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Central Notes: Bickerstaff, LeVert, Bulls, Bucks

February 20th, 2023 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers are exceeding expectations in their first season after the Donovan Mitchell trade, writes Kelsey Russo of The Athletic. Although many expected the deal to make Cleveland an instant contender in the East, that’s not how the organization views itself, Russo adds.

With Mitchell added to a young core consisting of Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, the Cavs believe they are in the early stages of what they will eventually become. That’s a point coach J.B. Bickerstaff made to his players after a lackluster 8-8 showing in January.

“We’ve been saying this all year, we’re not a finished product,” Bickerstaff said. “We’re not a group of guys that have been together like the Bucks or whoever, the Celtics, whoever it may be. Like they know each other in and out. We’re a group that’s still learning each other. We’re a group of individuals that are still trying to find their way in instances.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

Caris LeVert was mentioned in numerous trade rumors as the Cavaliers tried to round out their starting lineup ahead of the deadline, but he tells Spencer Davies of Basketball News that he’s happy to still be in Cleveland. “It’s cool to, I guess, have a home for the rest of the season, not have to pack up and go somewhere else,” LeVert said. “I’ve done that the past two seasons. It’s very stressful to do that and hectic, so it’s cool to be with this group and finish the season out and see how far we can go.”
The Bulls must determine whether to pursue another free agent point guard after Russell Westbrook‘s decision to join the Clippers, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Westbrook reportedly talked to Chicago, Washington and Miami before opting to remain in L.A. The Bulls are expected to announce soon that Lonzo Ball will miss the rest of the season, according to Johnson, who adds that the team could have benefited from Westbrook’s familiarity in Oklahoma City with head coach Billy Donovan and assistants Maurice Cheeks and Josh Longstaff. Sources tell Johnson that Chicago has been in touch with John Wall and Patrick Beverley, although the interest in adding either player isn’t clear. If the Bulls sign another guard, Johnson believes it might mark the end of Goran Dragic‘s time in Chicago.
The Bucks plan to submit bids to host the All-Star Game in either 2025 or 2026, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Central Notes: D. Green, Bulls, Wall, Wiseman, Bucks

February 16th, 2023 at 7:59am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers and Danny Green had some discussions when he reached free agency in 2021, but Cleveland was coming off a 22-50 season at that time and Green – focused on contending – ended up signing a two-year deal with the Sixers, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). After signing with the Cavs on Wednesday, Green reflected on that decision and observed that the club’s outlook has changed substantially in the last two years.

“That was before we knew how good they could be,” Green said. “They have grown since then. I wouldn’t say we kept in touch, but I’ve always been watching them and what they’ve been doing.”

As Fedor writes, Green received interest from the Suns, Celtics, and Lakers upon reaching a buyout agreement with Houston following last week’s trade deadline. He ultimately chose the Cavaliers, who offered him $2MM for the rest of the season but gave him no assurances about playing time, per Fedor.

“The atmosphere, the culture seems to be really great,” Green said, explaining why he signed with the Cavs. “They’re doing some good things. They had an opportunity to make it happen and they were the most interested, which made it seem like it was a good fit and good spot. A team that really wanted me, needed me.

“Good opportunity to probably get some minutes on the floor with a team that’s going to be in the playoffs. That was a big emphasis for me. They are one of the teams that fit that category. They haven’t let me down yet. It’s still early, but it’s a great fit so far and culture is great.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

The Bulls have been in contact with John Wall‘s representatives, a source confirms to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Johnson previously reported that the Bulls have been in touch with Patrick Beverley‘s camp. The team has also been repeatedly linked to Russell Westbrook, who remains under contract with Utah.
Head coach Dwane Casey said before Wednesday’s game that the Pistons intended to give James Wiseman regular minutes and made good on that promise by playing Wiseman nearly 24 minutes in his first game with the club (Twitter link via James L. Edwards III of The Athletic). The former No. 2 pick had 11 points and five rebounds, but believes he has room for improvement on both ends of the floor. “My wind got to me a little bit,” Wiseman said, per Edwards. “I’m going to do way better when I get my conditioning up.”
The Bucks‘ 11-game win streak, including a Tuesday victory over the Celtics, has pulled them within one game of Boston for the Eastern Conference lead. However, star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo suggested after Tuesday’s game that Milwaukee isn’t focused on chasing that No. 1 seed down the stretch. “We’re playing good basketball, that’s what I care about,” Antetokounmpo said, per Jamal Collier of ESPN. “Now if we finish first, good. If we finish second, great. If we finish third, better. It doesn’t really matter. At the end of the day, you’ve got to prepare your mind that in order for you to win a championship, you’ve got to play hard teams.”

Bulls Notes: DeRozan, Westbrook, Beverley, Wall, Vucevic

February 15th, 2023 at 2:47pm CST by Luke Adams

After revealing on Monday night that he has been dealing with discomfort in his right hip and leg for a significant portion of the season, Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan underwent an MRI on Tuesday and was diagnosed with a Grade 1 thigh strain, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.

DeRozan will miss Wednesday’s game in Indiana, but the team hasn’t ruled him out for Thursday vs. Milwaukee and he said he still intends to take part in All-Star festivities this weekend, according to Johnson.

“I don’t think it’s significant. But we’ll see how he progresses and how he feels,” head coach Billy Donovan said. “He knows his body well. He’s always very conscientious about taking care of it. We hope with treatment and how diligent he is, he’ll progress. But there’s enough discomfort there for him where he’s having a hard time moving and cutting and jumping.”

DeRozan said on Monday that he wasn’t sure when he originally suffered the injury, but that it cropped up about “10 games” before the January 9 contest vs. Boston, which he exited due to a right quad strain, per Jamal Collier of ESPN.

“When I’m sitting doing nothing, I don’t feel anything,” DeRozan said. “It’s just when I do anything to work that muscle in my leg, it’s just a lot of discomfort. So just trying to figure that out, get that situated the best I can.”

Here’s more out of Chicago:

According to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report on his #thisleague UNCUT podcast, Donovan has conveyed to Russell Westbrook that Chicago would be the best place for him if he negotiates a buyout with Utah (hat tip to FOX Sports Radio). Asked about the possibility of Westbrook becoming a Bull, Donovan couldn’t speak openly about the possibility due to tampering rules, but expressed respect for the former MVP, whom Donovan coached in Oklahoma City (link via NBC Sports Chicago). “Like I’ve said before, you go into a locker room before a game and you’re not worried about whether or not he’s ready to play,” Donovan said. “Every game.”
K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago describes the Bulls’ reported interest in Westbrook as “legitimate” and says the team has also had conversations with Patrick Beverley‘s camp. John Wall is another possible point guard target to monitor, Johnson adds.
In a Q&A with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Nikola Vucevic spoke about his contract situation, the Bulls’ struggles this season, and his career goals going forward. Regarding his next contract, Vucevic – who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer – said that money, the comfort of his family, and an ability to contend will be the three primary considerations that factor into his decision.

Hornets’ Reggie Jackson, Rockets’ John Wall Officially Waived

February 13th, 2023 at 6:50am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran guards Reggie Jackson and John Wall were among several players who were officially waived on Sunday, according to press releases from their respective teams. The Hornets cut Jackson, while the Rockets let go of Wall.

Both players had spent most of the season with the Clippers, who completed a series of deadline deals on Thursday. Jackson was sent from Los Angeles to Charlotte in trade for Mason Plumlee, while Wall was moved to Houston in a deal for Eric Gordon.

Since they were both essentially just salary-matching pieces in those trades, Jackson and Wall were widely expected to be waived. Jackson was said to be negotiating a buyout with the Hornets, while Rockets general manager Rafael Stone confirmed in his post-deadline presser than Houston would simply release Wall, whose last stint with the team didn’t end well.

Jackson is reportedly on track to sign with the Nuggets once he clears waivers; Wall doesn’t yet have his next NBA home lined up, as far as we know.

Jackson and Wall were among several veterans who were officially cut on Sunday. The Rockets also waived Danny Green, while the Magic parted ways with Patrick Beverley and Terrence Ross and San Antonio released Stanley Johnson.

Buyout Rumors: Green, Westbrook, Bulls, Beverley, Ibaka, Heat, Sixers, Grizzlies

February 10th, 2023 at 3:23pm CST by Luke Adams

After Rockets general manager Rafael Stone confirmed in a Friday press conference that Houston will simply waive John Wall, with no buyout required, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN said during an appearance on NBA Today (YouTube link) that Danny Green would welcome a similar arrangement.

Both Wall and Green were acquired by Houston as salary-matching chips in the team’s Eric Gordon trade on Thursday. It’s unclear if Green would be willing to give up money as part of a buyout agreement.

If Green does become a free agent, teams like the Celtics and Cavaliers would be among those with interest, according to Wojnarowski. Woj also mentions “Los Angeles” as a potential Green suitor, though it’s unclear if he means the Lakers, the Clippers, or both — they each have an open spot on their 15-man roster.

Here’s more on the NBA’s buyout market:

Jazz general manager Justin Zanik told reporters on Friday that no decisions have been made yet on Russell Westbrook‘s future and that the veteran guard is open to the idea of playing for Utah to finish the season, tweets Tony Jones of The Athletic. Westbrook is considered a strong candidate to be bought out.
Wojnarowski said today on NBA Today (YouTube link) that if Westbrook does become available, the Bulls are a team to watch as a potential frontrunner. Head of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said today that the team plans to “look at” the buyout market, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. The Clippers have also been linked to Westbrook, but Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times says the Clips aren’t expected to be overly active in the buyout market, adding that insiders around the league are skeptical about Westbrook landing with L.A.
The Magic and Patrick Beverley are working on a contract buyout, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). The Magic said on Thursday that they weren’t requiring Beverley to report to the team, so that news comes as no surprise.
Big man Serge Ibaka, who will be waived by Indiana, has some interest in joining the Heat, but it’s unclear if that interest is mutual, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
The Sixers and Grizzlies will take decidedly different approaches to the buyout market. Sixers executive Daryl Morey said today that moving under the tax line at the trade deadline sets up the team to potentially pursue “multiple” targets on the buyout market, per Kyle Neuback of PhillyVoice.com. Grizzlies head of basketball operations Zach Kleiman, on the other hand, said he doesn’t envision his team looking at the buyout market, per Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.

Eric Gordon To Clippers, Luke Kennard To Grizzlies In Three-Team Trade

February 9th, 2023 at 10:22pm CST by Rory Maher

10:22pm: The trade is now official, according to press releases from the Rockets, Grizzlies, and Clippers.

As first reported by Kelly Iko of The Athletic and confirmed by the Rockets, the swap rights Houston got in the deal are top-six protected. So in the unlikely event that the Thunder’s and Clippers’ picks both land in the top six, the Rockets won’t be able to swap the Bucks’ first-rounder for the least favorable of those two picks.

The Rockets also confirmed that they’ve waived Boban Marjanovic to accommodate the extra incoming player in the deal. They’re expected to re-sign him once he clears waivers and Wall is released.

Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link) has the details on the three second-round picks the Clippers acquired from the Grizzlies. They are as follows:

The Raptors’ 2024 second-round pick.
Either the Pacers’ 2024 second-round pick or the least favorable of the Cavaliers’ and Jazz’s 2024 second-round picks (whichever is most favorable).
The Grizzlies’ 2027 second-round pick.

1:20pm: The Clippers have reached an agreement to acquire veteran wing Eric Gordon from the Rockets, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

According to Charania, the move will be part of a three-team deal that sends Luke Kennard to the Grizzlies, with Clippers guard John Wall headed back to Houston (Twitter links). The Rockets plan to waive Wall, tweets Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.

Danny Green will be sent from Memphis to Houston in the trade, according to Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that the Clippers are getting three second-round picks from the Grizzlies. The Rockets will also acquire the right to swap this year’s Bucks first-round pick with the Clippers’ first-rounder (or the Thunder’s first-rounder, if the Clippers pick is earlier in the draft), tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

It’s an interesting trade from all sides. The Clippers have needed a guard who could drive and shoot from outside while playing decent defense, and Gordon fits that bill when he’s playing well. Gordon has been in trade rumors for years, and now he’s headed back to the Clippers, who drafted him seventh overall back in 2008.

While the Clippers took a risk by potentially losing their own first-round pick, they’ll still be guaranteed to receive the Bucks’ first-rounder and will also get three second-rounders from Memphis, which isn’t bad at all considering they arguably got the best player in the trade. Gordon, 34, makes $19.57MM this season, but his $20.92MM salary for 2023/24 is non-guaranteed.

The Rockets had long been looking for a first-round pick for Gordon, and they’re essentially swapping Milwaukee’s potential late first-round pick (it would be 28th right now) for one with higher upside — the Clippers’ would be 18th right now. The Bucks (37-17) are currently six games ahead of the Clippers (31-27), but there’s still 20-plus games remaining for both teams.

Green has been one of the NBA’s best 3-and-D wings for the better part of a decade, winning three championships with the Spurs, Raptors and Lakers. He holds a 39.9% career mark from behind the arc, but he’s 35 years old and just made his season debut this month after recovering from a torn ACL suffered in last year’s playoffs. Green will be a free agent this summer.

Wall temporarily heading back to Houston after his troubled tenure with the Rockets is an ironic twist, as he’ll be waived by the same team that bought him out in the offseason — that’s how he signed with L.A. in the first place. He didn’t find much success with the Clippers, posting a poor shooting slash line of .408/.303/.681 for a team hoping to contend.

The Grizzlies rank just 24th in the league in 3-point percentage and get one of the league’s best shooters in the 26-year-old Kennard, who holds a career mark of 42.7% on 3s, including 44.7% this season. He is not a strong defensive player, but he’s a decent complementary play-maker.

Dealing away three second-rounders for a player who is nine years younger and on a reasonable long-term contract that will pay him about $45.2MM through 2025 (the final year is a team option) makes sense. Green is a very good, albeit streaker shooter, but Kennard is elite in that regard.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Trade Rumors: Poeltl, Wall, Durant, Pistons

February 8th, 2023 at 11:10pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Spurs are sending their “strongest signals” so far that they intend to trade center Jakob Poeltl before Thursday’s deadline, tweets Marc Stein. The organization’s attitude toward a potential deal seems to have changed over the past 24 hours, Stein adds, giving hope to teams interested in acquiring potentially the best center on the market.

The Celtics and Raptors have been frequently mentioned as possible landing spots for Poeltl, and Stein reported earlier today that the Wizards have expressed strong interest as well. The 27-year-old will be a free agent this summer, but San Antonio has plenty of cap room available if it decides to keep him.

The Raptors and Spurs have discussed a deal involving Thaddeus Young and draft assets in exchange for Poeltl, according to Stein (Twitter link). The Spurs played in Toronto tonight, so Poeltl faced questions about the possibility of being traded there, tweets Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express News.

“I just try to focus on the here and now,” Poeltl said. “There is a lot of noise, and I try to keep it out as much as possible and just try to focus on these games.”

There’s more on the trade front:

It appears John Wall‘s time with the Clippers will end soon, whether he’s traded on Thursday or not, Stein adds (Twitter link). A source tells Stein that L.A. will pursue a buyout deal with Wall if it can’t find a taker by the deadline, echoing a report from Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times earlier this week. Wall has appeared in just 34 games and hasn’t played since January 13 because of an abdominal injury.
Nearly every contending team has called the Nets to check on Kevin Durant‘s availability, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. There has been speculation that Durant might want out after Kyrie Irving was traded to Dallas, but Brooklyn’s front office is telling everyone that it plans to hold on to Durant.
The Pistons have been active in trade talks, but they’re not committed to moving Bojan Bogdanovic, Alec Burks or Saddiq Bey before the deadline, per James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. The Knicks, Bucks and Lakers have expressed the most interest in Bogdanovic, but they don’t appear to be offering the draft assets that Detroit wants. Edwards suggests the Pistons might try to use the expiring contracts of Cory Joseph, Nerlens Noel and Hamidou Diallo — worth about $19MM combined — to pick up a player under contract beyond this season.

Clippers May Seek Buyout With John Wall If He’s Not Traded

February 4th, 2023 at 6:20pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers are attempting to trade point guard John Wall and may consider a buyout if they can’t find a deal, multiple sources tell Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times.

Wall, 32, signed with L.A. in July after reaching a buyout with Houston. His two-year contract includes a $6.479MM salary for this season and a $6.8MM team option for 2023/24.

After sitting out all of last season, Wall was playing fairly regularly before suffering an abdominal injury on January 13. He has missed the past 11 games, and Greif hears there are concerns about his fit with the Clippers for the remainder of the season.

Wall has averaged 11.4 points, 5.2 assists and 2.7 rebounds in 34 games, but he’s shooting just 40% from the field and 27% on pull-up jumpers. Wall also has a team-low minus-9.2 net rating, which measures the point differential between when he’s on the court and not.

Wall still doesn’t have a target date to return from his injury, although Greif notes that he was able to participate in a full-court scrimmage with coaches and some of his teammates this week. Wall wouldn’t comment directly on trade rumors, telling Greif that he’s concentrating on things he can control.

“This period for the whole league is interesting, trying to see if any trades happen, getting to see if teams stay healthy and stuff like that, so you kind of just all playing it by ear,” Wall said. “Kind of like, if you be here just try to figure out what your role is, and if you’re not here, then you got to try to find a new situation, like what the new situation might be and stuff like that. I’m just trying to focus on trying to get back and play. Just let everything else happen the way it’s going to happen.”

The Wall rumors come as the Clippers continue to search for point guard help before Thursday’s trade deadline. Greif identifies Toronto’s Fred VanVleet as the team’s number one target, and notes that Miami’s Kyle Lowry, Utah’s Mike Conley and Charlotte’s Terry Rozier have also been linked to L.A. in trade rumors. Greif doesn’t consider the Clippers to be a potential landing spot for Kyrie Irving, who submitted a trade request to the Nets on Friday.

Lakers, Mavs, Suns Among Possible Kyrie Irving Suitors

February 3rd, 2023 at 3:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers and Mavericks are among the teams expected to talk to the Nets before next Thursday’s trade deadline about a possible deal involving Kyrie Irving, according to veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein (Twitter link).

In addition to the Lakers and Mavs, the Suns have emerged as a potential suitor for Irving, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times tweets that there has also been some buzz in league circles about the Heat being a team to watch.

Irving has reportedly requested a trade out of Brooklyn.

There are a handful of reasons why the list of obvious matches for Irving isn’t lengthy. His history of mercurial behavior and inconsistent availability will scare many teams away, as will the fact that he’s an unrestricted free agent at season’s end — some suitors will be reluctant to give up much for a player who might be a rental, while others may not welcome the idea of having to negotiate a new contract with the 30-year-old. Additionally, Irving’s $36.9MM cap hit is sizable and wouldn’t be easy for certain clubs to match.

Still, Irving remains an elite talent on the court, having averaged 27.1 PPG, 5.3 APG, and 5.1 RPG on a sparkling .486/.374/.883 shooting line in 40 games (37.0 MPG) for Brooklyn this season, so it’s safe to assume Sean Marks and the Nets’ front office will get some inquiries.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), Irving hasn’t given the Nets a list of preferred landing spots, but his interest in the Lakers has carried over from the 2022 offseason.

The Mavericks, meanwhile, have had interest in Irving in the past, though they’ve been reluctant to give up a substantial haul of assets for the All-Star guard, tweets Wojnarowski. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon observes (via Twitter) that Mavs president of basketball operations Nico Harrison (a former Nike executive) and head coach Jason Kidd have long-standing relationships with Irving, and Dallas badly wants a co-star for Luka Doncic.

As for the Suns, they’re viewed as one of the only teams capable of making a deal with the Nets that could leave both teams as contenders, tweets Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.

When Irving explored the possibility of changing teams last summer, the Lakers, Mavericks, and Heat were said to be on his wish list, along with the Clippers, Knicks, and Sixers. New York and Philadelphia don’t look like logical fits for Kyrie at this point, but L.A.’s other team could be worth keeping an eye on.

There haven’t been any reports linking Irving to the Clippers so far, but they’ve reportedly expressed interest in some other point guards and have been “proactive” in gauging John Wall‘s trade market, according to Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times.

Pacific Notes: Smith, Davis, Wall, Clippers

January 22nd, 2023 at 9:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jalen Smith holds no ill will against the Suns, the team that picked him in the lottery in 2020, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic reports. Smith was dealt last February to the Pacers after never emerging as a regular rotation player in Phoenix.

“My time here was fun,” Smith said of the Suns. “I had no bad blood here. Obviously, I didn’t play much, but at the end of the day, I was around a great group of guys. Hall of Fame guys. Being able to be a part of that championship run team.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Anthony Davis “looked phenomenal” going through a full contact scrimmage on Saturday, according to Lakers coach Darvin Ham, Lakers sideline reporter Mike Trudell tweets. Davis scrimmaged against the ‘stay ready’ group, which included coaching staffers and low-minute players. Davis has been out since Dec. 16 due to a foot injury.
Clippers guard John Wall calls his time with the Rockets organization “beyond trash” after what he experienced there, Alex Kennedy of Basketball News relays. Wall described in detail his two years in Houston on the “Run Your Race” podcast. Wall sat out last season after the Rockets told him he would have a limited role. “The coach (Stephen Silas) was like, ‘Man, you don’t deserve that, you should be a starter, but this is what they want to do,'” Wall said. “Well, I’m not doing that. I said I’ll rehab, I’ll work out every day, I’ll stick around the team, I’ll come to meetings, I’ll fly with ya’ll and I’ll mentor the guys. So, that’s what I’m doing. Then, it got to the point where they were like, ‘Don’t come around.’ They didn’t want me around.”
The Clippers have won their last two games and coach Tyronn Lue believes they can go on an extended run if their defense improves, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times writes. “Offensively, we know we’re going to be able to score the basketball,” Lue said. “That’s very encouraging. Just now defensively we have to do a better job of locking in and understanding our principles.”