Trade Rumors: Nets, Fox, Butler, Bucks, LaVine, Lakers, Turner
The Nets have interest in Kings guard De’Aaron Fox and view him as a potential trade target, but they haven’t given up on the idea of eventually landing Giannis Antetokounmpo, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post, who describes the Bucks star as Brooklyn’s “white whale.”
A desire to preserve their most valuable trade assets for Antetokounmpo if there’s even the slightest chance that he’ll become available would complicate the Nets’ efforts to make a deal for Fox, Lewis notes. It’s also unclear whether the 2023 All-Star would have interest in signing a long-term contract in Brooklyn, though the presence of head coach Jordi Fernandez – a former Kings assistant – would presumably work in the Nets’ favor.
Brooklyn is one of many teams around the NBA with interest in Fox — Shams Charania of ESPN said during a late-night appearance on SportsCenter on Tuesday (YouTube link) that the Kings had already gotten “dozens” of calls on the star guard.
The one team consistently linked to Fox is San Antonio. Charania confirmed during his SportsCenter appearance that the Spurs are “atop (Fox’s) list of preferred destinations.”
Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Checking on the Jimmy Butler situation, Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link) says his sources remain skeptical about the possibility of the Grizzlies acquiring the Heat forward, who reportedly doesn’t want to end up in Memphis.
- On the other hand, Stein continues to hear whispers about Milwaukee as a possible Butler suitor, noting that Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis are the kinds of win-now players on short-term deals who may appeal to Miami. Whether or not they make a play for Butler, the Bucks are considered “as determined as any team” to make a pre-deadline deal in the hopes of beefing up the supporting cast around stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, Stein adds.
- K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network (YouTube link; hat tip to BrewHoop) confirms that the Bucks have interest in Bulls star Zach LaVine, which was speculated last week. However, with Phoenix guard Bradley Beal said to be uninterested in waiving his no-trade clause to go to Chicago, that likely eliminates one potential multi-team scenario in which LaVine could end up in Milwaukee.
- With the Bulls seeking a first-round pick for Nikola Vucevic and the Wizards asking for a protected first-rounder for Jonas Valanciunas, the Lakers are exploring other center options and have discussed internally whether it makes sense to put both of their tradable first-round picks (2029 and 2031) on the table for Pacers big man Myles Turner, sources tell Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints. It’s unclear if Indiana would actually move its starting center, but there has reportedly been some chatter around the league about whether the Pacers will be comfortable meeting Turner’s asking price when he reaches unrestricted free agency in July.
Atlantic Notes: George, McCain, Towns, Barnes, Raptors Trade Outlook
Sixers forward Paul George underwent an MRI and ultrasound which revealed an injury to the extensor tendon in his left fifth finger, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps relays (Twitter link) via a team press release.
George’s return to play will be determined in the coming days. He played just 13 minutes against Chicago on Saturday before exiting with the finger injury.
Sixers coach Nick Nurse is optimistic George will return soon, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin tweets. “I think it is day to day,” he said. “It’s not major.”
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- Sixers rookie Jared McCain admitted to a group of reporters, including McMenamin, he took the news hard when he found out in December he’d require season-ending surgery to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee. “I started crying,” McCain said. “It was very tough to hear how long I’d be out for and to know I’ve worked so hard to be in the NBA and now it just gets taken away from me so quick. So, it was tough, especially that night. … Luckily, I’m good now and I got a little cane with me, so taking it step by step.” McCain was part of a pool of players on Tuesday chosen for the Rising Stars event, though he obviously can’t participate. His rehabilitation so far has been limited to walking on an altered-gravity treadmill.
- Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns is continuing to battle through a sprained right thumb and bone chip in the finger. It has affected his three-point shooting — he is three for his last 14 attempts, Dan Martin of the New York Post notes. “Man, it’s been a struggle,” Towns said. “I looked bad. I’ve been worried myself.”
- Scottie Barnes has continue to expand his game and that’s a huge development for the rebuilding Raptors, Michael Grange of Sportsnet writes. Barnes is averaging career highs in points (20.2 per game) and assists (6.6) and his on-ball defense has also improved.
- The Raptors are expected to be active on the trade market with a willingness to facilitate bigger moves by other teams in order to accumulate more assets. Blake Murphy of Sportsnet offers a trade primer, including the team’s current cap sheet, trade pieces, and available exceptions.
Pistons Notes: Beasley, Ivey, Hypothetical Trades, Duren, Stewart
Malik Beasley has proven to be one of last summer’s biggest bargains. He signed a one-year, $6MM deal with the Pistons and has averaged 16.3 points per game, mostly off the bench.
Beasley told Hoops Hype’s Michael Scotto that he’s had discussions with head of basketball operations Trajan Langdon about staying in Detroit beyond this season. He’s also aware he could be a trade target for a serious contender.
“Me and Trajan have been talking a lot. We’re trying to figure out what’s going to happen,” he said. “I still have to get through this trade deadline. There are some championship teams that want me, but I told Trajan I like where I’m at. He told me about the impact I’ve brought. Hopefully, he agrees. He also told me it’s a business. If a championship team comes with a crazy deal, the business is the business. We’re just waiting for the deadline to go through. After that, I think we’ll start talking about if maybe we can put something together.”
The Pistons will hold Beasley’s Non-Bird rights, which will limit them to offering a starting salary up to $7.2MM if they don’t use cap room or another form of cap exception.
We have more on the Pistons:
- The lack of a secondary creator with Jaden Ivey sidelined has become increasingly apparent, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic writes. The Pistons have become even more reliant on Cade Cunningham to make plays and score with Ivey on the mend from a broken fibula. The team’s 110-91 loss to Cleveland on Monday was a good example, as Detroit scored a season low in points. “We miss (Ivey), there’s no doubt about it,” Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “He’s extremely important to us, what we do and how we got to where we are now.” The front office will have to decide by next Thursday’s trade deadline whether to make a move to address the problem.
- Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press lays out three hypothetical multi-team trades to illustrate various ways in which the Pistons could take advantage of their cap room ahead of next Thursday’s trade deadline. Detroit lands Jonathan Kuminga, Haywood Highsmith, and draft assets in one of Sankofa’s proposals, Bobby Portis in another, and Marcus Smart and a first-round pick in the third.
- The Pistons have been one of the league’s top defensive units this month and Bickerstaff praises centers Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart for their commitment at that end, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes. “They are the anchor of our defense. They are the most important piece of our defense and that’s something you have to embrace,” Bickerstaff said. “Because it’s not easy. There’s a lot of responsibility that comes with it. You’re the guy who has to clean up everybody else’s messes, who has to communicate the most, has to win in the trenches more than anybody else, has to do multiple things on every single possession. And then you have to challenge shots and get rebounds. There’s a ton of pressure we put on them on the defensive end of the floor and they’ve both embraced it.”
Mavericks Notes: Exum, Road Trip, Thompson, Kelley
Mavericks guard Dante Exum has been upgraded to doubtful for the team’s game against the Pelicans on Wednesday, Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com tweets. It’s the first time all season he hasn’t been listed as out.
Exum underwent right wrist surgery in October. At that time, he was expected to be sidelined for three months and it’s already exceeded that initial timetable.
The 6’5″ guard signed a two-year contract with the Mavericks during the 2023 offseason and played a regular role for the Western Conference champions last season, averaging 7.8 PPG and 2.9 APG with a .533/.491/.779 shooting line and strong defense in 55 games (19.8 MPG).
We have more on the Mavericks:
- Wednesday’s game in New Orleans begins the Mavs’ longest road trip of the season, a five-game, 10-day journey, Sefko notes. It could go a long way toward determining whether they’ll finish in the top six in the West or whether they’ll wind up fighting for a play-in tournament spot. They’ll also visit Detroit, Cleveland, Philadelphia and Boston during the road swing.
- F0llowing a trio of single-digit outings, Klay Thompson poured in those franchise-record-tying seven first-quarter 3-pointers in 10 attempts against Washington on Monday, Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News notes. He finished with 23 points. “I can’t lie to you: It felt great,” Thompson said. “It always feels great when you shoot the ball well, but it just felt great because we needed a win where we put a team away early.”
- Thompson addressed rumors that he might participate in the 3-point shootout during All-Star weekend on Golden State’s home floor with WNBA star Caitlin Clark. “I don’t know the details, but if the opportunity presents itself that’d be cool to be part of,” Thompson said, per Townsend (Twitter link).
- Signed to a two-way deal off the South Bay Lakers’ roster over the weekend, center Kylor Kelley made his NBA debut on Monday. He played eight minutes in the lopsided win, contributing one point and four rebounds in eight minutes. “A lot of our guys are hurt. You just have to stay ready,” Kelley told Sefko. “Yeah, it’s always been about ‘stay ready’ for me. For anybody else in the G League, I’d say stay ready because you never know when you’re going to get called.”
Rockets Aren’t Interested In De’Aaron Fox Deal
Cross the Rockets off the list of potential suitors for De’Aaron Fox, according to The Athletic’s Kelly Iko.
With the revelation that the Kings might consider dealing their leading scorer before next week’s deadline, Houston has been mentioned as a potential landing spot. However, Iko hears the Rockets aren’t interested in making a major move until at least the offseason. That echoes a Marc Stein report regarding the Rockets’ reluctance to pursue a blockbuster deal.
Rockets front office executives learned through recent conversations with Kings officials that there’s an increasing likelihood of a potential Fox trade, according to Iko.
In the Rockets’ thinking, it’s not time to mess with a good thing. They currently lead the Southwest Division and sit second in the Western Conference standings. The Rockets’ front office is pleased with the growth of its young roster and wants to ride out the rest of the season with that core group, as general manager Rafael Stone stated publicly last month.
Team sources told Iko they’re only interesting in making a marginal move that wouldn’t impact the current rotation. The Rockets would seek draft compensation in the form of second-round picks to take on additional salary in such a trade.
That’s because the Rockets aren’t saddled with the same restrictions as some contenders who are above the first or second tax aprons. The Rockets are approximately $10.6MM under the luxury tax and still have their $12.8MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception available to use in a trade.
While there will likely be plenty of other teams with interest in Fox, multiple reports have indicated that San Antonio is believed to be the guard’s preferred destination.
Warriors To Retire Andre Iguodala’s Jersey
The Warriors are retiring Andre Iguodala‘s No. 9 jersey, according to a team press release. Golden State will hold the ceremony following its afternoon game against the Mavericks on Feb. 23.
Iguodala will be the seventh Warrior to have his jersey retired, joining Alvin Attles (No. 16), Rick Barry (24), Wilt Chamberlain (13), Tom Meschery (14), Chris Mullin (17) and Nate Thurmond (42).
Iguodala was a member of Golden State’s four championship teams in this century and was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2015 NBA Finals. He averaged 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists per contest in that six-game series against Cleveland.
The defensive ace made 452 career regular season appearances (84 starts) with the Warriors, averaging 6.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 26.0 minutes per game over eight seasons (2013-19, 2021-23). Iguodala appeared in 111 playoff games (40 starts) with Golden State, averaging 8.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.5 APG, and 1.1 SPG in 28.5 MPG.
Iguodala was 30 years old and entering his 10th season when he joined the Warriors as a free agent.
“I never had been outside the second round,” Iguodala told Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “Neither had the Warriors since the ’70s. We were fresh off that ‘not one, not two, not three’ quote (from LeBron James when he joined Miami). So you’re careful with how you’re speaking towards it. I didn’t know because I’d never been there. It was just, I don’t know, intuition. But I didn’t think it would be four. I didn’t think it would be jersey retirements.”
Iguodala praised Stephen Curry for allowing him to reach those heights.
“I can properly assess my career, so I don’t need validation,” Iguodala said. “But I’m taking this one: I think I was the first one to realize how I can extend my career playing with Steph Curry … I hate making headlines. Don’t take it out of (context). Kevin Durant is the most talented basketball player I’ve ever seen. I’m including Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan is the best, but I’m talking about talent. Nobody’s better than Kevin Durant. But without Stephen Curry, nobody’s jersey is going in the rafters.”
As Slater points out, Curry, Durant, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson will assuredly have their numbers retired by the organization after they wrap up their playing careers. Iguodala officially retired after the 2022/23 season. He’s currently the executive director of the NBA Players Association.
Jimmy Butler Rumors: Asking Price, Warriors, Suns, Randle
After ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported that the Heat have lowered their asking price in trade talks for Jimmy Butler as they look to get a deal done ahead of next Thursday’s deadline, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter links) hears that the team has begun to show more willingness to consider taking on salary beyond 2025/26 as long as the contract isn’t “outrageous.”
Jackson’s report comes on the heels of Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports stating that the Warriors have reentered the mix for Butler now that Miami has dropped its asking price. Shams Charania of ESPN confirmed during a SportsCenter appearance on Tuesday (YouTube link) that Golden State has been back in touch with the Heat about Butler.
Jackson points specifically to Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins‘ contract, which includes a $30.2MM player option for 2026/27, as one that the Heat might not be totally opposed to taking on. By comparison, Bradley Beal, who is said to be of zero interest to the Heat, has a $57.1MM player option for ’26/27, along with the no-trade clause that he’s reportedly not interested in giving up if dealt.
While the Heat are loosening their requirements a little, their preference remains to acquire shorter-term deals that expire as soon as possible, Jackson writes. According to Jackson, for each extra year of salary the Heat take on, they want a “carrot” such as a draft pick.
Here’s more on the Butler situation:
- The Suns‘ trade with Utah that saw them split their 2031 first-round pick into three less valuable first-rounders wasn’t specifically about trying to acquire Butler, according to plugged-in Phoenix-area radio host John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link). Gambadoro says the Suns expect to be a good team in 2031 and felt like giving up that pick was a worthwhile risk in order to gain three separate assets that could be used to upgrade the roster.
- Ian Begley of SNY.tv suggests keeping an eye on the Timberwolves in the event of a multi-team Butler blockbuster. As Begley explains, the Heat were among the teams that expressed interest in trading for Julius Randle during the 2024 offseason and have kept tabs on the forward following his trade to Minnesota. Randle could become a free agent as early as this summer – he holds a $30.9MM player option for 2025/26 – which makes his contract a fit for Miami. Begley adds that the Heat and Timberwolves have been in touch, though he isn’t sure if there are any active talks between the two teams.
- As Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel writes, the Heat pulled out an “invigorating” double-overtime win over Orlando in the first game of Butler’s latest suspension on Monday. Meanwhile, Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald takes a closer look at what life without Butler looks like on the court for the Heat, observing that the team has begun to lean more heavily on bigger lineups.
Kings Expected To Entertain Trading De’Aaron Fox
3:29pm: Fox’s preferred landing spot is believed to be San Antonio, reports James Ham of The Kings Beat (Twitter link).
However, agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports remains open about where his client might land and is expected to talk to interested teams ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline, according to Amick, who says Paul told the Kings it might be in their best interests to move Fox sooner rather than later.
2:41pm: The Kings are expected to open up discussions about the possibility of moving De’Aaron Fox ahead of next Thursday’s trade deadline, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
According to Charania, there will likely be many teams with interest in Fox, though there’s a belief that the star guard – who can become a free agent in 2026 – is targeting a specific destination.
Sam Amick of The Athletic (Twitter link) confirms that piece of intel, adding that Fox has “continued to signal a lack of interest” in signing a contract extension with Sacramento. NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link) also hears that the 27-year-old is “zeroed in” on a specific team and says other potential suitors will be discouraged from acquiring him.
The timing of the news is interesting, given that the Kings have played their best basketball of the season over the past month, following the dismissal of head coach Mike Brown. Sacramento had a 13-19 record as of December 30, but has since climbed to 24-22 by winning 11 of its past 14 games under new coach Doug Christie.
Still, Fox’s contract situation in Sacramento is tenuous. He turned down a three-year, maximum-salary extension offer during the 2024 offseason, ostensibly because he’d have the opportunity to earn a more lucrative deal during the summer of 2025 — at that time, he’d be eligible for a four-year max deal or, if he earns All-NBA honors this season, a five-year super-max extension.
Fox subsequently spoke in both October and December about not wanting to commit long-term to Sacramento unless he was sure the team was able to “compete at a high level” and wasn’t just “fighting for a playoff spot.” Even after their recent surge, the Kings fall into that latter category. They currently hold the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference.
Reports in recent weeks have indicated that the Kings continue to seek out upgrades for their roster in the hopes of improving their playoff chances. Players like Brooklyn forward Cameron Johnson and Utah big man John Collins have been most frequently mentioned as potential targets.
However, the Kings may be reluctant to give up future assets for supplemental pieces if they’re not confident about their ability to retain Fox beyond his current contract and uncertain whether those potential additions would help convince him to stay.
A report last month indicated that the Spurs were positioning themselves to pursue Fox if he were made available.
The Rockets, who reportedly had interest in Donovan Mitchell last year, are also viewed as a logical suitor, with Fred VanVleet‘s maximum-salary contract only guaranteed through this season, notes Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link). However, NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link) hears that Houston remains reluctant to make a major in-season move.
Sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link) that the Nets are among the teams with Fox on their radar and are monitoring the situation. Amick said earlier this month that the Heat and Lakers are frequently discussed by people around the league as possible Fox suitors, with the Magic also believed to be considering the idea of going after him.
Of course, we don’t yet know the identity of the team Fox reportedly has his eye on, which figures to have a substantial impact on how the Kings’ trade talks play out.
For what it’s worth, opposing executives who have spoken to Begley (Twitter link) believe San Antonio is among the teams Fox would like to play for. During an NBA Today appearance on Tuesday afternoon (Twitter video link), Charania said the Lakers aren’t Fox’s destination of choice.
As Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (via Twitter), if Fox’s preferred destination has cap room in 2026, that team could sign him outright at that point. But if Fox gets dealt to that team – along with his Bird rights – prior to 2026, he could sign a far more lucrative contract, worth up to a projected $296MM over five years instead of $219MM over four.
Because Fox is under contract for one more season beyond this one, the Kings aren’t necessarily under the gun to make a decision on his future by February 6. If he remains in Sacramento through the trade deadline, the team could revisit its trade options during the 2025 offseason.
NBA Announces Player Pool For 2025 Rising Stars Event
The NBA has officially revealed the 10 rookies, 11 sophomores, and seven G League players who have been selected to take part in the 2025 Rising Stars event at All-Star weekend in San Francisco next month.
The following players made the cut, as voted on by NBA assistant coaches (rookies and sophomores) and selected by the league office (G Leaguers):
Rookies
- Carlton Carrington (Wizards)
- Stephon Castle (Spurs)
- Tristan Da Silva (Magic)
- Zach Edey (Grizzlies)
- Dalton Knecht (Lakers)
- Jared McCain (Sixers)
- Yves Missi (Pelicans)
- Zaccharie Risacher (Hawks)
- Alex Sarr (Wizards)
- Jaylen Wells (Grizzlies)
Sophomores
- Bilal Coulibaly (Wizards)
- Gradey Dick (Raptors)
- Keyonte George (Jazz)
- Scoot Henderson (Trail Blazers)
- Trayce Jackson-Davis (Warriors)
- Jaime Jaquez (Heat)
- Dereck Lively II (Mavericks)
- Brandon Miller (Hornets)
- Amen Thompson (Rockets)
- Cason Wallace (Thunder)
- Victor Wembanyama (Spurs)
G League Players
- JD Davison (Maine Celtics) *
- Mac McClung (Osceola Magic) *
- Bryce McGowens (Rip City Remix) *
- Leonard Miller (Iowa Wolves) *
- Dink Pate (Mexico City Capitanes)
- Reed Sheppard (Rio Grande Valley Vipers) *
- Pat Spencer (Santa Cruz Warriors) *
* Note: Players marked with asterisks are on standard or two-way contracts with NBA teams.
As usual, the Rising Stars event will consist of four teams and three games. The seven G League players will comprise one team, while the other 21 players will be drafted to three squads on February 4.
The four teams will be split into two first-round matchups and the winners of those two games will face one another for the Rising Stars championship. The two semifinals will be played to a target score of 40 points, while the final will be played to a target score of 25 points.
All three contests will take place on Friday, February 14 as part of All-Star weekend’s opening night. The winning team will compete on Sunday in a similar four-team tournament, with the three other rosters made up of NBA All-Stars.
A handful of injury replacements will be necessary, with McCain, Lively, and Brandon Miller among the players who won’t be available to suit up. Additionally, since players selected as All-Stars won’t play in the Rising Stars event, Wembanyama will almost certainly need to be replaced.
NBA To Stick With Two-Day Draft In 2025
After splitting its draft into two days for the first time in 2024, the NBA confirmed today (via Twitter) that it will use the same format for its 2025 event.
According to the league, the dates for the 2025 NBA draft are as follows:
- Wednesday, June 25 (8:00 pm ET): Round one
- Thursday, June 26 (8:00 pm ET): Round two
As usual, the event will take place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
After long having held the draft on a single night, the NBA and NBPA decided last year to make it a two-day affair in order to give its teams, broadcast partners, and incoming players more time – and a bigger spotlight – in the second round.
During single-night drafts, that second round typically began late in the evening on the East Coast, then flew by because teams only had two minutes to make their picks — each year, a number of those picks were made while ESPN’s broadcast was on a commercial break. It was also often difficult to track which teams owned which picks, with teams trading second-rounders more frequently than first-rounders.
In the new format, teams have four minutes per pick in the second round, only slightly less than the five minutes per pick in round one.