Southwest Notes: Jordan, Murray, Sheppard, Prosper
After signing with the Pelicans at the start of the regular season, veteran center DeAndre Jordan made two appearances in his first week on the roster in October, then didn’t see any action until after last month’s All-Star break. He has played regular minutes since then, earning five starts and logging double-digit minutes in each of New Orleans’ past six games.
Even before his return to the rotation, Jordan “elevated our program tremendously,” according to interim head coach James Borrego, who spoke glowingly about the the 37-year-old’s leadership and “massive impact” on the Pelicans’ locker room, per Mark Medina of EssentiallySports.
“He has a high standard,” Borrego said. “He’s the first one to show up. Pregame, he does his work. Then you add the leadership piece. He’s wrapped his arms around the vets. He’s wrapped his arms around the young guys. … He’s brought us an edge and a physicality. He’s a massive and tremendous communicator. I think that’s what we’re trying to get our young guys to develop more. That’s the ability to communicate, especially for bigs. It’s massive. To look like a big defense or be a good defense, you have to talk, especially from that five spot. He does it as well as anybody.”
Despite not seeing the floor for over three-and-a-half months and playing for a team that opened the season by losing 31 of its first 39 games, Jordan hasn’t been discouraged by his situation or the modest role he has been asked to take on, he told Medina.
“As I’ve gotten older, I’ve embraced that locker room leader and mentor kind of role,” Jordan said. “Whenever my number is called, I’ll be ready to play and contribute in any way that I can in the days that I’m not playing. I encourage my teammates. I’ll criticize them when it’s necessary. I let them know about things that I see on the floor. I give them knowledge back.
“… We don’t want to be complacent and okay with losing nine or 10 games in a row. But we’ve had a lot of young guys who are playing big minutes early. So it’s about being able to get them some familiarity with the NBA and the speed and the sets and coverages. So that next year when we’re a healthy team, and these guys have a full rookie season under their belt, we’ll be better.”
Asked how much longer he hopes to play, Jordan – who is in his 18th NBA season – said it’s long been a goal to get to 20 seasons in the league if he can.
We have more from around the Southwest:
- Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray has been effective since returning from his year-long absence due to an Achilles tear, scoring at least 13 points in each of his first four games, but he’s still not ready to play in back-to-back contests. Murray has been ruled out for Thursday’s matchup with Sacramento, the first of a back-to-back, due to “return to competition conditioning,” according to the team. Forwards Trey Murphy III (neck spasm) and Zion Williamson (right ankle sprain) are both considered questionable to suit up.
- With Reed Sheppard playing some of the best basketball of his career recently in an increased role, Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports and William Guillory of The Athletic examine the strides the Rockets guard is making in his second NBA season and consider what his role will look like once starters Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. return from injuries. “My teammates are giving me the space to grow, and they’re pushing me to be aggressive. That’s made it a lot easier for me,” Sheppard told Guillory. “It hasn’t always been perfect, but I’m working to fix the mistakes. I know I can play an important role for us to get where we want to go.”
- The second year of Olivier-Maxence Prosper‘s new two-year, minimum-salary contract with the Grizzlies is a team option, as Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. Prosper’s rest-of-season salary is $527,879, while his 2026/27 option is worth $2,497,812.
Southwest Notes: Middleton, Nembhard, Murphy, Prosper, Barnes
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd was pleased with Khris Middleton‘s decision to remain in Dallas for the rest of the season rather than seeking a buyout to get to a playoff team, tweets Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News.
“It’s great,” Kidd said. “Khris is a vet. He’s already had some impact with us, on and off the floor. For him to be able to stay, it’s great. We’ll try not to play him 40 minutes a night, but his ability as a vet to score and to lead is something that’s needed in that locker room, so we’re happy he stayed.”
Although Middleton stayed put, another veteran – Tyus Jones – negotiated his release from the Mavericks, which opened up a roster spot on Dallas’ 15-man roster. The team used that newly created opening to promote standout rookie guard Ryan Nembhard from his two-way contract.
According to Curtis (subscription required), Nembhard said after signing the deal that it “feels great” to get his first real NBA contract and that he’s “looking forward to building on this.” The former Gonzaga standout added that he has long felt valued by the Mavs, who tried to acquire a second-round pick to acquire him last June before ultimately signing him as an undrafted free agent.
“They showed a lot of love,” Nembhard told Curtis. “They got me in for a workout the day before the draft. I feel like there was an opportunity for me. That’s the biggest thing.”
We have more from around the Southwest:
- Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III played on Sunday for the first time since before the All-Star break, returning from a right shoulder contusion that kept him on the shelf for five games, writes Rod Walker of NOLA.com (subscription required). “A versatile player playing at a high level,” interim head coach James Borrego said of Murphy, who generated significant interest from rival teams ahead of February’s trade deadline. “He just raises our level, our standard, our ceiling. He’s having a tremendous year to this date. The energy, the vibe, the spirit, the competitiveness and the belief. I know he’s happy to be out there with his brothers.”
- Two-way forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper has taken on an increased role for the Grizzlies as of late, starting five straight games, playing small-ball center, and averaging 15.2 points per night on .628/.471/.867 shooting since February 6. Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal takes an in-depth look at Maxence-Prosper, who only has six games of eligibility left on his two-way deal and is making a strong case for a promotion to the standard roster. “All of O-Max’s energy is just contagious,” head coach Tuomas Iisalo told Afseth. “He’s one of the highest-motor players in the whole league. He’s had to basically shift up a position or two spots and is doing a great job. He’s improved his shooting from the outside and is shooting with a lot of confidence. … How he’s improving in the little facets of the game overall, it’s a testament to the hard work he’s putting in.”
- Removed last month from the Spurs‘ starting lineup after making 775 consecutive starts for four NBA teams, veteran forward Harrison Barnes continues to play regular minutes off the bench and has taken his new role in stride, notes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required). “Harrison Barnes is as professional and as good of a veteran as you could want in your locker room,” Spurs forward Keldon Johnson said of his teammate, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Pelicans Notes: Bey, Fears, Murphy, Zion, Alvarado
The NBA doesn’t have a comeback player of the year award like the NFL, but if it did, Saddiq Bey would be among the frontrunners, says Rod Walker of NOLA.com.
The Pelicans wing missed the entire 2024/25 while recovering from a torn ACL, but he has been highly productive in his first season in New Orleans, averaging 17.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists on .455/.355/.853 shooting splits in 54 appearances, including 46 starts (30.8 minutes per game).
Bey scored a season-high 42 points (on 14-of-20 shooting) in Thursday’s victory at Utah. He also contributed seven assists and five rebounds in 34 minutes.
As Walker writes, Bey was something of an afterthought in the offseason trade that sent Jordan Poole to New Orleans and CJ McCollum to Washington. But the 26-year-old has been one of the Pelicans’ best players this season, which interim head coach James Borrego admits he “didn’t envision” entering ’25/26.
“He deserves the credit because he works on it every day,” Borrego said. “He does not take a day for granted. I think all of us should learn from Saddiq. He values every day. Every day he gets to walk into an NBA gym, he values it. And he treats it with great care and respect. … He’s really elevated this program.”
Here’s more from New Orleans:
- Borrego praised Jeremiah Fears after the rookie guard recorded his second career double-double in Saturday’s victory in Utah, according to Walker. “His poise, his play-making settled us,” said Borrego. “His pace. You felt him early. Especially when he rebounds like that, we’re gone. To rebound like that at his size and position just fuels our offense. And he continues to grow defensively, making havoc plays out there. I see a focused young man. I thought he was fantastic tonight.” Fears, the seventh overall pick in last year’s draft, finished with 18 points, a career-high 11 rebounds, and five assists in 34 minutes off the bench.
- The Pelicans will get their leading scorer back on Sunday, as Trey Murphy III has been upgraded to available for tonight’s game at the Clippers after missing five straight games with a right shoulder contusion (press release link). Forward Zion Williamson, who exited Saturday’s game in the second quarter with a right ankle injury and didn’t return, is questionable Sunday on the second of a back-to-back.
- In an interview with William Guillory of The Athletic, Jose Alvarado said it was “bittersweet” to be traded to his hometown Knicks ahead of the deadline. The former Pelicans guard also detailed his close bond with New Orleans and its fans. “They felt the love that I had for the city and it was real love,” Alvarado told The Athletic. “There was nothing fake about it. New Orleans will always be home to me. I always said New Orleans is a gritty, tough city and you can never knock them down. We saw Mother Nature, whoever, try to bring New Orleans down and they always rise back up with their head high. I just think that’s how I carry myself, also, and they saw that in me. Obviously, where I grew up is very different from New Orleans, but I feel like my mindset is very similar to a lot of people from there. They saw how I play and how much passion I show every time I’m out there. That’s how they want somebody to represent the city. They showed me genuine love and I always tried to show the same thing to them.”
Pelicans Notes: Queen, Murray, Williamson, Murphy, Missi
Without control of their own 2026 first-round pick, the Pelicans have no reason to tank during the second half of the season despite being out of the playoff race, and that has shown in recent weeks. After opening the season with a 10-36 record, New Orleans has gone 7-6 since January 23, most recently picking up home wins over Philadelphia on Saturday and Golden State on Tuesday.
As Les East of NOLA.com writes, interim head coach James Borrego referred to Tuesday’s victory as a “big, clutch win for our group” and singled out rookie Derik Queen for his contributions. Queen scored just eight points on 4-of-13 shooting, but he was a +8 in his 18 minutes off the bench and had three straight baskets during one key run in the third quarter.
“Queen was massive during that stretch,” Borrego said. “We don’t win that game without him.”
While Queen, Zion Williamson (26 points), and Saddiq Bey (18 points) all played crucial roles in the victory, the big story of the night was Dejounte Murray‘s return from an Achilles tear. Playing for the first time since January 31, 2025, Murray was immediately reinserted into New Orleans’ starting lineup, which Borrego said “was not an easy decision.” However, it paid off, as Murray had 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting in his first game back and the new-look starting five outscored Golden State in 10 minutes of action.
“He looked like his old self. He didn’t miss a beat,” Borrego said of Murray, per Brett Martel of The Associated Press. “For that to be his first game, I felt him on both ends of the floor. … He was fantastic. Really proud of him and just happy for him to embrace this moment.”
Borrego added that there was a “massive celebration” in the Pelicans’ locker room for Murray after Tuesday’s game. Although the veteran guard appreciated the support from his teammates, he told reporters he was already focused on “the next game” and wants to play as often as possible in New Orleans’ final 23 contests this season.
“I’m hungry,” he said. “I’m starving.”
Here’s more on Murray and the Pelicans:
- Multiple reports ahead of the February 5 trade deadline cited rumblings that Murray and his camp might not mind a change of scenery. However, Murray strongly pushed back on the idea that he or his representatives ever requested a trade out of New Orleans, denying that claim in a tweet and adding, “(Executive VP of basketball operations) Joe (Dumars) and the whole organization know I was locked in to come back better than ever to help make his play-in push and whatever comes after that.”
- While injuries have been a major issue for Williamson since he entered the NBA as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft, he has had his healthiest stretch in years over the last two-plus months, appearing in 33 consecutive games for the Pelicans. Within an article examining what’s next for Williamson, Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) notes that the forward has locked in a partial guarantee of at least 40% of his $42.17MM salary for 2026/27 by appearing in 41+ games this season.
- Williamson could increase that guarantee to 60% of next year’s salary by reaching 51 games, 80% by getting to 61 games, and the full 100% if he plays 61 or more games and meets certain weigh-related benchmarks. Even if he doesn’t lock in that full guarantee by season’s end, Williamson looks like a sure thing to be kept under contract through July 15 (either by the Pelicans or another team), Gozlan writes, which would also ensure his ’26/27 salary becomes fully guaranteed.
- Forward Trey Murphy III (right shoulder contusion) and center Yves Missi (left calf strain) will remain out for the Pelicans when they face Utah on Thursday, the team announced today. It will be a fourth straight missed game for Murphy, who hasn’t played since the All-Star break, while Missi sits out a fifth consecutive game.
Southwest Notes: Durant, Irving, All-Star Weekend, NBPA
Rockets star Kevin Durant doesn’t buy the argument that players used to compete much harder in the All-Star Game, according to Devon Henderson and Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Sunday will mark Durant’s 16th appearance in the contest, so he has a lot of personal experience to offer a comparison. In addition, he told reporters on Saturday that he watched “at least the first quarter of every All-Star Game from like the ’70s up until the late ’90s” to see if there was a noticeable difference in the level of play.
“I’ve been watching All-Star Games and the intensity the older generation been talking about,” Durant said before trailing off and shaking his head disapprovingly. “I don’t know if I’ve seen it.”
Henderson and Nehm note that ratings for the game have been falling dramatically amid the perception that the players don’t really care, with last year’s contest marking a 13% decline from 2024. However, Durant believes the players are easy scapegoats for the public’s waning interest in the event.
“I just feel like fans and media need something to complain about, and the All-Star Game don’t make them feel like it made them feel back when they were kids, so they need something to complain about,” he said. “I don’t think it’s that big of a deal, to be honest. The All-Star Game, the All-Star Weekend, it’s here to celebrate the game of basketball.”
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Posting on Twitch, Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving said he’s planning to provide an update after the All-Star break on his recovery from ACL surgery and the possibility of a return this season, relays Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). There has been speculation for months that Irving may be able to return around this point of the season, but the team hasn’t announced any sort of timetable. “It’s not easy to come back from any injury,” Irving said (Twitter video link), “but you gotta be mentally, spiritually, physically ready and the frustrating portion has been not being able to push myself to that brink, where you’re just dog tired.”
- Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (subscription required) asked Grizzlies players for their suggestions to improve All-Star Weekend, which include convincing star players to compete in the Slam Dunk Contest and adding a one-on-one tournament to Saturday’s schedule. Rookie guard Jahmai Mashack believes the addition of an international team this year will help to boost interest. “I like the idea of USA versus World,” he said. “That’s really cool. I just think players got to be more competitive. Once you go out there, you got to treat it like a real game. Maybe have the stakes be a little bit higher and give them something to compete for.”
- The Grizzlies‘ Santi Aldama and the Pelicans‘ Trey Murphy III have been selected as vice presidents for the NBPA executive committee, Cole tweets.
Warriors Rumors: Porzingis, Murphy, JJJ, Green, Kerr
Kristaps Porzingis is exactly the type of player the Warriors have wanted to add to their frontcourt for years, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, who says Golden State views the big man as a no-risk, potentially high-reward addition. Still, sending Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to Atlanta for Porzingis was something of a fall-back option for the Warriors, who pursued Giannis Antetokounmpo and several other impact players leading up to Thursday’s trade deadline.
The Warriors’ interest in Trey Murphy III has been well chronicled, and Siegel suggests Golden State was prepared to offer Kuminga, an unprotected 2026 first-round pick, and a lightly protected 2028 first-rounder for the Pelicans wing. However, sources tell ClutchPoints that New Orleans had set an asking price of at least three first-round picks for Murphy and wasn’t enthusiastic about Kuminga as a long-term building block.
The Warriors also spoke to the Grizzlies about Jaren Jackson Jr., Siegel confirms, and would’ve done a package that included Kuminga, Hield, two first-round picks, and “some sort of swap.” But Siegel hears that Golden State was reluctant to include Moses Moody or far-off draft picks which Memphis would’ve valued more highly (since they’d likely land after Stephen Curry‘s retirement), so Utah was able to beat Golden State’s package for Jackson.
While Porzingis may not have been atop the Warriors’ wish list, the team is looking forward to seeing what he’ll bring to the table and there’s optimism that he’ll be ready to play in the first game after the All-Star break, head coach Steve Kerr confirmed today (Twitter link via Nick Friedell of The Athletic). Kerr told reporters that Porzingis did some three-on-three work on Tuesday and will play in short bursts once he’s activated.
For his part, Porzingis – who has been limited to 17 outings this season for injury/illness reasons – is optimistic about what the rest of the season holds for him and the Warriors.
“I think it’s a great, great opportunity to turn a new page,” Porziņgis said over the weekend, per Friedell. “From what I’ve seen, and the conversations I’ve had so far with the medical staff here, and the people that work here, I have to say I’m very surprised and very optimistic. I’m in really, really good hands, if not some of the best hands, and I think that will also add to what I already have in my mind. So, I look forward to really having a surprisingly good post All-Star break.”
We have more on the Warriors:
- Interestingly, during his post-deadline media session, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. strongly pushed back against the idea that the team discussed Draymond Green in trade talks. “His name was not in conversations other than the ones where teams called me to ask about him,” Dunleavy said, according to ESPN’s Anthony Slater. “The idea that he ‘stayed with the Warriors past the deadline’ was greatly exaggerated. It was never a possibility of him not being here or remotely close.” Multiple reporters – and Green himself – have suggested that the longtime Warrior would’ve almost certainly been included in a package for Antetokounmpo, so perhaps Dunleavy’s comments reflect a belief that the Giannis scenario never gained any traction.
- Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area passes along several more of Dunleavy’s remarks from Saturday’s media session, including the GM’s assertion that the Warriors remain well positioned to trade for an impact player going forward. “We’ve got the goods to make deals,” Dunleavy said. “I think the only way we wouldn’t be in the mix is if we gave out assets, young players, all the things you need to get a great player. We still have all that. I think that’s one of the reasons the KP trade is really good for us, similar to Jimmy last year. We don’t feel like we gave up a ton. We still have the kind of firepower to move forward and do more deals.”
- Checking in on Kerr’s future in Golden State, Siegel reports that the Warriors would like to keep the veteran head coach in his role as long as he wants and that the hope has always been that he and Curry will retire together. While a January report indicated that Kerr’s assistants have been operating as if 2025/26 will be his last year, Siegel doesn’t get the sense that the coaching staff is expecting that outcome.
- Hield was one of Green’s “favorite teammates of all time” and “left a mark” on the franchise, the former Defensive Player of the Year said on Saturday’s episode of The Draymond Green Show (hat tip to Will Simonds of NBC Sports Bay Area). “To see him go, you feel the gap, you feel the hole, you feel it,” Green said. “It’s like I said before, it’s the s–ttiest part of the business.”
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.
No Trades Involving Morant, Kawhi, Sabonis, Zion, More
The Bucks informed rival teams a few hours ahead of Thursday’s deadline that they wouldn’t be trading superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, and several other noteworthy players will remain with their respective teams after the deadline passed at 2:00 pm CT.
Point guard Ja Morant was available on the trade market for at least four weeks, but even after lowering their asking price, the Grizzlies were unable to find a taker for the two-time All-Star, confirms Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints (via Twitter). According to Siegel, Memphis will revisit trade talks for Morant in the offseason.
According to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), while a few teams were “intrigued” by the 26-year-old’s talent, none were willing to make a “serious offer.” The Kings, Bucks, Heat and Timberwolves were all linked to Morant in recent days, though there’s no indication that talks ever reached an advanced stage.
As Siegel writes, the Grizzlies were looking for a first-round pick for the two-time All-Star, but no teams were willing to meet that asking price. Miami, for instance, was only willing to give up expiring contracts and second-round picks for Morant, sources tell Siegel.
Morant’s injury history and maximum-salary contract limited his appeal on the trade market, per Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. The former No. 2 overall pick is on a guaranteed deal that runs through 2027/28.
“You’re committing to several years, and if it doesn’t work, you’re probably carrying that contract until it’s an expiring at least,” one league source told Afseth. “Most teams would want to be compensated just to take that deal on, whether they believe in Morant or not.”
The Clippers made a pair of major trades, swapping James Harden for Darius Garland and sending Ivica Zubac to Indiana for two first-round picks, one second-rounder, Bennedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson. All-Star Kawhi Leonard won’t be going anywhere though, tweets NBA insider Chris Haynes.
Two-time All-NBA big man Domantas Sabonis, who was repeatedly linked to Toronto until Sacramento’s talks with the Raptors “flat-lined,” will stay put with the Kings, sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link). The Kings were also unable to find suitable deals for Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk, per Haynes (Twitter link).
Jarrett Allen (Cavaliers), Lauri Markkanen (Jazz), LaMelo Ball (Hornets), and Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones of the Pelicans are among the other noteworthy players whose names came up in trade speculation this season who will remain with their respective clubs.
Of course, we saw a flurry of trades that did transpire in the lead-up to the deadline. The full list can be found here.
Trade Rumors: Bulls, Dosunmu, Allen, Missi, Rockets, Pelicans, More
There have been some “tangible” discussions this week between the Bulls and Pacers about a possible trade involving Ayo Dosunmu and Bennedict Mathurin, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). However, after Chicago agreed to trades for guards Jaden Ivey and Anfernee Simons on Tuesday, it’s unclear whether the team still has interest in Mathurin, who is also on the Pelicans‘ radar.
According to Fischer, the Bulls also explored multiple trade scenarios involving Nikola Vucevic before agreeing to a Simons trade with Boston, including offering Vucevic and a future first-round pick to the Cavaliers for Jarrett Allen. That’s a deal Cleveland wouldn’t have been able to make without ducking the second tax apron, since Vucevic’s $21.5MM cap hit comes in a little above Allen’s $20MM figure.
Whether due to the apron restrictions or simply a lack of interest, Cleveland turned down the offer, per Fischer, who adds that the Pacers are another team that has registered interest in Allen.
While the Bulls may not have a viable path to acquiring Allen, they remain very much in the mix for Pelicans center Yves Missi, reports Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. According to Siegel, New Orleans has continued to seek a first-round pick in exchange for Missi, but no team has been willing to meet that asking price so far.
Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Speaking of the Bulls, it’s worth keeping an eye on whether they end up flipping Mike Conley in a separate trade after acquiring him from Minnesota on Tuesday, Fischer writes. There have been rumblings that if Conley is traded again and then waived, the Timberwolves would have interest in bringing him back on a minimum-salary deal. That wouldn’t be possible if Chicago waives Conley directly due to NBA rules about a traded player rejoining his previous team.
- The Rockets have been connected to Bulls guard Coby White, among other targets, with forward Dorian Finney-Smith viewed as a possible trade candidate, but Siegel hears that Houston likes its roster and would be content to stand pat at the trade deadline — or to make a smaller move or two involving minimum-salary or near-minimum players. Forward Tari Eason, who will be a restricted free agent in the offseason, has drawn significant interest, but the Rockets aren’t interested in moving him, Siegel adds.
- Sources tell ClutchPoints that the Pelicans have received offers that include multiple first-round picks for both Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones, but they still haven’t seriously entertained the idea of trading either player. It remains very possible that New Orleans maintains its high asking prices for Murphy and Jones and keeps both players through the deadline, despite significant league-wide interest in them, Siegel writes.
- The Clippers continue to seek potential takers for Chris Paul and Kobe Brown, Siegel reports, since moving those players would help create breathing room under the hard cap – and room on the roster – to promote Jordan Miller and Kobe Sanders from their two-way deals to standard contracts.
- Recognizing that whether or not he’s traded this week is “something that’s out of my control,” Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. says he’s at peace with whatever happens, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. For what it’s worth though, Lewis writes in a separate subscriber-only story that more and more league sources believe Porter will ultimately end up remaining in Brooklyn through this Thursday’s deadline.
Lakers Rumors: Wing Targets, DiVincenzo, Knecht, Sharpe
Although the Lakers remain active on the trade market, their limited assets and their desire to retain as much 2026 cap room as possible are complicating factors as they look to upgrade their roster, writes Dan Woike of The Athletic.
Some rival executives believe the Lakers are willing to trade their 2031 or 2032 first-round pick for the right wing, Woike writes, but the sort of player they’d be targeting with that pick either isn’t available at that price or isn’t available at all — that group includes Pelicans forwards Herbert Jones and Trey Murphy III.
A league source tells Woike that the Lakers have been linked to practically every defensive-minded wing on the market, including Isaac Okoro of the Bulls and Derrick Jones Jr. of the Clippers. But it seems unlikely Los Angeles would give up its lone tradable first-round pick for a player of that caliber, especially since guys like Okoro and Jones are owed guaranteed money for 2026/27 and would eat into the club’s projected cap space.
As previously reported, the Lakers could emerge as a viable Giannis Antetokounmpo suitor this summer if the Bucks don’t move him at the deadline, but for now, any potential L.A. involvement in a Giannis deal would likely be as a facilitator.
Woike identifies Timberwolves wing Donte DiVincenzo and Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen as a couple players from potential Antetokounmpo suitors who might appeal to the Lakers, and Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints hears that L.A. has expressed interest in DiVincenzo.
Those talks haven’t gained traction though, Siegel writes, and Minnesota would likely only move DiVincenzo if it was necessary to land Giannis. Even in that scenario, it’s unclear whether the Lakers would be the Wolves’ most obvious trade partner or if there’s another team more likely to give up valuable draft capital for DiVincenzo.
Dalton Knecht, the Lakers’ 2024 first-round pick, hasn’t requested a trade, but wouldn’t object to a change of scenery, Woike writes, so he’s a player to keep an eye on if the team does make a deal.
The Lakers are also considering potential non-wing trade targets — sources tell The Athletic that Nets center Day’Ron Sharpe has fans within the organization.
Still, Woike believes that any meaningful changes to the Lakers’ roster are probably more likely to happen this summer than this week.