Wizards Notes: Quiet Deadline, Kuzma, Jackson, Goodwin
The Wizards were one of the only NBA teams not to make a trade during the past week, having done their work on the trade market early when they sent Rui Hachimura to the Lakers last month in exchange for Kendrick Nunn and three second-round picks.
As Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington writes, that doesn’t mean the Wizards weren’t taking or making calls in the days leading up to Thursday’s trade deadline. It sounds as if president of basketball operations Tommy Sheppard would have had interest in adding one more forward for depth purposes, but he said he didn’t want to “slap a band-aid” on any of the team’s needs.
“I’d rather address it in the much bigger picture and that’s something for the summer,” Sheppard said.
Sheppard added that he likes what he has with the Wizards’ current group, pointing out that the team has gone 14-9 since opening the season with an 11-20 record.
“To see this team healthy over the last 23 games is, I think, more of the team we believe in than the previous time,” he said. “… When healthy, this team is pretty good.”
Here’s more on the Wizards:
- Having not taken on any multiyear salary at the deadline, the Wizards believe they’re in good position to re-sign forward Kyle Kuzma in free agency this summer, Hughes writes in another NBC Sports Washington story. Kuzma was viewed earlier in the season as a possible trade candidate, but the Wizards appear prepared to offer him a long-term deal later this year. “He’s obviously still a Wizard. I’m not kidding when I say this, we try to be very informed before we do any decision,” Sheppard said. “… I felt very confident that if we needed to move him because he expressed it or we needed to move it because we didn’t believe him (about his interest in re-signing), we would have done something. We believe in him and I think he believes in us.”
- Josh Robbins of The Athletic considers what the Wizards’ quiet trade deadline means for the team going forward, noting that the front office will have to decide at season’s end whether a roster led by a “big three” of Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porzingis, and Kuzma is capable of contending, since Porzingis and Kuzma will likely be up for new deals. Both have player options for 2023/24, but Kuzma will almost definitely opt out and Porzingis is a strong candidate to do so as well.
- Quenton Jackson‘s new two-way contract with Washington covers two seasons, running through 2023/24, Hoops Rumors has learned. That doesn’t necessarily mean Jackson will remain in that two-way slot for all of next season, but the Wizards will have the opportunity to retain him in that spot until the 2024 offseason, if they so choose.
- In case you missed it, the Wizards and swingman Will Barton are working on a buyout. As Ava Wallace of The Washington Post tweets, if the team does buy out Barton, it would likely promote Jordan Goodwin from his two-way deal to fill the open roster spot.
More Details On Kevin Durant Trade Negotiations
Kevin Durant and his business partner Rich Kleiman asked Nets management for a meeting earlier this week and submitted another trade request during that sitdown, according to Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst of ESPN (Insider link).
Unlike last summer’s trade request, this one didn’t go public right away. Another key difference? This time around, Durant specifically asked to be sent to the Suns, per ESPN’s duo. He had no interest in kicking off another bidding war and being the subject of intense speculation all week, so he told the Nets that he’d play out the 2022/23 season in Brooklyn if the team couldn’t work out a deal with Phoenix.
Still, both the Nets and Durant recognized that the partnership was on its last legs, according to Shelburne and Windhorst, who say the only question was whether the star forward’s exit would happen now or after the season.
Here are a few more highlights from the excellent, in-depth ESPN story on how the final days of the Durant era in Brooklyn:
- Before Durant injured his knee on January 15, it looked like both he and Kyrie Irving would both finish the season with the surging Nets. However, when Irving’s offensive numbers spiked during Durant’s absence, he determined it was the right moment to exact some leverage and pursue a contract extension. The Nets were willing to discuss an extension of up to three seasons, but wanted protections; Irving was seeking a four-year extension without conditions, according to ESPN’s report. The difference of opinions on his value resulted in Kyrie’s trade request, and while Durant wasn’t happy with the situation, he didn’t “immediately tie his future” to Irving’s, per Shelburne and Windhorst.
- The Nets had zero interest in any Irving trade that saw them take back Russell Westbrook. As a result, the difficulty of working out a three-team trade with the Lakers made Brooklyn’s decision on Irving fairly straightforward, since dealing with the Mavericks was simpler and the Nets liked the players they were getting from Dallas.
- After Irving’s situation was sorted out and the Nets received Durant’s trade request, they presented the Suns with the pieces they wanted in any deal involving KD: four unprotected first-round picks, an unprotected 2028 first-round pick swap, Cameron Johnson, and Mikal Bridges. Suns general manager James Jones wanted to negotiate those terms – perhaps subbing out for Bridges or adding protections to one or two of the picks – but the Nets were steadfast in their demands, according to ESPN’s reporting.
- New team owner Mat Ishbia was quickly willing to sign off on the extra $40MM the deal would cost the Suns in salaries and tax penalties, representing a departure from the old ownership group. However, it took the team a while to come around on paying the Nets’ price in players and picks. The Suns recognized that if the Nets held onto Durant until the summer, they’d be up against several bidders, which gave Brooklyn some leverage in the process. Phoenix ultimately agreed to meet the Nets’ asking price.
- However, according to Shelburne and Windhorst, the deal nearly hit a roadblock when the Nets also requested Jae Crowder, whom the Suns wanted to trade in another deal (while ESPN’s story doesn’t specify who would’ve been in the Durant offer in place of Crowder in the original framework for salary-matching purposes, a previous report suggested Dario Saric was involved). The Suns pivoted to other trade discussions, including a possible John Collins acquisition, but ultimately circled back to the Nets and agreed to include Crowder too.
- The Nets viewed Durant as a “beacon of light” during several the last few dramatic years, according to Shelburne and Windhorst, who say the team was heartbroken to trade him but felt good about sending him to his preferred destination.
Buyout Rumors: Green, Westbrook, Bulls, Beverley, Ibaka, Heat, Sixers, Grizzlies
After Rockets general manager Rafael Stone confirmed in a Friday press conference that Houston will simply waive John Wall, with no buyout required, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN said during an appearance on NBA Today (YouTube link) that Danny Green would welcome a similar arrangement.
Both Wall and Green were acquired by Houston as salary-matching chips in the team’s Eric Gordon trade on Thursday. It’s unclear if Green would be willing to give up money as part of a buyout agreement.
If Green does become a free agent, teams like the Celtics and Cavaliers would be among those with interest, according to Wojnarowski. Woj also mentions “Los Angeles” as a potential Green suitor, though it’s unclear if he means the Lakers, the Clippers, or both — they each have an open spot on their 15-man roster.
Here’s more on the NBA’s buyout market:
- Jazz general manager Justin Zanik told reporters on Friday that no decisions have been made yet on Russell Westbrook‘s future and that the veteran guard is open to the idea of playing for Utah to finish the season, tweets Tony Jones of The Athletic. Westbrook is considered a strong candidate to be bought out.
- Wojnarowski said today on NBA Today (YouTube link) that if Westbrook does become available, the Bulls are a team to watch as a potential frontrunner. Head of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said today that the team plans to “look at” the buyout market, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. The Clippers have also been linked to Westbrook, but Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times says the Clips aren’t expected to be overly active in the buyout market, adding that insiders around the league are skeptical about Westbrook landing with L.A.
- The Magic and Patrick Beverley are working on a contract buyout, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). The Magic said on Thursday that they weren’t requiring Beverley to report to the team, so that news comes as no surprise.
- Big man Serge Ibaka, who will be waived by Indiana, has some interest in joining the Heat, but it’s unclear if that interest is mutual, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
- The Sixers and Grizzlies will take decidedly different approaches to the buyout market. Sixers executive Daryl Morey said today that moving under the tax line at the trade deadline sets up the team to potentially pursue “multiple” targets on the buyout market, per Kyle Neuback of PhillyVoice.com. Grizzlies head of basketball operations Zach Kleiman, on the other hand, said he doesn’t envision his team looking at the buyout market, per Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.
Jimmy Haslam In Talks To Buy Marc Lasry’s Share Of Bucks
Jimmy Haslam and his Haslam Sports Group are in advanced talks to buy Marc Lasry‘s stake in the Bucks, people familiar with the negotiations tell Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico.
Haslam, the chairman of the Pilot Flying J truck stop chain, and his wife Dee are the controlling owners of the NFL’s Cleveland Browns and the Columbus Crew of the MLS. According to Novy-Williams, the Haslams are interested in expanding their professional sports portfolio and previously expressed interest in buying the Timberwolves.
Lasry, who owns about 25% of the Bucks, shares controlling owner responsibilities with fellow co-owner Wes Edens. The two co-owners have had an agreement since buying the franchise in 2014 to alternate five-year stints as the primary owner. Edens was in that role from 2014-19 and Lasry has occupied it since 2019, so he has about another year-and-a-half before handing it back to Edens.
Reports in December indicated that Lasry was mulling selling his stake in the team and had spoken to Mat Ishbia about a possible deal before Ishbia reached an agreement to buy the Suns. The Haslam Sports Group has been in talks with Lasry for the last few months, Novy-Williams writes, though he cautions there’s no guarantee a deal will be completed.
The Suns’ sale to Ishbia has led to speculation that we could see more NBA franchises – or minority stakes – change hands in the near future. The Suns were valued at $4 billion in that sale agreement, well above the $2.7 billion estimate Forbes published in the fall. With a new media rights deal around the corner and the possibility of expansion looming, the prices of NBA teams appear to be on the rise, which could make it a good time for current majority and minority stakeholders to cash out.
Forbes valued the Bucks at $2.3 billion in October, but presumably Lasry would be able to secure a higher valuation if he were to sell his portion of the team. He and Edens – along with a handful of minority investors, including Jamie Dinan – purchased the club from Herb Kohl for a reported sale price of $550MM in 2014.
New York Notes: Thomas, Marks, Knicks, Anunoby, LaVine
Nets guard Cam Thomas was fined $40K by the NBA for using “derogatory and disparaging language during a live television interview,” the league announced on Friday (via Twitter).
Thomas was being interviewed on TNT on Thursday night alongside new teammate Spencer Dinwiddie and was asked about comments Dinwiddie made during his press conference earlier in the week. Dinwiddie had joked that the Nets acquired him and Dorian Finney-Smith because they needed more good-looking players.
“We already had good-looking dudes, no homo,” Thomas said (Twitter video link via ClutchPoints).
Thomas took to Twitter late on Thursday night to issue an apology for his comment.
“I want to apologize for the insensitive word I used in the post-game interview,” Thomas wrote. “I was excited about the win and was being playful. I definitely didn’t intend to offend anyone, but realize that I probably did. My apologies again. Much love.”
Here’s more on the NBA’s two New York teams:
- The status of Nets general manager Sean Marks is worth watching this offseason, given how disappointing the Kyrie Irving/Kevin Durant era in Brooklyn ultimately was, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Marks has already gotten the chance to hire three head coaches, Lewis notes, and the team seems further from title contention than it has been at any time in recent years.
- Speaking to reporters after this week’s blockbuster trades, Marks acknowledged that the Irving/Durant Nets “didn’t work” and said it was “sad” to trade away a superstar like Durant. Adam Zagoria of NJ.com has the story and the quotes from the Nets’ GM.
- Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News confirms the Knicks had discussions about OG Anunoby and Zach LaVine prior to the trade deadline, but says those talks didn’t gain traction.
- According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, the Knicks and Bulls touched base on LaVine on Thursday, several weeks after initially discussing him. During those earlier talks, there was some support within the Knicks’ organization for pursuing LaVine using a package of Derrick Rose, Evan Fournier, a young rotation player, and “significant” draft capital. New York, concerned that it might be a lateral move, opted not to meet Chicago’s asking price, but it’s possible the two teams will revisit those conversations in the summer, Begley writes.
- Although the Knicks didn’t want to give up draft capital to move off Fournier’s contract, they mulled the possibility of downgrading their draft assets in a deal involving him (ie. trading Fournier and a first-round pick in a deal for a less valuable first-rounder), according to Fred Katz of The Athletic. The veteran wing ended up staying put, as New York didn’t find a deal it liked.
Spurs Re-Sign Gorgui Dieng
Veteran center Gorgui Dieng is once again back under contract with the Spurs, according to a press release from the team announcing that he has signed a rest-of-season deal.
Dieng, who began the season in San Antonio, was waived a little over a month ago to accommodate the team’s acquisition of Noah Vonleh. He subsequently signed a pair of 10-day contracts, and now that the Spurs got through the trade deadline with an open spot on their 15-man roster, he’s back as the club’s 15th man.
Dieng, 33, has played sparingly for the Spurs in 2022/23, averaging 3.4 PPG, 2.8 RPG, and 1.6 APG in 17 contests (9.8 MPG). However, the organization highly values his veteran leadership and his presence in the locker room.
On his new minimum-salary contract, Dieng will earn $895,743 for the rest of the season while the team takes on a $622,582 cap hit.
With their roster now full, it’s unclear whether more moves could be coming for the Spurs. They acquired Khem Birch and Devonte’ Graham as salary-matching pieces at the trade deadline, and while those two veterans may not be in San Antonio’s long-term plans, they’re both owed guaranteed salary in 2023/24, so they’re not ideal buyout candidates.
Anthony Edwards, De’Aaron Fox, Pascal Siakam Named All-Stars
The NBA has officially named Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Kings guard De’Aaron Fox, and Raptors forward Pascal Siakam as injury replacements for next weekend’s All-Star Game in Salt Lake City (Twitter link).
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter links), who first reported that the trio was expected to make the All-Star Game, notes that Edwards and Fox will replace Warriors guard Stephen Curry and Pelicans forward Zion Williamson in the West, while Siakam will replace star forward Kevin Durant in the East.
Durant, of course, was traded from the Nets to the Suns this week, but was initially named an Eastern Conference All-Star, so his replacement comes from the East.
In his third season with the Timberwolves, Edwards is averaging a career-high 24.7 points per game on .464/.367/.767 shooting to go along with 6.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.7 steals per night in 58 games (36.2 MPG). Fox, a sixth-year guard, is putting up similar numbers for Sacramento, with 24.2 PPG, 6.3 APG, and 4.3 RPG on .504/.326/.789 in 49 games (33.7 MPG).
Both Edwards and Fox are first-time All-Stars.
Siakam, meanwhile, will be playing in his second All-Star Game after making the team in 2020. This season, he’s averaging new career highs in points (25.0) and assists (6.2) per game. He has also put up 8.0 rebounds per game with a .475/.326/.767 shooting line in 46 games and is leading the league in minutes per contest (37.5) for the second straight year.
In a full press release announcing the All-Star changes, the NBA announced that Sixers center Joel Embiid, Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, and Grizzlies guard Ja Morant have all been promoted from All-Star reserves to starters, since Durant, Williamson, and Curry were all on track to start.
Mavericks Sign Chris Silva To Second 10-Day Contract
Following the expiration of his first 10-day contract on Thursday night, forward Chris Silva has signed a second 10-day deal with the Mavericks, the team announced today (via Twitter).
Silva didn’t see much action during his first 10 days in Dallas, appearing in just one of four games and playing only three minutes. Nonetheless, it seems the Mavs aren’t prepared to move on from him.
Before signing with Dallas, Silva had been playing for Atlanta’s G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks. The 26-year-old averaged 13.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game in 18 Showcase Cup appearances (26.0 MPG) for the Skyhawks. Since the regular season began, he has recorded 14.2 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 2.3 APG, and 0.9 BPG in 11 contests (22.4 MPG).
Silva’s new deal will run through February 19, covering the Mavs’ four remaining games before the All-Star break. After it expires, Dallas will have to decide whether to re-sign him for the rest of the season or let him walk.
Silva will earn $109,318 over the course of his 10-day deal, while the Mavs will carry a cap hit of $105,522.
Central Notes: Cavs, O’Neale, Crowder, Wiseman, Noel, Pacers
Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman has made 14 in-season trades since taking the reins in Cleveland’s front office in 2017, but he had an uncharacteristically quiet deadline this season. As Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes, the Cavs are one of just two teams (along with Chicago) that hasn’t made a trade since the 2022/23 season got underway.
“We just didn’t feel like anything was going to really move the needle for us,” Altman said on Thursday. “Scoured the market and talked to every team I could. We could have made a move that was lateral, multiple moves that were lateral, that I didn’t think appreciably made us better. I really wanted to see what this group looked like together, fully healthy, and the potential of this group, which we’ve seen right in front of our eyes, continue to grow.”
Royce O’Neale, Dorian Finney-Smith, Cameron Johnson, Grant Williams, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Bojan Bogdanovic were among the top targets on the Cavaliers’ wish list, according to Fedor, but the team either didn’t have the assets to acquire those players or deemed the asking prices too high.
Sources tell Fedor that the Cavs made a strong push for O’Neale and tried to line up other deals to get the Nets the sort of assets they wanted, but Brooklyn – which was seeking more than a first-round pick – didn’t bite.
“I think there’s value in continuity,” Altman said. “I think there’s value in giving this group a runway. Sometimes you just say to yourself, ‘Don’t mess this up.’ I think that was a big key for us this deadline. It was not easy for me. We’re the fifth-best team in the NBA right now — 35 wins, which is the fourth-most in the NBA — and some really good numbers to back up what I think you guys see on the court every day. I didn’t see anything that was going to put us over the top.”
Here’s more from around the Central:
- Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (subscription required) explores what Jae Crowder can bring to the Bucks and contends that hanging onto Grayson Allen through the trade deadline was a win for the team, since he’s having a strong two-way season.
- Adding former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman to an already crowded frontcourt in a trade that sent out Saddiq Bey may be Pistons general manager Troy Weaver‘s biggest gamble yet, argues Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required). James L. Edwards III of The Athletic spoke to colleague Anthony Slater about what to expect from Wiseman in Detroit, with Slater noting that the young center still has a ways to go on the defensive end.
- After not being included in a deadline deal, Pistons center Nerlens Noel has been listed as “not with team” on the club’s injury report, Edwards notes (via Twitter). Noel isn’t owed any guaranteed money beyond this season and finds himself buried even further down the depth chart following Wiseman’s arrival, so he could be a buyout candidate.
- The Pacers‘ relative inactivity at the trade deadline reflected president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard‘s desire not to shake up his core or disrupt the chemistry that the current roster has built, says Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required). As Dopirak observes, Indiana’s lone deadline deal was primarily about using their remaining cap room to add more draft assets, but it will also give the team to take a low-risk look at young wing Jordan Nwora.
Pistons Sign Stanley Umude To 10-Day Contract
Rookie wing Stanley Umude has earned a call-up from the G League, as the Pistons announced on Friday that they’ve signed him to a 10-day contract. Umude had been playing for Detroit’s NBAGL affiliate, the Motor City Cruise.
[RELATED: Hoops Rumors’ 10-day contract tracker]
Umude signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Pistons during the offseason after going undrafted out of Arkansas and spent training camp with the team, but didn’t earn a regular season roster spot.
Since being waived at the end of the preseason, Umude has appeared in 31 total games for the Cruise — 18 in the Showcase Cup and 13 in the G League’s regular season. In those 31 appearances, he has averaged 14.3 PPG and 4.9 RPG on .402/.356/.754 shooting in 27.0 MPG.
Detroit had an open spot on its 15-man roster after completing a two-for-one trade on deadline day, sending out Saddiq Bey and Kevin Knox in a deal for James Wiseman. As a result, no corresponding roster move will be necessary to make room on the roster for Umude, who will earn $58,493 during his 10 days as a Piston.
Because the Pistons play three games before the All-Star break, Umude’s 10-day contract won’t extend beyond All-Star weekend. It will run through February 19, at which point Detroit will have the option of signing him to a second 10-day deal.