Scotto’s Latest: Celtics, Simons, Boucher, Wolves, Knicks, More
Avoiding the luxury tax this season isn’t necessarily a top priority for the Celtics, who have conveyed to rival teams that they’re not looking to attach a first-round pick to Anfernee Simons‘ expiring $27.7MM contract in a cost-cutting move, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Presumably, the Celtics would remain open to the idea of moving Simons and draft compensation for a meaningful upgrade, but not for a lateral move that simply reduces their tax bill. For instance, Scotto says the Bulls inquired earlier this season about a swap of Simons and a first-round pick for center Nikola Vucevic, which didn’t interest Boston.
On the other hand, the Celtics did kick the tires on the possibility of a deal sending Simons, a first-round pick, and a first-round pick swap to the Clippers in exchange for big man Ivica Zubac and salary filler, but they didn’t gain any momentum on that front, per Scotto. Having won 16 of their past 19 games, the Clippers reportedly aren’t entertaining the idea of a Zubac trade at this point.
Although they’d be open to a deal that upgrades their frontcourt, the Celtics are also weighing the possibility of trading some of their depth in the middle, given that Neemias Queta has played well as the starting five and Luka Garza is handling the backup role. Chris Boucher and Xavier Tillman are possible trade candidates, Scotto writes, citing league sources who say the Hawks, Sixers, and Suns are among the teams to express exploratory interest in Boucher.
Here are a few more of the highlights from Scotto’s latest rumor round-up:
- The Timberwolves have been receiving calls from rival teams about key contributors like Naz Reid, Jaden McDaniels, and Donte DiVincenzo, but they highly value those players and aren’t looking to move any of them, according to Scotto. McDaniels is viewed as borderline untouchable, while Minnesota would likely only seriously consider moving Reid and DiVincenzo for an All-Star caliber player, Scotto adds.
- Although there were some whispers about the possibility of the Spurs and Knicks swapping Jeremy Sochan for Guerschon Yabusele and Pacome Dadiet, San Antonio wasn’t interested in that construction due to Yabusele’s $5.8MM player option for next season, says Scotto.
- As the Knicks consider their trade options, they’re willing to include the Wizards’ top-eight protected 2026 first-round pick to upgrade their roster, per Scotto. That pick almost certainly won’t convey, which means it would instead turn into Washington’s 2026 and 2027 second-round selections, but given where the Wizards are in their rebuild, those second-rounders are still considered valuable.
- As Ayo Dosunmu nears unrestricted free agency, some executives around the NBA believe the Bulls guard will be in line for a contract in the neighborhood of the full mid-level exception or even higher, Scotto writes.
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.
Bulls More Likely To Trade White Than Dosunmu
Bulls guards Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, and Tre Jones have all drawn interest from potential trade partners leading up to next Thursday’s deadline, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). However, one of those players appears more likely to be dealt than the others.
Fischer identifies White as the Bulls guard who is the best bet to be on the move in the next eight days, while Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times agrees that White is the player the team is discussing most frequently. Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints confirms that there are indications Chicago would prefer to keep and extend Dosunmu rather than White.
As Fischer outlines, both White and Dosunmu will be eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer, but White – who previously passed on negotiating an extension that would’ve maxed out at about $87MM over four years – is expected to be seeking the larger payday of the two.
While the Bulls – with a relatively clean cap sheet and White’s Bird rights in hand – could accommodate a deal that exceeds $87MM over four years, it’s getting more difficult to envision them going too high for White after signing Josh Giddey to a four-year, $100MM contract last summer, Fischer writes. As Fischer explains, Dosunmu has proven capable of being a more complementary backcourt piece alongside Giddey, whereas White is at his best when he has the ball in his hands more frequently.
That makes Dosunmu a better fit going forward, and it helps that he’s a Chicago native, which the franchise has historically valued. Fischer also hears from sources that Dosunmu has “found good alignment” with the Bulls’ coaching staff.
As for which teams are in the mix for White, Fischer says the Timberwolves continue to be mentioned as a suitor. The Wolves are in need of a backcourt upgrade and their head of basketball operations, Tim Connelly, worked with Bulls executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas in Denver.
However, Minnesota would have some reservations about giving up much of value for White if there’s a good chance he might just be a rest-of-season rental, Fischer writes. With over $194MM in guaranteed money on their books for next season, the Wolves aren’t currently in a great position to sign White to a lucrative new contract in the offseason.
Fischer also hears that the Wolves aren’t necessarily eager to move on from respected veteran point guard Mike Conley, despite the fact that his expiring $10.8MM looks like an obvious salary-matching piece in a move for a player like White ($12.9MM). Minnesota appears more willing to deal 2024 lottery pick Rob Dillingham, Fischer adds.
Besides Minnesota, the Rockets are also in the mix for White, according to both Cowley and Siegel. Cowley suggests players like Reed Sheppard and Tari Eason have been “floated in some capacity.”
It certainly makes sense that Chicago would inquire on those youngsters, but I’m skeptical Houston would be willing to include either one in an offer for White, given his contract situation. Sheppard has emerged as a quality rotation player in his second NBA season, while one recent report suggested Eason is considered off limits in trade talks.
Siegel identifies the Clippers as another team with interest in White, though both he and Cowley suggest there are more teams beyond those three in play for the Bulls guard.
Kings Rumors: Ellis, Poeltl, Kuminga, DeRozan, LaVine
A “ton” of teams have called the Kings to inquire about Keon Ellis, according to James Ham of Locked On Kings (YouTube link), who identifies the Timberwolves, Pacers, Celtics, and Knicks as a few of the clubs his sources suggest are worth monitoring as suitors for the fourth-year guard.
“From what I have heard, (they) have all called on Keon Ellis,” Ham said.
Ellis is an intriguing trade candidate because his $2.3MM expiring contract makes him an attainable piece for just about any NBA team, including clubs like Minnesota, Boston, and New York, who are operating above the first tax apron. 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.
One weekend report suggested Ellis is among the players most likely to be moved at the deadline, with the Kings said to be seeking a late first-round pick.
Here’s more on the Kings:
- Discussing the possibility of the Raptors making a play for center Domantas Sabonis, Ham said the Kings have “zero interest” in acquiring big man Jakob Poeltl, who has battled back issues this season and is under contract through 2029/30 (YouTube link). “‘We’re not getting into the Jakob Poeltl business’ is what I was told,” Ham said, though he observed that the same source didn’t say anything about the Kings not getting into the “RJ Barrett business.” Barrett was drafted by the Knicks when current Kings general manager Scott Perry was in New York’s front office.
- Responding to speculation that the Raptors would seek Ellis along with Sabonis in a trade with the Kings, Ham says a source told him “unequivocally” that Toronto and Sacramento haven’t discussed Ellis to this point.
- The Kings are no longer willing to include any draft picks in a trade offer Jonathan Kuminga, but they remain interested in the Warriors forward, Ham confirms (YouTube link). “I do know for a fact that the Sacramento Kings have offered, in the past, DeMar DeRozan straight up for Jonathan Kuminga,” Ham said. Golden State would need to include one more player in that hypothetical deal in order to stay below its hard cap, but it doesn’t sound like the Warriors have real interest in DeRozan anyway.
- Zach LaVine would “absolutely love to move on from Sacramento,” according to Ham (YouTube link), though his maximum-salary contract will be a major impediment. Ham suggests there was a “ray of hope” about a potential deal with the Bucks involving Kyle Kuzma and Bobby Portis, but that outcome seems less likely as a result of Milwaukee’s recent struggles and Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s latest calf strain.
Injury Notes: Curry, Edwards, Avdija, LaVine, Monk
Warriors star Stephen Curry scored 26 points in 28 minutes during Sunday’s blowout win at Minnesota and was cautiously optimistic after the game about suiting up for Monday’s rematch with the Wolves (Twitter video link via Warriors on NBCS). However, he played through some pain in his right knee, tweets ESPN’s Anthony Slater, and was ultimately ruled out for the second end of a back-to-back.
Steve Kerr said Curry’s knee injury isn’t serious, according to Nick Friedell of The Athletic (Twitter link), and Golden State’s head coach is hopeful the 37-year-old guard will be active for Wednesday’s contest in Utah.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Star guard Anthony Edwards was downgraded to questionable and then out for Monday’s eventual win over Golden State due to right foot injury management, the Timberwolves announced (via Twitter). According to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune (Twitter link), Edwards went through a pregame warmup and was ruled out shortly thereafter. “It was news to me, honestly,” head coach Chris Finch said after the game (Twitter link via Hine). “He had pain from the foot that’s been troubling him.” When asked if Edwards would be available for both ends of Minnesota’s back-to-back later this week, Finch said he wasn’t sure, Hine adds (via Twitter).
- Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija missed Monday’s loss to Boston, his second straight absence, but he’s expected to return to action on Tuesday at Washington, tweets Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report. Avdija aggravated a back injury last week and interim head coach Tiago Splitter explained the team gave him an extra day of rest on Monday as a precaution.
- Kings guards Zach LaVine (lower back soreness) and Malik Monk (right ankle soreness) are questionable for Tuesday’s contest vs. New York, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link). LaVine was out for Sunday’s loss in Detroit due to the back issue, while Monk played 22 minutes, scoring 19 points in the process.
Saturday’s Wolves-Warriors Game Postponed Until Sunday
Saturday’s game between the Timberwolves and Warriors in Minneapolis has been postponed and rescheduled for Sunday at 4:30 pm CT, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).
The decision to postpone the game was made to “prioritize the safety and security of the Minneapolis community,” per the league. The two teams will now have a back-to-back, as they’re also slated to play on Monday.
The news comes in the wake of a man being fatally shot by federal agents in the city on Saturday.
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.
Northwest Notes: Valanciunas, Wolves, Markkanen, Thunder
The Nuggets have been without their top two centers since the calendar turned to 2026, but they appear on the verge of getting one of them back on the floor. According to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (Twitter link), Jonas Valanciunas has been upgraded to questionable for Thursday’s matchup with Washington.
After star center Nikola Jokic suffered a knee injury on December 29, Valanciunas stepped into Denver’s starting lineup for a Dec. 31 contest in Toronto but was unable to finish that game due to a right calf strain. Although the Nuggets officially announced a day later that Valanciunas would be reevaluated in four weeks, it seems he has a good chance to beat that projected timeline. If he doesn’t play on Thursday in Washington, the Lithuanian’s next chance to suit up would be the following night in Milwaukee.
Jokic was said last week to be making good progress in his recovery from a bone bruise in his left knee, but remains out for now. Nuggets head coach David Adelman indicated on Tuesday that Valanciunas was on track to return before Jokic.
- While he acknowledges that the Timberwolves could also use another point guard and some additional rim protection, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic believes the team’s most glaring need is a bench scorer. As Krawczynski explains, big man Naz Reid has had to carry the scoring load for the second unit for much of the season due to the inconsistent play of the team’s reserve guards and wings.
- Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen will be inactive for a sixth game in a row on Thursday vs. San Antonio, but his injury designation has been changed from an illness to “return to competition reconditioning,” notes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link). That update suggests Markkanen is close to returning.
- After a 6-6 stretch in December and early January, the Thunder are on a roll again, with seven wins in their past eight games. Still, the 37-8 club is dealing with no shortage of health issues. After losing Jalen Williams to a hamstring strain over the weekend, Oklahoma City had guard Alex Caruso (right adductor strain), big man Jaylin Williams (left glute contusion), and Aaron Wiggins (right groin soreness) inactive on Wednesday, and guard Ajay Mitchell exited early due to a right hip contusion. There has been no indication that any of the injuries are significant — notably, Jaylin Williams was initially listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game, while Wiggins was a late addition to the injury report.
Injury Notes: Giddey, Reid, H. Jones, Whitmore
Bulls guard Josh Giddey was upgraded to questionable ahead of Tuesday’s contest against the Clippers before being ruled out (Twitter links via K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network). Giddey, who is working his way back from a strained left hamstring, could return to action on Thursday in Minnesota, head coach Billy Donovan said.
Forward Patrick Williams is dealing with a right ankle sprain and will also be out Tuesday. He’s considered day-to-day, per Johnson.
Here are some more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Timberwolves big man Naz Reid was forced to exit Saturday’s loss at San Antonio after just five minutes due to soreness in his left shoulder. However, the injury doesn’t appear to be serious — he was initially questionable for Tuesday’s game in Utah but has been upgraded to available, per the league’s injury report.
- Defensive stalwart Herbert Jones has been upgraded to questionable ahead of Wednesday’s game vs. Detroit, the Pelicans announced in a press release. Jones, who has popped up in several rumors this season but has reportedly been made unavailable in trade talks, has missed 14 of New Orleans’ last 15 games with a right ankle sprain.
- While Wizards forward Cam Whitmore will miss the remainder of the 2025/26 season due to a blood clot in his right shoulder, he joined the team on the bench during Monday’s loss to the Clippers, which is a good sign for his long-term health, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic. The former first-round pick will be eligible for an extension in the offseason and will make $5.46MM in ’26/27, which is the final season of his rookie scale contract.