Lakers Notes: Davis, Walker, Reaves, Trade Market
After ESPN’s Dave McMenamin said on Friday that Anthony Davis could be back in action at some point next week, a series of other reporters confirmed that news, including Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Mark Medina of NBA.com (Twitter link), and Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times.
The general consensus among those reporters is that if everything proceeds according to plan with Davis’ recovery from a foot injury and he remains pain-free, he could play as early as Tuesday or Wednesday in one of the Lakers’ home games. However, a return next Saturday in Boston for the start of the team’s five-game road trip may be the safer bet.
According to Woike, the Lakers have to share an official timeline for Davis’ recovery, with head coach Darvin Ham telling reporters on Friday only that the big man would go through a “1-on-0” workout on Saturday as he ramps up toward group practices with contact.
“We’ve maintained throughout the process there’s no timeline.” Ham said before the team’s win over Memphis. “And we’re just throwing different things at him.”
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- Injured wing Lonnie Walker (knee), who is due to be reevaluated on Saturday, appears to be getting close to a return and is being classified as day-to-day, according to Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).
- Lakers guard Austin Reaves isn’t as close as Walker to making it back on the court. The plan is for Reaves to be reevaluated late next week, Ham said on Friday (link via Woike).
- The Lakers are one of many potential buyers around the NBA who are hoping that more sellers will emerge and begin to engage more seriously in trade discussions starting next week, Wojnarowski said in an appearance on ESPN’s NBA Countdown (YouTube video link). “I don’t think there’s any big, big deals for the Lakers out there, but I do think they’re going to be active around the edges to try to improve this team,” Woj said.
Suns Sign Saben Lee To Second 10-Day Deal
JANUARY 21: As expected, the Suns have signed Lee to a second 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release.
JANUARY 20: Saben Lee‘s first 10-day contract with the Suns hasn’t technically expired yet, but it will do so before Saturday’s game, so he’ll need to be re-signed if the team wants him available for that contest — and beyond. That’s expected to happen, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link), who says Lee is on track to ink a second 10-day deal with Phoenix.
Lee, 23, has been the only 10-day signee so far this season to immediately step into a regular role upon joining his new team. The former second-round pick has averaged 11.3 points, 3.8 assists, and 2.5 rebounds in 21.8 minutes per game during four appearances with the Suns.
Lee’s best game came on Thursday, when he played a season-high 29 minutes, scoring 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting and dishing six assists in a Phoenix victory.
Assuming Lee officially signs a new contract with the Suns on Saturday, his contract would run through January 30, making him eligible to play in the club’s next six games. As was the case on his first 10-day deal, he would earn approximately $106K for his 10 days of work, as our chart shows.
After his second 10-day contract expires, Lee wouldn’t be able to sign a third with the Suns, so the team would have to either sign him for the rest of the season or let him walk.
Cash Sent, Received In NBA Trades For 2022/23
During each NBA league year, teams face limits on the amount of cash they can send out and receive in trades. Once they reach those limits, they’re no longer permitted to include cash in a deal until the following league year.
For the 2022/23 NBA season, the limit is $6,363,000. If a team is including cash in a deal, the minimum amount required is $110,000.
The limits on sending and receiving cash are separate and aren’t dependent on one another, so if a team sends out $6,363,000 in one trade, then receives $6,363,000 in another, they aren’t back to square one — they’ve reached both limits for the season and can’t make another deal that includes cash.
Adding cash to a deal can serve multiple purposes. It can be a sweetener to encourage a team to make a deal in the first place – like when a club acquires a second-round pick in exchange for cash, or sends out an unwanted contract along with cash – or it can be a necessity to meet CBA requirements.
For instance, when the Suns agreed to acquire Jock Landale from the Hawks this past summer, Atlanta essentially just wanted to clear a roster spot, but had to receive something in the deal. So Phoenix sent Atlanta $110K, the minimum amount that can change hands in any trade involving cash.
We’ll use the space below to track each team’s cash sent and received in trades for the 2022/23 season, updating the info as necessary leading up to the 2023 trade deadline and for the first part of the 2023 offseason next June. These totals will reset once the ’23/24 league year begins next July.
Note: Data from ESPN’s Bobby Marks was used in the creation of this post.
Atlanta Hawks
- Cash available to send: $6,363,000
- Cash available to receive: $6,253,000
- Received $110,000 from Suns.
Boston Celtics
- Cash available to send: $4,863,000
- Sent $1,500,000 to Spurs.
- Cash available to receive: $6,363,000
Brooklyn Nets
- Cash available to send: $2,423,000
- Cash available to receive: $6,363,000
Charlotte Hornets
- Cash available to send: $6,363,000
- Cash available to receive: $5,363,000
- Received $1,000,000 from Clippers.
Chicago Bulls
- Cash available to send: $6,363,000
- Cash available to receive: $6,363,000
Cleveland Cavaliers
- Cash available to send: $6,363,000
- Cash available to receive: $6,363,000
Dallas Mavericks
- Cash available to send: $6,363,000
- Cash available to receive: $6,363,000
Denver Nuggets
- Cash available to send: $6,363,000
- Cash available to receive: $6,363,000
Detroit Pistons
- Cash available to send: $4,610,362
- Sent $1,752,638 to Jazz.
- Cash available to receive: $4,363,000
- Received $2,000,000 from Knicks.
Golden State Warriors
- Cash available to send: $6,363,000
- Sent unknown amount to Wizards.
- Cash available to receive: $6,363,000
Houston Rockets
- Cash available to send: $6,363,000
- Cash available to receive: $0
- Received $6,363,000 from Thunder.
Indiana Pacers
- Cash available to send: $6,363,000
- Cash available to receive: $640,000
Los Angeles Clippers
- Cash available to send: $5,363,000
- Sent $1,000,000 to Hornets.
- Cash available to receive: $6,363,000
Los Angeles Lakers
- Cash available to send: $0
- Cash available to receive: $6,363,000
Memphis Grizzlies
- Cash available to send: $6,363,000
- Cash available to receive: $6,363,000
Miami Heat
- Cash available to send: $6,363,000
- Cash available to receive: $6,253,000
- Received $110,000 from Spurs.
Milwaukee Bucks
- Cash available to send: $6,363,000
- Sent unknown amount to Magic.
- Cash available to receive: $6,363,000
Minnesota Timberwolves
- Cash available to send: $6,363,000
- Cash available to receive: $6,363,000
New Orleans Pelicans
- Cash available to send: $6,363,000
- Cash available to receive: $6,363,000
New York Knicks
- Cash available to send: $4,363,000
- Sent $2,000,000 to Pistons.
- Cash available to receive: $6,363,000
Oklahoma City Thunder
- Cash available to send: $0
- Sent $6,363,000 to Rockets.
- Cash available to receive: $5,363,000
- Received $1,000,000 from Suns.
Orlando Magic
- Cash available to send: $6,363,000
- Cash available to receive: $4,363,000
Philadelphia 76ers
- Cash available to send: $6,363,000
- Cash available to receive: $6,363,000
Phoenix Suns
- Cash available to send: $5,253,000
- Cash available to receive: $6,363,000
Portland Trail Blazers
- Cash available to send: $6,363,000
- Cash available to receive: $6,363,000
Sacramento Kings
- Cash available to send: $6,363,000
- Cash available to receive: $3,783,000
- Received $2,580,000 from Nets.
San Antonio Spurs
- Cash available to send: $6,253,000
- Sent $110,000 to Heat.
- Cash available to receive: $4,863,000
- Received $1,500,000 from Celtics.
Toronto Raptors
- Cash available to send: $6,363,000
- Cash available to receive: $6,363,000
Utah Jazz
- Cash available to send: $6,363,000
- Cash available to receive: $4,610,362
- Received $1,752,638 from Pistons.
Washington Wizards
- Cash available to send: $6,363,000
- Cash available to receive: $6,363,000
- Received unknown amount from Warriors.
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Cavs’ Dean Wade Set To Return On Saturday
Cavaliers forward Dean Wade intends to return to action on Saturday when Cleveland hosts the Bucks, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Wade hasn’t suited up for the Cavaliers since December 2, when he aggravated a prior left shoulder injury and was diagnosed with an AC joint sprain. The 26-year-old was expected to return earlier this month, but suffered a setback in his rehab process when he stepped on another player’s foot and injured his ankle. In total, he has missed Cleveland’s last 24 games.
Wade’s counting stats in a regular rotation role this season are modest — he has averaged 6.4 points and 4.1 rebounds in 24.1 minutes per night across 17 appearances.
However, the Cavs like Wade’s two-way skill set and there are reportedly people in the organization who believe he’s the right player to fill out a starting five that features two backcourt stars (Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland) and two impact big men (Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley). Wade was part of J.B. Bickerstaff‘s starting lineup in the five games leading up to his injury and could reclaim that spot now that he’s healthy, though perhaps not in his first game back.
As Wojnarowski notes, Wade has made 41.1% of his three-point attempts so far this season and has ranked in the top 10 in shot quality allowed on defense, according to Second Spectrum’s data.
The Cavs will be looking to bounce back on Saturday after falling on Friday to a shorthanded Warriors team that was without Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, and Draymond Green.
Atlantic Notes: Tatum, Celtics, Sims, Sixers
The Celtics have ruled out Jayson Tatum for Saturday’s game in Toronto due to left wrist soreness, the team announced (via Twitter). As Jared Weiss of The Athletic notes (via Twitter), Tatum played through a non-displaced fracture in that same wrist last season and said recently that he’s been dealing with some pain in that area.
There’s no indication that it’s a serious issue though — the Celtics likely viewed it as a good time to get Tatum a day off after he played 48 minutes in an overtime win over Golden State on Thursday.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- The $6.9MM traded player exception the Celtics generated when they sent Juancho Hernangomez to San Antonio last January expired when it wasn’t used by the end of the day on Thursday. As our list of outstanding trade exceptions shows, Boston still has several TPEs available — the largest of those exceptions, worth $5.9MM, will expire if it’s not used by this season’s trade deadline.
- Although the Knicks will miss Mitchell Robinson in the middle as he recovers from thumb surgery, head coach Tom Thibodeau isn’t upset about the opportunity to have Jericho Sims play a bigger role, discussing on Friday how the big man has improved since arriving in the NBA, per Peter Botte of The New York Post. “Obviously the easy part to see is the athleticism, but also his touch with the ball, right and left hand in the paint, his passing ability, the way he can run the floor, and all the things that he’s doing defensively,” Thibodeau said of Sims. “But I think the big thing is the way he works. I think with that type of work ethic, his competitiveness, he’ll continue to get better and better.”
- In a mailbag for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Keith Pompey explains why he believes the Sixers could use another center and outlines why he doesn’t love the idea of moving Tyrese Maxey back into the starting lineup and making Tobias Harris a sixth man.
Southeast Notes: Kuzma, Fultz, Lowry, Thor
Kyle Kuzma has been a hot name on the trade market, though the latest reports have indicated that the Wizards would prefer to keep him through the deadline in an attempt to re-sign him in free agency. The 27-year-old forward says he loves playing with Kristaps Porzingis and Bradley Beal, and that will factor into his decision this summer.
“It plays into it a lot,” Kuzma told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter video link). “I love playing with those guys. I see how easy it is for me, but this is something I’m not really thinking about right now. I’m so far away from it.”
Here’s more from the Southeast:
- Markelle Fultz has made a major impact on the defensive end since he made his season debut at the end of November, writes Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel (subscriber link). “Just playing hard man,” he said. “Just giving all my effort while I’m on the court. Whether that’s ball pressure or trying to dive on the floor for a loose ball, I’m just trying to find any little way to give our team an advantage.” Fultz is averaging a career-high 1.7 steals per contest, per Price, who notes that the 24-year-old doesn’t gamble much while playing disruptive defense. The Magic have gone 12-12 in games Fultz has played and 5-16 without him.
- Heat point guard Kyle Lowry recently returned from a four-game absence due to knee soreness. He says it’s been bothering him for a while, but hopes resting it resolved the issue, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “It was good to just get myself right,” said Lowry. “My knee has been a little bit bothering me for a while. So it was good to get back. …I feel good. I feel pretty good right now and hopefully it doesn’t re-occur, and we just kind of build on that. You keep the body right and keep the mind sharp.”
- Hornets coach Steve Clifford is a fan of JT Thor‘s team-first mentality and defense, but he admits his rotations have the second-year forward in an unenviable position, as Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer relays. “The guy to be honest with you, who to a certain degree is getting screwed, is JT Thor,” Clifford said. “I’m subbing him in a way — and he knows it and his teammates know it — just so we can keep more balanced lineups on the floor. He’s playing four minutes sometimes, three minutes sometimes. You can’t possibly be productive offensively with those minutes. He gets the minutes, but the way they are broken up, there’s no way. When I told him that, he said, ‘Hey, I know this isn’t about me.’ So, that’s why he has a chance to be a good player.”
Wolves Notes: KAT, Gobert, Russell, Connelly, Nuggets
Karl-Anthony Towns has been sidelined since November 28 after suffering a right calf strain. As Chris Hine of The Star Tribune writes, the Timberwolves‘ star big man recently expressed frustration regarding the reporting surrounding the injury.
“It was never a Grade 2 [strain], it was never going to be a Grade 2, unfortunately,” Towns said on his livestream. “I prayed to God almighty that it was a Grade 2, but I knew it wasn’t. It was a Grade 3.”
Hine notes that Grade 3 strains are more severe and a recovery timeline could be more than two months. ESPN reported on November 29 that Towns would miss four-to-six weeks, but was expected to make a full recovery and return in January. Towns said that timeline was never in the cards.
“I wish it was four-to-six weeks. I knew then it wasn’t going to be four to six,” Towns said. “The team was trying to say four to six. There was no way with the injury I sustained, it’s a very significant injury. I don’t know if they were trying to give false hope to the fans or what the case may be.”
Hine points out that the Wolves ruled Towns out indefinitely and never gave a definitive recovery timeline. Still, it’s understandable that he would be frustrated about an inaccurate timeline that was leaked almost immediately after taking his MRI. The 27-year-old also gave a positive (if vague) update on his recovery.
“I’m getting better. Everything is going good. Going really well,” Towns said, per Hine. “Just getting better, man. It takes time. This is a very real injury. Significant, but it could’ve been way worse.”
Here’s more on the Wolves:
- Grading the team to this point is “premature and pointless,” according to Jim Souhan of The Star Tribune, who argues that the Wolves still need to see what they have with a fully healthy lineup before declaring the season — and the Rudy Gobert trade — a lost cause. Souhan says it has been a disappointing 47 games, and they clearly have some issues, but it’s too early to make broad declarations. They’ve gone 13-13 without Towns and are still in the playoff mix at 23-24, currently the West’s No. 7 seed.
- D’Angelo Russell showed both his strengths and weaknesses in Thursday’s game against the Raptors, but ultimately came through in the clutch with several big shots in leading the Wolves to a comeback victory, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Russell has been the subject of recent trade rumors, and his high-variance play can be frustrating, so Minnesota will have a tough decision to make ahead of the deadline, Krawczynski adds.
- President of basketball operations Tim Connelly, who was hired away from the Nuggets in the offseason, says he still wants to see his former team succeed, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post (subscriber link). “… I watch every Nuggets game, I root for them like crazy,” he said. “It’s neat that me and my family played something super small.” Minnesota visited Denver for the first time this season on Wednesday, and while Connelly enjoyed seeing his former co-workers, he also said it was “super weird.”
Community Shootaround: Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder are often pointed to as an example of a team boldly and blatantly tanking, yet they were in the playoffs just three years ago. In the past two seasons, they’ve gone 22-50 (tied for the fourth-worst record) and 24-58 (fourth-worst outright).
Entering 2022/23, external expectations were low. Oddsmakers had their over/under win total at 22.5, and 54.2% of our voters took the over — not exactly a resounding majority, but a majority nonetheless.
As ESPN’s Zach Lowe writes (Insider link), Oklahoma City has been on fire lately, going 11-5 over the last 16 games. At 22-23, the Thunder are now in a virtual tie for the No. 7 seed in the West with the Timberwolves, Clippers and Warriors, and only trail the Jazz by a half-game for the No. 6 spot.
They are now 12th in the league with a plus-1.1 net rating, per NBA.com, with the league’s 10th-ranked defense. Lowe believes the Thunder are “in the play-in race to stay,” and thinks they might be a playoff team for years to come if they’re able to slide in this year.
Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a prime candidate to be a first-time All-Star, has led the way. But the Thunder have talented players across the roster, and have found success with a rangy, switchable lineup featuring Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Luguentz Dort, rookie wing Jalen Williams, and Kenrich Williams or Mike Muscala at center.
According to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic, Giddey’s level of play has been noteworthy during the hot streak — he’s averaging 18.5 PPG, 7.6 RPG and 6.6 APG on .531/.364/.920 shooting over the past 14 games (31.3 MPG) — and his coach has taken notice of the 20-year-old’s improved finishing ability.
“He’s definitely physical in driving,” head coach Mark Daigneault said. “That’s definitely showing up. Early in the year, I thought he was just trying to shoot over people, and now he’s taking space up. Then when he creates that kind of space and his size and strength, he’s getting stuff around the basket. He’s getting a lot more lately.”
The Thunder have a treasure trove of draft assets at their disposal, and their recent second overall draft pick, big man Chet Holmgren, hasn’t even played yet (he’s out for the season with foot surgery). Things are definitely trending up in Oklahoma City.
We want to know what you think. Do you agree with Lowe that the Thunder will be in the West’s play-in hunt for the rest of the season? Head to the comments and share your thoughts on the Thunder’s outlook for the second half of ’22/23.
Raptors Notes: Trent Jr., Deadline Primer, Assets, Tiers
Shooting guard Gary Trent Jr. says he’s grateful for the opportunity to earn an expanded role with the Raptors, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. Trent is averaging a career-high 18.5 points per night and boasts solid shooting splits (.438/.360/.831, including a .572 true shooting percentage).
“It’s just a lot of things, factors of being consistent in the NBA,” Trent said. “It’s your role, your opportunity, your coach’s trust. Do they believe in you? Do they run plays for you? Do they put you in certain positions to succeed. Just different type of things. Coach (Nick) Nurse and his team has been there for me. They’ve helped me. Gave me a platform and opportunity of a lifetime.”
Multiple reports over the past month have indicated that Trent is likely to be on the trading block, primarily because he’s expected to turn down his $18.8MM player option for next season to become a free agent. The 24-year-old is aware of the rumors, but he’s no stranger to hearing his name pop up in trade speculation and plans to keep working hard.
“I’ve been in trade rumors since I came into the league,” Trent said, per Hine. “With my contract and my situation, it’s almost complimentary to get off the books or to help a team or roster. But you can’t really focus on that. It is what it is. You continue to work. Somebody’s going to want you. Everybody is watching you, seeing how you work.”
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca recently released his in-depth trade deadline primer, including the team’s cap outlook for this season and beyond, player and non-player assets, and more. Murphy suggests the team might “prioritize young, rotation-ready players” rather than draft picks if they deal away Trent or Fred VanVleet, as that would allow Toronto to be more competitive next season.
- Doug Smith of The Toronto Star spoke to multiple league sources who ranked the team’s most valuable player assets, in order of their value. OG Anunoby tops the list, followed by VanVleet, Pascal Siakam and Trent. I can sort of see having Anunoby over Siakam because he makes about half as much money and theoretically might be an easier fit on most teams, but having VanVleet over Siakam is…interesting. I assume Scottie Barnes isn’t included because he isn’t expected to be available.
- Along those same lines, Eric Koreen of The Athletic breaks the players down into tiers, with Barnes in his own “almost untouchable” category. Anunoby and Siakam are in the “we’d rather not, but give us your best offer and we’ll think about it” tier, while Koreen thinks one of Trent or VanVleet will probably get traded.
- At 20-26 and 1.5 games back of the Bulls for the No. 10 seed and the final spot in the play-in tournament, the Raptors don’t have the luxury of resting their best players, argues Dave Feschuk of The Toronto Star. Nurse has been criticized at times for playing the starters heavy minutes, but Feschuk notes that group has been pretty healthy this season.
- VanVleet is another player who hears the rumors swirling, Smith writes in another article for The Toronto Star. “The better you play and the better your team does, the lower the chance anybody getting shipped out of here,” VanVleet said. “If you (crap) the bed you set yourself up for anything to happen. So we’ve got to control the controllables.” As Smith notes, the Raptors have been wildly inconsistent this season, and have yet to “control the controllables,” as VanVleet put it, for a sustained period.