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.
Stephon Castle, Jalen Johnson Named Players Of The Week
Spurs guard Stephon Castle has been named the Western Conference Player of the Week and Hawks forward Jalen Johnson has won the award in the East, the NBA announced today (Twitter links). Week 16 of the 2025/26 season covered games played from February 2-8.
Castle, the reigning Rookie of the Year, helped San Antonio go 3-0 last week. The 21-year-old filled the stat sheet, averaging 24.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 3.0 steals and 1.0 block in just 26.7 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .630/.364/.769.
As Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com details, Castle’s week was highlighted by a phenomenal performance in Saturday’s victory vs. Dallas. The former UConn standout scored a career-high 40 points (on 15-of-19 shooting, or 78.9%), grabbed a season-high 12 rebounds, dished out 12 assists, and swiped three steals in 32 minutes.
Castle became the youngest player in NBA history with a 40-12-12 stat line (the record was previously held by Oscar Robertson), per Wright, and the second player in league history to register a 40-point triple-double while shooting at least 75.0% from the field, joining Wilt Chamberlain, who accomplished the feat three times. And it all came on the one-year anniversary of when he set his previous career high with 33 points.
“I don’t know, something about this day,” Castle said, smiling. “Having a game like this, it’s definitely a dream come true. It felt good just to be out there feeling comfortable with every shot that I took and [got to] see them go in.”
As for Johnson, the 2026 All-Star continued his standout season last week, averaging 27.3 PPG, 12.0 RPG, 11.3 APG and 1.0 SPG on .544/.294/.750 shooting in three games (Atlanta went 2-1 in those contests). Johnson recorded a pair of triple-doubles from Feb. 2-8, raising his season total to 10, the most in the East and second-most in the NBA, only trailing Nikola Jokic (18).
No other player has ever recorded 10 triple-doubles in their entire Hawks career, let alone in a single season, per the team. It was the second weekly honor for the fifth-year forward, who also won Player of the Week in November.
According to the NBA, the other nominees in the West were Trail Blazers teammates Donovan Clingan and Jerami Grant, Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III, and Castle’s teammate Victor Wembanyama. Scottie Barnes (Raptors), Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns of the Knicks, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid of the Sixers, Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers), and Ryan Rollins (Bucks) were nominated in the East.
Bucks Rumors: Giannis, Morant, Rollins, Monk, Ellis, Portis, More
Thursday’s loss to San Antonio marked the halfway point of the Bucks‘ season, and the team’s 17-24 record is its worst first-half mark since 2015/16, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
Although Nehm describes Milwaukee as looking “lost,” the front office has held firm on its stance that star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t going anywhere this season and that it wants to add an impact player alongside the two-time MVP, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN.
“We always manage to pull something off,” a team source told Collier.
Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant is one potential target the Bucks have been linked to as of late. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Memphis has sought guard Ryan Rollins and Milwaukee’s lone tradable first-round pick (in either 2031 or 2032) in discussions with Milwaukee about Morant.
However, the Bucks have been “wary” about including that first-round pick in any trade talks to date, per Collier, who hears from rival executives that that first-rounder would likely only be on the table for a “star.” Morant, who has made two All-Star teams, certainly fit that bill at one point but may no longer be viewed that way, as he has battled injuries and seen his production decline in recent years.
As Collier writes, the Wizards’ deal for Trae Young might be instructive when considering the sort of trade that makes the most sense for the Bucks. Washington gave up no draft picks and a significant expiring contract as part of the package for Young, with the Hawks looking to get off the hook for his $49MM player option in 2026/27.
Milwaukee is in a good position to make a similar move for a player on a non-expiring deal, says Collier, noting that Zach LaVine, Malik Monk, and Jerami Grant are a few of the trade candidates with multiyear contracts who have been linked to the team. Collier also cites Heat forward Andrew Wiggins and Hornets Miles Bridges as a couple more examples.
The Bucks have had exploratory discussions with the Kings about a deal that would send Bobby Portis and a minimum-salary player to Sacramento in exchange for Monk and Keon Ellis, league sources tell Scotto. A trade for a higher-salary player such as Morant or LaVine would require Milwaukee to sacrifice more rotation pieces for matching purposes, but the team has considered that possibility, gauging the market for forward Kyle Kuzma ($22.4MM cap hit) as well as Portis ($13.4MM), Scotto writes.
As Collier observes, the Bucks would be more equipped to make a significant splash during the 2026 offeason, when they’ll have up to three first-round picks available to trade (2026, 2031, and 2033). But the club – which has a +7.7 net rating with Antetokounmpo on the floor in 2025/26 – hasn’t given up on this season, even if some rival executives aren’t convinced Milwaukee should continue with its win-now approach.
“At some point, you’re just digging deeper and deeper,” an Eastern Conference exec told ESPN. “There might not be light at the end of the tunnel. It might just be a hole.”
Eleven More Players Become Trade-Eligible
Today is Thursday, January 15, which means that a total of 11 players who signed free agent contracts meeting specific criteria this past offseason are now eligible to be traded.
Most offseason signees became trade-eligible on December 15, but players who met the following criteria were ineligible to be moved for an extra month:
- The player re-signed with his previous team.
- He got a raise of at least 20%.
- His salary is above the minimum.
- His team was over the cap and used Bird or Early Bird rights to sign him.
These are the 11 players who met that criteria and are eligible to be traded as of Thursday:
Santi Aldama (Grizzlies)- Josh Giddey (Bulls)
- Quentin Grimes (Sixers)
- Isaiah Jackson (Pacers)
- Jonathan Kuminga (Warriors)
- Tre Mann (Hornets)
- Sam Merrill (Cavaliers)
- Davion Mitchell (Heat)
- Paul Reed (Pistons)
- Naz Reid (Timberwolves)
- Ryan Rollins (Bucks)
Most of the players on standard 15-man rosters around the NBA are now eligible to be moved, though a small handful still can’t be dealt.
That group includes Kings guard Russell Westbrook, who becomes trade-eligible on Friday, Hawks guard Keaton Wallace (trade-eligible on January 18), Pelicans center DeAndre Jordan (Jan. 23), Knicks forward Mikal Bridges (Feb. 1), Lakers guard Luka Doncic (Feb. 2), Kings forward Precious Achiuwa (Feb. 4), and Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox (Feb. 4).
Additionally, there are several players who won’t become trade-eligible at all prior to this season’s February 6 deadline, including reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Players on 10-day contracts are also ineligible to be traded.
Central Notes: Atkinson, Cavs, I. Jackson, P. Williams, Rollins
While no one in the Cavaliers‘ organization is thrilled by the fact that the team has already lost nearly as many games this season (14) as it did last season (18), Kenny Atkinson‘s job is in no imminent danger, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
One recent report cited “rumbles in coaching circles” that Atkinson’s job was becoming less safe, while another suggested there have been “internal questions” about his leadership. But sources tell Vardon that Atkinson isn’t on the hot seat at this point.
The Cavaliers also aren’t on the verge of making significant changes to their roster, Vardon continues, since the front office still wants to see what the team looks like when all of its usual starters are on the court together. That hasn’t yet happened this season, with Max Strus out since August due to foot surgery and several other players having missed time due to injuries as well.
Although Vardon describes executives, coaches, and players as being “upset” by the way the Cavs have played in recent weeks, he also suggests management is willing to be patient, reporting that the team has declined at least two recent trade offers for rotation players.
We have more from around the Central:
- Pacers center Isaiah Jackson has been ruled out for Tuesday’s game vs. Milwaukee due to a concussion, and head coach Rick Carlisle wants the NBA to take a look at the play that caused the injury, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Jackson appeared to get hit by a swinging elbow from Celtics center Neemias Queta multiple times on the same possession (Twitter video link via Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files). “It was a play that I felt should have been looked at in real time,” Carlisle said. “It did not appear to be accidental. It’s very dangerous. And I don’t know how long he’s going to be out. It’s pretty serious. … It just can’t be missed. That’s all.”
- After averaging 21.2 minutes per night through his first 24 games of the season, forward Patrick Williams has played just 25 total minutes in his past three outings, all Bulls wins. While the former No. 4 overall pick has slipped down the depth chart, head coach Billy Donovan said that Williams’ reduced role isn’t necessarily permanent, per Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune (subscription required). “At some point, there’s going to have to be a level of sacrifice by everybody,” Donovan said. “I wouldn’t sit there and say that in my mind, okay, he’s just the 11th guy and that’s it. I don’t know what’s going to happen with our team going forward. But I do think Patrick can help.”
- In a recent interview with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Bucks guard Ryan Rollins discussed playing for head coach Doc Rivers, vying for this season’s Most Improved Player award, learning from Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo, and what it felt like to sign a three-year, $12MM contract as a free agent over the summer. “It was a blessing. That’s my first real contract,” Rollins said of the new deal. “I’m grateful for my family to be able to witness that and be inspired and motivated by that. It was great. There’s a lot more to get, so I’m not content at all. I’m still going to be greedy and get more, which I deserve, so there’s a lot more work to do.”
Bucks Notes: Turner, Porter, Green, Giannis
After dropping 10 of their last 12 games, the Bucks have had four full days off prior to Thursday’s game vs. Boston to reset and to evaluate how to reenter the Eastern Conference playoff picture without Giannis Antetokounmpo available. According to Eric Nehm of The Athletic, veteran center Myles Turner stressed on Tuesday that it’s far from being a lost season in Milwaukee.
“We are only five-and-a-half games away from the third seed, so I don’t think it’s time to panic personally; I think it’s time to be aware,” Turner said. “I think being aware and panicking are two very different things. Just aware that we’re not where we want to be, but we’re also not far away.
“With the group we have right now, I think that we’re very capable of making an extra push. But we can talk about it all we want to; it’s a matter of going out there and getting it done.”
As Nehm writes, figuring out how to get more out of Turner, whose average of 12.6 points per game is his lowest mark in five years, will be crucial if the Bucks hope to stay afloat while Antetokounmpo recovers from a calf strain. Nehm also points to forward Kyle Kuzma and guards Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins as key figures during Giannis’ injury absence, noting that it would be a boon for Milwaukee if Porter (27.0 PPG on .581./615/.870 shooting in his past four games) can stay hot for a little longer.
Here’s more on the Bucks:
- While Antetokounmpo’s return is still a ways off, the Bucks could get some reinforcements on Thursday in the form of sharpshooter A.J. Green. Although Green didn’t take part in Tuesday’s practice, head coach Doc Rivers told reporters – including Nehm (Twitter link) – that the 26-year-old could play against Boston after missing Saturday’s game due to a shoulder injury.
- With trade speculation once again swirling around Antetokounmpo, the two-time MVP met with several teammates to address those rumors and to encourage them to focus on basketball rather than being distracted by outside noise, Chris Haynes said during an appearance on NBA TV (Twitter video link).
- In a Substack article open to non-subscribers, Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron explores the difficult spot the Bucks find themselves in. As Gozlan details, given that they’ve traded away so many of their future draft picks and have a big chunk of dead money on their cap for the next several years, the Bucks would be under significant pressure to maximize their return in an Antetokounmpo trade if they pivot to a rebuild. Even if they extract a strong package for Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee’s front office would have its work cut out for it in the post-Giannis era, Gozlan writes.
Rivers: Bucks To Take Cautious Approach To Giannis’ Recovery
Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo was diagnosed with a right calf strain on Wednesday, with ESPN’s Shams Charania subsequently reporting that the Greek superstar was expected to be sidelined roughly two-to-four weeks.
Head coach Doc Rivers says Milwaukee will take a cautious approach to Antetokounmpo’s recovery, and thinks the two-time MVP will be out closer to four weeks than two, per Jamal Collier of ESPN.
“I feel like we should learn is with calves — make sure they’re healthy,” Rivers said before Friday’s game against Philadelphia. “So that may take longer than we want. That even may make Giannis frustrated over it, but we just got to try to get that right.”
According to Collier, Rivers said he spoke to Antetokounmpo for a “long time” on Thursday after the MRI results came back, and Antetokounmpo was feeling optimistic about his prognosis.
As Dan Devine of Yahoo Sports writes, if Antetokounmpo is out four weeks, he would be sidelined for the next 12 games, making him ineligible for major postseason awards since he has already missed six. The former Finals MVP has been a first-team All-NBA selection each of the past seven years, Devine notes, and has also finished in the top four in MVP voting every season over that stretch.
Both Devine and Eric Nehm of The Athletic explore how the Bucks might be able to survive the next few weeks without their best player. It’s a tall task, to be sure — Milwaukee has gone just 1-5 so far this season in Antetokounmpo’s absence (2-6 counting the games he had to leave early due to injuries).
Having Kevin Porter Jr. back should help alleviate some pressure off Ryan Rollins, who was asked to take on an enormous workload on both ends of the court during Antetokounmpo’s recent adductor injury, Nehm writes. For his part, Rollins said the team needs to keep the ball moving as much as possible.
“We need to move the ball. With him on the court, without him on the court, we need to move the ball,” Rollins said. “But when he’s off the court, we need to move it even more. Just get everybody touches, keep the ball moving, and when that happens, we have our best chance to win and play our best basketball.”
Devine wonders if big man Jericho Sims could be in line for an increased role with Antetokounmpo out, while Nehm thinks A.J. Green could be capable of more scoring — unfortunately, the sharpshooting wing suffered a left shoulder contusion on Friday and was ruled out for the rest of the game, tweets Collier.
Gilgeous-Alexander, Mitchell Named Players Of The Week
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell have been named the NBA’s Players of the Week for the Western and Eastern Conference, respectively, the league announced today (Twitter links).
Gilgeous-Alexander led the defending champions to four wins during the week of November 17-23 while averaging 31.0 points and 6.5 assists per contest and shooting 60% from the field and 64.3% from beyond the arc. Oklahoma City was +82 in SGA’s 125 minutes on the court last week.
Gilgeous-Alexander also earned Player of the Week honors three weeks ago and is the second repeat winner of the award this season, joining Nuggets center Nikola Jokic.
Mitchell posted averages of 31.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game as the Cavaliers went 3-1 this past week. He opened and closed the week with matching 37-point performances against the Bucks and Clippers, going 14-of-22 from the field in each of those two outings.
Santi Aldama (Grizzlies), Luka Doncic (Lakers), De’Aaron Fox (Spurs), James Harden (Clippers) and Jokic (Nuggets) were the other Western Conference nominees for Player of the Week.
Jalen Duren (Pistons), Josh Giddey (Bulls), Brandon Ingram (Raptors), Kon Knueppel (Hornets), Tyrese Maxey (Sixers), Norman Powell and Kel’el Ware (Heat), Ryan Rollins (Bucks) and Franz Wagner (Magic) were also nominated in the East.
Central Notes: Rollins, Green, Turner, Jones, LaVine, Buzelis
After waiving Chris Livingston and Tyler Smith prior to the start of the 2025/26 season, the Bucks have now gone 11 consecutive draft classes without signing one of their picks to a second contract, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. As Windhorst acknowledges, Milwaukee has traded away several picks during that time – either before or after using them – but the last player the team drafted and signed to a second contract was Giannis Antetokounmpo, 2013’s 15th overall pick.
While the Bucks haven’t had any real draft success stories in the past decade, they’ve done well with certain undrafted free agents and reclamation projects, Windhorst’s colleague Tim Bontemps points out within the same story. Two of the latest examples are Ryan Rollins and A.J. Green, the current backcourt starters, who have helped the team get out to a 4-1 start this season.
As we detailed last night, Rollins had the best game of his NBA career in a win over Golden State on Thursday, racking up 32 points and eight assists in 36 minutes of action. Green contributed just 10 points in Thursday’s victory, but he made at least three three-point shots for a fifth consecutive game to open the season and is knocking them down at a 55.2% rate.
Rollins signed a three-year, $12MM contract over the summer that includes a third-year player option, while Green finalized a four-year, $45MM extension just before the season tipped off. Those could become two of the most team-friendly deals in the NBA if the Bucks’ guards keep playing like this, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Here’s more from around the Central:
- Bucks center Myles Turner said during an appearance on teammate Thanasis Antetokounmpo‘s podcast that he felt like Tyrese Haliburton‘s Achilles injury in Game 7 of the NBA Finals changed how his free agency played out, making Indiana less willing to do what it took to re-sign him. “All everybody told me was, ‘Myles, just keep your head down. Keep your head down and work. You’re going to get taken care of,'” Turner explained (hat tip to RealGM). “Then the unfortunate situation happens in the Finals with Tyrese, and I guess the front office and ownership just changed their mind. It was like, ‘Yeah… we told you all those things. And yeah… you helped us get to the Eastern Conference Finals and the Finals… but… we had to pivot.’ That was basically the sentiment. And we were just very far apart on what we thought the future should be.”
- A prosecutor in Indiana opted not to file formal charges against Kam Jones after the Pacers rookie was arrested by Indiana State Police for driving erratically, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files, who says the incident will serve as a “learning moment” for the first-year guard.
- After playing at the United Center on Wednesday for the first time since being traded from the Bulls to the Kings in February, Zach LaVine said it “felt like I came home” and spoke about his love for Chicago, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN. LaVine got a standing ovation from Bulls fans when the team played a tribute video during the first quarter. “I know I did a lot of good in Chicago,” LaVine said. “I just wish I could have won more here.”
- While LaVine’s return to Chicago was one of the major subplots of Wednesday’s game, the ongoing development of second-year forward Matas Buzelis was the most important one for the Bulls‘ future. As Jon Greenberg of The Athletic details, Buzelis led Chicago to its fourth straight win by scoring a season-high 27 points on 11-of-18 shooting — the Bulls, who won the game by 13 points, were +18 when he was on the court. “He can do it all,” LaVine said of his former teammate after the game.
Injury Notes: Luka, Giannis, Young, Holmgren, Beal, Sixers
After missing the past three games with finger and leg injuries, Lakers superstar Luka Doncic has been listed as questionable for Friday’s matchup at Memphis, as Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group relays.
It has been five days since the Lakers stated that the Slovenian guard would be reevaluated in about a week, though Price notes the actual left finger sprain occurred a week ago vs. Minnesota. Head coach JJ Redick said ahead of Wednesday’s win that the swelling in Doncic’s finger had subsided somewhat.
Free agent addition Marcus Smart, who has missed the past two games with a quadriceps contusion, is also questionable for Friday’s contest, Price adds.
Here are some more injury-related notes from around the NBA:
- Superstar Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo was a surprise scratch on Thursday against Golden State after being listed as probable in the lead-up to the game, notes Jamal Collier of ESPN. Despite being down their best player, the Bucks defeated the Warriors behind a career night from guard Ryan Rollins, who finished with 32 points (on 13-of-21 shooting), eight assists and five rebounds, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic. As ESPN’s Anthony Slater notes (via Twitter), it was a revenge game of sorts for Rollins, who was drafted by and later traded by Golden State. The former second-round pick had a big game on Tuesday as well, recording 25 points (on 8-of-11 shooting), four assists and four steals in 26 minutes.
- Star point guard Trae Young will be sidelined for Friday’s game in Indiana due to a right knee sprain, the Hawks announced (via Twitter). Young was reportedly scheduled to undergo an MRI today after he exited Wednesday’s game with the injury, which occurred late in the first quarter when a teammate was pushed and fell into his knee (Twitter video link).
- Thunder big man Chet Holmgren was off to an excellent start this season before lower back soreness sidelined him for both Tuesday’s win vs. Sacramento and Thursday’s victory over Washington. Head coach Mark Daigneault said there are no long-term concerns with Holmgren’s back issue, per Jeff Patterson and Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman (subscriber link). “He’s where he should be,” Daigneault said before Thursday’s game. “We’re being conservative with him. If he was, obviously, perfect he would play tonight. But we’ll go through the process that we always go through.”
- After missing the past two games with a sore back, Clippers guard Bradley Beal will be active for Friday’s contest vs. New Orleans, tweets Law Murray of The Athletic. Beal opened the season on a minutes restriction due to offseason knee surgery.
- Although Jared McCain (thumb surgery) and Paul George (knee surgery) participated in the Sixers‘ practice on Thursday, both players will remain sidelined for Friday’s matchup against Boston, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link). In case you missed it, the 76ers picked up McCain’s third-year option on Thursday.