Bulls Notes: DeRozan, Drummond, Buyout Market, Donovan
Signs continue to point toward Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan agreeing to a contract extension with the franchise in the offseason, according to NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson (Twitter video link). This comes on the heels of both sides expressing interest in a long-term pairing earlier this week.
Johnson says if the Bulls knew DeRozan was going to walk in the offseason, they would have tried acquiring something of value from him at the deadline. Instead, Chicago stood pat, while DeRozan likened the pairing to a marriage in comments to reporters on Thursday.
While Johnson points out that DeRozan has made similar comments in the past, it’s especially potent this time given the fact they came at the deadline. The Bulls can’t afford to let him leave for nothing and Johnson doesn’t expect them to. Chicago faced a similar situation last season with Nikola Vucevic and they ultimately extended him.
Of course, this doesn’t automatically mean DeRozan is going to re-up with the Bulls. He remains on track to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason and while he’s 34 years old, he still has averaged 25.3 points per game and has two All-Star appearances since arriving in Chicago. He’s likely to have several suitors. Still, the team that makes the most sense for now to offer a multiyear, big-money extension is the Bulls.
We have more notes on the Bulls:
- Despite drawing trade interest, Andre Drummond remained a Bull through the deadline. In recent games, head coach Billy Donovan has leaned more into dual big-man lineups, playing Drummond and Vucevic alongside one another. Drummond is enjoying that pairing, Johnson writes. “We’re trying something different and adjusting to what we want to do, not what the other team is doing,” Drummond said. “We’re a force together in the paint. We make teams have to deal with us at both ends of the court. I really like that lineup and I’m looking forward to more of it.” Drummond is averaging 9.9 points and 9.2 rebounds per night since Jan. 1 and drew a start next to Vucevic against the Timberwolves on Feb. 6.
- The Bulls were heavily involved in last season’s buyout market, expressing interest in Russell Westbrook before eventually signing Patrick Beverley, who helped the team finish 14-9 and win a play-in game. Johnson writes that the Bulls are once again open to exploring that avenue to add talent after not making any trade acquisitions. Thaddeus Young, Danilo Gallinari, Evan Fournier and Danuel House are among the possibilities Johnson points out. Joe Harris is also available.
- Donovan expressed that he was thankful the trade deadline was in the rear view mirror, writes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “‘For me, I wouldn’t necessarily use the word ‘relief,’” Donovan said. “I’ve always taken the approach, ‘This is our team.’ Now, if it changes, then you have to adjust. I think when you start speculating, you lose sight of the group that you have in front of you because those decisions are not decisions you necessarily have control over. For me, it wasn’t like the trade deadline passed, and I was like, ‘Oh, wow, what a relief this was.’” Chicago is currently 25-28 and ninth in the Eastern Conference.
Spencer Dinwiddie Signs With Lakers
8:16pm: The signing is official, the Lakers announced (via Twitter).
“Spencer is returning to his roots and the city where his journey began,” general manager Rob Pelinka said. “… His play-making and aggressiveness from the guard position provides us valuable depth as we continue our strong push toward the back half of the season.” (Twitter link)
10:06am: Former Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie plans to sign with the Lakers after clearing waivers, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). Dinwiddie was traded on Thursday from Brooklyn to the Raptors, who subsequently cut him.
The Lakers were one of a few playoff teams who offered Dinwiddie a significant role on the roster, Charania tweets. Head of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said this week that the team was targeting a “ball-handling guard” in the buyout market.
The Pelicans, Sixers, and Mavericks were also cited as potential suitors for Dinwiddie, with Dallas viewed as the Lakers’ top competition. The guard played for the Mavs during parts of two seasons from 2022-23 before being sent to Brooklyn as part of last year’s Kyrie Irving blockbuster.
As we pointed out, the Lakers have about $1.5MM left of their prorated mid-level exception, since they didn’t sign Gabe Vincent to the full MLE. They’ll use the leftover portion to sign Dinwiddie, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin confirms, adding that the 30-year-old narrowed his decision to the Lakers and Mavs before choosing L.A.
Los Angeles has an open roster spot, so the team won’t have to cut anyone to bring Dinwiddie in. Cap expert Yossi Gozlan observes the Lakers will have plenty of room beneath the tax apron for other signings, if they so choose (Twitter link).
Dinwiddie is averaging 12.6 points and 6.0 assists in 48 games this season. While his second stint in Brooklyn wasn’t as successful as his first, he has been an important playoff contributor for both the Nets and the Mavericks over the past two seasons. In his last 22 postseason games over the past two years, he’s averaged 14.6 points while shooting 41.2% from beyond the arc. He’ll look to help propel the currently ninth-place Lakers into the playoffs.
Dinwiddie grew up a fan of the Lakers and Kobe Bryant, and playing for the team was always a dream of his, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto (Twitter link).
For what it’s worth, Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell already expressed he was on board with the idea of bringing Dinwiddie in and is a big fan of his, according to Jovan Buha (Twitter link). “Y’all will get to know him soon,” Russell said following the Lakers’ Friday game against New Orleans. Russell and Dinwiddie played together on the Nets from 2017-19.
L.A. Notes: Tucker, Clippers, Reddish, Christie
Clippers forward P.J. Tucker expressed disappointment he wasn’t moved at Thursday’s deadline after being sparsely used following his trade from Philadelphia. However, the Clippers indicated that he’s in their plans following the deadline.
“We like P.J. here and he’ll get an opportunity,” head coach Tyronn Lue said (Twitter video link via The Athletic’s Law Murray). “That’s part of the game, you’re going to get frustrated because everybody wants to play. P.J. will be OK.”
The Clippers did try to trade Tucker, but his age and $11.5MM player option for next season limited his value on the market, Murray writes. Despite the fact that he lost his rotation spot, the front office still believes Tucker is capable of being a playoff contributor and guarding bigger forwards, according to Murray.
We have more notes out of Los Angeles:
- The Clippers had a quiet trade deadline and appear to be happy to avoid any more midseason roster changes, The Orange County Register’s Janis Carr writes. The team already made a big splash this season by trading for James Harden in October. L.A. struggled to find consistency right away but has since lost just nine of 31 games and is a single game out of first in the Western Conference. “I think what we’ve done since acquiring James and the different rotations, different combinations and finally getting it down to where it works for our team is really good,” Lue said. “Just having familiarity with each other on the floor, I think guys are feeling comfortable in their roles, their minutes, and how we’re playing. So, to break that up, I’m glad that didn’t happen. I’m happy for the team we have, the guys we have in the locker room, and we’ll see what we have going forward.“
- Lakers forward Cam Reddish was cleared to begin on-court progression and ramp-up work, according to The Orange County Register’s Khobi Price (Twitter link). The hope is that Reddish will be able to return soon after the All-Star break. Reddish is averaging 6.7 points this season in 35 games (26 starts).
- After exiting the second quarter of the Lakers‘ Thursday game against the Nuggets with an ankle sprain, Max Christie underwent an MRI on his right ankle, tweets ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. The team is awaiting the results. Christie is averaging 5.0 points per game this season.
Sixers Notes: Buyout Market, Hield, Embiid, Springer
The Sixers acquired Buddy Hield from the Pacers on Thursday, which helps them with shooting and scoring, but Philadelphia needs to focus on getting back some toughness and defense on the buyout market, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Some of that toughness was lost when the team traded Patrick Beverley to the Bucks, according to Pompey, but the Sixers made that move with the confidence they’d be able to land guard depth via free agency.
All signs point to Hornets point guard Kyle Lowry landing in Philadelphia. Lowry, who is expected to be bought out after the Heat traded him in exchange for Terry Rozier earlier in the season, previously played for Nick Nurse on Toronto’s 2019 title team and is a Philadelphia native. While the Lakers are another potential destination, the Sixers feel good about bringing him in, according to Pompey.
Philadelphia has three open roster spots after the deadline and adding another center to the mix should be another priority, Pompey writes. With Joel Embiid out due to a long-term injury, Paul Reed and Mohamed Bamba are holding down the fort at the center position. Not many pure centers are on the buyout market yet, but Robin Lopez and Danilo Gallinari are among big men who were recently bought out. Bismack Biyombo is another option on the free agency market.
We have more notes on the Sixers:
- The Sixers are enthusiastic about the acquisition of Hield, whom general manager Daryl Morey believes is the best player among those traded on Thursday, according to Pompey. “I felt like he gave us exactly what we were looking for, which is that he’s one of the best three-point shooters in NBA history,” Morey said. “We really like what he adds to the team and we feel like our healthy group, our playoff rotation, with Buddy Hield is right there with everyone in the entire league.” Morey also pointed out that not many bigs were traded, and the reason the Sixers didn’t address that position via trade was due to a lack of options.
- Morey is hopeful Embiid will be back this season after suffering a meniscus injury that is expected to keep him out of action for one or two months, according to PHLY Sports’ Derek Bodner (Twitter link). “We’re hopeful,” Morey said. “Feedback has been more good than bad…so we’re hopeful, and we’re building the team to make it better this year. We’re hopeful he can get back to that [MVP level]. We feel we got a real shot.“
- Philadelphia surprised some by trading away 21-year-old guard Jaden Springer, who seemed to just be coming into his own, for a second-round pick. Morey explained the decision by saying the Sixers felt Springer may not be ready to contribute in the playoffs by the end of his rookie contract, while the second-round pick they got for him could potentially be used to trade for a veteran next season, according to Bodner (Twitter link). “We want things that can help us out on the court now with Joel,” Morey said (Twitter link via PHLY Sports’ Kyle Neubeck). “... For me, the Jaden thing was successful.“
Knicks Notes: Deadline, Bogdanovic, Burks, Hartenstein, Grimes
No team, including the Knicks, was certain whether Bojan Bogdanovic would be available via trade at the deadline, writes SNY’s Ian Begley. Decision-makers in Detroit were split on whether to keep him and guard Alec Burks, but ultimately decided to move off both.
New York managed to acquire both players, who had been on their radar during various time periods. The Knicks were interested in getting some scoring help off the bench and accomplished that by bringing in Bogdanovic and Burks.
Before figuring out which way the Pistons were leaning in regards to keeping or selling Bogdanovic and Burks, the Knicks checked in on Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins and now-Piston Shake Milton, according to Begley. Milton was ultimately traded from the Timberwolves to Detroit as part of a package for Monte Morris, but it’s clear the Knicks were eager to add scoring to their lineup.
We have more notes on the Knicks:
- Knicks players were happy about the team acquiring both Bogdanovic and Burks, according to Peter Botte of the New York Post. “I think Leon [Rose] and the front office was cooking,” Josh Hart said. While the Villanova trio of Donte DiVincenzo, Jalen Brunson and Hart were sad to see fellow alum Ryan Arcidiacono leave as part of the trade, they appear to be on board with what the front office is doing. The Knicks are 16-4 since the New Year but are dealing with a plethora of injuries — including long-term ones with Julius Randle and OG Anunoby. Those injuries left them with an eight-man rotation on Thursday after the deadline, with a bench rotation consisting of a 10-day contract player and a pair of two-way players. Bogdanovic and Burks are expected to provide an instant boost.
- The Knicks traded their own 2028 and 2029 second-round pick to Detroit in the Bogdanovic/Burks trade, according to The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov (Twitter link). New York also sent $3MM to Detroit.
- New York’s injury issues got worse on Thursday when center Isaiah Hartenstein exited with a recurring Achilles injury after only 15 minutes of play. He was ruled out for the Knicks’ game against the Pacers on Saturday, according to Botte. Hartenstein is averaging 8.3 points and 11.3 rebounds per agme as a starter this season. With Hartenstein out, Botte writes the Knicks may turn to two-way player Jacob Toppin, who would be squaring off against his brother Obi Toppin. “It was amazing having him on the court with me [in Indiana]. Hopefully we can do that again,” Obi Toppin said last time Indiana visited. “It would be even better if we are able to do that here in New York and at the Garden.“
- Grimes, who was drafted by the Knicks with the 25th overall pick in 2021, expressed his gratitude to the Knicks after being traded to the Pistons on Thursday. “It was an honor to be able to wear a Knicks jersey and represent the city!” Grimes tweeted. “Your love and support throughout the years has meant the world. Forever grateful to the entire Knicks organization, my teammates, and most importantly the fans. THANK YOU, NEW YORK.“
Nets Waive Jordan Goodwin
FEBRUARY 9: The Nets have officially waived Goodwin, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link).
FEBRUARY 8: The Nets are waiving guard Jordan Goodwin after acquiring him in the three-team trade that sent Royce O’Neale to Phoenix, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
After waiving Goodwin, the Nets will have 14 players on standard contracts and two players on two-way deals, giving them two open roster spots in total (one standard, one two-way).
The 25-year-old point guard played sparingly for the Suns after arriving in the Bradley Beal trade, averaging 5.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 14.0 minutes and 40 games. Last season with the Wizards, he averaged 6.6 points and 2.7 assists in 62 games (seven starts).
Goodwin was on a minimum contract with a partially guaranteed team option for next season. The Nets will be on the book for his hit this season ($1.93MM). He’ll be eligible to sign with any team as a free agent other than the Suns.
Pacific Notes: Lakers, Christie, Warriors, Kuminga, Thompson, Duarte
While it was trending that way for a while, the Lakers officially did not make a trade at the 2024, one year removed from a busy 2023 deadline that saw them add D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt and more. Though they reportedly pursued players like Hawks guard Dejounte Murray and Raptors wing Bruce Brown, the Lakers ultimately didn’t find a deal that appealed to them and will instead look to get healthy, maintain continuity, and attempt to recreate their Western Conference Finals run from a year ago.
Addressing reporters following the deadline on Thursday, general manager Rob Pelinka emphasized the fact that nothing stood out to them around the league, per The Athletic’s Jovan Buha (Twitter link).
“You can’t buy a house that’s not for sale. … The right move wasn’t there,” Pelinka said.
In addition, it was important to the Lakers to maintain as many assets as possible for a potentially bigger swing in the offseason, according to Buha. The offseason will unlock up to two more first-round picks for Los Angeles to trade for “a greater or bigger swing.” According to The Orange County Register’s Khobi Price, Pelinka didn’t want to “shoot a small bullet now that would only lead to marginal improvement” and would inhibit their ability to make moves down the line (Twitter link).
As for this season’s team, Pelinka specifically mentioned getting Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent back from their current injuries and being “very aggressive” to add a “really good player” with their open roster spot on the buyout market (Twitter links).
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- Max Christie suffered a right ankle sprain and left in the second quarter of the Lakers‘ Thursday matchup against the Nuggets. He did not return, according to Buha, and Taurean Prince started the second half in his place (Twitter links). Christie was starting in place of Russell, who missed the game due to knee soreness.
- The Warriors made just one small move at the deadline, sending out Cory Joseph to the Pacers. While players like Andrew Wiggins were involved in rumors throughout the season, there wasn’t an appealing offer out there. “We explored a lot and frankly there wasn’t a lot out there that we thought could improve us significantly at an appropriate price,” general manager Mike Dunleavy said, via The Athletic’s Anthony Slater (Twitter link). Dunleavy added that Jonathan Kuminga, who also came up in rumors early in the season before averaging 21.1 points since the New Year, was “virtually untouchable.” “As untouchable as guys can be in this league,” Dunleavy said (Twitter link via Slater). “Didn’t see a scenario where Jonathan wouldn’t be on our team after this deadline.“
- Warriors guard Klay Thompson has seemed discouraged throughout the season by his play. While his 17.1 points per game and 37.7% clip from deep are impressive for any player, he’s not quite the same as he was when he was a multi-time All-Star and All-NBA selection. The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson II explores Thompson’s situation and laments the injury that cost him two seasons of his prime. While he might not be an All-Star anymore, he still has the ability to help the Warriors win, Thompson notes.
- Kings guard Chris Duarte suffered a right ankle sprain ahead of Wednesday’s matchup with the Pistons, Fox 40 Sacramento’s Sean Cunningham tweets. He will be out against the Nuggets on Friday and will be re-evaluated in seven-to-14 days, according to The Sacramento Bee’s Jason Anderson (Twitter link). Duarte is averaging 3.7 points this season.
Grizzlies To Waive Chimezie Metu
The Grizzlies are waiving forward/center Chimezie Metu, whom they acquired from the Suns in the deadline move that also brought Yuta Watanabe back to Memphis, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto (Twitter link).
Metu, 26, averaged 5.0 points and 3.0 rebounds in 37 games (five starts) with the Suns this season. He signed with Phoenix on a one-year, minimum-salary deal after spending the previous three seasons with the Kings. In three seasons in Sacramento, Metu averaged 6.7 points and 4.0 rebounds in 162 games (26 starts).
Memphis will remain on the hook for Metu’s expiring minimum contract unless he’s claimed on waivers. He would be eligible to sign with any team other than the Suns.
Waiving Metu gives the Grizzlies room on the 15-man roster to add a player. GG Jackson II has been impressive all season, and on Thursday he became the youngest player since Kobe Bryant to score 25 or more points off the bench.
If they did convert the 19-year-old Jackson — who is averaging 8.9 points — from his current deal, it would open a two-way slot. Trey Jemison, who has drawn a couple starts, along with Matthew Hurt and Tosan Evbuomwan could be candidates there. All three players recently signed hardship 10-day contracts.
Community Shootaround: 2024 Trade Deadline Winners, Losers
The NBA’s 2024 trade deadline came and went on Thursday, with 18 deals officially completed on deadline day. It was a busy day filled with teams moving draft capital in exchange for rotation players to bolster playoff runs.
The Pistons made the most trades at the deadline, bringing in the likes of Quentin Grimes, Simone Fontecchio, Evan Fournier and Shake Milton. In the process, they moved on from Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks, along with waiving former No. 7 overall pick Killian Hayes.
Bogdanovic was one of the top talents moved on deadline day, having been traded to the Knicks alongside Burks in exchange for Grimes, Fournier and more. New York, who is 16-4 since the New Year, bought in on its roster while maintaining flexibility to pursue a star in the offseason by adding a large, but partially guaranteed, salary in Bogdanovic ($19MM with $2MM guaranteed).
The Hornets, like Detroit, sold a pair of players in P.J. Washington and Gordon Hayward for various players and picks, including bringing in Grant Williams, Tre Mann and a 2027 first-rounder. Charlotte got a decent return in exchange for two players who likely weren’t in their long-term plans while sending Washington (to Dallas) and Hayward (to Oklahoma City) to a pair of Western Conference contenders.
In addition to getting Washington, the Mavericks brought in Daniel Gafford from the Wizards for a first-round pick. The Thunder moved off a handful of players who weren’t seeing minutes for Hayward, who can still pass, dribble and shoot at a high enough level.
The Sixers made a handful of deals at the deadline, acquiring Buddy Hield — who earlier requested a trade from Indiana — in exchange for some second-round picks and salaries. They then swapped Patrick Beverley for Cameron Payne and traded Jaden Springer to Boston, recouping up a second-round selection in both deals.
Brooklyn didn’t end up trading Dorian Finney-Smith, who was a popular target, but sent out Spencer Dinwiddie and Royce O’Neale in separate deals to Toronto and Phoenix, respectively. The Nets brought in Dennis Schröder, as well as Keita Bates-Diop in the series of moves. The Raptors later waived Dinwiddie, but were able to move off future salary by sending out Schröder. They also added Ochai Agbaji and Kelly Olynyk from the Jazz in exchange for Otto Porter, Kira Lewis and a first-round pick.
Other veterans on the move at the deadline included Simone Fontecchio (to Detroit), Xavier Tillman (to Boston), Doug McDermott (to Indiana), Monte Morris (to Minnesota) and Yuta Watanabe (to Memphis).
While there were plenty of storylines from the teams that did make trades, some of the names who weren’t moved were equally intriguing. The Hawks didn’t make a deadline-day deal after having conversations regarding the likes of Dejounte Murray, Clint Capela and AJ Griffin. Murray, the biggest name on the list, was sought after by teams like the Pelicans and Lakers, but neither team got a deal done.
The Lakers didn’t make any moves after being one of the more active teams at last year’s deadline. They’ll be banking on the team’s health improving over time and improved play from their rotation to make a postseason run akin to last year’s Western Conference Finals appearance.
The Bulls didn’t make a trade deadline move for the third year in a row despite having conversations regarding Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso and Andre Drummond and will instead continue to try and compete for a playoff spot.
Most of the available talent on the trade market was moved before deadline day. Nine in-season deals were completed before Thursday, including All-Stars James Harden and Pascal Siakam switching teams. The Knicks might not have been as aggressive if they hadn’t already acquired OG Anunoby and moved toward the top of the Eastern Conference standings. Meanwhile, the Heat got one of the top guards on the market in Terry Rozier a couple weeks ago.
In total, Thursday capped off an NBA trade season with 27 in-season deals.
We want to hear from you. Which teams do you think did the best for themselves at the trade deadline? Which teams made the wrong moves? Were there any trades that surprised you? How do you feel about the teams who stood pat?
Personally, I’m most impressed with the additions the Celtics, Thunder and Knicks made without having to sacrifice many assets and staying flexible for the offseason.
Sound off in the comments below with your picks.
Bulls Notes: Deadline Talks, DeRozan, Caruso, LaVine
The Bulls sat out the trade deadline for the third straight season, NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson observes. The Bulls spent months working on a potential Zach LaVine trade but after his season-ending injury, they began to weigh other options. The team fielded offers for Alex Caruso and Andre Drummond and had “cursory conversations” regarding DeRozan, maintaining they stayed active despite not making a move.
“We didn’t see anything that was going to make us better. We would take a step back, which we don’t want. We want to stay competitive,” general manager Artūras Karnišovas said. “We have an obligation to this organization and this fan base and this city to stay competitive and compete for the playoffs. That’s what we’re doing.”
The Warriors engaged the Bulls on talks with Caruso but in any potential deal, Chicago seemed to covet Jonathan Kuminga. When that offer was rebuffed, the Bulls told teams they didn’t want to trade Caruso, especially for a package of other young pieces like Moses Moody, according to Johnson. They would have had to be floored by an offer to move Caruso.
Drummond drew interest too, but the Bulls expressed to other teams they wished to remain competitive and potential landing spots like the Sixers and Mavericks sent their second-round draft capital elsewhere.
While there was some internal discussion about selling off pieces and reshaping the roster, upper management pushed those decisions to the offseason, Johnson writes. In the summer, it’s likely the Bulls will discuss LaVine trades again while they face decisions on the contract statuses of DeRozan and Patrick Williams. The Bulls have one open roster spot and are under the luxury tax, so they could be in the market for buyout players. We addressed Chicago’s potential interest in Joe Harris earlier Thursday.
We have more notes on the Bulls:
- There was no significant offer out there for DeMar DeRozan, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, appearing on The Rally (Twitter link). There were a few interested teams but uncertainty regarding whether DeRozan would re-sign when he becomes an unrestricted free agent in the offseason was an inhibiting factor in getting a deal done. According to Charania, the Bulls want to keep DeRozan “long term.”
- Charania echoed Johnson and said the Bulls had a “very high price” on Caruso, which other teams weren’t willing to meet. Charania says Chicago feels like keeping this core together is its best path forward.
- DeRozan expressed a desire to remain with the Bulls on Thursday, according to Johnson. “It’s kind of like with your spouse. It’s a relationship. It’s like, ‘What do we need to do to work on this, baby?’” DeRozan said, smiling. “‘Let’s figure this thing out. You want me. I want you.’ The love is there.” Karnišovas expressed a similar sentiment, Johnson tweets. “I love DeMar,” Karnišovas said. “He’s huge for this team, this city, this organization.“
- LaVine underwent right foot surgery on Thursday, according to Johnson. He was previously ruled out for the rest of the season. “We’re going to miss him,” Karnišovas said. “But we’ll see him soon and wish him well his recovery.” The original recovery timeline was four-to-six months, but according to Johnson, he could be back to basketball activities in closer to three months. He would still miss the rest of the season but could begin his typical offseason work.
- The bigger question regarding LaVine is his future with the organization, Johnson writes. As mentioned, the team held trade talks regarding him last offseason and before the deadline. However, Johnson’s source close to LaVine emphasizes he never specifically asked to be traded. “I don’t have any concerns,” Karnišovas said on whether he worried if failing to find a trade would impact the relationship between the two sides. “I think Zach wants to win. Bottom line, we’re a better team with Zach on the team. It’s as simple as that.“