A source with knowledge of the Cavaliers‘ plans told Jason Lloyd of The Athletic on Monday night that the club is unlikely to be active at this week’s trade deadline.
That wouldn’t be a bad thing, according to Lloyd, who notes that Cleveland’s front office could turn to the buyout market in search of a depth addition later this month. The Cavs, who have moved into possession of the No. 2 seed in the East, have been one of the NBA’s hottest teams over the last two months, winning 19 of their past 23 games, including 14 of their past 15.
Here are a few more items from around the Eastern Conference:
- The Bulls could technically still trade Zach LaVine this week despite his season-ending foot injury, but teams with interest will almost certainly prefer to wait until at least this summer to see how that foot is healing, per Tim Bontemps and Bobby Marks of ESPN. “We have red-flagged him until he gets back on the court,” one rival executive told ESPN.
- A handful of Bulls veterans, including Nikola Vucevic, have expressed a desire for the team to roll with the pieces it has rather than buying or selling at the deadline, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “Those are things that are out of my control. We feel we have enough,” Vucevic said, adding that he likes it in Chicago and doesn’t want to go anywhere. “We have a lot of stuff we can do better on the court. We’ve also had some stuff, like injuries, that’s unfortunate to deal with. But I believe we have enough.”
- Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com takes a look at how Boston will approach Thursday’s deadline, citing one source who thinks the Celtics should be careful not to “mess up what they have” and one rival executive who says the C’s aren’t being especially aggressive on the trade market. “They’re open to talking, but there’s no urgency there,” the exec said.
- Given the injury bug that has plagued the team recently, the odds of the Knicks hanging onto Quentin Grimes through the trade deadline have increased, a source familiar with the situation tells Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscription required). If Grimes remains on the roster for the rest of this season, he could be a trade candidate again in the summer, when he’ll be extension-eligible.
Moving LaVine will be impossible unless taking on another bad contract.
The Bulls have LaVine and Ball to deal with and teams are going to want picks or someone like Williams or White packaged with them.
At this point, just eradicate the entire team and have us come back as an expansion team. No point for us Bulls fans to hope that this ownership and front office will get it right.
“We have enough” – Vucevic
I mean this is what is wrong with this team. There’s zero leadership or accountability in that locker room. DeRozan isn’t known as a vocal leader, Vucevic is virtually non-existent. There’s nobody who wants to challenge the team or it’s coaches at this point.
And it gets better…we’ll likely reward Patrick Williams with a 4/120M extension or something like that, just to justify the 4th pick in the draft.
Monstrosity continues on 1901 West Madison Street.
Bulls are a joke, the owners and executives hate the fans and city, Vuc sayin we have enough after being a joke the last 3 years with the same team is literal insanity, the Bulls don’t deserve fans, anyone spending money on them is being stolen from
I agree, I’ve been a fan of this team since 1989 when I was four years old but this team and it’s owner has made us into a league wide laughingstock. Outside of the Lakers/Celtics/Knicks, this franchise is known globally and to see it at this point with not even a single NBA fan who posts in this app, respects them anymore is tough to watch. We’re the Washington Wizards of the midwest. Jerry’s mission is complete.
3 years ago Karnišovas and Eversley were called brilliant by fans and sports media in general. The Bulls signed DeRozan and Ball then went 46-36. Ownership and the fans were hoping Williams and White would make a leap. White didn’t take that leap until this season and Williams still hasn’t. Ball’s multiple knee injuries didn’t help either. If those circumstances had come out differently this team would be challenging the Celtics and Bucks for the top spot in the East. Injuries happened and player development didn’t and in hindsight the fans are now calling the team a joke.
The Bulls love to stay in mediocrity but they did look good with Ball the short time he healthy. It is a shame we never saw it. Derrick Rose’s injury sucked. What if Jimmy Butler would have stayed. Man it must suck being a Bulls Fan! But heck how many teams have never won one.
I truly believe if we resigned BG after 2009 instead of him going to Detroit, we would have a legitimate chance in 2011 to beat Miami, given the roster and defensive identity we had. Now we have neither lmao and it shows.
Bulls just keep delaying the inevitable. I wouldn’t mind Thunder getting Vucevic. Knicks need to go get a Clarkson if possible. Celtics need to go get Drummond.
Why would a guy who does nothing but rebound and cannot be played in the 4th quarter bc he shoots below 50% from the FT line be a target for any playoff team?
Every year, I hear this rumor. Every year I ask how does Drummond fit on a 3 pts shooting team that spreads its offense and he cannot make FTs?
Just bc the trade can happen, does not mean it will.
Drummond does nothing for Boston. IF they really wanted him, they could have gotten him every year for the past 5 years…notice…he is not a Celtic.
John Konchar is their target. That makes sense. Drummond is overrated and cannot help a playoff team bc he can only be played for 3 quarters.
BTW wasn’t it the Celtics who used the Hack a Drummond tactic to get into the mid-season tourney. Dont think Brad knows that?
Can set bone crunching pics, grab boards, got 6 fouls to give. Open roster spot, less taxing on Horford who you want healthy come playoff time. Get Drummond for a 2nd round pick, next to nothing.
Does adding Drummond make Boston worse? Who said he’s playing in the 4th qtr?
NYK should hold Grimes through the deadline, unless there end up being better players available in the deadline market that haven’t been identified. Among the players that have been idenitified as likely available, only Murray is an asset where Grimes’ name should come up. Certainly, Grimes should be off the table when discussing rentals.
Based on what appears to be available, I think CLE, MIL, NYK and BOS should hold, or add something on the margin if they like both the fit and price. For PHI, it would be more difficult, unless they can this early write off Embid for the year, which by all accounts they aren’t.
Mitch, Fournier, two #1 picks ….. to Bulls
DeM DeR, Drummond ……. to Knicks
Jeez if only the Nix would give that up for those 2..,
With the new buy out rules the only players that the C’s can get are from trades so they really should go after Drummond or Danilo Gallinari they should be their only targets get one or the other