2022 January | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Notes: Forbes, Towns, Wolves, Gasol

January 19th, 2022 at 10:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Nuggets‘ first attempt to trade Bol Bol didn’t work out, but they’re happy with the return they got on the second try, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post. Denver officially completed a three-team deal today that sends out Bol and PJ Dozier in exchange for Bryn Forbes, a dangerous outside shooter who will have a clearly defined role on the team.

“Really for me, it comes down to Bryn Forbes is a career 42% three-point shooter,” coach Michael Malone said. “You go back to last year in their run in winning a world championship in Milwaukee, that first-round series they swept Miami, and Bryn Forbes averaged 15 points a game.”

Currently ranked 18th in three-point shooting percentage, the Nuggets have a need for Forbes, who is expected to make his debut either Friday or Sunday. Malone was disappointed to part with Dozier, who will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL. Malone offered to give Dozier a role on his staff if he ever goes into coaching.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns has been working on personal growth to set a better example for his teammates, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Part of that process included making peace with Tom Thibodeau after their uneasy relationship when they were together in Minnesota. “I remember after we played the Knicks (last season) pulling Thibs to the side,” Towns said. “I said, ‘I just want to let you know I forgive you.’ There’s not bad blood. One day let’s just go get dinner. Let’s just chill. We don’t have to worry about the business side, let’s just work on our relationship.”
Timberwolves head of basketball operations Sachin Gupta will work closely with coach Chris Finch heading into the trade deadline, according to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. They have a working relationship that dates back to their days with the Rockets, and their goal is to make moves that will benefit the team over the next five years.
Jazz guard Mike Conley recently reached out to Marc Gasol, his long-time teammate with Grizzlies, tweets Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune. Gasol is playing in Spain this season, but has indicated that he may have interest in returning to the NBA. “I texted him when we had no bigs. I said, ‘If you wanna come back, now’s the time,’” Conley said. “… He’s happy. I don’t know if he’ll return. But I told him the invitation is out there.”

COVID-19 Updates: Grant, Batum, Herro, McConnell, Smart, T. Jones, Jenkins

January 19th, 2022 at 9:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Sidelined since December 10 after surgery on his right thumb, Pistons forward Jerami Grant has now entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols, tweets Rod Beard of The Detroit News. Grant has been making progress toward playing again and began a rehab assignment with the G League’s Motor City Cruise this week.

Grant is considered the “grand prize” by some observers heading into the trade deadline and has been the subject of rumors involving at least nine teams. His time in the protocols could further limit the number of games he can play before Detroit has to make a decision on a deal.

He and rookie center Luka Garza are the only players currently in the protocols for the Pistons, who recently were among the hardest-hit teams in the league by COVID-19.

Here are some more protocol-related updates:

Clippers forward Nicolas Batum has been placed in the protocols, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. Batum also spent time in the protocols in November.
Heat guard Tyler Herro has entered the protocols, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). Herro is the only Miami player currently in the protocols.
Pacers guard T.J. McConnell, who may miss the rest of the season after having hand surgery, has been placed in the protocols, tweets Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files.
Celtics guard Marcus Smart has exited the protocols, the team announced in its injury report. However, he’s not playing tonight due to “return to competition reconditioning.”
Spurs guard Tre Jones has cleared the protocols, tweets Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express News. He missed seven games while he was out of action.
Taylor Jenkins is out of protocols and is coaching the Grizzlies tonight, according to Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian (Twitter link). Jenkins missed six games.

Injury Updates: Ball, LaVine, Nader, Collins, Lopez, Carter

January 19th, 2022 at 8:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Lonzo Ball and Zach LaVine will both miss the Bulls‘ upcoming three-game road trip so they can receive treatment for knee injuries, writes Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. Coach Billy Donovan updated their conditions in a media session before tonight’s game, saying the team’s first treatment plan for Ball’s knee was unsuccessful.

Ball, who was sent back to Chicago before Monday’s contest in Memphis, had his diagnosis changed from soreness in the knee to a bone contusion. Donovan said a timetable for his return won’t be set until the medical staff sees how he responds to the new treatments, adding that doctors haven’t considered the possibility of surgery yet.

“I think the biggest thing right now is what are the steps that we can do to get him back and get him healthy,” Donovan said. “I haven’t gotten into any detail with them (doctors) about that other than, hey, we’ll try this treatment, we’ll try this therapy, see how it goes, and then whatever the next step is that will be. But I haven’t been told what any next steps are gonna be.”

LaVine, who hasn’t played since leaving last Wednesday’s game in the first quarter, is responding to therapy for pain in his left knee, Donovan added. There’s no timeline for LaVine’s return either, but Donovan said he has been shooting free throws and doing strength training.

There’s more injury news to pass along:

Suns forward Abdel Nader is making progress after missing the last 28 games with an injury to his right knee, but it will be a while before he can play again, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “He’s starting to ramp up,” coach Monty Williams said. “He hasn’t done any 1-on-1, 2-on-2, 3-on-3. So he’s still a ways away.”
Spurs center Zach Collins is getting closer to making his season debut after playing in the G League Monday, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express News (Twitter link). Collins expects to play another G League game Friday, and coach Gregg Popovich said there’s not a definite time when he’ll be called up.
The Bucks haven’t set a timetable for center Brook Lopez to return after having back surgery in early December, tweets Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “We felt positive when we had the surgery,” coach Mike Budenholzer said. “All the reports coming out of it, the hopes and the expectations. So nothing’s changed, nothing’s new. … This is all kind of to some degree what we expected, planned and we’ll continue to monitor and see how he progresses.”
Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. missed his seventh straight game tonight with soreness in his left hamstring, but acting head coach Jesse Mermuys said he’s “very close” to returning, tweets Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel.

Celtics Notes: Bol, Hernangomez, Richardson, Hayward

January 19th, 2022 at 7:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bol Bol might not play for the Celtics this season, but the newly-acquired power forward could have a future with the team, writes Souichi Terada of MassLive. The three-team trade that sent Bol and PJ Dozier from Denver to Boston was finalized today just before coach Ime Udoka’s pre-game meeting with reporters, giving him a chance to discuss how the organization views Bol.

“He’s an intriguing young player,” Udoka said. “I’ve seen him quite a bit at Oregon before he got hurt there playing with Payton (Pritchard). Know about him, intriguing guy who can do a lot of things obviously and he’s a guy that’s a restricted free agent, so we can retain his rights and get a good look at him over the next few months.”

The Nuggets were seeking a taker for the 7’2″ Bol, who seemed headed to Detroit last week before the Pistons reneged on a trade due to medical reasons. Bol had surgery on his right foot Tuesday and is expected to miss eight-to-12 weeks weeks, so the best-case scenario would have him return during the final month of the regular season.

There’s more from Boston:

The Celtics parted with Juancho Hernangomez in the trade, mainly for financial reasons as the team tries to get below the luxury tax threshold. Although Hernangomez wasn’t able to earn a spot in the rotation after being acquired in an offseason deal, Udoka said he handled the situation professionally, Terada adds. “I love his approach, the work he continued to put in and him being professional in cheering on the guys,” Udoka said. “I think it’s a tough situation and one of the toughest as coaches is finding minutes for everybody and honestly, it was … nothing that he didn’t do.”
Brad Stevens will approach his first trade deadline as president of basketball operations with several team-friendly contracts that should be easy to move, notes Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald. With the Celtics expected to be among the most active teams at the deadline, there may be some uneasiness in the locker room over the next three weeks, but Josh Richardson tells his younger teammates that it’s nothing to worry about. “I’ve been traded a few times, so you just kind of learn how to live with it at that point,” he said. “It might be scary for some guys who have never been through it, but for us veterans who have been moved we know it’s a business and just try to keep the other guys engaged on what’s important and that’s winning games.”
With tonight marking his first game in Boston since signing with the Hornets, Gordon Hayward talks to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated about his memories of the city and why he decided to move on.

Moore’s Latest: Hawks, Bogdanovic, LeVert, Celtics, Robinson

January 19th, 2022 at 5:58pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks are a good bet to make significant changes at the trade deadline, according to Matt Moore of Action Network. Multiple sources tell Moore that the directive from team ownership is to turn the season around following an 18-25 start, so Atlanta won’t just be sellers — they’ll want to acquire players who can help right away.

While the price tag would likely be high, John Collins is someone the Hawks are willing to talk about, according to Moore, who hears from sources that Bogdan Bogdanovic is another veteran the team would discuss.

Here are a few more items of interest from Moore:

The Pacers have received multiple offers for Caris LeVert, sources tell Moore. While Moore views LeVert as the Pacer most likely to be traded, he says it wouldn’t be surprising if others, such as Justin Holiday, are on the move, possibly in a larger deal.
A pair of rival executives who spoke to Moore were skeptical that the Celtics will do anything too drastic at the trade deadline. “They’re not so off track that they need to just give up and trade Jaylen Brown and blow the whole thing up,” one of the execs said. “They’re where they usually are, with a team good enough to compete but not good enough to scare you. They’ll look for a big upgrade without having to give up anything.”
With Max Strus‘ playing time on the rise and Duncan Robinson seeing his role reduced a little as of late, there’s a belief around the league that the Heat would be open to discussing the sharpshooter, says Moore. Robinson, who entered the season with a .423 career 3PT%, has made just 34.8% of his threes in 2021/22.

Shaquille Harrison Signs 10-Day Hardship Deal With Grizzlies

January 19th, 2022 at 5:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

5:01pm: Harrison’s signing is official, the Grizzlies announced (via Twitter).

4:43pm: The Grizzlies will sign guard Shaquille Harrison to a 10-day contract under the hardship provision, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Harrison will be available for tonight’s game against the Bucks, according to Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian (Twitter link).

Memphis is the only team with four players currently in health and safety protocols. Kyle Anderson and Desmond Bane both entered Tuesday night and Tyus Jones was added today, creating a need for backcourt help. Big man Killian Tillie was already in the protocols.

Harrison, 28, recently completed two 10-day hardship deals with the Nets. He only got into two games, averaging 2.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 11.5 minutes per night. Harrison began the season with the G League’s Delaware Blue Coats and returned to the team after his second contract with Brooklyn expired.

The Grizzlies will play five times in the next 10 days, so Harrison might get a greater opportunity with Memphis.

Kings Tell De’Aaron Fox They Don’t Want To Trade Him

January 19th, 2022 at 4:10pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings have informed De’Aaron Fox and agent Chris Gaston that they don’t want to trade the 24-year-old guard, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Fox’s name has surfaced more frequently in trade rumors as of late, including earlier today. However, sources tell Charania that the Kings’ current mindset is that they want to keep both Fox and second-year guard Tyrese Haliburton and build the team around them. Sacramento has conveyed that stance to potential trade partners and to Fox and his reps, says Charania.

Multiple reports this week stated that the Kings have expressed interest in Pacers center Domantas Sabonis, with one report suggesting Fox had been brought up in those discussions. Charania says a deal centered around Sabonis and Fox won’t happen.

The Kings are also believed to be very much in the hunt for Ben Simmons, though Sam Amick of The Athletic – who previously reported that Sacramento was open to the idea of acquiring Tobias Harris along with Simmons – now hears from a source that the team doesn’t have interest in that scenario (Twitter link). Amick says the Kings still see a pathway to landing Simmons, but it’s hard to imagine how they’ll construct an offer that meets the Sixers‘ asking price without including either Fox or Haliburton.

Fox and Haliburton were reported last summer to be off-limits, but that changed earlier this month, as Amick reported that no Kings players were considered untouchable. While that report – and others – stated that Sacramento’s preference would be to build around Fox and Haliburton, there had been a sense that the team was becoming more open to doing something drastic and perhaps breaking up its backcourt.

Based on Charania’s report, it sounds like the Kings are once again leaning toward making Fox and Haliburton untouchable. It’s possible they arrived at their latest position as a result of being underwhelmed by how the two guards were being valued on the trade market — it’s also possible this is posturing and Sacramento will reverse its stance again within the next three weeks.

For now though, it appears that any major move made by the Kings will involve some combination of Buddy Hield, Harrison Barnes, Marvin Bagley III, and others on the roster rather than Fox or Haliburton.

Bryn Forbes Traded To Nuggets In Three-Team Deal

January 19th, 2022 at 4:09pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

JANUARY 19: The trade is official, according to a tweet from the Nuggets. As we relayed earlier today, the 2028 second-round pick acquired by the Spurs is top-33 protected, and San Antonio also received cash from both Boston ($2.15MM) and Denver ($200K).

JANUARY 18: Shooting guard Bryn Forbes is headed from the Spurs to the Nuggets as the headliner of a three-team deal that also involves the Celtics, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Forbes will once again join a playoff team, while Boston power forward Juancho Hernangomez and Denver’s 2028 second-round pick are heading to San Antonio. Two injured players, Nuggets power forward Bol Bol and guard PJ Dozier, will be sent to the Celtics.

As Woj details, the Nuggets, who at 22-20 are currently the sixth seed in the Western Conference, had been looking to acquire a wing to improve their bench scoring. Forbes, averaging 9.1 PPG on .432/.417/.898 shooting, fits the bill. The Nuggets had been linked to the veteran sharpshooter as a trade target as recently as yesterday.

Denver has been hit hard by injuries this season, so moving a pair of players who are expected to be sidelined for most or all of the season will help improve the team’s depth and will open up a spot on the team’s 15-man roster. A report over a week ago stated that the Nuggets were expected to add free agent center DeMarcus Cousins on a 10-day contract. That deal has yet to materialize, but Mike Singer of the Denver Post tweets that there’s still mutual interest between the two sides.

The Nuggets tried to trade Bol to the Pistons last week, only to see the deal rescinded when he failed his team physical. Bol subsequently went under the knife for a foot surgery this week and is expected to miss at least eight-to-12 weeks of game action. Dozier will be out for the rest of the 2021/22 NBA season as he continues to recover from a surgery of his own to repair a torn ACL.

Wojnarowski reports that, at least at present, the Celtics intend to retain both Dozier and Bol through this season’s trade deadline. Bol could return by March or April and the C’s would have both players’ Bird rights in the offseason — Bol will be eligible for restricted free agency and Dozier will be unrestricted. Those plans could change if Boston needs to open up a roster spot in the coming weeks or months.

Hernangomez failed to crack the 23-22 Celtics’ rotation this season, averaging 1.1 PPG and 1.4 RPG across 5.3 MPG in just 18 contests. As Woj writes, by getting off Hernangomez’s $7MM salary and taking back Bol ($2.2MM) and Dozier ($1.9MM), Boston gets that much closer to ducking the NBA’s punitive luxury tax.

The Celtics won’t need to waive a player to accommodate their one-for-two trade, since they already had an open spot on their 15-man roster.

San Antonio’s decision to acquire a future draft pick and Hernangomez’s pseudo-expiring contract (next season’s salary is non-guaranteed) in exchange for Forbes, a role player on the 2021 championship-winning Bucks, could signal that the team has accepted it should be in asset-accrual mode in the weeks leading up to the league’s trade deadline.

The return for Forbes is modest, but that’s not a major surprise. While he’s a terrific shooter, Forbes is limited on the defensive end and he’ll be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end. He also fell out of Milwaukee’s rotation during the NBA Finals last spring.

Latest On Kings’ Pursuit Of Ben Simmons

January 19th, 2022 at 3:22pm CST by Luke Adams

After Sam Amick of The Athletic reported that Ben Simmons appears to be “front and center” in the Kings‘ trade deadline plans and said the team is open to acquiring Tobias Harris along with Simmons, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer has published a report with more details on Sacramento’s pursuit of the Sixers‘ star.

According to Pompey, sources have repeatedly stated the Sixers aren’t interested in a deal headlined by De’Aaron Fox, who would be one of the Kings’ best trade chips.

One source tells Pompey the Kings have considered offering Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, Harrison Barnes, and two first-round picks in exchange for Simmons, Harris, and Matisse Thybulle. However, that source also said the Sixers aren’t interested in that package; a second source tells Pompey that Philadelphia has yet to receive a formal offer from Sacramento.

Pompey hears from that second source that the Kings and Sixers haven’t discussed Philadelphia’s younger players like Thybulle, whom the source classifies as borderline untouchable. However, sources tell Pompey that Sacramento has done background work on Thybulle, Isaiah Joe, and Paul Reed.

Even if the Kings were willing to put the aforementioned Haliburton/Hield/Barnes offer on the table, they’d need to either reroute Harris to a third team or add at least one more player – such as Tristan Thompson or Marvin Bagley III – to make the deal work financially.

The Kings and Sixers haven’t yet gained any “significant traction” on a deal, Pompey writes.

Here are a few more noteworthy tidbits from Pompey’s report:

The Sixers have denied that they’re shopping Harris or want to attach him to a Simmons trade, but multiple teams and sources have told Pompey that’s the case.
According to Pompey, before sending Cam Reddish to New York, the Hawks considered offering John Collins, Reddish, and a first-round pick for Simmons, but the Sixers brought Harris’ name into discussions, ending those talks.
Pompey confirmed there are league executives who believe the Sixers would be comfortable hanging onto Simmons for the rest of the season. He also confirmed that the three-time All-Star is prepared to sit out the remainder of the season in that scenario.
Sources tell Pompey that the 76ers are continuing to fine Simmons for the games he misses, but not for more minor infractions.

Bulls Sign Malcolm Hill To Two-Way Deal, Waive Devon Dotson

January 19th, 2022 at 2:48pm CST by Luke Adams

JANUARY 19: Hill has officially signed his two-way contract, according to NBA.com’s transactions log. The move ensures he’ll be active for Wednesday’s game vs. Cleveland.

JANUARY 17: The Bulls have released guard Devon Dotson, the team announced today (via Twitter). Dotson had been on a two-way contract with the club.

An undrafted free agent out of Kansas, Dotson spent his rookie season in 2020/21 on a two-way deal with the Bulls, then signed a new contract for the ’21/22 campaign. Across two seasons in Chicago, the 22-year-old averaged 2.4 PPG and 1.0 APG in 22 NBA games (6.1 MPG). He played a larger role in the G League, especially this season, when he averaged 20.1 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 6.3 APG, and 2.2 SPG in 10 contests (36.9 MPG) for the Windy City Bulls.

Dotson will clear waivers on Wednesday, assuming he goes unclaimed, and will be free to sign with any team at that time.

Meanwhile, the Bulls will fill their newly-opened roster slot by signing forward Malcolm Hill to a two-way contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

As we detailed over the weekend, Hill – who is currently on a 10-day hardship contract – played 18 minutes in Saturday’s loss to Boston and was on the court in the closing minutes as the game was being decided. That’s the only game he has played so far for the Bulls, but he apparently impressed head coach Billy Donovan and the front office enough to earn a rest-of-season commitment.

Hill’s 10-day contract runs through Sunday night. However, the Bulls will have no players left in the health and safety protocols with Alex Caruso on the verge of returning, so they wouldn’t be able to activate Hill as long as he remains on that hardship deal. Immediately converting him to a two-way contract would ensure he remains available this week.

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