This is Sheppard’s first trade deadline since he became the Wizards’ head of basketball operations, so it will be interesting to see whether this ends up being a leverage play or if he sticks to his guns and declines to discuss Bertans all the way through February 6.
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- Josh Robbins of The Athletic explores some potential trade scenarios for the Magic, expressing skepticism that the club will pursue veterans for a playoff push. Robbins also suggests, as he did earlier this season, that Jonathan Isaac and Markelle Fultz look like the only Orlando players who are essentially untouchable in trade talks.
- Chandler Parsons, who was injured in a car accident, remains in the first stage of the NBA’s concussion protocol and continues to be treated for whiplash and his cervical disc injury, the Hawks announced on Thursday in a press release. According to the team, Parsons has returned home to California to continue his recovery and rehab process. He remains out indefinitely.
- Hawks two-way player Brandon Goodwin is making a strong case to be promoted to the club’s 15-man roster, as Chris Kirschner of The Athletic details. Goodwin’s teammates are among his biggest advocates for a promotion and a guaranteed standard contract. “Hell yeah,” John Collins said. “B.G. has been around here and done everything the team has asked him to do and (then) some. If he keeps continuing to play like this, there is no reason to say he shouldn’t (get a 15-man roster spot).”
Andre Iguodala “Ready To Get Back On The Court”
Andre Iguodala hasn’t played in an NBA game since suiting up for the Warriors in last June’s Finals, but he sounds ready to return to action. During an appearance on ESPN’s First Take (video link), Iguodala said he’s feeling refreshed after a long layoff.
“It’s been a blessing in disguise, in terms of having this time off. I think it’s added some years to my career,” Iguodala said. “… When you wake up in the morning in January for the last 16 years and you’re looking for the pain like, ‘Oh, there it is,’ and then you don’t have that. So it’s kind of been good.
“I’ve been on the court, I’m in shape. I’m kind of slim, so I could use, like, three-and-a-half pounds of muscle,” he added. “It’ll take me a couple days to put that on. But I’m ready to get back on the court.”
When the Warriors overhauled their roster during the 2019 offseason, Iguodala was a victim of a cap crunch and was shipped to Memphis along with his $17MM expiring contract.
Iguodala apparently had little interest in playing for the Grizzlies and Memphis’ front office was fine with him remaining away from the team, even as the young roster exceeds expectations and contends for the No. 8 seed. However, the Grizzlies still believe the former Finals MVP has positive trade value and insist they plan on moving him by the trade deadline rather than buying him out.
With February 6 now less than two weeks away, it may not be long before we know where Iguodala will finish the season. Assuming the Grizzlies are right that they can find a trade, that would reduce the list of potential landing spots for the veteran, who will turn 36 on Tuesday. The Lakers, for instance, would be a top contender for Iguodala if he reaches free agency, but don’t really have the salary-matching pieces necessary to trade for him.
For his part, Iguodala believes he can still make a positive impact on a contending team, as he told ESPN’s First Take hosts.
“I feel like I still have a lot to give,” Iguodala said. “So hopefully the right situation comes about for myself and the Memphis Grizzlies as well.”
Players Who Can’t Be Traded To Specific Teams This Season
Most players around the NBA are now eligible to be traded, with just a few exceptions. However, there are several players who can’t be dealt to specific teams this season.
NBA rules prohibit a team from trading for a player if the team traded that player away earlier in the season or during the previous offseason. In other words, if a club traded a player between the end of last year’s NBA Finals and today, it’s not eligible to reacquire him in a deal on or before February 6.
This rule doesn’t apply if a player who was traded since last spring’s Finals was subsequently waived and then signed with a new team. For instance, the Jazz and Grizzlies both traded away Kyle Korver last summer. Korver was later waived by the Suns and signed with the Bucks. If he had remained in Phoenix, Korver would be ineligible to be acquired by Utah or Memphis, but that restriction was lifted once he signed with Milwaukee.
The rule also doesn’t apply to players whose draft rights were traded. For example, the Suns would technically be eligible to reacquire Jarrett Culver from the Timberwolves after trading his draft rights to Minnesota last summer.
For the most part, these restrictions won’t affect teams’ plans — it’s not as if the Pelicans will be looking to reacquire Anthony Davis from the Lakers. Still, some of them are worth noting. If the Celtics seek frontcourt help on the trade market, for instance, they’ll have to be aware of the fact that they can’t reacquire Aron Baynes.
Here’s the full list of players who are ineligible to be reacquired via trade by specific teams during the 2019/20 regular season:
Atlanta Hawks
- Can’t reacquire Kent Bazemore (Kings), Allen Crabbe (Timberwolves), Solomon Hill (Grizzlies), Taurean Prince (Nets), or Omari Spellman (Warriors)
Boston Celtics
- Can’t reacquire Aron Baynes (Suns) or Terry Rozier (Hornets)
Brooklyn Nets
- Can’t reacquire DeMarre Carroll (Spurs), Allen Crabbe (Timberwolves), Treveon Graham (Hawks), Shabazz Napier (Timberwolves), or D’Angelo Russell (Warriors)
Charlotte Hornets
- Can’t reacquire Kemba Walker (Celtics)
Cleveland Cavaliers
- Can’t reacquire Jordan Clarkson (Jazz)
Golden State Warriors
- Can’t reacquire Kevin Durant (Nets), Treveon Graham (Hawks), Andre Iguodala (Grizzlies), Damian Jones (Hawks), or Shabazz Napier (Timberwolves)
Houston Rockets
- Can’t reacquire Chris Paul (Thunder)
Los Angeles Clippers
- Danilo Gallinari (Thunder) or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
Los Angeles Lakers
- Can’t reacquire Lonzo Ball (Pelicans), Isaac Bonga (Wizards), Josh Hart (Pelicans), Brandon Ingram (Pelicans), or Moritz Wagner (Wizards)
Memphis Grizzlies
- Can’t reacquire Jevon Carter (Suns), Mike Conley (Jazz), Chandler Parsons (Hawks), or Delon Wright (Mavericks)
Miami Heat
- Can’t reacquire Josh Richardson (Sixers) or Hassan Whiteside (Trail Blazers)
Milwaukee Bucks
- Can’t reacquire Malcolm Brogdon (Pacers) or Tony Snell (Pistons)
Minnesota Timberwolves
- Can’t reacquire Treveon Graham (Hawks), Dario Saric (Suns), or Jeff Teague (Hawks)
New Orleans Pelicans
- Can’t reacquire Anthony Davis (Lakers) or Solomon Hill (Grizzlies)
Oklahoma City Thunder
- Can’t reacquire Jerami Grant (Nuggets), Paul George (Clippers), or Russell Westbrook (Rockets)
Philadelphia 76ers
- Can’t reacquire Jimmy Butler (Heat)
Phoenix Suns
- Can’t reacquire Josh Jackson (Grizzlies), De’Anthony Melton (Grizzlies), or T.J. Warren (Pacers)
Portland Trail Blazers
- Can’t reacquire Kent Bazemore (Kings), Maurice Harkless (Clippers), Jake Layman (Timberwolves), Meyers Leonard (Heat), Anthony Tolliver (Kings), or Evan Turner (Hawks)
Sacramento Kings
- Can’t reacquire Trevor Ariza (Trail Blazers), Wenyen Gabriel (Trail Blazers), or Caleb Swanigan (Trail Blazers).
San Antonio Spurs
- Can’t reacquire Davis Bertans (Wizards)
Utah Jazz
- Can’t reacquire Grayson Allen (Grizzlies), Jae Crowder (Grizzlies), Dante Exum (Cavaliers), or Derrick Favors (Pelicans)
Washington Wizards
- Can’t reacquire Tomas Satoransky (Bulls)
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Hoops Rumors Glossary: Ted Stepien Rule
While a rule like the Gilbert Arenas provision can flatter its namesake, the late Ted Stepien, former owner of the Cavaliers, may have preferred not to go down in history as the reference point for the Ted Stepien rule. Stepien owned the Cavs in the early 1980s, and made a number of trades that left the franchise without first-round picks for several years. As a result, the NBA eventually instituted a rule that prohibited teams from trading out of the first round for consecutive future seasons.
Because the Stepien rule applies only to future draft picks, teams are still permitted to trade their first-rounders each year if they so choose, but they can’t trade out of the first round for back-to-back future drafts.
For instance, since the Nuggets have traded their 2020 first-round pick to Oklahoma City, they aren’t currently permitted to trade their 2021 first-rounder. Following the 2020 draft, the Nuggets would regain the right to trade that 2021 first-round pick, since their ’20 first-rounder will no longer be considered a future pick.
The Stepien rule does allow a team to trade consecutive future first-round picks if the team has acquired a separate first-rounder from another team for either of those years. So if Denver were to trade for another team’s 2020 first-rounder, that would give the Nuggets the flexibility to move their 2021 pick without having to wait until after the 2020 draft.
Teams are permitted to include protection on draft picks. This can create complications related to the Stepien rule, which prevents teams from trading a first-round pick if there’s any chance at all that it will leave a team without a first-rounder for two straight years.
For example, the Jazz have traded a protected 2020 first-round pick to Memphis — it will only convey if it falls in the 8-14 range. That traded 2020 pick is protected all the way through 2024, and as long as there’s still a chance it won’t convey immediately, the Jazz are prevented from unconditionally trading any of their next few first-round picks.
Utah could trade a conditional 2022 first-round pick, but a team acquiring that pick would have to accept that it would be pushed back one year every time the pick Utah has traded to Memphis doesn’t convey.
[RELATED: Traded first round picks for 2020 NBA draft]
Teams will have to take the Stepien rule into account at this season’s trade deadline as they mull including draft picks in deals. Dallas, for instance, is one of the teams most significantly impacted by the rule at the moment. The Mavericks have committed their 2021 and 2023 first-round picks to New York, limiting their ability to move any other first-rounders up until at least 2025. Additionally, since the 2023 pick has protections, that 2025 first-rounder could only be traded conditionally.
Here are a few more rules related to trading draft picks:
- The “Seven Year Rule” prohibits teams from trading draft picks more than seven years in advance. For instance, during the 2019/20 season, a 2026 draft pick can be traded, but a 2027 pick cannot be dealt.
- The Seven Year Rule applies to protections on picks as well. If a team wants to trade a lottery-protected 2026 first-rounder at this year’s deadline, it can’t roll those protections over to 2027. For example, when the Rockets sent the Thunder a top-four protected 2026 first-round pick in the Russell Westbrook trade, they agreed that if the pick falls within that protected range, Oklahoma City would instead receive Houston’s ’26 second-round selection — picks in 2027 and beyond were off-limits.
- A team can add protection to a pick it has acquired as long as there wasn’t already protection on the pick. For instance, the Knicks currently control the Mavericks‘ unprotected 2021 first-round pick. If New York wants to include that selection in a trade, the team could put, say, top-three protection on it.
- For salary-matching purposes, a traded draft pick counts as $0 until the player signs a contract.
Note: This is a Hoops Rumors Glossary entry. Our glossary posts will explain specific rules relating to trades, free agency, or other aspects of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ was used in the creation of this post.
Earlier version of this post were published in 2012, 2018, and 2019 by Luke Adams.
Love: I’d Be Happy To Stay With Cavs Through Deadline
Reports this winter have repeatedly suggested that Kevin Love would like to be traded to a contender, and it’s still possible the Cavaliers will find a deal in the next couple weeks. However, sources tell Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com that Love’s value may be higher during the offseason when it won’t be quite so tricky to move a player with his cap hit.
If that’s the case, Love may end up remaining in Cleveland for at least the rest of the 2019/20 season. And he insisted on Thursday that he wouldn’t have a problem with that.
“I will be happy if I’m still here,” Love said, per Fedor. “I fully plan on continuing to help these guys, continuing to help — Tristan (Thompson), myself, Larry (Nance Jr.), these guys, being a leader with all the veterans. And this place, Cleveland, the fans, they’ve been really, really good to me. So, yes.”
Love had a series of outbursts – including an in-game show of frustration – earlier this season, and a source tells Fedor that many aspects of the Cavs’ season have “driven him crazy.” Fedor adds that the club’s “selfish” playing style has been a source of irritation for Love, though the veteran power forward vowed a few weeks ago to “be better” when it came to expressing that frustration and being an example for Cleveland’s young players. He has been more patient since then, Fedor notes.
As has been the case all season, there’s still skepticism that the Cavs and a trade partner will see eye-to-eye on Love’s value. The big man’s expensive, long-term contract, which will have three years and $91MM left on it after this season, is a deterrent for potential suitors. But the Cavs will continue to seek at least one valuable asset – such as a promising young player or first-round pick – in any deal for their most productive player. Love is averaging a double-double (17.4 PPG, 10.0 RPG) with a .450/.366/.841 shooting line this season.
Love is one of several veteran Cavaliers who are candidates to be moved at the deadline. The club also figures to discuss players like Tristan Thompson, Brandon Knight, John Henson, and Matthew Dellavedova, all of whom are on expiring contracts. However, things have been quiet as of late for the Cavs, and there’s some growing doubt internally that a massive shakeup is around the corner, according to Fedor.
Marvin Williams Considering Retirement
Hornets forward Marvin Williams will be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, and while he might continue his playing career if he gets an NBA offer he likes, he has given some thought to the idea of retirement, as he tells Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer (subscriber-only).
“I’ll be honest with you, I’ve certainly thought about being done,” Williams said earlier this week. “I feel like that’s where I am right now: I could do it or I could not.”
Williams, 33, is averaging a career-low 19.6 minutes per game this season. His 6.9 PPG and 2.6 RPG also represent the worst marks of his 15-year career. Still, the underlying numbers suggest the former No. 2 overall pick can continue to be a capable rotation piece — his shooting line of .454/.377/.886 is strong and he’s a solid perimeter defender.
Whether or not Williams signs a new NBA contract in the summer, he has some ideas about what he’d like his next step to be when he eventually retires as a player.
According to Bonnell, Williams’ best friend is fellow UNC alum Deon Thompson, who has spent his entire professional career playing in overseas leagues, making stops in Greece, Germany, China, Israel, and Spain, among other countries. Thompson’s experience has helped fuel Williams’ interest in international basketball outreach.
“I like the Junior NBA (program) where you are basically a camp counselor all around the world,” Williams said. “Basketball Without Borders, I’ve done a couple of those: I went to Africa and I went to Indonesia. … Any opportunity I get to travel and work with kids? That’s what I would love to do.”
Central Notes: Bledsoe, Giannis, McKinnie, Cavs, Bulls
After a report earlier this week suggested the Bucks would be willing to trade starting point guard Eric Bledsoe, Jon Horst told Howard Beck of Bleacher Report in no uncertain terms that’s not the case.
“We have no talked to any teams about trading [Bledsoe], since the day that we traded for him,” the Bucks GM said. “And I think it’s evident, pretty strongly, in the fact that we extended Eric, what he means to us.
“The fact that we currently have the best record in the NBA, had the best record last year in the NBA, he’s an All-NBA First Team defender and a guy that we feel strongly should be an All-Star for the Milwaukee Bucks this year. We have not had those conversations, and we are not going to trade Eric Bledsoe.”
It’s hard to imagine the Bucks doing anything too drastic to shake up their roster at the trade deadline next month, considering the team is on a 71-win pace. Bledsoe did struggle in the postseason last spring, so he’ll be under the microscope in this year’s playoffs. If he underperforms again, perhaps Horst’s stance changes, but the veteran point guard looks safe for now.
Here’s more from around the Central:
- ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (video link) believes the concept of the Designated Veteran Extension – introduced in the NBA’s 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement – will have been a failure if the Bucks can’t use it to lock up Giannis Antetokounmpo. He’ll become eligible for the first time during the 2020 offseason.
- Before deciding to sign a second 10-day contract with the Cavaliers, Alfonzo McKinnie had other offers, sources tell Evan Dammarell of Forbes.com. However, McKinnie has forged a bond with Cleveland’s coaching staff and recognizes that he should get a chance to play regular minutes with the Cavs, Dammarell writes.
- Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com explores whether the Cavaliers‘ rebuild is still on the right track as the team’s losses pile up.
- In a mailbag for NBC Sports Chicago, K.C. Johnson says he believes Thaddeus Young and Denzel Valentine are the most likely candidates to be dealt by the Bulls at the deadline. Johnson also thinks there’s a decent chance RFA-to-be Kris Dunn will return to Chicago next season.
NBA Trade Candidate Watch: Atlantic Division
Over the course of the 2019/20 NBA season, up until February’s trade deadline, we’re keeping an eye on potential trade candidates from around the NBA, monitoring their value and exploring the likelihood that they’ll be moved. Each of these looks at possible trade candidates focuses on a specific division, as we zero in on three players from that division.
The Atlantic is perhaps the most confounding NBA division when it comes to the trade deadline. The Raptors, Celtics, and Sixers are all potential contenders to come out of the East and may theoretically be looking to make upgrades, but their contract situations make it tricky to identify specific moves that would help.
The Nets are essentially in a holding pattern until they get their full roster healthy next season. The Knicks as sellers appeared to be the only safe bet on the board in the Atlantic, but they’ve resisted that label to some extent.
As we wait to see how the Atlantic teams approach the deadline, here are three (or four) more potential trade candidates from around the division…
Dennis Smith Jr., PG
New York Knicks
$4.5MM cap hit; $5.7MM guaranteed salary in 2020/21; RFA in 2021
A report last month indicated that teams, including the Timberwolves, had expressed some interest in Smith. There are plenty of factors complicating a potential deal though. For one, he was sidelined for a month with an oblique strain before returning last night, and will probably have to show he’s fully healthy before the deadline to increase the odds of a trade. That means the Knicks will have to give him more playing time than the four minutes he received on Wednesday.
Even then, Knicks management may be reluctant to move Smith without a decent return, since doing so would represent a further admission that last year’s blockbuster with the Mavs isn’t working out. The team already failed to land a star with the 2019 cap room created in that deal, and the two future first-round picks owed to New York almost certainly won’t be as valuable as initially hoped, given Dallas’ improvement.
Considering how poorly Smith has played in limited minutes this season, it’s hard to see the Knicks netting more than a low second-round pick and salary filler in exchange for Smith. The club may decide it would rather take its chances on DSJ turning things around and recapturing some of the potential that made him a top-10 pick in 2017.
A trade before the deadline is a possibility, but I think it’d be more likely if the same executives who acquired Smith a year ago weren’t the same ones tasked to decide whether or not to move him.
Raul Neto / Trey Burke, PG
Philadelphia 76ers
$1.62MM cap hit; UFA in 2020
Neither Neto nor Burke has really been involved in any rumors yet, but they’re trade candidates in a roundabout way. The Sixers have been linked to point guards who could be on the trade block, and if the team actually acquires a point guard, either Neto or Burke would become expendable.
The 76ers have gone back and forth this year between Neto and Burke as the primary backup to Ben Simmons, so it’s not entirely clear who would be the odd man out if the team makes a move to fortify its backcourt.
Both players are on minimum-salary contracts that expire at season’s end, meaning there’s no financial incentive to move one over the other. Neto is the better defender and perhaps the steadier floor general, but he doesn’t possess Burke’s play-making or scoring ability. The on/off-court numbers favor Burke — the Sixers have a +7.2 net rating when he plays, compared to +1.2 for Neto.
If the 76ers end up standing pat or focus on improving another area, both Neto and Burke could certainly finish the season in Philadelphia. But if they go out and acquire another guard, I’d expect the Sixers to try to find a trade partner interested in acquiring Neto or Burke as a third point guard.
Rodions Kurucs, F
Brooklyn Nets
$1.7MM cap hit; $1.8MM guaranteed salary in 2020/21; $1.9MM team option for 2021/22
After a promising rookie season, Kurucs has taken a step backward in 2019/20. Despite a series of injury creating a path to a regular role for the Latvian forward, he doesn’t seem to have fully earned Kenny Atkinson‘s trust. His minutes per game have dipped from 20.5 to 13.3 and he’s received several DNP-CDs.
There are some promising numbers in this year’s small sample, including a .439 3PT%, and teams monitoring the Nets may view Kurucs as a buy-low candidate. However, off-court concerns may scare those teams away, since the 21-year-old was arrested during the offseason on a domestic violence charge.
We heard in December that there are teams doing their homework on Kurucs to see if he makes sense as a trade target. Presumably, that research centers on the domestic violence allegation — if it’s credible, clubs will be less enthusiastic about the idea of making a deal for the former second-round pick.
Kurucs is due back in court on February 11, meaning there will be no resolution in his legal case by the February 6 trade deadline. As a result, it’s hard to see him being moved.
Revisit the rest of our 2019/20 Trade Candidate series right here.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Josh Richardson Expected To Miss At Least 2-3 Weeks
The Sixers have lost another one of their starters due to an injury, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that Josh Richardson has been diagnosed with a left hamstring strain. Richardson is expected to be re-evaluated in two or three weeks, per Charania.
Philadelphia had already been playing without center Joel Embiid, who has been sidelined since January 6 due to a finger injury. Embiid has made progress in his recovery and seems likely to return before Richardson does, but for now it looks like the team will be down two starters.
It will be a test of the 76ers’ depth, with players like Furkan Korkmaz, Matisse Thybulle, and James Ennis among the candidates to see increased roles in Richardson’s absence.
Richardson, who ranks third on the team with 31.5 minutes per game, has contributed 15.0 PPG, 3.4 APG, and 3.3 RPG with solid perimeter defense in his first year as a Sixer. He suffered his hamstring injury during the first quarter of Wednesday’s loss to Toronto.
Even if Richardson is re-evaluated two weeks from today and is deemed ready to return at that point, he won’t be back on the court prior to the trade deadline, so any moves Philadelphia makes by February 6 will be have to be completed without the team seeing its fully healthy roster in action again.