2022 January | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Simmons, Embiid, Durant, Knicks

January 28th, 2022 at 10:29am CST by Luke Adams

In a column for SI.com, Chris Mannix makes the case that the Sixers should move sooner rather than later on a Ben Simmons trade, even if the team might be able to get a stronger return in the offseason. As Mannix argues, Joel Embiid is having an MVP-caliber season and the 76ers are a borderline title contender, so getting a couple good pieces in exchange for Simmons – who isn’t playing – could be enough to push the team over the top.

However, it doesn’t sound like the Sixers feel compelled to act yet. Acknowledging that Philadelphia’s stance has been “all over the place and difficult to read” over the last few months, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on NBA Today (video link) on Thursday that the club still appears prepared to extend its standoff with Simmons beyond February 10.

“The most recent conversations out of Philly to opposing teams in trade talks are that not only are the Sixers showing signs that they are willing to keep Ben Simmons past this trade deadline, but they have not given up on Ben Simmons reversing his field and playing for them this season,” Windhorst said. “… Now, I don’t think that this is a viable option, based on my conversations with Ben Simmons’ side, but it is what the Sixers are saying today.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

After a brief on-court altercation between Embiid and Pelicans rookie Jose Alvarado on Tuesday resulted in technical fouls for both players, Alvarado revealed on Thursday that the Sixers center was paying the $2,000 fine associated with his technical. Embiid explained to reporters, including Andrew Lopez of ESPN, why he covered the cost of Alvarado’s fine. “I just like his energy. He plays hard. He competes. Even when he picked up the tech, he wasn’t backing down,” Embiid said. “… I just felt like the least I can do because I made him pick up a tech and he doesn’t make as much as other guys in the league. I just felt like that was on me and I didn’t want him to lose that money because I’m sure we all need it.”
Nets forward Kevin Durant has earned a $1.1MM bonus as a result of making the All-Star Game, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Even if Durant hadn’t been named an All-Star starter, he would’ve received that bonus if he appears in at least 50 games, the Nets make the playoffs, or the Nets win at least 43 games, so it was a virtual lock. The former MVP’s cap hit going forward will be unaffected, since the bonus had already been considered likely.
Following the Knicks‘ loss to Miami on Wednesday, swingman Evan Fournier expressed frustration with the team’s inability to make in-game changes on offense to account for opposing defensive game plans. “We have to adapt. That’s the main thing,” Fournier said, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. “Because we have the weapons, let’s be honest. We have guys who can score. It shouldn’t be a problem for us to score.” New York currently ranks 24th in the NBA in offensive rating.

Lowe’s Latest: White, Murray, Hawks, Grant, Mavs, Magic, More

January 28th, 2022 at 9:07am CST by Luke Adams

Teams are calling the Spurs to inquire about Derrick White and Dejounte Murray, ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on the latest episode of his Lowe Post podcast. Murray is having an All-Star caliber season and is under contract for two more years beyond 2021/22, so the cost for him would be extremely high if San Antonio is even willing to consider moving him at all.

“I would assume the Spurs will bat the Murray stuff away,” Lowe acknowledged. “But those are interesting names for teams that need guards.”

Although White is perhaps a more realistic target for teams in the market for backcourt help, the Spurs typically aren’t too active at the trade deadline. The team’s deal sending Bryn Forbes to Denver last week was just the third in-season trade San Antonio has made in the last 10 years — and the other two were very minor.

Here are a few more highlights from Lowe’s latest podcast with ESPN’s Bobby Marks:

Lowe doesn’t view the Hawks as a serious contender to acquire Pistons forward Jerami Grant, at least for now. “They’ve been linked in recent reports to Jerami Grant,” Lowe said of the Hawks. “Personally, I think that’s old intel, based on what I’ve heard, and that they’re not in on Jerami Grant right now. I don’t think a Jerami Grant trade involving John Collins makes much sense because I think John Collins is just better than Jerami Grant.”
Concerns about Jalen Brunson and/or Dorian Finney-Smith leaving Dallas as unrestricted free agents this offseason are legitimate and will have to be taken into account as the Mavericks consider their trade deadline plans, according to Lowe. “I believe the flight risk for both is very, very real — particularly Brunson,” he said.
Both Lowe and Marks are skeptical the Magic will be able to get a significant return in a deal for Terrence Ross or Gary Harris. “If Orlando gets a first(-round pick) for either Ross or Harris, that’s a home run,” Lowe said. “I don’t expect them to be able to get it.”
The Knicks are reportedly open to discussing several veteran players, but it’s one of their young players who is generating more trade interest from rival teams, according to Lowe: “I know the vultures are circling and they’re getting a lot of calls about (Immanuel) Quickley. And I think they’re batting those calls away, as they should, but the vultures are circling and trying to poach somebody from the Knicks, and Quickley’s a name that keeps coming up.”
With the likely exception of Bradley Beal, no one is untouchable on the Wizards‘ roster, according to Lowe, who says Spencer Dinwiddie and Montrezl Harrell are a couple of the names he keeps hearing in trade speculation.
Both Lowe and Marks believe the Sixers are more likely to hang onto Ben Simmons through the trade deadline than to move him by February 10.

Knicks Open To Moving Walker, Fournier, Burks

January 28th, 2022 at 7:55am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks are open to discussing several of their veteran players in trade talks ahead of the February 10 deadline, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst told Malika Andrews during an appearance on NBA Today on Thursday (video link).

“In conversations this week with teams, the Knicks have expressed a willingness to trade some of their veteran players,” Windhorst said. “That includes Kemba Walker, Evan Fournier, Alec Burks, guys like this.”

Walker, Fournier, and Burks all received multiyear contracts from the Knicks during the 2021 offseason. However, Walker has been considered available since he struggled out of the gate and temporarily fell out of the team’s rotation.

Fournier has also had an up-and-down season, and New York hasn’t played especially well when he’s on the court, registering a -5.1 net rating, compared to a +3.1 mark when he sits. Burks has been fairly solid, but Windhorst says the 23-26 Knicks are looking for a way to clear a logjam in their rotation and trying to find more effective lineup combinations.

“They traded for Cam Reddish two weeks ago and he is not getting minutes in the rotation from (head coach) Tom Thibodeau. And Derrick Rose is expected to come back from injury very soon here,” Windhorst said. “It’s just too crowded, and they’re not playing well with what they have. So they’re willing to change that mix, and they’ve related that.”

While Windhorst only mentions three players, it’s probably safe to assume that the Knicks would be willing to move others. Nerlens Noel and Mitchell Robinson are among the players whose names could surface in trade rumors before February 10. Even Julius Randle shouldn’t be viewed as a lock to be a Knick through the deadline, given his dip in production and his adversarial relationship with fans and reporters this year.

None of the contracts on New York’s books are too onerous to move, and the team controls a ton of extra second-round picks – as well as Dallas’ 2023 first-rounder (top-10 protected) – so the front office will have plenty of ammo to grease the wheels for potential trades if favorable opportunities arise.

Southeast Notes: Beal, Butler, Lowry, Tucker, Bogdanovic

January 27th, 2022 at 10:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bradley Beal is showing signs of irritation with the Wizards’ recent play. Beal made it clear he feels that if the Wizards end up in the play-in tournament, he’d view it as a step back, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Beal has not signed an extension and holds an option on his contract for next season. He hinted that how the team finishes might impact his future plans.

“I don’t want to be a play-in team. I don’t think anybody in our organization wants to be a play-in team,” he said to NBC Sports Washington’s Chris Miller. “And I think so from that standpoint, I’m not alone in that thinking. I think we all know that we can be better than a play-in team. And we’ve obviously got to put in the work and do that. But I mean, I feel like that’s a step back in a lot of ways and we’re trying to proceed forward and that’s kind of either staying the same as last year or not making any progress at all. And so, that plays a factor into (his future plans).”

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Jimmy Butler is listed as questionable for the Heat‘s game on Friday’ against the Clippers because of left big toe irritation, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. Butler had 22 points, six rebounds and five assists in 29 minutes against the Knicks on Wednesday. Kyle Lowry will be out for a sixth straight game because of personal reasons and there’s no definitive timetable for the point guard’s return.
Heat forward P.J. Tucker, who holds a $7.4MM player option on his contract for 2022/23, plans to play beyond next season, he told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “Two or three (years) is easy. My question is do I want to go past five,” Tucker said. “Next three or four will be easy. If we go past three or four, then we start talking.”
Bogdan Bogdanovic‘s knee held up well after his return to action on Wednesday, Sarah Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. Bogdanovic had 18 points and seven assists in 23 minutes for the Hawks against Sacramento after missing nearly two weeks. He was moving well in practice on Thursday. “It feels good. He’s moving good,” coach Nate McMillan said. “He said he came out of the game OK last night.”

Warriors Notes: Wiseman, Wiggins, Iguodala, Arena Vaccine Policy

January 27th, 2022 at 9:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The wait continues for James Wiseman, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 draft, and there’s no end in sight, Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. The Warriors center required arthroscopic knee surgery in mid-December and is nine months removed from the meniscus surgery he underwent last April. The procedure in December cleaned up some swelling.

The Warriors had hoped Wiseman would make his season debut in February, but that remains uncertain.

“There’s just no blueprint for this,” coach Steve Kerr told KNBR, as Schrock relays. “This is such a unique set of circumstances, and we will just have to see how it plays out, and we thought it was going to play out very differently. We thought he would be back by now. I just feel so bad for James. He is working every day. … The poor guy is dealing with the injury, with the knee, and we just don’t know when he is going to turn the corner.”

We have more on the Warriors:

Many people may question whether Andrew Wiggins deserved to be All-Star starter, as was revealed on Thursday, but the Warriors are thrilled about it, Connor Letorneau of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. “Man, one of the proudest moments I’ve had as a coach, just to see what Wiggs has done since he got here. … I just could not be any happier for him,” Kerr said. “The whole organization is just glowing right now.”
Andre Iguodala has missed the last three games with a hip injury and will miss at least the next two, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets. Iguodala hasn’t played since a 31-minute stint against Indiana on Jan. 20.
New COVID guidelines for entry into Chase Center were announced on Thursday and will take effect on February 1st. According to a team press release, Chase Center will require proof of either an up-to-date vaccination, including proof of a booster shot for eligible guests received at least one week prior to the event, or a negative COVID-19 test, taken within 24 hours (for antigen tests) or 48 hours (for PCR tests). All individuals are required to wear a mask within the arena unless actively eating or drinking.

Eastern Notes: Turner, Warren, McGruder, Randle, Barrett, Raptors

January 27th, 2022 at 8:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pacers center Myles Turner, a prime trade candidate, is displaying significant progress from his foot injury. Turner, who is sidelined with a stress reaction in his left foot, had a scan which showed sufficient healing. He’ll ramp up his activity level, Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files tweets. Turner has been out since January 14.

Pacers forward T.J. Warren had another scan on his left foot this week and will begin to play 1-on-1 for the first time since surgery over a year ago, Agness adds in another tweet. Warren appeared in just four games last season before he was sidelined.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

Pistons swingman Rodney McGruder returned to Detroit after a trade with Denver fell through due to the Pistons’ medical concerns regarding Bol Bol. What could have been an awkward situation has instead led to more playing time for McGruder, Rod Beard of The Detroit News notes. “He came back here in the right frame of mind and attitude, and the basketball gods have been good to him because he has handled it properly,” Pistons coach Dwane Casey said.
Could the Knicks soon be RJ Barrett‘s team? Newsday’s Steve Popper raises that possibility due to Julius Randle‘s struggles. Randle has not only played poorly, he’s feuded with fans, shunned the media and generally not acted like a leader after signing to a four-year, $117MM extension. Barrett is averaging 22.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG and 3.4 APG this month and the Knicks might ultimately decide to ride with youth.
What will the Raptors do before the trade deadline? The Athletic’s Eric Koreen and John Hollinger discuss potential moves, with Hollinger concluding that Toronto will hold onto its top players while seeking bench help and an upgrade at center.

Embiid, DeRozan Among All-Star Starters From Eastern Conference

January 27th, 2022 at 6:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Sixers center Joel Embiid, Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nets forward Kevin Durant have been named All-Star starters from the Eastern Conference frontcourt pool.

DeMar DeRozan (Bulls) and Trae Young (Hawks) are the conference’s guards who will join them as starters, NBA Communications tweets.

Durant will be a team captain because he is the All-Star starter from the East with the most fan votes in the East. However, he’s currently sidelined by a knee injury and isn’t expected to play in next month’s All-Star Game at Cleveland.

DeRozan was the leader among Eastern Conference guards in the fan voting. The fan vote counted for 50% in the selection process, with player voting accounting for 25% and the media getting a 25% say.

It will be DeRozan’s third All-Star start and fifth All-Star game. In his first year with the Bulls, DeRozan is averaging 26.4 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 4.8 APG. All of the starters from the East are among the NBA’s top six scorers, led by Durant (29.3 PPG) and Embiid (29.0 PPG).

Andrew Wiggins Named All-Star Starter; Morant Selected For First Time

January 27th, 2022 at 6:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Western Conference starter pool for next month’s NBA All-Star Game included a big surprise.

Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins was chosen along with Lakers forward LeBron James and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic among Western Conference frontcourt candidates. Grizzlies guard Ja Morant was also named a starter for the first time, joining Warriors guard Stephen Curry as the backcourt duo in the starter pool, NBA Communications tweets.

James will be a team captain once again because he is the All-Star starter from the West with the most fan votes in the West.

Wiggins was third in the most recent fan voting results among Western Conference frontcourt players but the fan vote counted for only 50% in the selection. Player voting accounted for 25% and the media also had a 25% say.

Wiggins is averaging 18.1 PPG. He beat out more decorated Western Conference frontcourt players such as Rudy Gobert, Anthony Davis, Deandre Ayton, Karl-Anthony Towns and Draymond Green.

Morant’s selection is much less controversial. He’s averaging 25.8 PPG, 6.9 APG and 5.9 RPG. However, Luka Doncic, Donovan Mitchell and Suns guards Devin Booker and Chris Paul also had compelling cases to be starters.

Suns Notes: Jones, Ayton, Sarver Investigation, Booker

January 27th, 2022 at 5:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Suns GM James Jones received a multiyear extension this week and the team’s head coach and players voiced their approval, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic reports.

“I’m so happy for him, he deserves it,” said Chris Paul, who served on the NBPA’s executive committee with Jones when the GM was a player. “I’ve got a different relationship than everybody else because I know him personally. Been through labor negotiations with him. James is like part of my family. I think he deserves it, I’m happy for him and he should be in this league a long time for whatever executive position he wants.”

“I’m happy for him,” coach Monty Williams said. “Anytime you can hang around as long as he has, that’s a huge accomplishment. He’s earned it for sure.”

We have more on the Suns:

Deandre Ayton is expected to return to action against San Antonio on Sunday barring any setbacks, 98.7 FM radio talk show host John Gambadoro tweets. Ayton hasn’t played since Jan. 16 due to an ankle injury suffered against Detroit. He’ll be a restricted free agent after the season.
With the league investigation into owner Robert Sarver’s behavior still ongoing, the team is seeking to create a confidential internal hotline for employees to file complaints, Baxter Holmes of ESPN writes. The internal hotline is being created because employees haven’t been using the NBA hotline for fear of being revealed as a source.
Devin Booker ranked fifth in the latest All-Star fan voting results among Western Conference guards and Williams calls it “laughable,” Rankin relays in a separate story. “I kind of laugh at the voting numbers when I see it at the bottom of the ticker and so many guys are getting so many more votes than him,” Williams said. “It’s laughable. When you look at what he’s done, not just of late, but all season long and the wins we have, he should be a starter on the All-Star team.”

Draymond Green Joining Turner Sports While Playing For Warriors

January 27th, 2022 at 4:00pm CST by Rory Maher

Warriors forward Draymond Green is signing an exclusive, multi-year contract with Turner Sports, per a press release. Green will still be an active player for Golden State. Green has served as a guest analyst and interviewer for Turner the past few years, but he’ll have an expanded, official role with the company now.

“I’ve had an amazing experience working with Turner Sports in recent years and I’m a big believer in the way they entertain and genuinely connect with fans on all levels,” said Green in a statement. “Today’s announcement helps to formalize our relationship and I couldn’t be prouder to officially be a part of the of the TNT family.”

Green will make appearances on “Inside the NBA” throughout the season as an analyst, both in-person and remotely, as his schedule allows. He’ll also contribute to other content initiatives with Turner Sports and Bleacher Report, both owned by Warner Media.

“Draymond is an incredibly versatile talent, both on the court and in front of the camera,” said Tara August, senior VP of talent services and special projects for Turner Sports. “He’s a team player in every sense, while offering a distinct perspective that is highlighted by his keen basketball IQ, charismatic delivery and forthright, thoughtful opinions that include and extend beyond sports. We’re thrilled to more formally welcome him to the Turner Sports family.”

Green will make his debut Thursday night following the Warriors’ game against the Timberwolves.

Richard Deitsch of The Athletic thinks the unique deal looks like a great move for Turner. He reports that August and other executives had been trying to hire Green for months, with negotiations picking up steam in December.

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