Agent Says LeBron James Won’t Be Traded
Lakers star LeBron James won’t ask to be traded and won’t be dealt ahead of next Thursday’s deadline, agent Rich Paul tells Brian Windhorst of ESPN.
There has been no reputable reporting suggesting that James was considering requesting a trade or that the Lakers were weighing the possibility of moving him.
However, there has been some speculation from fans and media members about LeBron’s future, given the Lakers’ middling record (25-25) this season, his age (39), and his contract situation (he can become an unrestricted free agent this summer).
James perhaps fueled that speculation by cryptically tweeting an hourglass emoji following Tuesday’s loss, but Paul opted to shut down it before it went any further, telling ESPN, “LeBron won’t be traded, and we aren’t asking to be.”
Paul’s comments come as no surprise. Although James has changed teams multiple times over the course of his lengthy career, he has never requested a mid-season trade, haing always made his moves during free agency, and the Lakers wouldn’t look to move one of the NBA’s all-time greats without a push from him.
James has, on the other hand, made a habit over the years of putting pressure on his teams’ front offices by making comments to reporters or on social media hinting that roster upgrades are necessary. His hourglass tweet may have been referencing the time ticking down until the February 8 trade deadline or on the Lakers to salvage their up-and-down season.
The Lakers had an encouraging showing on Thursday, pulling out an upset victory over the Celtics in Boston despite James (ankle) and Anthony Davis (Achilles/hip) both missing the game.
Fischer’s Latest: Carter, Brogdon, Smart, Hawks, Jones, Hornets
While there will likely be plenty of trades completed between now and next Thursday’s deadline, many of the players whom rival teams had hoped would hit the market aren’t expected to be available this season, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
As Fischer details, that list of players who are believed to be off-limits includes several current and former All-Stars, such as Lauri Markkanen, Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, and Karl-Anthony Towns. It also features talented forwards Mikal Bridges and Jerami Grant, as well as rising talent Jonathan Kuminga.
Fischer isn’t the first to report that those players likely won’t be on the move at the deadline, so no names in that group come as real surprises. However, Fischer adds a few more players to the list of unlikely trade candidates, writing that Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. is no longer considered available and citing league personnel who are skeptical that the Trail Blazers will part with Malcolm Brogdon.
Additionally, while a handful of clubs – including the Bucks and Lakers – have called the Grizzlies to inquire about Marcus Smart, according to Fischer, Memphis has shown no interest in moving the veteran guard, who remains in the team’s plans beyond this season.
Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from Fischer:
- The Hawks are viewed by rival executives as the most “active and aggressive” team in the trade market, with Dejounte Murray, Clint Capela, De’Andre Hunter, and AJ Griffin among the players who could be moved. While previous reports have indicated that Trae Young and Jalen Johnson are Atlanta’s only two untouchable players, Fischer says the club values Bogdan Bogdanovic as highly as any player on its roster outside of Young and Johnson.
- Even though the Wizards are seeking a first-round pick for Tyus Jones, rival executives are confident that Washington will ultimately accept a package consisting of multiple second-rounders for the veteran point guard, per Fischer. Jones is on an expiring contract and wouldn’t be a starter on many teams, so a first-rounder would be a high price to pay.
- Hornets forward P.J. Washington and center Nick Richards are generating a good deal of interest from potential trade partners, league sources tell Fischer. Kyle Lowry, Gordon Hayward, and Miles Bridges are among Charlotte’s other trade candidates.
- We also passed along several of Fischer’s trade rumors related to Western Conference teams in a separate article.
Western Trade Rumors: Wolves, Kings, Mavs, Vincent, Suns, Tillman
The Timberwolves are exploring the point guard market and considering making a trade for a player who could back up Mike Conley, reports Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
While Fischer suggests that a reunion with Tyus Jones may be an option for Minnesota, he hears from league sources that the team is also eyeing a pair of guards who have connections to president of basketball operations Tim Connelly: Monte Morris of the Pistons and Bones Hyland of the Clippers.
Both Morris and Hyland played for Connelly’s teams in Denver before he left for the Wolves, and both players are considered potential trade candidates. Morris is on an expiring contract on a lottery-bound team, while Hyland has fallen out of the regular rotation in Los Angeles.
Here are a few more Western Conference rumors from Fischer:
- Fischer, like Marc Stein, hears that the Kings have interest in Kyle Kuzma. However, outside of the Wizards forward, Sacramento hasn’t really been actively pursuing other targets that would require the team to part with Harrison Barnes, so Barnes could remain with the Kings through the trade deadline, Fischer says. Conversely, the Mavericks – who have also been connected to Kuzma – are known to have interest in several other forwards, including Dorian Finney-Smith and Andrew Wiggins.
- Although D’Angelo Russell has been cited more frequently as a trade candidate, the Lakers are also including Gabe Vincent in various trade talks, sources tell Fischer. Vincent hasn’t been healthy this season and is under contract for one more year than Russell is, so his value will be limited, but his lower cap hit ($10.5MM) may make him a better fit in certain scenarios than D-Lo ($17.3MM).
- The Suns continue to be the team linked most frequently by league personnel to Hornets forward Miles Bridges, Fischer writes, noting that both Bridges and Suns owner Mat Ishbia are former Michigan State Spartans.
- Grizzlies big man Xavier Tillman has generated “a wealth of interest” from playoff contenders, according to Fischer. Tillman will reach unrestricted free agency this summer if he doesn’t sign an extension before then.
Stein’s Latest: Kuzma, Mavs, Sexton, B. Brown, Celtics
Following up on a report from The Athletic which cited Wizards sources who suggested that the team’s asking price for Kyle Kuzma may be “somewhat overblown,” Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack story that the Washington forward is a trade candidate worth keeping a close eye on in the final week leading up to the February 8 trade deadline.
According to Stein, while the Kings and Mavericks are the suitors most frequently linked to Kuzma, there will likely be other suitors due to his “offensive versatility and favorable contract.” Kuzma is owed more than $64MM for the three seasons beyond this one, but his cap hits decline over the life of the deal, so he’ll count for just $19.4MM toward team salary by 2026/27.
Stein confirms that the Mavericks have consistently conveyed interest in Kuzma and notes that he’s not the only Wizards player Dallas has had its eye on. The team has also made previous runs at center Daniel Gafford and forward Deni Avdija, per Stein.
Here are a few more items of interest from Stein’s latest round-up of trade rumors:
- While Jordan Clarkson, Kelly Olynyk, and Talen Horton-Tucker continue to be described as potential trade candidates, Collin Sexton may not belong in that group, according to Stein, who hears from league sources that the Jazz guard is a longer shot to be dealt. Sexton is playing some of the best basketball of his career in the 27 games since he entered Utah’s starting lineup in mid-December, averaging 21.6 points and 5.5 assists in 27.4 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .506/.420/.879.
- The Raptors haven’t lowered their asking price for Bruce Brown and continue to seek a first-round pick for the veteran guard, Stein says. It’s typically difficult to extract a first-rounder for a role player on an expiring contract, but Brown does have a $23MM team option for 2024/25, so if a potential suitor views him as a two-season investment, it’s possible Toronto gets the draft pick it’s seeking.
- The Celtics continue to peruse the trade market for a frontcourt addition, but they’re only willing to move players on “the most nominal contracts,” Stein writes. Outside of Boston’s usual starting five, Al Horford and Payton Pritchard are the only players earning more than the veteran’s minimum, so it sounds like those seven players will likely be off-limits.
- In case you missed it, we passed along some Nets-related tidbits from Stein on Thursday evening.
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 2/1/2024
Hoops Rumors hosted a live chat today at 10:00 am Central time (11 am Eastern).
Central Notes: Haliburton, Bulls Injuries, Phillips, Lillard
When Tyrese Haliburton returned on January 19 from a five-game absence due to a left hamstring strain, he played 35 minutes, then immediately returned to the inactive list. Following another five-game layoff due to that troublesome hamstring, the Pacers are taking a more cautious approach with their star point guard this time around, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star.
Haliburton played only 22 minutes in his return in Boston on Tuesday, including just six in the second half. Head coach Rick Carlisle confirmed after the game that the All-Star is on a minutes restriction, which will likely continue at least through the rest of this week.
“It frustrates me,” Haliburton said. “I want to be on the floor. But it’s this organization’s job to protect me from myself. I’m a competitor. I want to compete, but I understand it at the end of the day. … I think that everybody wants to be safe and keep me on the floor as much as they can.”
The Pacers’ goal for Haliburton is to keep him on the court for as many games as possible the rest of the way, not just to improve their odds of a playoff berth in the East, but to ensure that he has a chance to earn All-NBA honors, which would increase the value of his five-year, maximum-salary extension by more than $40MM. Players must appear in at least 65 regular season games to qualify for end-of-season awards such as All-NBA.
Haliburton has already missed 13 games this season and fell short of the required 15-minute minimum in a 14th, but he essentially earned a bonus game toward his required 65 when the Pacers qualified for the in-season tournament final. That game doesn’t count toward the regular season results, but it will count toward Haliburton’s game total, Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files confirms. That means the 23-year-old could miss up to four more contests this season and still be eligible for an All-NBA spot.
Here’s more from around the Central:
- Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times passes along some injury updates on the Bulls, writing that Zach LaVine continues to deal with foot discomfort, while Dalen Terry is receiving treatment on a sprained ankle that kept him out of Wednesday’s game in Charlotte. However, head coach Billy Donovan said the Bulls are optimistic Terry will be back “relatively soon” and believe Torrey Craig is also “very close” to returning from the right foot injury that has sidelined him since mid-December.
- Even once Craig is available, the Bulls may continue relying on rookie forward Julian Phillips for rotation minutes, at least until Patrick Williams is ready to return from his own foot injury. Donovan is confident that Phillips, who has averaged 18.3 minutes in the past three games, can handle the increased responsibilities, per Annie Constabile of The Chicago Sun-Times. “I give him credit for keeping himself ready and giving us a really good boost off the bench,” Donovan said. “We’ve got a lot of confidence in him in terms of the way he has worked to prepare himself to get in there. Anytime somebody scores and makes some shots, it always looks good, but I also thought his activity was really good, as well.”
- While Damian Lillard didn’t pick up a win in his return to Portland on Wednesday night, the Bucks guard is getting more comfortable in Milwaukee after a relocation process he described as “unsettling.” Jamal Collier of ESPN has the story and the quotes from Lillard.
Joel Embiid Out Thursday, Will Receive More Tests On Knee
5:10pm: Embiid will be out for Thursday’s game in Utah and will undergo more tests on his left knee in the next 24 hours, a Sixers team official tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
7:34am: Sixers big man Joel Embiid returned to action on Tuesday in Golden State following a two-game absence due to left knee soreness. However, as Kyle Neubeck of AllPHLY.com writes, the superstar center was laboring for much of the game and didn’t look like himself.
Things went from bad to worse with just over four minutes left in the fourth quarter, when Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga fell on Embiid’s left knee while scrambling for a loose ball (YouTube video link). As Kendra Andrews of ESPN details, Embiid immediately grabbed the knee and was in “visible pain.” He exited the game, didn’t return, and will undergo an MRI on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters after the game, head coach Nick Nurse said Tuesday’s injury was “kind of unrelated to what’s been bothering” Embiid, even though it appeared to affect the same knee. According to Andrews, Nurse added that the 76ers’ medical staff had cleared the reigning MVP to play and Embiid said he was “feeling good.”
“He said he’s more rusty — he hadn’t been on the court in five days — but he said he felt good,” Nurse said. “He felt like he wasn’t quite playing like his normal self, but he felt like that was more rust and rhythm than it was anything else.”
Embiid submitted his worst performance of the season prior to the injury, scoring 14 points on 5-of-18 shooting with eight turnovers in just under 30 minutes. Philadelphia, which lost the game by 12 points, was outscored by 21 when he was on the court.
ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne recently reported that Embiid’s left knee issues are something that he and the team will have to manage for the rest of the year, and a team source confirmed to Sam Amick of The Athletic that the big man has been dealing with soreness in that knee all season.
According to Amick, there was no immediate concern after the game that Emibid’s latest knee injury is a significant one, but there was a “strong sense” he’ll need to miss at least a few more games. That’s notable not only because the Sixers have slipped to fifth in the Eastern Conference standings, but because the seven-time All-Star has already been sidelined for 12 games this season. Six more absences would cost him a shot to repeat as MVP.
[RELATED: Minimum Game Requirement Looms Large For Award Candidates]
Amick suggests there are people within the Sixers locker room convinced that Embiid only played on Tuesday because of the scrutiny he has faced due to recent absences — particularly Saturday’s in Denver. Whether or not the 65-game required minimum for end-of-season award winners played a part in his return isn’t known, but the sentiments expressed in Philadelphia’s locker room toward that rule after the game weren’t exactly positive.
“I didn’t sign up for that (65-game rule),” Paul Reed said. “I don’t remember signing no paperwork, you feel me? I guess the union okayed it. They probably didn’t have a choice though, to be honest. Yeah, it’s tough. It adds a lot of pressure to the players. We were just talking about that. A lot of pressure, especially dudes like (Embiid who are) trying to get MVP again.”
Checking In On Active 10-Day Contracts, Roster Addition Deadlines
As our 10-day contract tracker shows, there are currently six 10-day deals active around the NBA. Here are those contracts, along with their expiry dates:
- Malcolm Hill, Pelicans (runs through 2/5)
- James Johnson, Pacers (runs through 2/7)
- Matthew Hurt, Grizzlies (runs through 2/7)
- Tosan Evbuomwan, Grizzlies (runs through 2/8)
- Trey Jemison, Grizzlies (runs through 2/8)
- Taj Gibson, Knicks (runs through 2/8)
Of those six 10-day deals, three are “hardship” signings — the Grizzlies have a full 15-man roster, but have allowed to sign three additional players to 10-day contracts, increasing their standard roster count to 18, since they’ve been hit so hard by injuries.
Hardship exceptions can only be granted 10 days at a time, so Memphis’ situation will need to be reassessed once the contracts for Hurt, Evbuomwan, and Jemison expire. If any of the six Grizzlies players affected by longer-term injuries are nearing a return at that point, the team won’t qualify for three hardship exceptions again, but could still be granted one or two.
If Memphis isn’t granted three hardship exceptions and wants to retain all three players, the club would need to make room for them on the 15-day roster.
The Pelicans and Pacers currently have 13 players on standard full-season contracts, so once Hill’s and Johnson’s 10-day contracts expire, they’ll have up to two weeks to re-add a 14th man. Teams can’t carry fewer than 14 players on their standard roster for more than 14 days at a time.
This is Johnson’s second 10-day deal with Indiana, meaning he’d be ineligible to sign another one — the Pacers would need to give him a rest-of-season contract to bring him back after February 7.
The Cavaliers and Trail Blazers have already dipped to 13 players on standard contracts after 10-day deals for Pete Nance and Taze Moore recently expired. Cleveland is permitted to keep those two 15-man open roster spots until February 10, while Portland can do so until February 12.
It’s worth noting that, in addition to only being able to carry fewer than 14 players for up to two weeks at a time, NBA teams aren’t permitted to do so for more than 28 days in a season. The Cavaliers and Blazers each used up 14 of those 28 days prior to signing Nance and Moore, respectively, so if they take the full two weeks again, they’ll be prohibited from dropping below 14 players on standard contracts for the rest of 2023/24.
For more information on which NBA teams have open roster spots, be sure to check out our tracker.
Southwest Notes: Doncic, Kyrie, Lively, Rose, Champagnie
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd was a part of the 2010/11 Dallas team that won the NBA Finals, but he has already seen enough from Luka Doncic to place him ahead of that year’s Finals MVP – Dirk Nowitzki – on the franchise’s list of all-time best players.
“He’s better than Dirk,” Kidd said of Doncic during a Tuesday radio appearance on 97.1 The Freak (story via Tim MacMahon of ESPN). “He’s in the atmosphere of MJ (Michael Jordan), the best to ever do it, LeBron (James), Kobe (Bryant). And so, just to appreciate what this young man’s doing at the age of 24, (it) is something that Dallas has never seen. I’ve said this internally: He is better than Dirk. He does things that Dirk could never do, and now is the opportunity of getting the right people around him to ultimately win a championship.”
Kidd made his comments in the wake of a record-setting run from Doncic, who followed up a 73-point outburst on Friday with a 17-assist triple-double on Saturday and a 45-point, 15-assist, nine-rebound performance on Monday.
Doncic is now averaging 34.7 points per game this season, far exceeding Nowitzki’s career high of 26.6 PPG in 2005/06. Of course, as MacMahon points out, Luka’s playoff accomplishments fall far short of Nowitzki’s, let alone those of Jordan, James, and Bryant — the Mavs have only advanced beyond the first round once during Doncic’s time in Dallas. However, Kidd is confident that it’s just a matter of time until that changes.
“This young man is 24 and is breaking all the records that stand in front of him,” Kidd said. “He’s a winner, and his ultimate goal is to win a championship. And he will get there and not just win one, but he will win multiple when it’s all said and done.”
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- Kyrie Irving (right thumb sprain) will miss a fifth straight game for the Mavericks on Wednesday in Minnesota, according to the official injury report. The banged-up Mavs will be down two more starters besides Irving, with Doncic (right ankle sprain) and Dereck Lively II (broken nose) also having been ruled out.
- Grizzlies point guard Derrick Rose is nearing a return from the left hamstring strain that has sidelined him for nearly a full month, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Rose, who hasn’t played since January 2, is participating in five-on-five work and is in the “latter stages” of his recovery, per head coach Taylor Jenkins. The hope is that he’ll be able to return within Memphis’ next three games.
- As Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required) details, Julian Champagnie was inserted into the Spurs‘ starting lineup last month and has hung onto that spot for the past 20 games by following some simple advice from head coach Gregg Popovich: “Don’t be Kobe.” Popovich wanted to see the second-year forward blend in with the rest of the starters and not try to do too much — so far, so good. “Fitting in is pretty easy, you know?,” Champagnie said. “Just stick to my role, hit open shots, play defense, play hard.”
Rockets Rumors: Bridges, Centers, Tate, Brogdon, Core
Despite a modest 22-24 record that places them 11th in the West, the Rockets are motivated to be buyers on the trade market at next week’s deadline and will be seeking high-level talent, according to Kelly Iko, Shams Charania, and Sam Amick of The Athletic.
As The Athletic’s trio explains, the presence of new head coach Ime Udoka – and his strong influence with the team’s top decision-makers – has contributed to an acceleration of the Rockets’ timeline. Udoka has been frustrated by the team’s “inconsistencies” and is determined to make the postseason, and his level of urgency has helped convince the front office to adjust its expectations for the club and its strategy on the trade market.
The Rockets’ interest in Nets forward Mikal Bridges, reported earlier today by Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, is one example of the club’s pursuit of impact players. The Athletic’s reporters confirm that Houston’s level of interest in Bridges is “extremely high,” but echo Scotto in saying that Brooklyn continues to view the 27-year-old as a cornerstone piece and has no interest in moving him.
Here’s more on the Rockets:
- Houston also continues to scour the trade market for more frontcourt help, with Kelly Olynyk (Jazz), Clint Capela (Hawks), Andre Drummond (Bulls), and Robert Williams (Trail Blazers) among the big men on the team’s radar, per Iko, Charania, and Amick. Udoka would like to find a center capable of not only manning the position when Alperen Sengun is on the bench but also potentially playing alongside Sengun, like Williams and Al Horford did during Udoka’s time in Boston.
- While the Rockets will likely look to package draft capital with expiring or pseudo-expiring contracts like those belonging to Victor Oladipo, Jock Landale, and Boban Marjanovic, they also view forward Jae’Sean Tate as “movable,” according to The Athletic’s report. League sources tell The Athletic that the Celtics and Suns have shown some level of interest in Tate.
- A ball-handler who can defend would also be on the Rockets’ wish list, league sources tell The Athletic’s trio, who mention Trail Blazers guard Malcolm Brogdon as one player who fits the bill. However, Houston isn’t eager to cut into Cam Whitmore‘s or Amen Thompson‘s minutes, which may affect the club’s aggressiveness in pursuing backcourt help.
- Whitmore and Thompson are considered off-limits in most trade talks, according to Iko, Charania, and Amick, who say the Rockets aren’t interested in moving Jabari Smith or Tari Eason either. Jalen Green is also in that group of young players Houston would be very reluctant to trade, though The Athletic’s reporters suggest he’s not necessarily viewed as untouchable like he would’ve been a year or two ago, with Sengun having overtaken him as the player prioritized in the Rockets’ schemes. It sounds as if Houston won’t move any of its young core players in a deal for a mere rotation upgrade, but would consider including one in a package for a star.