Fischer’s Latest: Bucks, Mavs, Hawks, Kings, Sabonis
In addition to creating the impression that they’ll have an additional first-round pick beyond their own 10th overall selection in the draft later this month, the Bucks have some rival front offices believing they want to trade up from No. 10, writes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
Milwaukee has met with Mikel Brown and worked out Darius Acuff while also expressing interest in Keaton Wagler and Kingston Flemings, according to Fischer, noting that all four of those guards are considered likely to come off the board within the first nine picks.
One source who spoke to Fischer speculated that the Bucks are simply doing their due diligence in case one of those players slips to No. 10, pointing out that acquiring a pick in the 5-9 range won’t be easy. According to Fischer, rival teams believes the Clippers (No. 5), Kings (No. 7), and Hawks (No. 8) are all happy to stay where they are, while the Nets (No. 6) have also indicated they’re comfortable standing pat.
A team hoping to move into the top 10 might need to talk to the Mavericks (No. 9), who have let potential trade partners know that they’re very much open to the idea of moving in either direction, sources tell Fischer.
Here are a few more highlights from Fischer’s latest collection of NBA rumors:
- Although the Hawks haven’t shown any interest in moving off of the No. 8 pick, league sources tell The Stein Line that they’ve told teams they’re more than open to offers for their second first-rounder at No. 23. There’s a sense that Atlanta would prefer to make just a single first-round selection, says Fischer.
- Following up on Wednesday’s Domantas Sabonis rumors, Fischer classifies the Kings‘ talks with the Hornets as “preliminary,” reiterating that Sacramento would like to acquire either the No. 14 or 18 pick while Charlotte has resisted that idea. If the Kings move Sabonis, they’re hoping to take back as little multiyear salary as possible, Fischer adds, so a player like forward Miles Bridges, who will be entering the final year of his contract, would appeal to Sacramento.
- The Kings continue to insist they’d want first-round draft capital to part with Sabonis, a three-time All-Star, Fischer reports. They’ve shown interest in the Raptors‘ No. 19 overall pick, per Fischer, but it’s unclear whether Toronto will renew its pursuit of the Lithuanian big man after exploring a deal prior to February’s trade deadline.
- In case you missed it, we passed along Fischer’s latest reporting on Giannis Antetokounmpo earlier today.
Kings, Hornets Have Discussed Domantas Sabonis
1:23 pm: Confirming Amick’s reporting, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype says the Kings and Hornets explored a possible framework that would’ve sent Bridges, Green, and a first-round pick to Sacramento in exchange for Sabonis. However, as Amick noted, Charlotte has resisted including either of its 2026 first-rounders in a deal.
The Hornets are considering pursuing a starting-caliber center this summer, per Scotto, who adds that Kings general manager Scott Perry nearly drafted Bridges over Kevin Knox in 2018 when he was in the Knicks’ front office.
9:12 am: While a recent report stating that the Kings and Hornets discussed a possible Domantas Sabonis trade during the season was shot down, Sam Amick of The Athletic hears from league sources that the two teams have had recent talks about the big man.
Amick cautions that no deal is imminent and says it seems unlikely that will change prior to this month’s draft. However, his sources tell him that Charlotte does appear to have some level of interest in Sabonis.
As Amick explains, the Kings would ideally like to acquire one of Charlotte’s first-round picks (No. 14 or 18) in a Sabonis trade, but the Hornets want to keep those picks out of any deal and discuss the Sacramento big man later in the offseason, after the draft.
Sabonis, 30, has earned three All-Star nods since 2020. He also made the All-NBA third team in both 2023 and 2024 and led the league in rebounding for three straight seasons from 2023-25, but he was limited to just 19 total appearances in 2025/26 due to knee problems. In those 19 outings (15 starts), he averaged 15.8 points, 11.4 boards, and 4.1 assists in 29.7 minutes per game.
Sabonis tore his left meniscus tear back in November and originally opted for a non-surgical treatment plan, rehabbing the injury and returning to action a couple months later, in mid-January. Upon returning though, he appeared in just eight of Sacramento’s 15 games heading into the All-Star break and played a relatively limited role (24.9 MPG).
With the Kings well out of the playoff race and the big man seemingly not all the way back to 100%, he and the team decided to address his meniscus injury surgically and he underwent a season-ending procedure in February.
Sabonis was also involved in trade rumors prior to the 2026 trade deadline — the Raptors were the team that was most frequently linked to the big man at that time, but the Kings were said to have no interest in taking back Jakob Poeltl‘s long-term contract as part of a deal. While it’s unclear if Toronto will resume discussions about Sabonis this offseason, there’s an expectation among rival teams that the big man will be made available by a retooling Sacramento team seeking salary cap relief.
The Hornets got solid production at the five in 2025/26 from youngsters Moussa Diabate and Ryan Kalkbrenner, but neither Diabate nor Kalkbrenner is the kind of scorer or play-maker that Sabonis is. The Lithuanian center holds averages of 19.0 PPG, 13.1 RPG, and 6.9 APG since being traded to the Kings in 2022.
Sabonis’ 2025/26 cap hit is $42.3MM and he’ll make $45.5MM next season, so the Hornets would have to send out a significant amount of salary for matching purposes, along with possible draft compensation. Forward Miles Bridges, who will earn $22.8MM in 2026/27 on the final year of his contract, is one trade candidate to watch. Charlotte also has Josh Green ($14.7MM) and Grant Williams ($14.3MM) on expiring deals.
Hornets’ Miles Bridges Back On Trade Block?
The Hornets are expected to make forward Miles Bridges available in trade discussions in conjunction with this month’s draft, report Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).
[RELATED: Kings, Hornets Have Discussed Domantas Sabonis]
A 2018 lottery pick who has spent his entire NBA career in Charlotte, Bridges averaged 17.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 31.0 minutes per game in 2025/26, registering a .460/.333/.822 shooting line over the course of 77 regular season contests (all starts).
The 28-year-old signed for three years and $75MM with the Hornets in 2024 and will be entering the final year of that contract in 2026/27. Because the deal has a descending structure, Bridges’ cap hit for the coming season will be just $22.8MM. That relatively manageable figure and the fact that he’s on an expiring contract could help expand his trade market this offseason, Fischer and Stein note.
Bridges was reported in January to be drawing legitimate trade interest from a handful of potential suitors, including Milwaukee, Phoenix, and Golden State. Detroit was also linked to the veteran forward.
However, Charlotte was said to be seeking at least one first-round pick in return for Bridges and it’s unclear whether any team would have been willing to meet that price. The Hornets reportedly had some talks with the Bucks about a possible deal involving Bobby Portis, but they ultimately stood pat, hanging onto Bridges through February’s trade deadline.
While Bridges has proven to be a durable, versatile option on the wing, he’s not an elite defender or a reliable three-point shooter, having converted at least 35.0% of his outside shots just once in his seven years in the league. Potential trade partners will also need to consider his off-court history — the former Michigan State standout lost a full season in 2022/23 after he was arrested on felony domestic violence charges just ahead of his restricted free agency. He later accepted a plea deal in that case and had three criminal counts related to separate domestic allegations dismissed.
The Hornets, who finished the regular season on a 33-15 run before being eliminated in the play-in tournament, will be seeking upgrades around their core of LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Kon Knueppel this summer as they look to take another step toward contention.
Hornets Notes: Lee, Physicality, LaMelo, Knueppel, Offseason
There were several positive developments in 2025/26 for the Hornets, who improved from 19 to 44 wins and had the best net rating in the NBA from the start of January through the end of the regular season.
Still, as Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer writes, the team extended its playoff drought to a league-worst 10 straight years as a result of Friday’s drubbing at Orlando. Head coach Charles Lee said the Hornets need to learn from the loss and use it as motivation for the future.
“You’re one step away from being in the playoffs, so I don’t want to discredit that,” Lee said, “but this has got to hurt a little bit. And you’ve got to think about this offseason. When you’re in the weight room, when you’re on the court. What am I going to do to go that extra mile to get even better, because we had a ton of growth this year.
“I don’t want those guys to lose sight of the positives that they did do. I think that the resilience of the team, the competitiveness, the togetherness continue to grow. And we earned an opportunity to be right there. So, ton of good, but that was not our best effort.”
Lee referred to ’25/26 as a “stepping stone” for the Hornets, Boone adds.
“Let this fuel you,” Lee said. “But also don’t take for granted the fact that you guys earned a ton of respect from everyone throughout the league with how hard you played, how well you played. And I think that they also helped build another stepping stone for this organization.”
Here’s more from Charlotte:
- “Physicality” was a constant theme throughout the team’s exit interviews on Saturday after the Hornets were pushed around by the Magic, according to Boone. Both Lee and LaMelo Ball said getting stronger will be an area of emphasis for the former All-Star point guard. “Being able to handle physicality,” Lee said. “I think that’s just a global theme for our team. I have to figure out how to help them in that regard, but then we also have to figure out how do we have the physical toughness? Which is a lot of weight room. And then I think some of it is also just the mental execution of how to best combat it. What play do we need to run? How fast do we need to play? What are some of the basketball situations? So a lot of that will follow Melo, because he’s one of our primary ball-handlers. But then it gets spread around to the whole team, too.”
- Kon Knueppel played exceptionally well for most of ’25/26 after being selected fourth overall in last year’s draft, but he struggled down the stretch, especially in the team’s two play-in games, Boone observes. The Rookie of the Year candidate didn’t make any excuses for his late-season slump. “Yeah, no excuses,” said Knueppel, who appeared in 83 of Charlotte’s 84 games. “I just didn’t make a lot of shots. I shot really well throughout the year and you just got to the point in the last week of the season, the last two weeks of the season, just didn’t shoot it great. Sometimes that’s how it rolls. Obviously, there are some big games and you want to be able to shoot it well and you want to have your best stuff. I just didn’t have it. So, it’s frustrating. It is a long season. It’s my first time doing it, so some of that I think is a learning experience, just how to keep yourself fresh because these seasons are long. I haven’t had any off time since last college season, and so I’m looking forward to some rest. But it’ll be something I think about for sure, going forward, just one of the best ways to manage that come out ready to go next year.” Lee said he wants to see the former Duke wing become a more vocal leader, and Knueppel agreed that it was “definitely an area of improvement.”
- ESPN’s Bobby Marks previews the Hornets’ offseason, writing that re-signing Coby White and adding another prospect to their young core with their lottery pick will be top priorities. Ball, Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges will all be extension-eligible this summer, Marks notes.
Hornets Notes: Ball, Bridges, Diabate, White, Knueppel
LaMelo Ball has been a polarizing figure throughout his career, with critics arguing that his flashy style will never lead to winning basketball. That may be changing as Ball is showing signs of maturity in his sixth NBA season, including an efficient 37-point performance on Sunday as the Hornets defeated Washington, Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer writes in a subscriber-only story. Ball explained that he was “finding the best looks” rather than forcing the offense, which is just what coach Charles Lee wants to hear.
“I love it,” Lee said. “I think it just shows the continued growth and maturity that he’s proven all year. He has helped impact winning in a lot of different ways. It’s been his defensive activity. It’s been moments like that where he’s able to just keep making the right play no matter if he’s got it going, no matter if somebody else has got it going. He just has a better feel for the game. I feel like this year he’s trusting his teammates (more). I’m really proud of him for how he kind of handled himself and had the hot hand maturity in that moment.”
Ball has more weapons to work with this season with Brandon Miller healthy and Kon Knueppel in the midst of an outstanding rookie season. Ball’s percentages (40.1% from the floor and 36.7% from three-point range) haven’t changed much from his career averages, but he’s been shooting less frequently and making a greater effort to set up his teammates.
There’s more on the Hornets:
- The team is looking forward to bringing back Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate for Tuesday’s game at Chicago, Boone states in the same piece. Both players were given four-game suspensions for their roles in a February 9 fight against Detroit, forcing Grant Williams and Ryan Kalkbrenner into the starting lineup. “It’ll be very nice to get two very good players back into the lineup,” Lee said. “But I’m also really proud of the guys that stepped up in their absence and gave us some really big minutes.”
- Coby White hasn’t played since being acquired at the trade deadline, but the team is hopeful that he can return from a left calf strain during the current road trip, Boone adds. There’s a chance his Hornets debut could happen in Chicago, where White spent his first six-plus NBA seasons. “I guess the update would be that he’s made some great strides,” Lee said. “He’s been able to go through some contact portions of practice and during his rehab sessions. As long as he can continue to show up every day after a little bit more intensity on the court and the evaluations go well, he’s getting closer to being able to play.”
- Knueppel was surprised to learn that former Duke teammate Cooper Flagg spent $7,000 on a collection of his trading cards over the weekend (Twitter link). “He called me and I didn’t really realize … Like I’m not big into that stuff, so he was showing me the cards,” Knueppel told Boone. “… I didn’t realize cards were doing what they’re doing now, so I guess I’m not tapped in.”
Isaiah Stewart (Seven Games) Among Four Players Suspended By NBA
Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart has been suspended seven games by the NBA for leaving his team’s bench area, “aggressively” entering an on-court altercation, and fighting, the NBA announced on Wednesday in a press release (Twitter link).
The league also confirmed three more suspensions that stemmed from the fight between the Pistons and Hornets during Monday’s game. Hornets forward Miles Bridges and center Moussa Diabate have been suspended for four games apiece, while Pistons center Jalen Duren will be required to sit out for two games.
According to the NBA, Stewart received the most significant penalty in part because of his “repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts.” He was also the only one of the four suspended players who wasn’t already on the court and came from the bench to get involved in the melee.
Stewart was previously suspended two games for aggressively trying to confront LeBron James during a Nov. 2021 game; three games after punching Drew Eubanks prior to a game in Feb. 2024; and two games for his involvement in an altercation between the Pistons and Timberwolves last March. He also received an automatic one-game suspension last January after racking up six flagrant foul points.
The league stated that Bridges and Diabate each received four-game bans for “fighting and escalating the altercation,” while Duren was given a two-game suspension for “initiating the altercation and fighting.”
The incident occurred with just over seven minutes remaining in the third quarter of Monday’s matchup in Charlotte. Tensions between the two opposing centers came to a head after Duren received the inbound pass, drove into the lane, and was fouled hard by Diabate. The two players butted heads, then Duren pushed Diabate in the face, igniting a fight that lasted more than 30 seconds (YouTube link).
Bridges shoved Duren with two hands, while a furious Diabate rushed after and attempted to punch Duren. His punch didn’t connect as he was held by back Tobias Harris, but Diabate continued to pursue Duren, who slowly walked away along the baseline as the Hornets center was stopped by several coaches.
The incident seemed like it could have ended at that point, but then Bridges and Duren appeared to exchange words, and Bridges approached Duren and threw a left-handed punch. Duren responded with a right that didn’t connect as Stewart rushed onto the court to confront Bridges, who threw another punch. A brief and chaotic tussle ensued, with Stewart appearing to have Bridges in a headlock at one point, before the players were separated.
Duren will begin serving his suspension on Wednesday when the Pistons visit Toronto and will also miss the first game after the All-Star break, in New York. However, he’ll still be allowed to take part in his first All-Star game on Sunday, tweets NBA insider Chris Haynes.
Stewart, meanwhile, will miss the Raptors and Knicks games, then five more beyond that. He’d be eligible to return on March 3 in Cleveland. Paul Reed figures to take on a more prominent role in Detroit’s frontcourt with Duren and Stewart out.
Bridges and Diabate, meanwhile, will miss Wednesday’s Hornets game vs. Atlanta, as well as post-All-Star matchups with Houston (Feb. 19), Cleveland (Feb. 20), and Washington (Feb. 22).
The suspensions will cost each player 1/145th of his 2025/26 salary per game. That works out to $724,138 for Stewart, $689,655 for Bridges, $89,423 for Duren, and $62,641 for Diabate.
Four Players Ejected From Pistons-Hornets Game After Fight
Moussa Diabate and Miles Bridges of the Hornets and Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart of the Pistons were ejected after a fight broke out in the third quarter of Monday’s game in Charlotte, writes Steve Reed of The Associated Press.
Diabate and Duren appeared to be jawing at each other before the ball was inbounded with 7:13 remaining in the period (YouTube link via ESPN). After a little extracurricular activity between the two big men, Duren received the inbound pass, drove into the lane, and was fouled hard by Diabate. The two players appeared to butt heads, then Duren pushed Diabate in the face, igniting a fight that lasted more than 30 seconds.
Bridges shoved Duren with two hands, and Diabate was furious, rushing after and attempting to punch Duren. His punch didn’t connect as he was held by back Tobias Harris, but Diabate continued to pursue Duren, who slowly walked away along the baseline.
The incident seemed like it could have ended at that point, but then Bridges and Duren appeared to exchange words, and Bridges approached Duren and threw a left-handed punch. Duren responded with a right that didn’t connect.
Stewart, who was on the bench at the time, rushed onto the court to confront Bridges, who threw another punch. A brief and chaotic tussle ensued, with Stewart appearing to have Bridges in a headlock at one point, before the players were separated.
The incident marred a highly anticipated matchup between the Pistons, the top seed in the East, and the Hornets, who entered the game as the league’s hottest team, having won nine straight. Detroit wound up winning by six points.
Stewart left the bench, which typically results in an automatic suspension, and he has also been suspended multiple other times for fighting. ESPN’s Bobby Marks expects Detroit’s backup big man to receive a harsh penalty for his actions on Monday (Twitter link).
“Duren and Stew consider themselves to be brothers,” Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after the game (Twitter video link via Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press). “If you run two guys at one guy and you’ve already crossed the line, human instinct tells him to protect his little brother.”
Trade Rumors: AD, Mavs, Bridges, Sabonis, Pistons, More
In their initial trade discussions with teams earlier this season about big man Anthony Davis, the Mavericks were seeking multiple first-round picks or an impact player, sources tell ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. However, there were no takers at that price, even prior to Davis’ most recent injury, a hand issue that will keep him sidelined through the deadline.
While a pre-deadline Davis deal is no longer considered likely, it’s not impossible, Windhorst writes — but it would almost certainly require Dallas to drop its asking price and settle for perhaps one solid asset, plus matching salary. With no urgency to make a move right now, it probably makes more sense for the Mavs to wait until the offseason to make a decision on the 32-year-old.
Rival teams anticipate that Dallas will pursue trades involving other players in an effort to reduce their team salary for 2026/27, Tim Bontemps of ESPN says within the same story. Klay Thompson, Daniel Gafford, and D’Angelo Russell are among the Mavs’ trade candidates who have guaranteed salaries or (in Russell’s case) a player option for next season. Turning any of them into a player – or players – with expiring salary could help the Mavs manage their cap situation for next season, reducing the need to move off Davis’ maximum-salary contract, Bontemps observes.
Here are a few more of the latest trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Hornets forward Miles Bridges likely won’t be moved at the trade deadline, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic. Amick reported in January that Bridges was drawing legitimate trade interest from a handful of teams, but Charlotte has been in a roll since then, registering seven consecutive wins and moving within one game of a play-in spot. A league source tells The Athletic that the forward – for whom the Hornets were reportedly seeking at least one first-round pick – is “highly likely” to remain in Charlotte.
- In their discussions about Domantas Sabonis, the Kings have explored three-for-one or four-for-one frameworks with the Raptors, according to James Ham of The Kings Beat, who suggests such a package would start with forward RJ Barrett and may include players like Ochai Agbaji and Gradey Dick. Sacramento would also want rookie Collin Murray-Boyles, but he’s someone Toronto would “fight to hold onto,” Ham adds. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter video link) has also heard that Barrett and Agbaji have come up in the Sabonis talks between the Raptors and Kings.
- Checking in on the Pistons‘ approach to the trade deadline, Hunter Patterson of the Athletic suggests the team seems unlikely to make any major moves and hasn’t engaged in discussions involving veteran forward Tobias Harris, whom head coach J.B. Bickerstaff refers to as his “security blanket.” Detroit will be opportunistic if a favorable deal arises and still has a $14MM trade exception available, but that exception doesn’t expire until July 7, so the team could end up hanging onto it until the offseason, Patterson writes.
- Following up on a HoopsHype report that suggested the Sixers were among the team to express exploratory interest in Celtics forward/center Chris Boucher, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required) says a source downplayed Philadelphia’s interest, despite Boucher’s connection to 76ers head coach Nick Nurse.
Daniss Jenkins Reportedly Declined Two-Year Deal From Pistons
Second-year guard Daniss Jenkins recently declined a two-year, minimum-salary contract offer from the Pistons, report Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).
Jenkins, 24, is currently on a two-way deal and soon needs to be converted to a standard contact to remain eligible to play, as he’s only three games from his 50-game active limit after Friday’s win at Golden State. To be clear, the two-year offer would have covered the remainder of 2025/26 as well as 2026/27.
However, there’s still an expectation that Jenkins will come to a more lucrative contract agreement with Detroit, according to Fischer and Stein, who cite Ajay Mitchell (three years, $9MM with Oklahoma City) and Miles McBride (four years, $12MM with New York) as points of reference.
An offer above the minimum would require the Pistons to use the bi-annual exception, as they spent their entire non-taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Caris LeVert in the offseason. Bi-annual offers are limited to two years.
If the two sides are unable to reach an agreement in the short term, Fischer and Stein hear the 24-year-old is expected to receive multiyear offers in restricted free agency this summer. The Pistons would have the right to match any potential offer sheet Jenkins signs in that scenario.
Jenkins has been a rotation regular for Detroit, averaging 7.7 PPG, 3.4 APG, 1.7 RPG and 0.9 SPG on .418/.386/.787 shooting in 39 games (16.7 MPG). He’s had some memorable performances this season and has a reputation as a solid defender.
It’s worth noting that Detroit currently has a full 15-man standard roster and the team would have to make at least one change to convert Jenkins’ contact. Stein previously reported the promotion was likely to occur after the February 5 trade deadline, enabling the Pistons to maximize their financial and roster flexibility.
Although the Pistons have been signaling for weeks that they don’t plan to make a major move ahead of the trade deadline, they continue to weigh the possibility of pursuing wing scorers like Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. or Hornets forward Miles Bridges, according to Fischer and Stein. However, there’s no indication Detroit has been in active discussions about those players.
Fischer and Stein hear Charlotte wants at least one first-round pick for Bridges, while Brooklyn “is known to be seeking more than that” for Porter.
Southeast Rumors: Okongwu, Hawks, Hornets, Wizards, Magic
The Hawks have rebuffed inquiries from rival teams on center Onyeka Okongwu, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who says Atlanta isn’t looking to move Okongwu and would prefer to add more frontcourt depth around him. Indiana was said earlier this month to have interest in Okongwu.
While Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kennard are viewed as trade candidates and could be involved in a more significant trade, the Hawks have also signaled that they’re open to using their flexibility below the luxury tax line to take on additional salary if it comes with second-round draft compensation attached, Scotto writes.
The Hawks currently have nearly $7MM in breathing room below the tax threshold and have several trade exceptions at their disposal, including one worth more than $13MM. They could also cut big man N’Faly Dante, who suffered a season-ending ACL tear, if they need to open up a roster spot, Scotto observes.
Here are a few more items of interest from around the Southeast Division:
- It remains to be seen whether the Hawks will enter the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, but they have “zero interest” in trading either Jalen Johnson or their top 2026 draft pick (the most favorable of the Bucks’ and Pelicans’ first-rounders), tweets Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.
- Following up on a report stating Hornets forward Miles Bridges has drawn interest from the Bucks (and other teams), Siegel says Milwaukee and Charlotte had trade conversations about Bridges and big man Bobby Portis. While the Hornets have some level of interest in Portis, they’d want a greater return to move on from Bridges and there has been no momentum on that front, per Siegel. The Bucks may also be less inclined to pursue veteran role players like Bridges if they end up trading Antetokounmpo.
- Although a recent report indicated the Wizards have interest in Jazz center Walker Kessler and could consider making a run at him in restricted free agency this summer, Washington views Alex Sarr as its center of the future, league sources tell HoopsHype. Scotto also reports that the Wizards have received some exploratory interest on Khris Middleton and his $33.3MM expiring contract, though I imagine it would be difficult to extract real value for the veteran forward.
- The Magic have gauged the trade market for former lottery pick Jett Howard since the offseason, league sources tell Scotto. However, moving off Howard’s $5.5MM expiring contract wouldn’t get Orlando out of luxury tax territory, so Tyus Jones ($7MM) and Jonathan Isaac ($15MM) may be the more likely trade candidates for the Magic.