Pistons Rumors: Core, Murray, LaVine, Bojan, Burks, Morris
The Pistons have already completed one in-season trade and are open to making more deals, but there are a few players on the roster who are considered essentially off-limits in trade discussions, writes James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.
According to Edwards, those players are Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson, Jalen Duren, and Jaden Ivey. There’s a belief that Detroit has no interest in moving any of those four youngsters in the immediate future and views them as the club’s “blue-chip pieces,” says Edwards.
While it’s no surprise that Cunningham, Thompson, and Duren in that group, Ivey’s inclusion was perhaps less of a certainty, given that his role has fluctuated under new head coach Monty Williams. However, the former No. 5 overall pick has received a minutes bump in recent weeks and is averaging 17.7 points and 4.8 assists per game in his last 14 appearances (all starts).
Here’s more on the Pistons and their trade deadline plans:
- The Hawks initiated talks with the Pistons a few weeks ago about guard Dejounte Murray, according to Edwards, who says Atlanta was interested in Thompson and Ivey, among others. Detroit didn’t have interest in moving forward with those talks, given the Hawks’ asking price, sources tell The Athletic.
- The Pistons have also spoken to the Bulls about Zach LaVine, but Chicago “appears to be locked in” on a package that would include Bojan Bogdanovic and one of those four young players Detroit doesn’t want to move, Edwards writes. While the Pistons wouldn’t want to make that sort of deal, they might have interest in LaVine if the Bulls lowered their asking price.
- Although the Pistons aren’t actively shopping Bogdanovic or Alec Burks, they appear more open to moving the two veterans than they were a year ago, says Edwards. Bogdanovic has a $19MM partially guaranteed salary for next season, while Burks is on an expiring contract. According to Edwards, Detroit may end up pushing its decision on Bogdanovic to the summer and feels like it has a chance to re-sign Burks. However, neither player is off the table in the next couple weeks — Edwards believes an offer of at least two “really good” second-round picks would be enough for the Pistons to seriously consider moving Burks.
- Monte Morris made his season debut for the Pistons on Wednesday and played well, registering seven points, three assists, and three rebounds in 11 minutes. The veteran guard said after the game that he felt good, though he believes he has room to improve (Twitter link via Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press). League sources tell Edwards that potential suitors have expressed interest in Morris and will want to see how he performs upon returning from injury. It’s not a given that Detroit will trade the guard at the deadline, Edwards notes.
Trade Rumors: Bucks Targets, Payne, Allen, Suns, Hornets, Kuzma
The Bucks don’t have a ton of trade assets left after completing blockbuster deals in recent years for Jrue Holiday and then Damian Lillard, but they’re perusing the market in an effort to upgrade their perimeter defense, reports Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
According to Fischer, the Bucks have contacted teams to gauge the value of Portland’s 2024 second-round pick, which Milwaukee controls — it currently projects to be 35th overall, making it more valuable than a typical second-rounder. The team is exploring deals that would package that pick with wing Pat Connaughton and guard Cameron Payne, sources tell Yahoo Sports.
As Fischer explains, Payne fell out of Adrian Griffin‘s rotation earlier this month, but it’s possible new head coach Doc Rivers will want to use him more. If not, the veteran point guard would be “amenable” to a change of scenery, Fischer writes.
While the Bucks would love to acquire a player like Hawks guard Dejounte Murray or Raptors wing Bruce Brown, Bobby Portis‘ $11.7MM cap hit would almost certainly need to be includd in order to match their salaries, Fischer notes. Additionally, Atlanta and Toronto are seeking the sort of packages – two first-round picks and a starter-level player for Murray and a first-round picks for Brown – which the Bucks may not be able to offer, given their lack of tradable first-rounders.
Chicago guard Alex Caruso is likely also out of Milwaukee’s reach, given that the Bulls aren’t inclined to move him and would seek multiple first-rounders if they did, says Fischer. Players like Trail Blazers wing Matisse Thybulle and Clippers forward P.J. Tucker may be more attainable, Fischer suggests. However, Tucker’s appeal is limited, and Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report points out (via Twitter) that Thybulle has veto rights and may not be eager to play for Rivers again.
Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- The Suns are no longer considering the possibility of trading Grayson Allen at the deadline, league sources tell Fischer. Fischer reported last week that Phoenix was gauging what a package of Allen and Nassir Little could bring back, but that seemed like it was more about due diligence, given how well the former Duke star has played this season.
- Responding to reports from Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports and Trevor Booth of Clutch Points stating that the Suns have interest in Miles Bridges and Nick Richards of the Hornets, John Gambadoro of Arizons Sports 98.7 (Twitter link) throws cold water on the Richards speculation, but suggests Phoenix could be in the mix for Bridges if the price is right.
- While Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma has been viewed as a potential in-season trade candidate, he’s under contract for several more years and Washington appears to be in no rush to move him, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on The Woj Pod. “Washington’s been very reticent with Kyle Kuzma,” Wojnarowski said (hat tip to RealGM). “… Teams tell me they call them and they’re not getting counters from Washington. If you want to register an offer for Kuzma, fine, you can do it. But they’re not at the point now where it seems like they’re really active in seriously trying to move him. It could change by the deadline, but I know (Wizards executives) Michael Winger and Will Dawkins like Kuzma, like having him there. I think they’ll be particular about what they might do.”
Lakers Exploring Trades For Murray, Numerous Other Players
The Lakers are exploring a number of avenues on the trade market with the Hawks’ Dejounte Murray arguably the biggest name on the wish list, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reports.
Murray would give the club some much-needed playmaking and speed out of the backcourt. The fact that Murray is making $18.2MM this season before his four-year, $114MM extension kicks in could provide an additional bonus. The Lakers could engineer a two-for-one swap and shave some money off their luxury tax bill in the process.
However, the Lakers continue to resist including Austin Reaves in a potential deal. The Hawks recently inquired about Reaves, according to McMenamin’s sources, who speculates that the Lakers would have to give up some combination of Rui Hachimura, a future first-round pick, Reaves or other young players to land Murray.
The Lakers don’t plan to pivot to the Bulls’ Zach LaVine, per McMenamin, due to his hefty contract, injury issues and declining production. They could aim lower and pick up some bench pieces instead.
They’d like to add a quality backup guard with Gabe Vincent sidelined by a knee injury. The Jazz’s Collin Sexton and Wizards’ Tyus Jones have been discussed internally as potential targets. They also have the Raptors’ Dennis Schröder and Bruce Brown on their radar.
Schröder, who started 50 games for the Lakers last season, has seen his role diminish with the acquisition of Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett. Brown, a defensive ace who was instrumental in Denver’s championship run, was acquired by Toronto in the Pascal Siakam deal.
Brown was the Lakers’ top target with their mid-level exception last summer, according to McMenamin, but Indiana blew them out of the water with a two-year, $45MM offer.
The Nets’ Dorian Finney-Smith and Bulls’ Andre Drummond are two other players the Lakers are considering to fill key postseason roles. Finney-Smith could guard elite wings, while Drummond would give them more size to combat an opponent such as Denver. They’re not particularly interested in the Hornets’ Miles Bridges, a potential alternative to Finney-Smith, because they wouldn’t hold his Bird Rights and Bridges would likely sign a more lucrative contract elsewhere in the summer.
If the Lakers choose not to make a trade or do only minor tinkering before the deadline, they could have more flexibility to acquire another star in the offseason such as the Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell or Hawks’ Trae Young, McMenamin writes.
On the day of the draft, the Lakers pool of available first-rounders would grow to their picks in 2029, 2031 and either this year or 2025, depending on whether New Orleans chooses to use the pick L.A. owes it this June or the following summer.
The Lakers have discussed internally the possibility of packaging those three picks, along with players they already have on their books, to pursue that type of blockbuster, says McMenamin.
Trade Rumors: R. Williams, Knicks, Lakers, Hawks, Wizards
Trail Blazers center Robert Williams won’t play again this season after undergoing knee surgery in November, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s off the table in trade talks. Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT suggested during the latest episode of the #thisleague UNCUT podcast that Williams is a trade candidate to watch.
“There are some teams that are pondering making a move for Robert Williams,” Haynes said (hat tip to Blazer’s Edge). “Now, I know Robert Williams is out for the season, had another surgery on his right knee. But teams feel like he would be somebody they could get on the cheap right now and allow him to continue recovering, continue rehabbing in hopes that next season he can blossom back into the Robert Williams that we’ve seen when he was playing at a high level with the Boston Celtics.”
Williams was one of the players acquired by Portland in October’s Jrue Holiday deal with the Celtics. While he has shown some promise in his first few years in the NBA, is still just 26 years old, and is on a multiyear contract, there was a sense that the Blazers could be willing to flip the big man to a new team, given that they already have their center of the future in Deandre Ayton. Haynes confirms that’s the case.
“The Blazers will be very open (to moving Williams),” Haynes said. “That’s not up for debate. They’ll be very open. If they feel like they can get the right deal in place, they’re open. The Blazers, they’re in a youth movement right now, so they have nothing but time on their side. Some players don’t fit the development arc of most of the youth they have on that team. Robert Williams is somebody who is definitely available, given the right price.”
While Haynes didn’t specify exactly which teams are potential suitors for Williams, he noted that Ime Udoka is “very fond” of the big man after coaching him in Boston and speculated that the Rockets could have interest.
Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Discussing the Knicks‘ approach to the trade deadline on the Katz and Shoot podcast, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports said Trail Blazers guard Malcolm Brogdon is the player he has heard most frequently linked to New York (Twitter video link). Fred Katz of The Athletic cited Pistons guard Alec Burks as another player the Knicks had their eye on and confirmed the team has looked into Dejounte Murray, but isn’t sure whether that interest in the Hawks guard is serious or just a matter of the Knicks doing their due diligence.
- Murray, Bruce Brown, Terry Rozier, and Tyus Jones are potential Lakers trade targets to keep an eye on, Shams Charania of The Athletic said during FanDuel’s Run it Back show (Twitter video link). The team’s interest in all four guards has been previously reported.
- Charania also confirms a previous report about the Lakers and Hawks discussing Murray, adding that a pick swap was part of those negotiations. The talks stalled due to Atlanta’s desire to reroute D’Angelo Russell to a third team, but Charania expects the two teams to resume those discussions before the trade deadline.
- Only one Wizards player is truly off-limits in trade talks at this season’s deadline, according to Charania (Twitter video link): 2023 lottery pick Bilal Coulibaly. Washington would be open to inquiries on anyone else on the roster.
Trade Rumors: Murray, Sixers, Mavs, Brown, Pelicans
Shams Charania of The Athletic said a few days ago during an appearance on FanDuel’s Run it Back show (Twitter video link) that he has “not gotten the sense” that the Sixers will aggressively pursue Dejounte Murray, despite being identified earlier this month as a potential suitor for the Hawks guard.
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype also cast some doubt this week on the idea that Murray will be a top target for Philadelphia, suggesting that he’s a “questionable fit” next to rising 76ers star Tyrese Maxey.
However, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer isn’t ruling out the possibility, exploring the idea of the Sixers going after Murray and positing that he would be a better fit alongside Maxey than he has been with Trae Young in Atlanta, since Maxey wouldn’t be uncomfortable operating off the ball and focusing on scoring.
Still, Pompey acknowledges that the Hawks’ reported asking price for Murray – two first-round picks and a quality player – would be steep for a Philadelphia team that isn’t necessarily loaded with valuable assets. It’s also unclear whether the Sixers view Murray as the sort of player for whom they’d be willing to sacrifice future cap flexibility, including 2024 cap room.
Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:
- Brad Townsend of The Dallas News previews the trade deadline from the Mavericks‘ perspective, noting that minority owner and head of basketball operations Mark Cuban confirmed during a recent radio appearance that the team would like to further fortify its frontcourt. “If we can get a big who can also create off the dribble, that’d be a plus,” Cuban said. “Six-eight or bigger.”
- After being sent from Indiana to Toronto this week, veteran guard Bruce Brown knows that he’s considered a candidate to be moved again before the trade deadline, but he tells Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link) that he’d be fine staying with the Raptors and hasn’t asked them to seek a deal. “I don’t know anything. I’m not requesting anything,” Brown said “… That’s up to (team president) Masai (Ujiri), whatever he wants to do. If he moves me he moves me. If he doesn’t, I’ll stay. It is what it is.”
- After ducking below the luxury tax line by sending Kira Lewis to Toronto (via Indiana), what’s next for the Pelicans on the trade market? Christian Clark of NOLA.com explores that topic, suggesting that the team will almost certainly continue to keep an eye out for a center. Cavaliers starter Jarrett Allen has long been a top target for New Orleans, but he’s unlikely to be available, so a player like Wendell Carter of the Magic or Onyeka Okongwu of the Hawks could be a more viable option, suggests Clark. The poison pill provision applies to Okongwu, which could complicate any deal that involves him.
Heat Notes: Big Three, Lowry, Murray, Trade Options
The Heat have done a remarkable job of weathering injuries, but they’re only 31-31 over the past two years with Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro all on the court together, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. That includes a home loss Friday night to the struggling Hawks, who were missing Trae Young, bringing Miami’s record to 5-6 this season with all three stars available.
“You get used to one guy being out there, or two, and we have all three of us,” Adebayo said. “We’re all trying to play the right way, but also be aggressive. There are going to be some rough patches and we just need to keep working through it.”
The problem, according to Jackson, is the lack of a reliable fourth option to supplement the Big Three, which has caused the offense to sputter. Rookie Jaime Jaquez had been filling that role, but a groin injury will force him to miss his fourth consecutive game on Sunday.
“Teams are doubling Bam and Jimmy every time they touch it in the post,” Herro said. “To be able to watch the film, make adjustments to our spacing, I think we’ll be fine. [We’re] just getting comfortable with everyone back in the rotation.”
There’s more from Miami:
- Veteran point guard Kyle Lowry, who was used as a reserve on Friday for the first time this season, is hoping to regain his starting spot, Jackson adds. Coach Erik Spoelstra explained that the move was made for tactical reasons. “With Jaime out, there are some moving parts with this,” Spoelstra said. “I’m not going to be just experimenting in the second half. This is about winning right now. Having Kyle anchor that second unit while Jaime is out is important.”
- Hawks guard Dejounte Murray refused to comment on the possibility of being traded to Miami before next month’s deadline, Jackson states in a separate story. Before Friday’s game, Murray posted a photo to Instagram of him pointing to the Heat’s retired jerseys in the Kaseya Center rafters, but he told reporters it’s “respect for legends that have played this game the right way before,” rather than an indication that he wants to join the Heat.
- Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel cautions that it’s dangerous to make a trade in reaction to recent acquisitions by the Knicks and Pacers. Winderman suggests that Lowry’s expiring $29.7MM contract only has value if the Heat are willing to take back long-term salary in return, but Caleb Martin and Nikola Jovic might be in play if management doesn’t view them as part of the team’s future.
Lakers Notes: Disappointing Loss, Hachimura, Murray, LeBron
The Lakers had an opportunity to climb above .500 on Friday night, but they collapsed defensively in an 18-point home loss to the reeling Nets, writes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. The defeat, coming off back-to-back wins against Oklahoma City and Dallas, continues a recent pattern of mixing great games with poor performances. Anthony Davis called the loss “more frustrating than concerning,” but he was unhappy with the breakdowns that allowed Brooklyn to score 102 points over the final three quarters.
“Kind of been like a constant thing for us, but like I said, when you get two, you’re trying to find a rhythm and you have two great games on both sides of the floor,” Davis said. “And then you kind of just revert back in the second half of this game and practically play no defense against these guys. Guys are getting wide-open shots, wide-open layups, wide-open dunks, we’re fouling, wasn’t rebounding. Everything on the defensive end we just didn’t do. And allowed them guys to get into rhythm and now you’re playing with confidence and the rims are a lot bigger for those guys.”
The Lakers have been inconsistent since winning the in-season tournament six weeks ago, and they’re currently on the edge of the play-in tourney with a 21-22 record. Coach Darvin Ham has tinkered with the starting lineup and the overall rotation, but he said Friday that the best solution is for everyone to play better.
“We’ll watch this game and make it more about our principles and, again, the type of team we want to be,” he said. “It’s over for the excuses, man. We gotta play basketball.”
There’s more on the Lakers:
- In a separate Orange County Register story, Rui Hachimura tells Price that he’s still feeling some effects from a calf injury that forced him to miss time earlier this month. “My calf is still not 100%, but it’s been great,” Hachimura said after Friday’s shootaround. “I’m moving well.”
- On the Hoop Collective podcast (video link), ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Bobby Marks discuss ways the Lakers could trade for Hawks guard Dejounte Murray and still avoid the luxury tax. Windhorst suggests L.A. may be more willing to part with a future first-round pick in a deal that saves the team money.
- Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times wonders if playing on the same NBA team as his son is still a priority for LeBron James. LeBron has a $51.4MM player option for next season, and Hernandez states that the organization should factor any uncertainty about his future into its decisions at the trade deadline.
Spurs Notes: Wembanyama, Coulibaly, Murray, Wesley, Branham
Childhood friends Victor Wembanyama and Bilal Coulibaly will play each other in the NBA for the first time on Saturday night as the Spurs and Wizards clash. The former Metropolitans 92 teammates both expressed excitement for the matchup, according to Jeff McDonald of San Antonio Express-News.
“Wemby is more than a teammate,” Coulibaly said. “That’s like my brother.”
The two French stars met each other when they were about 10 years old and joined the same youth team shortly thereafter, The Athletic’s Josh Robbins writes. Neither talked much about making the NBA, but they knew it was a goal they shared.
“At the time, it was just dreams and something crazy,” Wembanyama said. “But we happened to both make it here, and I’m just so proud of him. It is going to feel weird, for sure.”
Wembanyama is, of course, one of the most hyped prospects in basketball history. He’s living up to the billing so far with averages of 19.8 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.1 blocks and 1.1 steals per game. Coulibaly is impressing in his own right, averaging 8.2 points and 4.3 rebounds per night while shooting 38.8% from beyond the arc as one of the youngest players in the NBA.
We have more notes on the Spurs:
- Even though Wembanyama is having a statistically impressive individual season, the Spurs are not — they’re stacking losses at a rapid rate. Wembanyama said the season has been “challenging,” according to Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, but he still has faith in his team in the long run. “I know it’s not going to be easy,” Wembanyama said. “I know it’s going to take some time before we can be contenders for the title. I was ready for anything and I’m still ready to do any sacrifice and I’m patient. I’m patient, but for nothing I’ll ever lose time. I’m patient, but I’m not wasting time. I trust us for the long term, but I’m always ready for anything.“
- The Spurs should jump at the chance to reacquire Dejounte Murray, argues Mike Finger of San Antonio Express-News. Finger suggests that, with some core players already in place and an excess of first-rounders on hand, the Spurs probably won’t draft players with all of those future picks. A trade will likely be necessary down the line to find a running mate for Wembanyama, even if it isn’t for Murray, says Finger. Beyond that, San Antonio’s biggest need is at point guard and the Spurs wouldn’t have to give up as much as they got when they traded Murray to Atlanta in exchange for three first-round picks and a pick swap in 2022. For what it’s worth, Murray said he would “welcome” the chance to play for his old team again.
- Guard Blake Wesley may be leapfrogging Malaki Branham in the team’s rotation. Wesley played slightly more than Branham in San Antonio’s past three games, getting roughly double the time on the floor in the Spurs’ Friday loss to Charlotte. That playing time culminated in Wesley scoring nine points against the Hornets. “[Wesley]’s making us give him minutes, with his aggressiveness on both ends really,” head coach Gregg Popovich said (Twitter link via Jeff McDonald). Branham didn’t play in the second half against Charlotte, McDonald observes. Branham started most of late November and all through December for the Spurs, but is seeing his playing time diminish as of late.
Trade Rumors: Bucks, Murray, Nets, Sixers, Brown, Heat, More
The Bucks are among the teams registering interest in trading for Hawks guard Dejounte Murray, league sources tell Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT (Twitter link). Haynes’ report doesn’t include any details beyond that, so it’s unclear what sort of package a Bucks team short on trade assets might be willing to offer for Murray.
It’s safe to assume Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard aren’t going anywhere, which means a Milwaukee offer would need to be built around either Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, or, more likely, a Bobby Portis/Pat Connaughton combo. No other players on the roster earn enough to viably match Murray’s $18MM+ salary (a package that includes only one of Portis or Connaughton could technically work, but would need to be at least a four-for-one or five-for one deal).
Middleton, Lopez, Portis, and Connaughton have all played significant roles in Milwaukee for the last few seasons. Middleton and Lopez, in particular, have been mainstays in the Bucks’ starting lineup for many years, while Portis and Connaughton have been among the team’s first players off the bench. All four were major contributors to the championship team in 2021.
Still, as the Bucks showed when they included Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen in their package for Lillard in September, they’re willing to send out key rotation players in a trade if they believe the deal raises their ceiling. And with no first-round picks and only two second-rounders left to deal, the Bucks would need to send out a quality player or two to be a contender in the Murray sweepstakes.
Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Responding to colleagues Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon, who argued on The Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link) that the Nets should be sellers at the trade deadline, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst suggested that’s not necessarily the way the team is leaning. “I can’t speak to what the Nets are thinking right this very second, but the word through the NBA is the Nets are attempting to be buyers,” Windhorst said. Brooklyn doesn’t control its own 2024 first-round pick, which will be sent to Houston.
- Despite some speculation that he could be a trade deadline target, the Sixers are unlikely to pursue Raptors guard Bruce Brown, reports Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
- Appearing on the Locked on Heat podcast (Twitter video link), Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports suggested that the Heat aren’t explicitly shopping Kyle Lowry and Nikola Jovic, but they’re among the players on the roster who are considered by potential trade partners to be available.
- Within his latest Insider-only story for ESPN.com, Zach Lowe shares a couple of notable trade-related tidbits. According to Lowe, before trading for Pascal Siakam, the Pacers were one of several teams to reach out to the Jazz about Lauri Markkanen, but Utah showed zero interest in moving him. Additionally, Lowe says that the Spurs reached out to the Hawks to explore the possibility of a reversal of sorts to their 2022 Dejounte Murray deal, but those talks don’t appear to have gotten far.
Lakers Rumors: Murray, D-Lo, Hood-Schifino, Reaves, More
The buzz connecting Hawks guard Dejounte Murray to the Lakers has increased to “noisy levels” as of late, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, who hears that the two teams have discussed possible frameworks for a trade.
One concept the Lakers and Hawks talked about late last week would’ve included guard D’Angelo Russell, rookie Jalen Hood-Schifino, the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick, and additional draft compensation, multiple team and league sources tell Buha.
Los Angeles can only currently trade one future first-rounder (either the 2029 or 2030 pick), so any additional draft assets would’ve been second-rounders. Plus, as Michael Scotto reported on Thursday, Atlanta has little interest in Russell, so he may need to be rerouted to a third team.
Talks between Los Angeles and Atlanta have since stalled, but the two clubs are expected to revisit those negotiations prior to the February 8 trade deadline, says Buha.
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- Unless an unexpected opportunity arises, the Lakers are expected to take at least a couple more weeks to evaluate their trade assets and options before pulling the trigger on any deal, according to Buha. As Buha explains, the team would like to address various needs – including three-point shooting, speed, and athleticism – but is still weighing whether it makes more sense to make a smaller move or to do something bigger that would more significantly reshape the rotation.
- No Lakers players besides Anthony Davis and LeBron James are untouchable, but Jarred Vanderbilt is ineligible to be dealt this season and Austin Reaves is “close” to being off the table, says Buha. Team and league sources tell The Athletic that L.A. values Reaves highly and has no interest in moving him, even though almost every trade discussion starts with a prospective trade partner asking for Reaves and a first-round pick. If the Lakers were to part with Reaves, they’d want the deal to net them a clear All-Star (ie. someone a tier above Murray or Zach LaVine) or multiple rotation upgrades, Buha adds.
- Russell, Rui Hachimura, and Gabe Vincent are generally considered to have neutral-to-negative trade value, per Buha. Second-year guard Max Christie is viewed by some teams as an underrated three-and-D prospect, but the Lakers would prefer to keep him, Buha notes.
- The Lakers, who had interest in Bruce Brown during the offseason, would still be interested in Brown if the Raptors make him available, Buha reports. Other potential targets the Lakers have discussed in recent weeks include Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant, Hornets guard Terry Rozier, Raptors wing Gary Trent Jr., and Nets forwards Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale, says Buha.