Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Wizards Rumors

Southeast Notes: Gafford, Bagley, Murray, Wagner, Okeke

January 19th, 2024 at 7:56am CST by Luke Adams

Wizards starting center Daniel Gafford entered the NBA’s concussion protocol this week following a head-on-head collision with Isaiah Stewart on Monday and was unavailable for Thursday’s contest vs. New York, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic.

Having traded Mike Muscala and Danilo Gallinari to Detroit, the Wizards had limited options up front with Gafford out. As Alex Schiffer of The Washington Post observes, head coach Wes Unseld Jr. could have opted to go small by starting Bilal Coulibaly or Patrick Baldwin, who had played well as of late, writes Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network.

Instead, newly acquired big man Marvin Bagley III was immediately thrust into the starting lineup at the five and played a team-high 39 minutes in a competitive loss to the Knicks. Bagley impressed in his Wizards debut, racking up 20 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks. He was also a plus-two in a game that Washington lost by four points.

“That’s a heck of a start for him,” Unseld said, per Schiffer. “Played a well-balanced game, offense and defensively. Even things that happened on the fly I thought the group in general helped talk him through situations to keep him organized. That’s growth for us.”

The other player the Wizards acquired from the Pistons, Isaiah Livers, didn’t see the court in his first game with his new team. Livers will have to work his way into the rotation, according to Unseld, who said he expects opportunities to come for the third-year wing.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

  • Within a look at the team’s potential approach to the trade deadline, Ken Sugiura of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution talks to an NBA scout who says the Hawks will likely have to accept the idea of getting less for Dejounte Murray than what they gave up for him in 2022. “The Trae (Young) and Dejounte backcourt has not worked,” the scout said. “And I don’t think they’re going to get what they gave up for him, which puts them in a tough spot. They have to swallow their pride a little bit and take a loss, I think, to move forward.”
  • Zach Kram of The Ringer takes a closer look at Murray’s trade value, noting that various defensive metrics all suggest that the Hawks guard has taken a noticeable step back on that end of the court within the past year or two.
  • Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley said he expects forward Franz Wagner (right ankle sprain) to be back “sooner than later,” adding that Wagner should resume full-contact work “pretty soon” (Twitter links via Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel). Wagner will miss his eighth consecutive game on Friday vs. Philadelphia.
  • Fourth-year Magic forward Chuma Okeke has been out of the rotation for much of the season, but he has started the past seven games with Wagner and wing Gary Harris sidelined. As Beede writes for The Orlando Sentinel, Okeke has earned praise from his teammates for how he’s adjusted to the increase in his playing time and especially for his performance on defense. “It’s not easy going from not playing to playing and then guarding most of the better players on the court, especially one-on-one,” Caleb Houstan said.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Scotto’s Latest: Pacers, Mavericks, Grant, Kuzma, More

January 18th, 2024 at 9:10pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Rival executives applauded the Pacers for being able to land star Pascal Siakam without moving Bennedict Mathurin, Jarace Walker, Andrew Nembhard, Ben Sheppard or Obi Toppin — or including the expiring deal of Buddy Hield — HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto details in a trade deadline intel piece.

But the Pacers now have a logjam at the power forward position, with Jalen Smith, Toppin and Walker all playing behind Siakam. On top of that, there’s still a belief Hield could be moved to create playing time for Mathurin, Nembhard and Sheppard, Scotto writes. As a result, rival executives think Indiana are a candidate to make another trade before the deadline.

We have more from Scotto’s latest roundup:

  • The Mavericks are scouring the market to see if there are any available power forward upgrades, Scotto writes. According to Scotto, Dallas tried acquiring Bojan Bogdanovic last year and had their eye on Siakam before he was moved. Dallas has kept tabs on Portland forward Jerami Grant, Scotto writes, and could potentially look into Washington forward Kyle Kuzma. While Dereck Lively has drawn trade interest from other teams, Dallas told teams he’s not available for trade.
  • As noted earlier on Thursday, the Trail Blazers are signaling to opposing teams that they won’t easily part with Grant before the deadline. Portland values what Grant brings to the table in the locker room and on the court and some executives are pondering whether he could be the missing piece to a championship team like Aaron Gordon was, according to Scotto. Executives thus believe Malcolm Brogdon is the likelier of the two to be dealt, with a fair price expected to be a first-round pick and salary filler, Scotto writes.
  • For what it’s worth, both Portland and Brogdon appear to enjoy their partnership, Scotto explains. “At times, it’s been tough, but there’s something very gratifying about coming to a team where your voice and leadership is really valued and you play a different role,” Brogdon said. Meanwhile, head coach Chauncey Billups said Brogdon is one of the team’s leaders, and that he loves having him in Portland, but acknowledged the difficult transition for Brogdon going from a contender to mentor on a rebuilding team. “He’s in a tough spot here,” Billups said. “He’s coming off the bench, and sometimes he doesn’t have the ball in his hands.“
  • Rival teams are monitoring the Wizards, and Kuzma is drawing exploratory interest. Scotto writes the Wizards hold Kuzma in a high regard after he chose to re-sign with them over offers from the Kings and Rockets, and they’d seek at least two future first-round picks beyond the 2024 draft in exchange for their leading scorer. Kuzma is viewed as a positive asset partially due to his descending contract. Meanwhile, Washington would desire a first-round pick in exchange for Tyus Jones, but they hope to re-sign the 27-year-old point guard in free agency this year, according to Scotto. Washington is also aiming to use their trade exceptions — such as the $12.35MM exception from the Kristaps Porzingis trade — to acquire picks and young players in salary dumps from other teams.
  • The Pelicans traded Kira Lewis to duck under the luxury tax this year, and rival executives are pondering whether New Orleans will move another player to do so again next year, Scotto writes. Jonas Valanciunas, CJ McCollum, Herbert Jones and Trey Murphy are among players rival teams could monitor, with some facing free agency or potential extensions.
  • The Knicks are gauging the value of a package consisting of Evan Fournier, Quentin Grimes and draft capital to look for potential upgrades, Scotto writes. Echoing a report from Marc Stein, Scotto writes the Knicks are eyeing Brogdon, Charlotte’s Terry Rozier and Detroit’s Alec Burks. New York is also in the market for a backup power forward. Additionally, rivals are expecting OG Anunoby to re-up with the Knicks in free agency.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Trade Rumors: Grant, Murray, Dinwiddie, B. Brown, Grimes, Lakers

January 18th, 2024 at 9:18am CST by Arthur Hill

As a veteran on a rebuilding team, Jerami Grant seems like an obvious candidate to be moved before the trade deadline, but neither he nor the Trail Blazers are eager for a separation, writes Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report.

In the wake of Wednesday’s Pascal Siakam trade, teams that missed out on Siakam may now turn their attention to Grant, a 29-year-old forward with similar offensive skills. But after Wednesday’s win over Brooklyn, Grant told Highkin that he’s happy where he is after signing a five-year, $160MM contract last summer.

“You definitely see it,” Grant said of trade rumors. “But it’s not anything in my control. I’m cool here. I’m good with what I’m doing. Keep my head down and keep working, keep trying to help the young guys as much as I can. But it’s definitely something you see. It’s not something you can do anything about, especially since I just signed a deal. I’m here for as long as they want me.”

Rather than fully committing to a youth movement, Blazers management wants to keep some veterans around to guide the young talent, Highkin adds. He states that general manager Joe Cronin doesn’t want a situation similar to the one in Detroit, where a lack of that type of leadership has contributed to a 4-37 record. Cronin would prefer to emulate Houston, which added four veterans in free agency last summer and is contending for a play-in spot.

There are more trade rumors to pass along:

  • The Nets, who need to find a point guard that can score, appear to have interest in the Hawks‘ Dejounte Murray, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv, who adds that Brooklyn and Atlanta discussed a deal involving Murray and Spencer Dinwiddie earlier this season. Dinwiddie is viewed as the most likely Brooklyn player to be moved, and sources tell Brian Lewis of The New York Post that several teams called about him last season.
  • The Knicks would have interest in Bruce Brown if the Raptors decide to move him after acquiring him yesterday in the Siakam deal, Begley states (video link). New York pursued Brown in free agency before being outbid by Indiana, and Begley notes that he would replace some of the play-making and perimeter defense the Knicks lost when they traded RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley last month.
  • The Knicks are also looking to trade Quentin Grimes, who has been frustrated by limited playing time all season, sources tell Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscription required).
  • During a SportsCenter appearance (video link), ESPN’s Dave McMenamin said a Lakers trade involving Bulls guard Zach LaVine is “not happening.” He adds that L.A. is seeking point guard help and identifies Tyus Jones from the Wizards and Collin Sexton from the Jazz as possible targets.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Fischer’s Latest: Tucker, Suns, Warriors, Mavs, Blazers, Graham

January 17th, 2024 at 12:28pm CST by Luke Adams

After being traded from Philadelphia to the Clippers earlier this season, veteran forward P.J. Tucker is a “strong” candidate to be moved again ahead of the February 8 deadline, says Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

According to Fischer, Washington is viewed as a potential trade destination for Tucker, who would likely be bought out if he’s sent to the Wizards. In that scenario, the Suns and Bucks would be among the teams expected to pursue the 38-year-old on the buyout market, Fischer adds.

Tucker is earning $11MM this season, with an $11.5MM player option for 2024/25, so unless he gives up a significant portion of his remaining money in a buyout agreement, he’d still have a real impact on his team’s salary cap for next season. With that in mind, the Wizards (or another trade partner) would presumably want a solid asset or two as a sweetener to take on his contract, especially if they’re also giving up a rotation-caliber player in the process.

Here’s more from Fischer:

  • The Suns are one of the more active teams on the trade market and have explored what a package that includes Grayson Allen and Nassir Little could bring back, Fischer reports. Those efforts are complicated by the fact that Phoenix’s draft assets consist of just four second-round picks, according to Fischer, who points out too that Allen has been arguably the team’s most important players outside of its three stars.
  • Although the Warriors and Mavericks have displayed interest in Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, Golden State has shown little desire to part with either Jonathan Kuminga or Moses Moody, Fischer writes. As for the Mavs, they’ve been linked to many forwards, per Fischer, including Andrew Wiggins, P.J. Washington of the Hornets, and former Mav Dorian Finney-Smith, now a member of the Nets.
  • Jerami Grant is the sort of player who would appeal to teams like the Mavericks and Kings, but the Trail Blazers aren’t expected to seriously consider offers for the veteran forward, according to Fischer. Portland guard Malcolm Brogdon, on the other hand, is viewed as a more viable trade candidate.
  • In addition to veterans like Doug McDermott and Cedi Osman, who were previously identified as trade candidates, guard Devonte’ Graham is another Spurs player who is available via trade, sources tell Fischer. Graham has been out of San Antonio’s rotation all season and has a $12.1MM cap hit for this season, with a $2.85MM partial guarantee for 2024/25, so he presumably won’t have positive value.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Trade Rumors: Warriors, Gafford, Nets, Heat, Murray, Pelicans

January 17th, 2024 at 7:59am CST by Luke Adams

In a wide-ranging look at the in-season trade market, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report examines the trade rumors surrounding Pascal Siakam, Dejounte Murray, Zach LaVine, Kyle Kuzma, and several other players and teams around the NBA.

Among Pincus’ most interesting tidbits? He hears that the Warriors are very high on rookie Brandin Podziemski and aren’t expected to move him, with one source advising that it’s safe to leave the guard out of “fake trades.”

Pincus also notes that while the Wizards have several intriguing trade candidates, including veteran guards Tyus Jones and Delon Wright, they’ve set a “greedy” asking price for center Daniel Gafford, who is on a multiyear contract. As Pincus explains, that’s not meant to be a shot at Washington — it’s simply a reflection of the fact that the team would need a significant return to part with its starting center, who is under team control through 2025/26.

Here are a few more trade-related rumors and notes from across the league:

  • Brian Lewis of The New York Post believes there’s a good chance that at least one, if not two, of the Nets‘ three oldest players – Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Royce O’Neale – will be on the move ahead of the February 8 trade deadline. However, echoing a recent Adrian Wojnarowski report, Lewis stresses that there are no plans to deal forward Mikal Bridges, who remains a crucial part of the team’s core.
  • After a report last week suggested that the Heat could be a suitor for Hawks guard Dejounte Murray, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald digs into how plausible a trade between the two teams might be. According to Jackson, one person in contact with Miami’s front office expressed skepticism about the odds of the Heat aggressively pursuing Murray, but that source doesn’t know for sure what the team will do.
  • Christian Clark of NOLA.com expects the Pelicans to explore the trade market in the hopes of adding a defensive-minded center capable of playing with the starters. As Clark explains, that would make the team more comfortable starting more offensively inclined players at other positions.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Pistons/Wizards Notes: Morris, Trade, Baldwin, Avdija, Gafford

January 15th, 2024 at 4:26pm CST by Rory Maher

One of the Pistons‘ primary offseason acquisitions — guard Monte Morris — has yet to play this season. However, he should be back before this month ends, according to Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link).

A steady veteran, Morris is known for his ability to take care of the ball, which has been Detroit’s biggest weakness this season. In 2022/23, the Michigan native had a 5.3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. He has also shot 39.2% from deep in his career, though it’s on fairly low volume (3.1 attempts per game).

Morris has been sidelined by back and quad injuries this season. He’s in the final season of his contract, which will pay him $9.8MM in 2023/24.

Here’s more on the Pistons and Wizards, who made a trade yesterday:

  • Since the Pistons decided to create a traded player exception in Sunday’s deal and operate over the salary cap, they won’t be able to aggregate the salaries of Danilo Gallinari or Mike Muscala in a future trade, notes Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). Both players can still be traded on their own — they can also be flipped in multi-player deals where their salaries don’t need to be combined with others for matching purposes.
  • Pistons head coach Monty Williams touched on all four players involved in the deal that saw Marvin Bagley III, Isaiah Livers and two second-round picks head to Washington, while Gallinari and Muscala were sent to Detroit, per Sankofa (Twitter link). “I just got to Detroit and I got a chance to be with Bags and Liv for a short period, but those guys were stellar in how they handled their business. … Trades are never easy on either party, especially when you have family,” Williams said. “We do have room for guys like Gallo and Muscala just because they are vets, they understand how to play … we’ll try to figure out their (fit) as we go along.” Williams went on to say that the two veteran big men will be able to space the floor for Detroit, but they’ll probably have to play center due to their lack of defensive mobility, Sankofa adds (via Twitter).
  • Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. praised Gallinari and Muscala, as Sankofa relays (Twitter links). “We’re going to miss their veteran leadership and shooting … they’ll really help the young group,” Unseld said. “They’ve been really good as far as barometers, bringing that experience and perspective to a younger core. Those guys were terrific for us.” Unseld also touched on the additions of Bagley and Livers. “He’s a skilled big,” Unseld said of Bagley. “He can score around the rim, good touch and can expand his range as he gets comfortable … Isaiah’s been a pretty good shooter in his career and has the ability to be a two-way player, has defensive size.”
  • The four players were not cleared to play in time for Monday’s contest, but Bagley and Livers attended the game and watched in owner Ted Leonsis‘ luxury box, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link). The Pistons won the game, snapping their seven-game losing streak.
  • Second-year forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. got some run as a small-ball center on Monday with the Wizards shorthanded and played well in limited minutes, going 3-of-3 from long distance for nine points in 12 minutes, notes Robbins (Twitter links). Baldwin had only played 71 minutes this season leading into the game.
  • The Wizards haven’t had many bright spots this season but the development of Deni Avdija stands out as a positive, writes Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. Avdija, who inked a four-year, $55MM rookie scale extension in the offseason (it begins in 2024/25), is averaging career highs in several statistics and has grown as a play-maker, per O’Connor.
  • Wizards center Daniel Gafford sustained a head injury on Monday and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest (Twitter link). Gafford has been mentioned in some trade rumors this season.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

What Will Marvin Bagley III and Isaiah Livers Bring To The Wizards?

January 15th, 2024 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill
  • Marvin Bagley III and Isaiah Livers will get a chance to prove themselves with the Wizards, but fans shouldn’t expect them to be a lot better than they were in Detroit, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic says in a discussion with Josh Robbins about Sunday’s trade. Edwards views Bagley as a proven low-post scorer with limited impact on defense, while Livers was a huge disappointment as a shooter this season.
  • The Wizards created a $3.5MM trade exception in the deal with the Pistons, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Washington could have structured the trade to create an exception worth $6.8MM, but it would’ve required the team to use an existing $12MM+ TPE.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Seventeen More Players Become Trade-Eligible

January 15th, 2024 at 7:02am CST by Luke Adams

Today is Monday, January 15, which means that a total of 17 players who signed free agent contracts meeting specific criteria this past offseason are now eligible to be traded.

Most offseason signees became trade-eligible on December 15, but players who met the following criteria were ineligible to be moved for an extra month:

  1. The player re-signed with his previous team.
  2. He got a raise of at least 20%.
  3. His salary is worth more than the minimum.
  4. His team was over the cap and used Bird or Early Bird rights to sign him.

The following players met that criteria and are eligible to be traded as of Monday:

(* Players marked with an asterisk have the ability to veto trades.)

Most of the players on NBA rosters are now eligible to be moved, though a small handful still can’t be dealt. That group includes Heat guard Dru Smith, who becomes trade-eligible on Monday, Hornets guard Ish Smith (trade-eligible on January 24), Lakers star Anthony Davis (trade-eligible on February 6), and Pistons forward Kevin Knox (trade-eligible on Feb. 8).

There are also several players who won’t become trade-eligible prior to this season’s February 8 deadline, including stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, and Jaylen Brown. Players on 10-day contracts are also ineligible to be dealt.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Wizards Hope To Develop Bagley, Livers

January 14th, 2024 at 6:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Wizards view Isaiah Livers and Marvin Bagley III as the most important parts of their trade with the Pistons on Sunday, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic, rather than the two second-round picks Detroit tossed in to rid itself of Bagley’s contract.

Washngton parted with Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala in the deal. The Wizards are banking on their player development system to get more out of the two forwards they acquired. The team can make Livers a restricted free agent this summer if it likes what it sees from him the rest of the season.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Pistons Notes: Bagley, Livers, More Possible Deals, Trade Exception

January 14th, 2024 at 3:27pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Ex-Pistons players Marvin Bagley III and Isaiah Livers got news of their trade to Washington in the midst of a Detroit practice. As Mike Curtis of The Detroit News relays (Twitter video link), Bagley and Livers – now members of the Wizards – were filmed bidding their Pistons colleagues farewell.

The duo, along with a pair of second-round draft picks, was shipped out to the Wizards earlier today. Detroit added forwards Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala, while saving considerable coin on Bagley’s contract for 2024/25.

There’s more out of the Motor City:

  • With the trade deadline looming and the Pistons still spiraling at a league-worst 3-36, Omari Sankofa II Detroit Free Press has cooked up several potential trades that could help slightly elevate the club’s dismal 2023/24 season. Sankofa’s piece was published prior to today’s trade, hence the inclusion of Bagley in one of the proposals. Several of the hypothetical moves involve shipping out veterans Bojan Bogdanovic and/or Alec Burks.
  • Today’s trade seems to forecast a change-heavy summer for the Pistons, posits James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. Veterans Gallinari and Muscala are both signed to expiring deals, which – along with the expiring salaries of Burks, Joe Harris and Monte Morris – will put Detroit in position to create upwards of $60MM in cap room.
  • Sankofa confirms (via Twitter) that the Pistons generated a $5.7MM trade exception as part of the deal. As Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link) observes, that means Detroit continues to operate as an over-the-cap team, despite its player salaries coming in a little below the $136MM cap.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts