Kings Tell De’Aaron Fox They Don’t Want To Trade Him
The Kings have informed De’Aaron Fox and agent Chris Gaston that they don’t want to trade the 24-year-old guard, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Fox’s name has surfaced more frequently in trade rumors as of late, including earlier today. However, sources tell Charania that the Kings’ current mindset is that they want to keep both Fox and second-year guard Tyrese Haliburton and build the team around them. Sacramento has conveyed that stance to potential trade partners and to Fox and his reps, says Charania.
Multiple reports this week stated that the Kings have expressed interest in Pacers center Domantas Sabonis, with one report suggesting Fox had been brought up in those discussions. Charania says a deal centered around Sabonis and Fox won’t happen.
The Kings are also believed to be very much in the hunt for Ben Simmons, though Sam Amick of The Athletic – who previously reported that Sacramento was open to the idea of acquiring Tobias Harris along with Simmons – now hears from a source that the team doesn’t have interest in that scenario (Twitter link). Amick says the Kings still see a pathway to landing Simmons, but it’s hard to imagine how they’ll construct an offer that meets the Sixers‘ asking price without including either Fox or Haliburton.
Fox and Haliburton were reported last summer to be off-limits, but that changed earlier this month, as Amick reported that no Kings players were considered untouchable. While that report – and others – stated that Sacramento’s preference would be to build around Fox and Haliburton, there had been a sense that the team was becoming more open to doing something drastic and perhaps breaking up its backcourt.
Based on Charania’s report, it sounds like the Kings are once again leaning toward making Fox and Haliburton untouchable. It’s possible they arrived at their latest position as a result of being underwhelmed by how the two guards were being valued on the trade market — it’s also possible this is posturing and Sacramento will reverse its stance again within the next three weeks.
For now though, it appears that any major move made by the Kings will involve some combination of Buddy Hield, Harrison Barnes, Marvin Bagley III, and others on the roster rather than Fox or Haliburton.
Latest On Kings’ Pursuit Of Ben Simmons
After Sam Amick of The Athletic reported that Ben Simmons appears to be “front and center” in the Kings‘ trade deadline plans and said the team is open to acquiring Tobias Harris along with Simmons, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer has published a report with more details on Sacramento’s pursuit of the Sixers‘ star.
According to Pompey, sources have repeatedly stated the Sixers aren’t interested in a deal headlined by De’Aaron Fox, who would be one of the Kings’ best trade chips.
One source tells Pompey the Kings have considered offering Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, Harrison Barnes, and two first-round picks in exchange for Simmons, Harris, and Matisse Thybulle. However, that source also said the Sixers aren’t interested in that package; a second source tells Pompey that Philadelphia has yet to receive a formal offer from Sacramento.
Pompey hears from that second source that the Kings and Sixers haven’t discussed Philadelphia’s younger players like Thybulle, whom the source classifies as borderline untouchable. However, sources tell Pompey that Sacramento has done background work on Thybulle, Isaiah Joe, and Paul Reed.
Even if the Kings were willing to put the aforementioned Haliburton/Hield/Barnes offer on the table, they’d need to either reroute Harris to a third team or add at least one more player – such as Tristan Thompson or Marvin Bagley III – to make the deal work financially.
The Kings and Sixers haven’t yet gained any “significant traction” on a deal, Pompey writes.
Here are a few more noteworthy tidbits from Pompey’s report:
- The Sixers have denied that they’re shopping Harris or want to attach him to a Simmons trade, but multiple teams and sources have told Pompey that’s the case.
- According to Pompey, before sending Cam Reddish to New York, the Hawks considered offering John Collins, Reddish, and a first-round pick for Simmons, but the Sixers brought Harris’ name into discussions, ending those talks.
- Pompey confirmed there are league executives who believe the Sixers would be comfortable hanging onto Simmons for the rest of the season. He also confirmed that the three-time All-Star is prepared to sit out the remainder of the season in that scenario.
- Sources tell Pompey that the 76ers are continuing to fine Simmons for the games he misses, but not for more minor infractions.
Bulls Sign Malcolm Hill To Two-Way Deal, Waive Devon Dotson
JANUARY 19: Hill has officially signed his two-way contract, according to NBA.com’s transactions log. The move ensures he’ll be active for Wednesday’s game vs. Cleveland.
JANUARY 17: The Bulls have released guard Devon Dotson, the team announced today (via Twitter). Dotson had been on a two-way contract with the club.
An undrafted free agent out of Kansas, Dotson spent his rookie season in 2020/21 on a two-way deal with the Bulls, then signed a new contract for the ’21/22 campaign. Across two seasons in Chicago, the 22-year-old averaged 2.4 PPG and 1.0 APG in 22 NBA games (6.1 MPG). He played a larger role in the G League, especially this season, when he averaged 20.1 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 6.3 APG, and 2.2 SPG in 10 contests (36.9 MPG) for the Windy City Bulls.
Dotson will clear waivers on Wednesday, assuming he goes unclaimed, and will be free to sign with any team at that time.
Meanwhile, the Bulls will fill their newly-opened roster slot by signing forward Malcolm Hill to a two-way contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
As we detailed over the weekend, Hill – who is currently on a 10-day hardship contract – played 18 minutes in Saturday’s loss to Boston and was on the court in the closing minutes as the game was being decided. That’s the only game he has played so far for the Bulls, but he apparently impressed head coach Billy Donovan and the front office enough to earn a rest-of-season commitment.
Hill’s 10-day contract runs through Sunday night. However, the Bulls will have no players left in the health and safety protocols with Alex Caruso on the verge of returning, so they wouldn’t be able to activate Hill as long as he remains on that hardship deal. Immediately converting him to a two-way contract would ensure he remains available this week.
Wizards Remain Focused On Retaining Bradley Beal Long-Term
With just over three weeks until the February 10 deadline, there has been no real discussion on the trade market about Wizards star Bradley Beal, and the expectation is that there won’t be, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN (Insider link).
As Windhorst details, Beal doesn’t plan to sign the extension offer that has been on the table since October and will likely opt out of his contract during the 2022 offseason. However, the Wizards are preparing to “roll the dice” on the veteran guard deciding to re-sign with the team this summer.
General manager Tommy Sheppard recently told The Athletic that both sides have been transparent in their communications, a point Windhorst reiterates. Beal has been involved in many of Washington’s recent major roster decisions, including the trade of Russell Westbrook and the free agent recruitment of Spencer Dinwiddie, team sources tell ESPN. Windhorst adds that Beal and his family have also become close with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, an offseason addition.
While there was some speculation entering the 2021/22 season that Beal might seek a change of scenery if things went south in D.C., Matt Moore of Action Network hears from two sources that – if anything – the 28-year-old has become even less inclined to jump ship. According to Moore, there’s a belief that Beal’s focus is on maximizing his next contract rather than finding a new team.
The Wizards will be able to offer Beal more years (five) and more money ($241MM+) in free agency than any other suitor would be able to, and the team’s apparent willingness to put a five-year offer on the table has resulted in “a measure of calm” within the organization about the All-Star’s future, says Windhorst. A rival team wouldn’t be able to go beyond four years and $179MM for Beal in free agency, based on the NBA’s most recent cap projections.
That doesn’t mean it’s a lock that Beal will re-sign with the Wizards in the offseason, but it appears the club’s plan in the coming weeks will be to seek roster upgrades to complement its leading scorer, rather than entertaining any offers that include him.
As Windhorst writes, the Wizards have already traded away one of their future first-round picks – along with several second-rounders – and are less than $2MM away from the tax line, so they’ll have to be careful about how they approach the deadline, given that they have no assurances yet about Beal’s future.
Scotto’s Latest: A. Holiday, LeVert, Cronin, Pistons, Simmons
Wizards guard Aaron Holiday is considered to be available via trade, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who said on the latest HoopsHype Podcast that multiple teams have checked in on Holiday’s price tag.
The Wizards acquired Holiday from Indiana in the five-team offseason trade that sent Russell Westbrook to Los Angeles. As the team’s backup point guard this season, the ex-Pacer has averaged 6.2 PPG and 1.9 APG on .475/.382/.808 shooting in 35 games (16.2 MPG). He’ll be eligible for restricted free agency during the 2022 offseason.
Here’s more from Scotto:
- Most executives around the league believe Caris LeVert is now the most likely Pacers player to be traded, in the wake of Myles Turner‘s foot injury, says Scotto. There’s a sense that teams may lower their offers for Turner or back off pursuing him entirely, Scotto adds.
- A number of rival execs believe Trail Blazers interim general manager Joe Cronin has a chance to keep the job on a permanent basis, according to Scotto. Interestingly, Portland announced a series of front office hires and promotions today — none of those moves impacts the very top of the team’s basketball operations department, but the fact that the franchise is actively adding and promoting executives under an interim GM is noteworthy.
- On Tuesday, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report suggested that the Pistons offered Jerami Grant, Saddiq Bey, Kelly Olynyk, and a first-round pick for Ben Simmons earlier in the season, and the Sixers weren’t enthusiastic about the concept. Scotto has heard that Detroit’s offer, which was turned down by Philadelphia, actually consisted of Grant, Bey, and Josh Jackson.
Knicks Waive Solomon Hill, Sign Ryan Arcidiacono To 10-Day Deal
The Knicks have made a change to their 15-man roster, announcing in a press release that they’ve re-signed guard Ryan Arcidiacono to a new 10-day contract and waived forward Solomon Hill.
The Knicks acquired Hill and Cam Reddish in a trade with Atlanta last Thursday, terminating Arcidiacono’s first 10-day contract a few days before it expired in order to create room on the roster for the incoming players.
However, Hill had been ruled out for the rest of the season due to a torn hamstring and was essentially a filler piece in last week’s trade, allowing the Hawks to get off his salary and open an extra roster spot of their own.
The veteran forward was never in the Knicks’ plans for this season, so the club has cut him in order to bring back Arcidiacono. Hill’s guaranteed $1,669,178 cap charge will remain on the team’s books after he clears waivers on Friday.
It has been an unusual month for Arcidiacono, who actually first signed a 10-day hardship deal with the Knicks on January 3. The NBA voided that contract a day later because New York no longer qualified for a hardship exception. The veteran point guard signed a standard 10-day pact on January 6, but hadn’t appeared in a game for the Knicks by the time they terminated the deal a week later.
New York’s decision to bring back Arcidiacono now, even after Kemba Walker returned to the lineup on Tuesday night, suggests the club wants to see more from him. When Aricidiacono first agreed to join the Knicks, Shams Charania reported that he might end up sticking around for the rest of the season — that scenario could still be in play, depending how the trade deadline plays out.
Arcidiacono, 27, went undrafted out of Villanova in 2016 and spent four seasons with the Bulls from 2017-21, averaging 4.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists with a .431/.373/.807 shooting line in 207 games (17.6 MPG). He signed a training camp deal with the Celtics in September, but was waived before the start of the season and had been playing for Boston’s G League affiliate in Maine.
Trade Rumors: Simmons, Kings, Blazers, Rockets, THT, Jazz
David Aldridge, John Hollinger, and Sam Amick of The Athletic, participating in a roundtable discussion on Ben Simmons, all say they believe the Sixers are more likely than not to move the three-time All-Star by the February 10 trade deadline. Over the weekend, big man Joel Embiid publicly backed the idea of the team waiting as long as it needs to maximize the return for Simmons, but Amick says people in Simmons’ camp are unconvinced that Embiid is willing to be as patient as he claims.
“Joel is Daryl (Morey), and Daryl is Joel,” one source told The Athletic, suggesting both the Sixers’ star center and president of basketball operations could be posturing to increase the team’s leverage.
Amick, adding some extra details to his previous reporting on Simmons and the Kings, says the Sixers’ point guard appears to be “front and center” in Sacramento’s deadline plans, ahead of Domantas Sabonis.
Amick also reiterates that the Kings appear to be seriously considering the idea of acquiring Tobias Harris along with Simmons, though he suggests that Philadelphia would likely push for more than De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, and Harrison Barnes in exchange for that duo. For what it’s worth, sources tell Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com that the Kings have done due diligence on Simmons, Harris, and Sixers forward Matisse Thybulle.
Unlike Sacramento, the Hawks appear to have “zero interest” in taking on Harris along with Simmons in a John Collins-centric trade, says Amick.
Here are a few more trade rumors from around the league:
- Although the Trail Blazers may be sellers in the short term, the team would still like to land an impact player to pair with Damian Lillard for when he gets healthy, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic, who hears that Jaylen Brown and Jerami Grant are among the potential targets on Portland’s radar. The Blazers were believed to be interested in Myles Turner, and if they’re focused more on 2022/23 than this season, the Pacers‘ center could still be an option worth pursuing, Amick notes.
- There’s plenty of chatter around the league about the Rockets being even more willing to make deadline deals than previously believed, per Amick. Houston remains on the lookout for a potential franchise player and is open to “all sorts of possibilities,” one rival executive tells The Athletic.
- Dan Woike and Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times confirm that the Lakers are shopping Talen Horton-Tucker in trade discussions. Rival teams believe L.A. still values the young guard, but his $9.5MM salary makes him one of the club’s only real trade chips.
- The Jazz continue to scout the market in search of an upgrade on the wing, particularly on defense, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN. “They’re seeing if they can find their own Aaron Gordon trade,” one general manager told ESPN, referring to Denver’s acquisition of Gordon last March. “I’m not sure if they’ll find it.” While the Jazz are said to be interested in Jerami Grant, their ability to make a strong offer is limited by the fact that they’ve already traded away two future first-round picks and don’t have the sort of promising young prospects who could headline a package.
Bryn Forbes Trade Notes: Pick Protection, Cash, More
The 2028 second-round pick the Nuggets are sending to the Spurs in the three-team Bryn Forbes trade will be top-33 protected, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Wojnarowski also reports that San Antonio is receiving $2.35MM in cash in the trade, including $2.15MM from the Celtics. Presumably, that means Denver is sending $200K to the Spurs.
That cash will offset the higher cost of Juan Hernangomez‘s remaining salary. Hernangomez is earning a $6.18MM base salary, plus $837K in incentives, per Spotrac, while Forbes has a more modest $4.5MM cap charge.
Here’s more on the trade:
- While the three-team deal benefits the Celtics and Spurs from an off-court perspective, Denver’s willingness to give up a future draft pick for a player who will likely be a rental is the biggest story, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic. It’s a strong signal the Nuggets still believe they can contend this spring, perhaps with Jamal Murray and/or Michael Porter Jr. back in their lineup.
- Within his look at the deal, Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News says Thaddeus Young could be the next Spurs veteran on the move. San Antonio typically doesn’t make many in-season deals, but it seems unlikely that Young – who is on an expiring contract and last played on December 31 – will finish the season with the team.
- Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter links) provides some additional information on the trade from the Celtics‘ perspective, observing that the team will likely absorb Bol Bol and PJ Dozier into a previously-existing traded player exception from last offseason’s Kemba Walker deal, creating a new $6.9MM trade exception in the process. Since Jaylen Brown is unlikely to achieve the bonuses in his contract, Boston may only have to shed about $850K in additional salary to sneak under the tax line, Marks adds.
COVID-19 Updates: Grizzlies, Doumbouya, Oubre, Pistons, More
The Grizzlies now have a league-high four players in the NBA’s health and safety protocols. When they updated their injury report on Tuesday for Wednesday’s game vs. Milwaukee, the Grizzlies removed Yves Pons from the protocols, but added key contributors Kyle Anderson and Desmond Bane (Twitter link). Big man Killian Tillie also remains in the protocols for Memphis, and point guard Tyus Jones was added today (Twitter link).
While the Grizzlies shouldn’t have to wait too long to get some of their players back from the protocols, they’ll likely be shorthanded on the wing for their next few games, with Anderson and Bane both unavailable and Dillon Brooks (ankle) still on the shelf too.
Here are a few more protocol-related updates:
- Lakers two-way forward Sekou Doumbouya entered the COVID-19 protocols on Tuesday, according to the team (Twitter link via Kyle Goon of the Southern California News Group). Doumbouya had been in the G League with South Bay, so his absence won’t have a major impact on the NBA club.
- Hornets forward Kelly Oubre and Pistons guard Frank Jackson are among the players to have exited the protocols this week, according to their respective teams (Twitter links). Jackson missed Tuesday’s game vs. Golden State due to reconditioning, while Oubre is listed as questionable for Wednesday’s contest in Boston.
- Pistons rookie Luka Garza, who was on a G League assignment, had his status changed to “health and safety protocols” on Tuesday night’s injury report. Meanwhile, this morning’s injury reports no longer list Jazz guard Jared Butler or Kings wing Robert Woodard, an indication that both players have cleared the protocols.
- Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley and top assistant Nate Tibbetts both entered the protocols on Monday, resulting in assistant Jesse Mermuys taking over on a temporary basis as Orlando’s acting head coach, per the team (Twitter link).
Celtics Explore Trading Al Horford
The Celtics are exploring the idea of moving Al Horford, according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic, who says the team is in the market for another center at this year’s trade deadline.
Horford’s trade value will likely be limited. The 35-year-old has been Boston’s starting center this season and is averaging 10.8 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 3.6 APG in 36 games (29.0 MPG), but his .442 FG% is a career low and his 3PT% (.285) has dropped significantly. He’s also earning $27MM, a cap figure that won’t be palatable for some clubs.
As Weiss observes, Horford’s $26.5MM salary for 2022/23 is only partially guaranteed (for $14.5MM), which could appeal to teams looking to move a longer-term contract. Still, it’s hard to imagine Boston getting positive value for the veteran big man.
According to Weiss, the Celtics have been “surprisingly open” to discussing both Horford and Josh Richardson, both of whom were acquired during the 2021 offseason. Dennis Schröder, another offseason addition, has also been repeatedly mentioned as a trade candidate, and Weiss confirms that league sources consider the point guard to be available.
The Celtics are believed to be seeking another impact play-maker to complement Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, says Weiss. However, it may be a challenge to put together a package for such a player without relying heavily on draft assets. Due to their uneven development, former lottery picks like Romeo Langford and Aaron Nesmith don’t have as much trade value as they would have earlier in their careers.
At 23-22, the Celtics are currently the No. 10 seed in the East, hanging onto a play-in spot. Although they’ll likely approach the trade deadline as buyers, it remains to be seen whether the C’s are capable of making any noise in the playoffs. Weiss says multiple people in the locker room have suggested there’s a “lack of desperation” present, with attempts at vocal leadership from players like Brown, Marcus Smart, and Grant Williams sometimes being tuned out.