Trade Rumors: Grizzlies, Bulls, Poeltl, Draymond, Giannis, More
After shedding significant salary and creating a $28.9MM trade exception in their blockbuster deal sending Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah, the Grizzlies are viewed as a potential landing spot for Raptors center Jakob Poeltl, reports Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints (Twitter link).
The Raptors have been discussing a possible Domantas Sabonis trade with the Kings, who have no interest in Poeltl, so a third team would likely be required if Toronto and Sacramento hope to get those talks over the finish line. Poeltl’s contract, which runs through 2029/30 and has more than $100MM left on it, is widely viewed as a negative asset, so Memphis would need to be incentivized to take it on.
The Bulls are also considered a potential facilitator for Poeltl, according to Siegel (Twitter link), but as things stand, Chicago would have to send out salary to accommodate the veteran center’s incoming $19.5MM cap hit, whereas Memphis wouldn’t.
We have more trade rumors on a busy day around the NBA:
- While it was essentially a given, based on reports that the Warriors weren’t including Jimmy Butler in their offer for Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Slater of ESPN confirms that Golden State has included 14th-year veteran Draymond Green in active trade conversations with Milwaukee. Without Butler involved, the Warriors would need to use Green’s $25.9MM salary for matching purposes in order to have a shot at Giannis.
- The Heat have expressed “some level” of interest in Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant in recent weeks, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link), but their focus remains squarely on Antetokounmpo. One source who spoke to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscription required) suggested Miami figures to remain involved in both fronts, since it wouldn’t be impossible for the team to land both players if Memphis’ asking price is low enough.
- The Timberwolves also remain in on Antetokounmpo, but they’re exploring other possible avenues on the trade market and have a lot of balls up in the air, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link), who cautions that Minnesota’s cost-cutting deal involving Mike Conley doesn’t necessarily mean the team will be acquiring Giannis.
- After agreeing to acquire Jackson from Memphis, the Jazz may not be done, tweets Tony Jones of The Athletic. Siegel (Twitter link) hears that Utah remains “very active,” with Jusuf Nurkic and his $19.3MM expiring contract included in the team’s trade discussions.
- Mavericks forward Naji Marshall has been the subject of some trade speculation in recent weeks, but he doesn’t want to go anywhere. Marshall tells Ron Harrod Jr. of DLLS Sports (subscription required) that he’d like to spend the rest of his career playing alongside rising star Cooper Flagg, adding that he expects Flagg to “create history.”
Kings Rumors: Sabonis, Hunter, Kuminga, Morant, LaVine
The Kings haven’t ruled out the possibility of trading Domantas Sabonis this week, per Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), and the Raptors‘ interest in the veteran center is very real, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. Most sources with knowledge of the situation view Toronto as the most viable Sabonis suitor at this time, Fischer writes.
While Fischer gets the sense that Keon Ellis no longer be in play shouldn’t have any material impact on talks between the Raptors and Kings, he acknowledges that Toronto is also looking elsewhere for frontcourt upgrades. Daniel Gafford of the Mavericks and Day’Ron Sharpe of the Nets continue to be possibilities, and some members of Anthony Davis‘ camp still think the Raptors will pursue the 10-time All-Star, Fischer writes.
However, Jakob Poeltl and his long-term contract (he’s owed nearly $104MM over four seasons after this one) will complicate any Raptors deal for Sabonis. Team and league sources who spoke to Amick think Toronto would need to find a new home for Poeltl in order to acquire Sabonis, and Sacramento is known to have no interest in taking him back.
Given the potential roadblocks, Amick suggests he wouldn’t be surprised if nothing happens with Sabonis this week and the two teams renew their discussions in the offseason.
Here’s more on the Kings:
- Although Hunter fills a roster need, the trade the Kings made with Cleveland and Chicago shows a lack of foresight and vision from the front office, contends John Hollinger of The Athletic. Trading for Dario Saric in a cost-cutting move and then using the extra breathing room under the tax to sign Dennis Schröder to a three-year deal were two of the first moves general manager Scott Perry made on the job last summer, and he essentially sold both players at a loss just seven months later. Hunter’s 2026/27 salary also pushes the Kings over the projected luxury tax line for next season, Hollinger notes.
- While the trade sending Ellis to Cleveland and Hunter to Sacramento shouldn’t have an impact on the Raptors’ talks for Sabonis, that deal probably reduces the odds of Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga being dealt to the Kings, Fischer writes. Ellis was a potential target for Golden State, and Sacramento’s desire to add a forward has presumably lessened after its acquisition of Hunter.
- Perry has expressed a desire to build the Kings’ roster around players who can impact the game on both ends of the court — Hunter fits that bill, but Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant doesn’t, according to Fischer, who says he’s skeptical Sacramento will pursue Morant in the coming days. Fischer has heard that Morant would be reluctant to sign a contract extension with the Kings and that Sacramento is aware of that fact.
- A league source tells Sam Amick of The Athletic that Zach LaVine is expected to pick up the $49MM player option on his contract for 2026/27. That comes as no surprise, given that LaVine would almost certainly have to accept a significant pay cut if he were to opt out in favor of free agency. That $49MM cap hit for next season is the primary reason why the Kings appear unlikely to find a taker for the high-scoring guard this week.
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.
Pacific Rumors: Lakers, Clippers, Kings, Sabonis, Suns
Lakers forward Rui Hachimura and his expiring $18.3MM contract are considered available as Los Angeles scours the market for help on the wing, according to reports from Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The team has also dangled Gabe Vincent ($11.5MM) and Maxi Kleber ($11MM) on the trade market, Scotto notes.
Turner and Scotto provide a long list of names viewed as potential Lakers targets, including Cavaliers forward De’Andre Hunter, Mavericks forward Naji Marshall, Pelicans forward Saddiq Bey, Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo, Kings guard Keon Ellis, and several players who have previously been linked to L.A., like Herbert Jones, Andrew Wiggins, and Jonathan Kuminga.
According to Turner, Hachimura’s strong play as of late has increased his trade value while also potentially making him less expendable for the Lakers. Turner confirms that second-year wing Dalton Knecht is another potential trade candidate to watch, as Marc Stein reported in the past 24 hours.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- The red-hot Clippers aren’t looking to trade Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, or Ivica Zubac, but John Collins isn’t off limits, according to Turner. Sources tell the L.A. Times that acquiring a pick-and-roll oriented point guard and creating room on the roster to promote two-way players Kobe Sanders and Jordan Miller are among the Clippers’ goals at the trade deadline.
- The Kings have had discussions with some teams about the possibility of packaging DeMar DeRozan and Ellis together in a trade, sources tell HoopsHype. Scotto also checks in on the Domantas Sabonis situation, reporting that at least one team was told Sacramento would be seeking at least one first-round pick in return for the big man. In talks with the Raptors about Sabonis, RJ Barrett and Ochai Agbaji have been discussed, but the Kings are resistant to taking on the pricey long-term contracts of Jakob Poeltl and/or Immanuel Quickley, Scotto adds.
- Confirming reporting from the Arizona Republic, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) says the Suns are on the lookout for an upgrade at power forward, in the hopes of finding a player who can provide more “scoring punch” than current starter Royce O’Neale. However, Phoenix isn’t just looking for a short-term rental, per Fischer, who writes that the front office will be mindful of the long-term price and fit of any acquisition.
Raptors Notes: Poeltl, Shead, Respect, Murray-Boyles
The Raptors are considered one of the contenders that might make a bold move prior to the trade deadline. Head coach Darko Rajakovic has one name atop his wish list but that player is already in the organization, Michael Grange of Sportsnet tweets.
“There’s one guy that I really, really like that I would like to join our team. His name is Jakob Poeltl, that guy can definitely help us,” he said.
Toronto’s starting center has been sidelined since Dec. 21 due to a back injury and he remains out indefinitely. Poeltl recently received targeted pain relief treatment, per the team, and went through a non-contact workout on Tuesday, Grange notes.
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- Jamal Shead‘s omission from the Rising Stars competition is an “egregious snub,” Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets. He observes that Shead is fourth in minutes and first in net rating for a team that’s 10 games over .500 and third in the Eastern Conference standings. Shead is averaging 7.2 points and 5.6 assists in 22.4 minutes per game. Shead took the news in stride, Lewenberg adds in another tweet. “I think everybody that made it is having really good years and contributing to their teams. So, I’m not really worried about that,” he said.
- The Raptors are gaining respect around the league after going 4-1 on their West Coast trip, including a 103-101 win over the Thunder, The Athletic’s Eric Koreen writes. They’re among the top five in the league in defensive rating despite the absence of Poeltl, their only true rim protector. Koreen suggests they’re resembling the 2021/22 Raptors, a team with modest preseason expectations that finished fifth in the East.
- Collin Murray-Boyles (left thumb contusion) is listed as questionable to play against the Knicks on Wednesday, Omer Osman tweets. The lottery pick, who is averaging 7.8 points and 5.1 rebounds, has missed Toronto’s last four games.
Kings Rumors: Ellis, Poeltl, Kuminga, DeRozan, LaVine
A “ton” of teams have called the Kings to inquire about Keon Ellis, according to James Ham of Locked On Kings (YouTube link), who identifies the Timberwolves, Pacers, Celtics, and Knicks as a few of the clubs his sources suggest are worth monitoring as suitors for the fourth-year guard.
“From what I have heard, (they) have all called on Keon Ellis,” Ham said.
Ellis is an intriguing trade candidate because his $2.3MM expiring contract makes him an attainable piece for just about any NBA team, including clubs like Minnesota, Boston, and New York, who are operating above the first tax apron. 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.
One weekend report suggested Ellis is among the players most likely to be moved at the deadline, with the Kings said to be seeking a late first-round pick.
Here’s more on the Kings:
- Discussing the possibility of the Raptors making a play for center Domantas Sabonis, Ham said the Kings have “zero interest” in acquiring big man Jakob Poeltl, who has battled back issues this season and is under contract through 2029/30 (YouTube link). “‘We’re not getting into the Jakob Poeltl business’ is what I was told,” Ham said, though he observed that the same source didn’t say anything about the Kings not getting into the “RJ Barrett business.” Barrett was drafted by the Knicks when current Kings general manager Scott Perry was in New York’s front office.
- Responding to speculation that the Raptors would seek Ellis along with Sabonis in a trade with the Kings, Ham says a source told him “unequivocally” that Toronto and Sacramento haven’t discussed Ellis to this point.
- The Kings are no longer willing to include any draft picks in a trade offer Jonathan Kuminga, but they remain interested in the Warriors forward, Ham confirms (YouTube link). “I do know for a fact that the Sacramento Kings have offered, in the past, DeMar DeRozan straight up for Jonathan Kuminga,” Ham said. Golden State would need to include one more player in that hypothetical deal in order to stay below its hard cap, but it doesn’t sound like the Warriors have real interest in DeRozan anyway.
- Zach LaVine would “absolutely love to move on from Sacramento,” according to Ham (YouTube link), though his maximum-salary contract will be a major impediment. Ham suggests there was a “ray of hope” about a potential deal with the Bucks involving Kyle Kuzma and Bobby Portis, but that outcome seems less likely as a result of Milwaukee’s recent struggles and Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s latest calf strain.
Atlantic Notes: Oubre, Poeltl, Anunoby, Knicks
Kelly Oubre Jr. has proven himself too valuable for the Sixers to trade at the upcoming trade deadline, Keith Pompey writes for The Inquirer. Oubre is on an expiring contract, but as the team looks more and more like a potential playoff threat, Pompey believes that what the 6’8″ wing brings in terms of role versatility and two-way play on the wings is not something that can be easily replaced.
Oubre has played shooting guard, small forward, and power forward for the Sixers this season, depending on who was healthy and in the rotation around him. He defends opposing teams’ best players and is knocking down 38.0% of his three-point attempts.
“He plays both ends, right?” asked coach Nick Nurse. “I think that’s the main thing. He’s been pretty effective on both ends, and the other probably main thing is he’s in about his 10th year. He’s got a lot of stuff under his belt. A lot of minutes. A lot of games, too. That helps, too.”
Pompey writes that the only real benefit of moving Oubre would be cap and tax relief, but that’s a goal that should be pursued in the offseason, not in the midst of a season in which the team is hoping to make some noise in the playoffs.
We have more from around the Atlantic Division:
- Jakob Poeltl being out indefinitely with a lower back strain has put the Raptors in a very difficult position, says TSN’s Josh Lewenberg (Twitter video link). According to Lewenberg, Toronto’s preference is to be patient with the veteran big man, who is under contract through the 2029/30 season, but the lack of progress he has made in his recovery is a major wild card when it comes to the Raptors’ trade deadline approach. Toronto has been linked to multiple high-level centers in this trade cycle, including Domantas Sabonis, and the question of how long it will take Poeltl to return to form hangs over all trade talks, as well as the Raptors’ long-term outlook.
- After Karl-Anthony Towns fouled out on Saturday against the Sixers, Knicks coach Mike Brown tried something new, putting OG Anunoby at the five as the primary defender on Joel Embiid. The new-look lineup sputtered at times, but delivered when it mattered, writes Newsday’s Steve Popper. “We can’t do anything like that if you don’t have a guy like OG,” Brown said. “OG allows us to play the basketball game in a lot of different ways. And so we were able to do it.” Anunoby had a critical trio of plays on the offensive end, slamming home a put-back dunk, then hitting a three, then passing to Landry Shamet for a critical three. However, it was the other end of the floor that impressed Brown the most. “OG changed the game defensively,” Brown said. “And his quick decisions with the basketball, it was beautiful to watch. But defensively, guarding their power forward, guarding Paul George and then guarding Joel Embiid. He was phenomenal defensively.”
- Miles McBride and Shamet have established themselves as premier shooters in the NBA, but it’s their defense that’s proving indispensable for the Knicks, writes Jared Schwartz for the New York Post. Brown has repeatedly referred to the pair of guards as the best point-of-attack defenders on the team, and that was put into practice in Saturday’s win against the Sixers, when McBride and Shamet closed the game over Mikal Bridges. “You don’t stop those types of guys (Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe), but to have a guy like Deuce coming off the bench, have a guy like Landry — both those guys are physical at the point of attack, whether those guys are trying to get over pick-and-rolls or trying to get over (dribble handoffs) or even pindowns,” Brown said. “And to have that type of relentless pursuit with athleticism and strength and toughness and the mindset is phenomenal. And obviously, we need those guys.”
Raptors’ Poeltl Remains Out Indefinitely With Back Injury
Veteran center Jakob Poeltl remains out indefinitely due to a lower back strain, the Raptors announced on Sunday (Twitter link via Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca).
Poeltl, who returned to Toronto on Thursday to visit a back specialist, recently received targeted pain relief treatment, per the team. His status will be updated when he returns to practice, but there’s no timeline for his return.
Poeltl has been managing the back issue since training camp and has missed 17 straight contests. Overall, he has been sidelined for 26 of Toronto’s 47 games due to the injury.
The Raptors have gone 13-8 with the Austrian big man in the lineup this season and hold a 15-11 record when Poeltl has been unable to suit up. Toronto is currently 28-19, the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference.
While Darko Rajakovic expressed confidence last month that Poeltl’s back injury wasn’t a long-term concern, the 30-year-old has only made one brief appearance since Toronto’s head coach made those comments.
Poeltl started to ramp up his activity a couple weeks ago and was cleared for contact work, but his recovery progress reportedly “stalled,” as he was still dealing with back discomfort.
In 21 appearances this season, Poeltl has averaged 9.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.8 blocks and 0.5 steals in 25.3 minutes per game. All of those statistics are down compared to 2024/25, when he averaged 14.5 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.2 SPG and 1.2 BPG in 29.6 MPG (57 games).
The Raptors don’t have a traditional backup center on their roster, having instead relied on Scottie Barnes, Collin Murray-Boyles and Sandro Mamukelashvili to man the middle with Poeltl out. Lottery pick Murray-Boyles, who has missed the past three games due to a left thumb contusion, is questionable for Sunday’s game in Oklahoma City.
And-Ones: Bediako, Barcelona, Tax Teams, Worst Contracts
Former G Leaguer Charles Bediako is expected to play for Alabama against Tennessee tonight, ESPN’s Jeff Borzello reports.
Bediako was granted a temporary restraining order earlier this week, allowing him to participate in activities and games for Alabama while he awaits a hearing on a preliminary injunction regarding his eligibility.
“We are planning to play him,” Alabama coach Nate Oats said. “He’s eligible to play. We’re going to follow the court orders.”
It turns out that the judge who issued the order is an Alabama booster, according to Alex Schiffer of Front Office Sports. Tuscaloosa County Circuit Judge Jim Roberts and his wife Mary Turner Roberts are listed as active athletic donors on The Crimson Tide Foundation’s website, with lifetime contributions between $100K and $249K.
The National Association of Basketball Coaches held a conference call regarding the matter on Friday. Afterward, Dan Gavitt, the NCAA Senior VP of Basketball, released a statement voicing their concerns about college eligibility, Borzello tweets.
“If these rules surrounding the NCAA pre- and post-draft rules cannot be enforced, it would create an unstable environment” for the student-athletes, schools and the NBA, Gavitt said, in part.
Here’s more from around the basketball world:
- Barcelona plans to pass on the NBA’s proposed league in Europe. FC Barcelona’s Board of Directors issued a statement declaring its allegiance to the EuroLeague: “The Board of Directors has agreed to ratify the extension of the first men’s basketball team’s participation license in the EuroLeague for the next 10 seasons (until the 2035-36 season), a competition of which it is a co-founding member. The Board of Directors reaffirms its desire to always participate in the best existing competitions.”
- In his latest Substack article, cap expert Yossi Gozlan takes a deep dive into the teams over the luxury tax and discusses why some teams just over the line have waited to make moves to get below the threshold. Gozlan also takes a look at how the Sixers are navigating the eligibility clocks for two-way players Jabari Walker, Dominick Barlow and MarJon Beauchamp.
- The Sixers‘ star duo of Joel Embiid and Paul George hold the top two spots in the “Worst Value Contracts” in the NBA, according to Spotrac contributor Keith Smith. Jakob Poeltl, Patrick Williams and Dejounte Murray round out the top five among Smith’s top 20 in that category.
Raptors Notes: Quickley, Barrett, Murray-Boyles, Poeltl
The Raptors are reportedly gauging the trade value of Immanuel Quickley, and he likely increased it with a spectacular performance in Tuesday’s win at Golden State, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet. Quickley tied his career high with 40 points — shooting 11-of-13 from the field and 7-of-8 from three-point range — and added 10 assists while sparking an offense that had looked lethargic lately to 145 points.
“Yeah, I felt a little bit better,” said Quickley, who missed two games last week due to back spasms. “But it was just the mindset. I told a couple of the guys, just have the mindset to come out and be aggressive. The game is more like 70 or 80 percent mental than it is (physical). Just have the mindset to go out and aggressively dominate.”
Quickley has been mostly healthy this year after being limited to 33 games last season. He could be a reliable source of offense for teams needing help at point guard, but a contract that pays him $97.5MM over the three years after this season will limit his perceived value on the trade market.
There’s more on the Raptors:
- RJ Barrett‘s sprained ankle is forcing him to miss his seventh straight game tonight in Sacramento, but there’s hope he can be available Friday at Portland or Sunday at Oklahoma City, Grange states in the same piece. Barrett is eager to return to the court after playing just six times over the past two months due to the ankle and a knee injury. “Yeah, it’s annoying, us losing some games and seeing, ‘man, I could have helped us here’, you know,” Barrett said before Tuesday’s game. “So, I’m just trying to be patient, to make sure that I can come back and be myself and really help us.”
- The Raptors haven’t issued an official prognosis for rookie big man Collin Murray-Boyles, who left Sunday’s game after getting chopped on his already-hurting left thumb, Grange adds. X-rays were negative, and the team said Tuesday that he’s “undergoing further evaluation.” Injuries to teammates have forced Murray-Boyles to start nine games at center, and Grange points out that he’s been successful in that role, averaging 10.6 points and 7.8 rebounds while playing high-level interior defense.
- Center Jakob Poeltl continues to suffer from a lower back strain and has returned to Toronto to visit a back specialist on Thursday, Grange tweets. Poeltl has only been available for 21 games this season and has made just one brief appearance since December 15.