With general managers around the NBA gearing up for the final hours before the 2018 trade deadline, there’s not a whole lot of enthusiasm for an “impactful” day of deals, says ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). According to Wojnarowski, there’s a sense that trades will be made, but the day may be short on difference-making deals.
Still, Woj has several trade-related notes and rumors to pass along, so let’s dive in and round them up…
- Teams have been reaching out to ask the Grizzlies about Marc Gasol, but those clubs have consistently been shut down, league sources tell Wojnarowski (Twitter link). As has been the case all season, Memphis refuses to engage in trade discussions involving Gasol.
- The Grizzlies continue to seek a first-round pick for Tyreke Evans, but suitors like the Celtics, Nuggets, and Sixers have been hesitant to offer more than either a second-round pick or a young player, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Teams seem to be hanging onto their first-rounders tighter than ever, per Woj.
- The Pacers have been aggressively seeking out deals that would allow them to land a first-round pick while taking on a bad contract, tweets Wojnarowski. Indiana is willing to offer Al Jefferson in such a deal, Woj adds. The veteran big man doesn’t have a lot of value, but his $10MM salary for 2018/19 is only partially guaranteed for $4MM, making it a pseudo-expiring contract.
- The Lakers have passed on multiple offers of second-round picks for Julius Randle, league sources tell Woj (Twitter link). Randle’s impending restricted free agency makes it very unlikely that any club will put a first-rounder on the table.