Lowe’s Latest: Cavs, Jordan, Magic, Nuggets, Sixers
On Monday, we rounded up some of the highlights from a Lowe Post podcast featuring ESPN’s Zach Lowe and Adrian Wojnarowski. Late last night, Lowe published an extensive look at the trade market at ESPN.com, following up on some of the scuttlebutt he shared in that podcast. While there are a few repeated items with Lowe’s piece, he also has plenty of new notes for us as Thursday’s trade deadline approaches. Let’s dive in…
- Lowe views Marc Gasol as a target that would make sense for the Cavaliers if they’re willing to trade the Nets’ 2018 first-rounder. However, he notes that the Grizzlies seem satisfied to stand pat, and the two teams haven’t discussed Gasol. Rival executives also say that the Cavs continue to act as if they won’t trade the Brooklyn pick.
- Outside of the teams already known to have expressed interest in DeAndre Jordan – such as the Rockets, Bucks, and Trail Blazers – the Wizards are another club that has looked into the Clippers center, says Lowe. However, despite investigating the market for Jordan, Washington hasn’t gained any momentum toward a deal.
- Every Magic player except for Aaron Gordon and Jonathan Isaac is “readily available,” sources tell Lowe. Most people around the league think that Elfrid Payton will be playing somewhere besides Orlando next season, Lowe adds.
- As Lowe observes, Nuggets may not be able to afford Will Barton‘s next contract, but the team appears okay with holding onto him through the deadline and risking losing him for nothing this summer. Denver also remains on the lookout for point guards, having kicked the tires on Pacers backup Cory Joseph, per Lowe. However, potential targets like Joseph and Garrett Temple may not be viable due to the guaranteed 2018/19 money on their contracts.
- The Sixers are approaching the trade deadline as buyers, but no longer have as many extra first-round draft picks as they’ve had in recent years, so they may only willing to dangle second-rounders, says Lowe.
- According to Lowe, the Timberwolves have been very cautious about discussing the 2018 first-rounder they’ll get from the Thunder, since they recognize they’ll need cheap players to fill out the roster as Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns get very expensive.
- The Warriors remain on the lookout for bench help — they inquired on Avery Bradley, but got nowhere, league sources tell Lowe.
- The Heat don’t appear to have traction on any major deals, according to Lowe.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/5/18
Here are Monday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Pacers assigned swingman Glenn Robinson III to their Fort Wayne affiliate on a rehab assignment and then quickly recalled him, according the team’s website. Robinson has appeared in two G League games and is close to returning after suffering a left ankle injury during the preseason.
- The Bulls assigned guard Cameron Payne to the Windy City Bulls, the team tweets. Payne has not played for either team this season due to a right foot injury.
- The Lakers assigned center Thomas Bryant to the South Bay Lakers, according the G League team’s Twitter feed. Bryant has already appeared in 22 games with South Bay, averaging 19.3 PPG and 7.0 RPG.
- The Blazers recalled rookie forward Caleb Swanigan from the Canton Charge, The Oregonian reports. Swanigan has posted averages of 14.2 PPG and 11.9 RPG in 14 G League games.
- The Spurs recalled rookie guard Derrick White from the Austin Spurs, according to a team press release. He’s averaged 15.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG and 2.6 APG in 13 games with Austin.
- The Warriors assigned center Damian Jones to their Santa Cruz affiliate, per team release. Jones has started all 33 games for the G League team, averaging 15.3 PPG and 8.0 RPG.
Pacers Guard Darren Collison Out 2-3 Weeks
Pacers guard Darren Collison will undergo arthroscopic left knee surgery and miss 2-3 weeks, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports tweets.
This comes as somewhat of a surprise, considering Collison hadn’t missed any recent game action. He played 33 minutes against the Sixers on Saturday and 30 minutes the previous night against the Hornets.
Collison has started 52 of a possible 54 games for Indiana this season, averaging 12.8 PPG and 5.3 APG for a team that appears headed for a playoff berth. In his absence, Cory Joseph and Joe Young will likely pick up his minutes.
This could scuttle any trade talk involving Collison. The Nuggets were reportedly very interested in Collison’s services. Collison signed a two-year, $20MM contract over the summer but the second year isn’t guaranteed.
Glenn Robinson Recalled After Rehab Assignment
- The Pacers have recalled swingman Glenn Robinson III from their G League affiliate in Fort Wayne, the team announced. He was on a rehab assignment after undergoing surgery on his left ankle in October. Robinson has yet to play in the NBA this season.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/3/18
Here are Saturday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Pacers have assigned swingman Glenn Robinson III to their G League affiliate in Fort Wayne, the team announced on its website. He is on a rehab assignment after undergoing surgery on his left ankle in October. Robinson had a career-best season for the Pacers last year, averaging 6.1 points in 69 games. He has yet to play in the NBA this season, but did score 12 points for the Mad Ants on Thursday.
- The Bucks assigned rookie power forward D.J. Wilson to their Wisconsin affiliate, according to the team website. He has appeared in 18 NBA games, but is averaging just 3.3 minutes per night.
Glenn Robinson III Plays In G League On Rehab Assignment
- Glenn Robinson III continues to work his way back from left ankle surgery, heading on a G League assignment today to play for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Pacers announced in a press release. Robinson played 27 minutes in the day game, picking up 12 points on 5-of-14 shooting. Rookie Ike Anigbogu joined GRIII on the G League assignment.
Nuggets Have Serious Interest In Darren Collison
With this season’s trade deadline just a week away, the Nuggets are known to be in the market for a veteran point guard, writes Sam Amick of USA Today. Two sources with knowledge of the situation tell Amick that one guard on Denver’s radar is Darren Collison, who is drawing “serious interest” from the Nuggets.
Collison, 30, has served as the Pacers’ starting point guard this season and has played well, averaging 12.9 PPG and 5.3 APG in 50 games (30.2 MPG). His .497 FG% and .432 3PT% are career highs.
Indiana is currently tied for the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, with a 29-23 record, so it’d be surprising if the team moves its starting point guard. Amick’s report indicates the Pacers have rebuffed the Nuggets’ trade efforts so far. Still, the team has a little depth at point guard — Cory Joseph has been solid as Collison’s backup and could slide into the starting lineup. Joe Young‘s role could be expanded if necessary, and Victor Oladipo and Lance Stephenson are capable of handling the ball too.
The Nuggets currently have Jamal Murray starting at point guard, with Will Barton spending some time at the one as well; Emmanuel Mudiay has seen his role reduced this season. According to Amick, Denver would like to be able to return Barton to his “super sixth man” role rather than relying on him for point guard duties.
Amick suggests that Kings point guard George Hill, who drew interest from the Nuggets in the offseason, might be another potential Denver target at the deadline. However, Hill’s $20MM cap hit and his guaranteed money beyond this season would be a deterrent. Collison is on a more team-friendly contract, at $10MM this season — only $2MM of his $10MM salary for 2018/19 is guaranteed.
According to Amick, the Nuggets also hope to find a way to clear a 15-man roster spot for two-way player Torrey Craig at some point.
Pacers Don't Want To Mess With Team Chemistry
The Pacers find themselves firmly in the Eastern Conference playoff conversation after a busy offseason but don’t expect the organization to start mortgaging its long-term future for short-term success.
The Fox Sports Indiana crew interviewed Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan on Saturday night about the team’s mindset as the February 8 trade deadline approaches.
“We’ve had such a great chemistry, you’re reluctant to disrupt that,” Buchanan said. “You also want to do what’s right for the [Pacers] long term. We’re in no hurry to change up anything with this team.”
Of course Buchanan is well aware of where the Pacers stack up against the rest of the league. For that reason, the club is looking only for something sustainable that they can build around for the next three, four (five, six, seven) years.
Buchanan did note that one aspect the Pacers are always looking to shore up is shooting. “The way the league is going right now, shooting is a premium,” he said. “The more shooting you can put around a playmaker like Victor. Those guys need space.”
Myles Turner Rusty After Absence
- After a nine-game absence, Pacers big man Myles Turner needs to shake some rust off and work his way back into game shape, Clifton Brown of The Indianapolis Star writes. “You could see that he was a little hesitant,” head coach Nate McMillan said. “He had an open look that I’ve never seen Myles pass up. We knew he would be a little rusty. We wanted to be patient with him and really watch him.“
Pacers Notes: Robinson, Turner, Sabonis
- The Pacers provided an injury update this week on swingman Glenn Robinson III after he practiced with the club for the first time since September. Robinson, who underwent ankle surgery in the fall, is “still a ways away,” according to head coach Nate McMillan, but there’s a small chance he’ll play before the All-Star break, tweets Scott Agness of Vigilant Sports.
- Indiana center Myles Turner is getting close to returning from an injury of his own, but Pacers fans shouldn’t expect him to slide into the starting lineup alongside Domantas Sabonis, writes Mark Montieth of Pacers.com. Turner will likely come off the bench at first, then reclaim his starting spot from Sabonis once he gets his legs back under him, since McMillan has no interest in having both players in the starting lineup.