Nets Notes: Kings Trade Talks, C. Johson, Thomas, Sharpe, K. Johnson
Jordi Fernandez‘s experience in Sacramento makes him a valuable resource for Nets general manager Sean Marks as he engages in trade talks with the Kings, Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes in a subscriber-only piece. While the topics might include the future availability of De’Aaron Fox, the more immediate concern is Sacramento’s interest in Cameron Johnson, Lewis adds. The Post reported last summer that the Kings topped the list of teams hoping to acquire Johnson, and his trade value has only increased in the midst of a career-best season.
Brooklyn is believed to be asking for the equivalent of two first-round picks in exchange for Johnson. Lewis suggests that Sacramento could meet that price by offering rookie guard Devin Carter, along with a future first-rounder and other players to match salaries. That’s where input could be valuable from Fernandez, who spent two years as an assistant with the Kings before the Nets hired him as their head coach during the offseason, along with assistant coaches Deividas Dulkys and Dutch Gaitley, who also left Sacramento for Brooklyn.
“I look at the coaching staff and the front office — that relationship and that dynamic — as a partnership,” Marks said. “It’s not something where I’m telling you what to do and you go and do it, or vice versa. This is something that I should rely on them, because at the end of the day their experiences and their interactions with players — whether it’s from other teams or just being on the court — they’re up close. I’m not in the foxhole down on the court with them.
“So it would behoove me to talk to them and rely on their input. And I think, one, it’s being honest right off the get-go at the start of the season. And even before that when Jordi signed up. I mean, Jordi and I had heart-to-hearts of ‘hey, look, we’re going to build this and this is how we’re going to build it. We want to be a partnership together on this.’ So he’s been nothing but fantastic in that realm.”
There’s more from Brooklyn:
- In the same story, Cam Thomas talks to Lewis about the frustration of dealing with another strain of his left hamstring two games after returning from the first one. Thomas is guaranteed another long absence, as he won’t be reevaluated until January 19 when the Nets return from an upcoming six-game road trip. “Me dealing with what I’m dealing with is tough,” he said. “But we’ve still got enough guys in here to play; we’ve got to go out there and keep playing. I’m gonna keep fighting through, keep fighting through it. I’m going to just keep going.”
- Day’Ron Sharpe posted season highs with 16 points and 13 rebounds in 22 minutes Monday night, Lewis states in a separate story. Sharpe, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, is averaging 9.5 points and 8.0 boards in his last four games while shooting 53.3% from the field. “I feel like I still got some room to go. I just feel like this is the start of it,” he said. “About three games ago, I feel like I really was starting to feel like myself again. Just coming back from the injury and not playing for months, I’m just still trying to figure my way out. And I feel like this is the start of it.”
- It’s no secret that the Nets are tearing down their roster in hopes of landing a high lottery pick, but the players and coaches have offered a consistent public message throughout the process, per Bridget Reilly of The New York Post (subscription-only). “I wouldn’t say it’s hard. We all understand it’s part of the business, and that this is what we signed up for on Day 1,” said Keon Johnson, one of several young players getting increased minutes during the makeover. “But one thing we can control is what’s in front of us. Night in and night out, we don’t know who is going to be laced up. We don’t know who is going to be playing, but it’s just a better opportunity for everybody to be prepared and hope that your number is called.”
Atlantic Notes: Rajakovic, Raptors, Knicks, Sixers
The Raptors are as healthy as they’ve been all season, but their on-court results haven’t improved as of late. They fell to a banged-up Orlando team last Friday and were blown out by Milwaukee on Monday, with both losses coming at home. They’ve now dropped 13 of their last 14 games and have an 8-28 record on the season, the third-worst mark in the NBA.
Toronto has been below .500 since opening night, but the club was more competitive early in the season even while dealing with injuries to players like Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, Kelly Olynyk, and Bruce Brown. With the Raptors healthier, head coach Darko Rajakovic may begin to face real pressure for the first time if the results don’t start to improve a little, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic.
For his part, Rajakovic said he’s confident his team will put forth a better effort than what it showed on Monday against the Bucks.
“(It’s the) middle of (a) long season. It’s guys coming back from injuries, guys being without rhythm, guys not playing together,” Rajakovic said. “Again, I don’t want any of those to sound like excuses. We’ve got to be much better in all of those areas. But at the same time, we work hard, and I believe that we’re gonna get out of this slump, and I think we’re gonna be able to play much higher level basketball than we showed (Monday).”
It won’t be easy for Toronto to turn things around in the short term. The club will play a back-to-back set on Wednesday and Thursday against the Knicks and Cavaliers before visiting the red-hot Pistons in Detroit on Saturday.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- In a separate story for The Athletic, Koreen evaluates a series of Raptors-related trade suggestions from readers, including hypothetical deals involving Jakob Poeltl, Chris Boucher, and Brown, among others.
- With minor health issues forcing a couple of the Knicks‘ top players to miss games within the last week, Stefan Bondy of The New York Post examines the team’s depth issue, noting that head coach Tom Thibodeau has shown little inclination to expand his rotation to nine players. Getting back a healthy Mitchell Robinson would help matters, according to Bondy, who adds that the club will also consider its options on the trade and buyout markets, though cap constraints will limit the front office’s options.
- Joel Embiid (left foot sprain), Paul George (left groin tightness), and Kyle Lowry (right hip soreness) will be unavailable for the Sixers on Wednesday when they host the Wizards, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. It’ll be the second consecutive missed game for both Embiid and Lowry.
- The absences of Embiid and George will delay the Sixers‘ ability to further work on the duo’s chemistry, Pompey writes in another story for The Inquirer. Head coach Nick Nurse said earlier this week that he doesn’t have enough data on Embiid’s and George’s two-man game yet and wants to prioritize getting them more reps together.
Latest On Zion Williamson
The Pelicans have ruled out Zion Williamson for Wednesday’s game vs. Portland after he returned from a hamstring strain on Tuesday against Minnesota, playing for the first time in over two months.
The fact that Williamson won’t play in the second end of a back-to-back set on Wednesday shouldn’t be a cause for concern among Pelicans fans, according to Brett Martel of The Associated Press, who says the forward told reporters he felt fine after Tuesday’s game but wasn’t sure if the club would give him the green light to play two nights in a row.
“I definitely feel like my legs are already under me,” the former No. 1 overall pick said.
As Rod Walker of NOLA.com observes, Williamson didn’t look like a player who had been out since early November. The 24-year-old had a number of explosive dunks in his return, including a highlight-reel 360 windmill slam, and was moving around well on the court. Head coach Willie Green stating after the game that he looked “as good as I’ve seen him after being out for as long as he’s been,” per Martel.
While the Pelicans lost the game and saw their conference-worst record fall to 7-30, Williamson’s return provided some “energy and hope” that had been missing in recent weeks as it became a lost season in New Orleans, Walker writes.
“I’m glad he played with that confidence and that joy,” teammate Dejounte Murray said. “Especially after that dunk. You could see the joy.”
We have more on Williamson:
- As positive as Zion’s return was, the next step is even more crucial, according to William Guillory of The Athletic: making sure the two-time All-Star stays healthy. “It’s extremely important,” Green said. “Our medical team and performance, they’re working diligently, along with Zion and the whole staff, to do everything we can on our part to make sure he has all the resources to be healthy.”
- Williamson has missed 30 games so far this season and will miss a 31st on Wednesday. Given that he’s extremely unlikely to be fully available for the rest of the season, he’ll almost certainly fall short of the 51-game threshold required to guarantee an additional 20% of his salary for 2025/26. At this point, a best-case scenario for Williamson would see him play in at least 41 games and meet his various weigh-in requirements — if he does that, he’ll ensure that 60% of his maximum salary for next season would be guaranteed entering the summer. The terms of his unusual contract can be found here.
- Asked during Wednesday’s episode of Get Up (YouTube link) if Williamson could end up on the trade block this season, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said there’s “no sense” New Orleans plans to go that route. “I think the Pelicans would listen to a great offer, but there’s no reason to make a great offer. The guy can’t stay on the court,” Windhorst said. “Frankly, that’s what the Pelicans want: they want him on the court. … It’s all about keeping Zion healthy and building momentum for next year.”
- Although there has been speculation that the Warriors, who are in the market for another star, could be an intriguing fit for Williamson if the Pelicans were willing to make him available via trade, Marc J. Spears of Andscape said during an appearance on KNBR 680’s Murph & Markus (YouTube link) that it’s not something Golden State is considering. “I also did hear that Zion’s not on the (Warriors’) radar,” Spears said, per Taylor Wirth of NBC Sports Bay Area. “Which, I know others might feel differently, but probably a good thing. Because with Zion, you just don’t know what you’re going to get and when he’s going to be healthy, and his (cap) number’s rather high as well. I just think the Warriors in the end will get someone in a very creative way. They actually have to.”
Kawhi Leonard Away From Clippers, With Family Due To L.A. Wildfires
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard has been ruled out for Wednesday’s game in Denver for personal reasons, the team announced today.
According to NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link), Leonard is away from the Clippers to be with family in the Los Angeles area who were forced to evacuate due to the ongoing wildfires.
Leonard made his season debut on Saturday after missing the first two-plus months of 2024/25 while recovering from an offseason procedure on his right knee.
The star forward scored 12 points, made three 3-pointers, and was a plus-22 in Saturday’s win over Atlanta. However, he struggled in his second outing on Monday in Minnesota — he scored just eight points on 3-of-11 shooting and was a minus-17 in the two-point loss.
It’s unclear whether Leonard’s absence will extend beyond Wednesday or whether the wildfires will force the NBA to make any adjustments to the Clippers’ upcoming schedule. The club is scheduled to host the Hornets on Saturday to begin a three-game home stand.
Fischer’s Latest: Butler, Grizzlies, Bucks, Suns, Beal, More
Exploring the Jimmy Butler situation in his latest Substack article for The Stein Line, Jake Fischer confirms that the Grizzlies and Bucks are among the teams that Butler’s camp has discouraged from trading for the Heat forward. Chris Haynes first reported that Memphis had been advised not to pursue Butler, while Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports later added that Milwaukee had received a similar message.
Fischer also confirms that the Suns clearly appear to be Butler’s preferred landing spot, not only because he wants to team up with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker but because team owner Mat Ishbia has established himself as a free spender who would presumably give Butler the sort of contract extension he’s seeking.
If Phoenix makes a move for Butler, it would have to include Bradley Beal, but the Suns have no desire to broach the subject with Beal – who has a no-trade clause – unless they’re able to figure out a multi-team scenario that could work. Miami reportedly has no interest in taking on the well-paid veteran guard and his no-trade clause.
“You can’t bring anything to Brad unless there’s a deal on the table,” a veteran Eastern Conference executive told Fischer. “You can’t lose him until you know you’re going to move him.”
While they would like to land Butler, the Suns are also actively exploring other options on the trade market, gauging what sort of return they could acquire if they were to give up their 2031 first-round pick, which is their only tradable first-rounder, Fischer writes.
Here’s more from Fischer:
- Although the Suns‘ decision to remove Beal from their starting lineup has been widely viewed as an attempt to encourage him to waive his no-trade clause, sources tell Fischer the team is hoping the move to the second unit will “spark more of an aggressive output” from the guard as a “microwave scorer.” Of course, there’s no reason that both explanations can’t be true.
- The Grizzlies have made Luke Kennard, John Konchar, and draft capital available as they seek an upgrade on the trade market. But even if Butler were open to moving to Memphis, it’s unclear if the team would have an appetite for a bigger deal that would involve Marcus Smart and Brandon Clarke, according to Fischer, who hears from sources that the Grizzlies highly value both of those players.
- The Thunder and Kings opened up roster spots on Tuesday by waiving Branden Carlson and Orlando Robinson, respectively. Those roster spots may come in handy on the trade market, but if they’re still open after the deadline, Ajay Mitchell and Isaac Jones are worth monitoring as candidates to be promoted from two-way contracts, says Fischer.
Magic’s Paolo Banchero Set To Return This Week
Star forward Paolo Banchero is expected to suit up for the Magic this week for the first time since October, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.
According to Charania, the expectation is that Banchero will be upgraded to questionable on Orlando’s next injury report and will be available for either Thursday’s home game vs. Minnesota or Friday’s vs. Milwaukee.
Banchero got off to an impressive start to the season in the fall, averaging 29.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.6 assists in 36.4 minutes per night in the first five games of the season. However, he sustained a torn right oblique on October 30 and was ruled out indefinitely. The former No. 1 overall pick has now missed 33 consecutive games.
After earning Rookie of the Year honors in 2023 and making his first All-Star team in 2024, Banchero won’t be eligible for major awards in 2025 due to the NBA’s 65-game rule. But his return will be a boon for a Magic team that has played very well in his absence, even after forward Franz Wagner went down with a nearly identical injury in early December.
Orlando currently has a 22-16 record and holds the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference standings.
If Banchero is activated for Thursday’s game, it would be bad luck for the Timberwolves, who have already faced Zion Williamson on Tuesday in his first game since early November and Kawhi Leonard on Monday in just his second game of the season. However, Charania tweets that Banchero is more likely to make his return on Friday vs. the Bucks.
PJ Dozier Expected To Sign With Anadolu Efes
Veteran free agent PJ Dozier is expected to join the Turkish club Anadolu Efes for the rest of the season, according to multiple international reports.
George Zakkas of SDNA (Twitter link) first revealed that Dozier and Anadolu Efes were in advanced talks, with Mihalis Stefanou of Eurohoops and Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com subsequently confirming an agreement between the 28-year-old wing and the EuroLeague team.
Dozier has spent most of the 2024/25 season with the Timberwolves, but played sparingly in Minnesota and was waived in late December before his full-season salary became guaranteed. Across nine garbage-time appearances for the Wolves, Dozier totaled seven points, five rebounds, and five assists in 35 minutes of action.
Dozier has appeared in a total of 130 NBA regular season games since 2018, having spent time with the Thunder, Celtics, Nuggets, and Kings before landing in Minnesota. The former South Carolina standout is also no stranger to EuroLeague competition, having played for Partizan Belgrade in 2023/24.
Assuming the reported deal is officially finalized, Dozier will join an Anadolu Efes squad that features several other former NBA players, including Shane Larkin, Rodrigue Beaubois, Jordan Nwora, Elijah Bryant, and Stanley Johnson. The club is currently tied for the eighth-best record among 18 EuroLeague teams at 10-9.
Bucks To Bring Khris Middleton Off Bench
The Bucks have informed forward Khris Middleton that they’ll be removing him from their starting lineup and bringing him off the bench moving forward, sources tell NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter video link).
As Haynes explains, the Bucks are trying to establish continuity with their starting lineup while Middleton continues to work his way back to full strength following offseason surgeries on both ankles. The 33-year-old sat out Monday’s game in Toronto for “injury management” purposes related to his ankles and continues to face a minutes restriction, Haynes notes.
Deploying a starting lineup of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Brook Lopez, Andre Jackson, and Taurean Prince will allow head coach Doc Rivers to stick with that starting five even if Middleton has the miss the occasional game. Bringing the three-time All-Star off the bench will also make it easier for the team to manage his playing time for as long as he remains on a minutes limit.
Middleton, who made his season debut on December 6, came off the bench in his first five appearances of the season before starting each of his past seven outings. He has averaged 12.7 points, 5.0 assists, and 4.4 rebounds in 23.8 minutes per game across those 12 contests, with a shooting line of .447/.404/.852.
Middleton is the second multi-time All-Star to be removed from his team’s starting lineup this week while his name comes up in Jimmy Butler trade rumors, joining Suns guard Bradley Beal.
While the Bucks have reportedly considered the idea of pursuing Butler, it would be very challenging from a cap perspective to pull off a deal and they’re rumored to be among the teams who have been advised not to trade for the Heat star. So even though Middleton would almost certainly have to be included in a Milwaukee offer for Butler, it seems unlikely that such a deal will come to fruition.
Middleton will be available to play for the Bucks on Wednesday vs. San Antonio, Haynes adds.
Recap Of 2024/25 Salary Guarantee Decisions
Entering the day on January 7, there were 25 players who were signed to standard, full-season contracts but whose salaries for the 2024/25 campaign weren’t fully guaranteed.
The deadline for teams to waive those players and avoid having their full ’24/25 salaries become guaranteed was on Tuesday, January 7 at 4:00 p.m. CT.
Although their salaries won’t technically become guaranteed until January 10, those players would still receive their full-season guarantees if they’re cut today or tomorrow, since they wouldn’t clear waivers before Friday’s guarantee deadline.
Here’s a roundup of the decisions teams made with those 25 players:
Players on standard contracts who will have their salaries guaranteed:
Each player’s salary is noted here. His cap hit is identical to his salary unless otherwise indicated.
- Zion Williamson, Pelicans: $36,725,670
- Taj Gibson, Hornets: $3,303,771 *
- James Johnson, Pacers: $3,303,771 *
- Doug McDermott, Kings: $3,303,771 *
- Markieff Morris, Mavericks: $3,303,771 *
- Tristan Thompson, Cavaliers: $3,303,771 *
- Jae Crowder, Kings: $2,620,232 ^
- Talen Horton-Tucker, Bulls: $2,425,403 *
- James Wiseman, Pacers: $2,237,691
- Dalano Banton, Trail Blazers: $2,196,970
- Lindy Waters, Warriors: $2,196,970
- Sam Merrill, Cavaliers: $2,164,993
- Keon Johnson, Nets: $2,162,606
- Keon Ellis, Kings: $2,120,693
- Jaylin Williams, Thunder: $2,019,699
- Ricky Council, Sixers: $1,891,857
- Andre Jackson, Bucks: $1,891,857
- Craig Porter Jr., Cavaliers: $1,891,857
- Gui Santos, Warriors: $1,891,857
- Jalen Wilson, Nets: $1,891,857
- Landry Shamet, Knicks: $1,682,008 #
- Ariel Hukporti, Knicks: $1,064,049
(*) cap hit of $2,087,519
(^) cap hit of $1,655,619
(#) cap hit of $1,343,690
Besides Williamson, whose maximum salary was already mostly guaranteed prior to Tuesday, each of the players on a non-guaranteed contract who was retained through January 7 is earning his minimum salary for the season, so the financial impact of keeping those players is relatively minor for their respective teams.
Still, open roster spots are valuable at this time of year. A handful of these players were fortunate not to be let go by a club prioritizing flexibility ahead of the trade deadline; many others have played regular rotation minutes during the first half or hold long-term value and were never candidates to be cut.
Players on standard contracts who were waived before their salaries became guaranteed:
Each player’s cap hit is noted here. The team would no longer be on the hook for that cap charge if a player is claimed off waivers.
- Bruno Fernando, Raptors: $1,115,128
- Orlando Robinson, Kings: $959,779
- Branden Carlson, Thunder: $365,767
All three of these players were on minimum-salary contracts. Carlson is a rookie who was signed well after the regular season began, which is why his cap hit is so modest compared to the others.
These players are all still on waivers, so they’re technically candidates to be claimed on Thursday. A team that places a claim on one of those players would have to commit to guaranteeing his salary for the rest of the season, so it’s unlikely.
There were several other players with partially or non-guaranteed salaries who were cut earlier in the season. That group consisted of the following players, listed in the order they were waived (with their accompanying cap hits):
- Alex Reese, Thunder: $79,804
- Malevy Leons, Thunder: $126,356
- Jaylen Nowell, Pelicans: $278,782
- Elfrid Payton, Pelicans: $274,809
- Moses Brown, Pacers: $306,660
- Paul Reed, Pistons: $2,485,563
- Note: After clearing waivers, Reed was re-signed to a guaranteed minimum-salary contract.
- Javante McCoy, Pistons: $32,596
- Matt Ryan, Knicks: $621,438
- PJ Dozier, Timberwolves: $1,051,255
These moves didn’t go down to the wire like the others listed above, having occurred well in advance of the salary guarantee deadline.
Players on two-way contracts who were waived before their salaries became guaranteed:
Under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, the league-wide salary guarantee date of January 10 also applies this season to players on two-way contracts. Prior to 2024, the guarantee date had been Jan. 20 for two-way salaries.
Two-way salaries are only worth half of the rookie minimum and don’t count against the salary cap, so many teams likely weren’t feeling a ton of pressure to make rest-of-season decisions on their two-way players by Tuesday. Two-way contracts can be signed until March 4, so there will be many clubs that make changes between now and then.
Still, there were seven players on two-way contracts who were waived between the start of January and Tuesday’s waiver deadline. Those players, who subsequently won’t receive their full two-way salaries this season, are as follows:
- David Jones, Jazz
- Jaylen Martin, Nets
- Daishen Nix, Timberwolves
- Cole Swider, Pistons
- Alondes Williams, Pistons
- Pete Nance, Sixers
The seventh player in that group, Tristen Newton, was waived by the Pacers but was claimed two days later by the Timberwolves and retained through Tuesday’s deadline, so he’ll still earn his full two-way salary despite being cut within the last week.
There are currently three open two-way slots around the NBA, belonging to the Warriors, Magic, and Sixers.
The full list of players who are still on two-way contracts and earned full guarantees can be found right here.
Central Notes: Atkinson, Cavaliers, Ivey, Mathurin
After finishing 22nd in the NBA in pace last season, the Cavaliers are playing at the sixth-fastest pace so far this season, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, who notes that coaches and scouts around the league are praising new head coach Kenny Atkinson for embracing the strengths of his players while implementing his preferred style.
“It’s exactly the way Kenny wants to play,” one scout said. “The speed with which they play is so advantageous for (Evan) Mobley and (Darius) Garland, and it also helps cover up deficiencies for other players. … They’ve simplified things from last year.”
The 31-4 Cavaliers have the NBA’s best record and will carry a 10-game winning streak into a showdown with the West-leading Thunder (who have won 15 regular season games in a row) on Wednesday night.
Still, as impressive as Cleveland has been in the first half of this season, there are people across the league who remain somewhat skeptical about how the club’s style will translate to the postseason.
“I think they’re a really good regular-season team, but when the game slows down and is more targeted, I have some concerns,” said an assistant coach whose team recently faced the Cavs. “Can Donovan (Mitchell) and Darius make a bunch of shots when that happens? That’ll be the biggest question.”
Here’s more from around the Central:
- The Cavaliers‘ front office is hesitant to risk messing with the chemistry in the team’s locker room in order to make a marginal deal ahead of the February 6 trade deadline, sources tell ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. That doesn’t necessarily mean Cleveland will stand pat, but it probably means that in order to make any deal of significance, the club would have to be pretty confident it would be a meaningful on-court upgrade.
- Dr. Clint Soppe, a sports medicine doctor based in Los Angeles, tells Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press that a fibula fracture like the one Pistons guard Jaden Ivey suffered generally takes four-to-six months to fully recover. The Pistons haven’t ruled out Ivey for the season after he broke his leg last week, but that timeline suggests the odds are against him returning this spring. Still, it’s worth noting that Soppe hasn’t examined Ivey himself and can’t speak to his specific case.
- Bennedict Mathurin‘s willingness to buy into his role has been an important factor in the cohesion of the Pacers‘ starting five, which has helped fuel the team’s run of nine wins in 12 games, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. “This is a winning brand of basketball that he’s playing now,” head coach Rick Carlisle said. “He’s learned some things. He’s realized some things. He and I have spent a lot of time talking about it and watching things. If he’s willing to run and take open shots, avoid the temptation to drive into crowds and try to draw fouls and play tough, hard-nosed defense, that’s a winning formula for a young player.” Mathurin will be eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2025 offseason.