“No Belief” Thunder Will Trade Chris Paul This Season
It has now been exactly five months since Chris Paul was sent from Houston to Oklahoma City in the blockbuster trade that sent Russell Westbrook to the Rockets. From the moment that deal happened, Paul has been considered the NBA’s most obvious candidate to be moved in another trade, but it appears as if the Thunder and the veteran point guard are preparing for the possibility that no deal is coming.
“There is no belief in Oklahoma City or even in the CP3 camp that there’s going to be a trade for him,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on Sunday night on the network’s trade deadline special (video link). “… I think they’re resigned that he’ll be there.”
[RELATED: More trade rumors from Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe]
According to Wojnarowski, an offseason trade involving Paul remains a possibility, but his massive contract makes him an especially tricky player to move during the season, even though he has played well so far in Oklahoma City.
A player like Danilo Gallinari, who has a $22.6MM expiring contract, is a stronger candidate to be dealt before the deadline. However, the Thunder won’t just be prepared to accept the best offer for the veteran forward. Wojnarowski points out that – due to the lack of teams projected to have cap room during the 2020 offseason – OKC could realistically keep Gallinari through the season, then work with him on a sign-and-trade in the summer to get something back for him at that point.
Dennis Schroder and Steven Adams are among the other veteran trade candidates on the Thunder’s roster, and there should be interest in both, per Woj. But all four players have significant cap hits and Gallinari is the only one on an expiring deal, so there’s no guarantee the club will be extremely active at the deadline.
Woj, Lowe On D-Lo, Mavs, MPJ, Love, VanVleet, More
Approximately 120 players around the NBA became trade-eligible on Sunday, signaling the unofficial start of the NBA’s 2019/20 trade season. To celebrate the occasion, Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe hosted an ESPN special to survey the trade market, discussing which teams are most likely to make moves and which players are most likely to be dealt.
Here are several of the highlights from that discussion between Woj and Lowe:
Western Conference:
- The Warriors may field trade inquiries on D’Angelo Russell leading up to February’s trade deadline, but they’re unlikely to actively shop him and probably won’t move him before the 2020 offseason, according to Wojnarowski (video link).
- Wojnarowski believes the Mavericks would like to acquire a standout center to complement Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis (video link). He cites Montrezl Harrell as one player who might fit that bill, though Dallas would have to wait for the Clippers‘ big man to reach free agency.
- The Nuggets essentially view Michael Porter Jr. as “untouchable,” says Wojnarowski (video link).
- Wojnarowski and Lowe expect contenders to keep a close eye on Pelicans guards Jrue Holiday and J.J. Redick as the deadline nears (video link). According to Woj, Holiday loves New Orleans, but it’s not clear how patient he’ll be with the team’s rebuilding process.
- Woj and Lowe note that the Clippers pursued Marcus Morris in free agency and could have interest in him again on the trade market. Lowe wouldn’t be surprised if the club tries to see what it can get using a package of Maurice Harkless, Patrick Patterson, and its first-round pick (video link).
- Wojnarowski views 2019/20 as a pivotal year for the Rockets, adding that GM Daryl Morey seems to have given up trying to find a way to trade for Grizzlies wing Andre Iguodala after exploring multi-team scenarios earlier in the year (video link).
Eastern Conference:
- Wojnarowski thinks the best the Cavaliers can realistically expect in a Kevin Love trade is a protected first-round pick, an expiring salary, and another throw-in player (video link). Woj adds that it seems as if Love is “ready to go,” having lost patience with the rebuild in Cleveland.
- Count the Raptors and Heat among teams that will be reluctant to make any moves that compromise their 2021 cap flexibility (video links). According to Wojnarowski, Toronto wants to re-sign Fred VanVleet this summer, but continues to eye Giannis Antetokounmpo for ’21. As for the Heat, they seem less likely to trade young players for veterans than they have been in the past.
- Pistons owner Tom Gores “loves” Andre Drummond, but the club will soon have to have a serious conversation about whether to go all-in on the veteran center or whether to try to shop him, per Woj (video link).
- Lowe thinks players like Timberwolves forward Robert Covington and J.J. Redick will be on the Bucks‘ radar if they’re available, adding that Milwaukee appears willing to go over the tax line for the right deal (video link).
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Poll: Will East’s Current Top Eight Teams Make Playoffs?
Entering the 2019/20 NBA season, oddsmakers considered the Bucks, Sixers, Celtics, Raptors, Pacers, Heat, Nets, and Magic to be the top eight teams in the Eastern Conference, in that order. Approximately 25 games into the season, it looks like they were almost exactly right — the East’s early playoff standings are nearly identical to that preseason projection, with Miami jumping up to No. 2.
Milwaukee, Miami, Boston, Toronto, and Indiana have all looked even better than we expected so far. Philadelphia has had a couple bumps along the way, but has stabilized as of late and appears to be a legit contender. It looks like a safe bet that those six teams will end up in the postseason.
Brooklyn’s spot in the top eight of the East isn’t quite so secure, but the club has had an impressive run with Kyrie Irving and Caris LeVert on the shelf over the last month. The Nets’ 13-11 record gives them a comfortable hold on the No. 7 seed for the time being, with more reinforcements eventually on the way.
That leaves the 11-13 Magic as the only top-eight team with a tenuous hold on a playoff spot for the time being. However, Orlando has underperformed through the first quarter of the season and should be getting All-Star center Nikola Vucevic back in its lineup soon. The Magic look better positioned to claim that No. 8 spot than challengers like the Hornets (11-16), Pistons (10-15), and Bulls (9-17).
Still, with more than 50 games still to play, there’s more than enough time for one of those seemingly lottery-bound clubs to make a run and shake things up at the bottom of the Eastern playoff race. The Pistons may be the best candidate, but even current bottom-feeders like the Wizards (7-16) and Hawks (6-19) aren’t totally out of it yet — they could gain ground quickly if they’re able to string together some wins.
What do you think? Are you just about ready to pencil in the current top eight teams in the East as the eventual playoff teams? Or do you think one of the clubs currently in the lottery can make a run in the second half? If so, which of those clubs do you like?
Vote in our poll, then jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts!
Will the East's current top eight teams all make the playoffs?
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Yes 59% (406)
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No 41% (286)
Total votes: 692
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Two-Way Players Making Bids For Promotions
Players on two-way contracts are free to appear in NBA games, but there are limitations on the amount of time they can spend with their respective NBA teams. Each two-way player can spend up to 45 days with his NBA club, assuming he signed his two-way deal before the season began.
[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Two-Way Contracts]
With some creative transferring back and forth between an NBA team and its G League affiliate, a franchise can make the most of those 45 days. Still, with the clock having started on October 28, the first day of G League training camp, it’s just a matter of time before some players use up their 45-day allotment.
Teams can sign players to two-way contracts through mid-January, so in past seasons some clubs have simply moved onto a new player once their original two-way players neared that 45-day limit. However, many players who have used up their 45 days subsequently received a promotion – signing a standard NBA contract and taking a spot on the 15-man roster – to ensure that their teams didn’t lose them.
It’s a little early in the 2019/20 season to determine which two-way players will ultimately end up being promoted to 15-man rosters, but a handful of players on two-way deals have made strong cases for standard contracts in the early going.
Here are the top candidates to receive promotions among this year’s two-way players:
Chris Silva, PF (Heat)
Silva has flown somewhat under the radar in Miami, since the Heat have two other rookies (Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn) making an even greater impact. But Silva has already appeared in 22 games for the NBA club, averaging 3.7 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and a .644 FG% in 9.7 minutes per contest.
Miami is hard-capped and can’t sign Silva to a standard contract before January 14. Even at that point, it’s not clear if getting him on the 15-man roster right away will be a top priority for the Heat, who may want to retain a modicum of flexibility leading up to the trade deadline. The club has a deep bench and could probably get by without him for a few weeks once he uses up his 45 NBA days, but it wouldn’t be a shock to see Silva eventually sign a multiyear, minimum-salary deal like the one Nunn received last spring.
Chris Clemons, G (Rockets)
Although he has appeared in 17 games so far this season, Clemons isn’t exactly a rotation fixture for the Rockets, having played double-digit minutes in just five of those games. Still, in limited playing time, he has shown the ability to create instant offense off the bench, scoring at least 16 points three times and shooting 38.8% on threes.
After waiving Ryan Anderson earlier this fall, Houston has an open spot on its 15-man roster, but the team’s proximity to the tax line may work against a promotion for Clemons in the near future. We’ll see if the club can trade Nene within the next couple months, or if it needs to keep that final roster open for a potential addition on the trade market or buyout market.
Ky Bowman, PG (Warriors)
Damion Lee, SG (Warriors)
No player on the 5-21 Warriors this season has a positive net rating, but Lee (-2.9) is the closest and Bowman (-4.4) isn’t far behind.
Bowman has been especially impressive, stepping into the starting lineup several times when D’Angelo Russell missed time and posting a .454/.415/.909 shooting line through 26 games. Lee, who has appeared in just 12 games, hasn’t been as reliable from beyond the arc this year (31.6%) as he was last year (39.7%), but he had some productive nights early in the season, including a 23-point, 11-rebound showing in a win over New Orleans.
Like the Heat, the Warriors are hard-capped, limiting their ability to add anyone to their 15-man roster right now, despite having an open spot. But if they were to trade, say, Alec Burks without taking any salary back, the Dubs would be in position to promote a two-way player to their roster, potentially signing him to a team-friendly three- or four-year deal with their mid-level exception. In that scenario, Bowman would almost certainly be the priority over Lee.
The full list of players on two-way contracts can be found right here.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Blazers Apply For Disabled Player Exception For Rodney Hood
In the wake of Rodney Hood‘s season-ending Achilles injury, the Trail Blazers have applied for a disabled player exception, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Given the projected timeline for Hood’s recovery, it seems likely that the NBA will grant Portland’s request.
As we outline in our glossary entry on the disabled player exception, a team can apply for a DPE to replace a seriously injured player. In order for the exception to be granted, an NBA-designated physician must determine that the player is “substantially more likely than not” to be sidelined through at least June 15 of that league year.
If granted, the disabled player exception allows a club to sign a replacement player for 50% of the injured player’s salary, or for the amount of the non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception, whichever is lesser. In the case of Hood, the exception would be worth $2,859,000, half of his 2019/20 salary ($5,718,000).
The DPE, which doesn’t give a team an extra roster spot, can also be used to acquire a player on an expiring contract via trade or waivers if his salary fits into the exception.
[RELATED: 2019/20 Disabled Player Exceptions]
The Blazers have the highest payroll of any NBA team for the 2019/20 season and would be on the hook for added tax penalties if they continue to increase team salary. Still, it doesn’t hurt to apply for a disabled player exception. If granted, the DPE will give Portland some added flexibility in free agency and on the trade market, but the team doesn’t necessarily have to use it.
The Pelicans (Darius Miller) and Lakers (DeMarcus Cousins) have been granted disabled player exceptions so far this season, and the Wizards recently requested one following C.J. Miles‘ season-ending wrist surgery.
Former Commissioner David Stern Hospitalized After Brain Hemorrhage
Former NBA commissioner David Stern was hospitalized on Thursday after suffering a sudden brain hemorrhage, the league announced (link via Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today).
Stern reportedly collapsed at a restaurant in Manhattan on Thursday afternoon and was rushed to a New York City hospital, where he underwent emergency brain surgery.
Stern, 77, was named the NBA’s commissioner in 1984 and held the position for 30 years before being succeeded by Adam Silver. As Zillgitt notes, Stern has remained active as an investor since then and is still close to both Silver and the NBA.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with David and his family,” the NBA said in a statement on Thursday. The league has yet to offer an update on Stern’s condition on Friday.
We at Hoops Rumors send our best wishes to Stern and his family.
Southwest Notes: Spurs, DeRozan, McLemore, Pelicans
The Spurs have historically been averse to mid-season trades, having not completed a deal outside of the offseason since February 2014, when they sent Nando De Colo to Toronto in exchange for Austin Daye. However, as Mike Finger of The San Antonio Express-News writes, after a 9-15 start to the season, the organization will have to consider both the upside and potential downside of simply standing pat again.
Four-time All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan will have the ability to opt out of his contract during the summer of 2020, and while the Spurs seem unlikely to make a blockbuster deal by February 6, it might represent their last real opportunity to acquire something of value in exchange for DeRozan — if he opts for free agency and signs elsewhere, the club likely won’t have the cap flexibility to adequately replace him, Finger observes.
As San Antonio considers its options, let’s round up a few more notes from around the Southwest…
- When the Spurs weigh what to do with DeRozan, they’ll attempt to determine what type of contract he might be able to command on the open market. Only rebuilding teams are projected to have cap room this summer, creating uncertainty about where a big payday for the veteran might come from, if not San Antonio. “I like DeRozan as my third option, and those type of players are not earning near max-type money,” one league executive tells ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link).
- Kelly Iko of The Athletic takes an in-depth look at the renaissance of Ben McLemore, a former No. 7 overall pick whose days as an NBA rotation player appeared numbered before he bounced back with Houston this season. According to Iko, McLemore received a pair of guaranteed contract offers in the offseason, but chose the Rockets‘ partially guaranteed offer because they offered the best combination of playing for a contender and potentially earning a regular role.
- Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry said this week that this year’s team is one of the quietest he has been around during his time in the NBA, tweets Will Guillory of The Athletic. As Guillory notes, that’s one reason why New Orleans’ defensive communication has been an issue all season long.
Wolves Rumors: Teague, Wiggins, D-Lo, Covington
The Timberwolves made it known throughout the NBA during the offseason that veteran point guard Jeff Teague could be had in a trade, and that’s still the case, league sources tell Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
Teague, who was signed to a three-year, $57MM deal by former Wolves president of basketball operations Tom Thibodeau, is in the final year of that contract, with a $19MM expiring salary. His fit within Minnesota’s offensive system under Ryan Saunders isn’t ideal, as Krawczynski explains, and the club wants to find its point guard of the future.
Here’s more on the Wolves, via Krawczynski:
- It’s not year clear which direction Minnesota will go at the trade deadline. The club’s new management group, led by Gersson Rosas, is pragmatic and has a long-term plan for success, so the team is unlikely to compromise that plan for a quick fix, writes Krawczynski. On the other hand, the Wolves figure to be aggressive if they identify a player who fits Karl-Anthony Towns‘ timeline and can be part of that long-term plan.
- There was a leaguewide belief this past summer that Andrew Wiggins could be had in a trade, but the Wolves have been encouraged by the progress he has made this fall, and Saunders and Rosas are both in his corner, says Krawczynski. That doesn’t mean Wiggins is untouchable, but it doesn’t sound like he’s actively being shopped either.
- The Timberwolves remain interested in D’Angelo Russell after pursuing him in free agency, sources tell Krawczynski.
- Minnesota isn’t looking to move Robert Covington, but the club recognizes that if it wants to land an impact player, Covington and its future first-round picks are the most attractive assets it could dangle.
Dante Cunningham Signs With Chinese Team
DECEMBER 13: Cunningham has signed with China’s Fujian Sturgeons, as Emiliano Carchia of Sportando relays.
DECEMBER 2: Free agent forward Dante Cunningham is working on a deal with a team in China, sources tell Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link). It’s unclear which club in the Chinese Basketball Association is pursuing Cunningham.
Cunningham, 32, has spent the last decade in the NBA since being selected 33rd overall in the 2009 draft by Portland. The former Villanova standout has bounced around the league since then, suiting up for a total of seven teams and logging 715 regular season games, plus another 21 playoff contests.
Although he has played both forward spots, Cunningham is seemingly best utilized as a stretch four, having added a three-point shot to his game in recent years. In his last three NBA seasons, he knocked down 38.4% of his outside attempts.
While Cunningham was briefly linked to the Nets in September, there otherwise hasn’t been much chatter surrounding him since his contract with the Spurs expired in the spring. If he does end up playing in the CBA, the season will end before the NBA’s does, giving him the opportunity to potentially return stateside down the stretch if he looks good overseas.