Trade Rumors: Jones, Smith, Bulls, Kings, Cavs, Sharpe
The Bulls have been receiving interest in point guard Tre Jones and forward/center Jalen Smith over the past few weeks, writes Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. While Jones seems to be available, Poe suggests the Bulls are unlikely to trade Smith unless they get an appealing offer.
Both Jones and Smith have guaranteed contracts for next season. Jones’ deal also features a $8MM team option for 2027/28.
According to Poe, any of Chicago’s players on expiring contracts could be on the move prior to the deadline if the Bulls receive a “reasonable return.” The Bulls already showed a willingness to take on unwanted salary when they agreed to acquire Dario Saric for a pair of second-round picks (they’re waiving Jevon Carter to make roster space).
However, that doesn’t mean the Bulls are going to make trades just for the sake of it, particularly for a player like Coby White, multiple sources tell Poe.
Most of the players on Chicago’s roster are in their mid-20s and have been in the league for several years. Head coach Billy Donovan says the team is focused on acquiring more young talent.
“We have to keep building out with younger people,” Donovan said, per Poe. “I don’t think there’s any question about that from a roster standpoint. … If you’re just talking about the guys that are here that are going to be under contract, they’re going to need more. So however those conversations take place, whether it’s in July or whether it’s at the trade deadline, I think the front office is looking to try to build it out as best they can.”
Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- The Kings had opportunities to trade Keon Ellis for multiple second-round picks, but they wanted to unload Dennis Schroder‘s contract and value De’Andre Hunter‘s size and length and view him as a better positional fit moving forward, sources tell Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. As Siegel reported a few days ago, the Lakers also had interest in Hunter, but they were leery of taking on the $24.9MM he’s owed next season without receiving draft compensation in return, so they backed out of conversations with the Cavaliers.
- According to Siegel, the Kings are viewed as the “biggest sellers” at the deadline, and they have been making trade calls involving Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk. Of the three players, Sacramento is most motivated to move Monk, Siegel adds (via Twitter). A “few” teams — most notably the Raptors — have some interest in Sabonis, but there doesn’t seem to be much of a market for DeRozan or Monk, per Siegel.
- The Cavaliers continue to dangle Lonzo Ball in trade talks, according to Siegel (Twitter link). The veteran guard has had a disappointing first season in Cleveland and earns $10MM this season, with a $10MM team option for ’26/27.
- As Siegel observes, if the Cavaliers decide to retain Ellis long term (he will be extension-eligible on Feb. 9), that could have an impact on the futures of Sam Merrill and Max Strus. While I’m skeptical the Cavs would move Merrill given how well he’s played this season when healthy, Strus has yet to play in ’25/26 due offseason foot surgery and ’26/27 is the final year of his contract. Siegel suggests those sorts of conversations would likely wait until the summer and may depend on what happens with Ellis.
- The Nets appear to be reluctant to trade Day’Ron Sharpe, but the backup center has drawn interest from the Lakers, Raptors, Celtics and Pacers, Siegel reports.
Cavs Receiving Miller From Bulls, Waiving Travers To Complete Ellis Deal
In order for all three teams to “touch” in the agreed upon trade involving Keon Ellis, Dennis Schröder and De’Andre Hunter, the Bulls are trading two-way player Emanuel Miller to Cleveland, sources tell Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune.
The Cavaliers are waiving Luke Travers, who is also on a two-way contract, to make roster room for Miller, as first reported by Olgun Uluc of ESPN and confirmed by Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter links).
Miller, a second-year forward, has only made five NBA appearances this season, averaging 3.0 points in 6.6 minutes per game. He’s had a much larger role in the G League with the Windy City Bulls, averaging 17.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.2 APG and 0.9 SPG on .529/.354/.691 shooting in 21 games (33.8 MPG).
Travers, a former second-round pick, played in 12 games for the Cavs in his second season, averaging 2.3 PPG and 2.0 RPG in 8.6 MPG. The Australian wing filled the stat sheet in the NBAGL with the Cleveland Charge, putting up 17.1 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 4.9 APG, 1.8 SPG and 1.6 BPG in 15 games (31.5 MPG). He struggled with efficiency, however, posting a .424/.283/.618 shooting line.
The full trade appears to be as follows:
- Cavaliers receive: Ellis, Schröder (from Kings), Miller (from Bulls). Will waive Travers.
- Bulls receive: Dario Saric (from Kings), two second-round picks (a 2027 second-rounder from Cleveland via Denver, and a 2029 least favorable pick from Sacramento). Will waive veteran guard Jevon Carter to acquire Saric.
- Kings receive: Hunter (from Cavaliers). Open a roster spot to eventual promote Dylan Cardwell from his two-way deal.
As Keith Smith of Spotrac observes (via Twitter), the Cavs’ standard roster will be full once the trade is finalized, which means they won’t have room to convert Nae’Qwan Tomlin from his two-way deal. The second-year forward, who has become a rotation regular in Cleveland, can only be active for four more games. The Cavaliers are still likely to promote Tomlin, Smith notes, whether by making additional trades or waiving a player after the deadline.
Cavaliers To Acquire Ellis, Schröder In Three-Team Trade
The Cavaliers will send De’Andre Hunter to the Kings in exchange for Keon Ellis and Dennis Schröder, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The three-team trade also includes the Bulls, who will pick up Dario Saric from Sacramento and will receive two second-round picks as well.
The trade will save Cleveland nearly $50MM in salary and luxury tax this season, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link).
The Cavs unload Hunter’s $23.3MM contract while taking back Schröder at $14.1MM and Ellis at $2.3MM. The move takes the Cavs from $22MM to just $13.9MM above the second apron and brings their total payroll down to $221.7MM, per cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link).
The Cavaliers were among many reported suitors for Ellis, an accomplished defensive guard who is set for free agency this summer. He will become eligible for an extension worth up to $52MM over three years on February 9, and Cleveland will acquire his Bird rights in the deal.
Ellis fell out of the Kings’ rotation early in the season, which prompted trade speculation, but he still appeared in 43 games, averaging 5.6 points and 1.1 steals in 17.6 minutes per night with .397/.368/.625 shooting numbers.
Schröder, 32, will be joining his 11th NBA team. He was one of Sacramento’s major offseason additions, agreeing to a three-year, $44.4MM contract as part of a sign-and-trade deal with Detroit. However, he shot poorly from the field and eventually lost his starting job to Russell Westbrook. Schröder has two more years left on his contract at $14.8MM and $15.5MM with a $4.3MM guarantee on the final season. He’s also a strong defensive guard and had a positive impact on the Pistons after they traded for him at last year’s deadline.
Gozlan points out (via Twitter) that the Cavs have an opportunity to get below the second apron by unloading Lonzo Ball‘s $10MM contract and a couple of minimum salaries. He notes that they have three more tradable second-round picks to use for further moves before the deadline.
The Cavaliers added Hunter in a deal last February in hopes that he would become a dependable small forward to team with their four established starters. However, he has been more effective off the bench since coming to Cleveland and wound up being an expensive backup with the emergence of Jaylon Tyson. He has one more year left on his contract at $24.9MM and will get a chance to revive his career in Sacramento.
In a full story, Charania notes that trading two players for one will give the Kings roster flexibility to convert two-way big man Dylan Cardwell to a standard contract.
Saric, who has an expiring $5.4MM deal, will be absorbed into a $6.2MM trade exception Chicago has from last year’s Zach LaVine deal, according to Marks (Twitter link). The Bulls don’t have a roster opening, so they’re waiving Jevon Carter in order for the trade to be completed, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link). The 30-year-old guard has a $6.8MM expiring contract and will become a free agent once he passes through waivers.
Chicago’s draft compensation for helping to facilitate the deal will be a 2027 second-rounder from the Cavs that originally belonged to Denver and a 2029 second-rounder from the Kings that includes stipulations, reports Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. It will be the least favorable of picks among Detroit, Milwaukee and New York, according to Charania.
League sources tell Siegel that the Cavaliers were reluctant to take on Schröder’s contract during trade negotiations, but the Kings threatened to move onto other offers if they couldn’t unload the veteran guard. Ellis was at the top of the Cavs’ wish list heading into the deadline, Siegel adds, so they decided to accept Sacramento’s terms.
Sacramento was hoping to land a first-round pick for exchange for Ellis, but several teams that had expressed interest recently turned away, including the Pacers, Celtics and Timberwolves, sources close to the Kings tell Sam Amick of The Athletic.
According to Amick, Indiana was concerned about finding enough playing time for Ellis while Bennedict Mathurin is still on the roster. Even though Mathurin may be traded by Thursday’s deadline, the Pacers believed it was too much of a risk to part with a first-rounder.
The Wolves had been willing to include two second-round picks as part of their offer, Amick adds, but their priorities changed over the past week when it began to appear that Giannis Antetokounmpo would be available.
Cavaliers’ Kenny Atkinson Fined $50K After Ejection
Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson has been fined $50K for “aggressively pursuing, berating, and making inadvertent contact with a game official,” the NBA announced (via Twitter). He was ejected after picking up his second technical foul early in the fourth quarter of Friday’s game at Phoenix.
Atkinson was irritated that his team only attempted one free throw through the first three quarters, and he repeatedly held one finger in the air as a reminder, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes in a subscriber-only story. His anger carried over into the post-game press conference, where he blasted the officials for their performance.
“We had one free throw after three quarters against a team that [is 26th in fouls],” Atkinson said. “And the second free throw we got was after a flop. I’m not pleased. I thought the game got out of hand, quite honestly. Parts of the game seemed circus-like, quite honestly. I don’t know if that’s what we want as a league.”
Fedor notes that Atkinson’s frustrations with the officiating crew of Mitchell Ervin, Nate Green and Michael Smith began much earlier in the game, as he picked up his first technical with about four minutes left in the first quarter. Atkinson’s complaint at the time was that fouls weren’t being called the same way at both ends.
“I sensed it early,” he explained. “I got an early technical to try to slow it down. Shocked. One free throw after three quarters as aggressive as they were playing, we knew they were going to play super physical, but you have to blow your whistle, and you have to be fair about it.”
The second technical was sparked by a no-call when Sam Merrill tried to drive past Collin Gillespie. Atkinson ran onto the court and screamed at the officials before being thrown out and receiving an escort to the locker room from team security. He bumped into an official during the tirade, but insisted it wasn’t on purpose.
“I think that was incidental,” Atkinson said. “There was no intention. I think we touched. I wouldn’t say bumped. I’d argue with you on that.”
Trade Rumors: Ellis, Hunter, Ball, Bucks, Sochan, Deadline
In addition to the Cavaliers, the Lakers, Pacers, Spurs and Celtics are among the many suitors for Kings guard Keon Ellis, sources tell Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). The Timberwolves and Knicks have also been mentioned as teams interested in Ellis.
The 26-year-old is an intriguing trade candidate because his $2.3MM expiring contract makes him an attainable piece for just about any NBA team. If he’s dealt, Ellis’ Bird rights would travel with him and he’d become extension-eligible on February 9, just a few days after the trade deadline.
Cleveland has seemed to be in the best position to acquire Ellis over the past 48 hours, Fischer reports (via Twitter), but other teams are still in the mix as well.
According to Stein and Fischer, while the Kings are reluctant to take on long-term money in trades, they’re believed to be open to that possibility if Malik Monk is included the deal. Sacramento has also brought up including DeMar DeRozan in trades involving Ellis.
Here are several more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Although the Lakers have been mentioned multiple times as a potential suitor for De’Andre Hunter, Stein and Fischer hear Los Angeles’ interest in the Cavaliers forward has been “repeatedly overstated.” As Stein and Fischer explain, Hunter’s $24.9MM salary for next season would inhibit the Lakers’ offseason flexibility, which they prefer to maintain.
- Before Giannis Antetokounmpo became the focus of the trade deadline, the Bucks made offers for Hunter centered around Kyle Kuzma and/or Bobby Portis, Stein and Fischer confirm. Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reported on Friday that Milwaukee had pitched Cleveland on the idea of a Portis/Hunter trade, but the Cavaliers declined. The Warriors also held a level of interest in Hunter, per Stein and Fischer, but that was before the Bucks began listening to offers for Antetokounmpo and now their focus is on the two-time MVP.
- The Wizards have checked in with the Cavaliers about Lonzo Ball and have let teams know they’re willing to be a salary dumping ground if they receive draft compensation in return, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Cleveland is the only team in the NBA over the second tax apron, and Ball — who is shooting just 26.9% from three-point range — is on pseudo-expiring $10MM contract ($10MM team option for next season).
- While this sort of move would be contingent on what happens with other trade constructs, the Bucks have expressed interest in packaging some of their minimum-salary contracts to acquire higher-priced players, including Nets guard Cam Thomas and Mavericks guard D’Angelo Russell, sources tell Scotto. As Scotto explains, Milwaukee’s goal would be to either take an upside swing (Thomas) or add second-round picks by taking on unwanted money (Russell). Thomas, an unrestricted free agent this summer, holds an implied no-trade clause after signing his qualifying offer last offseason.
- Several teams — including the Suns — have talked to the Spurs about fourth-year forward Jeremy Sochan, according to Scotto. Those discussions, which Scotto describes as exploratory, also involved Phoenix center Nick Richards, but the Suns weren’t interested in that swap because it would have pushed them deeper into the luxury tax, which they’d prefer to dip below.
- We’ve only seen one in-season trade to this point. One veteran NBA executive who spoke to Stein and Fischer is optimistic about that number rising significantly in the coming days. “I still think the avalanche is coming,” said the team official.
Cavs, Kings Discussing Deal Involving Hunter, Ellis
The Cavaliers and Kings have discussed the framework of a deal involving forward De’Andre Hunter and guard Keon Ellis, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports.
In that scenario, Hunter would be dealt to the Kings for Ellis, Dennis Schröder, and Dario Saric. It’s also possible that a third team could be involved to take on Saric’s contract with second-round draft pick compensation added as a sweetener.
Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported on Friday that trade talks involving Ellis were intensifying and that Cleveland was among the teams in the mix. Ellis becomes extension-eligible on February 9, shortly after the trade deadline. If he doesn’t sign a new contract, he’ll enter unrestricted free agency this summer. He’s making just $2.3MM this season.
Schröder would present a more long-term commitment for the Cavs. He’s making $14.1MM this season and is owed $14.81MM for next season. He also has a partial guarantee of $4.35MM for the 2027/28 season. Saric is on an expiring $5.43MM deal.
Hunter, who has been a disappointment since Cleveland acquired him from Atlanta, is making $23.3MM this season and is on the books for $24.91MM next season. As a second-apron team, the Cavs can’t use Hunter’s contract to take back more salary than they send out, but Ellis, Schröder, and Saric earn a combined $21.8MM and could be accommodated.
The two teams have also discussed another scenario involving Ellis in which he would be paired with Malik Monk in a deal for Hunter. However, the Cavaliers are concerned about Monk’s contact, which has two years and $41.77MM remaining on it over the next two seasons, Scotto notes.
The Cavaliers have also talked about moving Hunter with at least one other prominent team — Scotto confirms they’ve discussed the framework of a deal that would land Hunter with the Lakers in exchange for Rui Hachimura and Dalton Knecht. That proposed deal would also include a third team, possibly Brooklyn.
Hachimura has an expiring $18.26MM contract. Knecht is making $4MM this season in the second year of his rookie deal.
Eastern Notes: Raptors, MPJ, Nuggets, J. Smith, Enaruna
While the Raptors have primarily been linked to centers on the trade market, Eric Koreen of The Athletic believes they could use additional shooting around Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram more than a big man.
As Koreen writes, Toronto has looked particularly overmatched this season against New York, which has multiple wing defenders capable of slowing down Ingram and Barnes. The Raptors went just 7-of-26 from three-point range in Wednesday’s loss to the Knicks, and are currently 24th in the NBA in three-point attempts and makes per game and 27th in three-point percentage (34.2%).
“We took only one three in that (third) quarter, and that’s not sustainable,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said. “You cannot play against great teams and win (like that).”
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Michael Porter Jr. views the summer trade that sent him from Denver to Brooklyn as a win-win for both the Nuggets and the Nets, tweets Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “I would say it’s a very unique situation where I think both organizations and both teams kind of benefited from the trade,” Porter said. “I don’t look back at it with any saltiness toward the (Nuggets) organization or anything. I think they got a lot of trading me. They got not only Cam (Johnson), but (Jonas) Valanciunas, Bruce (Brown), Tim Hardaway Jr., who’s playing amazing. … I think it’s cool. … So it probably is one of those unique trades where it kind of worked out for everybody.” The 6’10” forward made those comments on Thursday ahead of his first game in Denver as an opposing player, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Porter finished with 38 points, 10 rebounds and two steals, but he was disappointed that Brooklyn’s comeback bid came up short. “There was a little motivation,” Porter said. “We should’ve pulled it out, though. I felt like I missed a couple shots I should’ve made down the stretch.”
- Bulls big man Jalen Smith experienced tightness in his right calf during Thursday’s loss to Miami, per Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic (Twitter link). Smith, who has been starting recently, was ruled out after just 15 minutes of action. However, the injury doesn’t appear serious — he’s listed as questionable for Saturday’s rematch with the Heat.
- The two-way contract Tristan Enaruna signed with the Cavaliers this week covers two seasons, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). The Dutch forward has been a key contributor at the G League level this season for Cleveland’s affiliate team, the Charge.
Cavs Rumors: Giannis, Hunter, Ball, Lakers, Ellis, More
While there have been no indications to this point that the Cavaliers are considering making an offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo, the possibility can’t be ruled out, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscriber link).
“It’s Giannis,” a rival NBA executive told Fedor. “Nothing more needs to be said.”
As Fedor writes, the Cleveland’s pathway to a potential deal for the Bucks superstar would be very complicated and would require a significant reduction in payroll — as a second-apron team, the Cavaliers can’t currently aggregate salaries for matching purposes and can’t take in more money than they send out. So in that sense, a Giannis trade is a long shot.
On the other hand, sources tell Fedor that the Cavs have been aggressively looking for roster upgrades ahead of the deadline, and they also have one of the top players who could theoretically be dangled in talks for Antetokounmpo — Evan Mobley, last year’s Defensive Player of the Year. On the Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link), ESPN’s Brian Windhorst also pointed to Mobley as a centerpiece to a potential Cavs offer.
The Cavaliers, who have dealt with several injuries in 2025/26, have underachieved this season and are facing pressure to contend for championships. No individual player they could theoretically acquire would be remotely as impactful as Antetokounmpo, who has finished top four in MVP voting each of the past seven years.
Still, Cleveland is on the upswing, Fedor notes, having won five straight games and seven of the past eight. The front office has also yet to show any desire to make that sort of drastic mid-season overhaul, with blockbuster moves viewed as more likely to occur in the offseason, depending on what happens in the playoffs.
Here are a few more highlights from Fedor’s report:
- Fedor continues to hear De’Andre Hunter and Lonzo Ball are the most likely Cavs to be headed out of Cleveland in the coming days. Confirming reporting from Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, Fedor says the Cavaliers have discussed a trade framework with the Lakers that would send Hunter to Los Angeles in exchange for Rui Hachimura and Dalton Knecht. Sources tell Fedor the Lakers have also countered by offering the expiring contracts of Gabe Vincent and Maxi Kleber. Those talks have involved a third team as well — Fedor doesn’t specify which club it is, but Siegel said it was the Nets.
- Before they reportedly started listening to offers for Giannis, the Bucks explored the possibility of acquiring Hunter using a package built around Bobby Portis. The Cavs declined that proposal, sources tell Fedor.
- Fedor confirms the Cavs are one of many suitors for Kings guard Keon Ellis, noting that Malik Monk could be included as well if Hunter is sent to Sacramento.
- Reiterating a point he previously made, Fedor says the Cavs are eyeing Mavericks forward Naji Marshall. The framework would involve Ball and unspecified draft assets being sent to Dallas, though Fedor points out that Marshall has drawn interest from multiple teams. It’s also unclear if the Cavs would be willing to part with their lone tradable first-round pick (either 2031 or 2032) for a role player, even a quality one like Marshall.
- Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu, Pelicans forward Saddiq Bey and Wizards forward Justin Champagnie are among the other players who might interest the Cavs, Fedor writes.
Spencer Jones Among Two-Way Players Nearing Active-Game Limit
Second-year forward Spencer Jones has emerged as a key part of the Nuggets‘ rotation this season, starting 31 games and averaging 23.5 minutes per night for the Western Conference’s No. 3 team. However, Jones’ two-way contract only allows him to be eligible for up to 50 regular season games and he’s just three away from that limit — he has appeared in 43 contests and was a DNP-CD in four more early in the season.
While the Nuggets have let Jones and his representatives know that they want to promote him to the standard roster, the 24-year-old is also aware he may run out of games before that happens, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscription required).
“You want to figure out, where you’ve got a championship push, everything you need to make that push. So yeah, I always knew the decision wasn’t going to be until the (trade) deadline, (that it) won’t be decided until around then,” Jones said. “I may run out of games before then. So they’ve mentioned the possibility of sitting out one or two just ’cause. So we’ll see how it pans out.”
Denver has an open spot on its 15-man roster, so the front office could convert Jones’ contract today without making a corresponding move. However, the Nuggets will likely want to hold that spot open for a few more days to maximize their roster flexibility at the trade deadline.
The Nuggets are also operating above the luxury tax line by about $400K and have reportedly made it a priority to finish this season as a non-taxpayer. That means Jones might have to wait for his promotion until after Denver makes a move to shed a little salary.
If they were to trade one of their lowest-paid players without taking back any salary, the Nuggets could sign Jones and remain below the tax line due to the gap between a full-season and prorated salary. For instance, Hunter Tyson‘s deal features a $2,221,677 cap hit, whereas a minimum-salary contract for Jones would count for just $871K as of February 6 (Denver could also use a portion of its mid-level exception to sign Jones for more than the minimum).
“Whatever happens with Spence, he’ll be fine. What he’s done and what he’s put on tape is a professional basketball player that belongs in a rotation,” head coach David Adelman said. “And he’s earned it. … We’ll figure it out. What that means, I don’t know. And those are Ben (Tenzer) and Jon (Wallace) questions; we’ll have that conversation with them. But we’ll do the best we can do for (Jones) and for the whole roster as we go forward.”
As Durando points out (via Twitter), Jones got a bit of a reprieve when the Nuggets had a game postponed last Sunday and rescheduled for March. But Denver still plays four times between now and next Thursday’s deadline, so if the club isn’t ready to promote Jones until after the deadline, he’ll have to sit out one of those four contests.
There are several other two-way players around the NBA who are nearing their active game limits. Here are the players who are within 10 of the limit, with the number of games they have remaining noted in parentheses:
- Chris Youngblood, Thunder (2)
- Pat Spencer, Warriors (3)
- Jabari Walker, Sixers (3)
- Note: The Sixers have reached their limit of 90 “under-15” two-way games and must maintain a full 15-man standard roster to use their two-way players.
- Daniss Jenkins, Pistons (4)
- Johnny Juzang, Timberwolves (4)
- Nae’Qwan Tomlin, Cavaliers (5)
- Sidy Cissoko, Trail Blazers (7)
- JD Davison, Rockets (8)
- Ryan Nembhard, Mavericks (9)
- Caleb Love, Trail Blazers (10)
- Kobe Sanders, Clippers (10)
Trade Rumors: Magic, Raptors, Celtics, Cavs, Thunder, AD
Sources around the NBA expect the Magic to make a move at the trade deadline to move under the luxury tax line, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst. Orlando is operating about $5.6MM into the tax, so a deal involving Tyus Jones‘ expiring $7MM contract could address the issue. However, as Bontemps and Windhorst point out, it wouldn’t do anything to alleviate Orlando’s cap crunch in future seasons.
The Magic project to be in second-apron territory next season and will likely be opening negotiations with standout guard Anthony Black on a rookie scale extension that would begin in 2027/28. Rivals teams are curious to see if the team will be looking to move off of longer-term salary at the deadline or in the offseason, per ESPN’s duo, and are also wondering whether the front office has any regrets about the maximum-salary extension it gave Paolo Banchero last summer.
“Banchero is a physically gifted and highly talented player who doesn’t always make his team better, and it reminds you at times of Carmelo Anthony in that way,” one Western Conference executive said. “He’s young, and I’m sure they believe that he can mature into a player who does that. But I’d guess (Orlando) is concerned about having given him a full max with an opt out.”
We have more trade rumors from across the league:
- According to Bontemps and Windhorst, while it remains unclear whether a favorable opportunity will present itself, sources view the Raptors as a potential buyer with the assets necessary to be aggressive on the trade market at the deadline. “There are only a few teams out there who have full control of their drafts,” an Eastern Conference executive told ESPN. “That makes (the Raptors) a buyer if they want. But when you look at their contracts ($165MM to their top five players next year), they’re going to need those picks.”
- Rival teams view the Celtics as a candidate to make a deal for frontcourt help, but an upgrade along the margins is more likely than a significant deal for a player like Jaren Jackson Jr., Bontemps and Windhorst write.
- ESPN’s duo also checks in on the Cavaliers, noting that the team is heading toward a “gut check moment” with Donovan Mitchell, who has one more guaranteed year left on his contract and has yet to reach the conference finals. Cleveland also has the NBA’s highest payroll and projects to be in the second apron again next season. “Cleveland is active (in trade discussions),” one exec told Bontemps and Windhorst. “We’re not sure what they’re trying to set up — and they may not be either — but they’re active.”
- While the Thunder are unlikely to make any significant changes to their 38-11 roster at the trade deadline, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said in the latest Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link) that he has heard some rumblings about them poking around the market for centers.
- Responding to a report that stated he wants his client Anthony Davis to be traded, agent Rich Paul referred to it as “fake news” (Twitter video link). However, while Paul made it clear he has nothing against the Mavericks or Dallas, he didn’t exactly deny the substance of that report, which suggested he wants Davis on a team that’s more likely to extend him. “It’s not like you want a guy moved just for the sake of being moved,” Paul said on the Game Over podcast. “If a guy is happy where they are, great. You care about people’s families. You care about the guys’ well-beings, and you care about if they’re happy. Now, from a business perspective, you want guys to be positioned and you want guys to be paid. I really don’t care where the money comes from. The money can come from the 31st team of the NBA for all I care. It doesn’t matter, as long as my guy’s positioned and paid, that’s all I want to do.” At this point, a Davis trade appears unlikely to happen by Thursday’s deadline.