Latest On Nikola Mirotic
4:37pm: The Bulls will hold Mirotic out of games while they attempt to trade him, a source tells Goodwill (Twitter link). According to ESPN’s Nick Friedell (Twitter link), Mirotic won’t play until after the trade deadline or until Chicago completes a deal.
1:00pm: For a brief time on Tuesday, it appeared that the Pelicans and Bulls were about to finalize a deal that would send Nikola Mirotic to New Orleans. In fact, according to Vincent Goodwill of NBC Sports Chicago, an agreement was so close that Mirotic was pulled off the Bulls’ practice floor and left the facility, believing that his time in Chicago was ending.
Instead, the trade hit a snag — or, more accurately, a pair of related snags. Until Mirotic’s $12.5MM team option for 2018/19 is exercised, he has the ability to block any trade that involves him, and as K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune tweets, the power forward is unwilling to approve a move to New Orleans without that option being picked up.
Conversely, the Pelicans like the idea of having flexibility with that ’18/19 option, since exercising it may complicate the team’s ability to sign DeMarcus Cousins to a new mega-deal. New Orleans would still have the ability to re-sign Cousins, but with both big men on board for next season, the team would likely go over the tax line, a threshold ownership has been reluctant to cross.
According to Johnson, neither Mirotic nor the Pelicans appear willing to change their stance on that $12.5MM option for now, so it’s not clear if the Bulls and Pels will be able to make a deal before the February 8 deadline. I’m somewhat surprised the option is a sticking point for New Orleans — given the way Mirotic has been playing, his $12.5MM expiring deal should be pretty tradable this July, if necessary. But perhaps the Pelicans don’t want take the risk of Mirotic suffering a major injury or having his value decline in the coming months.
With talks between the Bulls and Pelicans at an impasse, the Jazz have continued their pursuit of Mirotic, tweets Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. However, the Jazz remain reluctant to include a first-round pick in their offer, according to Jones. Goodwill adds that the Bulls are “enamored with” Utah’s Rodney Hood, but says that the Jazz have been unwilling to part with Hood in a Mirotic deal thus far.
2017/18 NBA Disabled Player Exceptions
Last month, we published an updated glossary entry outlining how the NBA’s disabled player exception functions. As we explain in that article, the disabled player exception can be granted when a team has a player go down with an injury deemed to be season-ending. The exception gives the club some additional spending flexibility, functioning almost as a cross between a traded player exception and a mid-level exception.
We go into more detail on how exactly disabled player exceptions work in the glossary entry linked above, and in a piece from earlier in the season on the Celtics’ DPE. Essentially, a DPE gives a team the opportunity to add an injury replacement by either signing a player to a one-year contract or trading for a player in the final year of his contract.
Because the rules related to disable player exceptions are somewhat restrictive, and the exceptions themselves often aren’t worth a lot, they often simply expire (this year’s deadline is March 12). According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, only about one in four teams granted DPEs since 2007 have used them.
However, the Celtics are one team well positioned to take advantage of their DPE this season — it’s worth the maximum allowable amount ($8.4MM), the Celtics aren’t close to the tax line, they have an open roster spot, and they have a collection of extra draft picks that could be used to accommodate a trade.
While Boston may be the team most likely to use its DPE this season, there are several other clubs that have those exceptions available. Here’s a breakdown:
(Note: List updated on 2-9-18)
Teams that have been granted disabled player exceptions:
- Boston Celtics: $8,406,000 (Gordon Hayward) (Update: Used on Greg Monroe)
- Brooklyn Nets: $6,000,000 (Jeremy Lin) (Update: Used on Dante Cunningham)
- Miami Heat: $5,500,000 (Dion Waiters)
- Detroit Pistons: $5,248,660 (Jon Leuer) (Update: Used on James Ennis)
- Los Angeles Clippers: $2,756,757 (Patrick Beverley)
- Utah Jazz: $2,625,000 (Thabo Sefolosha)
- New Orleans Pelicans: $2,480,899 (Alexis Ajinca)
As noted above, the Celtics are the best bet to use their disabled player exception, and not just because it’s worth the most (and can therefore accommodate a wider range of potential trade targets). Even if teams like the Clippers or Pelicans identify a modestly-paid player worth acquiring, they’re unlikely to use their DPEs because of how close they are to the luxury tax line and hard cap, respectively.
Teams ineligible for disabled player exceptions:
- Phoenix Suns (Brandon Knight)
- Memphis Grizzlies (Mike Conley)
- New Orleans Pelicans (DeMarcus Cousins)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (Andre Roberson)
The Grizzlies, Pelicans, and Thunder had the misfortune of having their key players ruled out for the season after the January 15 application deadline. Since they can no longer apply for a DPE, they’ll have to make do with any remaining exceptions they have. As for the Suns, a DPE to replace Knight would have been worth about $6.8MM, but Phoenix remains nearly $9MM below the cap, rendering that exception unnecessary.
Blake Griffin Roundup: Analysis, Reactions, Rumors
The Clippers and Pistons had discussed the idea of a Blake Griffin trade for about a week before finalizing an agreement on Monday, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. However, as O’Connor writes, the door opened on a potential Griffin trade back in 2016 after the big man punched a Clippers equipment manager. Doc Rivers had “casual conversations” with the Celtics about a possible Griffin deal in the summer of ’16, then listened last season when the Knicks reached out.
Now that the Clippers have moved on from Griffin, the franchise is “starting over,” but doesn’t plan on bottoming out, a GM tells O’Connor. Depending on what other moves the Clippers make before the trade deadline, pursuing a maximum-salary player this summer could be on the table, though 2019 currently looks like the more logical time for L.A. to go after one or two max guys. If the Clips want to create more flexibility for the summer of 2018, attaching a multiyear contract like Austin Rivers‘ or Danilo Gallinari‘s to Lou Williams‘ inexpensive expiring deal in a trade could be an option, O’Connor notes.
As for the Pistons, they may not be done dealing either. According to O’Connor, Detroit remains interested in Jazz swingman Rodney Hood, and could send out forward Stanley Johnson before the deadline.
As we wait to see how the Clippers and Pistons follow up on Monday’s mega-deal, let’s round up more reactions, rumors, and analysis related to 2018’s first NBA trade:
- After initially responding to news of the trade on Monday night with a Fresh Prince of Bel-Air GIF, Griffin issued a more formal statement this morning, thanking Clippers fans and announcing that he’s ready to start “the next chapter” of his career in Detroit.
- Although the sentiment around the NBA is that the Clippers made out well on Monday, Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports wonders if the Griffin trade will be the rare blockbuster that doesn’t end up helping either team. Mannix also hears that Clips ownership has no interest in a Sixers-esque tear-down and rebuild.
- The Clippers weren’t trying to deceive Griffin when they made their over-the-top pitch to him in free agency seven months ago; if anything, they may have been trying to deceive themselves, writes Lee Jenkins of SI.com.
- The Clippers are moving in the right direction after the Griffin trade, according to Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times, who calls the move a “gutsy admission of a mistake and a calculated gamble on the future.”
- With the Cavaliers set to play the Pistons on Tuesday (the newcomers won’t be active), LeBron James said it was “unfortunate” for Griffin that he was traded by the Clippers, per Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. “He spent his last nine years there,” James said. “He signed a multiyear deal there this summer, so that’s unfortunate. But that’s the business side of it. It’s both sides. It works both sides, though. It’s the business.”
- Despite a new arena, attendance and enthusiasm has been modest in Detroit this season. That’s a key reason why the Pistons needed to swing for the fences and generate some buzz by acquiring a star like Griffin, argues Ansar Khan of MLive.com.
- Pistons president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy has long been willing to push his chips into the middle of the table to land a star player, and finally got his chance to do so this week, says Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.
- We rounded up more initial reactions to the Griffin trade on Monday night.
Jazz Assign Tony Bradley To G League
- The Jazz have sent Tony Bradley to the G League for the 13th time this season, according to the club (Twitter link). The first-year center has only played 28 total minutes for Utah this season, but has averaged a double-double for the Salt Lake City Stars, with 15.6 PPG and 10.3 RPG in 16 games.
And-Ones: Pistons, Hood, Muscala, Referees
The general consensus among various league executives and agents is that this season’s trade deadline won’t be overly eventful, writes Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. While several smaller-scale deals could be made, the 2018 deadline figures to be short on blockbusters, particularly since many big trades already happened during the 2017 offseason.
Still, O’Connor’s trade deadline preview touches on many players and teams, mixing in a few new tidbits alongside news and rumors that have been previously reported. For instance, the Bulls and Pistons are among the teams believed to have interest in Jazz shooting guard Rodney Hood, according to O’Connor, who adds that virtually any Utah player not named Rudy Gobert or Donovan Mitchell could be had in the right deal.
Among O’Connor’s other items of interest: Hawks big man Mike Muscala has generated “light interest” around the NBA, and execs across the league have vastly different opinions on Pistons trade candidate Stanley Johnson — some view him as a potential low-cost steal, while others are bearish on his value.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NBA:
- In his latest piece at NBA.com, TNT’s David Aldridge has 10 trade ideas that he believes would make sense for the various teams involved.
- The NBA recently announced an initiative that the league hopes will improve the working relationship between its players and referees. Sam Amick of USA Today spoke to Monty McCutchen, a former top-rated ref who has joined the league office, about the five-part program.
- In his latest look at trade rumors from around the NBA, Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post explores how the Pelicans and Thunder will try to fill the holes created in their rotations after season-ending injuries to DeMarcus Cousins and Andre Roberson, respectively.
Jazz Recall Tony Bradley From Westchester
- The Jazz have recalled center Tony Bradley from their affiliate, the team announced on Twitter. Bradley has averaged 15.6 points and 10.3 rebounds per game in his 16 games with the Salt Lake City Stars.
Kyler’s Latest: Nuggets, Whiteside, Mavs, Kings
Nuggets veterans Kenneth Faried and Emmanuel Mudiay could be had in trades at this year’s deadline, league sources tell Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, who suggests that the asking prices for those players likely wouldn’t be too high. I identified both Faried and Mudiay as potential trade candidates in my look at the Northwest on Wednesday.
If the Nuggets become a seller, Will Barton would also be a very intriguing trade chip, Kyler writes. However, that may be wishful thinking on the part of rival teams. Denver currently holds a playoff spot in the West and Barton has played the second-most minutes on the club, so it seems unlikely that the Nuggets would move him. Ultimately, the team may not end up trading anyone — Kyler suggests there’s a sense around the NBA that Denver isn’t looking to make a deal as aggressively as several other teams.
Here’s more from Kyler:
- Sources close to the Heat acknowledge that teams have called about Hassan Whiteside, but say he probably won’t be made available at the deadline, writes Kyler.
- The Mavericks “have had eyes” for Julius Randle, and would be a potential trade partner for L.A. if the Lakers move the big man. Kyler refers to Dallas a “open for business” in terms of trades.
- According to Kyler, the prevailing thought around the NBA is that Willy Hernangomez is the player most likely to be moved by the Knicks, though he’s unlikely to net a significant return.
- While many league insiders think Nikola Mirotic will end up in Utah, the Jazz don’t currently seem to be on board with sending a first-round pick to the Bulls, says Kyler.
- Team sources tell Kyler that Garrett Temple and Zach Randolph are more likely than not to finish the season in Sacramento, but the Kings have been “very open and receptive” to trying to find their veterans new homes.
- Although the Magic are viewed as a team that could be active at the deadline, the team is reluctant to take back long-term salary and would be happy to ride out the season and make changes in the summer if necessary, per Kyler.
Jazz Have Interest In Willy Hernangomez
The Jazz are among the teams that have shown interest in Knicks big man Willy Hernangomez, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Bondy had reported earlier this week that Hernangomez is the Knick receiving the most trade interest from rival clubs.
With four centers on their roster, the Knicks will likely try to move one of Hernangomez, Enes Kanter, and Kyle O’Quinn before the February 8 trade deadline (Joakim Noah is considered virtually untradable). While there’s certainly no guarantee that Hernangomez will be the player dealt, Bondy observes that head coach Jeff Hornacek doesn’t appear to be the “biggest fan” of the young center.
Hernangomez, who had a solid rookie campaign a year ago, has fallen out of New York’s rotation this season and has repeatedly expressed a desire to play more, whether that happens with the Knicks or another team. As Bondy details, the 23-year-old sounds encouraged to hear that other clubs are looking into trading for him.
“I feel good to know that I’m not even playing and a lot of teams are interested in me. That makes you happy, you can see that you did something good and somebody thinks you can be good in this league,” Hernangomez said. “Like I said, I’m not worried about what’s going to happen in the next couple of weeks. I’m working to be ready for my minutes to come. I’ll be ready. I got a chance to play here, whatever it is.”
As we detailed this morning, the Jazz have no shortage of trade candidates on their roster, so they’re a candidate to make a move or two at the deadline. One of the players on the trade block in Utah is Derrick Favors, who has played the fourth-most minutes on the team. If Favors is dealt, it would make sense to target a younger, cheaper frontcourt player like Hernangomez to assume some of those minutes and to provide insurance behind Rudy Gobert, who has battled injuries this season.
Seven Northwest Trade Candidates To Watch
The NBA trade deadline is just over two weeks away, and there’s no shortage of players around the league who could change teams. With that in mind, we’re taking a closer look at some of those top trade candidates, breaking them down by division.
While our focus will be primarily on teams expected to be sellers at the deadline, our lists may also include some players on contenders who could be used as trade chips when those teams look to make upgrades.
So far, we’ve covered the Southeast, Southwest, and Atlantic. We’re examining the Northwest Division today, so let’s dive in and identify seven players who could be on the move on or before February 8…
Derrick Favors, F/C (Jazz): This isn’t the first season in which Favors has been considered a trade candidate, but the case for moving him is now stronger than ever. He’s on an expiring contract, the 19-28 Jazz are slipping out of the playoff race, and Utah looks like a better team with a small-ball power forward playing alongside Rudy Gobert. When Gobert has been sidelined due to injuries, Favors has played his best, which suggests he’d be better suited as a center than a power forward for most NBA teams. There are several teams that could be fits for that sort of player, but given Favors’ looming unrestricted free agency, the Jazz may have to be willing to take back some long-term salary in order to land a decent draft pick or a young player in exchange for the veteran big man.- Rodney Hood, SG (Jazz): In the wake of Gordon Hayward‘s offseason departure, Hood was identified as a prime breakout candidate and a key source of offense for the Jazz. However, injuries have once again slowed down the 25-year-old, who has played 60+ games in a season just once since entering the league in 2014. When he has played, Hood has been pretty effective, posting career-highs in several categories, including PPG (16.7) and 3PT% (.386). However, his injury history is an issue, and it’s no longer clear if he’s in Utah’s long-term plans. Hood will be a restricted free agent in the summer, which makes him a more appealing trade piece than a UFA-to-be like Favors, since a new team would be able to match any offers Hood receives. With the Jazz reportedly increasing their efforts to make a deal, teams in need of a scoring punch should be in on Hood.
- Joe Johnson, F (Jazz): Johnson made perfect sense on the 2016/17 Jazz roster as a veteran leader and a clutch-time scorer on a fairly young playoff team. He makes less sense on the current iteration on the Jazz, especially since his game has fallen off a cliff this season. Johnson’s average of 7.2 PPG is a career low, as is his dismal .258 3PT%. Unless the Jazz start to make a playoff push very soon, it seems unlikely that Johnson finishes the season in Utah — Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link) hears that the veteran forward wants out. Of course, given his performance and his $10.5MM cap hit, Johnson may be end up being more of a buyout candidate than a trade candidate. It’s possible he could still help a contender, but at that salary – and at his age (36) – teams probably won’t pay much to find out.
- Kenneth Faried, PF (Nuggets): Given how long Faried has been the subject of trade rumors, it seems hard to believe that he still has one more year on his contract after this one. That extra guaranteed season could be problematic if and when the Nuggets look to move him — most teams won’t be looking to commit $13.76MM of next year’s cap to a somewhat one-dimensional player who is playing fewer minutes than ever this season. An off-and-on member of Denver’s rotation, Faried has averaged a modest 6.1 PPG and 4.8 RPG in 30 games (14.9 MPG) so far in 2017/18. The 28-year-old is still a solid rebounder and can finish at the rim, but he’s not a particularly strong rim protector on defense and he doesn’t shoot three-pointers — most NBA teams these days want their bigs to do one or the other. Moving Faried may require the Nuggets to attach an asset or two.
- Emmanuel Mudiay, PG (Nuggets): Mudiay has been a more efficient shooter in 2017/18 than he was in first two NBA seasons, particularly from three-point range (.387 3PT%). However, he’s still shooting just 39.1% overall, and he has once again seen his role reduced by the Nuggets. After starting 107 games in his first two seasons, the former No. 7 overall pick has come off the bench all year, having been usurped on the depth chart by Jamal Murray. Mudiay is still just 21 years old, and his rookie contract doesn’t expire until 2019, making him an intriguing trade target for a team that still believes in his potential. His trade value isn’t as high as it would have been a year or two ago, but it might be time for the Nuggets to get what they can.
- Maurice Harkless, F (Trail Blazers): Even after trading Allen Crabbe in the offseason, the Trail Blazers likely want to move off one more long-term contract in order to avoid ongoing luxury tax purgatory. The club may prefer to deal Evan Turner, who is earning $17MM+ annually, or Meyers Leonard, who has a contract similar to Harkless’ but barely plays. Still, of the three, Harkless represents the best combination of affordability (relative to Turner) and production (relative to Leonard). At $10.16MM, the 24-year-old’s salary isn’t an albatross, especially if he can match last season’s production (10.0 PPG, .503 FG%, .351 3PT%). Anyone on the Blazers’ roster not named Damian Lillard or C.J. McCollum should be available, so Harkless is hardly the only trade candidate in Portland, but he strikes me as one of the club’s most logical trade chips.
- Cole Aldrich, C (Timberwolves): Aldrich has only played 22 minutes this season for the Timberwolves, so perhaps it’s more accurate to identify Aldrich’s contract as the trade candidate rather than the player himself. The veteran center is earning $7.3MM and only has about $2MM guaranteed for 2018/19, making his deal essentially an expiring one. Minnesota reportedly dangled Aldrich and a draft pick in the offseason in an effort to add a shooter, and I’d expect the team to do the same at the deadline.
Here are a few more potential Northwest trade candidates to monitor:
- Alec Burks, SG (Jazz): Burks was identified earlier this month as a player drawing some interest on the trade market.
- Wilson Chandler, F (Nuggets): Like Faried, Chandler has been a longtime trade candidate in Denver. But he’s having a down year and the rumor mill this season has been pretty quiet.
- Kyle Singler, SF (Thunder): Singler, who has played 44 minutes this season, will be a candidate to be stretched in the offseason if the Thunder can’t include him in a trade. Alex Abrines or Patrick Patterson would draw more interest on the trade market, but Oklahoma City might be reluctant to give up a player who can hit outside shots.
- Ed Davis, F/C (Trail Blazers): The Blazers would rather trade longer-term contracts, and they probably still need Davis in their rotation. Still, with Zach Collins emerging, Davis makes an interesting trade candidate — moving his expiring contract could get Portland under the tax line this season.
- Gorgui Dieng, F/C (Timberwolves): Moving Dieng’s four-year, $62.8MM deal is a long shot, but he’s the most likely trade candidate of the Timberwolves‘ highest-paid players. With Taj Gibson now starting at the four, Dieng has seen his minutes slashed from 32.4 MPG a year ago to just 18.2 this season.
Jazz Awarded $2.6MM Disabled Player Exception
The NBA has awarded the Jazz with a $2.62MM disabled player exception for veteran Thabo Sefolosha, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.
Sefolosha, who had knee surgery last week, played 38 games for Utah prior to his shelving and has been ruled out for the remainder of the season. In 21.2 minutes, the 33-year-old swingman had posted 8.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.
Given Sefolosha’s relatively small $5.3MM contract, 50% of which is allotted through the DPE, the Jazz won’t have a major influx of room to work with. But even a small amount could help facilitate a trade prior to the deadline.
The Jazz currently sit 10th in the Western Conference playoff picture and will be hard-pressed to sneak back into the postseason.
More on the mechanics of the NBA’s Disabled Player Exception.