Central Notes: Portis, Giannis, Buzelis, Huerter, Strus
Appearing on the Run It Back podcast (hat tip to Real GM), Bucks forward Bobby Portis said he believes it’s an even-money proposition on whether Giannis Antetokounmpo gets dealt this summer. There were weeks of intense trade rumors surrounding Antetokounmpo heading into the deadline, and that process is likely to resume during the offseason as Milwaukee hasn’t been able to make a strong push for a play-in spot.
“Uh, I’m at a five, bro. I’m right in the middle. … For real, it’s up in the air, man,” Portis told the hosts. “Obviously, just being here, our goal just isn’t to make the play-in, right? The goal isn’t to just make the playoffs. Since I’ve been here, since 2020 during the pandemic, the goal has always been championship. So, I don’t know what that outlook is for next year. I don’t know what (general manager) Jon (Horst) and his staff are going to put together to make the roster better, make us better, so we can compete for championships next year. I don’t know that.”
Portis added that questions about Antetokounmpo’s future have been part of every summer since 2020, except for the Bucks’ championship season. He expects speculation regarding Giannis to peak heading into the draft in late June.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Matas Buzelis is close to becoming the first Bulls player to finish with 100 blocks in a season in nearly a decade, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times notes in a subscriber-only story. The second-year forward ranks seventh in the league with 94 rejections and brings a much-needed element to the team’s defense. ‘‘I’m really good at timing the block and knowing when guys will try and finish when they’re going up,’’ Buzelis said. ‘‘It’s something I feel like I’ve had since I started playing basketball. I just try and translate it to the NBA. Obviously, it’s a little harder, but you’ve got to realize what guys do when they’re driving, how they finish. I feel like I’ve got the timing and the verticality. Straight up at the rim, it’s hard to finish over me since I’m so tall. But it’s definitely something I have.’’
- The Pistons misfired at the trade deadline by bringing in Kevin Huerter as their major addition, contends Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports (Twitter video link). O’Connor argues that Detroit needed more shooting and a second creator on offense, but gave up Jaden Ivey for Huerter, who’s only averaging 13.6 minutes per night in eight games since the deal.
- Cavaliers wing Max Strus is moving closer to making his season debut, which could happen in the next week, Joe Vardon of The Athletic states in a story highlighting the work Strus’ foundation is doing to help children dealing with serious health issues. The 29-year-old has been recovering from foot surgery since August.
Bucks Notes: Losing Streak, Rivers, Kuzma
The Bucks have made the playoffs in each of the past nine years, but they’re running out of games to do so again in 2025/26, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. The team was up 13 points after the first quarter on Wednesday vs. Atlanta, but was outscored by 31 for the rest of the game, ultimately losing by 18.
Wednesday marked Milwaukee’s fourth straight loss. And the Bucks aren’t just losing, they’re getting blown out — they’ve lost those games by a combined 97 points, the largest combined margin of defeat in a four-game losing streak in franchise history, per Nehm.
Dropping the game to the Hawks was particularly rough for the Bucks, Nehm notes, as they’re trying to catch Atlanta and Charlotte to make the play-in tournament. With 21 games remaining, Milwaukee is now five games behind Atlanta and four-and-a-half behind Charlotte for the final two play-in spots.
“I feel like we have the answers,” said Giannis Antetokounmpo, who finished with 24 points, five rebounds and four assists in his second game back from a calf strain. “The team is extremely talented. We have guys that can put the ball on the floor, guys that can put the ball in the basket.
“At the end of the day, it’s like your spirit, what are you playing for? That’s what we gotta decide. Are we going to wave the white flag, or are we going to come together in the last 21 games and try to play hard and try to make a push?
“Atlanta was the team above us, and a game like this counts for two. I feel like we came out and set the tone. We were shooting 60 percent from the field, but after that, we just fell flat.”
Here’s more on the Bucks:
- The four-game skid was directly preceded by Milwaukee winning eight of 10 games. Veteran big man Bobby Portis wonders if that surprising stretch was a fluke, Nehm adds in the same story. “Kind of fool’s gold, for real,” Portis said. “Rolling eight out of 10, playing against bottom teams, teams that’s trying to lose, right? (Now we are) playing against some teams that are jockeying for position. We used to be in that position, too. Jockeying for position, you got certain games on your schedule that you can’t lose. Guys are circling us, and we’re the can’t-lose team, so, they’re coming in and trying to win that game. That’s a must-win game for them, can’t drop it. That’s how they’re looking at us. So, credit the other teams for locking in and getting a dub, but on our side, we gotta look at it as the hungry team, the team that’s hunting them now. Crazy how fast time and things can change and shift, but so much season left, right? We got five-and-a-half, six weeks to fix it, and I think we will.”
- ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith claimed on his radio show that Doc Rivers plans to retire after the season. The 64-year-old head coach said there was nothing to that speculation, according to Nehm of The Athletic. “No, I’m not getting into that,” Rivers said when asked about Smith’s claim after Friday’s practice. “That’s something that; I think he feels that way, but not for me.” Rivers is under contract through next season, Nehm observes.
- Forward Kyle Kuzma received the first DNP-CD of his career on Monday. Speaking to the media on Friday for the first time since that game, Kuzma said he wasn’t informed of the decision in advance (Twitter links via Nehm). “At the end of the day, Doc is the final arbiter, right? So he can make decisions on whatever he wants and rightfully so, he’s the coach,” Kuzma said. “So, that’s not my job to worry about. My job is to come out and just be a professional. That’s who I am. … You just take it in swing. At the end of the day, we trust our coaching staff to make the right decisions on this team or whatever they think can win us games.”
Damian Lillard Wins Three-Point Contest
Damian Lillard isn’t playing this season while recovering from a torn Achilles, but his jumper was still sharp enough to win Saturday’s three-point contest at All-Star Weekend, writes Dan Woike of The Athletic. Appearing on an NBA court for the first time since he suffered the injury last April 27, the Trail Blazers guard sank 10 straight shots at one point during the final round to defeat Devin Booker and rookie Kon Knueppel.
It’s Lillard’s third victory in the past four years and it ties him with Larry Bird and Craig Hodges, the only other three-time champs in the history of the contest, which began in 1986.
“Every day I’m up early in the morning warming up and shooting the ball, off the dribble, catch-and-shoot, every style of shot you can shoot. I’m shooting them every day, hundreds of ’em,” Lillard said. “So I knew that this would not be an issue for me. I can’t say I knew that I would win ’cause you just never know. But I knew I would be able to be strong out there and have a chance. I came in confident.”
Lillard was a surprise inclusion in the field of eight contestants because of the injury and his long layoff. He jokingly told a league official that he was ready to go, and he later got the opportunity when another competitor dropped out.
“It felt like a game for me,” Lillard said. “Coming into it, I was like, I don’t know if you can compete harder at a three-point shootout, but I definitely cared more. I didn’t come in, ‘Oh, it is what it is.’ I was like, ‘No, I’m trying to win.’”
Woike notes that the favorite of the L.A. crowd was Heat guard Norman Powell, who spent three years with the Clippers before being traded last summer. Powell scored 23 points in the first round before being eliminated along with Donovan Mitchell, Jamal Murray, Tyrese Maxey and Bobby Portis.
“I just ran a little bit of time,” Powell said, per Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel (subscription required). “I slowed myself down a little too much, because last year I was sped up and going through the course too fast, so kind of said I’m gonna calm down, relax. and take my time with my shots. But, in the end, I ran a little bit of time.”
Second-year Heat forward Keshad Johnson won the Slam Dunk Contest, defeating Carter Bryant in the finals. Jaxson Hayes and Jase Richardson were eliminated in the first round.
The Shooting Stars competition went to the Knicks‘ contingent of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and Allan Houston, along with their celebrity passer, assistant coach Rick Brunson.
Post-Deadline Rumors: Morant, JJJ, Bulls, Missi, Celtics
The fact that Ja Morant wasn’t traded at last week’s deadline came as a bit of a surprise to him, according to Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints, who says the Grizzlies weren’t willing to accept a package similar to what Atlanta got for Trae Young.
The Grizzlies talked to the Heat, Timberwolves, and Bucks about Morant, but didn’t come close to making a deal, Azarly writes. League sources tell ClutchPoints that Ryan Rollins was a player Memphis and Milwaukee talked about, but the Grizzlies were averse to taking back Kyle Kuzma and/or Bobby Portis, who are both on multiyear guaranteed contracts.
According to reporting last week, Memphis signaled a willingness to take on long-term salary if it came attached to first-round draft compensation, but there’s no indication the Bucks would’ve put their lone tradable first-rounder on the table for Morant.
The expectation is that the Grizzlies will try to trade Morant again in the summer, and Azarly suggests that the point guard should be able to return from his left elbow injury not long after the All-Star break. As Azarly explains, even though Memphis has pivoted to a full-on rebuild and would benefit from piling up losses down the stretch, both the team and Morant himself would appreciate the opportunity to have the 26-year-old rebuild his trade value with a strong finish to the season.
Here are a few more leftover rumors from last week’s trade deadline:
- In addition to Golden State and Toronto – whose talks with the Grizzlies were previously reported – the Pistons and Hawks also “checked in” on Jaren Jackson Jr. before he was dealt to the Jazz, while the Suns and Hornets also had interest, says Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. There’s no indication that any of those teams made any real progress toward acquiring Jackson from Memphis.
- The Bulls, who acquired a total of eight second-round picks in their various pre-deadline deals, made an effort to flip some of those second-rounders to the Pelicans last Thursday in a deal for second-year center Yves Missi, Siegel writes. However, New Orleans was holding out for a first-round pick and ended up retaining Missi through the deadline.
- Sources who spoke to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) viewed the Celtics‘ swap of Anfernee Simons for Nikola Vucevic as a “clear indicator” that Boston thinks forward Jayson Tatum will be able to return before the end of the season. Simons’ was the team’s fourth-leading scorer prior to the trade, but would’ve likely seen his role reduced in a rotation that featured a healthy Tatum.
NBA Announces Eight Participants For Three-Point Contest
The NBA has announced the eight-player field for the 2026 three-point contest, which will take place on February 14 at 4:00 pm CT (Twitter link).
Here’s the full list of participants:
Devin Booker, Suns- Kon Knueppel, Hornets
- Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers
- Tyrese Maxey, Sixers
- Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers
- Jamal Murray, Nuggets
- Bobby Portis, Bucks
- Norman Powell, Heat
Lillard’s inclusion in the competition is a surprise, as the nine-time All-Star will miss the entire season after tearing his Achilles tendon last April. The 35-year-old guard is a two-time winner of the three-point contest.
Booker is another former three-point contest champion, though he’s only shooting 30.7% from long distance this season, which represents a career low.
No. 4 overall pick Knueppel has a chance to become the first rookie to win the event, per the league. The former Duke standout has connected on 42.8% of his outside looks on high volume (7.8 attempts per game).
Portis is the only big man among the eight competitors. He has also been the most accurate three-point shooter in the field this season, converting 45.1% of his 4.3 attempts per game.
First-time All-Stars Murray (43.2% on 7.5 attempts per game) and Powell (39.3% on 7.2 attempts) are having strong seasons for their respective clubs. Mitchell (37.9% on 9.7 attempts) and Maxey (38.2% on 8.8 attempts) are the highest-volume three-point shooters in the field and are also the top two scorers.
Last year’s winner, Tyler Herro, is currently sidelined because of a rib injury. He declined an invitation to focus on his health over the All-Star break.
Cavaliers, Kings Actively Looking To Make More Deals
The Cavaliers and Kings made a splash over the weekend, completing a deal that saw Cleveland acquiring Keon Ellis, Dennis Schröder, and Emanuel Miller, with De’Andre Hunter headed to Sacramento. The Bulls were also involved in the transaction, acquiring Dario Saric and two second-round picks to facilitate it.
According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, the Cavaliers and Kings aren’t through wheeling and dealing.
The Cavs’ top executive, Koby Altman, is aggressively pursuing trades involving Lonzo Ball and injured wing Max Strus. The Hunter trade took the Cavs from $22MM to just $13.9MM above the second apron and brought their total payroll down to $221.7MM.
Altman is hoping to move his team out of the second apron, thus giving him more flexibility to make significant roster changes over the summer. Shedding Ball’s contract — he’s making $10MM this season with a $10MM club option for next season — would help the Cavaliers achieve that goal. Ball has only averaged 4.6 points and 3.9 assists in 20.8 minutes per game, so dumping his salary would likely cost the Cavs some draft capital.
As for Strus, he’s still recovering from offseason left foot surgery. Strus has become a focal point in talks surrounding the Cavs in the aftermath of Saturday’s trade, according to Siegel.
He’s become even more expendable with the acquisitions of guards Ellis and Schroder. Strus is making nearly $16MM this season and has $16.66MM more remaining on his contract for next season. If the Cavs can’t move him this week, he will be a prime trade candidate in the offseason, Siegel adds.
As for the Kings, they’re continuing to look for any takers for Malik Monk, DeMar DeRozan, and Domantas Sabonis. While it’s unlikely DeRozan or Sabonis will be dealt before Thursday’s deadline, one intriguing suitor remains in the mix the big man — the Raptors.
Jakob Poeltl‘s ongoing back problems have led Toronto to consider the possibility of adding an impact frontcourt player. They’ve cooled on the idea of trading for the Mavericks’ Anthony Davis but adding Sabonis would be less complicated, especially since the Kings are interested in RJ Barrett.
The Kings could also help to facilitate other trades around the league with Monk’s contract. He’s in the second year of a four-year, $78MM deal. The Timberwolves have expressed exploratory interest in Monk.
Whatever the Kings may do this week, they will likely soon convert Dylan Cardwell‘s two-way contract into a standard deal.
As for the transaction that was completed, the Bucks and Lakers held trade discussions with the Cavs regarding Hunter.
The Lakers’ package revolved around Rui Hachimura and Dalton Knecht but they balked at not receiving any additional assets or draft compensation for the final year of Hunter’s contract. The Bucks made both Kyle Kuzma and Bobby Portis available to Cleveland.
Northwest Notes: McDaniels, Thunder, Jazz, Conley
Jaden McDaniels‘ name has popped up in rumors surrounding the Timberwolves‘ pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo, but on Thursday night’s win over the Thunder, he showed just how valuable he is to Minnesota in his own right, writes Jon Krawczynski for The Athletic.
The sixth-year wing is averaging career-highs in points (14.9) and assists (2.9) per game, as well as three-point percentage (44.5%), free throw attempts per game (2.5) and free throw percentage (84.9%). He has also missed just two games this season after playing all 82 last year, and has only made fewer than 70 appearances once in his career (in a COVID-shortened season).
Most importantly, McDaniels has the support of the team around him.
“He’s my favorite player in the league,” star Anthony Edwards said about him. “I love everything about Jaden, everything that he does on the court, defensively, offensively, for us as a team, on the bench, he’s always cheering his teammates on no matter how the game goes for him.”
Both Edwards and head coach Chris Finch have discussed how hard he grinds to fix the holes in his game and the business-like approach he takes to his career.
“He’s an incredible worker,” Finch said. “He’s like a machine every day.”
Krawczynski writes that any Antetokounmpo deal for the Wolves would likely require McDaniels to be moved, either to the Bucks or to a third team, but should no deal come to pass, McDaniels has become the piece the Wolves need him to be at exactly the right time.
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- The Thunder are unlikely to make a major shake-up move at the trade deadline, with most reports indicating that 22-year-old wing Ousmane Dieng is the most likely player on the team to be moved. That said, the team could still use some frontcourt insurance depth, especially with Isaiah Hartenstein in and out of the lineup with injuries, Rylan Stiles writes for Sports Illustrated. In his breakdown of seven potential trade targets, Stiles primarily focuses on depth big men who are unlikely to be overly coveted by their team. Kevin Love (Jazz), Nick Richards (Suns), Bobby Portis (Bucks), and Jock Landale (Grizzlies) are three veterans he believes could be acquired for little more than Dieng and second-round picks, of which the team is loaded. He also looks at the Nets‘ Day’Ron Sharpe, a productive per-minute big man whom Stiles notes could fit into Oklahoma City’s non-taxpayer mid-level exception before the club decides what to do with his team option in the summer. As a more ambitious target, Stiles notes that Trey Murphy III (Pelicans) would make an excellent stylistic fit, but the cost to acquire him would likely be more than the Thunder are willing to pay in-season.
- The Jazz are also not expected to make any major moves by the deadline, Andy Larson writes for the Salt Lake City Tribune. Notably, that means that unless Utah is blown away by a godfather offer, Lauri Markkanen is expected to remain a part of the team’s core moving forward. While Jusuf Nurkic was considered a clear trade candidate coming into the year, his solid play within coach Will Hardy‘s system has the team trying to figure out how he can fit into the team’s outlook moving forward rather than gauging what they can get for him in a deal, Larson reports. Nurkic is averaging a career-high 5.0 assists per game, along with his 11.2 points per game, his best mark since the 2022/23 season. Larson notes that Love and Kyle Anderson could be moved in deals, as both have been in and out of the rotation, and that rather than acting as sellers, the Jazz could be in a position to take bad money in order to add more assets to their substantial draft pick collection. He lists D’Angelo Russell of the Mavericks and Maxi Kleber of the Lakers as two such players they could receive draft compensation to take on.
- Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley wants to keep playing past this season, but doesn’t know if he’ll be able to do so, according to Dane Moore (Twitter video link). “Honestly, every game I play from here on out I think about, ‘Is this my last game?‘” Conley said. “I know I want to play more years, but you just never know how things work… I’m just gonna go out there and have fun and not take things for granted.“
Trade Rumors: Ellis, Hunter, Ball, Bucks, Sochan, Deadline
In addition to the Cavaliers, the Lakers, Pacers, Spurs and Celtics are among the many suitors for Kings guard Keon Ellis, sources tell Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). The Timberwolves and Knicks have also been mentioned as teams interested in Ellis.
The 26-year-old is an intriguing trade candidate because his $2.3MM expiring contract makes him an attainable piece for just about any NBA team. If he’s dealt, Ellis’ Bird rights would travel with him and he’d become extension-eligible on February 9, just a few days after the trade deadline.
Cleveland has seemed to be in the best position to acquire Ellis over the past 48 hours, Fischer reports (via Twitter), but other teams are still in the mix as well.
According to Stein and Fischer, while the Kings are reluctant to take on long-term money in trades, they’re believed to be open to that possibility if Malik Monk is included the deal. Sacramento has also brought up including DeMar DeRozan in trades involving Ellis.
Here are several more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Although the Lakers have been mentioned multiple times as a potential suitor for De’Andre Hunter, Stein and Fischer hear Los Angeles’ interest in the Cavaliers forward has been “repeatedly overstated.” As Stein and Fischer explain, Hunter’s $24.9MM salary for next season would inhibit the Lakers’ offseason flexibility, which they prefer to maintain.
- Before Giannis Antetokounmpo became the focus of the trade deadline, the Bucks made offers for Hunter centered around Kyle Kuzma and/or Bobby Portis, Stein and Fischer confirm. Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reported on Friday that Milwaukee had pitched Cleveland on the idea of a Portis/Hunter trade, but the Cavaliers declined. The Warriors also held a level of interest in Hunter, per Stein and Fischer, but that was before the Bucks began listening to offers for Antetokounmpo and now their focus is on the two-time MVP.
- The Wizards have checked in with the Cavaliers about Lonzo Ball and have let teams know they’re willing to be a salary dumping ground if they receive draft compensation in return, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Cleveland is the only team in the NBA over the second tax apron, and Ball — who is shooting just 26.9% from three-point range — is on pseudo-expiring $10MM contract ($10MM team option for next season).
- While this sort of move would be contingent on what happens with other trade constructs, the Bucks have expressed interest in packaging some of their minimum-salary contracts to acquire higher-priced players, including Nets guard Cam Thomas and Mavericks guard D’Angelo Russell, sources tell Scotto. As Scotto explains, Milwaukee’s goal would be to either take an upside swing (Thomas) or add second-round picks by taking on unwanted money (Russell). Thomas, an unrestricted free agent this summer, holds an implied no-trade clause after signing his qualifying offer last offseason.
- Several teams — including the Suns — have talked to the Spurs about fourth-year forward Jeremy Sochan, according to Scotto. Those discussions, which Scotto describes as exploratory, also involved Phoenix center Nick Richards, but the Suns weren’t interested in that swap because it would have pushed them deeper into the luxury tax, which they’d prefer to dip below.
- We’ve only seen one in-season trade to this point. One veteran NBA executive who spoke to Stein and Fischer is optimistic about that number rising significantly in the coming days. “I still think the avalanche is coming,” said the team official.
Cavs Rumors: Giannis, Hunter, Ball, Lakers, Ellis, More
While there have been no indications to this point that the Cavaliers are considering making an offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo, the possibility can’t be ruled out, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscriber link).
“It’s Giannis,” a rival NBA executive told Fedor. “Nothing more needs to be said.”
As Fedor writes, the Cleveland’s pathway to a potential deal for the Bucks superstar would be very complicated and would require a significant reduction in payroll — as a second-apron team, the Cavaliers can’t currently aggregate salaries for matching purposes and can’t take in more money than they send out. So in that sense, a Giannis trade is a long shot.
On the other hand, sources tell Fedor that the Cavs have been aggressively looking for roster upgrades ahead of the deadline, and they also have one of the top players who could theoretically be dangled in talks for Antetokounmpo — Evan Mobley, last year’s Defensive Player of the Year. On the Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link), ESPN’s Brian Windhorst also pointed to Mobley as a centerpiece to a potential Cavs offer.
The Cavaliers, who have dealt with several injuries in 2025/26, have underachieved this season and are facing pressure to contend for championships. No individual player they could theoretically acquire would be remotely as impactful as Antetokounmpo, who has finished top four in MVP voting each of the past seven years.
Still, Cleveland is on the upswing, Fedor notes, having won five straight games and seven of the past eight. The front office has also yet to show any desire to make that sort of drastic mid-season overhaul, with blockbuster moves viewed as more likely to occur in the offseason, depending on what happens in the playoffs.
Here are a few more highlights from Fedor’s report:
- Fedor continues to hear De’Andre Hunter and Lonzo Ball are the most likely Cavs to be headed out of Cleveland in the coming days. Confirming reporting from Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, Fedor says the Cavaliers have discussed a trade framework with the Lakers that would send Hunter to Los Angeles in exchange for Rui Hachimura and Dalton Knecht. Sources tell Fedor the Lakers have also countered by offering the expiring contracts of Gabe Vincent and Maxi Kleber. Those talks have involved a third team as well — Fedor doesn’t specify which club it is, but Siegel said it was the Nets.
- Before they reportedly started listening to offers for Giannis, the Bucks explored the possibility of acquiring Hunter using a package built around Bobby Portis. The Cavs declined that proposal, sources tell Fedor.
- Fedor confirms the Cavs are one of many suitors for Kings guard Keon Ellis, noting that Malik Monk could be included as well if Hunter is sent to Sacramento.
- Reiterating a point he previously made, Fedor says the Cavs are eyeing Mavericks forward Naji Marshall. The framework would involve Ball and unspecified draft assets being sent to Dallas, though Fedor points out that Marshall has drawn interest from multiple teams. It’s also unclear if the Cavs would be willing to part with their lone tradable first-round pick (either 2031 or 2032) for a role player, even a quality one like Marshall.
- Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu, Pelicans forward Saddiq Bey and Wizards forward Justin Champagnie are among the other players who might interest the Cavs, Fedor writes.
Southeast Rumors: Okongwu, Hawks, Hornets, Wizards, Magic
The Hawks have rebuffed inquiries from rival teams on center Onyeka Okongwu, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who says Atlanta isn’t looking to move Okongwu and would prefer to add more frontcourt depth around him. Indiana was said earlier this month to have interest in Okongwu.
While Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kennard are viewed as trade candidates and could be involved in a more significant trade, the Hawks have also signaled that they’re open to using their flexibility below the luxury tax line to take on additional salary if it comes with second-round draft compensation attached, Scotto writes.
The Hawks currently have nearly $7MM in breathing room below the tax threshold and have several trade exceptions at their disposal, including one worth more than $13MM. They could also cut big man N’Faly Dante, who suffered a season-ending ACL tear, if they need to open up a roster spot, Scotto observes.
Here are a few more items of interest from around the Southeast Division:
- It remains to be seen whether the Hawks will enter the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, but they have “zero interest” in trading either Jalen Johnson or their top 2026 draft pick (the most favorable of the Bucks’ and Pelicans’ first-rounders), tweets Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.
- Following up on a report stating Hornets forward Miles Bridges has drawn interest from the Bucks (and other teams), Siegel says Milwaukee and Charlotte had trade conversations about Bridges and big man Bobby Portis. While the Hornets have some level of interest in Portis, they’d want a greater return to move on from Bridges and there has been no momentum on that front, per Siegel. The Bucks may also be less inclined to pursue veteran role players like Bridges if they end up trading Antetokounmpo.
- Although a recent report indicated the Wizards have interest in Jazz center Walker Kessler and could consider making a run at him in restricted free agency this summer, Washington views Alex Sarr as its center of the future, league sources tell HoopsHype. Scotto also reports that the Wizards have received some exploratory interest on Khris Middleton and his $33.3MM expiring contract, though I imagine it would be difficult to extract real value for the veteran forward.
- The Magic have gauged the trade market for former lottery pick Jett Howard since the offseason, league sources tell Scotto. However, moving off Howard’s $5.5MM expiring contract wouldn’t get Orlando out of luxury tax territory, so Tyus Jones ($7MM) and Jonathan Isaac ($15MM) may be the more likely trade candidates for the Magic.