The Jazz likely won’t be buyers at the trade deadline, league sources tell Tony Jones of The Athletic, but the team could very well be active, with Kelly Olynyk, Jordan Clarkson, and Simone Fontecchio among the top candidates to be dealt.
Jones classifies Clarkson as the least likely player in that trio to be on the move by Thursday’s trade deadline, writing that Olynyk has generated widespread interest among playoff contenders due to his expiring contract and offensive versatility. As for Fontecchio, the forward has generated serious interest from the Celtics and Suns, Jones reports. Those two clubs have limited salary-matching pieces, so Fontecchio’s $3MM cap hit makes him an ideal target.
According to Brian Robb of MassLive.com, the Celtics actually have interest in multiple Jazz players. Robb confirms Fontecchio is a target and suggests the club is eyeing Olynyk and Kris Dunn as well. Olynyk is likely a long shot due to his $12.2MM cap hit, which would be impossible for Boston to match without packaging several players; Dunn’s $2.6MM salary represents a better fit.
Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link) is hearing from sources that it would be surprising if the Celtics don’t make a deadline deal. However, it’s most likely to be a relatively minor move for a player who would essentially provide injury insurance, Himmelsbach says.
Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Despite the fact that they’ll be without Joel Embiid for at least a month or two as he recovers from knee surgery, the Sixers continue to operate as buyers in advance of the trade deadline, Adrian Wojnarowski said during a Tuesday appearance on NBA Today (Twitter video link). Philadelphia is exploring the market for centers, per Wojnarowski, hoping to find a big man who can fill in for Embiid and help the team maintain its hold on a playoff spot in the East.
- Sam Amick of The Athletic takes a look at the Lakers‘ ongoing pursuit of guard Dejounte Murray, confirming previous reports stating that Hawks head coach Quin Snyder has advocated for the team to hang onto the former All-Star and that an agreement may ultimately hinge on Atlanta’s ability to flip D’Angelo Russell to a third team.
- Within that same Athletic story, Amick says a high-ranking Lakers official “scoffed” at the idea that the club would ever consider trading LeBron James and cites team sources who say the franchise would “strongly prefer” for LeBron to ultimately retire as a Laker. With that in mind, Los Angeles’ desire to keep James happy is a factor to consider as the club weighs potential moves at the trade deadline, Amick notes.
- Although Nic Claxton will be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, the Nets would have to be blown away by an offer to consider moving him at this week’s deadline, writes Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Sources tell Begley that Brooklyn wants Claxton on its roster going forward and will be aggressive about trying to re-sign him in the offseason.
lame.
Claxton is going to be thrown a bag by the Raptors this off-season
He’d be an awesome fit for the Raptors. As long as he’s healthy, he’s a beast on D.
They traded a pick and signed Poeltl to 80 mil, why they need another C?
They will trade Poetl to make Claxton fit
It better be a big bag. BKN (its FO) can’t afford to lose Claxton, while maintaining the win-now (sort of) stance that ownership wants and whatever footprint they’ve established in NYC.
So nets have a plan?
Why would you trade a player who will be the biggest name in Free Agency this off-season? If they are going to trade Claxton, it will be a sign-and-trade. They’ll be able to get back something for him.
Let’s see if nets can build a respectable team around Bridges. When DLo was there they made the playoffs.
I have no idea if they have a plan, other than not tanking. That’s clear from their statements and their draft assests, as well as their unwilling to discuss Bridges in any trade. At a minimum, they’re not going to let a young player like Claxton walk away for nothing based on $$ unless it’s a ridiculous overpay.
Of course, Claxton is an UFA, not a RFA. So, as I said, make it REALLY big bag all out of whack with the market. Like IND did with Brown, offering almost double what other teams were offering.
Claxton’s next contract is expected to be around $25 million. How many teams can sign him without a sign and trade?
Yes, they are either going to be buyers id sellers, lol
If lakers draft bronny. I’m honestly gonna laugh at them
Bluntly, it seems likely he’ll stay in college for another year unless he takes a leap. Pretty much everybody with sense realizes he isn’t ready at this point.
Bronny never was ready. His NBA draft stock was totally bogus. He went from being a Top 10 high school prospect early in high school. To being a Top 25 prospect after his sophomore year. He then fell to basically a Top 75 high school recruit nationally heading into his senior year in high school. He was trending downward. Then, out of nowhere, Givony and ESPN put out a Mock Draft that has him in the Top 10, and everything changed. He was never that good. Everybody knew that. Then ESPN Mock Draft came out, which I believe was planted, and it all changed.
Bronny is playing to his ability right now. He is averaging 5.9 ppg for a 9-13 USC team. He is shooting 37% from the field, and despite being a 3-point shooting specialist, he is dropping just 28% from behind the arc.
Pretty sure that has more to do with the fact that 2024 is the weakest draft since 2000 than anything else, tbh.
He also jumped from sub-50 to 34 early in his senior year as he made improvements and learned how to actually drive the ball. Then continued showing improvements throughout his senior year. If not for his heart condition, he may well have continued showing out. McDonalds All American (which he was worthy of) isn’t a handout award.
Also, he’s not a PPG threat. His main strengths are described as defense and off-ball shooting.
Giovny’s article was predicated on A) The draft sucking, which it does. B) Bronny’s continued improvement, which was interrupted. And C) his father’s statements that he’d love to play with Bronny, which teams would jump at as “we get a 2-for-1! With LeBron!”
Is he some super-prospect? No, of course not. And his current draft stock reflects that. But to say that he was never good is laughable.
He was NEVER that good. All the “drive the ball” improvements came against bad high school teams. He became a specialist as a shooter. They tried to market him as a “playmaker”, and that didn’t work. He has some average passing skills, but doesn’t have the ball skills to match. As a shooter, does not knock down contested shots, and right now is struggling with the open ones. The draft is bad. American kids are bad right now. However, their are plenty that are above Bronny. He wants the lifestyle. Already has the money. Absolutely lacks the game!
The Givony ranking was a Rich Paul, LeBron and Klutch plant. You don’t think getting info on Rich Paul’s NBA draft recruits doesn’t come without a price do you?
Yes, because professional scouts across the entire industry are going to agree just because a famous player and agent said so. Like paying off every scouting outlet is monetarily feasible and not possible to easily track. You could not sound more like a conspiracy theorist if you *tried*.
If he already has the lifestyle, what sense is there in him rushing into it like you claim? You keeps saying things that contradict yourself.
Also, lest you forget, Bronny’s college career is 14 games long. Have you never seen anyone struggle to return from injury or illness for that long? If you watch basketball at all, you have.
Only 1 NBA Mock Draft that really matters is ESPN. However, Rich Paul, Mark Bartelstein, etc can change that just by giving their info to somebody else. Bronny NEVER appeared in anybody’s mock draft until …… the ESPN ranking out of nowhere. Givony is absolutely an evaluator of talent. Jeremy Woo absolutely is NOT. Evaluation ain’t all that goes into those rankings. You need the agents to give you the inside dish on what the teams are telling you about their players. Nobody in an NBA front office is gonna do that.
Bronny is already “in” the lifestyle, but you ain’t fully in it until you are in the league. Bronny is in a race to get there.
Bronny’s 14 games in college match the evaluation prior to Givony putting him in the Lottery.
Worse thing for Bronny is to declare for the draft. Stay in school for another year and get into playing shape to learn to be a team player.
It ain’t about that. It is about getting him into the league to play at the same time as LeBron. Bronny is interested in the NBA lifestyle, which he has already been living since he was like 12. The game is secondary.
Barry I agree he sucks.
The question is whether Bronny’s a legit NBA rotation player. Nothing wrong with spending a couple of years in Europe first…
They might not need to draft him because I doubt any team would take him in the draft. Lakers would sign him after the draft and waste a roster spot on him.
Whoever has 60th pick would probably take him. Even if LeBron doesn’t play with them he will be around their facility as long as bronny is there
Lakers could buy the 60th pick to make LeBron happy.
These sport writers want the lakers to make some great trade when they don’t have much in assets to trade with.
To be fair, that’s exactly what everyone said last year and they managed to get D-Lo, Reaves, Rui, Vando, Beasley, and Bamba out of Russ, Pat Bev, Nunn, a second, and a single FRP.
They drafted Reaves
*facepalm*
I’m so used to seeing Reaves in trade talks, I added him in by default. Oops.
Murray is a big piece for Lakers. But another team will have to take Russell. Who exactly would that be.
Murray also fills the need well beyond this yr. He’d be an excellent pickup.
The Nets are interested in Dlo
I’m down with ALL Hubie Brown insights.
And am a lifelong Pacers fan…
So basically Bruce for Claxton/
Bruce for Bertans, Jaylin Williams and a 2024 first or Bruce & a second round pick for Olynyx, Agbaji and Fontecchio with a first round pick.
The Nets are not trading Claxton.
You hope they don’t.
Why trade Claxton when his value is low? They will get much more for him in 6 months.
To be afraid or to not be afraid huh?
It has nothing to do with fear. Claxton will be far more valuable in the off-season than he is now. Why should they sell low?
Deadline Day is potentially shaping up to be the transactions version of Garbage Time…
I don’t think PHI has any real choice but to be buyers if Embid is even likely to be back for the playoffs. But probably only tepid buying, enough to maintain a top 6 spot. I don’t see them going all in though.
I understand why ATL doesn’t want DLO’s $$ on the books next year. But I’m not sure why he is such a hard flip unless they’re looking for the acquiring team to give up something beyond expiring deals.
76ers will have a lot of cap space on the offseason, and no real marquee players in FA to sign – hoping they don’t waste it on some OLD players who was great 10 yrs ago
Since 2019, teams that have opened up droves of cap space in advance of a free agency period have come away disappointed.
No wonder. The new CBA rules allow teams much greater rights to re-up their stars with early extensions, years before their contracts would expire, and they’re for longer periods and more $$. Players, understandably, can’t resist, even if they’re not particularly happy. It’s easier, and more profitable, to sign and then ask for a trade. Teams looking to get stars have learned this, and generally no longer emphasize cap space for the sake of cap space; instead they often look to accumulate trade assets and matching contracts. These trends support each other.
For the C’s it’s simple who do you want more AL or KO me personally even though AL is older slower and plays less I would keep him I’d rather the focus on Drummond or
* and or Danilo Gallinari
Horford is old but their leader. When the Celtics traded Al, the Celtics had a hard time in the playoffs. Thats why they signed him again. I just hope the Celtics give their rookies some playing time.
U reversed it he signed (76ers traded him to OKC) as a free agent then trade back to the c’s by OKC