Hawks Rumors: Simmons, McCollum, White, Collins, Bogdanovic, Gallinari
Although the Hawks didn’t make more trades prior to Thursday’s deadline, that doesn’t mean they weren’t active in discussions to try and upgrade the roster, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. The Hawks believed trading Cam Reddish to the Knicks last month would help clear the rotational logjam at wing and give clarity to the roster, Kirschner writes.
Atlanta has gone 9-5 since Reddish was dealt. After starting the season a disappointing 17-23, the Hawks currently sit with a 26-28 record, 10th in the East, one game ahead of the Wizards for the final Play-In spot.
The Hawks were in discussions about deals for Ben Simmons, CJ McCollum, and Derrick White, but all fell through for various reasons, sources tell Kirschner. Atlanta called Portland about McCollum before he was traded to New Orleans, but Portland wanted multiple rotation players and draft picks, which tabled the discussion.
For Simmons, the Hawks offered John Collins, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and picks. However, the deal wasn’t seriously considered by the Sixers, as they were set on acquiring a second star. Once James Harden became available, that’s all Philly was focused on.
Some members of Atlanta’s organization were skeptical of Simmons’ potential fit with center Clint Capela, another non-shooter, per Kirschner’s sources. Others in favor of the deal thought that adding an elite defender would help mask Trae Young‘s deficiencies on that end, and that shooting was an overall strength of the roster, which would’ve helped Simmons.
The Hawks offered Bogdanovic for White, but the Spurs wanted a first-round pick as well, which Atlanta declined because it wasn’t clear that White would be an upgrade over Bogdanovic. There were mixed feelings about the deal inside the organization.
Here are some more interesting notes from Kirschner:
- Danilo Gallinari was discussed with Toronto and other teams, but the talks didn’t go far, says Kirschner. It’s expected that Atlanta will field calls about him in the offseason or possibly even consider waiving and stretching him, as his contract for next season is only partially guaranteed at $5MM ($21.45MM total). Moving off that money would help Atlanta stay out of the luxury tax, which ownership is only willing to pay if it believes the club is a true contender.
- The Hawks remain high on De’Andre Hunter and believe a healthy offseason will be crucial to his progress. They’re also happy with Onyeka Okongwu‘s progress as a sophomore, and Kirschner thinks that eventually the team will have to decide whether to keep Okongwu or Capela long-term.
- Collins’ camp denies that he ever asked for a trade, despite reports that he was unhappy. Many teams around the league are interested in his services, which is evident based on his name perpetually popping up in rumors.
- Kirschner believes former Hawk DeAndre’ Bembry would be a good fit for Atlanta’s open roster spot after he was waived by the Nets as part of the Simmons trade. Gary Harris could also be a nice addition, if the Magic opt to buy him out, Kirschner opines.
Thunder Waive KZ Okpala
The Thunder have waived forward KZ Okpala, the team announced. Okpala was acquired via trade from the Heat earlier this week.
The 32nd overall pick in the 2019 draft out of Stanford, Okpala appeared in just 63 games across three seasons for Miami. In 2021/22, he has averaged 3.7 PPG and 2.0 RPG in 21 contests (11.6 MPG). Okapala hasn’t played since December due to a wrist injury.
If someone claims Okpala off waivers, he’ll eligible for restricted free agency at season’s end. Otherwise, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent once he clears waivers. By waiving Okpala, the Thunder clear a spot on their 15-man roster.
It’s possible they could ink Mamadi Diakite to a new deal, since they ended his 10-day contract a day early to complete the trade for Okpala. The trade was clearly about Miami’s future first-round pick that is owed to OKC, which was amended as part of the trade.
Instead of owing Oklahoma City their top-14 protected first-round pick in 2023, the Heat will now owe OKC their 2025 first-rounder (also top-14 protected).
That ’23 first-rounder would have been top-14 protected for three straight seasons before becoming unprotected in 2026. Now, the Heat’s ’25 first-rounder will be lottery-protected for just one year before becoming unprotected in ’26.
Essentially, the Thunder improved their odds of gaining a higher first-rounder by pushing the pick a couple years into the future (when the Heat could theoretically be less assured of having a playoff-caliber roster) and ensuring it has just one year of protection.
The 2026 second-rounder the Heat acquired in the trade will be the least favorable of the Thunder’s, Mavericks’, and Sixers’ second-rounders that year, according to the Heat’s announcement.
Patrick McCaw Signs G League Deal
Veteran Patrick McCaw has signed a NBA G League contract and will be suiting up for the Delaware Blue Coats, the Sixers‘ affiliate, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
McCaw, 26, was the 38th overall pick of the 2016 draft by the Bucks. He was traded to the Warriors on draft night, and spent his first two seasons with the club, winning two championships in the process.
He had a peculiar path after that, as he turned down a qualifying offer from Golden State in the summer of 2018 and a subsequent two-year, $5.2MM offer with a guarantee on the first year. That offer would have paid him substantially more than he ended up earning with the Cavs and Raptors during the 2018/19 season. McCaw explained that he didn’t want to re-sign with the Warriors because he was seeking “a new opportunity.”
McCaw’s stint with the Cavs in 2018/19 was brief, appearing in just three games before being waived, then signed with the Raptors and won his third championship in three seasons in a limited, reserve role. However, he struggled with left knee injuries the past few seasons with Toronto, and was waived in April of last year. He has been a free agent ever since.
In 199 career games with the three teams, McCaw holds averages of 3.8 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 16.9 minutes per contest. He’s a rangy, versatile defender, but isn’t a threat on offense.
Larry Nance Jr. Undergoes Knee Surgery, Out Six Weeks
FEBRUARY 11: Nance underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his right knee this morning, the team confirmed in a press release. The Pelicans said a timeline for Nance’s recovery would be provided at a later date. An estimated six-week timeline has been reported, as noted below.
FEBRUARY 9: The Pelicans just acquired Larry Nance Jr. Tuesday as part of a seven-player trade, but he’s currently sidelined with right knee soreness and is expected to undergo surgery on Friday, a source tells Christian Clark of NOLA.com.
ESPN’s Andrew Lopez confirms (via Twitter) Clark’s report that Nance is scheduled to have surgery Friday. Sources tell Lopez that Nance is expected to miss up to six weeks.
Six weeks from Friday is March 25; if he’s active again by that date, Nance would have nine games left in the regular season to get acclimated with his new team.
As Clark relays, Nance was injured on January 5 while attempting a layup against Miami. An MRI the next day revealed “no significant damage,” but he’s been sidelined ever since. Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said Nance suffered “a little setback” last Friday.
Nance had missed 18 straight games prior to the trade that sent him from Portland to New Orleans. Fellow newly-acquired teammates CJ McCollum and Tony Snell are expected to be active for the Pelicans on Thursday, says Clark.
In 37 games (23.2 MPG) with Portland this season, Nance averaged 6.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.0 APG, and 1.0 SPG on .515/.306/.653 shooting. The 29-year-old was traded to Portland from Cleveland in the offseason, as part of a three-team sign-and-trade that sent Derrick Jones Jr. and Portland’s protected 2022 first-round pick to the Bulls, and Lauri Markkanen to the Cavs.
Nance, 29, is a versatile two-way contributor in the frontcourt when healthy. He’s a strong defender across multiple positions and possesses a high basketball IQ offensively, although he can be a little too unselfish at times given his explosive leaping ability. Nance is earning $10.7MM this season and will make $9.7MM in 2022/23.
Celtics Trade Richardson, Langford, First-Round Pick To Spurs For Derrick White
10:11pm: The trade is now official, according to a press release from the Celtics. White heads to Boston, while the Spurs acquire Richardson, Langford, the Celtics’ 2022 first-round pick (top-four protected), and the conditional right to swap first-round picks with Boston in 2028.
12:40pm: The Celtics are trading Josh Richardson to the Spurs in a deal for Derrick White, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter) that the Celtics are including a first-round pick in the trade. That pick will be Boston’s top-four protected 2022 first-rounder, a source tells Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link).
Himmelsbach tweets that Romeo Langford will also be headed to San Antonio. In addition, the Spurs will have the ability swap 2028 first-round picks with Boston, sources tell ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Twitter link).
White, now in his fifth season, is averaging 14.4 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 5.6 APG, 1.0 SPG, and 0.9 BPG through 49 games (30.3 MPG). The 27-year-old is also one of the NBA’s best perimeter defenders. White’s big weakness is an inconsistent outside shot, shooting just 31.4% from three-point range.
However, he’s a good finisher inside the arc, making 51.9% of his two-pointers and 86.9% of his free throws, both very respectable for a guard. He’s also a heady passer and driver on top of being a premier defender. White’s addition further bolster’s Boston’s third-ranked defense, and the team will become an absolute menace on that end of the court.
White makes $15.2MM this season and is under contract through 2024/25, making him a potentially long-term addition as president Brad Stevens builds the roster around stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Boston currently sits at 30-25 after winning six straight, No. 7 in the East.
As Keith Smith of Spotrac tweets, the Celtics plan to absorb White’s contract into their Evan Fournier traded player exception, which is worth $17.1MM. Doing so will create a new TPE worth $11.2MM for Richardson. Smith notes that could change, pending other moves, but that’s the plan for now. John Hollinger of The Athletic first reported that creating a new TPE for Richardson was a possibility (via Twitter).
San Antonio obtains a stunning array of assets for White. I value him highly and think the Celtics have improved significantly in the short-term, but they gave up an awful lot to get him. The first-round pick this season is almost certain to convey, and depending on how the rest of this season plays out, there’s even a chance it could be a late lottery pick, although Boston has played outstanding basketball since the start of January. The 2028 pick swap could also be very valuable, but that’s far down the line and foolish to speculate about at this juncture.
Richardson, 28, was in his first season with Boston after being acquired via trade in the offseason. The 40th overall pick of the 2015 draft by Miami, Richardson had been a valuable two-way contributor for the Heat before being traded multiple times the past few years, spending the 2019/20 season with the Sixers and last season with the Mavs. He’d been a bit disappointing for both of those clubs, but is performing well this season, averaging 9.7 PPG, 2.8 RPG, and 1.5 APG on .443/.397/.859 shooting in a reserve role (44 games, 24.7 MPG).
San Antonio also gets a buy-low candidate in Langford, the 14th overall pick of the 2019 draft. Still just 22, Langford was a highly touted prospect who struggled to break Boston’s rotation. Now in his third season, he’s averaging 4.7 PPG and 2.4 RPG through 44 games (16.5 MPG). As a third-year former first-round pick, Langford is eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer, although it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Spurs take a wait-and-see approach, as they’d still hold his rights as a restricted free agent in the summer of 2023.
Rockets Trade Daniel Theis To Celtics For Schröder, Two Others
8:27pm: The trade is official, according to press releases from both the Celtics and Rockets. As expected, Houston has officially waived guards D.J. Augustin and Armoni Brooks in order to complete the deal.
2:03pm: The Rockets are sending Daniel Theis back to the Celtics, Kelly Iko of The Athletic reports (via Twitter). Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets that it will be for a package including Dennis Schröder.
Sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link) that Enes Freedom and Bruno Fernando are also be headed to Houston in the deal. Woj reports that the Rockets will waive Freedom (via Twitter).
After sending Bol Bol and PJ Dozier to Orlando, agreeing to trade Josh Richardson and Romeo Langford to San Antonio in exchange for Derrick White, and now dealing three players for one, the Celtics have opened five roster spots today and figure to be aggressive on the buyout market.
Theis, 29, started his NBA career in Boston, appearing in parts of four season with the club prior to being traded to Chicago at last season’s deadline.
He signed a four-year, $35.6MM contract with Houston as a free agent last summer, with the 2024/25 season being a team option. It was a strange signing for a rebuilding Rockets team that had just used two first-round picks on young big men Alperen Sengun and Usman Garuba. Theis had fallen out of the team’s rotation as it prioritized youth, averaging 8.4 points and 5.0 rebounds through 26 games (22.5 minutes).
Theis will provide a major defensive upgrade over Freedom and should see some backup center minutes for his old team. Obviously, the Celtics have a high level of familiarity with the German big man, and he’s been teammates with the majority of the roster after just being dealt away last year.
For the Rockets, the move is mostly about clearing their books. Schröder is having another decent year, averaging 14.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 4.4 assists through 49 games (29.2 minutes), but he’s on an expiring $5.9MM contract, which was the main appeal. Freedom and Fernando are also in the final year of their respective deals.
Fernando can become a restricted free agent this summer if Houston tenders him a qualifying offer, but that seems unlikely given the limited contributions he’s provided this point in his career. Still, the Rockets get a look at 23-year-old big man to see if they want to keep him around beyond this season.
It will be interesting to see if a market develops for Schröder this summer after he failed to secure the large contract he was hoping for in 2021. I suspect he’ll still fall in the mid-level exception range, as not many teams will have cash to spend on free agents in 2022.
Thunder Sign Lindy Waters III To Two-Way Deal
The Thunder have signed Lindy Waters III to a two-way deal, the team announced. To make room for Waters, OKC waived Paul Watson.
Waters is a native of Norman, Oklahoma and attended Oklahoma State in college. He went undrafted after his senior season in 2020. Through 25 games with the Blue this season, OKC’s G League affiliate, Waters has averaged 11.7 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.6 APG, and 1.8 SPG on .548/.513/.941 shooting.
Watson, 27, has bounced around the past few years. He signed a 10-day contract with Atlanta in 2019/20 before catching on with the Raptors for a two-way deal. That deal was converted into a standard contract last season after Watson had a strong performance with the club, but he was waived in August 2021.
Through nine games with the Thunder this season, Watson averaged 3.4 PPG and 3.0 RPG. He struggled mightily with his shot, putting up a .343/.231/.500 shooting line in just 17.3 MPG.
Raptors Waive Drew Eubanks
5:40pm: The Raptors have officially waived Eubanks, according to a press release from the team.
3:18pm: The Raptors plan to waive big man Drew Eubanks, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Eubanks was just acquired as part of a trade that brought Thaddeus Young to Toronto.
Eubanks, 25, went undrafted out of Oregon State in 2018, but caught on with the Spurs. He was on a two-way contract his first couple seasons before signing a guaranteed deal in 2020, which ran through the end of this season. The Raptors will be on the hook for what’s left of his $1.76MM salary this season.
Eubanks could be a candidate for teams on the buyout candidate for looking for size, as he’s been productive in limited minutes during his career. Through 49 games this season, he averaged 4.7 PPG and 4.0 RPG in just 12.1 MPG.
Given Eubanks’ solid track record in limited minutes, the decision to cut him is a little surprising, but his release makes it clear the Raptors were solely targeting Young in their deal with San Antonio. GM Bobby Webster referred to Young as a “high-level professional” whose defensive versatility will fit well with Toronto’s aggressive, switching scheme, reports Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link). Webster also said the team has been interested in the forward’s services for a long time.
Webster also said the Raptors had multiple other options at the deadline, including taking on more money this season or beyond, but the deals fell apart for various reasons, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet tweets. Toronto still has a portion of the mid-level exception remaining to possibly dangle to a free agent, Webster notes. Murphy points out that the Raptors could opt to sign someone to a 10-day deal if they choose to go for maximum flexibility, since March 1 is the cutoff date for a player to be waived while maintaining his playoff eligibility.
As Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports relays (via Twitter), trading Goran Dragic provided additional room under the luxury tax threshold, and waiving Eubanks will give them the flexibility to look for another player on the buyout market or convert Justin Champagnie‘s two-way deal into a standard contract. Lewenberg deems the latter scenario to be more likely.
Sources tell Michael Grange of Sportsnet (Twitter link) that the Raptors discussed the matter with Champagnie, but opted to wait until after the trade deadline. Grange notes that by taking on less money and waiving Eubanks, the Raptors can possibly convert Champagnie earlier and still have him be eligible for the playoffs without tax concerns.
Kings To Waive Jahmi’us Ramsey, Robert Woodard II
The Kings have informed Jahmi’us Ramsey and Robert Woodard II that they’ll be waived to make room for the newly-acquired trio of Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Jackson, and Trey Lyles, per James Ham of The Kings Beat (Twitter link).
Ramsey, 20, was the 43rd overall pick of the 2020 draft after one collegiate season at Texas Tech. As a raw rookie last season, he struggled at both the NBA and G League level, receiving sparse playing time. He still hasn’t played much for the Kings in his second season, but he’s performed well for the team’s G League affiliate in Stockton, averaging 19 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists on .549/.500/.833 shooting through eight games (32.6 minutes per game).
Ramsey’s contract for 2022/23 was non-guaranteed, but Sacramento will be on the hook for the remainder of his $1.5MM salary this season.
Woodard was the 40th overall selection of the 2020 draft after two seasons at Mississippi State. Like Ramsey, he’s barely played in the NBA, logging a total of 87 minutes across 25 games the past two seasons. In six games with Stockton this season, the 22-year-old averaged 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists on .523/.313/.571 shooting.
Woodard had a partial guarantee of $300K on his deal for 2022/23, so the Kings will still have to pay him that amount plus the remainder of the $1.5MM he’s owed this season.
Since neither player received regular minutes this season, waiving them won’t have an impact on Sacramento’s rotation. Ramsey or Woodard could catch on at the G League level or draw interest from NBA teams looking to take fliers on young players with upside. At 20 and 22, respectively, they still have plenty of time to develop.
Trade Rumors: Harden, Westbrook, Nuggets, Raptors
On NBA Countdown on Wednesday evening (hat tip to RealGM), ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski continued to relay that the Nets and Sixers aren’t involved in meaningful discussions involving James Harden.
“Let’s start here: we are certainly less than 24 hours from the NBA trade deadline,” said Wojnarowski. “There has not been meaningful dialogue between the 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets. Now that doesn’t mean it won’t happen between now and tomorrow’s trade deadline. But any potential James Harden trade to Philadelphia or anywhere, it would take a significant amount of negotiation. It’s not as simple as just Ben Simmons for James Harden.”
Woj went on to say the Nets still believe they can win a title when healthy no matter what seed they enter the playoffs as. He also said that the Nets are prepared for Harden to leave this summer, but still think he gives them the best chance of winning a title this season.
“I think Brooklyn is prepared for the idea that they’ll just treat James Harden, if his plans are to leave, treat it like Toronto did Kawhi Leonard. And say ‘this is probably a one shot deal. We want to win a championship. Our best chance is to do that.’ Who knows what happens when Harden gets back with Kevin Durant. They start playing together again the way they had planned to from the beginning. They’ve been separated because of the injuries.”
Here’s are some more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Russell Westbrook is unlikely to be traded by the deadline, sources tell Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. The one exception to that would be if LeBron James pushes the Lakers to deal Westbrook to the Rockets for John Wall, but Los Angeles would have to give up additional assets or take on unwanted salary, making it doubtful, says Pincus.
- The Nuggets are on the hunt for a wing defender and are willing to discuss their 2027 first-round pick, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post. Sources tell Singer that Denver is searching for a non-rental player, so they’d need to be under contract for multiple seasons. The trouble the Nuggets are running into is being able to match salaries, considering JaMychal Green would likely need to be involved — Green can veto any trade and is only interested in playing for a contender.
- The Raptors aren’t willing to compromise future flexibility for a short-term solution, and are only willing to take on money beyond 2022/23 in a trade if the player fits well with the team, as Michael Grange of Sportsnet relays (Twitter link).