Celtics Reportedly Pursuing Williams, Evans
The Celtics reached an agreement with center Greg Monroe on a one-year, $5MM pact on Friday but the team is not done searching for scoring options off the bench, Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald reports.
Citing two Western Conference sources, Bulpett writes that the Celtics’ top two targets are Lou Williams and Tyreke Evans. The Grizzlies are currently sitting Evans until the deadline; Williams continues to score at will, posting at least 20 points in his past six games for the Clippers.
As the Celtics seek upgrades, however, general manager Danny Ainge is not budging from paying his desired price. The Grizzlies are reportedly seeking a first-round pick for Evans and it’s safe to assume Williams, who is averaging a career-high 23.5 PPG, will command a similar return.
Bulpett notes that the Celtics are being cautious with their pursuit of wing players as they do not want Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum to lose playing time.
Southeast Notes: Wade, Zeller, Wilkins, Magic
Dwyane Wade spent his first 13 seasons as a member of the Heat and he wants to finish his career with the organization. Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel writes that Wade, who is currently with the Cavaliers, wants to find a way back to South Beach before retirement.
“I have thought about it, of course. I wouldn’t lie and say I haven’t,” Wade said to Winderman of possibly rejoining the Heat. “When that opportunity comes, that day comes, hopefully, I can go out in a Miami Heat jersey. I don’t know how it will be, but I would love it.”
Wade, who recently turned 36, is enjoying a solid season off the bench for Cleveland, averaging 11.2 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 3.7 APG in 44 games. The Heat are in the midst of a strong season, sitting in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with a 29-23 record. Wade said he has followed the team since his departure and is proud of how the team has meshed together to find success.
Ideally, Wade would finish his playing career with one final season in a Heat uniform. However, it is possible for Wade to sign a one-day ceremonial contract — similar to Paul Pierce with the Celtics — and officially retire as a member of the Heat.
Check out other news from the Southeast Division:
- Cody Zeller made his return on Friday after missing 21 games with torn left meniscus, providing a jolt for the Hornets. Brendan Marks of the Charlotte Observer writes that while it’s too early to tell how well Zeller has recovered, he could play a pivotal role as the Hornets make a playoff push.
- The Hornets’ G-League affiliate Greensboro Swarm announced that 10-year NBA veteran Damien Wilkins has joined the team. Wilkins started the year with the Pacers and now returns to the Swarm, a team he appeared in 48 games with last season.
- Magic general manager John Hammond does not characterize the 15-35 as sellers but acknowledged any moves Orlando makes at the deadline are with the future in mind, John Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel writes.
Pacific Notes: Lopez, Rivers, Clippers, Knight, Labissiere
Brook Lopez‘s frustrations with the 2017/18 season, his first with the Lakers, seem to have reached a boiling point, writes Bill Oram of the Orange County Register. Lopez played just nine minutes in the Lakers’ loss to the Magic on Wednesday, his lowest single-game total in over three years.
Lopez, 29, is playing for a contract next offseason and thus far, he has posted career lows across every major statistical category — a far cry from the player who averaged 20.0 PPG last season while adding a three-point shot to his repertoire. The center will return to Brooklyn on Friday to face the Nets in his first game against his former team; in the meantime, it’s all about adjustment.
“On the court, I can be very visible, with my emotions [showing on my face],” Lopez said to ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk. “So, yeah, just trying to control myself, breathe a little bit, and just keep cool because it was an unfortunate game for us. Just watching it, it was tough to be out there. Just trying to get settled a little bit.”
Lopez said that he has not had discussions with his agent about the possibility of pursuing a buyout if he decides he wants out of Los Angeles.
Check out other Pacific Division news below:
- Clippers guard Austin Rivers is on track to return from a right ankle injury on February 9, the day after the NBA trade deadline, Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Rivers, who is having his best season to date, has missed the Clippers’ last 16 games.
- Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated examines how the Clippers‘ use of two-way contracts this season has shaped their roster.
- Suns guard Brandon Knight tore his ACL in the offseason and is expected to miss the entire season. However, with a lot of money still owed to him, Knight tells Scott Bordow of Arizona Central Sports that he can still contribute to the team when healthy.
- Kings forward Skal Labissiere will miss 2-to-3 weeks with a rotator cuff muscle strain, the team announced. Labissiere has been hampered by the shoulder ailment since mid-January.
Bulls Remain ‘Very Active’ In Trade Talks
The Bulls remain “very active” in the trade market with the February 8 NBA trade deadline looming, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune writes.
On Thursday, the Bulls completed a deal that sent forward Nikola Mirotic to the Pelicans in exchange for Omer Asik, Jameer Nelson, Tony Allen, and a future first-round pick. Per reports, Allen is expected to be waived and while Nelson will join the team, he may also be traded before the deadline or waived at some point.
Bulls executive vice president John Paxson told reporters, including Johnson, that there is a week left until the trade deadline, so the Bulls still have time to decide on waiving or trading players.
At 18-33, the Bulls are not in playoff contention, so all of their moves are made with an eye toward the future. The Mirotic trade adds some guaranteed money to the Bulls’ 2018/19 cap in the form of Asik’s contract, but should give the team an extra 2018 first-round pick to continue stockpiling talent. With a young core of rookie Lauri Markkanen, Kris Dunn, and Zach LaVine, Chicago has the talent to put forth a contending team next season.
Contestants For Three-Point, Skills, Dunk Contests Announced
The NBA has announced the participants for the Three-Point Shootout, Skills Challenge, and Slam Dunk Contest set to take place the night before the 2018 NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles.
The Three-Point Shootout will include Wayne Ellington (Heat), Bradley Beal (Wizards), Devin Booker (Suns), Paul George (Thunder), Eric Gordon (Rockets), Tobias Harris (Clippers), Kyle Lowry (Raptors) and Klay Thompson (Warriors). Thompson (2016) and Gordon (2017) have won the competition the past two years.
In the Skills Challenge, the contestants include Jamal Murray (Nuggets), Kristaps Porzingis (Knicks), Joel Embiid (76ers), Al Horford (Celtics), Spencer Dinwiddie (Nets), Lauri Markkanen (Bulls), Donovan Mitchell (Jazz), and Lou Williams (Clippers). This lineup includes three 2018 All-Stars with Porzingis (the defending Skills champion), Emiid, and Horford. The field also includes two rookies with Markkanen and Mitchell.
Finally, the Dunk Contest features Aaron Gordon (Magic), Victor Oladipo (Pacers), Larry Nance Jr. (Lakers) and Dennis Smith Jr. (Mavericks). Gordon is going for his first Dunk Contest victory in his third attempt. Oladipo competed in the 2015 Dunk Contest; Nance will follow in his father’s footsteps to compete in the event; Smith, a rookie, is entering his first.
New York Notes: Trade Deadline Plans, Future, Harris
The Knicks have some decisions to make with the February 8 trade deadline approaching, but the team’s top priority is to become more athletic, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes.
This plan deviates from the mandate that was issued by former team president Phil Jackson. Under Jackson’s reign, the Knicks were focused on plucking players who fit the triangle offense; by Jackson’s own words, the club was focused less on individual athleticism and more on team-oriented players.
As Berman notes, none of the centers on New York’s roster (Enes Kanter, Kyle O’Quinn, Willy Hernangomez, and Joakim Noah) qualify as overly athletic. The Knicks are reportedly looking to unload Noah’s albatross contract and have received interest in O’Quinn and Hernangomez. While the team is technically in the playoff race, the direction under the team’s new ownership has been long-term development over quick fixes.
Check out other Knicks and Nets news below:
- Speaking to Berman’s point, Newsday’s Al Iannazzone emphasized the Knicks’ inability to match up against younger, more athletic teams. A Celtics team that played four rookies and sat Kyrie Irving beat New York by 30 points. “We need everybody to play as hard as they can,” head coach Jeff Hornacek said. “We’re not the size and athleticism of a lot of these teams, so we’ve got to do that.”
- The Knicks do not appear to be strong sellers or buyers as the deadline near, ESPN’s Ian Begley writes. New York has appealing assets (Courtney Lee, O’Quinn, Hernangomez), talented youngsters (Frank Ntilikina), and first-round picks. However, the club doesn’t want to sell off those picks or young assets to make a playoff push, and also doesn’t want to ditch its veterans and tank.
- While the big news of the day was LeBron James potentially meeting with the Warriors in free agency, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News gives his take on why the Knicks need to maintain focus on their plan.
- Joe Harris has been one of the few Nets whose name has floated in deadline trade talks, but sources, including Harris’ agent, tell Brian Lewis of the New York Post that Brooklyn is not shopping the sharpshooter. “[GM] Sean [Marks] is certainly not out looking to trade Joe. I know that,” said agent Mark Bartelstein. “If anybody offers the right package, of course it could happen; but nothing Sean has said has or intimated makes me feel like something going on.”
Stephon Marbury Ready To End Playing Career
After 22 seasons in professional basketball, former NBA All-Star Stephon Marbury is ready to end his career.
In an interview with Marc J. Spears of ESPN’s The Undefeated, Marbury — who plays for the Beijing Fly Dragons of the China Basketball Association — said he is ready to hang up his sneakers after the team’s February 11 season finale. With the Fly Dragons out of the CBA’s postseason race, Marbury’s last game could be nine days short of his 41st birthday.
“I’m tired, man. I’m tired. I played 22 years,” Marbury said to Spears. “It’s all good. I’m straight with how it is right now. I like being able to have control over going out the way I want to go out. I’m 100 percent at peace with it. One hundred percent.”
Marbury said he will stay in shape in case an NBA opportunity arises.
In mid-September, Marbury announced via Instagram that he was interested in an NBA comeback. However, he received no interest from NBA teams and signed a one-year deal with the Fly Dragons, a crosstown rival of the Beijing Ducks, the team Marbury spent six seasons with (2011-2017) and led to three CBA championships.
Marbury, the fourth overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, spent 13 seasons in NBA, earning three-All Star nods. The Brooklyn, New York, native suited up for the Timberwolves, Nets, Suns, Knicks, and Celtics.
For his career, Marbury averaged 19.3 PPG, 7.6 APG and 3.0 RPG in 846 games.
A tumultuous end to his NBA career with the Knicks and Nets led Marbury to China, becoming the first major name to play professionally in the country. In addition to three championships with the Ducks, Marbury was also the 2015 CBA Finals Most Valuable Player. Marbury’s popularity in China earned him honors such as becoming the first foreign celebrity to receive a Chinese green card and a statue outside the Ducks’ arena.
Marbury feels his numbers in the NBA and in China are deserving of enshrinement in the Basketball Hall of Fame as an international player. Marbury said playing in China is harder than most people understand, adding that he helped “bridge the gap” for professional basketball between the two nations.
“It’s the Basketball Hall of Fame, not the NBA Hall of Fame,” Marbury said. “So, for basketball, I played in Olympics, I played in the Junior Olympics. With what I’ve done and given to basketball is all Hall of Fame.”
Pacific Notes: Booker, Jackson, Lakers, Kings
The Suns played Devin Booker at point guard on Friday against Knicks, a different look for the team’s standout scorer. However, Phoenix’s interim coach Jay Triano believes that Booker at point guard can work, Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle writes.
Triano cited Rockets superstar James Harden and his ability to both score and make plays on the court.
“The idea came from how the Rockets are playing offensively, how efficient they are,” Triano said. “(Harden’s) move to the point guard spot is one of the things we looked at when we thought about having him play that position.”
Booker is having a standout season for Phoenix, averaging 24.5 PPG, 4.6 APG, and 4.5 RPG in 39 games.
Check out other Pacific Division news below:
- Suns forward Josh Jackson is outspoken for a 20-year-old rookie but he backs up his words and opinions by showing improvement, Scott Bordow of Arizona Central Sports writes. While Jackson’s remarks about his teammates can be interpreted a certain way from a distance, he does what he needs to do to improve, Bordow writes.
- The Lakers have been in a rebuild mode for several seasons as they have gone through numerous head coaches, front office hires, and roster changes. However, Mark Heisler of the Orange County Register writes that the Lakers are not cut out to be in a rebuild mode but rather to shortcut through the phase in an attempt to compete.
- Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee answered several reader questions pertaining to possible trades and the Kings‘ future.
Atlantic Notes: Smart, Sixers, Hornacek, Longstaff, Knicks
Celtics guard Marcus Smart will miss two weeks after he suffered a hand laceration after he punched a picture frame in frustration. Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald has more information on Smart’s injury and how the 23-year-old could face discipline from the team.
Per Bulpett, Smart’s story about the incident taking place inside a Beverly Hills hotel room checks out. Smart was reportedly frustrated over a social media post of a female acquaintance, which has since been deleted.
A source tells Bulpett that it is within the organization’s right to issue a fine and/or a suspension to Smart due to the incident. However, head coach Brad Stevens downplayed the situation and said the matter will be handled “internally.” In 46 games (10 starts) this season, Smart is averaging 10.1 PPG and 4.7 APG.
Check out other Atlantic Division news and notes below:
- Mike Schmitz of ESPN Insider (Subscription required and recommended) writes that while the Sixers possess an impressive young core headlined by Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, their future franchise star may be 22-year-old Australian Jonah Bolden. Bolden was Philadelphia’s second-round pick (36th overall) in the 2017 NBA Draft; he currently suits up for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Premier League
- While the Knicks went 3-4 on their recent road trip, head coach Jeff Hornacek took several positives out of the stretch, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. With the trade deadline approaching, several Knicks may be on the move, but Hornacek was pleased with Lance Thomas‘ defense, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Trey Burke‘s tenacity, and Enes Kanter‘s toughness.
- With the deadline close, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes that the organization should learn from former president Phil Jackson‘s past mistakes. Instead of trying for a quick attempt at competing with a patchwork roster, the team should stick with its build-and-grow approach.
- The Knicks cut ties with assistant coach Josh Longstaff (a personal favorite of Kristaps Porzingis) in the offseason and he is now finding G League success as the head coach of the Erie Bayhawks, Bondy writes in a separate story.
Southeast Notes: Walker, Vucevic, Oladipo, Whiteside, Wizards
Kemba Walker is the Hornets‘ best and most popular player — which makes him the most desirable trade chip as the February 8 trade deadline approaches. There’s an anxiety over Walker’s future with Charlotte which will not subside until the deadline comes and goes, Tom Sorensen of The Charlotte Observer writes.
At this juncture, a trade of Walker during the season seems unlikely. The Hornets sport a 20-27 record, good for 11th place in the Eastern Conference and five games back of the Pacers for the eighth seed. Team owner Michael Jordan recently downplayed the rumors of a Walker trade, instead suggesting the team’s disappointing season has led the team to discussions with multiple teams.
Walker has enjoyed another great season for Charlotte, averaging 21.9 PPG and 5.9 APG in 45 games. He would be an upgrade for several teams, including his hometown Knicks, who have been a rumored trade partner, but nothing is imminent.
Check out other Southeast Division news and notes:
- Magic center Nikola Vucevic recently made significant progress as he recovers from a fractured left hand, John Denton of NBA.com writes. Doctors have encouraged Vucevic to play more video games so that he get strength in the injured left hand. “They said anything where I’m using the hand – even playing video games – will be good for it, so I’m doing it,’’ Vucevic said.
- Victor Oladipo is a 2018 NBA All-Star, which will haunt the Magic, a team that has lacked a true superstar talent, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel writes. Oladipo enjoyed three solid seasons with Orlando before a 2016 deal sent him, along with the draft rights of Domantas Sabonis, to the Thunder for veteran Serge Ibaka.
- After a disappointing performance where he committed seven turnovers, Heat big man Hassan Whiteside heard criticism from everyone, including head coach Erik Spoelstra. Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel writes that Spoelstra expects more from Whiteside.
- The Wizards should be better than they have played with the trio of John Wall, Bradley Beal, and Otto Porter leading the pack. Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer writes that the time is now for Washington to make a trade deadline deal and make a playoff push.