Lakers Notes: James, Vincent, Russell, Jackson, Knecht
The Lakers notched a one-point win over Utah and it was an old-school game of sorts for LeBron James. His usage rate is down noticeably this season but coach JJ Redick put the ball in his hands regularly in the second half and he attempted 14 fourth-quarter shots.
“We really slowed things down in the second half and tried to get the matchup we wanted for LeBron to just handle in that pick-and-roll,” Redick said, per Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times. “And truthfully, that was the best offense we were going to generate. So whether we missed or made it, we just kept going to that. I thought we got some clean looks that could have given us a little bit more of a cushion. But I liked our execution offensively.”
We have more on the Lakers:
- Gabe Vincent, thrust into the lineup on Sunday due to the absence of Austin Reaves (left pelvic contusion), scored 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting. It was Vincent’s first double-digit scoring outing in his 30 regular-season games as a Laker, Khobi Price of the Orange County Register notes. Vincent joined the Lakers as a free agent on a three-year, $33MM contract prior to last season.
- Vincent’s stint as a starter didn’t last long. D’Angelo Russell replaced him in the lineup against Minnesota on Monday, Jovan Buha of The Athletic tweets.
- Los Angeles will likely look to include Vincent as a salary filler with draft pick compensation in trade talks, Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype reports. The Lakers could potentially dangle Vincent and future second-round picks in a deal for Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas, a coveted Lakers target, Scotto adds.
- The Lakers announced last month that they’ve commissioned a statue of former coach and player Pat Riley on their Star Plaza. It’s expected to be a prelude to an eventual announcement about a statue for another former coach, Phil Jackson, Marc Stein reports in a Substack article. Riley coached the Lakers to four championships in the 1980s, while Jackson coached the Lakers to five.
- The Lakers have been searching for years to find a dead-eye shooter to complement James. They may have finally found that player in rookie wing Dalton Knecht. “We, as a front office, have sort of chased in theory the exact player he is, a movement shooter,” Lakers vice president of basketball operations and GM Rob Pelinka told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “And then not only is he a movement shooter, but a movement shooter with athleticism, which is a really unique combination.”
Mavericks Notes: Gafford, Lively, Doncic, Irving, Thompson, Grimes
The Mavericks have fielded some inquiries regarding Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively but haven’t shown any interest in trading either big man, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports.
However, the Mavericks could be active in the trade market. They could seek potential upgrades by parting with their 2025 first-round pick or their 2031 first-rounder. They could also add a young piece such as Quentin Grimes and Olivier-Maxence Prosper in a trade package, Scotto notes.
Dallas is approximately $5.3MM above the luxury tax but might be able to drop below that figure if it is able to deal Maxi Kleber, Scotto adds. He’ll make $11MM this season, with a matching cap hit for 2025/26.
We have more on the Mavs:
- Luka Doncic returned from a wrist injury on Sunday and racked up 36 points and 13 assists against the Trail Blazers. He posted on social media that it was “great” to be back from a five-game absence. Doncic complimented the team on how it performed without him. “Obviously, I think their pace was great. They were playing amazing,” Doncic said, per ESPN News Services. “So, [I was] just trying to adapt to that. They beat some tough teams, and I was just happy to sit back, watch and enjoy.”
- Dallas defeated Portland despite having several other starters and rotation players sidelined. Kyrie Irving (right shoulder soreness), Lively (right knee hyperextension), Klay Thompson (left foot plantar fascia), Naji Marshall (illness) and Dante Exum (right wrist surgery) all missed the game, the Mavs PR department tweets.
- Grimes, who joined Dallas in the offseason trade with Detroit, has been on a hot streak of late. He’s averaged 24.3 points over the last three games. “I’m glad to see my confidence growing,” Grimes told Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal. “I’m just playing downhill, not overthinking, and focusing on helping on both ends of the floor.” Grimes will be a restricted free agent after the season, as he and the team were unable to reach a rookie scale extension by the October deadline.
Western Rumors: Kings, Grant, Kessler, Moody, Looney, Rockets, A. Mitchell
The Kings are off to a disappointing 9-12 start this season, already 2.5 games back of a play-in spot in the Western Conference, prompting executives around the NBA to keep an eye on the situation in Sacramento to see if the front office will make another move to try to upgrade its roster, writes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Citing a “heightened sense of urgency” in Sacramento, Scotto suggests that teams talking to the Kings will be eager to see if the club is willing to part with first-round picks, rookie Devin Carter, or perhaps former No. 4 overall pick Keegan Murray, who has essentially been off the table in trade discussions in recent years.
For now, it seems safe to assume that the Kings will dangle Kevin Huerter and Trey Lyles in trade talks, according to Scotto, who points out that both players were also available last season. Between Huerter’s $16.8MM cap hit and Lyles’ $8MM expiring deal, Sacramento could get to about $25MM in matching salary and then sweeten an offer from there by adding draft capital and/or a young player.
Here are a few more Western Conference rumors from Scotto:
- Although Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant and Jazz center Walker Kessler are both considered potential trade candidates, Portland has been unwilling to move Grant without getting two first-round picks back and Utah has sought at least two first-rounders for Kessler, Scotto writes. Teams with interest in Grant and Kessler have viewed the Blazers’ and Jazz’s asking prices as too high, Scotto notes.
- Moses Moody signed a three-year contract extension with the Warriors before the season, but his role hasn’t increased at all, leading to speculation that he’s a player to monitor as a possible trade chip, says Scotto. “Moody could be part of a package in a bigger deal, and (head coach) Steve Kerr still doesn’t play him 20 minutes a game,” one league executive told HoopsHype. Moody would be subject to the poison pill provision if he’s dealt this season, which wouldn’t preclude a trade but would make it more complicated.
- The Knicks, Thunder, and Grizzlies had “exploratory” trade interest in Warriors center Kevon Looney during the offseason before they addressed frontcourt holes in other ways, Scotto reports. Looney, who is on an $8MM expiring contract, has been Golden State’s leading rebounder (7.6 RPG) despite playing just 14.9 minutes per night.
- Despite reports insisting the Rockets aren’t looking to break up their young core to acquire a player like Kevin Durant or Giannis Antetokounmpo, many rival executives believe it’s just a matter of when – not if – Houston makes a big splash on the trade market, according to Scotto. Those execs believe Jalen Green won’t be off limits in future Rockets trade talks, even after signing a three-year, $105MM+ contract extension in October.
- Thunder rookie Ajay Mitchell, who has impressed in a rotation role this fall, is considered a strong candidate to be promoted from his two-way contract to the standard roster later this season, per Scotto. Oklahoma City currently has a full 15-man roster, but has some flexibility with its last roster spot, which is held by Branden Carlson on a non-guaranteed deal.
Pacers Notes: Nembhard, McConnell, Mathurin, Turner, Toppin, Walker, Freeman
The Pacers fell to 9-12 on Sunday with a 15-point loss in Memphis, but Andrew Nembhard‘s return from a right knee issue was a positive development for the club. As Dustin Dopirak writes for The Indianapolis Star, Nembhard’s solid play on a minutes limit provided a reminder of what Indiana was missing when he was sidelined for 12 games.
The third-year guard scored 14 points to go along with four assists and two steals in just 15 minutes of action. He was a team-high +5 on the night, making him the only Indiana starter with a positive plus/minus rating. Nembhard played eight minutes in the first quarter as the Pacers built an early 45-28 lead over the Grizzlies.
“He’s a big reason we got off to the start that we did,” head coach Rick Carlisle said. “Defensively, he was really solid. Offensively, he made plays, had a couple layups, a couple threes. He just knows how to play. He knows how to play with (Tyrese Haliburton). It’s obvious that we missed him.”
With Nembhard out, opposing defenses have increasingly keyed on Haliburton, sending double-teams his way and guarding him with increased physicality. Haliburton is optimistic that the return of a talented play-maker and shooter like Nembhard will put the Pacers in a better position to attack those defensive schemes.
“Good to have him back, of course, he’s a big part of what we do here,” Haliburton said. “Good to see him healthy and looking forward to having his minutes growing going forward. … They’re doing a lot of denying. I’m sure a lot of teams are going to follow this blueprint moving forward. We just have to be solution-based and figure out what that is, how to attack it the right way. I thought in the first quarter we did.”
Here’s more on the Pacers:
- Indiana guards T.J. McConnell and Bennedict Mathurin have drawn “significant” trade interest from potential suitors over the years, but the Pacers have consistently rebuffed those inquiries, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who notes that McConnell has been an important veteran leader and Mathurin is still viewed as having All-Star upside. After knocking off some rust to open the season, Mathurin, 22, has averaged 20.0 points and 7.6 rebounds per game with a .478/.438/.863 shooting line in his last 17 appearances (16 starts).
- While teams across the NBA have long coveted center Myles Turner, there’s a belief that Indiana wants to re-sign him, Scotto writes. The Pacers won’t be able to extend Turner before he reaches unrestricted free agency in 2025, but will control his Bird rights at that time, allowing them to go as high as they need to.
- There’s a belief around the league that the Pacers could eventually move either Obi Toppin or Jarace Walker, since the two power forwards are playing relatively limited roles behind starting power forward Pascal Siakam, Scotto says. Despite some early-season injuries to starters, Toppin is averaging just 20.0 minutes per game while Walker is playing 17.8 MPG.
- Two-way player Enrique Freeman is a candidate to have his contract converted to a standard deal after the trade deadline, league sources tell Scotto. Freeman has played a relatively modest role so far, while Quenton Jackson has been the more notable two-way standout for the Pacers this fall. In order to promote either one, Indiana would need to make room on a 15-man roster that is currently full. That could be achieved by making a two-for-one trade or by cutting a player.
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.