Wolves Among Teams With Interest In Dennis Smith Jr.
While many Knicks trade rumors this season have focused on frontcourt players like Marcus Morris, Bobby Portis, and Taj Gibson, several teams that have been in touch with the Knicks recently believe they’re open to moving a point guard, writes Ian Begley of SNY.tv.
Frank Ntilikina and Elfrid Payton certainly won’t be untouchable, but Begley singles out Dennis Smith Jr. as one player who has drawn interest from multiple teams. Sources tell Begley that the Timberwolves are among the clubs with interest in Smith.
Minnesota has been seeking a long-term answer at point guard, and while Smith may not be that answer, he could represent a low-cost flier for the Wolves. DSJ’s stock has slipped since he was selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2017 draft by the Mavericks. He’s averaging just 17.0 minutes per game in New York this season, and has received multiple DNP-CDs since Mike Miller took over for David Fizdale.
Still, Smith is only 22 years old and showed on Tuesday vs. Atlanta that he’s still capable of filling up a box score. In just 13 minutes, he recorded eight points, five rebounds, and five assists.
It’s unclear what sort of return the Knicks would want back in a trade involving Smith. Begley hears from one executive that the club probably can’t realistically demand a first-round pick in exchange for the third-year guard, which doesn’t come as a surprise.
NBPA Appeals Dion Waiters’ Latest Suspension
For a third time this season, the National Basketball Players Association is appealing a Dion Waiters suspension, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.
As Winderman explains, the NBPA’s appeal isn’t intended to reduce Waiters’ current six-game suspension or get him on the court any faster. The union’s goal is to recoup some or all of the salary the Heat guard has lost as a result of the ban.
The NBPA filed similar appeals following Waiters’ one-game and 10-game suspensions earlier this season, as we relayed last month. In total, the three suspensions have sidelined Waiters for 17 games and have reduced his 2019/20 salary by $1.419MM. Additionally, because he won’t appear in at least 70 games, Waiters has missed out on a $1.2MM bonus, though that lost bonus hasn’t been appealed by the players’ union, per Winderman.
The appeals, which could be heard individually or concurrently, are unlikely to happen anytime in the near future, according to Winderman, who notes that the NBPA hasn’t asked to expedite the appeals. They’ll likely happen a few months from now, and may result in Waiters’ camp and the Heat reaching a settlement brokered by the union, Winderman writes.
Although the appeals will determine how much salary Waiters ultimately loses, they’ll have no impact on the Heat’s salary cap or tax situation, since all three suspensions have been issued by the team rather than the league.
Waiters’ current six-game ban runs through December 23, so he’ll be eligible to return on December 27 when the Heat host the Pacers. Still, considering the veteran guard has yet to play this season and the club is reportedly exploring options to get rid of him, it seems increasingly unlikely that he’ll see any action for Miami this season.
Pelicans’ Jrue Holiday Available Via Trade?
The Pelicans are believed to consider Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram untouchable in trade talks, and have remained reluctant to trade J.J. Redick, league sources tell Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter links). However, according to Stein, there’s a belief that Jrue Holiday is available via trade.
Stein cautions that it would surely require a substantial offer to convince the Pelicans to part with Holiday. Based on Stein’s report, it sounds like the team is open to listening to inquiries, but won’t actively shop its standout guard.
Still, as recently as this summer, when David Griffin took over as New Orleans’ head of basketball operations, Holiday was viewed as entirely off-limits. It appears the club’s dismal 6-21 start to the season has influenced the front office’s thinking on the subject.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski suggested on Sunday that Holiday loves New Orleans, but might not be opposed to a change of scenery if it means avoiding an extensive rebuild.
Holiday, 29, is considered one of the NBA’s best defensive guards, and has also been his usual productive self on offense so far this season. In 25 games, he has averaged 19.4 PPG, 6.8 APG, and 5.0 RPG with a .454 FG% and a .338 3PT%. He has shot 48.9% from the field and 38.9% on threes over his last 17 games, following an early-season slump.
Holiday is under contract through at least 2020/21, with matching cap hits of $26.2MM this season and next season. He also has a $27.1MM player option for 2021/22. If the Pelicans begin fielding trade offers in earnest, he could quickly become the most intriguing player on the trade block this winter.
NBA: David Stern Remains In “Serious Condition”
The NBA has issued an update on former commissioner David Stern, who underwent emergency surgery last week after suffering a brain hemorrhage. According to the league, Stern remains in “serious condition.”
“He is receiving great care and surrounded by his loved ones,” the NBA’s statement reads. “The Sterm family and everyone at the NBA appreciate the incredible outpouring of support. Our thoughts and prayers remain with David and his family.”
Stern, 77, collapsed at a restaurant in Manhattan last Thursday afternoon and was rushed to a New York City hospital, where he underwent emergency brain surgery. The former NBA commissioner held the position for 30 years before being succeeded by Adam Silver in 2014.
We at Hoops Rumors send our best wishes to Stern and his family.
Deandre Ayton Eligible To Return From Suspension
Suns center Deandre Ayton served the final game of his 25-game suspension on Monday night and is now eligible to return to the team’s lineup. Ayton’s return to action figures to happen on Tuesday in Los Angeles, where the Suns will take on the Clippers.
Following the season opener, Ayton was hit with a 25-game ban for violating the league’s anti-drug policy, having tested positive for a diuretic. The Suns initially played well in Ayton’s absence, opening the year with a 7-4 record, but they’ve slumped since then and are now 11-15, one game behind the eighth-seeded Thunder.
While Aron Baynes has played well as Phoenix’s starting center, getting the No. 1 pick back in their lineup will give the Suns a deeper, more versatile frontcourt. Ayton’s teammates are looking forward to seeing him back in action, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic details.
“I think he’s antsy,” Devin Booker said on Sunday. “The whole team is ready. It’s an exciting time.”
While there may be some ups and downs as the Suns work Ayton back into the rotation, the 21-year-old center provides head coach Monty Williams with a unique skill set and an athleticism that the team’s other big men don’t possess.
“He is a rim protector, he can rebound, he can score and we certainly need that pressure on the rim on offense,” Williams said, per David Brandt of The Associated Press. “All of that stuff along with moving the ball, I am hopeful that it translates into us playing even better than we have.”
Ayton’s suspension cost him approximately $2.17MM of his $9.56MM salary for 2019/20. Because Phoenix didn’t add a 16th man while Ayton was on the suspended list, no roster move is required to activate him.
Knicks Open To Trading Julius Randle?
On Sunday, seven of the Knicks‘ offseason signees became trade-eligible and with the team in the midst of another woeful season, New York could look to ship out some of its veterans.
Steve Popper of Newsday hears from an NBA source that the Knicks are believed to be open to trading Julius Randle. The big man inked a three-year, $57MM deal with the club back in July and he’s had an uneven first couple months in New York, as he’s making just 44.5% of his shots from the field. Randle is the only one of the team’s offseason free agent signees that received multiple fully guaranteed years.
Marcus Morris is likely the team’s best trade chip right now. He’s averaging 48.2% from downtown in his point-forward role for the club and his one-year, $15MM deal won’t hinder any team’s long-term future (it’s probably safe to assume the Spurs won’t be the team trading for Morris).
The Knicks are balancing playing their veterans with getting their young core experience and it would be surprising if the team doesn’t make at least one deal before the trade deadline.
NBA G League Players Discuss Unionizing
Players in the NBA G League are having serious discussions with the National Basketball Players Association about the possibility of unionizing, according to reports from Shams Charania of The Athletic and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Charania and Wojnarowski note that those conversations are expected to continue at this season’s G League Winter Showcase, which will take place from December 19-22 in Las Vegas. The goal would be to work toward collectively bargaining items like salaries, benefits, and travel, sources tell Woj. More freedom of player movement might also be a priority, says Charania. Currently, G League players not on assignment from an NBA team make $35K per season.
Assuming this week’s talks go well, a G League players union will likely be ratified following the Winter Showcase, when a formal vote takes place. For their part, the NBA and the G League have been made aware of the discussions and say they plan to work with the newly-formed union if and when it’s ratified, per Wojnarowski.
“We support the players’ right to unionize,” NBAGL president Shareef Abdur-Rahim said in a statement. “We view this as a positive thing and are looking to continue to grow our league for the players to develop and accomplish their dreams.”
The unionization of G League players has been viewed as “inevitable,” with team and league officials preparing for the possibility for the last several years, writes Charania. Still, it’s not clear how significant an impact a players’ union might have on the NBAGL’s current structure.
“Travel, housing, a little more money — it’ll be about small gains,” one G League general manager told Charania. “The G League probably doesn’t generate enough revenue for wholesale changes unless we tap into the NBA’s BRI (basketball related income), but unionizing can be a start.”
Wizards’ GM: We “Intend To Keep” Davis Bertans
Wizards power forward Davis Bertans checks all the boxes as a potential trade candidate. He’s on an affordable expiring contract, plays for a lottery-bound team, and is enjoying a career year, 15.4 PPG on .466/.456/.889 shooting through 24 games.
However, as we reported last week, the Wizards don’t intend to actively shop Bertans, since they’ll retain his Bird rights after this season and are in position to re-sign him. General manager Tommy Sheppard confirmed this week in an appearance on the team’s “Off the Bench” podcast that trading Bertans isn’t currently in the team’s plans.
“We have every intention of retaining him. He’s the exact type of player we want to have in our organization. I think he wants to be here. Business will take care of itself,” Sheppard said, per Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. “There’s so much chit-chat in this league that gets out there. Most of it is contrived by the teams that would love to have Davis. Well, guess what? One of the teams that would have to have him, has him. We intend to keep him. We’re excited about his growth.”
The Wizards are currently 7-17 and seem unlikely to turn things around this season, so Bertans won’t help much in the short term. Still, there are a number of reasons why Washington would want to keep him beyond this season. He just turned 27 years old last month, and with John Wall expected to return from his Achilles tear in 2020/21, the Wizards are hopeful that their rebuilding process can move quickly. The club figures to be seeking win-now pieces like Bertans as early as next summer.
Still, just because the Wizards are talking about keeping Bertans now doesn’t mean they can’t reconsider their stance over the next couple months. As Fred Katz of The Athletic observes, team owner Ted Leonsis spoke last season about not trading Otto Porter, but Washington went ahead and did just that at the deadline.
Additionally, with so much money already invested in their backcourt, the Wizards may have second thoughts about how significantly they want to invest in Bertans’ next contract. One former front office person estimated last week that the sharpshooter would command $15-20MM on the open market. Even the least optimistic projection for Bertans would probably still mean a deal in the neighborhood of $10MM per year, per Katz.
For those reasons, contending teams figure to at least call the Wizards about Bertans this winter. For now though, Sheppard’s group is insisting the Latvian big man isn’t going anywhere.
“No Belief” Thunder Will Trade Chris Paul This Season
It has now been exactly five months since Chris Paul was sent from Houston to Oklahoma City in the blockbuster trade that sent Russell Westbrook to the Rockets. From the moment that deal happened, Paul has been considered the NBA’s most obvious candidate to be moved in another trade, but it appears as if the Thunder and the veteran point guard are preparing for the possibility that no deal is coming.
“There is no belief in Oklahoma City or even in the CP3 camp that there’s going to be a trade for him,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on Sunday night on the network’s trade deadline special (video link). “… I think they’re resigned that he’ll be there.”
[RELATED: More trade rumors from Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe]
According to Wojnarowski, an offseason trade involving Paul remains a possibility, but his massive contract makes him an especially tricky player to move during the season, even though he has played well so far in Oklahoma City.
A player like Danilo Gallinari, who has a $22.6MM expiring contract, is a stronger candidate to be dealt before the deadline. However, the Thunder won’t just be prepared to accept the best offer for the veteran forward. Wojnarowski points out that – due to the lack of teams projected to have cap room during the 2020 offseason – OKC could realistically keep Gallinari through the season, then work with him on a sign-and-trade in the summer to get something back for him at that point.
Dennis Schroder and Steven Adams are among the other veteran trade candidates on the Thunder’s roster, and there should be interest in both, per Woj. But all four players have significant cap hits and Gallinari is the only one on an expiring deal, so there’s no guarantee the club will be extremely active at the deadline.
Luka Doncic Sprains Ankle, May Miss Two Weeks
DECEMBER 15, 12:15pm: Doncic may be sidelined for a couple of weeks, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN, who states that Mavericks officials feel like they “dodged a bullet” with the injury. Doncic won’t make the trip to Milwaukee for tomorrow’s game and no further updates will be provided until Wednesday night, adds Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link).
DECEMBER 15, 8:19am: Doncic has been diagnosed with a moderate ankle sprain, a source tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
DECEMBER 14, 8:34pm: Mavericks star Luka Doncic left tonight’s game early after injuring his right ankle, but X-rays didn’t reveal any serious damage, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. He has been ruled out for the rest of the contest.
Doncic was diagnosed with a sprained right ankle, according to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link), and there has been no word from the team on how much more time he might miss. The injury occurred when Doncic rolled his ankle early in the first quarter.
The reigning Rookie of the Year has been outstanding in his second season, averaging 30.4 points, 9.9 rebounds and 9.3 assists through 24 games and leading Dallas to a 17-7 start.