Cavs, Kings, Bulls Finalize Trade Involving Ellis, Hunter, More
The Cavaliers, Kings and Bulls have officially completed their three-team trade, according to press releases from Cleveland, Sacramento and Chicago.
The full deal is as follows:
- Cavaliers acquire Keon Ellis, Dennis Schröder, and Emanuel Miller; waived Luke Travers.
- Kings acquire De’Andre Hunter.
- Bulls acquire Dario Saric, 2027 second-round pick, and 2029 second-round pick; waived Jevon Carter.
“After careful evaluation and a clearer view of the Eastern Conference landscape, we believe adding Dennis and Keon strengthens our depth, expands our flexibility, and positions us to keep building a Championship caliber team now and into the future,” Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman said in a statement.
“In a season defined by its parity, this move better aligns us for a deeper postseason run. I’m thankful as well to De’Andre, who made an immediate impact upon his arrival to Cleveland and represented the Cavaliers with class. We appreciate everything he did for us both on and off the court, and we wish him the best in Sacramento. We drafted Luke in 2022 and have seen his development improve each year and thank him for his contributions to the franchise.”
Our primary breakdown of the trade can be found here. The involvement of Miller and Travers was outlined here.
The Kings have now have two standard roster openings after sending out three players (Ellis, Schröder, Saric) for one (Hunter). They will have 14 days to get back to at least 14 players on standard contracts. The Cavs and Bulls, meanwhile, have full 18-man rosters.
Trade Rumors: Jones, Smith, Bulls, Kings, Cavs, Sharpe
The Bulls have been receiving interest in point guard Tre Jones and forward/center Jalen Smith over the past few weeks, writes Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. While Jones seems to be available, Poe suggests the Bulls are unlikely to trade Smith unless they get an appealing offer.
Both Jones and Smith have guaranteed contracts for next season. Jones’ deal also features a $8MM team option for 2027/28.
According to Poe, any of Chicago’s players on expiring contracts could be on the move prior to the deadline if the Bulls receive a “reasonable return.” The Bulls already showed a willingness to take on unwanted salary when they agreed to acquire Dario Saric for a pair of second-round picks (they’re waiving Jevon Carter to make roster space).
However, that doesn’t mean the Bulls are going to make trades just for the sake of it, particularly one that involves a player like Coby White, multiple sources tell Poe.
Most of the players on Chicago’s roster are in their mid-20s and have been in the league for several years. Head coach Billy Donovan says the team is focused on acquiring more young talent.
“We have to keep building out with younger people,” Donovan said, per Poe. “I don’t think there’s any question about that from a roster standpoint. … If you’re just talking about the guys that are here that are going to be under contract, they’re going to need more. So however those conversations take place, whether it’s in July or whether it’s at the trade deadline, I think the front office is looking to try to build it out as best they can.”
Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- The Kings had opportunities to trade Keon Ellis for multiple second-round picks, but they wanted to unload Dennis Schröder‘s contract and value De’Andre Hunter‘s size and length, viewing him as a better positional fit moving forward, sources tell Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. As Siegel reported a few days ago, the Lakers also had interest in Hunter, but they were leery of taking on the $24.9MM he’s owed next season without receiving draft compensation in return, so they backed out of conversations with the Cavaliers.
- According to Siegel, the Kings are viewed as the “biggest sellers” at the deadline, and they have been making trade calls involving Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk. Of the three players, Sacramento is most motivated to move Monk, Siegel adds (via Twitter). A “few” teams — most notably the Raptors — have some interest in Sabonis, but there doesn’t seem to be much of a market for DeRozan or Monk, per Siegel.
- The Cavaliers continue to dangle Lonzo Ball in trade talks, according to Siegel (Twitter link). The veteran guard has had a disappointing first season in Cleveland and earns $10MM this season, with a $10MM team option for ’26/27.
- As Siegel observes, if the Cavaliers decide to retain Ellis long term (he will be extension-eligible on Feb. 9), that could have an impact on the futures of Sam Merrill and Max Strus. While I’m skeptical the Cavs would move Merrill given how well he’s played this season when healthy, Strus has yet to play in ’25/26 due offseason foot surgery and ’26/27 is the final year of his contract. Siegel suggests those sorts of conversations would likely wait until the summer and may depend on what happens with Ellis.
- The Nets appear to be reluctant to trade Day’Ron Sharpe, but the backup center has drawn interest from the Lakers, Raptors, Celtics and Pacers, Siegel reports.
Cavaliers To Acquire Ellis, Schröder In Three-Team Trade
The Cavaliers will send De’Andre Hunter to the Kings in exchange for Keon Ellis and Dennis Schröder, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The three-team trade also includes the Bulls, who will pick up Dario Saric from Sacramento and will receive two second-round picks as well.
The trade will save Cleveland nearly $50MM in salary and luxury tax this season, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link).
The Cavs unload Hunter’s $23.3MM contract while taking back Schröder at $14.1MM and Ellis at $2.3MM. The move takes the Cavs from $22MM to just $13.9MM above the second apron and brings their total payroll down to $221.7MM, per cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link).
The Cavaliers were among many reported suitors for Ellis, an accomplished defensive guard who is set for free agency this summer. He will become eligible for an extension worth up to $52MM over three years on February 9, and Cleveland will acquire his Bird rights in the deal.
Ellis fell out of the Kings’ rotation early in the season, which prompted trade speculation, but he still appeared in 43 games, averaging 5.6 points and 1.1 steals in 17.6 minutes per night with .397/.368/.625 shooting numbers.
Schröder, 32, will be joining his 11th NBA team. He was one of Sacramento’s major offseason additions, agreeing to a three-year, $44.4MM contract as part of a sign-and-trade deal with Detroit. However, he shot poorly from the field and eventually lost his starting job to Russell Westbrook. Schröder has two more years left on his contract at $14.8MM and $15.5MM with a $4.3MM guarantee on the final season. He’s also a strong defensive guard and had a positive impact on the Pistons after they traded for him at last year’s deadline.
Gozlan points out (via Twitter) that the Cavs have an opportunity to get below the second apron by unloading Lonzo Ball‘s $10MM contract and a couple of minimum salaries. He notes that they have three more tradable second-round picks to use for further moves before the deadline.
The Cavaliers added Hunter in a deal last February in hopes that he would become a dependable small forward to team with their four established starters. However, he has been more effective off the bench since coming to Cleveland and wound up being an expensive backup with the emergence of Jaylon Tyson. He has one more year left on his contract at $24.9MM and will get a chance to revive his career in Sacramento.
In a full story, Charania notes that trading two players for one will give the Kings roster flexibility to convert two-way big man Dylan Cardwell to a standard contract.
Saric, who has an expiring $5.4MM deal, will be absorbed into a $6.2MM trade exception Chicago has from last year’s Zach LaVine deal, according to Marks (Twitter link). The Bulls don’t have a roster opening, so they’re waiving Jevon Carter in order for the trade to be completed, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link). The 30-year-old guard has a $6.8MM expiring contract and will become a free agent once he passes through waivers.
Chicago’s draft compensation for helping to facilitate the deal will be a 2027 second-rounder from the Cavs that originally belonged to Denver and a 2029 second-rounder from the Kings that includes stipulations, reports Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. It will be the least favorable of picks among Detroit, Milwaukee and New York, according to Charania.
League sources tell Siegel that the Cavaliers were reluctant to take on Schröder’s contract during trade negotiations, but the Kings threatened to move onto other offers if they couldn’t unload the veteran guard. Ellis was at the top of the Cavs’ wish list heading into the deadline, Siegel adds, so they decided to accept Sacramento’s terms.
Sacramento was hoping to land a first-round pick for exchange for Ellis, but several teams that had expressed interest recently turned away, including the Pacers, Celtics and Timberwolves, sources close to the Kings tell Sam Amick of The Athletic.
According to Amick, Indiana was concerned about finding enough playing time for Ellis while Bennedict Mathurin is still on the roster. Even though Mathurin may be traded by Thursday’s deadline, the Pacers believed it was too much of a risk to part with a first-rounder.
The Wolves had been willing to include two second-round picks as part of their offer, Amick adds, but their priorities changed over the past week when it began to appear that Giannis Antetokounmpo would be available.
Trade Rumors: Ellis, Hunter, Ball, Bucks, Sochan, Deadline
In addition to the Cavaliers, the Lakers, Pacers, Spurs and Celtics are among the many suitors for Kings guard Keon Ellis, sources tell Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). The Timberwolves and Knicks have also been mentioned as teams interested in Ellis.
The 26-year-old is an intriguing trade candidate because his $2.3MM expiring contract makes him an attainable piece for just about any NBA team. If he’s dealt, Ellis’ Bird rights would travel with him and he’d become extension-eligible on February 9, just a few days after the trade deadline.
Cleveland has seemed to be in the best position to acquire Ellis over the past 48 hours, Fischer reports (via Twitter), but other teams are still in the mix as well.
According to Stein and Fischer, while the Kings are reluctant to take on long-term money in trades, they’re believed to be open to that possibility if Malik Monk is included the deal. Sacramento has also brought up including DeMar DeRozan in trades involving Ellis.
Here are several more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Although the Lakers have been mentioned multiple times as a potential suitor for De’Andre Hunter, Stein and Fischer hear Los Angeles’ interest in the Cavaliers forward has been “repeatedly overstated.” As Stein and Fischer explain, Hunter’s $24.9MM salary for next season would inhibit the Lakers’ offseason flexibility, which they prefer to maintain.
- Before Giannis Antetokounmpo became the focus of the trade deadline, the Bucks made offers for Hunter centered around Kyle Kuzma and/or Bobby Portis, Stein and Fischer confirm. Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reported on Friday that Milwaukee had pitched Cleveland on the idea of a Portis/Hunter trade, but the Cavaliers declined. The Warriors also held a level of interest in Hunter, per Stein and Fischer, but that was before the Bucks began listening to offers for Antetokounmpo and now their focus is on the two-time MVP.
- The Wizards have checked in with the Cavaliers about Lonzo Ball and have let teams know they’re willing to be a salary dumping ground if they receive draft compensation in return, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Cleveland is the only team in the NBA over the second tax apron, and Ball — who is shooting just 26.9% from three-point range — is on pseudo-expiring $10MM contract ($10MM team option for next season).
- While this sort of move would be contingent on what happens with other trade constructs, the Bucks have expressed interest in packaging some of their minimum-salary contracts to acquire higher-priced players, including Nets guard Cam Thomas and Mavericks guard D’Angelo Russell, sources tell Scotto. As Scotto explains, Milwaukee’s goal would be to either take an upside swing (Thomas) or add second-round picks by taking on unwanted money (Russell). Thomas, an unrestricted free agent this summer, holds an implied no-trade clause after signing his qualifying offer last offseason.
- Several teams — including the Suns — have talked to the Spurs about fourth-year forward Jeremy Sochan, according to Scotto. Those discussions, which Scotto describes as exploratory, also involved Phoenix center Nick Richards, but the Suns weren’t interested in that swap because it would have pushed them deeper into the luxury tax, which they’d prefer to dip below.
- We’ve only seen one in-season trade to this point. One veteran NBA executive who spoke to Stein and Fischer is optimistic about that number rising significantly in the coming days. “I still think the avalanche is coming,” said the team official.
Cavs, Kings Discussing Deal Involving Hunter, Ellis
The Cavaliers and Kings have discussed the framework of a deal involving forward De’Andre Hunter and guard Keon Ellis, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports.
In that scenario, Hunter would be dealt to the Kings for Ellis, Dennis Schröder, and Dario Saric. It’s also possible that a third team could be involved to take on Saric’s contract with second-round draft pick compensation added as a sweetener.
Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported on Friday that trade talks involving Ellis were intensifying and that Cleveland was among the teams in the mix. Ellis becomes extension-eligible on February 9, shortly after the trade deadline. If he doesn’t sign a new contract, he’ll enter unrestricted free agency this summer. He’s making just $2.3MM this season.
Schröder would present a more long-term commitment for the Cavs. He’s making $14.1MM this season and is owed $14.81MM for next season. He also has a partial guarantee of $4.35MM for the 2027/28 season. Saric is on an expiring $5.43MM deal.
Hunter, who has been a disappointment since Cleveland acquired him from Atlanta, is making $23.3MM this season and is on the books for $24.91MM next season. As a second-apron team, the Cavs can’t use Hunter’s contract to take back more salary than they send out, but Ellis, Schröder, and Saric earn a combined $21.8MM and could be accommodated.
The two teams have also discussed another scenario involving Ellis in which he would be paired with Malik Monk in a deal for Hunter. However, the Cavaliers are concerned about Monk’s contact, which has two years and $41.77MM remaining on it over the next two seasons, Scotto notes.
The Cavaliers have also talked about moving Hunter with at least one other prominent team — Scotto confirms they’ve discussed the framework of a deal that would land Hunter with the Lakers in exchange for Rui Hachimura and Dalton Knecht. That proposed deal would also include a third team, possibly Brooklyn.
Hachimura has an expiring $18.26MM contract. Knecht is making $4MM this season in the second year of his rookie deal.
Cavs Rumors: Giannis, Hunter, Ball, Lakers, Ellis, More
While there have been no indications to this point that the Cavaliers are considering making an offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo, the possibility can’t be ruled out, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscriber link).
“It’s Giannis,” a rival NBA executive told Fedor. “Nothing more needs to be said.”
As Fedor writes, the Cleveland’s pathway to a potential deal for the Bucks superstar would be very complicated and would require a significant reduction in payroll — as a second-apron team, the Cavaliers can’t currently aggregate salaries for matching purposes and can’t take in more money than they send out. So in that sense, a Giannis trade is a long shot.
On the other hand, sources tell Fedor that the Cavs have been aggressively looking for roster upgrades ahead of the deadline, and they also have one of the top players who could theoretically be dangled in talks for Antetokounmpo — Evan Mobley, last year’s Defensive Player of the Year. On the Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link), ESPN’s Brian Windhorst also pointed to Mobley as a centerpiece to a potential Cavs offer.
The Cavaliers, who have dealt with several injuries in 2025/26, have underachieved this season and are facing pressure to contend for championships. No individual player they could theoretically acquire would be remotely as impactful as Antetokounmpo, who has finished top four in MVP voting each of the past seven years.
Still, Cleveland is on the upswing, Fedor notes, having won five straight games and seven of the past eight. The front office has also yet to show any desire to make that sort of drastic mid-season overhaul, with blockbuster moves viewed as more likely to occur in the offseason, depending on what happens in the playoffs.
Here are a few more highlights from Fedor’s report:
- Fedor continues to hear De’Andre Hunter and Lonzo Ball are the most likely Cavs to be headed out of Cleveland in the coming days. Confirming reporting from Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, Fedor says the Cavaliers have discussed a trade framework with the Lakers that would send Hunter to Los Angeles in exchange for Rui Hachimura and Dalton Knecht. Sources tell Fedor the Lakers have also countered by offering the expiring contracts of Gabe Vincent and Maxi Kleber. Those talks have involved a third team as well — Fedor doesn’t specify which club it is, but Siegel said it was the Nets.
- Before they reportedly started listening to offers for Giannis, the Bucks explored the possibility of acquiring Hunter using a package built around Bobby Portis. The Cavs declined that proposal, sources tell Fedor.
- Fedor confirms the Cavs are one of many suitors for Kings guard Keon Ellis, noting that Malik Monk could be included as well if Hunter is sent to Sacramento.
- Reiterating a point he previously made, Fedor says the Cavs are eyeing Mavericks forward Naji Marshall. The framework would involve Ball and unspecified draft assets being sent to Dallas, though Fedor points out that Marshall has drawn interest from multiple teams. It’s also unclear if the Cavs would be willing to part with their lone tradable first-round pick (either 2031 or 2032) for a role player, even a quality one like Marshall.
- Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu, Pelicans forward Saddiq Bey and Wizards forward Justin Champagnie are among the other players who might interest the Cavs, Fedor writes.
Keon Ellis Trade Talks Intensify, Cavs Among Suitors
Since Marc Stein reported over the weekend that Keon Ellis appears to be the player most likely to be moved at the February 5 deadline, trade talks involving the Kings guard have only intensified, Stein and his colleague Jake Fischer said on Friday (Twitter link).
According to Fischer (Twitter link), Sacramento is “sifting through” a number of trade scenarios involving Ellis, some of which would involve him being packaged with a higher-salary veteran such as DeMar DeRozan or Malik Monk.
A three-and-D guard who has a career three-point percentage of 41.4% and a team-friendly cap hit of $2.3MM, Ellis has seen inconsistent playing time during his stint with the Kings and has faced questions about his size and his ability to slow down bigger guards. However, he’s viewed as an intriguing target for teams in need of defensive help, with Sacramento reportedly seeking a late first-round pick.
Because Ellis’ cap hit is so modest, nearly any team in the NBA could put together an offer for him. Stein stated earlier this week that about 14 clubs had registered interest, and reports in recent weeks have provided at least a partial list of those clubs — the Timberwolves, Pacers, Celtics, Knicks, Lakers, Clippers, Bucks, and Warriors have all been linked to Ellis since mid-January.
According to Stein and Fischer, the Cavaliers are also among the teams with an eye on Ellis, who will become eligible for a contract extension on February 9 and would reach unrestricted free agency this summer if he doesn’t sign a new deal before then.
As a second-apron team, Cleveland wouldn’t be able to acquire Ellis without sending out a player who has a larger cap hit. Lonzo Ball ($10MM) is among the Cavs’ trade candidates, as is De’Andre Hunter ($23.3MM), but there’s not a lower-salary player on the roster who would make sense as an obvious outgoing piece in an Ellis deal unless the club is willing to move Dean Wade ($6.6MM).
For what it’s worth, Monk and Ellis make a combined $21MM, so Cleveland could theoretically take both players back in a trade involving Hunter. DeRozan’s cap hit ($24.6MM) rules him out as an incoming piece for the Cavs in a Hunter deal.
Knicks Rumors: KAT, Giannis, Yabusele, Targets, Bridges
The Knicks reportedly spoke to the Bucks about a possible Giannis Antetokounmpo trade last offseason after the two-time MVP identified New York as a preferred landing spot, but those talks didn’t go anywhere. That could be partly because Karl-Anthony Towns was rumored to be the Knicks’ outgoing salary, and some people around the league don’t highly value the former No. 1 overall pick.
“I don’t think there is a [trade] market for KAT,” an NBA executive told Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscriber link). “Not that he is a bad player, but he’s not a winning player. … It’s too much money to spend on him.”
Knicks sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic that the offseason trade talks involving the two big men created “hard feelings” between Towns and the front office that “remain to this day.”
For his part, Towns downplayed his name being involved in recent trade chatter, Bondy writes in another story. The five-time All-Star has known Leon Rose for years, as the Knicks’ president was Towns’ former agent at CAA, but they haven’t spoken about any of the speculation.
“I feel like I’ve been in trade rumors a lot for a lot of times, for a year damn near. That don’t matter to me,” said Towns, who was traded from the Timberwolves to the Knicks before last season. “I don’t look at social media or none of that stuff. I focus on the job on hand which is trying to get wins every single night. As long as I do that, I do my job, I go home happy and I feel accomplished. I’m not worried about what anybody got to say or people write or anything like that.”
Here are a few more rumors and notes from New York:
- According to Bondy, the Knicks remain highly interested in Antetokounmpo, but Milwaukee is reportedly looking for “blue-chip young talent” and several draft picks in any deal involving the nine-time All-NBA forward, and New York simply lacks the necessary assets to have a competitive bid compared to other teams, which control their future first-round picks. Unless Antetokounmpo specifically requests to be traded to the Knicks, they’re a “long shot” to land him, says Bondy. Of course, even if Giannis does prefer to play in New York, the Bucks aren’t obligated to fulfill the request. New York’s odds of landing Antetokounmpo would theoretically improve in the offseason, Bondy notes, when the team will have two first-round picks to trade, as opposed to the top-eight protected 2026 first-round pick the Knicks currently control from the Wizards that will likely turn into two second-rounders.
- The Knicks are still actively looking to unload Guerschon Yabusele‘s contract and have been talking to multiple teams about possible trades, Bondy reports (subscription required). Bondy continues to hear Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado is on the team’s radar, and confirms Yves Missi is as well. Kings guard Keon Ellis is another player who has fans in the Knicks organization, a source tells Bondy.
- Yabusele, a french forward/center, holds a $5.8MM player option for next season. When asked about the possibility of returning to the EuroLeague at some point, Yabusele didn’t rule it out but said his focus is on the NBA, per Toni Canyameras of Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo (Twitter video link). “I feel like that’s a good question,” Yabusele said. “I definitely don’t know what tomorrow is going to be like or anything like that. But I never close my door on anything. Obviously it was so [difficult to make it back] to the NBA [that I’m focused on staying] in the NBA, but we will see what opportunities present themselves. There’s definitely going to be a conversation to have, and [we’ll] see what the [European options are]. We will see. I will never say never [to a potential return].”
- Veteran wing Mikal Bridges has been in a slump for most of the past month, but he torched the Raptors in Wednesday’s win at Toronto, finishing with 30 points on 12-of-15 shooting in 36 minutes. Bridges, a Philadelphia native who played college ball at Villanova, struggled in Saturday’s loss in Philly, scoring just nine points on 3-of-16 shooting. He said that game served as something of a wake-up call (Twitter video link via Knicks on MSG). “I think a lot of it comes from not just shooting the ball, I think I just wasn’t playing how I was supposed to be playing. I think I wasn’t coachable enough,” Bridges said. “I don’t know what it was. Maybe I felt too much entitlement. Just kinda had to talk to myself a little bit about it and just be coachable and be the best teammate I can be and let the basketball speak for itself.”
Pacific Rumors: Lakers, Clippers, Kings, Sabonis, Suns
Lakers forward Rui Hachimura and his expiring $18.3MM contract are considered available as Los Angeles scours the market for help on the wing, according to reports from Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The team has also dangled Gabe Vincent ($11.5MM) and Maxi Kleber ($11MM) on the trade market, Scotto notes.
Turner and Scotto provide a long list of names viewed as potential Lakers targets, including Cavaliers forward De’Andre Hunter, Mavericks forward Naji Marshall, Pelicans forward Saddiq Bey, Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo, Kings guard Keon Ellis, and several players who have previously been linked to L.A., like Herbert Jones, Andrew Wiggins, and Jonathan Kuminga.
According to Turner, Hachimura’s strong play as of late has increased his trade value while also potentially making him less expendable for the Lakers. Turner confirms that second-year wing Dalton Knecht is another potential trade candidate to watch, as Marc Stein reported in the past 24 hours.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- The red-hot Clippers aren’t looking to trade Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, or Ivica Zubac, but John Collins isn’t off limits, according to Turner. Sources tell the L.A. Times that acquiring a pick-and-roll oriented point guard and creating room on the roster to promote two-way players Kobe Sanders and Jordan Miller are among the Clippers’ goals at the trade deadline.
- The Kings have had discussions with some teams about the possibility of packaging DeMar DeRozan and Ellis together in a trade, sources tell HoopsHype. Scotto also checks in on the Domantas Sabonis situation, reporting that at least one team was told Sacramento would be seeking at least one first-round pick in return for the big man. In talks with the Raptors about Sabonis, RJ Barrett and Ochai Agbaji have been discussed, but the Kings are resistant to taking on the pricey long-term contracts of Jakob Poeltl and/or Immanuel Quickley, Scotto adds.
- Confirming reporting from the Arizona Republic, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) says the Suns are on the lookout for an upgrade at power forward, in the hopes of finding a player who can provide more “scoring punch” than current starter Royce O’Neale. However, Phoenix isn’t just looking for a short-term rental, per Fischer, who writes that the front office will be mindful of the long-term price and fit of any acquisition.
Stein’s Latest: Sochan, Knecht, Pelicans, Kessler, Towns, Ellis, Dinwiddie
The Spurs have given Jeremy Sochan and his representatives permission to explore a potential trade, league sources tell Marc Stein of The Stein Line (subscription required).
Sochan was selected with the ninth pick in the 2022 draft and was a consistent starter during his first two seasons in San Antonio. He has been pushed out of the rotation as the team has improved and has only appeared in 27 games this season, averaging 4.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 13.1 minutes per night. Shooting continues to be an issue for the 22-year-old power forward, who is only connecting at 46.9% from the field and 28.7% from three-point range for his career.
The Knicks have been speculated as a potential Sochan suitor in their search for low-cost frontcourt help. He has a $7.1MM expiring contract and will be a restricted free agent this summer if he receives a qualifying offer.
Stein shares more inside information from around the league:
- Second-year Lakers small forward Dalton Knecht could also be on the move, according to Stein. He was a first-round pick in 2024, but is only seeing 12.5 minutes per night in 36 games this season and hasn’t played at all outside of garbage time over the past two weeks. Knecht was sent to Charlotte at last year’s deadline as part of a Mark Williams deal that was later rescinded.
- The Pelicans are seeking a “Desmond Bane-type offer” to part with Trey Murphy III or Herbert Jones, Stein states. Memphis received four future first-round picks and a first-round pick swap when Bane was sent to Orlando last summer. While New Orleans continues to flounder at the bottom of the West, both players are under long-term contracts, so there’s no urgency to move them.
- League sources tell Stein that the Jazz are confident about re-signing center Walker Kessler, who’s out for the season following left shoulder surgery. The Wizards are expected to pursue Kessler to team with Alex Sarr, according to Stein, but Utah will be able to match any offer for the restricted free agent.
- Teams around the league are watching the Knicks to see if they’re willing to consider moving Karl-Anthony Towns before the deadline or if they’re holding onto him as an asset for a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, Stein adds.
- Stein hears that an estimated 14 teams have expressed interest in Kings guard Keon Ellis. In an earlier column, Stein cited Ellis as possibly the most likely player to be traded before the deadline.
- Former NBA guard Spencer Dinwiddie said on a recent podcast that he’s interested in signing with the Rockets, Stein relays. Dinwiddie is a free agent after parting ways with Bayern Munich earlier this month, but Stein states that Houston is unlikely to consider any signings until the deadline passes.