Warriors Notes: Trade Options, Kuminga, Curry, Horford
Although the Warriors appear willing to move several future first-round picks – and either Jimmy Butler or Draymond Green – in a deal for Giannis Antetokounmpo, there are no other players on the trade market at the moment who would prompt the team to act with that level of aggression, writes Anthony Slater of ESPN.
As Slater notes, Golden State has continually been linked to Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III, but Joe Dumars and his front office have “stonewalled” the Warriors’ efforts to land Murphy, conveying that they’re not interested in moving members of New Orleans’ young core.
The Warriors have also been connected to possible trade targets like Michael Porter Jr. of the Nets and Andrew Wiggins of the Heat, but team sources have thrown “cold water” on those concepts, according to Slater, who hears from one source that Golden State doesn’t intend to engage with Miami about a Wiggins reunion. Multiple reports on Wednesday indicated that the two teams had explored that possibility.
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- Since Butler went down with a season-ending ACL tear, Warriors team sources have referred to their trade deadline approach as more “future-focused,” Slater reports. That stance suggests the club will be less inclined to move Jonathan Kuminga in a deal for a marginal or short-term upgrade on the wing.
- Although Stephen Curry is kept in the loop by management when a trade is receiving serious consideration, he said on Wednesday that he trusts general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and doesn’t feel the need to constantly check in on the front office’s pursuit of roster upgrades. “Myself, Draymond, just knowing the conversations are happening all the time. I don’t ever get into hypotheticals. It’s a waste of time, it’s a waste of energy,” Curry said, per Nick Friedell of ESPN. “It’s not my job to do that. Mike and the entire front office, I’m sure are making calls and I’m sure are taking looks, seeing what’s going on and then if there’s something material, something real, we have conversations about it. And decisions are made. So that’s our process, it’s always been that way.”
- After joining the Warriors as a free agent last fall, Al Horford battled health issues to open the season and got off to an up-and-down start. However, the big man has been consistently available since Christmas and has been inserted into the starting lineup within the past week. Head coach Steve Kerr said on Wednesday that he plans to stick with Horford as a starter for now. “Now that he can play 24 minutes, which is where his restriction is, I feel comfortable starting him and still being able to close with him,” Kerr explained, adding that he likes using Horford alongside Green in the frontcourt (Twitter video link via Slater).
- Horford is the starting center Golden State has always wanted, according to Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area, who notes that the 40-year-old has helped shore up the Warriors’ defense while providing passing and shooting on offense. Horford has a positive plus/minus mark in each of his past seven outings and nine of his last 10.
Trade Rumors: Mathurin, Murray, Olynyk, Blazers, Nuggets
Chatter around the NBA suggests the Pacers are engaged in trade talks with multiple teams about fourth-year wing Bennedict Mathurin and appear likely to move him before next Thursday’s deadline, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.
Reporting earlier in the month indicated that the Pacers had spoken to the Pelicans about a possible Mathurin deal, but it sounds like New Orleans isn’t the only team with the former lottery pick on its radar. While a right thumb sprain and turf toe have limited Mathurin to 25 appearances this season, he returned to action on Monday and is averaging 17.7 points in 31.8 minutes per game in the final year of his rookie contract.
If Mathurin remains with the Pacers through the deadline, he’ll be a sign-and-trade candidate this offseason, since Indiana – which already has over $177MM in guaranteed money on its books for next season – isn’t looking to give the 23-year-old a lucrative long-term contract in restricted free agency, Siegel writes.
Here are a few more trade rumors from across the league:
- There’s a sense that Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray and his representatives at Klutch Sports wouldn’t mind a change of scenery, says Siegel. New Orleans’ new front office brought in guards Jordan Poole and Jeremiah Fears last offseason, creating a more crowded backcourt. However, given that Murray continues to recover from an Achilles tear and has yet to make his season debut, it likely won’t be easy to move his three-year, $94MM contract at this point.
- In addition to Jeremy Sochan, big man Kelly Olynyk is also considered a Spurs trade candidate, per Siegel. Packaging those two players together would give San Antonio roughly $20.5MM in expiring salary for matching purposes, which could be useful on the trade market.
- Although Jerami Grant and Jrue Holiday are thought to be available, the Trail Blazers don’t consider themselves sellers and would likely only be open to moving Holiday if they can do so in a deal that “immediately improves their outlook,” Siegel writes.
- The Nuggets are widely expected to make a small trade to duck below the tax line, which they’re currently above by about $400K, says Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). Denver is confident that can be done without giving up a rotation player, though teams around the NBA are curious about the Nuggets’ plans for Peyton Watson, who may be difficult to retain in restricted free agency this summer. Teams projected to have cap room, including the Lakers, are preparing for the possibility of making a run at Watson in July, sources tell Fischer.
- Front offices around the NBA are expecting several trades completed in the next eight days to require three or four teams, Fischer writes. The Nets, Hornets, and Jazz have made it clear to rival clubs that they’re willing to get involved in multi-team scenarios to take on salary and help grease the wheels on potential deals, sources tell The Stein Line.
Flagg, Knueppel, Edgecombe Among Rising Stars Participants
The 2026 Rising Stars event will feature 11 sophomores, 10 rookies and seven G League representatives, the NBA announced in a press release. The mini-tournament will take place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California on February 13.
Here’s the full list of participants:
Rookies
- Cedric Coward, Grizzlies
- Dylan Harper, Spurs
- Egor Dёmin, Nets
- Tre Johnson, Wizards
- VJ Edgecombe, Sixers
- Kon Knueppel, Hornets
- Jeremiah Fears, Pelicans
- Collin Murray-Boyles, Raptors
- Cooper Flagg, Mavericks
- Derik Queen, Pelicans
Sophomores
- Matas Buzelis, Bulls
- Alex Sarr, Wizards
- Stephon Castle, Spurs
Reed Sheppard, Rockets- Donovan Clingan, Trail Blazers
- Cam Spencer, Grizzlies
- Kyshawn George, Wizards
- Jaylon Tyson, Cavaliers
- Ajay Mitchell, Thunder
- Kel’el Ware, Heat
- Jaylen Wells, Grizzlies
G League
- Sean East II, Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz‘s affiliate)
- Alijah Martin, Raptors 905
- Ron Harper Jr., Maine Celtics
- Tristen Newton, Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets‘ affiliate)
- David Jones Garcia, Austin Spurs
- Yang Hansen, Rip City Remix (Trail Blazers‘ affiliate)
- Yanic Konan Niederhauser, San Diego Clippers
All 10 of the rookies — headlined by No. 1 overall pick Flagg, No. 3 Edgecombe, and No. 4 Knuppel — were lottery selections in last year’s draft, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter links). By contrast, only five of the sophomores were lottery picks, with three being first-rounders outside of the lottery and three picked in the second round.
NBA assistant coaches selected the 21 rookies and sophomores, according to the release, and those players will be drafted onto three different seven-player teams on Tuesday at 6:00 pm CT on Peacock. Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady will draft and be the “honorary coaches” of the three squads, while Austin Rivers will be the honorary coach for the G League representatives.
The four actual head coaches will be assistants from the All-Star game coaching staffs.
Six of the seven players representing the G League are actually on NBA contracts: Yang (No. 16) and Niederhauser (No. 30) were 2025 first-round picks, while Martin, Harper, Newton and Garcia are on two-way deals with their respective clubs. East, who played in Canada and Romania last season, is the lone player on an actual G League contract after Utah waived him in the fall.
Dylan Harper, the No. 2 pick in the 2025 draft, is the younger brother of Ron Harper Jr. Both players are the sons of longtime NBA guard Ron Harper, who won five championships with the Bulls and Lakers.
As for the tournament itself, the four teams will face off in a single-elimination semifinal, with the two winners competing in the final. The semifinal is first to 40 points, whereas the final will be first to 25.
Nets Notes: Claxton, Mann, Thomas, Losing Streak
Nets center Nic Claxton played with a bandage on his right pinky finger Sunday night as he awaits the results of an MRI, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. He suffered the injury in Friday’s loss to Boston, and the medical imaging was conducted Saturday morning.
Claxton played 24 minutes on Sunday, finishing with six points, six rebounds and a pair of steals. According to Lewis, he was hit on the right hand by Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard midway through the third quarter as they were chasing a blocked shot. Claxton grimaced in pain and grabbed his hand, but he was able to remain in the game.
“He’s got some discomfort, but I really give him credit,” coach Jordi Fernandez told reporters before the game. “He finished (Friday’s) game, and then he’s willing to be out there. Obviously, we care about his health, and everything is fine. Everything’s fine. So, credit to him for wanting to play (and) compete with his teammates.”
There’s more on the Nets:
- Terance Mann got a tribute video from the Clippers and a warm welcome from L.A. fans as he returned for the first time since being traded last February, Lewis states in the same story. Mann spent five-and-a-half seasons with the Clippers, who selected him in the second round of the 2019 draft, and has fond memories of the team and the Inuit Dome. “Yeah, I mean, The Wall, I love The Wall. You know, I was the one that introduced The Wall to the world,” Mann said. “So, I feel like I’ve got a special bond with those guys up there and everybody up there. Yeah, man, you know I love the fans, they love me. Some part of me will always be a Clipper.”
- Cam Thomas sat out Sunday’s game with a sprained left ankle and it’s uncertain how much time he might miss, Lewis adds. “He’s sore. He’ll be out (Sunday) and we hope that he’ll be back soon. We don’t know exactly when,” Fernandez said. “So, going through the proper work and making him feel better and then have him back on the court when we can.”
- The Nets lost by 37 points in L.A., four days after falling to New York by 54 points. With the team on a five-game losing streak, Fernandez is concerned about his players’ level of competitiveness, per C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News (subscription required). The stats were ugly all around on Sunday as Brooklyn shot 33.7% from the field, committed 17 turnovers and allowed countless easy shots in the paint. “You can lose, and you can be a loser,” Fernandez said. “So, for 18 minutes, we lost and we were competitive. And for 30, we were losers. So, we have to decide what we want to be and who we want to be.”
Nets Notes: MPJ, Claxton, Traore, Fernandez, Losing Streak
Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. said a few days ago that he was still dealing with the lingering effects of an MCL sprain in his knee, which he suffered on January 7 against Orlando, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscriber link). Porter, who has been a popular name in trade rumors this season, also acknowledged that opposing defenses are making things more difficult for him.
“Yeah, as the season has gone on, teams are more and more just glued to me and willing to bring a second and third defender on some of the actions, into the vicinity,” Porter said. “But I can do a better job of getting good setups and figuring out how to get easier looks; that’s really on me.
“And I actually was dealing with a MCL, a little sprain against Orlando. I got tangled up with Wendell Carter [Jr.] and my knee has been a little sore, so I feel like I haven’t been as explosive on some of my movements to get myself open. And that’s kind of getting better. So hopefully, as that heals up all the way, I can get back to creating some good separation.”
Porter has been rested twice over the past two-plus weeks on the front end of back-to-backs, Lewis observes, but head coach Jordi Fernandez downplayed the severity of the sprain, noting that the 27-year-old has been otherwise able to play through the knee issue. Like Porter, Fernandez said he’s working on ways to find the team’s leading scorer easier looks.
“Obviously teams game-plan for him,” said Fernandez. “I can help him a little bit more, set him up in different ways that he can free himself up a little bit.
“I’ve just got to keep helping him a little bit more with setups how defenses are guarding him; they’re switching out. He’s going to have to slip earlier screens and finish cuts and get the shot on the second side, instead of chasing all the time … [But] yeah, happy with him. He’s [been] impressive; and we need him, because he creates a lot of attention.”
Here’s more from Brooklyn:
- Starting center Nic Claxton underwent an MRI on his right pinkie finger on Saturday, but evidently the scans didn’t reveal anything serious, as he isn’t listed on the injury report ahead of Sunday’s game at the Clippers, as Dan Martin of The New York Post relays. While Claxton is expected to be active, fellow starter Noah Clowney is doubtful due to back soreness, and Cam Thomas (left ankle sprain) and Nolan Traore (illness) have been ruled out. Rookie Traore, still just 19, had the best game of his young NBA career in Friday’s double-overtime loss to Boston, Martin notes, finishing with career highs of 21 points and 37 minutes. “You can show him that he belongs here,” Claxton said of the French guard. “I remember when I first started getting those clutch-time minutes. It is a good feeling and being able to impact the game. … He did a lot of good things for us: Getting downhill and getting in the paint, spraying it out, making some good plays… Going forward, we’re definitely going to need that level of play from him.”
- The Nets were eviscerated by the Knicks on Wednesday, per Lewis, losing by 54 points while managing just 66 of their own, the lowest total in the league this season. While Fernandez took accountability for the team’s recent stretch of poor play — Brooklyn has lost nine of its past 10 games, including four straight — the players disagreed that the coaching staff was responsible for Wednesday’s drubbing, according to Peter Botte of The New York Post. “I mean, we’ve got to be better on our own, too,” Clowney said. “I’m not getting into the politics of what I think about this or that. As far as coaching goes, for me I felt like the little stuff that we said we wanted to do, we didn’t do.”
- There was speculation that the Nets might’ve been playing themselves out of a top pick in the 2026 draft after they went 6-4 in December, but they’ve been sliding down the standings ever since and things won’t get any easier during their five-game road trip, Martin writes. In addition to the surging Clippers, Brooklyn plays at Phoenix, Denver, Utah and Detroit, with four of those teams at least in play-in territory.
Injury Notes: Gordon, Davis, Gafford, Claxton, Towns
Bad news for Nuggets fans: Aaron Gordon reinjured his right hamstring strain on Friday in Milwaukee and was eventually ruled out for the second half, the team announced (Twitter link).
Gordon was playing on both ends of a back-to-back for the second time since he initially strained his hamstring in November, an injury which caused him to miss six weeks.
“I feel good. Better than I’ve felt in a long time,” Gordon said after Thursday’s win at Washington, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (Twitter link).
The veteran power forward appeared to tweak his hamstring in the final minute of the second quarter (Twitter video link via DNVR Sports). He finished with 13 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals in 16 minutes.
While Gordon was available, multiple other key players were held out Friday, including Jamal Murray (right hamstring inflammation, left hip inflammation), Peyton Watson (right and left ankle sprains), and Jonas Valanciunas, who returned to action on Thursday after missing just over three weeks with a right calf strain.
Here are some more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Mavericks big man Anthony Davis, who is on the mend from ligament damage in his left hand, has begun light on-court work while wearing a protective glove, reports Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com. Davis is expected to miss several weeks, though no firm timetable has been given for his return.
- As Afseth writes in another story for Dallas Hoops Journal, Mavericks center Daniel Gafford will return to action on Saturday against the Lakers after missing four games with a right ankle sprain that has given the 27-year-old big man issues throughout the 2025/26 campaign. Dwight Powell will continue to start in the middle even with Gafford back, however, as Dallas looks for its fifth straight win.
- Nets center Nic Claxton injured his pinkie finger in Friday’s double-overtime loss to Boston and will undergo imaging on Saturday, he told reporters, including Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link). Claxton was asked about being involved in trade rumors prior to Friday’s game and if he’s had any conversations with general manager Sean Marks, tweets Lewis. “I’ve almost been traded before,” Claxton said. “Sean, he has an open-door policy. You can always go talk to him whenever you want; but that’s for my agents to take care of. I’m just here as long as I’m here.”
- Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns is dealing with thoracic back spasms and is questionable for Saturday’s game in Philadelphia, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link). The five-time All-Star has appeared in 41 of New York’s 44 games to this point in the season.
Siegel’s Latest: MPJ, Warriors, Murphy, Giannis, Wolves, Magic
The Warriors had internal discussions about the possibility of pursuing Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. but received indications that the asking price would be higher than they’re comfortable with, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. The Lakers also aren’t expected to pursue Porter, Siegel writes, since they’re not looking to take on that sort of a big-money contract at this time (Porter is owed $40.8MM in 2026/27).
The Nets have conveyed to potential trade partners that they’re comfortable keeping Porter beyond this season, per Siegel, so if their asking price isn’t met, there’s a good chance he’ll remain in Brooklyn through the trade deadline.
While a Porter deal doesn’t seem likely, Siegel says the Warriors remain on the lookout for wings and have been linked to veterans like DeMar DeRozan of the Kings and old friend Andrew Wiggins, who was sent to the Heat in last season’s Jimmy Butler trade. It remains to be seen whether Miami will look to move Wiggins, but there’s still “a lot of mutual love” between the former No. 1 overall pick and the Warriors, who won a title together in 2022, Siegel notes.
Of course, the Warriors’ interest in Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III has been an open secret for months, and they’ve made him multiple calls about him this season, sources tell ClutchPoints.
Rivals believe New Orleans’ asking price for Murphy would be multiple first-round picks and a young player or two, says Siegel, but it’s unclear if the Pelicans would move him even if that price is met — they’ve reportedly told teams they don’t intend to. The Raptors are another team that has inquired on Murphy, Siegel reports.
Here are a few more highlights from Siegel’s latest league-wide rumor roundup:
- Although Giannis Antetokounmpo has said on the record that he has no intention of ever asking the Bucks to trade him, many people around the NBA still believe it’s only a matter of time until the two sides split, Siegel writes. There’s a sense it could happen in the offseason, which is one reason why several clubs want to hang onto their top trade assets. “It really seems like he’s made up his mind already,” an Eastern Conference executive told ClutchPoints. “But this is Giannis we are talking about, and he’s very careful with the words he picks when talking to the media because he doesn’t want to be painted as the villain in Milwaukee. And if we are being honest, he shouldn’t be, no matter if he requests a trade or not. He may not have directly requested a trade, but everyone knows what’s going on there. It’s basically just who will break the silence and actually say it is time to move on. Giannis doesn’t want to be that guy, and that’s understandable.”
- The Timberwolves are widely expected to address their backcourt in a deadline deal, with Magic guard Tyus Jones, Kings guard Malik Monk, and Hornets guard Collin Sexton among the players they’ve been connected to, per Siegel. Charlotte has conveyed that it would want at least one asset of value (ie. a draft pick or young player) in a Sexton deal, Siegel adds.
- There’s a belief that the Magic are open to moving Jones, forward Jonathan Isaac, and/or center Goga Bitadze, according to Siegel, who suggests Orlando could acquire second-round capital and 2026/27 cap relief in a deal involving Bitadze. The Magic are operating about $5.6MM above the luxury tax line, so they could look to duck the tax altogether by trading one or more of those players, whose salaries range from $7MM (for Jones) to $15MM (for Isaac).
And-Ones: Bediako, All-Stars, Rookies, Team-Friendly Deals
Charles Bediako‘s bid to rejoin Alabama’s men’s basketball team more than two years after he was on a two-way contract with an NBA team could have major ramifications, according to Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, who notes that NBA clubs will likely be keeping a close eye on the case.
As we outlined on Wednesday, Bediako is suing the NCAA in an attempt to rejoin the Crimson Tide for the rest of the 2025/26 season after spending two years with Alabama from 2021-23. Since going undrafted in 2023, the big man has signed three Exhibit 10 contracts with NBA teams, including one that the Spurs converted into a two-way deal in the fall of ’23.
Bediako has been granted a temporary restraining order, allowing him to participate in activities and games for Alabama while he awaits a hearing on a preliminary injunction.
If Bediako ultimately prevails in his bid for NCAA eligibility, it may necessitate adjustments to the NBA’s draft eligibility rules, Vecenie notes, since there would be nothing stopping players from declaring for the draft after their freshman seasons, then returning to college as NBA free agents if they go undrafted. In that scenario, a player who has a breakout sophomore year could theoretically leave his college program to sign with an NBA team halfway through a season.
Vecenie suggests that the NBA might have to create a new rule stating that an undrafted player who returns to college would reenter the draft pool for the following year. He also wonders if the changing nature of NCAA eligibility rules could result in NBA teams essentially treating college programs like a form of minor leagues — for instance, could the Lakers draft a player and then have him play at a nearby school like UCLA or USC for developmental purposes before he signs an NBA contract?
We have more from around the basketball world:
- A panel of NBA reporters and analysts from ESPN considered whether there are any obvious snubs among this season’s All-Star starters and explored which players deserve to be selected as reserves, while a group of reporters at The Athletic conducted a similar exercise. The general consensus was that there were no egregious mistakes among the first 10 All-Star choices, though Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell would have been worthy starters.
- Arguing that Kon Knueppel has been underappreciated so far this season, ESPN’s Zach Kram places the Hornets wing atop his latest rookie rankings, ahead of Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg at No. 2. Wizards guard Tre Johnson (eighth) and Nets guard Egor Demin (10th) are new additions to Kram’s top 10 since his previous update.
- Which contracts are the NBA’s most team-friendly? Ruling out maximum-salary deals and rookie deals for recently drafted players, Keith Smith of Spotrac shares his top-25 list, headlined by Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija and Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson.
- Kevin Pelton of ESPN has handed out midseason grades for all 30 NBA teams, with four clubs earning an A: the Celtics, Pistons, Suns, and Spurs.
Knicks Notes: Yabusele, Brown, Towns, Dadiet, Giannis
The Knicks are engaged in active talks with multiple teams about big man Guerschon Yabusele, league sources tell Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link). An offseason free agent addition, Yabusele hasn’t been a fit in New York, and multiple reports in recent weeks have indicated the Knicks have made him available.
While his $5.5MM cap hit for 2025/26 is relatively modest, Yabusele’s contract also features a $5.8MM player option for ’26/27, which will make him more difficult to move. Despite the Frenchman’s strong season for Philadelphia in ’24/25, he won’t have positive value on the trade market due to his struggles this season (2.9 PPG, 2.2 RPG, .394/.317/.667 shooting).
Bondy doesn’t specify which teams the Knicks have talked to, but San Antonio has been frequently speculated as a possible landing spot due in large part to the presence of Yabusele’s frontcourt partner on the French national team, Victor Wembanyama.
We have more on the Knicks:
- With the Knicks looking to snap a four-game losing streak, head coach Mike Brown acknowledged ahead of Wednesday’s matchup with Brooklyn that some adjustments to the team’s usual game plan were necessary, writes Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. “We’ve made significant changes on both sides of the ball to help them,” Brown told reporters after Tuesday’s practice. “All I’m saying is, we didn’t overhaul anything, throwing it out the window, but we’ve made some changes. And like I said before, my staff’s been great, when you go through this you tell your players to look in the mirror. It starts with me, I’ve got to look in the mirror.”
- Although he reported earlier this week that the Knicks have spoken to multiple teams about the possibility of a Karl-Anthony Towns trade, Steve Popper of Newsday (subscription required) stresses that the team absolutely isn’t looking to sell off the star big man for 50 cents on the dollar. Popper suggests that a Knicks deadline deal is more likely to be a less significant one, perhaps involving Yabusele and/or Pacome Dadiet.
- With the Knicks and Bucks both struggling as of late, James L. Edwards III and Eric Nehm of The Athletic consider whether a deal sending Giannis Antetokounmpo to New York is any more viable now than it was last summer, when the two teams reportedly had brief discussions about the idea. Nehm views an in-season Antetokounmpo trade as very unlikely and both writers agree it would be extremely difficult for the Knicks to put together an offer that would hold real appeal for Milwaukee.
- Ahead of a Knicks/Nets matchup on Wednesday, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst takes an in-depth look at the relationship between longtime friends Brown and Brooklyn head coach Jordi Fernandez. After the two men met in 2009, Brown – who was coaching the Cavaliers at the time – arranged for Fernandez to take an internship with the team and to train his son Elijah. Fernandez “practically became an extended member of Brown’s family” during that time, Windhorst writes.
Eastern Notes: Thomas, Bulls, Tatum, Bucks
All signs point to Cam Thomas‘ days in Brooklyn being numbered, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required), who says most league observers he spoke to about the subject expect Thomas and the Nets to go their separate ways either at the trade deadline or in the offseason.
While a midseason trade remains possible, Thomas owns a de facto no-trade clause after accepting his one-year, $6MM qualifying offer as a restricted free agent in 2025, so he would have to sign off on any deal involving him. The 24-year-old’s value is also at a low point, Lewis notes, given that he has spent much of the past season-and-a-half battling hamstring issues and is shooting a career-worst 40.5% from the field this season.
Whether or not Thomas is traded by February 5, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent after the season, and he’ll have new representation at that time. After hiring agent Alex Saratsis of Octagon in 2024, Thomas has moved on from Saratsis and signed with Thad Foucher of Wasserman, Lewis confirms.
Here are a few more items of interest from around the Eastern Conference:
- Checking in on the Bulls‘ trade options ahead of the deadline, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times confirms that the team has talked to the Pelicans about second-year center Yves Missi and says the Timberwolves have inquired on guards Ayo Dosunmu and Tre Jones in addition to Coby White. It could be tricky for the Bulls to make a deal for Missi since they’re not looking to part with draft assets, Cowley writes.
- The Celtics have defied expectations by remaining a legitimate contender this season even without All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (subscription required). The team has a posted a 26-16 record so far, and while there’s still no formal timeline for Tatum’s return from an Achilles tear, he continues to shown signs of progress — on Monday, he went through a one-hour workout with media in attendance, per Jay King of The Athletic. Head coach Joe Mazzulla deferred to the Celtics’ medical and sports science staff on Tatum, but said it was “interesting” that the 27-year-old did Monday’s on-court drills in front of reporters after having done most of his rehab work behind closed doors.
- The Bucks snapped a three-game losing streak on Monday in Atlanta after head coach Doc Rivers replaced guard Kevin Porter Jr. with forward Kyle Kuzma in his starting five. The results were mixed – the new lineup was outscored by one point during its 20 minutes on the court – and Rivers admitted he’s not sure if he’ll stick with it, but he explained why he wanted to try a different look. “Just size. We thought putting size in the lineup would be great,” Rivers said, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “And when you do that, you have to separate the guards. And I mean, our second unit was all plus tonight, so I thought it went really well for us. Pete Nance was phenomenal.”