P.J. Tucker

L.A. Notes: Davis, Reddish, Tucker, Schedule

Anthony Davis overcame a sore left shoulder to deliver a historic performance in the Lakers‘ win over Minnesota Sunday night, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. His combination of 27 points, 25 rebounds, seven steals, five assists and three blocks had never been posted before in the league. Davis was listed as questionable for the game, still feeling the effects of a Friday collision with Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the team’s medical staff had to wrap his shoulder with a heat pack whenever he wasn’t on the court.

“I felt it at times out there,” Davis said. “I still kind of feel it.”

McMenamin notes that the seven steals were a career high for Davis, and the 25 rebounds fell one short of his career-best mark. He has played a huge role in the Lakers’ recent surge, which has them six games over .500 and within two games of sixth place.

“I think we’re hitting our stride right now,” Davis said. “We’re just trying to keep going, keep pushing, knowing that just like last year, all we got to do is get in. We feel like it’s tough for anybody to beat us in a seven-game series. … We like our chances against anybody at that point.”

There’s more from Los Angeles:

  • Lakers forward Cam Reddish sat out Sunday’s game and continues to deal with significant soreness in his right ankle, tweets Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Coach Darvin Ham said he expects an update on Reddish’s condition in the next day or two.
  • P.J. Tucker, who has seen limited court time since being traded to the Clippers in November, made his first start of the season on Sunday, per Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. The opportunity came because Kawhi Leonard and Paul George were both sitting out the second game of a back-to-back, and Tucker responded with seven points and six rebounds in 25 minutes. The 38-year-old forward believes he can still contribute to the team. “That’s what I do. It’s like breathing to me — physicality and making people work and not giving up easy plays and cave,” Tucker said. “That’s the stuff that comes naturally. Making shots and doing all that stuff is just extras.”
  • Coach Tyronn Lue was unhappy about the scheduling conflict that had his team playing two afternoon games 22 hours apart, per Greg Beacham of The Associated Press. The Clippers typically get the worst dates at Crypto.com Arena, and they were forced into the early contests because the Lakers had a home game Sunday night and the NHL’s Kings had a late game Saturday. Bucks coach Doc Rivers, whose team provided the opposition on Sunday, said he went through the same experience when he coached the Clippers. “It was awful,” Rivers said. “I think we did two or three of these (back-to-back afternoon weekend games) a year. It’s just not natural. Being here, you get used to it, but it’s still not normal.”

Clippers Notes: Leonard, Gallinari, Tucker, Hyland

Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard missed his fifth game of the season on Wednesday vs. Golden State due to a left adductor strain, but head coach Tyronn Lue said the injury isn’t significant, according to Kendra Andrews of ESPN.

I don’t think it’s that serious,” Lue said before Wednesday’s game. “He played through it last game (on Monday), was experiencing some soreness in the hip, so when the game got out of reach we didn’t bring him back in the fourth quarter to be smart about it.”

Leonard was named to his sixth All-Star team in 2023/24, but his status for this weekend’s exhibition game is to be determined. The 32-year-old is expected to travel to Indianapolis either way, a source told ESPN.

Here’s more on the Clippers, who are currently 36-17, the No. 3 seed in the West:

  • Bucks guard Patrick Beverley sent out a tweet through his podcast’s account saying veteran forward Danilo Gallinari will either sign with the Clippers or the Bucks. While he couldn’t corroborate Milwaukee’s interest, Law Murray of The Athletic confirms (Twitter link) the Clippers are open to a reunion with Gallinari, who spent two seasons with the Clips from 2017-19. However, as Murray observes, the Clippers currently have a full roster, and there isn’t an obvious candidate to be released. The 35-year-old became an unrestricted free agent after he was waived by Detroit last week. The Suns are reportedly among the teams interested in Gallinari’s services.
  • Forward P.J. Tucker claims that not playing leading up to the trade deadline was a “collaborative decision” with the Clippers, according to Shams Charania and Law Murray of The Athletic. Tucker hasn’t played in a game since November 27. “It was agreed upon that I would sit,” Tucker told The Athletic over the weekend. “I didn’t just sit, it was agreed upon. Until they moved me, I would sit. They didn’t do it. But (I) try to be professional, as professional as possible. But at the same time, if I don’t advocate for myself, who is? You know? But it is what it is, man.” Tucker was fined $75K on Thursday for publicly expressing a desire to be traded.
  • Tucker also told The Athletic it’s unrealistic to expect him to be productive in the postseason after not playing for so long in the regular season. “Becoming teammates, you’re building bonds,” Tucker said. “You have to take time when you have something built. Can’t just throw somebody out there, ‘Go play now.’ You know what I’m saying? It don’t work like that. So I don’t know where it goes from here. I don’t know. I know what they think is going to happen. But I don’t think it happens like that. Just throw somebody in the playoffs in the second round. ‘Alright, now go do what you do.’ Don’t work like that.”
  • Speaking to reporters on Wednesday morning about sending home Tucker and Bones Hyland, Lue suggested that Hyland may have submitted his own trade request prior to last week’s deadline after receiving scant playing time the past few months. The third-year guard has struggled in his limited garbage-time minutes, Charania and Murray note. “You want to have competitors on your team,” Lue said. “They want to play. So when you try to get traded, it doesn’t work out, and you want to go to a place (where you can) play, it doesn’t mean they’re not happy here. They are. But they want to play, they want to compete.” Tucker holds a $11.54MM player option for 2024/25, while Hyland is owed a guaranteed $4.16MM in the final season of his rookie scale contract.

Clippers’ P.J. Tucker Fined $75K By NBA

Clippers forward P.J. Tucker has been fined $75K for publicly expressing a desire to be traded in comments to Andscape reporter Marc J. Spears last week, the NBA announced on Thursday (via Twitter).

“I want to be somewhere where I’m needed, wanted and can do it all,” Tucker told Spears. “I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I have my fingers crossed and I’m hoping to go somewhere else.”

Tucker also told ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk last week that he was “actively trying to get traded.”

As ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, the maximum fine Tucker could have received was $150K.

The 38-year-old hasn’t seen action since November 27 after initially playing a rotation role for the Clippers. He averaged just 1.2 points and 2.4 rebounds in 14.4 minutes per game across 12 appearances off the bench for his new team, making 4-of-14 field goal attempts (28.6%). He was sent to L.A. from Philadelphia in the James Harden trade.

Tucker has been unhappy with his role for much of the season, with reports of his discontent first surfacing in December. In the days and weeks that followed, he repeatedly expressed frustration with his lack of playing time, and the Clippers reportedly made an effort to trade him at last Thursday’s deadline. However, he presumably had negative value on the trade market due to the $11.54MM player option on his contract for next season, and L.A. didn’t find a deal.

The Clippers sent home both Tucker and Bones Hyland — another player who hasn’t been getting minutes — ahead of Wednesday’s win over Golden State. Both players are expected to return to the team after the All-Star break.

Clippers’ Tucker, Hyland Away From Team; Expected Back After All-Star Break

10:42am: The Clippers sent home both Tucker and Hyland ahead of Wednesday’s game vs. Golden State, Charania confirms (via Twitter). Like Tucker, Hyland is expected to rejoin the team after the All-Star break.


9:54am: Clippers forward P.J. Tucker won’t be with the team for its final game before the All-Star break on Wednesday in Golden State, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports that the forward’s absence will give him an opportunity to “reset” ahead of the home stretch of the season.

Tucker is expected to rejoin the Clippers after the All-Star break, sources tell Charania. The club’s post-All-Star schedule begins with a back-to-back road set in Oklahoma City and Memphis on February 22 and 23.

As Charania notes, Tucker – who was sent along with James Harden from Philadelphia to Los Angeles at the start of November – has been unhappy with his situation in L.A. for much of the season.

The 38-year-old hasn’t seen action since November 27 after initially playing a rotation role for the Clippers. He averaged just 1.2 points and 2.4 rebounds in 14.4 minutes per game across 12 appearances off the bench for his new team, making 4-of-14 field goal attempts (28.6%).

Reports of Tucker’s discontent first surfaced in December. In the days and weeks that followed, he repeatedly expressed frustration with his lack of playing time, and the Clippers reportedly made an effort to trade him at last Thursday’s deadline. However, he presumably had negative value on the trade market due to the $11.54MM player option on his contract for next season, and L.A. didn’t find a deal.

Because Tucker isn’t on an expiring contract, a buyout isn’t an option receiving consideration, according to Charania, who hears from sources that the Clippers and Tucker had “productive” and “much-needed” discussions this week about the forward staying ready to potentially reenter the club’s rotation.

Asked about Tucker’s situation following the trade deadline last week, head coach Tyronn Lue downplayed the veteran’s dissatisfaction and told reporters that he’ll “get an opportunity.”

Neither Charania nor Lue offered any specific details on a plan or timeline for Tucker to rejoin the rotation, so it’s unclear when exactly that might happen. Given that the Clippers have gone 28-8 since Tucker last played, they’re likely not eager to mess too much with what’s working.

For what it’s worth, Bones Hyland – another Clipper who has been out of the rotation and whose name surfaced in trade rumors ahead of the deadline – was added to the injury report along with Tucker last night. They’re both listed as “not with team” for Wednesday’s game vs. the Warriors.

L.A. Notes: Tucker, Clippers, Reddish, Christie

Clippers forward P.J. Tucker expressed disappointment he wasn’t moved at Thursday’s deadline after being sparsely used following his trade from Philadelphia. However, the Clippers indicated that he’s in their plans following the deadline.

We like P.J. here and he’ll get an opportunity,” head coach Tyronn Lue said (Twitter video link via The Athletic’s Law Murray). “That’s part of the game, you’re going to get frustrated because everybody wants to play. P.J. will be OK.

The Clippers did try to trade Tucker, but his age and $11.5MM player option for next season limited his value on the market, Murray writes. Despite the fact that he lost his rotation spot, the front office still believes Tucker is capable of being a playoff contributor and guarding bigger forwards, according to Murray.

We have more notes out of Los Angeles:

  • The Clippers had a quiet trade deadline and appear to be happy to avoid any more midseason roster changes, The Orange County Register’s Janis Carr writes. The team already made a big splash this season by trading for James Harden in October. L.A. struggled to find consistency right away but has since lost just nine of 31 games and is a single game out of first in the Western Conference. “I think what we’ve done since acquiring James and the different rotations, different combinations and finally getting it down to where it works for our team is really good,” Lue said. “Just having familiarity with each other on the floor, I think guys are feeling comfortable in their roles, their minutes, and how we’re playing. So, to break that up, I’m glad that didn’t happen. I’m happy for the team we have, the guys we have in the locker room, and we’ll see what we have going forward.
  • Lakers forward Cam Reddish was cleared to begin on-court progression and ramp-up work, according to The Orange County Register’s Khobi Price (Twitter link). The hope is that Reddish will be able to return soon after the All-Star break. Reddish is averaging 6.7 points this season in 35 games (26 starts).
  • After exiting the second quarter of the Lakers‘ Thursday game against the Nuggets with an ankle sprain, Max Christie underwent an MRI on his right ankle, tweets ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. The team is awaiting the results. Christie is averaging 5.0 points per game this season.

Buyout Rumors: Tucker, Lowry, Dinwiddie, Harris

Clippers forward P.J. Tucker is not requesting a buyout and is expected to remain with the team through the remainder of the season, according to TNT and Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes (Twitter link). This comes after trade attempts involving Tucker fell short, Haynes adds. This was the expected outcome if Tucker wasn’t moved at the deadline.

It’s no secret Tucker wasn’t thrilled with his role after landing with the Clippers in the James Harden trade at the beginning of the season. After starting in all 78 of his appearances with the Sixers after signing there in 2022, Tucker has only played in just 12 games with Los Angeles. averaging 14.4 minutes per game.

I want to be somewhere where I’m needed, wanted and can do it all. I don’t know what’s going to happen but I have my fingers crossed and I’m hoping to go somewhere else whether I get bought out and choose where I go or where I can play,” Tucker said before the deadline to Andscape’s Marc J. Spears (Twitter link).

Tucker was once seen as a “strong” candidate to be moved before the deadline, but the fact that he has an $11.5MM player option for next season appears to have been an issue for opposing teams. The most likely step forward for both sides is Tucker accepting his player option in the offseason and then the two sides working together to find a deal that suits him when teams have a clearer idea of their 2024/25 plans.

For what it’s worth, Tucker seemingly expressed frustration at the situation in an Instagram story following the deadline, with the story reading “All this s— is a f—ing joke” (Instagram link).

We have more rumors regarding the buyout market:

  • Hornets point guard Kyle Lowry is the Sixers‘ top priority on the market if he and Charlotte come to terms on a buyout agreement, according to NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link). The Sixers have been making moves all day to clear salary (Danuel House) and playing time (Jaden Springer, Patrick Beverley) in the guard room, so Lowry is a sensible addition.
  • The Lakers, Mavericks, Pelicans and Sixers are expected to have interest in Spencer Dinwiddie after he was waived by the Raptors earlier Thursday, The Athletic’s Shams Charania said on Stadium’s live trade deadline show (hat tip to RealGM). Dinwiddie is ineligible to sign with the Celtics, Nuggets, Warriors, Clippers, Heat, Bucks and Suns, whose team salaries are above the tax apron, so that list of four interested teams includes some of the top playoff contenders available for Dinwiddie to sign with. He averaged 12.6 points and 6.0 assists in 48 games (all starts) with the Nets this season.
  • The Lakers are indeed among the frontrunners to sign Dinwiddie, confirms ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link). Los Angeles is a good position to land the 6’5″ guard, because the Lakers are able to offer around $1.5MM prorated because they didn’t give Gabe Vincent the full mid-level exception in the offseason, McMenamin adds (Twitter link). Other teams are only able to offer around $1MM.
  • The Bulls stood pat at the trade deadline and are likely to make moves to supplement a potential playoff push, according to NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson. Former Pistons sharpshooter Joe Harris could be a target for Chicago on the buyout market after he was waived by Detroit. Johnson adds the Bulls tried to acquire Bojan Bogdanovic from Detroit.

Pacific Notes: Warriors Rumors, Lakers, Clippers

The Warriors aren’t interested in trading Draymond Green or Klay Thompson ahead of the February 8 deadline, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, but they might consider moving Chris Paul or Andrew Wiggins.

Former No. 1 overall pick Wiggins is having a disappointing year, but he’s played much better recently, while Paul, who is currently injured after undergoing hand surgery, is 38 years old and on a pseudo-expiring contract. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, head coach Steve Kerr said he was aware of Wiggins being mentioned in trade rumors, but he hopes he’s still on the roster late next week.

I’m very hopeful and I expect him to be here when the trade deadline passes,” Kerr said, per ESPN.

As for Green and Thompson, Windhorst’s report isn’t surprising. While Shams Charania of The Athletic has said Stephen Curry will be the only Warrior off the table in trade talks, he also downplayed the possibility of a trade involving Green or Thompson, two longtime veterans who helped Golden State win four championships — and make six Finals appearances — from 2015-22. Other reporting indicated Curry would have to sign off on such a deal, which was always considered unlikely.

Here’s more from the Pacific:

  • Appearing on 95.7 The Game’s Willard and Dibs show on Wednesday (Twitter link), Kerr said the Warriors might be better served by waiting for injured players to return rather than making trades. We’re not going to find better players than (Chris Paul and Gary Payton II) in a trade,” Kerr said. “It’s exceedingly rare to make a deal where you can upgrade your talent to that level.” Payton has been out since January 2 with a grade 2 left hamstring strain. Kerr also mentioned Moses Moody as another injured contributor. As Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets, Moody will miss this weekend’s back-to-back, but he has a chance to return on Monday after being out since January 10 due to a left calf strain. Dario Saric is also out for at least Friday, as he’s away from the team with an illness.
  • After a major upset victory over the Celtics in Boston on Thursday without stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Lakers guard Austin Reaves said the team responded well to James’ frustrated comments about “doing their jobs,” which occurred after Tuesday’s lopsided loss to Atlanta (YouTube link). Reaves scored a season-high 32 points (on 10-of-18 shooting, including 7-of-10 from deep) in Thursday’s win.
  • The Clippers had more total victories in December and January than any team in the NBA. Should they even make a trade? Law Murray of The Athletic explores that topic, writing that P.J. Tucker, Bones Hyland and Brandon Boston look to be the three most likely trade candidates, but L.A. may just stand pat.
  • Tucker expressed frustration with his role — or lack thereof — in December, and nothing has changed since. However, he’s 39, doesn’t contribute much on offense, and holds a $11.54MM player option for 2024/25, which all hurt his trade value. According to Murray, the veteran forward has been a positive locker room presence, particularly for Russell Westbrook and James Harden, but the Clippers forward admits he’s trying to balance being a professional “while trying to get in a better situation for me, personally,” he told The Athletic. “It kind of is what it is at this point.” Tucker expressed skepticism about the possibility of turning down his player option, making him an unlikely buyout candidate. “That all depends on the situation, timing, where,” Tucker said. “It’s a lot of things that plays into that. I worked hard to be able to get myself in that position. The contract I got, the timing I got it, and all that … it means a lot and something I don’t take for granted. It’s definitely going to take a lot of thought and it’s going to take a real, real opportunity for me to have to go against that.”

Scotto’s Latest: Jones, Wright, Wizards, Hyland, Tucker, Hawks

Kyle Kuzma, Tyus Jones, Daniel Gafford, Delon Wright, and Landry Shamet are among the Wizards who have generated exploratory trade interest so far this season, writes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

According to Scotto, the Wizards are seeking a first-round pick in exchange for Jones, and ideally one beyond 2024 that would have a chance to become a top-20 selection down the road. That would be a high price to pay for a player who is on an expiring contract and likely wouldn’t be a starter on a new team, so it will be interesting to see if Washington lowers its demands by next Thursday or plays hardball with potential trade partners.

While the Wizards have also reportedly set high asking prices for Kuzma and Gafford, who are under contract for multiple seasons beyond this one, Wright and Shamet – who aren’t owed guaranteed money beyond this year – appear more attainable. League sources tell Scotto that Wright is expected to generate offers consisting of second-round draft compensation.

The Wizards, who have plenty of room to operate below the luxury tax line, are also open to using their available traded player exceptions to accommodate salary dumps from teams willing to attach young players or draft picks, Scotto writes. As our tracker shows, Washington has six TPEs, including one worth over $12MM and another worth nearly $10MM.

Here are several more items of interest from Scotto’s latest rumor round-up:

  • The Wizards are expected to be “open-minded” and cast a wide net when they launch their search for a permanent head coach this spring, says Scotto, noting that the early expectations around the NBA is that the team will end up hiring a first-time coach for its rebuild.
  • The Clippers are gauging the value of Bones Hyland and P.J. Tucker on the trade market, league sources tell Scotto. If Tucker isn’t moved at the deadline, he’s not expected to discuss a buyout, Scotto adds. Most buyout candidates are on expiring contracts, whereas Tucker’s deal includes an $11.54MM player option for next season.
  • Some of the trade chatter surrounding Hawks guard Dejounte Murray has quieted down as of late, according to Scotto, who says Atlanta’s desire to acquire two first-round picks and to not take on salary beyond this season in a Murray trade has complicated negotiations so far.
  • Elsewhere on the Hawks front, rival executives and league sources who have spoken to Scotto believe that Atlanta wants to hang onto swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic through the trade deadline. Bogdanovic is averaging a career-best 17.1 points per game off the bench this season and is under team control for three more years beyond this one.

Pacific Notes: Suns Rumors, Caruso, Clippers, Powell, Barnes

Within a look at some of the potential trade targets who have recently been linked to the Suns, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports reports that a source close to the situation has described Phoenix as “very confident” about its ability to make a competitive offer for Hornets forward Miles Bridges. Bourguet adds that Charlotte center Nick Richards is also a target, but that the team would likely only be able to acquire one Hornet or the other due to salary-matching considerations.

Bourguet also confirms that Nets forward Royce O’Neale is a legitimate target for the Suns, observing that O’Neale is more attainable than Dorian Finney-Smith due to his expiring contract and smaller cap hit.

The Suns would almost certainly need to use Nassir Little ($6.25MM) as their primary outgoing salary piece in any trade and would need to get to within 10% of the incoming salary, so acquiring a player who is earning much more than O’Neale ($9.5MM) would be tricky. Phoenix would presumably need to add one or two minimum-salary players and multiple second-round picks to its package for either Bridges or O’Neale.

The buyout market could also prove fruitful for the Suns, Bourguet writes, even though they’ll be prohibited from signing a player whose pre-waiver salary exceeds $12.4MM. P.J. Tucker would have interest in Phoenix if he’s bought out, according to Bourguet, who says the team has also been in touch with center Bismack Biyombo, a current free agent.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

  • Veteran guard Alex Caruso, who left the Lakers for the Bulls as a free agent in 2021, tells Melissa Rohlin of FOX Sports that he still sometimes thinks about how things would have played out if he had remained in Los Angeles. “Yeah, definitely,” Caruso said. “Just because of how well I played with them when I was here. I know how I supported them. And I’ve gotten better. I was expecting myself to get better. It’s actually what had to move me on. I kept getting better and eventually I was at a point where I couldn’t stay here. I definitely have always thought about it because those guys (LeBron James and Anthony Davis) are my brothers. We’ve been through a lot together. Always good seeing them. Every now and then you think about what could’ve been.”
  • Rival coaches and executives are praising Clippers head of basketball operations Lawrence Frank for the way his gamble on James Harden has paid off so far, according to Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com. “I didn’t think it would work out,” one exec said. “A lot of people didn’t think it would work out. But he had it right. Russell (Westbrook) is playing within himself. Harden is sharing the ball. They have great chemistry right now.”
  • In a conversation with Mark Medina of Sportskeeda, Clippers wing Norman Powell spoke about his impressions of Harden and Westbrook as teammates, the role that coach Tyronn Lue has played in the team’s success, and how these Clippers compare to the 2019 champion Raptors, among other topics.
  • Viewed as a probable outgoing piece if the Kings make a major deadline trade, Harrison Barnes has been on a heater this week, scoring 32 points on Monday and a career-high 39 on Thursday, as Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee writes.

Trade Rumors: Bucks Targets, Payne, Allen, Suns, Hornets, Kuzma

The Bucks don’t have a ton of trade assets left after completing blockbuster deals in recent years for Jrue Holiday and then Damian Lillard, but they’re perusing the market in an effort to upgrade their perimeter defense, reports Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

According to Fischer, the Bucks have contacted teams to gauge the value of Portland’s 2024 second-round pick, which Milwaukee controls — it currently projects to be 35th overall, making it more valuable than a typical second-rounder. The team is exploring deals that would package that pick with wing Pat Connaughton and guard Cameron Payne, sources tell Yahoo Sports.

As Fischer explains, Payne fell out of Adrian Griffin‘s rotation earlier this month, but it’s possible new head coach Doc Rivers will want to use him more. If not, the veteran point guard would be “amenable” to a change of scenery, Fischer writes.

While the Bucks would love to acquire a player like Hawks guard Dejounte Murray or Raptors wing Bruce Brown, Bobby Portis‘ $11.7MM cap hit would almost certainly need to be includd in order to match their salaries, Fischer notes. Additionally, Atlanta and Toronto are seeking the sort of packages – two first-round picks and a starter-level player for Murray and a first-round picks for Brown – which the Bucks may not be able to offer, given their lack of tradable first-rounders.

Chicago guard Alex Caruso is likely also out of Milwaukee’s reach, given that the Bulls aren’t inclined to move him and would seek multiple first-rounders if they did, says Fischer. Players like Trail Blazers wing Matisse Thybulle and Clippers forward P.J. Tucker may be more attainable, Fischer suggests. However, Tucker’s appeal is limited, and Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report points out (via Twitter) that Thybulle has veto rights and may not be eager to play for Rivers again.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

  • The Suns are no longer considering the possibility of trading Grayson Allen at the deadline, league sources tell Fischer. Fischer reported last week that Phoenix was gauging what a package of Allen and Nassir Little could bring back, but that seemed like it was more about due diligence, given how well the former Duke star has played this season.
  • Responding to reports from Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports and Trevor Booth of Clutch Points stating that the Suns have interest in Miles Bridges and Nick Richards of the Hornets, John Gambadoro of Arizons Sports 98.7 (Twitter link) throws cold water on the Richards speculation, but suggests Phoenix could be in the mix for Bridges if the price is right.
  • While Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma has been viewed as a potential in-season trade candidate, he’s under contract for several more years and Washington appears to be in no rush to move him, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on The Woj Pod. “Washington’s been very reticent with Kyle Kuzma,” Wojnarowski said (hat tip to RealGM). “… Teams tell me they call them and they’re not getting counters from Washington. If you want to register an offer for Kuzma, fine, you can do it. But they’re not at the point now where it seems like they’re really active in seriously trying to move him. It could change by the deadline, but I know (Wizards executives) Michael Winger and Will Dawkins like Kuzma, like having him there. I think they’ll be particular about what they might do.”