Siegel’s Latest: MPJ, Warriors, Murphy, Giannis, Wolves, Magic
The Warriors had internal discussions about the possibility of pursuing Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. but received indications that the asking price would be higher than they’re comfortable with, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. The Lakers also aren’t expected to pursue Porter, Siegel writes, since they’re not looking to take on that sort of a big-money contract at this time (Porter is owed $40.8MM in 2026/27).
The Nets have conveyed to potential trade partners that they’re comfortable keeping Porter beyond this season, per Siegel, so if their asking price isn’t met, there’s a good chance he’ll remain in Brooklyn through the trade deadline.
While a Porter deal doesn’t seem likely, Siegel says the Warriors remain on the lookout for wings and have been linked to veterans like DeMar DeRozan of the Kings and old friend Andrew Wiggins, who was sent to the Heat in last season’s Jimmy Butler trade. It remains to be seen whether Miami will look to move Wiggins, but there’s still “a lot of mutual love” between the former No. 1 overall pick and the Warriors, who won a title together in 2022, Siegel notes.
Of course, the Warriors’ interest in Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III has been an open secret for months, and they’ve made him multiple calls about him this season, sources tell ClutchPoints.
Rivals believe New Orleans’ asking price for Murphy would be multiple first-round picks and a young player or two, says Siegel, but it’s unclear if the Pelicans would move him even if that price is met — they’ve reportedly told teams they don’t intend to. The Raptors are another team that has inquired on Murphy, Siegel reports.
Here are a few more highlights from Siegel’s latest league-wide rumor roundup:
- Although Giannis Antetokounmpo has said on the record that he has no intention of ever asking the Bucks to trade him, many people around the NBA still believe it’s only a matter of time until the two sides split, Siegel writes. There’s a sense it could happen in the offseason, which is one reason why several clubs want to hang onto their top trade assets. “It really seems like he’s made up his mind already,” an Eastern Conference executive told ClutchPoints. “But this is Giannis we are talking about, and he’s very careful with the words he picks when talking to the media because he doesn’t want to be painted as the villain in Milwaukee. And if we are being honest, he shouldn’t be, no matter if he requests a trade or not. He may not have directly requested a trade, but everyone knows what’s going on there. It’s basically just who will break the silence and actually say it is time to move on. Giannis doesn’t want to be that guy, and that’s understandable.”
- The Timberwolves are widely expected to address their backcourt in a deadline deal, with Magic guard Tyus Jones, Kings guard Malik Monk, and Hornets guard Collin Sexton among the players they’ve been connected to, per Siegel. Charlotte has conveyed that it would want at least one asset of value (ie. a draft pick or young player) in a Sexton deal, Siegel adds.
- There’s a belief that the Magic are open to moving Jones, forward Jonathan Isaac, and/or center Goga Bitadze, according to Siegel, who suggests Orlando could acquire second-round capital and 2026/27 cap relief in a deal involving Bitadze. The Magic are operating about $5.6MM above the luxury tax line, so they could look to duck the tax altogether by trading one or more of those players, whose salaries range from $7MM (for Jones) to $15MM (for Isaac).
Fischer’s Latest: AD, Butler, Giannis, LeBron, Raptors, Vucevic
The Mavericks are said to be open to continuing Anthony Davis trade talks while the big man recovers from his hand injury, and agent Rich Paul would reportedly like to see a deal happen before the February 5 deadline. However, the market for Davis seems to have cooled in the wake of his latest injury, writes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
The Hawks and Raptors have been the two teams mentioned most frequently this season as potential suitors for Davis, but both Eastern Conference clubs have been signaling that they’re no longer involved in significant trade discussions with the Mavericks, per Fischer. The Warriors also haven’t shown legitimate interest in pursuing the 32-year-old despite being linked to him earlier in the season, Fischer adds.
By all accounts, the Mavs won’t just send Davis to the highest bidder if they don’t get any offers to their liking, so unless Atlanta or Toronto circles back to the big man or another suitor emerges in the next week or two, it sounds like the odds of AD remaining in Dallas through the deadline are rising.
Here are a few more items of interest from Fischer:
- Fischer agrees with fellow Stein Line reporter Marc Stein, who wrote on Wednesday that the Warriors are unlikely to trade Jimmy Butler at the deadline following his season-ending ACL tear. Butler has been a positive presence in Golden State’s locker room and the Warriors believes he’ll help them next season, Fischer explains, so it doesn’t make sense to move him unless his maximum-salary contract would be necessary to land a superstar like Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo or Lakers forward LeBron James. Both of those players remain very much on Golden State’s radar, says Fischer, but aren’t considered probable trade candidates at this time and may not be in play until the offseason, at the earliest.
- The Raptors are signaling that they’re not pursuing Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, but they maintain interest in Kings center Domantas Sabonis, sources tell Fischer. Toronto’s apparent lack of interest in Morant was also reported this week by Michael Grange of Sportsnet.
- Multiple sources who spoke to Fischer believe Bulls center Nikola Vucevic is unlikely to be traded at the deadline. However, the veteran big man is expected to be a popular target on the free agent market during the offseason, Fischer writes, since he’s believed to be open to taking on a more “complementary” role in the right situation after having been a full-time starter for most of his career.
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.
Raptors Rumors: Webster, Morant, AD, Agbaji, Sharpe
There have been rumblings around the NBA that Raptors general manager Bobby Webster – who is in the last year of his contract – is facing some pressure to accelerate his team’s contention timeline by making a significant in-season deal, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. However, Grange hears that’s not actually the case.
Multiple sources tell Sportsnet that Webster and the Raptors are already having “meaningful” discussions about a contract extension and that the team’s head of basketball operations has a very strong relationship with Keith Pelley, the president of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (the Raptors’ parent company).
“There’s a really good vibe,” one of Grange’s sources said of the relationship between Webster and Raptors ownership. “Everyone is comfortable with each other. The communication is good. It seems like there is a big-picture view of the whole thing. It’s kind of (an) old-school approach to dealing with management. There’s a lot of runway, and no rush. Everything has cooled off (since former Raptors president Masai Ujiri was let go last June). They’ve really come a long way, considering there was an executive search this past summer.”
Following Ujiri’s exit from Toronto, the Raptors conducted a search for a new lead basketball executive but ultimately decided to promote Webster, who had worked in the front office under Ujiri for over a decade. Pelley has no regrets about that decision and told Grange that Webster’s contract status won’t affect the team’s in-season decisions on the trade market.
“There is no pressure regarding the trade deadline or his contract,” Pelley said. “And he is 100 per cent aware of that. The team is moving in the right direction and I’m convinced that Bobby will make the right moves, at the right time, to make us better. This team under Bobby’s direction, will contend for championships.”
We have more on the Raptors:
- While Toronto has been linked to Ja Morant since word broke that Memphis is considering trading him, one insider who spoke to Grange insisted that the Raptors won’t be a serious suitor for the Grizzlies point guard. Grange also expresses skepticism about the likelihood of an Anthony Davis trade between the Mavericks and Raptors, noting that the big man – who will turn 33 in March – is the sort of win-now target who probably doesn’t make sense for Toronto right now.
- To that point, while Grange doesn’t rule out the possibility of the team making a big move sooner rather than later, he hears from multiple sources that the Raptors are prepared to be patient and may be more likely to take a big swing a year from now. As Grange observes, Toronto has a fairly young roster and head coach Darko Rajakovic has repeatedly used the word “rebuild” this season when discussing his team’s progress. While I wouldn’t describe this Raptors team – which is operating in luxury tax territory – as rebuilding, Grange’s point is that the Raptors believe there’s more room for internal development and aren’t in a rush to go all-in right away.
- Ducking the tax and adding frontcourt help still appear to be the primary deadline goals for the Raptors, according to Grange, who reiterates that wing Ochai Agbaji and his $6.4MM expiring contract is the team’s top trade candidate.
- In addition to Magic big man Goga Bitadze, who was connected to the Raptors earlier in the season, Nets center Day’Ron Sharpe is another potential frontcourt target to watch for Toronto, Grange says. He has also heard from multiple sources that second-year Pelicans center Yves Missi is available, though the Raptors’ level of interest in Missi is unclear.
Wizards Rumors: Zion, Kuminga, Salary Dumps, Middleton, More
The Wizards‘ trades for Cam Whitmore last summer and Trae Young earlier this month exhibit the front office’s willingness to roll the dice on high-upside players in need of a change of scenery, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic, who hears from league sources that Washington will likely be keeping an eye out for similar opportunities at this season’s trade deadline.
Multiple sources who spoke to Robbins identified Pelicans forward Zion Williamson as one player who fits that bill. While New Orleans has reportedly told rival teams that Williamson won’t be traded this season, people around the league are skeptical that the former No. 1 overall pick is truly off limits, Robbins explains.
According to Robbins, the general consensus is that the Wizards wouldn’t give up their most valuable assets – including any of their own first-round picks – for a player like Williamson, but their “least favorable” 2026 first-rounder (which will likely be Oklahoma City’s pick) could hold some appeal to the Pelicans.
Robbins stresses that a Wizards trade for Williamson is a long shot and that the idea is mostly based on speculation, but he notes that the Pelicans forward was mentioned by several of the sources he talked to. Another player who fits into the same “distressed asset” category would be Jonathan Kuminga, Robbins adds, though multiple recent reports suggested Washington may not be among the most serious suitors for the Warriors forward.
Here’s more on the Wizards:
- Although the Wizards will monitor the market for another buy-low opportunity like the one for Young, they’re more likely to operate as a “dumping ground for assets” at the deadline, Robbins writes. In other words, Washington – which is operating roughly $30MM below the luxury tax line – would be willing to take on unwanted multiyear contracts if they come attached to young players or draft picks.
- Robbins points to Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley ($32.5MM cap hit this season) and Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant ($32MM) as a couple examples of players with long-term contracts that their respective teams are looking to move off of. Quickley has three seasons on his deal beyond this one, while Grant has two more (one guaranteed year plus a player option). However, the sense is that neither Toronto nor Portland wants long-term salary relief badly enough to send out draft assets with Quickley or Grant in exchange for Khris Middleton‘s $33MM expiring contract. The Raptors and Blazers would prefer to use those contracts in deals that actually upgrade their rosters, per Robbins. “I think any smart front office would first obviously use those salaries to get better,” one rival team official told The Athletic.
- Most league sources who spoke to Robbins believe the most likely outcome with Middleton is that he remains in D.C. through the trade deadline and then emerges as a buyout candidate.
- According to Robbins, the Wizards will be reluctant to make a trade that would interfere with the development of any of their most important young players, such as big man Alex Sarr, forward Kyshawn George, guards Tre Johnson and Bub Carrington, and wing Bilal Coulibaly. However, Washington has no obvious long-term answer at power forward and should be more open to pursuing players at that position.
- Assuming they don’t acquire this sort of player at the trade deadline, the Wizards are expected to explore the free agent market during the offseason for a big man who can improve the club’s defensive rebounding and provides more rim protection, Robbins reports.
Atlantic Notes: Barrett, Poeltl, Brunson, Hart, Embiid, George, Hauser
The Raptors are optimistic that forward RJ Barrett will be able to return to action soon, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet. Barrett has missed 21 of the past 27 games due to a knee injury and a sprained ankle, but Grange states that he “showed no ill effects” after a hard workout prior to Sunday’s contest. There’s hope that he can be back on the court at some point during the current road trip, possibly by Wednesday’s game at Sacramento.
The team is less optimistic about center Jakob Poeltl, who has made just one brief appearance since December 15 because of a lower back strain. Poeltl also went through a pregame workout on Sunday, but Grange said it wasn’t nearly at full game speed. Toronto has reportedly explored Poeltl’s value on the trade market, but the lingering injury could make it tough to move him before the deadline.
Rookie forward Collin Murray-Boyles has been seeing time at center during Poeltl’s absence, but he had to leave Sunday’s game in the third quarter after being hit on the hand by Luka Doncic. X-rays were negative, and Murray-Boyles was diagnosed with a bruised thumb.
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart were able to participate Sunday in the Knicks‘ off-day workout, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link). Both players are listed as questionable for today’s game against Dallas, with Brunson recovering from a right ankle sprain he suffered last Wednesday and Hart dealing with right ankle soreness.
- Joel Embiid and Paul George are listed as questionable to play as the Sixers prepare to host Indiana tonight, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). Both players may be held out due to left knee injury management.
- Sam Hauser fell just short on Saturday in his attempt to break the Celtics‘ record for most made three-pointers in a game, writes Jay King of The Athletic. There was plenty of time remaining when Hauser hit his 10th three, one away from Marcus Smart‘s record of 11, but he misfired on his final six attempts. “At that point, it was just like, let’s get them up. Let’s see what happens,” Hauser said. “And then I got dead tired. The last couple, they were on (target), they were just way short. So it is what it is.”
Atlantic Notes: Simons, Barrett, Bridges, McCain
Anfernee Simons had his best game of the season for the Celtics on Thursday night in a 119-114 win over the Heat, writes Jay King for The Athletic. Simons scored 18 points in the fourth quarter and finished the game with 39 points while hitting seven threes, all while coming off the bench.
“I think he definitely was in that mode tonight where, let’s get him the ball and get out of the way and let him be special,” teammate Sam Hauser said.
Jaylen Brown, who ceded the role of closer to Simons for the night, had similarly high praise.
“That boy can play,” Brown said. “He’s probably more talented than the role that he’s placed in. I think that’s kind of obvious, but I have hella respect for him to come out and play winning basketball and do what the team needs (him) to do on a night-in and night-out basis. He doesn’t complain. He just brings good energy and just contributes in a positive way.”
After he spent several seasons with a sub-.500 Blazers team, it was unclear whether Simons played a winning brand of basketball, King writes. According to Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal, there’s a feeling that, to an extent, those questions have been answered and that Simons has boosted his trade stock this season.
The Celtics have been rumored to be in the market for a big man, but Simons’ play could make the team more reluctant than expected to move him, unless a deal brings back a longer-term impact player.
We have more notes from around the Atlantic Division:
- RJ Barrett is missing a fifth straight game on Sunday due to a left ankle sprain, but the Raptors forward seems to be moving in the right direction. Michael Grange of Sportsnet reports (via Twitter) that Barrett has begun doing on-court work, adding that the 25-year-old wing was practicing with intensity and doesn’t appear to be favoring the ankle. Grange expects Barrett to return sometime during the Raptors’ five-game road trip, which runs through next Sunday (Twitter link).
- The Knicks‘ recent struggles can be traced to many different sources, but one key factor has been the play of Mikal Bridges in the fourth quarter, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. According to Bondy, Bridges is averaging just 3.5 points on 42.4% shooting in fourth quarters despite playing the most minutes of any Knick, compared to 55.2% shooting during first halves. Bridges has also struggled to play with physicality — Bondy notes that there are 80 players in the league who play fewer minutes and average more free throws than the 6’6″ wing. The biggest issue, though, is how he’s struggled to step up when Jalen Brunson is unavailable to play. After being brought in to be a tertiary offensive creator, Bridges has averaged just 17.8 points in the five games without Brunson, in which time the Knicks hold a record of 1-4. There were similar concerns about Bridges’ play last season, Bondy notes, and he stepped up when needed in the playoffs.
- Jared McCain was assigned to the Sixers‘ G League affiliate on Saturday after struggling to retain a role in the rotation in his second season, writes Kyle Neubeck of PHLY. McCain hasn’t been able to find his offensive consistency, shooting just 35.4% from the field and 32.3% from three, both dramatic declines from his shortened rookie season, when he shot 46.0% overall and 38.3% from deep. As Neubeck relays, head coach Nick Nurse has maintained that the most important thing for the second-year player is getting minutes and getting comfortable. McCain’s struggles seemed to continue in the G League, however. Playing for the Delaware Blue Coats on Sunday, McCain scored 15 points on 5-of-18 shooting while hitting just 2-of-9 threes and committing six turnovers (to zero assists), per Adam Aaronson of the Philly Voice (Twitter link).
Atlantic Notes: Shead, Nets Streak, Traore, Shamet
The Raptors‘ Jamal Shead has emerged as one of the top backup point guards in the league and he could be deserving of even more playing time, Michael Grange of Sportsnet writes. Shead finished with 15 points and a career-best 13 assists in a loss to the Clippers on Friday.
“He’s amazing, he wants everyone to succeed,” fellow guard Gradey Dick said. “And he has our backs. He has my back and I have his. And I feel like when you have a point guard like that, it’s super motivational … and I feel like what people don’t talk about enough is just the selflessness. He wants everyone to win. I had just missed a shot right there and he’s one of the first guys to come up and say, ‘Stay right there. The way they’re playing their defense, you’re going to be open for another one,’ and that was one of the next plays.”
Shead is also a bargain. The club holds a $2,296,271 option on his contract for next season, which will undoubtedly be exercised.
Here’s more on the Atlantic Division:
- The Nets snapped a five-game losing streak on Friday but it didn’t come easy. They blew a 20-point, fourth-quarter lead before a late Michael Porter Jr. basket put away the Bulls. “The lesson is that there’s no safe lead in the NBA. Teams will always punch back,” coach Jordi Fernandez said, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “Give them credit. But at the end of the day, responding is important because when things go against you and then the other team takes the lead, it may seem like a big mountain in front of you. And the guys kept composure, scored when we needed to. Mike with a big bucket and then the stop.”
- Fernandez made an interesting personnel decision on Friday, riding Nolan Traore instead of lottery pick Egor Demin at the point during crunch time, Lewis notes. Traore finished with seven assists. “I’m very happy with both. I’m very happy with how they play, how selfless they play, their intentions,” Fernandez said. “That’s how you learn and get better. I know (Demin’s) not happy if I take him out of the game. That’s what I hope. And then from there, I know he can bring that level of physicality to guard, to switch, to guard bigger guys, to get into the paint. And then everything else that his superpowers are shooting the ball and finding the 3-point line. I know that that’s there.”
- Landry Shamet returned from a 25-game absence and scored six points in 16 minutes for the Knicks in their loss to the Warriors on Thursday night. Shamet, who is on a one-year, minimum salary contract, was sidelined with a shoulder injury. “He worked his tail off. Landry, he’s a worker, man,” Knicks coach Mike Brown told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “He was getting after it. It means a lot for him to play. He was in a great rhythm before he (got hurt). He’s been out a while. It’s going to take some time for him to get back. But it’s exciting for him to be back and we’re going to be patient with him while he’s fighting to get back to where he was.”
Trade Rumors: MPJ, Kuminga, Raptors, Rockets, Clippers
Recent reporting from ESPN and The Athletic indicated that the Warriors haven’t engaged in any substantive talks with the Nets about Michael Porter Jr. Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area also hears Golden State has been “hesitant” to pursue Porter and suggests the team’s interest in the veteran forward has been overstated.
According to Johnson, if the Warriors do make a run at Porter, it would likely require a third team, as the Nets aren’t interested in Jonathan Kuminga.
However, Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com has heard differently, citing sources who say the Warriors are not only interested in Porter but have “something brewing” in regard to the 27-year-old ahead of the February 5 trade deadline. As Afseth writes, Porter is having a career year in Brooklyn and scouts think he could help just about any team.
Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Both Johnson and Afseth confirm the Lakers are a team to watch for Kuminga, who demanded a trade on Thursday, the first day he was eligible to be moved. President of basketball operations Rob Pelinka likes Kuminga’s game, sources tell Johnson, and the Lakers think the 23-year-old would provide athleticism on the wing alongside Luka Doncic. Still, it’s unclear if the two Pacific Division rivals would make an in-season trade, Johnson notes.
- Although the Raptors have been described as a buyer heading into the deadline, Afseth’s sources refer to Toronto’s approach as being “opportunistic” in search of potential buy-low opportunities. That may be why the team has been linked to stars like Anthony Davis, Domantas Sabonis and Ja Morant, all of whom have dealt with significant health issues this season.
- Houston’s front office isn’t overreacting to the Rockets‘ recent struggles, writes Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports. Team sources tell Iko the Rockets have discussed trade concepts with approximately half the teams in the league, but no deals are imminent and they aren’t aggressively searching for upgrades. Opposing teams have checked in on the availability of Tari Eason, Clint Capela and Dorian Finney-Smith, Iko adds.
- There was speculation that the Clippers might be a seller after a miserable start to the season, but now they’re considered a possible buyer after reeling off 11 wins in their past 13 games, per Afseth, with John Collins and Bogdan Bogdanovic viewed as potential trade candidates. Collins is on an expiring $26.6MM contract, while Bogdanovic earns $16MM this season with an identical team option for 2026/27.
Mavericks Rumors: Davis, Marshall, Gafford, Klay, Russell
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported a few days ago that Anthony Davis is still a trade candidate despite dealing with a hand injury that will keep him sidelined for at least six weeks. A subsequent report from his ESPN colleague Tim MacMahon stated that Davis’ agent Rich Paul hopes the 10-time All-Star is traded by the Mavericks prior to the February 5 deadline, but the team doesn’t feel any pressure to deal Davis just to move off his contract.
The Hawks and Raptors have been frequently linked to Davis, but neither team is close to trading for the 32-year-old big man, sources tell Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported earlier on Thursday that Atlanta isn’t operating with any urgency in the wake of Davis’ latest injury.
“The Mavericks’ leverage is materially worse after the hand injury,” one Western Conference executive told Afseth. “I don’t think [Davis] has much of a market.”
Here’s more from Afseth on the Mavericks:
- Forward Naji Marshall is having a career year with Dallas and has popped up in some trade rumors this winter. Confirming recent reporting from Marc Stein, Afseth says there’s a sense that Dallas prefers to hang on to Marshall rather than move him in the coming weeks. The 28-year-old wing is earning $9MM in 2025/26 and will make $9.4MM in ’26/27 before potentially becoming a free agent.
- Although Daniel Gafford has been repeatedly mentioned as one of the team’s top trade chips, his value seems to be diminishing because of health concerns, Afseth reports. The 27-year-old big man has missed 13 games this season due to a right ankle sprain he initially suffered on the first day of training camp and is doubtful for Saturday’s rematch with Utah, tweets Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. “If Gafford is healthy, he can help a team. I don’t think he’s been healthy all season,” one Eastern Conference scout told Dallas Hoops Journal. “That ankle has been a problem for months. It looks like he’s frequently playing through something. He doesn’t pop when you watch the Mavericks like he did last season.” No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg is also doubtful for tomorrow’s game with a left ankle sprain, Curtis adds.
- Veterans Klay Thompson and D’Angelo Russell are two other trade candidates for the Mavs, but neither player seems to have much of a market, sources tell Afseth. While one Eastern executive told Afseth he thinks Thompson can still contribute on a contending team, his contract — he’s earning $16.7MM this season and $17.5MM in 2026/27 — isn’t viewed positively. Russell, meanwhile, is shooting a career-low 29.5% from three-point range, has been out of the rotation for most of the past month, and holds a $6MM player option for ’26/27.