Southeast Rumors: Richards, Martin, Micic, Capela, Nance, Hunter, Anthony
Nick Richards has drawn trade interest from a number of teams across the NBA, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who says the Hornets center is viewed as an intriguing target due to his solid play as a starter and his team-friendly contract, which includes a $5MM salary this season and a $5MM non-guaranteed cap hit for 2025/26.
Several rival executives who spoke to HoopsHype believe it would take at least two second-round picks to acquire Richards, Scotto writes, and there’s also uncertainty about how willing Charlotte would even be to trade him, since ostensible starting center Mark Williams has been sidelined for nearly a full year due to back and foot issues. If the Hornets can’t trust Williams to be available, they may be reluctant to part with an important frontcourt depth piece like Richards.
Exploring other potential trade candidates in Charlotte, Scotto identifies wing Cody Martin and guard Vasilije Micic as two more players to watch.
After a couple injury-plagued seasons, Martin has been healthy and effective so far in 2024/25. According to Scotto, the Hornets spoke to the Cavaliers during the offseason about a possible Isaac Okoro sign-and-trade that would have sent Martin and multiple second-round picks to Cleveland, but Okoro ended up re-signing with the Cavs.
As for Micic, while he’s playing a more significant role right now due to injuries to LaMelo Ball and Tre Mann, he’s Charlotte’s third-string point guard when both of those players are healthy, having fallen firmly behind Mann on the depth chart. That makes him potentially expendable for the Hornets, and his pseudo-expiring contract (his 2025/26 salary is non-guaranteed) could make him an appealing target for a team in need of point guard depth.
We have more from around the Southeast:
- According to Scotto, executives scouring the center market believe Hawks center Clint Capela may be a trade candidate this season, with potential unrestricted free agency looming in 2025. Sources tell HoopsHype that the Knicks, Grizzlies, and Pelicans are among the clubs that did due diligence on Capela during the 2024 offseason before going in different directions at center.
- Hawks reserves Larry Nance Jr. and De’Andre Hunter are also viewed as potential trade candidates, Scotto reports. That’s especially true of Nance, who is on an expiring deal, has played inconsistent minutes in Atlanta, and is considered a good locker room presence. As for Hunter, his three-and-D skill set is valued, but Scotto suggests teams have some questions about his durability and may be reluctant to take on his contract, which has two years and $48MM+ still left on it after this season.
- The Magic‘s offseason addition of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, along with an increased role for second-year guard Anthony Black, has resulted in several NBA executives viewing Cole Anthony as a viable trade candidate, Scotto writes. After averaging 26.5 minutes per game in his first four years in Orlando, Anthony is logging just 9.8 MPG so far this season.
Jalen Brunson, Alperen Sengun Named Players Of The Week
Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson has been named the Eastern Conference’s Player of the Week, while Rockets big man Alperen Sengun has won the award for the Western Conference, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).
It’s the first Player of the Week honor for Brunson this season after he won the award four times in 2023/24. In four games from November 25 to December 1, Brunson led the Knicks to a 3-1 record, averaging 26.8 points, 9.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds in 34.3 minutes per game against Denver, Dallas, Charlotte, and New Orleans. He posted a red-hot shooting line of .547/.524/.867.
Brunson’s Knicks teammate Karl-Anthony Towns was also nominated for the award in the East, along with Hawks forward Jalen Johnson, Nets guard Dennis Schröder, Magic forward Franz Wagner, and Celtics teammates Jayson Tatum and Payton Pritchard (Twitter link).
As for Sengun, it’s his second career Player of the Week award — he also won it in January 2024. Houston just completed a 3-0 week, with its starting center leading the way by averaging a near triple-double (21.3 PPG, 12.7 RPG, 9.0 APG) to go along with 1.7 steals and 1.7 blocks per game. The Rockets were a +29 vs. Minnesota, Philadelphia, and Oklahoma City with Sengun on the floor, compared to -13 when he sat.
Sengun beat out fellow nominees Devin Booker, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Isaiah Hartenstein, Quentin Grimes, Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Jaren Jackson Jr., Ja Morant, and teammate Fred VanVleet for the Western Conference honor.
Eastern Rumors: Knicks, B. Brown, Stewart, Springer, Bulls
Since Landry Shamet dislocated his shoulder during the preseason, scuttling his chances of making the Knicks‘ opening night roster, reports have indicated that the club is highly likely to re-sign him if and when he gets healthy.
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype confirms as much and adds another detail to those reports. According to Scotto, if Shamet returns, the hope in New York is that Matt Ryan – who is currently on a non-guaranteed contract – will clear waivers and rejoin the club on a two-way deal.
The Knicks have an open 15-man roster spot, but don’t have enough breathing room below their hard cap to carry both players on standard deals, so Ryan would have to be cut if Shamet re-signs.
Here are a few more rumors from around the Eastern Conference:
- Although the Raptors declined offers of multiple second-round picks for Bruce Brown at last season’s trade deadline, there’s a widespread belief that the versatile swingman will be back on the trade block this season, per Scotto. Brown, who is on an expiring $23MM contract, continues to make his way back from arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and appears to be getting closer to making his season debut.
- Isaiah Stewart‘s demotion to a bench role this season for the first time since his rookie year has led executives around the NBA to believe that the Pistons‘ big man will be available on the trade market this season, according to Scotto. Stewart is in the first season of a four-year, $60MM contract that features flat annual cap hits of $15MM.
- Confirming previous reporting, Scotto says the Celtics gauged the trade market for Jaden Springer and his $4MM expiring contract in the fall. While there were teams willing to take on Springer if it means acquiring draft compensation from Boston, the C’s weren’t interested at that time in giving up draft capital to move off of the guard’s contract, Scotto reports. It will be interesting to see if that changes before the trade deadline.
- Explaining the recent uptick in trade rumors surrounding the Bulls, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times says, citing a source, that the only new development in Chicago is that the team is “starting to look at a more responsible asking price” for veterans like Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. The Bulls remain unwilling to attach a first-round pick to LaVine though, Cowley notes.
Wizards Rumors: Kuzma, Valanciunas, Brogdon, Davis, Baldwin, Coulibaly
The Wizards view Kyle Kuzma as a team leader who can help the team stay competitive and assist in the development of some of the young players on the roster, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. But Scotto says teams around the NBA view Kuzma as a potential trade candidate due to his skill set, the team-friendly declining structure of his contract, and the fact that he probably doesn’t fit Washington’s long-term timeline.
The Mavericks nearly traded for Kuzma at last season’s trade deadline, but the Wizards reportedly brought that opportunity to the forward, who decided to pass on it. As Scotto writes, the Pacers had some interest in Kuzma before they acquired Pascal Siakam and the Kings have also been connected to him over the past couple seasons.
While it’s unclear if any of those clubs would circle back to Kuzma at this point, Scotto hears that the Bucks, Warriors, Lakers, Heat, and Cavaliers are among the other teams that have kept tabs on the 29-year-old.
Here’s more on the Wizards:
- Jonas Valanciunas and Malcolm Brogdon are among the Wizards’ veteran trade candidates being monitored by rival teams, says Scotto. According to Scotto, Valanciunas has provided the sort of veteran mentorship to No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr that Washington hoped for, going up against the rookie big man in practice and teaching him things on both sides of the ball.
- While the Wizards have a few trade candidates to watch, Scotto suggests that second-round picks may not move the needle much for the front office, especially if they come attached to bad contracts. Washington has already stockpiled several extra second-rounders and turned down offers consisting of second-round picks for Tyus Jones at last season’s deadline, Scotto adds.
- Johnny Davis and Patrick Baldwin Jr., both of whom are on expiring contracts after having their 2025/26 team options declined in October, were shopped on the trade market prior to the season and are potential salary fillers for in-season deals, per Scotto.
- Although Bilal Coulibaly has taken a step forward in his second NBA season, the 20-year-old is still adjusting to being relied upon as a two-way threat, according to Varun Shankar of The Washington Post, who notes that the Wizards forward’s offensive production has slipped following a hot start. “It’s been a lot thrown at me,” said Coulibaly, who has averaged 8.8 points per game with a .377/.208/.667 shooting line in his past nine games after putting up 17.0 PPG on .575/.387/.828 shooting in his first eight. “But I got to go through it because that’s what I want to do in my future, in the near future. I want to be a great two-way player. … I’ll take it.”
Pelicans Rumors: McCollum, Ingram, Zion, Tax, Jones
CJ McCollum continues to be an effective offensive weapon for the Pelicans when he’s healthy, having scored 20.0 points and handed out 3.3 assists per game in eight outings (all starts) this season. He’s also viewed as a leader in New Orleans’ locker room, writes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Still, according to Scotto, opposing executives wonder whether McCollum, who turned 33 in September, is a long-term fit alongside Dejounte Murray in the Pelicans’ backcourt and have speculated that the club could be willing to listen to offers on the veteran guard before the 2025 trade deadline.
“New Orleans should move McCollum, and they’ll likely move (Brandon) Ingram for another proven player,” one executive told HoopsHype.
While it remains to be seen how willing the Pelicans will be to discuss McCollum, previous reporting has indicated that the team explored deals involving Ingram over the summer and will likely continue to do so if the two sides can’t agree to terms on an extension. League sources tell Scotto that Ingram is looking to secure as close to a maximum-salary contract as possible, while New Orleans would be open to paying him just slightly more than his current $36MM salary.
Here’s more on the Pelicans:
- Given Zion Williamson‘s history of injury issues, one rival executive told Scotto that he’d only consider trading a single first-round pick in a deal for the former No. 1 overall selection.
- League sources tell HoopsHype that the Pelicans want to avoid paying the luxury tax this season, which will mean making at least one cost-cutting trade prior to the February 6 deadline. That’s no surprise, given that New Orleans is one of two teams never to pay the tax and this 4-17 roster doesn’t look like the one worth ending that streak for.
- Ingram, who has missed the past four games due to what the Pelicans are calling right plantaris tendinitis, has been upgraded to questionable for Monday’s game vs. Atlanta, while Herbert Jones, who has been out since October 29 with a shoulder injury, has been upgraded to doubtful, tweets Will Guillory of The Athletic. It’s still TBD whether either player will be activated for tonight’s game, but it sounds like both could be available on Thursday vs. Phoenix.
- In case you missed it, we passed along a handful of Pelicans-related notes focusing on Ingram and Williamson on Sunday.
Hornets Sign Isaiah Wong To Two-Way Contract, Waive Jared Rhoden
DECEMBER 2: Wong has officially signed his two-way contract with the Hornets, the team announced today in a press release. He agreed to a two-year deal that will cover the 2025/26 season as well as the rest of ’24/25, Hoops Rumors has learned.
NOVEMBER 30: Isaiah Wong will join the Hornets on a two-way contract, agent Darrell Comer of Tandem tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Two-way guard Jared Rhoden has been waived to make room on the roster, the team announced in a press release.
Wong, a 23-year-old shooting guard, is currently with the Salt Lake City Stars and ranks seventh in the G League scoring race at 24.1 points per game. He was in training camp with Utah on an Exhibit 10 contract, but was waived before the start of the season.
Wong was selected by Indiana with the 55th pick in the 2023 draft. He only appeared in one NBA game as a rookie, but averaged 14.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 30 regular season games with the G League’s Indiana Mad Ants.
The Hornets are in need of healthy players after being hampered by injuries since the season began. LaMelo Ball, who will miss at least two weeks with a strained left calf, is the latest addition to an injury list that already includes Miles Bridges, Mark Williams, Grant Williams, Tre Mann and DaQuan Jeffries.
KJ Simpson and Moussa Diabate occupy Charlotte’s other two-way spots.
Sixers Notes: KJ Martin, Council, George, Drummond, Trade Options
Plagued with a team that has looked old and slow during a disastrous start, Sixers coach Nick Nurse has begun experimenting with younger options, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. KJ Martin and Ricky Council, who are both 23, have seen expanded playing time in the last two games, and Pompey believes they’re earning larger roles.
Martin posted a season-high 19 points, along with six rebounds and three 3-pointers in Saturday’s win at Detroit. He logged more than 27 minutes while shooting 7-of-8 from the field.
“He brought athleticism, obviously,” Nurse said. “He’s able to switch out onto pretty much anybody on the perimeter, keep them in front with some physicality. He made some timely cuts to the rim, made a couple of threes, and just was on the glass. He was doing a good job on everything.”
Council put up similar numbers with 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting in nearly 27 minutes. That followed a 12-point, 10-rebound performance Wednesday against Houston.
“You saw Ricky Council for the second night in a row now, when he got in the game … he knew, ‘I’m supposed to play hard,’” Tyrese Maxey said. “‘I’m supposed to crash. I’m supposed to guard and defend the best offensive player out there. And I do what I do in transition, score the ball.’ Now you’ve got an open spot.”
There’s more on the Sixers:
- Paul George said he felt good in his return Saturday after missing three games with a bone bruise on his left knee, Pompey states in a separate story. George concentrated on being a play-maker, setting up open shots for teammates against a collapsing Detroit defense. “That’s just the mindset I’m shifting to just be a play-maker,” he said. “Scoring will happen. Shots will fall. I just want to make winning plays. And I think that the way we want to do is kind of attack, create, open the floor up, and everybody makes plays for one another.”
- The Sixers were relieved following an injury scare involving Andre Drummond, Pompey adds. The veteran center wasn’t able to put any weight on his right ankle after collapsing to the court following a put-back basket early in the game, but he escaped a major injury. “They did all the X-rays and stuff and it is just a sprain,” Nurse said. “There’s nothing else there. He’s going to be in a boot, yeah, I say a minute. I think I heard Simon [Rice, the Sixers’ vice president of athlete care] say something like it’s maybe not as bad as it looked. But again, it’s a screen. He’s a big guy, all that kind of stuff.” Drummond will miss three games before being reevaluated this weekend, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
- Martin’s contract, which includes a non-guaranteed $8MM salary for next season, makes him the team’s top trade candidate, Scotto adds in a full story. Caleb Martin and Kelly Oubre are in the same salary range, but sources tell Scotto that they’re still considered to be valuable parts of the Sixers’ rotation. Scotto suggests that KJ Martin might be packaged with a future first-round pick or two in exchange for an immediate upgrade.
Heat Notes: Butler, Herro, Rozier, Richardson
Heat forward Jimmy Butler had to leave Sunday’s game in the closing seconds due to pain in his right knee, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. After being fouled on a drive to the basket with 1:27 remaining, Butler took a while to get up and appeared to be favoring the knee. He stayed in a game a little longer, but was taken out with 24.2 seconds left to play and Miami trailing by just three points.
Butler is considered questionable for tonight’s contest in Boston, which brings back memories of last spring when he was unavailable for a playoff series with the Celtics due to a sprained MCL in the same knee. He wasn’t sure about his status as the team prepared for its flight.
“I don’t know,” Butler told reporters. “We’ll see how I feel whenever I wake up in the morning, get all the treatment that I can get and hopefully I’m ready to rock.”
Responding to an offseason challenge from team president Pat Riley, Butler was determined to be available for more regular season games this year, but his body may not be able to hold up at age 35. Chiang notes that he has already missed four of the team’s first 18 games due to a sprained ankle, and any issues with the right knee have to be watched closely. Butler also wasn’t certain if the medical staff is planning an X-ray or MRI on the knee.
“I ain’t even there yet,” he said. “I’m just happy to be able to put this sleeve on, do all this treatment on this plane. Then when we land in Boston, we’ll figure it out.”
[UPDATE: Butler has been ruled out for Monday’s game in Boston.]
There’s more on the Heat:
- Tyler Herro now ranks second in franchise history for most made three-pointers in a career, Chiang adds. With 808, he passed Tim Hardaway Sunday night and only trails teammate Duncan Robinson, who has 1,056 since signing with the Heat in 2018. “I’ll be chasing him for a while,” Herro said.
- The Nets and Warriors were among the teams mentioned in trade rumors involving Butler earlier in the season, but league executives don’t consider him a good fit for Brooklyn because of his age, while Golden State seems happy with its current roster, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The Knicks had some interest in Butler during the offseason, but trade talks didn’t get very far before New York pivoted to Mikal Bridges, Scotto says, adding that there has been some “quiet discourse” about whether the Texas native could end up with the Mavericks or Rockets. He also states that executives who’ve checked on Butler came away believing that Miami wants to save any decision until after the season.
- Outside of Butler, the Heat’s top trade assets are future first-round picks and Terry Rozier, Scotto adds. Rozier’s shooting numbers have declined and he was recently moved out of the starting lineup. He’s making $24.92MM this season and next season, and he will get an extra $1.72MM next year if he appears in at least 70 regular season games and his team reaches the second round of the playoffs.
- Josh Richardson hasn’t been able to find a role with this year’s team after picking up a $3.1MM player option rather than testing free agency, Chiang states in a separate story. The veteran guard didn’t get off the bench in four straight games before missing Sunday’s contest due to an illness. He also missed time with a strained calf and left heel pain. “It’s been hard,” Richardson admitted. “Frustrating, but it is what it is. I’m just trying to stack days. My shoulder got healthy, trying to get up to speed and get ready and then feet things start popping up. So I’m just trying to get everything in my body on the same page.”
Nets Rumors: Johnson, Schröder, Finney-Smith, Sharpe, Bogdanovic
The Nets have been surprisingly competitive through the first quarter of the season, but they have a chance to be one of the NBA’s most active teams heading into the trade deadline, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Nearly the entire roster could be considered expendable as Brooklyn starts building for the future, and Cameron Johnson might bring the greatest return.
The 28-year-old power forward is in the midst of his best offensive season, averaging a career-high 18.1 points per game while shooting 49% from the field and 42.2% from three-point range. His increased production has helped to fill the void that was created when Mikal Bridges was traded to New York over the summer.
League executives tell Scotto that the Nets might be able to get a first-round pick if they part with Johnson before the February 6 trade deadline. He has two more full seasons left on his contract, which pays him $23.6MM this year before declining to $21.6MM next season and returning to $23.6MM for 2026/27. Johnson is aware of the trade rumors, but he tells Scotto that his preference is to remain in Brooklyn.
“I want to build this,” he said. “I really like coach Jordi (Fernandez). I like our staff. I think we’re headed in the right direction. I can’t tell them exactly what to do and how to proceed. The business will do what the business does. I don’t take it personally either way. For me, I’m invested in what we have. It’s been exciting to find progress and to see the potential. I want to be here and get this thing really turned around and back to winning basketball. I think we have the group to do it, and I think we have the assets and pieces to do it. Whatever they decide, no hard feelings.”
There’s more from Brooklyn:
- NBA executives tell Scotto that point guard Dennis Schröder, who has a $13MM expiring contract, is also considered one of the Nets’ top trade assets. He continues to produce at a high level at age 31, averaging 18.7 points and 6.4 assists per night while shooting a career-best 40.5% from three-point range. Schröder has become a strong voice in the locker room as well as the team’s on-court leader. The executives Scotto spoke with believe Brooklyn can get multiple second-round picks from a contender that wants to acquire Schröder as a “rental” for the rest of the season.
- Scotto hears that several playoff-caliber teams have already contacted the Nets about Dorian Finney-Smith. The 31-year-old forward is shooting 42.2% from beyond the arc and he brings a wealth of playoff experience. Finney-Smith holds a $15.38MM player option for 2025/26, so any team that acquires him should be considering a relationship that lasts beyond the end of this season.
- Rival teams are also watching Day’Ron Sharpe as a potential backup center, Scotto adds. Sharpe is expected to return soon from a hamstring injury, and he’ll get an opportunity to play while Noah Clowney is sidelined with a sprained ankle. Sources tell Scotto that the Grizzlies, Clippers, Pelicans, Lakers and Raptors all have interest in Sharpe.
- The Nets are expected to showcase Bojan Bogdanovic for potential suitors when he returns from offseason foot surgery later this month. Scotto hears that the team might be able to get a second-round pick in return if Bogdanovic can stay on the court.
Knicks Notes: Bridges, Towns, Dadiet, Robinson
For at least one night, Knicks forward Mikal Bridges eased concerns about his shooting, writes Barbara Barker of Newsday. After being benched in the fourth quarter of Friday’s game due to his poor performance, Bridges responded with 31 points Sunday against New Orleans while connecting at 12-of-19 from the field and 7-of-12 from three-point range. It was a welcome sign from Bridges, who has been mostly disappointing since being acquired from Brooklyn in an offseason trade.
“The way he was playing, he was confident and it was flowing. I love to see it,” Jalen Brunson said. “I was just reading the defense. When you leave someone open, the ball is bound to go in at some point. And once one goes in for him, the floodgates open. I’ve seen it before and I’m not too worried about him.”
The Knicks have won seven of their last nine games despite Bridges’ struggles, but they’ll eventually need consistent production from him to be legitimate contenders in the Eastern Conference. Several teammates expressed support for Bridges following Friday’s game, saying he’s still in an adjustment phase after joining a new team where he’s no longer the primary scorer.
“We knew he had the confidence and our job was to continue to find him when he was open, and today he was great for us on both ends of the ball,’’ Josh Hart said. “He had great energy at the point of attack and as a defender. And made his shots. That’s our guy. We trust him. We trust him to shoot the shots. Mid-ranges, turnarounds. We want him to be aggressive. That’s the Mikal we know.”
There’s more from New York:
- Karl-Anthony Towns saw a decline in his rebounding numbers while playing alongside Rudy Gobert in Minnesota, but he’s back to normal since being traded to New York and becoming a center again, notes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Towns had 19 boards on Sunday and is averaging a career-high 13.0 per game so far this season. “With Rudy, he played away from the basket a lot more,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “He’s a terrific rebounder. Always been a terrific rebounder. He’s longer than you think, long arms, strong, really strong. Great anticipation. His experiences have helped him a lot, too.”
- Pacome Dadiet was assigned to the G League over the weekend, and Thibodeau indicated that it might be a regular occurrence for the first-round pick, Bondy adds. Dadiet saw some rotation minutes earlier in the season, but there’s probably not a regular role for him with a healthy roster. “[It’s] situational,” Thibodeau said. “So there was an opportunity to get some playing time, take advantage of it that way. And he’ll be back with us for practice. The beauty of it is the setup, where we’re both practicing in the same building. So take advantage of it.”
- James L. Edwards III and Fred Katz of The Athletic discuss several Knicks topics, including whether Bridges’ defense is a reason for concern, how Towns’ role will change when Mitchell Robinson returns from injury, Hart’s efficient shooting and why the team is having trouble against defenses that switch a lot.