Andrew Wiggins Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Heat Notes: Larsson, Jovic, Adebayo, Herro, Trade Deadline

December 27th, 2025 at 6:18pm CST by Arthur Hill

Pelle Larsson scored a career-high 21 points Friday night as he returned to the Heat’s starting lineup after missing the previous five games with a left ankle sprain, Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald writes in a subscriber-only story. Larsson’s shooting didn’t suffer from the layoff, as he connected on 9-of-13 attempts from the field and 3-of-4 from three-point range.

“You should have seen his rehab sessions, whether it was on the bike initially, it was just all out,” coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters. “Almost a level of throwing up. I walked in on one of those sessions, and then also his court sessions. He just pushes the envelope. And so, he had the conditioning. It’s different than game conditioning. But he was able to handle those 29 minutes. And you just see the glue intangibles that he provides.”

Larsson admitted being “pretty gassed” after his first game action in more than two weeks, but the Heat were glad to welcome him back, not just for his scoring but for the other things he does on the court. He brings a lot of intangibles that the team missed while losing eight of its previous nine games.

“We’re so happy to have him back in this lineup,” Jaime Jaquez Jr. said. “He’s the ultimate energy guy, really just gives everybody life and the spark that we desperately needed. So the fact that he was able to come in after so many games missed and just play like that just shows how hard of a worker and how great of a player he is.”

There’s more on the Heat:

Also returning Friday was Nikola Jovic, who was sidelined for four games due to a right elbow contusion/laceration, Chiang adds. Wearing a protective sleeve on his injured arm, Jovic suffered through a rough shooting night, going 3-of-14 from the field and 1-of-6 from beyond the arc, but he contributed seven rebounds, four assists and a steal and finished as a plus-12 for the game. “I’m someone who when I miss shots, I get pretty mad,” Jovic admitted. “I’m pretty fired up. But during this time that I was injured, I talked a lot to assistant coaches and some of the people from the Heat and they helped me find a way to get back into (the game) quicker. … So, yeah it for sure helps and I think it helped me tonight. Even though I didn’t make a lot of them, I still felt great even shooting them.”
Bam Adebayo will miss his second straight game tonight with soreness in his lower back. “He clearly is not moving well enough to compete. … He really needed this time,” Spoelstra said, per Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel (Twitter link). “He’s definitely making progress. He really needed this time just to get … he was dealing with some deals because of overcompensation. I think he’s feeling a lot better each day.” Tyler Herro, who has played just once in the last nine games due to a right big toe contusion, is “definitely making progress,” Spoelstra adds (Twitter link).
In a full story for The Sun Sentinel (subscription required), Winderman makes the case for why the Heat should be sellers at the trade deadline and argues that Andrew Wiggins and Norman Powell should be moved to improve the team’s draft assets.

Central Rumors: Bucks, Grant, Kispert, Cavs, White, Duren

December 23rd, 2025 at 3:34pm CST by Luke Adams

The expectation around the NBA is that the Bucks are looking to make an impactful in-season trade in the hopes of upgrading their roster around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Myles Turner, reports Brett Siegel of Clutch Points.

According to Siegel, Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant – rumored to be a potential Milwaukee target – was the name linked to the Bucks most frequently by executives at the G League Winter Showcase over the weekend, with some sources speculating that Milwaukee could land both Grant and center Robert Williams in a deal with Portland.

While Siegel suggests that the Bucks could package Kyle Kuzma, Bobby Portis, and one more smaller contract for those two players, I’m not convinced that sort of deal would meaningfully affect Milwaukee’s outlook. Williams’ availability has been extremely limited due to his extensive injury history, and the Blazers have been better when he’s off the court than when he’s on it this season.

In addition to confirming that Grant and Heat forward Andrew Wiggins are receiving consideration from the Bucks, Siegel identifies Wizards wing Corey Kispert as another player who is on Milwaukee’s radar. Known as a three-point marksman, Kispert is hitting 40.3% of his outside shots this season, though he’s playing a career-low 19.9 minutes per game.

We have more rumors from across the Central Division:

Many sources who have spoken to Siegel downplayed the idea that the Cavaliers are looking to shake up their roster in a significant way this season. Still, that doesn’t mean the team won’t be active with non-core players prior to the deadline. Siegel singles out forwards De’Andre Hunter and Dean Wade as trade candidates to watch, noting that the Rockets had interest in Wade before signing Dorian Finney-Smith in free agency this past summer.
At least six teams around the NBA have inquired on Bulls guard Coby White, Siegel writes, with league executives speculating that the Magic, Hawks, and Cavaliers could be among his suitors. There’s a belief that Orlando wants to add more scoring punch by trading Jonathan Isaac and second-round draft capital, per Siegel, though he adds that the Bulls are optimistic about getting at least one unprotected first-round pick for White. While Chicago could probably extract a 2026 first-rounder from a playoff team for White, I think the team would have a harder time acquiring a future first-rounder with more significant lottery upside in exchange for a player who almost certainly won’t sign an extension prior to reaching unrestricted free agency at season’s end.
Teams around the NBA are curious to see what Jalen Duren‘s next contract will look like, with the Pistons big man in the midst of a career year ahead of restricted free agency, writes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). “The Pistons are being overshadowed by OKC and San Antonio, but they’re just as set up to compete for the next five years as anyone,” one assistant general manager told Fischer, who writes that Duren could be headed for $40MM+ per year on his second NBA deal. A five-year, maximum-salary contract for a fifth-year player like Duren next summer projects to be worth over $48MM annually.

Heat Notes: Adebayo, Ware, Jakucionis, Wiggins

December 20th, 2025 at 11:57am CST by Dana Gauruder

Bam Adebayo admitted on Friday that he needs to be more efficient. As Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald points out, the Heat big man is shooting just 10-of-23 (43.5%) from inside the arc and 0-of-3 from three-point range in the first two games of the team’s current three-game road trip. He also had three of his shot attempts blocked.

“I got to figure it out,” he said. “I don’t know about anybody else, but I’m accepting accountability. I’ve got to be better. I’m letting my team down, and it’s going to shift. Like I said, it’s going to shift. I’ve been through these times before. A lot of guys go through it. We’ll figure it out.”

Here’s more on the Heat:

On the flip side, Kel’el Ware scored a team-high 24 points and made a career high six three-pointers in a loss to Boston on Friday. “I’m just getting more comfortable out there,” he said. “Playing through the game, playing through the flow.”
The Heat only had 10 players available, which thrust rookie point guard Kasparas Jakucionis into a bigger role — he made a good impression. In his first NBA start, Jakucionis had 17 points, five offensive rebounds and just one turnover in 35 minutes, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes. Coach Erik Spoelstra believes the time he spent in the G League proved beneficial. “What I will say is he’s here for a reason right now and not in Sioux Falls,” he said, per Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. “I was extremely pleased with his eight games in Sioux Falls. Every game, he got in better game condition. He’s in superior shape, but also more confident. He did things that contributed to winning.”
Andrew Wiggins‘ name has surfaced in trade rumors but he’s trying to ignore the speculation, Winderman writes. “I try not to think about it. I don’t really go on social media and search my name or anything that has to do with me, so I don’t really hear too much of anything, unless someone comes up and tells me,” he said.

Evaluators Split On Keon Ellis’ Value

December 19th, 2025 at 1:26pm CST by Luke Adams

Within a look at potential Lakers trade targets, Dan Woike of The Athletic reports that league sources believe the current asking price for Kings guard Keon Ellis is a protected first-round pick.

Ellis, who will turn 26 next month, has a reputation as a solid defender, is a career 41.8% three-point shooter, and is earning just $2.3MM in 2025/26, making him an appealing option for teams not well positioned from a cap perspective to acquire a player on a larger contract.

However, there’s not a consensus on Ellis’ value, according to Woike.

One league source who spoke to The Athletic referred to the fourth-year guard as “maybe the most divisive player in the league,” pointing out that rival scouts are high on him but neither Mike Brown nor Doug Christie has been comfortable leaning on him consistently in Sacramento. After starting 28 games and averaging 24.4 minutes per game last season, Ellis has made two starts and averaged 17.6 MPG in 2025/26.

As Woike explains, some skeptics believe Ellis’ defensive skill set is more suited to generating turnovers than to actually slowing down opposing offensive offensive players, while others have reservations about his size and ability to hold his own against bigger guards.

It’s also worth noting that Ellis will reach unrestricted free agency in July if he doesn’t sign an extension before then (he’ll become eligible on February 9), so a team acquiring him would risk losing him for nothing during the 2026 offseason.

Still, Woike believes Ellis is one of the possibilities being considered by the Lakers, who could badly use another defensive-minded player in their rotation. Pelicans forward Herbert Jones, Heat forward Andrew Wiggins, Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr., Nets guard Terance Mann, Hornets wing Josh Green, and Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu are among the other potential targets Woike mentions, though he cautions that not all of them will be available, especially for a price the Lakers would be comfortable meeting.

Los Angeles only has one tradable first-round pick (in either 2031 or 2032) and one movable second-rounder (2032). The team could also offer a handful of first-round pick swaps. The trade value of Dalton Knecht, a 2024 first-rounder, has slipped since last season, as he has fallen out of JJ Redick‘s regular rotation this fall.

Jerami Grant Among Possible Targets On Bucks’ Radar

December 16th, 2025 at 1:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Echoing recent reporting from Marc Stein and Eric Nehm, Jake Fischer writes in his latest story for the Stein Line Substack that the Bucks are conveying to rival teams that they’d prefer to upgrade their roster around Giannis Antetokounmpo rather than move their superstar forward.

One rival general manager who spoke to Fischer even suggested the Bucks are giving the impression that “they’re going big-game hunting” on the trade market.

Whether Milwaukee will maintain that stance by the February 5 trade deadline remains to be seen. As Fischer writes, some teams believe they’ll eventually pivot and become sellers, and many executives around the league think it would be in the Bucks’ best long-term interests to move Antetokounmpo sooner rather than later, even if he doesn’t request a trade.

For now though, given the Bucks’ lack of tradable draft picks, Fischer suggests that if they do pursue an upgrade, it might make sense to target a player whose contract isn’t especially team-friendly, since the cost would be lower. Kings guard Zach LaVine is one player who fits that bill and has been linked to Milwaukee. According to Fischer, Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant is another player who has been on the team’s radar, both this season and in past years.

Grant is earning $32MM in 2025/26 and is owed another $70.6MM for the two seasons after this one. He had a down year in ’24/25, but has bounced back this fall, with averages of 20.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game on .438/.395/.863 shooting through his first 25 outings.

Grant’s value has likely rebounded to some extent as a result of his strong start, and Fischer notes that general manager Joe Cronin has long been a fan of the veteran forward. Still, his contract probably isn’t considered to have positive value, so the idea of trading for Grant and perhaps seeking a draft pick in the deal (the Blazers control a handful of future Milwaukee picks as a result of the Damian Lillard trade) could appeal to the Bucks.

Heat forward Andrew Wiggins and Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray are two other players who have piqued the Bucks’ interest in the past, according to Fischer, who hears from sources that Milwaukee “regularly” called Golden State about Wiggins before he was dealt to Miami last season and also spoke to Atlanta about Murray before he was sent to New Orleans. Murray hasn’t played yet in 2025/26 due to a torn Achilles, but the Pelicans are hopeful he could return as soon as next month, per Fischer.

Fischer identifies Lakers guard Marcus Smart and Mavericks forward P.J. Washington as two more players the Bucks have previously had interest in, but acknowledges that Los Angeles is unlikely to move one of its best defenders, while Washington isn’t trade-eligible this season after recently signing an extension in Dallas.

Although Fischer doesn’t mention either player specifically, at least one of forward Kyle Kuzma ($22.4MM) or new center Myles Turner ($25.3MM) would almost certainly have to be part of any significant Bucks deal not involving Giannis. Outside of Antetokounmpo ($54.1MM), they’re the only players on the roster earning more than $13.5MM this season.

Heat Notes: Losing Streak, Threes, Herro, Wiggins, Jovic

December 14th, 2025 at 4:01pm CST by Rory Maher

The Heat were grateful to have an extended break after losing their fourth straight game on Tuesday, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Miami has spent the past three days practicing after taking a couple of rest days in the middle of the week.

“Look, we don’t like losing,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We have a very competitive group in the locker room. We’re just focused on getting better, not getting caught up in all the panic and narratives that potentially can be out there, just have to rally around each other.

“Look, it’s a competitive league. There’s so much parity right now. You have to play well and then you have to find different ways to win games. There’s going to be a lot of teams that are going through what we’re going through right now. You can’t panic for all the noise. You just have to focus on, ‘How do we get better?’”

As Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald notes, the Heat had gotten pretty lucky during their 14-7 start to the season, as opponents were converting three-pointers at a much worse rate than expected, while the Heat were one of the top outside shooting teams in the league. Both of those trends have reversed during their recent stretch of poor play.

“They’re doing a great job of scouting how we play our offense,” guard Norman Powell said. “They’re up higher. They’re two, three steps up above the three. They’re denying passing lanes. They’re trying to make us play one in the half court and then two inside the line.

“So we’ve just got to be better collectively, really working the offense like we were at the beginning of the season. We’re all on everybody’s scouting report in how we want to play, the pace, and trying to slow us down. So individually, we can all be better in how we navigate the offense, attack, kickouts, not taking so many tough two-pointers once we get into the paint.”

Here’s more on the Heat:

Spoelstra strongly pushed back on the notion that having Tyler Herro back has disrupted the team’s offensive rhythm, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “It’s just a total overreaction that’s misguided. We need Tyler,” Spoelstra said Friday. “And it will be a little bit of a process working him back into the mix. But to get where we need to go, we need Tyler’s skill and talent. We need our guys healthy, and that’s what we’re working on right now. We can be very dangerous when we get guys on the same page, committing to our identity, and Tyler’s a big part of that.” The Heat are just 3-3 when Herro plays, but they’ve been better when he’s on the court than when he’s off, Chiang observes, and the 25-year-old guard is once again putting up big offensive numbers.
While he admits there are pros and cons to the role, veteran wing Andrew Wiggins has grown accustomed to spending most of his time as a small-ball power forward, per Winderman. “It hasn’t been weighing on me at all. I’ve been feeling pretty comfortable,” he said. “It was more so newer at the beginning of the year. But, like I said, I feel comfortable now and I feel like I’m doing a solid job being the power forward. I mean, it has its advantages and disadvantages.”
Spoelstra says fourth-year forward Nikola Jovic will have an opportunity to play rotation minutes again at some point, Winderman adds, though when exactly that will take place is still up in the air. “He just has to stay with it,” Spoelstra said. “And each day is an opportunity for him to get better and to make an impression. That’s good that he has practice days, to show us. But he’s been working behind the scenes and he’ll get his opportunity again.”

Fischer’s Latest: Antetokounmpo, Knicks, Heat, Morant

December 7th, 2025 at 8:05pm CST by Eli Cohen

While Giannis Antetokounmpo recently reiterated his desire to make things work with the Bucks, the rest of the league is preparing for the moment when Milwaukee signals it’s ready to start hearing offers for the star forward, Jake Fischer writes for The Stein Line (subscriber link).

According to Fischer, due to the widespread belief that any team acquiring Antetokounmpo would need to enter next season with championship expectations, executives around the league expect the two-time MVP to have a good amount of say in where he ends up, though there’s never a guarantee a surprise team doesn’t swoop in and land him.

Antetokounmpo recently turned 31 and is averaging 28.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game while hitting a career-high 43.5% of his threes this season. He will become extension-eligible on October 1, 2026, a significant factor that will likely play a part in how teams approach making offers for his services.

Of those potential suitors, Fischer cites the Knicks and Heat as organizations to keep an eye on when it comes to a real pursuit of Antetokounmpo’s services.

Here’s more from Fischer:

There’s a belief that the Knicks stand apart as the team the 6’11” forward would most want to end up on, per Fischer, who confirms that the New York squad was the “temptation” that Antetokounmpo discussed during the offseason. He adds that the fanbase’s post-playoff victory gatherings have been endearing to Antetokounmpo, as they appeal to his love of European basketball and soccer supporter activity.
As far as the Heat go, Fischer notes that Antetokounmpo’s management group got as far as doing due diligence on playing in states without income tax, including Florida and Texas (when Luka Doncic was still on the Mavericks), would impact his contract earnings. Once the Heat declined to include Kel’el Ware in Kevin Durant trade discussions this summer, and likewise refused to package Ware with Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jovic, and the 20th pick in the 2025 draft, it was assumed that they were doing so in order to be in a position to make the best possible offer should a younger top-end talent come available.
Fischer also reports that the Heat have had internal discussions regarding Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, who has missed 11 of the team’s last 12 games with a calf injury. He notes that Miami has signaled a willingness to include Andrew Wiggins in the right deal, and the lack of an extension for Tyler Herro could point to him being available in the right deal as well.

Siegel’s Latest: H. Jones, Poole, Pacers, Warriors, Cavs, Heat

December 5th, 2025 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans have long signaled that forward Herbert Jones is off limits in trade talks, and that stance didn’t change when Joe Dumars was hired to run the front office in the spring, writes Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.

However, according to Siegel, with the Pelicans off to a miserable 3-20 start to the season and Dumars seemingly becoming more open to the idea of major changes, the odds of a deal involving Jones have grown “exponentially” in recent months. After signing a contract extension in July, Jones isn’t currently eligible to be traded, but that will restriction will lift on January 14, a few weeks before this season’s deadline.

Jordan Poole‘s status with the Pelicans will also be worth monitoring this winter, Siegel writes, pointing out that Jeremiah Fears‘ emergence as Dejounte Murray‘s potential return in the new year are factors that could make Poole expendable.

After being acquired by the Pelicans in the offseason, Poole got off to a shaky start this fall and has missed the past month with a quad strain. The 26-year-old also doesn’t have an especially team-friendly contract — he’s owed $31.8MM this season and $34MM next season – so his value would probably be pretty limited.

Here are a few more items of interest from Siegel’s latest round-up of rumors from across the NBA:

While Pacers role players like T.J. McConnell, Aaron Nesmith, and Andrew Nembhard have drawn plenty of interest in recent years, Indiana is unlikely to make major changes to its roster this season, since the team believes it can be a contender again in 2026/27 with Tyrese Haliburton back in the lineup, according to Siegel. If the Pacers do make an in-season move, Bennedict Mathurin is considered their most likely trade candidate, Siegel adds, since he’s on an expiring contract and is eligible for restricted free agency over the summer.
Siegel believes that if Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo requests a trade and the Warriors make an offer, it’s more likely to be centered around Jimmy Butler than Draymond Green. According to Siegel, trading Green is “not something the Warriors plan on doing,” given his long-time importance to the organization.
Teams around the league are keeping a close eye on the Cavaliers, who are off to an underwhelming 13-10 start, with rival executives wondering if the team might listen to inquires on starting center Jarrett Allen, per Siegel. Allen is earning $20MM this season before his three-year, $90.7MM extension begins in July.
Viewed entering the season as possible deadline sellers, the 14-8 Heat are now widely viewed as more likely to be buyers, with forward Andrew Wiggins considered unlikely to be moved unless it’s in a deal that upgrades Miami’s roster, says Siegel.

Heat Notes: Roster Spot, Powell, Wiggins, Jovic, Mitchell

December 3rd, 2025 at 7:03pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Heat will have the ability to sign a 15th man without surpassing the luxury tax line as of December 13, but there are many factors the team will need to consider before doing so, Ira Winderman writes for the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Miami will have to weigh the likelihood of Tyler Herro qualifying for his performance-based contract incentives, which are looking increasingly out of reach, as the shooting guard is only one missed game from being ruled ineligible for All-NBA.

The team is also in an uncertain position when it comes to the contract of Terry Rozier, who is currently on leave from the league due to his involvement in the FBI’s gambling probe. In ordinary circumstances, the Heat could waive Rozier on or before January 7 in order to recoup the $1.6MM non-guaranteed portion of his salary, but Winderman writes that it’s unclear if the league will allow them to do that while he’s on leave.

The Heat have also had a hot start to the season and sit at third in the East coming into Wednesday’s slate of games, meaning they may not feel any urgency to navigate those obstacles and add a new player.

We have more from the Heat:

Norman Powell is doing his best to play through the groin strain that sidelined him for a game last week and will cause him to miss Wednesday night’s matchup against the Mavs, writes Winderman in a separate piece. “I’m not fully healthy,” Powell admitted. “I haven’t been fully healthy in a couple of games.” However, Powell said that the team doctors don’t think he’s been making the injury worse by playing. “They think it can still heal while I’m playing,” he said. “It’s managing it, and if something is too uncomfortable or whatever, then letting them know.” Powell had previously missed time with a right groin strain, but he said that the current injury is in a different place.
Andrew Wiggins isn’t the loudest player in the Heat’s locker room, but he has been leading by example this season, Winderman writes. “I get the job done and I do whatever I can to help the team win,” he said. “I know every night’s going to be different. Some nights might be more scoring. Some nights might be my rebounding. Depending on whatever the team needs, I’m here and I’m going to try and do it.” On a team that has prioritized a well-distributed offensive attack, teammates are impressed with Wiggins’ approach, according to Winderman. “Wiggs is amazing,” Powell said. “He’s quiet, he’s to himself, but he works. He knows the game. He has a versatile skill set. I think he flies under the radar. He’s always quiet and he gets the job done.”
Nikola Jovic‘s play has been one of the few disappointing aspects of an otherwise better-than-expected season for the Heat, and he’s aware that he’s not performing liked he wants to, writes Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “I know that I’m not playing great basketball right now, and that’s the thing that bothers me for sure,” he said. Jovic was conscious of saying the right things about being happy that the team is succeeding despite his struggles, but head coach Erik Spoelstra knows he needs more from the talented forward. “Our ceiling goes so much higher when there’s a consistency to Niko’s game,” Spoelstra said. “He’s extremely versatile on both ends of the court when he’s really locked in, paying attention to details, giving the maximum effort.” Spoelstra adds that attention to detail is crucial, as is getting back into a rhythm after missing some time with an injury.
Davion Mitchell, who re-signed with Miami on a two-year, $24MM deal this past offseason, is repaying the Heat’s faith in him by turning into one of the steadiest point guards in the league in terms of assist-to-turnover ratio, Chiang writes, noting that only T.J. McConnell and Tim Hardaway Jr. have a better statistical profile in that regard this season.”He really helps what we’re trying to do,” Spoelstra said. “He feels the momentum of the game, and then he has that feel that all great point guards have of getting guys open shots to really extend the lead.” Mitchell, for his part, says the change came when he stopped trying to force things so much. “When I first got here, I was thinking a little bit,” he said. “Obviously, I tried to do what I do on the defensive end, but offensively, I was still trying to find what I can do for this team. But now, it’s like I’m not even out there thinking. I’m just out there making plays and just kind of just free flowing.”

Siegel’s Latest: DeRozan, Sabonis, Wolves, Claxton, Kuminga, Wiggins

November 28th, 2025 at 12:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Of the three Kings veteran stars considered in-season trade candidates, DeMar DeRozan looks like the one most likely to be on the move ahead of the February 5 deadline, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.

As Siegel explains, DeRozan’s relatively team-friendly contract structure – $24.6MM this season and a $10MM partial guarantee on his $25.7MM salary for 2026/27 – makes him a more manageable investment for most clubs than either Zach LaVine or Domantas Sabonis. LaVine is earning $47.5MM this season, with a $49MM player option for ’26/27, while Sabonis will be owed $94MM over the next two seasons after making $42.3MM in ’25/26.

The Bucks, Clippers, Heat, Trail Blazers, and Grizzlies are some of the potential suitors to watch for DeRozan, says Siegel, though he doesn’t explicitly state that all those clubs have shown interest in the veteran forward.

Sabonis, who is currently on the shelf with a meniscus tear, will likely have to show he’s healthy before drawing real interest on the trade market. According to Siegel, the Sacramento big man isn’t expected to begin the return-to-play portion of his recovery process until sometime around Christmas.

Here are a few more rumors from around the NBA, courtesy of Siegel:

There’s a “growing sense” that the Timberwolves would be willing to sell high on forward Julius Randle in the right deal this season, Siegel writes. Minnesota is known to be on the lookout for a point guard, having checked in on Ja Morant. The team has also inquired about Cavaliers guard Darius Garland for the past year-plus, sources tell Siegel. However, the Wolves’ lack of tradable first-round picks will be complicate their ability to make any major moves.
Nets center Nic Claxton is considered a trade candidate and has come up in discussions with sources around the NBA as a possible Warriors target, Siegel writes. However, given that the Nets showed no interest in pursuing Jonathan Kuminga using their cap room when he was a restricted free agent over the summer, it doesn’t appear the fifth-year forward would be a target for Brooklyn. Claxton has also been considered a potential Lakers target dating back to last season, Siegel notes.
The Pacers are among the teams that have been keeping an eye on Kuminga, having “quietly” scouted him since the start of last season, according to Siegel, who wonders if the Warriors would have any interest in a deal involving Bennedict Mathurin. There’s a sense around the league that Indiana might look to move a player like Mathurin, Jarace Walker, or Obi Toppin due in part to the club’s cap situation going forward, Siegel adds.
The Warriors are known to have interest in forwards Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones and will likely talk to the Pelicans during the season, Siegel writes. It’s unclear if New Orleans would be open to moving either Murphy or Jones, but they represent the sort of “versatile wings” that Golden State will likely be targeting in a Kuminga trade, Siegel explains.
If the Heat were to trade Andrew Wiggins this season, they’d be seeking a first-round pick, plus a player or two who could step into their rotation and be a positive contributor, per Siegel. The Lakers were linked to Wiggins during the offseason and the Bucks also inquired about him, Siegel reports, but Miami hasn’t had any serious trade talks about the veteran forward as of late.