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.
Anthony Edwards Fined $40K By NBA
Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards has received a $40K fine from the NBA for “repeatedly publicly criticizing the officiating,” the league announced today in a press release (via Twitter).
As we previously relayed, Edwards was highly critical of the referees’ performance in Minnesota’s victory over Oklahoma City. Although the Wolves came away with the win, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had more free throw attempts on his own (16) than Minnesota had as a team (15), and Edwards felt that he earned far more than his four trips to the line.
“The refs was bad tonight. Yeah, they was terrible. We was playing 8-on-5,” Edwards said after the game, among other comments. “The cat got their tongue tonight, so it’s all good. It’s not fair, but it’s all good.”
The NBA’s reference to Edwards “repeatedly” criticizing the officiating may just reflect the fact that he made several separate remarks after Monday’s game, including in the Timberwolves’ TV broadcast and to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. The NBA didn’t cite any other examples in today’s announcement.
It’s also possible that the league felt Edwards’ remarks on Monday represented the culmination of a series of related criticisms of the officiating.
As we previously outlined, Monday wasn’t even the first instance this month of Edwards complaining about the whistle that Gilgeous-Alexander gets — he told reporters after a January 20 loss to Oklahoma City that “you can’t touch (SGA) any time of the game,” adding that it was difficult to beat the Thunder “when they’re getting calls like that.”
For the sake of comparison, Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic was fined $25K for a postgame rant ripping the officiating earlier this month, while Kings head coach Mike Brown received a $50K fine for his officiating criticisms a couple weeks ago.
Marc Gasol Announces Retirement
Longtime NBA center Marc Gasol officially announced his retirement as a player on Wednesday, as relayed by Spanish outlet Diario Sport. Gasol has posted a formal five-minute video announcement on his Twitter account.
The 48th overall pick in the 2007 draft, Gasol didn’t enter the NBA with significant fanfare as a draft-and-stash prospect in 2008 after his rights were traded from the Lakers to the Grizzlies in a package for his brother Pau Gasol. However, he quickly emerged as a reliable starter in the middle and became a key member of the “Grit and Grind” Grizzlies, spending more than 10 seasons with the franchise.
An All-Star in 2012, 2015, and 2017 and the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2013, Gasol was eventually traded from Memphis to Toronto at the 2019 deadline and was the starting center for the Raptors team that won a championship that season. After one more year in Toronto, he spent the 2020/21 season with the Lakers.
In an echo of the start of his NBA career, Gasol was once again traded in September of 2021 from the Lakers to the Grizzlies, who subsequently waived him. That was the last time he was on an NBA roster. The 39-year-old spent the next two seasons with Basquet Girona, the team he owns and runs in Spain.
While Gasol indicated about two years ago that he hadn’t ruled out the possibility of an NBA return, he’s closing that door today with his official retirement announcement.
Gasol averaged 14.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.4 blocks in 891 career regular season NBA games (32.2 MPG), posting a shooting line of .481/.360/.776. He also appeared in 99 playoff contests with the Grizzlies, Raptors, and Lakers and earned a pair of All-NBA nods, including a spot in the First Team in 2015.
In addition to returning to his home country of Spain to conclude his playing career, Gasol also represented the Spanish national team in many international competitions, winning World Cup championships in 2006 and 2019 and taking home Olympic silver medals from Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012.
Grizzlies owner Robert Pera said at the time of Gasol’s trade to the Raptors that the franchise would one day retire his jersey (No. 33). The team could move forward on those plans now that the big man has formally retired.
Nets Rumors: Bridges, Dinwiddie, Finney-Smith, O’Neale, D-Lo, Simmons
After getting off to 13-10 start this season, the Nets lost 17 of their next 21 games. Even after back-to-back wins on Saturday and Monday, they now own an underwhelming 19-27 record, which isn’t good enough for a play-in spot. However, Brooklyn’s front office isn’t any more willing to listen to inquiries on forward Mikal Bridges than it was earlier this season, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
The Rockets recently expressed interest in Bridges and conveyed a willingness to offer back several of the Nets’ own draft assets that they gave up for James Harden, league sources tell Scotto. However, talks didn’t move forward because Brooklyn wasn’t willing to entertain the idea of moving the 27-year-old.
Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required) confirmed a few days ago that Bridges is still viewed as “essentially untouchable” and suggested that even if Houston was willing to return all of Brooklyn’s draft assets, the Nets wouldn’t consider it. The Rockets still control the Nets’ unprotected first-round picks in 2024 and 2026, along with the right to swap first-rounders with Brooklyn in 2025 and 2027.
Here’s more on the Nets:
- Point guard Spencer Dinwiddie appears increasingly unlikely to remain in Brooklyn beyond this season, according to Scotto. That doesn’t necessarily mean Dinwiddie will be moved by next Thursday though, since the Nets could also try to do a sign-and-trade with him this offseason, like they did back in 2021 when he left Brooklyn for Washington.
- Rival executives who have spoken to HoopsHype believe the Nets could potentially extract a first-round pick and a rotation player in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith and multiple second-round picks for Royce O’Neale, says Scotto.
- While Dejounte Murray is still the Lakers‘ top trade target, Los Angeles continues to have interest in a handful of Nets players, including Finney-Smith, O’Neale, and Dinwiddie, Shams Charania of The Athletic said during an appearance on FanDuel’s Run it Back (Twitter video link).
- Brian Windhorst of ESPN (Insider link) identified Dinwiddie as the most likely Net to be traded by the deadline and noted that Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell has been “floated” as a possibility for Brooklyn. I imagine the Lakers would only be interested in a Dinwiddie/Russell swap if they could acquire a wing like Finney-Smith or O’Neale in the same deal by sending the Nets another asset or two.
- Before making any deadline moves, the Nets are hoping to evaluate how their rotation looks with Ben Simmons back in the fold, Scotto observes. The former No. 1 overall pick was in high spirits after having a big game in his return on Monday, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “It’s amazing because this is probably one of the best teams in terms of just friendships I’ve been a part of. Everyone gets along, we don’t have egos or anything like that on the team, and guys want to win and compete,” Simmons said. “So for me to be able to be in an environment like this is amazing. I get to come to work with a bunch of friends that want to get better and compete. So, I’m happy.”
Scotto’s Latest: Jones, Wright, Wizards, Hyland, Tucker, Hawks
Kyle Kuzma, Tyus Jones, Daniel Gafford, Delon Wright, and Landry Shamet are among the Wizards who have generated exploratory trade interest so far this season, writes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
According to Scotto, the Wizards are seeking a first-round pick in exchange for Jones, and ideally one beyond 2024 that would have a chance to become a top-20 selection down the road. That would be a high price to pay for a player who is on an expiring contract and likely wouldn’t be a starter on a new team, so it will be interesting to see if Washington lowers its demands by next Thursday or plays hardball with potential trade partners.
While the Wizards have also reportedly set high asking prices for Kuzma and Gafford, who are under contract for multiple seasons beyond this one, Wright and Shamet – who aren’t owed guaranteed money beyond this year – appear more attainable. League sources tell Scotto that Wright is expected to generate offers consisting of second-round draft compensation.
The Wizards, who have plenty of room to operate below the luxury tax line, are also open to using their available traded player exceptions to accommodate salary dumps from teams willing to attach young players or draft picks, Scotto writes. As our tracker shows, Washington has six TPEs, including one worth over $12MM and another worth nearly $10MM.
Here are several more items of interest from Scotto’s latest rumor round-up:
- The Wizards are expected to be “open-minded” and cast a wide net when they launch their search for a permanent head coach this spring, says Scotto, noting that the early expectations around the NBA is that the team will end up hiring a first-time coach for its rebuild.
- The Clippers are gauging the value of Bones Hyland and P.J. Tucker on the trade market, league sources tell Scotto. If Tucker isn’t moved at the deadline, he’s not expected to discuss a buyout, Scotto adds. Most buyout candidates are on expiring contracts, whereas Tucker’s deal includes an $11.54MM player option for next season.
- Some of the trade chatter surrounding Hawks guard Dejounte Murray has quieted down as of late, according to Scotto, who says Atlanta’s desire to acquire two first-round picks and to not take on salary beyond this season in a Murray trade has complicated negotiations so far.
- Elsewhere on the Hawks front, rival executives and league sources who have spoken to Scotto believe that Atlanta wants to hang onto swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic through the trade deadline. Bogdanovic is averaging a career-best 17.1 points per game off the bench this season and is under team control for three more years beyond this one.
Knicks Rumors: Clarkson, Olynyk, Grimes, Griffin, Randle, More
Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson and big man Kelly Olynyk are among the players the Knicks have inquired on ahead of next Thursday’s trade deadline, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Scotto says New York registered trade interest in both Utah players earlier in January.
According to Scotto, Knicks wing Quentin Grimes came up in separate discussions with the Jazz for Clarkson and Olynyk. Ian Begley of SNY.tv previously identified Utah as one of the teams with interest in Grimes.
Sources tell HoopsHype that Olynyk has drawn interest from several clubs and is viewed by rival executives as the Jazz’s top trade candidate, though one NBA scout who spoke to Scotto is more bullish about Clarkson’s ability to make an impact for a new team.
“Whatever team can get Clarkson will be a game changer,” that scout said. “I think he’s the best of the volume scorers available on the trade market.”
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- According to Scotto, Grimes has also come up in New York’s discussions with the Hawks, another team previously named by Begley as a team with interest in the third-year swingman. The two clubs discussed Grimes in separate negotiations involving Dejounte Murray and AJ Griffin, per Scotto, who adds that Atlanta views Grimes as a potential three-and-D fit next to Trae Young.
- Knicks forward OG Anunoby missed a second consecutive game on Tuesday due to inflammation in his elbow, but he’s still considered day-to-day, so it doesn’t sound like his absence should be a lengthy one, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. As Botte relays, head coach Tom Thibodeau said on Tuesday that he hopes to have more information on Julius Randle‘s recovery timeline for his dislocated right shoulder within “a day or two.”
- Despite being without Anunoby and Randle again, the Knicks won their eighth consecutive game on Tuesday, registering a 118-103 victory at home over Utah. Precious Achiuwa played a significant role in his second start as a Knick, scoring 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting in a season-high 40 minutes. “I’m getting more and more comfortable with my teammates,” Achiuwa said, per Andrew Crane of The New York Post. “They’re getting comfortable with me and my style of play as well, and just playing the right way, making the right reads.”
Atlantic Notes: Morris, Maxey, Embiid, Hartenstein, Celtics, Nwora
Marcus Morris, who has already been traded once this season, recognizes that his expiring $17.1MM expiring contract makes him a candidate to be dealt again by next Thursday, but the Sixers forward – and Philadelphia native – isn’t let his uncertain future faze him, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
“Honestly, to be real with you, like I’m a pro, man,” Morris said on Monday. “So I just go into it with the same (stuff), man, to keep my body the same, because regardless of where I go, I’m still going to be able to help the team win if I’m going somewhere.
“I just hoop. … It’s part of a business. I understand it. I’ve been around. So if I go into it and act, like, sorry for myself or feel like it should never happen or anything, I’m being naive to the game. Being here 13 years gets you prepared for (stuff) like this. I’ve been on seven different teams. I’ve been traded a few times. I would be naive to act like I’d been surprised to get traded.”
Morris has played regular minutes for the 76ers since being acquired from the Clippers in the James Harden trade, so the team would likely only move him in a deal that clearly improves the rotation. It’s unclear whether that sort of opportunity will arise at the trade deadline or whether the Sixers’ front office will have to wait into the offseason to pursue more serious upgrades.
“I’m not 100% sure,” Morris said. “This is my hometown. I love it here. I’m just not sure, but I’m prepared for it.”
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey (left ankle sprain) will miss a third consecutive game on Tuesday, tweets Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT. Star center Joel Embiid may also be out for a third straight contest — he’ll be a game-time decision in Golden State, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Every potential missed game looms large for Embiid and his awards eligibility.
- Isaiah Hartenstein was in the Knicks‘ starting lineup on Saturday and Monday after missing two games with an Achilles issue, but only logged 32 total minutes in those games. According to Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link), Hartenstein is on a minutes limit, but could have played up to about 25 minutes on Monday — with New York up big, he only ended up playing 16.
- The Celtics could benefit from adding one more big wing to their roster, according to Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston, who considers which players around the NBA might be logical targets for the club. Naji Marshall, Saddiq Bey, and Thaddeus Young are among the players Forsberg mentions.
- After playing in Milwaukee for his first two-and-a-half NBA seasons, Jordan Nwora has been traded in each of the past two winters. Part of Indiana’s package for Pascal Siakam, Nwora is hoping to stick in Toronto and is looking forward to the opportunity he has with the Raptors, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. “It’s a new situation, new opportunity, and in my head, I’m just going to just make the most of it,” he said.
NBA Announces Player Pool For 2024 Rising Stars Event
The NBA has officially revealed the 11 rookies, 10 sophomores, and seven G League players who will take part in the Rising Stars event at All-Star weekend in Indianapolis next month.
The following players, as voted on by NBA coaching staffs, made the cut:
Rookies
- Bilal Coulibaly (Wizards)
- Keyonte George (Jazz)
- Jordan Hawkins (Pelicans)
- Scoot Henderson (Trail Blazers)
- Chet Holmgren (Thunder)
- Jaime Jaquez (Heat)
- Dereck Lively II (Mavericks)
- Brandon Miller (Hornets)
- Brandin Podziemski (Warriors)
- Cason Wallace (Thunder)
- Victor Wembanyama (Spurs)
Sophomores
- Paolo Banchero (Magic)
- Dyson Daniels (Pelicans)
- Jalen Duren (Pistons)
- Jaden Ivey (Pistons)
- Walker Kessler (Jazz)
- Bennedict Mathurin (Pacers)
- Keegan Murray (Kings)
- Shaedon Sharpe (Trail Blazers)
- Jabari Smith Jr. (Rockets)
- Jalen Williams (Thunder)
G League Players
- Izan Almansa (G League Ignite)
- Matas Buzelis (G League Ignite)
- Ron Holland (G League Ignite)
- Mac McClung (Osceola Magic)
- Tyler Smith (G League Ignite)
- Oscar Tshiebwe (Indiana Mad Ants)
- Note: Tshiebwe has a two-way contract with the Pacers.
- Alondes Williams (Sioux Falls Skyforce)
As was the case last season, the Rising Stars event will consist of four teams and three games. The seven G League players will comprise one team, coached by former NBA forward Detlef Schrempf. The other 21 players will be drafted to three squads coached by former NBA and WNBA stars Pau Gasol, Jalen Rose, and Tamika Catchings.
The four teams will be split into two first-round matchups and the winners of those two games will face one another for the Rising Stars championship. The two semifinals will be played to a target score of 40 points, while the final will be played to a target score of 25 points.
All three contests will take place on Friday, February 16 as part of All-Star weekend’s opening night.
Lakers Notes: Vanderbilt, Davis, Whitmore, LeBron
Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt was ejected in the first half of the team’s Monday loss to Houston after some back and forth with Rockets forward Dillon Brooks. Vanderbilt earned his first technical foul for shoving Brooks in the chest, then picked up another technical just seconds later for jabbing a finger into the back of Brooks’ head (Twitter video link via Bleacher Report).
After the game, Vanderbilt’s teammates defended his actions, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, who notes that Brooks pushed the Lakers forward in the back as he was going airborne for a dunk a moment earlier (video link). A Lakers player also told McMenamin that Brooks called Vanderbilt a “p—y” during the exchange leading up to the ejection.
“He’s going for a wide-open dunk and (Brooks) just pushed him in the back,” Anthony Davis said. “It’s not a safe play. Guys get hurt like that. And you got to know what type of player (Brooks) is. (The referees) kind of let that just keep going on and (Brooks) kind of provoked it.
“He talks and says whatever he wants to the refs, to players and at the end of the day, we’re men. No man is going to talk towards another man the way he was talking to Vando. So, Vando did what he had to do.”
Brooks received a flagrant 1 foul later in the game for hitting LeBron James in the face as he went over his back on a rebound attempt (video link). Lakers head coach Darvin Ham suggested to reporters in his postgame media session that either that play or the earlier push on Vanderbilt could’ve warranted an ejection for the Rockets forward.
“Being competitive is one thing,” Ham said. “But … putting players at risk of injury with certain plays — I just watched it again before I came in here, (Brooks) pushes him in the back, a guy that’s in the air. Airborne, defenseless. Then Bron’s play, Bron goes to the basket and it’s a double move with his arms. One arm trying to deflect the ball and it goes back and then it goes across (James’) face. So maybe Dillon Brooks shouldn’t have been in the game, either.”
Ham added that “my hat’s off to Vando” for how he responded to Brooks’ physical play.
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- Anthony Davis has been ruled out for Tuesday’s contest vs. Atlanta, the second game of a back-to-back set for the Lakers (Twitter link via Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times). According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, Davis (bilateral Achilles tendinopathy and left hip spasm) said he felt “a little sore” on Monday and “couldn’t move how I usually move,” so he’ll get a night off.
- Cam Whitmore‘s performance on Monday (20 points and six rebounds in 18 minutes) was a tough pill to swallow for the Lakers, who could’ve drafted the 19-year-old last June. Los Angeles used the No. 17 overall pick on Jalen Hood-Schifino, while Whitmore fell to the Rockets at No. 20. “The kid is going to be special, man,” Ham said of Whitmore before the game, per Buha. Ham also noted that the Lakers had a pre-draft workout with the former Villanova standout and referred to him as “another bright, young superstar that’s going to be in our league for a long time.”
- Given LeBron James‘ age and the Lakers’ up-and-down play this season, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer posits that the two sides are facing a crossroads and explores what might be next for the franchise and for one of the NBA’s all-time greatest players.
And-Ones: Cauley-Stein, Rondo, Curry/Ionescu, Silver, Morant
Longtime NBA big man Willie Cauley-Stein, whose last brief stint in the league came with the Rockets at the end of the 2022/23 season, has signed with Indios de Mayaguez, the Puerto Rican team announced (Facebook link).
The sixth overall pick in 2015, Cauley-Stein signed with Italian club Pallacanestro Varese last summer, but the two sides parted ways in December, freeing up the veteran center to join a new team.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Four-time NBA All-Star Rajon Rondo was arrested on Sunday in Indiana for unlawful possession of a firearm, drug paraphernalia, and marijuana, reports Jason Riley of WDRB.com. An initial court hearing has been scheduled for February 27. Rondo appeared in nearly 1,100 total regular season and playoff games from 2006-22 but hasn’t been in the NBA since finishing the 2021/22 season with Cleveland.
- The NBA confirmed on Tuesday in a press release that Warriors star Stephen Curry and WNBA sharpshooter Sabrina Ionescu will compete in a one-on-one three-point contest for charity on All-Star Saturday next month. Ionescu, who racked up 37 of 40 possible points in the final round of last season’s WNBA three-point contest, will shoot from the WNBA three-point line using WNBA balls, while Curry shoots from the NBA three-point line using NBA balls.
- Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press lays out why Adam Silver‘s contract extension as NBA commissioner was seemingly a “no-brainer,” noting that that seems to be the consensus among players around the league as well. “Our league, from the time that I came in until now, it’s 10 times better,” Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo said. “Everything’s more organized. … I think he’s done a tremendous job. He’s definitely a max player.”
- Grizzlies star Ja Morant is launching an AAU basketball program called “Twelve Time” that will be based in South Carolina and Georgia. Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal has the story.