The Rockets are pursuing frontcourt options to give Most Improved Player Award candidate Alperen Şengün some help, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack post. They’re danging Victor Oladipo‘s expiring $9.5MM deal and Jock Landale‘s contract, which isn’t guaranteed beyond this season, as enticements. Houston is also seeking another shooter and has shown interest in the Kings’ Harrison Barnes, according to Stein.
Here are more tidbits from Stein’s story:
- Barnes could be on the move, despite signing a three-year, $54MM extension last offseason. However, the Kings would prefer to get an impact player using Barnes as part of the package. They’ve had discussions with the Raptors regarding a potential Pascal Siakam deal. The Kings have also made Kevin Huerter and Davion Mitchell available but have no interest in dealing second-year forward Keegan Murray.
- Stein suggested a couple of days ago that the Cavaliers might pursue Royce O’Neale to fill their 3-and-D need. He now hears that the Nets forward is indeed on Cleveland’s list of targets. The Hawks’ De’Andre Hunter could also be a target to watch for Cleveland, but his contract — he’s in the first year of a four-year, $90MM extension — would make the Cavs’ future cap issues more challenging. O’Neale will be a free agent after the season.
- The Pistons had some exploratory discussions with a number of teams regarding swingman Bojan Bogdanović. However, it’s not a certainty they’ll deal him, says Stein. They may want to keep him around to help avoid setting the NBA record for the worst all-time season record, currently held by Sixers (9-73).
- The Jazz’s surge up the Western Conference standings has made it tougher to predict what their front office will do in the coming weeks. Kelly Olynyk and Jordan Clarkson are the veterans most frequently mentioned as potential trade pieces but the chatter regarding John Collins has died down since he became the team’s starting center, according to Stein. Top exec Danny Ainge will still likely listen to trade pitches for virtually any player on the roster.
- Dejounte Murray‘s list of potential suitors includes the Spurs, Lakers, Nets, Knicks and Pistons, Stein reports. The Hawks, as previously noted, are looking to replenish their draft assets after they gave up three first-round picks (two of their own) and a pick swap to acquire him from San Antonio in 2022.
I don’t see Siakam pushing Sacramento over the top. Swapping out 2 40% three point shooters for a questionable shooter isn’t a great strategy for the playoffs.
Jermai Grant might actually be a better fit.
The kings are done with trying to get pascal, but if the two 40% three point shooters are Barnes and huerter… They’ve been awful this year
I’ll agree with Grant, if they can somehow get thybulle as well
Think the raptors more Likely over the Sac package than Sac”s pursuit
Por is there for the taking tho for all the NBA
, Cronins an easy mark as long as you can massage his ego a tad during the. Negotiation process
If the Pistons don’t trade BB at the deadline, Weaver should be fired immediately. No reason to keep a 35 year old guard on this disaster of a squad any longer. Pick up assets and move on.
Let’s please remember that unless the Hornets improve drastically in the next yr or so the Hawks will not send the Spurs 3 1st rd picks for Dejounte. We will, eventually, send 2 1sts & 2 2nds to SA for him. And we won’t have sent anything to the Spurs until the 2025 draft, a full 3yrs after acquiring DJ. Hawks don’t have a huge need to replenish draft assets. We owe SA 2 future 1sts but we also have an extra 1st in the upcoming draft thanks to Sacramento taking Kev off our hands… Also id love to see a package that Cleveland could put together that would make us wanna give them Dre
Likely won’t be anything better than Okoro, Niang Bates and a couple 2nd rounders. Hunter can’t stay on the floor, just signed a big contract and has reoccurring knew issues.
rather lose every game for the rest of the season than not trade bojan
Agreed,
Who cares if you end up 8-74 or 10-72, you still stink. The Pistons are nowhere close to competing for a play-in spot much less being a playoff team. Get assets for BB now, anything less is just dumb.
The reason the Jazz traded Bogey is because they needed a skilled backup center that could do it all, and was a little younger. Plus, he did force drives too much for turnovers.
Still, there were times when I wish they hadn’t made that trade. Bogey can flat out score on anyone.
I know the Lakers were interested, at one point. They just didn’t want to pay a 1st for him. I’m guessing that’ll still be the case now that he’s a couple years older. I expect it’ll be a player(s) swap with maybe a 2nd round pick.
I can’t help but not feel sorry for my Rockets. Letting Christopher, Washington, and Martin Jr walk to sign these other guys, stings a lot. Christopher and Martin Jr being let go or traded were a tough pill to swallow as a Rockets fan. Washington struggled his first year and with this movement by the Rockets, it made him expendable. But the other two, should still be a Rocket.
Huh?
Unloading Barnes contract could be huge… right now he is just salary match filler with how he has played.
I like Alpi for the Rockets but do agree he needs help. As the one poster said KJ Martin Jr was a great loss. But Houston needed to get a great or decent coach outside of Silas. Enough tanking as this team needed to get better and tanking just to get top draft pick 3 years was enough. I like Van Vleet and Brooks etc. But Landale is seeing less and less time. Bullock not sure on him either. He was bought out by Spurs at start to season. I would take the help for Alpi. After that week he had and got the player of the week he has gone south. The turnovers the other night. Fact he can’t hang on to ball at times. Christopher was another one didn’t like being let go but I saw no future for him. But Landale and Oladipo who won’t see time the rest of this season and if beyond who knows. His contract is expiring. Not sure what the Rockets saw with Landale but has not impressed me. I am liking number 7 playing more with the Rockets too. Houston needs someone who can shoot those 3’s as well. Just a couple of the last games they were blasted by 3s from the other team. I have not seen the shooting this bad since Harden and others when Harden was good with this team and more. I know a few weeks till deadline but if can do something or get feelers out there.
Houston is not going to playoffs but really want to see something turn here on the road and more.
Earlier in the season, for the Jazz, it was easy to pick who to trade. Now, I want to see just how far this team can go. Trading anyone other than THT, and/or other end of the bench guys would be a mistake.
Why? The Jazz aren’t just beating teams. They’re destroying a lot of good teams for over a month now. That’s not a favorable scheduling. That’s legit skill by the whole team.
Why not just roll with this roster all the way to the playoffs? They’ve already jumped to #9. Why not go for a guaranteed spot? Then go for home court? There’s enough time left in the season to pass up a bunch more teams, so it’s possible.