Grant Williams Expected To Make Season Debut Saturday
Grant Williams is expected to make his season debut tomorrow at Utah, according to the Hornets (Twitter link), who have officially listed the 27-year-old as probable to suit up against the Jazz.
Williams, who is in his seventh NBA season after being selected No. 22 overall in the 2019 draft, has been sidelined since November 23, 2024, when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. He underwent surgery to repair the ACL and other knee ligaments a few weeks later.
Hornets head coach Charles Lee said earlier this week that the 6’7″ forward was in the final stages of his rehab and had been playing five-on-five with the team.
Williams, who played high school basketball in Charlotte, was a rotation regular for the Hornets last season prior to the serious knee injury, averaging 10.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals on .439/.365/.838 shooting in 16 games, including seven starts (29.9 minutes per contest). He’s under contract for a combined $27.9MM over the next two seasons and could be a free agent in the summer of 2027.
Ryan Kalkbrenner is also on track to return Saturday after missing the past 10 games due to a left elbow sprain. He’s probable to play in the road game in Utah.
The 7’1″ center was off to a solid start to his rookie campaign prior to the injury, averaging 8.7 PPG, 6.4 RPG and 1.8 BPG while shooting 78.7% from the field. The 34th overall pick in last year’s draft started 25 of his 26 games, averaging 25.6 MPG.
Anthony Davis Has Ligament Damage In Hand, Out Indefinitely
5:30 pm: The Mavericks officially confirmed (via Twitter) that Davis has ligament damage in his left hand, which was revealed by an MRI. Davis is seeking multiple opinions for the injury and updates will be provided as appropriate.
4:05 pm: In a full story for ESPN.com, Charania and MacMahon report that Davis is expected to be out at least six weeks if he’s able to avoid surgery. Undergoing a procedure would sideline the one-time NBA champion for “several” months, sources tell ESPN.
3:24 pm: Mavericks big man Anthony Davis has ligament damage in his left hand, according to Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link).
Davis is getting a second opinion on his hand and could miss multiple months if surgery is deemed the best course of action to treat the injury, per ESPN’s duo. Either way, it sounds like Davis — one of the top names on trade market — will be out of action beyond the February 5 deadline, tweets Charania.
The 32-year-old forward/center sustained the injury late in the fourth quarter during Thursday’s loss at Utah. His hand appeared to bend back at an odd angle while defending Lauri Markkanen on a drive (YouTube link).
Davis initially signaled to Mavs head coach Jason Kidd that he was OK to stay in the game despite being in noticeable discomfort, ultimately checking out a couple of possessions later after Kidd called a timeout. The 10-time All-Star was doubled over in pain in the tunnel of the arena and did not return.
Davis, who has a lengthy injury history, has been plagued by multiple ailments (adductor, eye, calf, groin) since was traded to Dallas last February in the shocking blockbuster that sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers. The Mavs are 10-10 with Davis in the lineup this season but just 4-14 when he’s unavailable.
Not only does Davis’ hand injury decrease the odds of him being dealt before Feb. 5, it may make the Mavs more likely to shut down Kyrie Irving for the 2025/26 campaign as well, notes Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints (via Twitter). Irving is out indefinitely after tearing his ACL last March.
2026 is the last draft which in which the Mavericks control their first-round pick until 2031, observes Marc Stein (Twitter link), so prioritizing a top selection for the remainder of the year seems likely. The offseason may be a different matter, however, given the lack of future draft control.
In 20 games this season, Davis has averaged 20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.7 blocks in 31.3 minutes per contest. The former No. 1 overall pick is under contract through 2027/28, with a $62.8MM player option for that final season.
Centers Daniel Gafford, Dwight Powell and Moussa Cisse are candidates for more playing time with Davis out indefinitely.
Nets Notes: Young, Sharpe, Claxton, Williams
The Nets were reportedly among the teams said to appeal to Trae Young before he was officially traded to the Wizards. While Brooklyn didn’t reciprocate that interest, it’s a positive sign for the team that a four-time All-Star like Young was intrigued by the possibility of joining the Nets in the middle of their rebuild, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post.
As Lewis observes, there were some rumblings about how attractive the Nets would be viewed by star players after the “big three” of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden all left Brooklyn. Mikal Bridges‘ exit to the crosstown rival Knicks only amplified those rumors, but evidently none of those factors deterred Young.
Here’s more on the Nets:
- Backup center Day’Ron Sharpe made the most of his opportunities as a starter over the past three games with Nic Claxton missing the first two contests due to personal reasons, per C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News. Although the Nets came up short in Wednesday’s overtime loss to Orlando, Sharpe did many of the little things that contribute to winning, including a key offensive rebound at the end of regulation that directly led to an Egor Demin game-tying three. “Yeah, he’s been fighting,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said. “Played really hard, helped us make winning plays. Everybody remembers the shot, but that rebound for the kick out was amazing. So, also proud of him, and I think his minutes have been valuable and his growth has been out there, so I’m very happy to see that.”
- As Holmes writes in another story, Sharpe could cut into Claxton’s minutes due to his impressive play, but Fernandez views that as a good problem for the Nets. “I think it’s very good because they’ve both been part of us getting better, and they’re both a big part of why our defense has been very good for a big stretch,” Fernandez said. “When both Nic and Day’Ron have good games defensively, we’re very good as a team defensively.” As expected, Claxton will return to the starting five on Friday vs. Los Angeles, tweets Lewis.
- Forward Ziaire Williams was a DNP-CD for the final two games of 2025, but he has played some of his best basketball of the season since the calendar flipped to 2026, according to Howie Kustoy of The New York Post. Fernandez wants the former lottery pick to be a consistent difference-maker on the defensive end. “He’s just a great positive energy to have around,” Fernandez said. “He shows up and works every day with a smile on his face. He competes at a high level. He’s about the right things. He’s very young. He’s improved in many things and he gives us that intensity defensively to change games. All those things mean a lot to us as a group. This is the Ziaire that we want, that we need, that we want him to sustain and we want him to get better.”
Southeast Notes: Wagner Brothers, Trae, Ball, Weaver
The Magic have been typically cagey about the return timelines for Franz Wagner (left high ankle sprain) and Moritz Wagner (left ACL surgery recovery), but head coach Jamahl Mosley provided updates on both players on Friday, as Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel relays.
Franz, who last played on December 7, has been doing on-court work with “a little bit of contact stuff,” Mosley said, telling reporters that the forward has been working on his “cardio and conditioning.” As for Moritz, he has participated in some 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 scrimmages and is taking contact as well, according to Mosley.
Although it doesn’t sound like a return to action is far off for either player, Beede notes that there’s still no guarantee either will be available for next Thursday’s game vs. Memphis in their home country of Germany. As Mosley acknowledged, while the Wagner brothers would love to play in that game, the Magic certainly don’t want to rush them back without being 100% sure they’re ready.
“The challenge in that is, you think long term,” Mosley said. “You want them to be ready for that Berlin game. They want to be ready for that Berlin game, and that’s a big key. That’s the ideal world. But then the reality of what we’re facing is the fact that you want them to be ready for the long game as well. We have a long season ahead of us, and you want them to be prepared and as healthy as possible, walking into each one of those games from then on.”
We have more from across the Southeast:
- Trae Young hasn’t played since December 27 due to a right quad contusion, so it’s no surprise that the Wizards ruled him out for Friday’s game after officially acquiring him earlier in the day. However, it’s worth noting that the team’s designation for Young (Twitter link) includes both his quad contusion and a right MCL sprain, the injury that sidelined him earlier in the season. Amid speculation that the point guard may not play a ton during the second half for his new team, it appears that managing that knee issue will be one explanation the team cites for his absences going forward.
- After playing limited fourth-quarter minutes on Wednesday, LaMelo Ball didn’t start for the Hornets on Thursday in order to better position him to be available late in the game, writes Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. It was the first time Ball had come off the bench since his rookie season. “Just trying to find a way to get more creative with how we manage Melo’s minutes in order to keep him in a good place health-wise,” head coach Charles Lee explained. “And also just coming off of that last game, wanted to find a way that maybe we can have him in at the end of games. It helps us regulate his minutes, and then I thought he was able to play more minutes in the fourth quarter.”
- Veteran NBA assistant Will Weaver, who joined the Hornets in August as a coaching advisor, is in advanced talks to become the next head coach of the Brisbane Bullets, reports Olgun Uluc of ESPN. Weaver has prior head coaching experience in Australia’s National Basketball League, having coached the Sydney Kings from 2019-20 in between NBA jobs.
Pelicans Telling Teams They Won’t Trade Zion, Jones, Murphy
The Pelicans are rebuffing trade inquiries on forwards Zion Williamson, Herbert Jones, and Trey Murphy III, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link), who reports that New Orleans is telling teams that those players will remain in New Orleans through the February 5 trade deadline.
Haynes adds that forward Derik Queen and guard Jeremiah Fears are also considered off-limits, though there was never any expectation that the Pelicans would consider trading either of their promising rookies this season.
The Pelicans underwent a front office overhaul last spring, with head of basketball operations David Griffin replaced by Joe Dumars, who brought in former Pistons general manager Troy Weaver as his top lieutenant. Dumars and Weaver began reshaping the roster during their first summer on the job, trading away CJ McCollum and giving up a 2026 first-rounder in order to draft Queen after using their own lottery pick on Fears.
With New Orleans off to an ugly 8-31 start this season, there had been speculation that more significant roster changes could be on the way in the next few weeks.
While multiple reporters stated that the Pelicans weren’t looking to move Jones or Murphy, there was a sense that they might be more open to listening on that duo than in the past, though the asking price would still have been “extremely” high. Multiple reports also suggested that Williamson appeared increasingly unlikely to be part of the club’s long-term plans.
Based on Haynes’ update today, it doesn’t sound as if any of those three veterans will be going anywhere this season after all. Still, it’s worth noting that we have nearly four weeks until the deadline, so if the Pelicans get an offer that blows them away, there would be nothing stopping them from changing their stance on or before Feb. 5.
Williamson, a two-time All-Star, has battled a series of injuries since being drafted first overall in 2019, playing more than 30 games in a season just twice in his career. However, he has put up big numbers whenever he’s healthy, including averages of 22.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 steals in 28.8 minutes per game in 23 outings this season.
The 25-year-old, who was linked to the Bulls this week, is making $39.4MM this season and is owed about $87MM over the next two years, though he has a unique contract structure that ensures his future salaries remain non-guaranteed unless he meets certain weigh-in benchmarks and games-played totals.
Jones, who was named to the league’s All-Defensive first team in 2024, has averaged 9.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.7 steals in 28.3 minutes per game this season while shooting a career-worst 39.4% from the field. The 27-year-old signed an offseason extension that makes him ineligible to be traded until January 14. He has a cap hit of $14MM this season, is owed $58.3MM for the next three years, and has a player option worth $24.2MM for 2029/30.
Jones has been considered a potential target for the Lakers and other teams seeking defensive help on the wing.
Murphy, 25, has developed into a reliable two-way weapon for New Orleans. He’s averaging career highs in points (21.3), rebounds (6.1), assists (3.5), and steals (1.5) per game in the first season of a four-year, $112MM rookie scale extension. His 49.5% mark from the floor and 90.8% rate on free throw attempts are also career bests.
The Warriors, among other teams, have repeatedly been said to have significant interest in Murphy.
Even if the Pelicans stick to their guns and hang onto Williamson, Jones, and Murphy this season, there are a number of other trade candidates on the roster, including Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey, Jose Alvarado, and Kevon Looney.
Grizzlies Open To Trading Ja Morant
The Grizzlies are entertaining trade offers for Ja Morant and will consider moving the star point guard prior to the February 5 trade deadline, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.
According to Charania, multiple teams have interest in Morant and the Grizzlies are weighing possible paths forward, including either keeping the two-time All-Star or trading him in order to build around Jaren Jackson Jr. and their young core. If Memphis does make a deal involving Morant, the goal would be to acquire young players and draft picks in return, Charania adds.
Morant, 26, was the NBA’s Rookie of the Year in 2020 and Most Improved Player in 2022 while making All-Star teams in both ’22 and ’23. However, his ascent to superstardom was derailed by injuries and by his off-court behavior — he was suspended twice by the NBA for brandishing a firearm in videos on social media, and missed most of the 2023/24 season due to a torn labrum in his shoulder.
Health issues have continued to plague Morant, who is currently sidelined due to a calf contusion, since the start of the ’24/25 season. He has appeared in 68 of 119 total games during that time and hasn’t looked as explosive as he once did.
In the past season-and-a-half, the former No. 2 overall pick has still posted solid numbers, including 22.1 points and 7.4 assists per contest, but those averages are well below his previous highs. He has also shot just 44.1% from the floor and 28.7% on three-pointers since the start of last season.
Trade speculation kicked into high gear during the fall after a disagreement between Morant and Grizzlies head coach Tuomas Iisalo about substitution patterns escalated into a locker room confrontation and earned the point guard a team-imposed one-game suspension.
The relationship has appeared to be in a better place in recent weeks, but even if he and Iisalo are on good terms, Morant’s position as a long-term cornerstone in Memphis no longer seems nearly as secure as it once was. His maximum-salary contract, his past off-court conduct, his injury history, and his declining production are all factors that may complicate his place in the Grizzlies’ future.
The Timberwolves and Kings were among the teams said to be monitoring Morant’s situation earlier this season, and both Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints (Twitter link) and Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link) suggest they’re worth keeping an eye on now that the Grizzlies are apparently more open to a deal.
Still, a recent report suggested Minnesota is more inclined to pursue point guards on mid-tier contracts rather than maximum salaries, and it’s unclear if Morant fits Scott Perry‘s vision to build a more defensive-minded roster in Sacramento.
Both Siegel and O’Connor also mention the Heat as a possible suitor for Morant, with Siegel tweeting that Miami was among the clubs to reach out to Memphis in the fall.
The Grizzlies will be gauging the market on Morant shortly after the Hawks moved four-time All-Star point guard Trae Young for a modest return: CJ McCollum, Corey Kispert, and no draft compensation. Morant is earning less than Young ($39.4MM this season) and is on a guaranteed contract for two more years beyond this one, but scouts and executives have expressed skepticism about the trade value of offense-first point guards like Morant.
“Ja, Trae and LaMelo (Ball) don’t have that much value because the game has changed around them,” one scout recently told The Athletic.
The Grizzlies reshaped their roster last summer, sending Desmond Bane to Orlando for a package that featured four first-round picks. While the team is still headlined by veteran stars Morant and Jackson, the front office has done well building a promising young core around them, including Cedric Coward, Zach Edey, and Jaylen Wells.
Despite being open to trading Morant, the Grizzlies apparently aren’t looking to launch a full-fledged rebuild entirely around that younger group — Siegel reports that the club has no interest in discussing potential deals involving Jackson.
Trae Young Notes: Wizards’ Statement, Extension, More
After the Hawks officially announced the completion of the Trae Young trade, the Wizards followed suit, issuing a press release to confirm that the deal is official. The team will hold a formal press conference at 6:00 p.m. Eastern on Friday to introduce its new point guard.
“We are excited to welcome Trae Young to the Washington Wizards,” general manager Will Dawkins said in a statement. “It is a rare opportunity to acquire a player of Trae’s skill, accomplishments, and age. Trae plays an exciting brand of basketball and brings a level of confidence and competitiveness that has set him apart in this league.”
Young, who revealed (via Twitter) that he’ll wear No. 3 with his new team (Elvin Hayes‘ No. 11 is retired), also published a statement of his own, making his first public comments since news of the trade agreement broke.
“Bringing a championship to Atlanta was always my goal,” Young wrote (via Twitter). “However, between the injuries, the setbacks, and situations that didn’t make sense, we never truly got to see our full potential. The city that raised me and taught me so much will always be a chapter in this story.
“However, the pain of staying the same eventually outweighed the uncertainty of change. Change is often met with fear, but I see it as another opportunity. I’m walking into his next chapter ecstatic, with my head high and my eyes forward. It’s time to see what’s possible when the support is real and the vision is clear. We move.”
Here’s more on Young in the wake of his move to Washington:
- The Wizards view Young as a “rare intersection of basketball impact and marketability,” writes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal, citing sources. As Afseth explains, the organization has lacked recognizable stars since moving on from John Wall and Bradley Beal and hopes Young can be that type of figure going forward.
- There’s a strong expectation around the NBA that Young will sign a contract extension with the Wizards sooner or later, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst. Afseth suggests that Washington would likely be looking at a three-year deal, adding that it could be worth in the neighborhood of $120MM. That would be the same sort of contract that Brandon Ingram signed after being sent to Toronto in a similar mid-season trade a year ago.
- Like last season’s Ingram trade for the Raptors, this deal is considered a form of “pre-agency” for the Wizards, who project to have significant cap flexibility during the summer and are getting a head-start on their offseason, per Bontemps and Windhorst. ESPN’s duo adds that the Wizards are hopeful that Young’s impact on their young core can be similar to Chris Paul‘s with the Thunder in 2019 or Fred VanVleet‘s with the Rockets in 2023.
- In a mailbag, Josh Robbins of The Athletic tackles a series of questions about the Young trade, including how the 27-year-old guard will impact second-year center Alex Sarr, how Bub Carrington‘s role could change, and whether Young’s presence will affect their 2026 draft plans. Robbins also observes that – while the Wizards are optimistic about a longer-term future with Young – the cost to acquire him was so modest that it won’t be viewed as a disaster if things don’t work out and the two sides ends up parting ways in a year or two.
Hawks Trade Trae Young To Wizards
January 9: The trade is official, the Hawks confirmed today in a press release.
“On behalf of the Hawks franchise, I’d like to thank Trae for how he embraced the city of Atlanta and represented the Hawks during his time here, on the court and in the community,” Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh said in a statement. “Over more than seven seasons, including four All-Star appearances, he cemented himself as a fan favorite and one of the great players in our franchise’s history. We wish Trae and his family all the best.
“Adding CJ McCollum, one of the NBA’s most prolific shooters and a respected veteran, along with an established young veteran in Corey Kispert, will strengthen our team on the court and in the locker room, and we retain flexibility for future opportunities to continue building our program.”
January 7: The Hawks have reached an agreement to send Trae Young to the Wizards in exchange for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). No draft picks are being included in the trade, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Charania reported earlier today that Washington was Young’s preferred destination in a deal. He gets a chance to restart his career as a veteran presence on a young team after spending seven-plus seasons in Atlanta.
Young was a four-time All-Star with the Hawks, including last season when he was the NBA’s assists leader with 11.6 per game. However, he was limited to just 10 games this season after suffering a sprained MCL in late October and a right quad contusion that has kept him out recently.
According to Charania (Twitter link), the Hawks liked the look of their offense over the past two months centered around dynamic forward Jalen Johnson and a collection of wings and depth rather than relying on a ball-dominant guard like Young.
They also get out from under Young’s $49MM player option for 2026/27 and his desire for a contract extension. McCollum is a versatile guard with playoff experience who has a $30.6MM expiring deal, while Kispert is under contract for nearly $14MM this season and next and roughly $13MM in 2027/28.
The salary flexibility could make Atlanta more willing to increase its pursuit of Mavericks big man Anthony Davis before the trade deadline. Numerous reports have indicated that the Hawks are interested in acquiring Davis, but didn’t want to have his salary and Young’s on their books at the same time.
Charania points out that the deal reunites Young with Wizards executive Travis Schlenk, a former Hawks general manager who drafted him with the fifth pick in 2018 (Twitter link). Charania adds that team president Michael Winger and general manager Will Dawkins have been targeting a veteran star to blend with the young talent they’ve accumulated in recent drafts (Twitter link).
The Hawks no longer project to be over the cap this summer and could have $29MM in cap space, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). With McCollum, Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kennard, Atlanta has more than $70MM in expiring contracts. The acquisition of Young leaves the Wizards with a projected $46MM in cap room, down from about $80MM, assuming he doesn’t opt out and leave in free agency.
The Hawks “heavily valued” Kispert’s three-point shooting and viewed him as a vital part of the deal, sources tell Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. He has been limited to 19 games this season due to injuries to his thumb and hamstring.
McCollum, who has been a full-time starter in his first season with Washington, provides another proven scorer for the Hawks’ backcourt. He’s not likely to get bought out once the deal is complete, according to cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link), because his Bird rights could become useful in an offseason sign-and-trade. If there is a buyout, Gozlan notes that apron teams such as Cleveland, Dallas, Golden State, Minnesota and New York wouldn’t be permitted to sign McCollum.
According to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link), Young left the Hawks’ bench with about 31 seconds left in tonight’s game and gave high-fives to a few of his teammates as he headed to the locker room (YouTube link). At a post-game press conference, coach Quin Snyder told reporters that he’s “not at liberty to talk about or answer” any questions about the Young deal because it hasn’t been officially finalized, per Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks (Twitter link).
Pacific Notes: Melton, Horford, Kuminga, Brooks, Sallis
It has been an up-and-down season so far for the Warriors, who haven’t been more than three games over .500 at any point in the first half and currently hold a 20-18 record. However, in the view of Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area, the team should still be in good shape if it can consistently get the sort of contributions from “X-factors” that it did in Wednesday’s victory over Milwaukee.
While Stephen Curry was the only member of the starting lineup with a positive net rating on the night, all five reserves used by head coach Steve Kerr achieved that feat. Brandin Podziemski was a +19, Gui Santos was a +12, De’Anthony Melton scored 22 points, and Al Horford contributed eight points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and two blocks.
The contributions by Melton and Horford were especially welcome, since the two offseason veteran additions were limited by injuries during the fall and have only recently started producing more consistently as part of the Warriors’ second unit. Draymond Green referred to the duo as “guys that connect our lineups,” while Curry also highlighted their importance.
“Those two guys weren’t available much or at all early in the year, and they’re both trying to find their legs, their rhythm,” Curry said. “But you can see how much of a difference they can make off the bench.”
Here are a few more notes from around the Pacific:
- Green became the latest Warriors veteran to praise Jonathan Kuminga for how he has handled his removal from the rotation and his uncertain future, as Dan Dempster of NBC Sports Bay Area details. “Such a standup young man and great person and (he) will be a great player,” Green said, before going on to provide examples of Kuminga’s professionalism. Still, outside of Sacramento, league-wide trade interest in Kuminga has been “tepid,” Poole reports for NBC Sports Bay Area. Poole goes on to say that the relationship between the Warriors and the fifth-year forward remains “cordial” but that their differences don’t appear reconcilable.
- Suns forward Dillon Brooks broke into a smile when asked this week about Mat Ishbia‘s assertion that Brooks is “not going anywhere,” as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic relays (Twitter video link). Responding to a tweet suggesting a Brooks/Austin Reaves swap, the Suns’ owner said “don’t bother calling” because his team isn’t interested. “He’s been saying I’m going to be a longtime Phoenix Sun. I appreciate it,” said Brooks, who is under contract through 2026/27 and will be extension-eligible during the offseason.
- Hunter Sallis, an undrafted rookie out of Wake Forest who appeared in seven games while on a two-way contract with Philadelphia earlier this season, has joined the San Diego Clippers, the G League team announced (via Twitter). As Law Murray of The Athletic points out (via Twitter), Sallis is James Harden‘s cousin.
Trade Rumors: Morant, Ball, Bucks, Kings, Kuminga
The Hawks‘ return for a four-time All-Star like Trae Young may look awfully modest, but a scout who spoke to Sam Amick of The Athletic suggests it may be equally difficult for other teams with defensively limited point guards to extract real value for them. That group includes the Grizzlies with Ja Morant and the Hornets with LaMelo Ball.
“Ja, Trae and LaMelo don’t have that much value because the game has changed around them,” that scout said.
According to Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst of ESPN, rival executives have conveyed a similar sentiment, pointing to Young’s maximum-salary contract and the league-wide depth at the point guard spot as reasons why they think Atlanta made out reasonably well in the deal. Conversely, some of those execs questioned the Wizards‘ decision to trade for Young.
“I know from a value proposition why you look at it,” an Eastern Conference scout said. “But if I’m the Wizards, just keep being bad, and stuff will figure itself out. I’m not sure why they felt the need to do this.”
“Offense is so easy now,” a Western Conference executive added. “One of the worst teams in the league can still easily put up 115 points in a game. … It’s hard for these small point guards to have real value with how the game is played now.”
We have more trade notes and rumors from around the NBA:
- While the Bucks have been connected to multiple Kings players, including Zach LaVine and Malik Monk, there were no active discussions between the two teams as of earlier this week, league sources tell Amick. Amick also confirms that the Bucks are among many teams believed to have interest in Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. and that they’ve conveyed interest in Anthony Davis, though they don’t appear to have a realistic path to a deal for the Mavericks big man.
- Checking in on the Jonathan Kuminga situation, Amick writes that the Kings are still widely viewed as the frontrunner to acquire the Warriors forward, but are no longer willing to offer the protected 2030 first-round pick that was on the table during the offseason, echoing a similar report from ESPN. Additionally, since Golden State has registered no real interest in Sacramento’s veterans, a third team may be necessary to make a deal that gets Kuminga to the Kings, Amick adds.
- ESPN’s Kevin Pelton and Zach Kram suggest six hypothetical trades they think make sense for all involved parties, with cap expert Bobby Marks analyzing each proposal. Their ideas range from bigger moves like the Bucks getting Porter or the Warriors landing Trey Murphy III to more minor deals like the Raptors acquiring Brook Lopez.