Atlanta Hawks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pelicans, Blazers In Serious Talks About CJ McCollum

February 8th, 2022 at 9:14am CST by Luke Adams

CJ McCollum is now the biggest name that people around the NBA expect to be dealt before this Thursday’s trade deadline, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, who confirms that the Pelicans, Knicks, and Hawks remain in the mix for the Trail Blazers guard. Fischer also reported that the Pacers are among the teams believed to have interest in McCollum.

While a handful of new clubs have been identified this week as potential suitors for McCollum, the Pelicans may still be the frontrunners. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), New Orleans and Portland are engaged in “serious” discussions about McCollum, with those talks ongoing today.

Sources tell Bleacher Report that the Blazers, after sending Norman Powell to the Clippers, remain focused on creating more financial flexibility going forward and have expressed little interest in taking back future salary in a potential McCollum deal.

As Fischer explains, Portland wants to sign Anfernee Simons to a long-term deal this offseason and appears increasingly unlikely to trade Jusuf Nurkic, since he and the team have mutual interest in working out a new contract this offseason. If they keep McCollum and sign Simons and Nurkic to lucrative new deals, the Blazers would be at risk of going back into luxury tax territory next season.

A Pelicans offer for McCollum seems likely to include some combination of Josh Hart, Tomas Satoransky, Jaxson Hayes, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, according to Fischer, who notes that New Orleans also still has a surplus of first-round picks available to include as sweeteners, if necessary.

Fischer suggests that a Hawks proposal for McCollum may include Danilo Gallinari and Delon Wright‘s expiring contract. He’s skeptical that the Knicks would be able to make an appealing offer, pointing to Evan Fournier‘s and Julius Randle‘s long-term contracts as pieces Portland wouldn’t want to take back. Theoretically, New York could put together a package of players on shorter-term contracts, such as Alec Burks, Kemba Walker, and Nerlens Noel, but it’s unclear exactly which players the club would be willing to put on the table.

Marc Berman of The New York Post, confirming the Knicks have talked to Portland about McCollum, says New York also had interest in Powell before he was sent to Los Angeles.

Trade Rumors: Harden, Rubio, Grant, McCollum, Smart

February 7th, 2022 at 10:06pm CST by Dana Gauruder

James Harden isn’t going to wear a Sixers uniform this season. That’s what a Nets source told Jordan Schultz of Schultz Report (Twitter link). Brooklyn feels that dealing Harden at this point would damage its chances of winning a title, according to Schultz.

“James [Harden] isn’t going to Philly; I’ll tell you that with absolute certainty,” the unnamed source said. “They called and we didn’t listen. We want to win a championship and trading James does nothing but hurt that goal.”

We have more rumors from around the league:

The Pacers have a good chance of trading Ricky Rubio‘s expiring contract, which they just acquired from Cleveland, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on NBA Today (video link). “The Pacers are probably going to be able to flip that Rubio contract and get back some more assets as they kind of reshape this roster,” Wojnarowski said.
In the same segment, Woj said the Pistons could wait until the offseason before moving Jerami Grant. “They don’t have anything right now,” he said regarding a satisfactory trade offer.
As some recent reports indicated, the Knicks and Pelicans are interested in CJ McCollum and have been “fairly aggressive” in pursuit of the Trail Blazers’ high-scoring guard. “McCollum has a lot of value around the league,” Wojnarowski said. “You know what you’re getting with him.”
Add the Hawks to the list of potential suitors for McCollum, Chris Kirchner of The Athletic reports, citing sources. Atlanta is also interested in the Celtics’ Marcus Smart, Kirschner adds. Both of the guards are signed to hefty long-term contracts.

2022 NBA Trade Deadline Preview: Southeast Division

February 6th, 2022 at 3:05pm CST by Luke Adams

With the NBA’s February 10 trade deadline around the corner, we’re taking a closer look at all 30 teams, breaking down their potential plans for the deadline and identifying their most likely trade candidates. We’re focusing today on the Southeast Division.

Atlanta Hawks

Trade deadline goals:

Following a second-half run that took them all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals last season, the Hawks have been up and down so far in 2021/22.

Injuries and COVID-19 absences have hurt the team, but there’s also a sense that Atlanta could benefit from a consolidation trade, sending out two or three players – and possibly a draft pick or two – for an impact player who would complement Trae Young for years to come.

The Hawks may have kick-started that process by sending Cam Reddish to the Knicks for a protected first-round pick. As president of basketball operations Travis Schlenk observed after making that deal, Reddish wasn’t a player who would’ve appealed to every one of Atlanta’s potential trade partners, but any team would value an extra first-rounder. That pick from Charlotte (via New York) could be useful as a sweetener in a bigger subsequent move.

Finding a logical trade target is trickier. The Hawks have been linked to Ben Simmons and Jerami Grant, so it appears they’re focused on finding a player who can capably guard bigger forwards. But acquiring a player of that caliber – especially Simmons – could mean parting with John Collins. Atlanta may prefer to wait until that offseason to make a move that significant.

Top trade candidates:

Collins has been increasingly mentioned in trade rumors in recent weeks, though reports within the last few days have suggested that the Hawks are more likely to hang onto him through the deadline than to trade him in the next few days. Even if he stays put for the time being, Collins will probably continue to be the subject of trade rumors in the 2022 offseason and beyond, since Atlanta may prefer a more versatile, switchable power forward to pair with centers Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu.

If the Hawks want to bring back a player earning more than the mid-level without including Collins in the deal, Danilo Gallinari ($20.5MM) and Bogdan Bogdanovic ($18MM) are the most logical trade candidates. Their production has dipped since last season and both veterans have dealt with injuries.

Delon Wright ($8.5MM) and Lou Williams ($5MM) are on expiring contracts that could be useful for salary matching, though Wright has played an important role in the Hawks’ backcourt and Williams has the ability to veto a trade. Gorgui Dieng ($4MM) also has an expiring deal and has fallen out of the rotation since Christmas.

I’d count on Atlanta hanging onto Okongwu and De’Andre Hunter. Kevin Huerter could be included in certain deals, but his looming rookie scale extension will complicate the team’s ability to trade him due to the poison pill provision.

Charlotte Hornets

Trade deadline goals:

After having Cody Zeller and Bismack Biyombo man the middle for multiple seasons, the Hornets let both players go in the 2021 offseason and made a trade to bring in Mason Plumlee.

As Charlotte’s new starting center, Plumlee hasn’t been bad, but the position still represents the weak link for a lineup that’s pretty solid in the backcourt and on the wing. Upgrading the center spot will be the Hornets’ top priority heading into the deadline.

Myles Turner has long been considered a top target for Charlotte and now might be the time for the team to make a serious play for him. The Pacers appear more willing than ever to break up their frontcourt duo of Turner and Domantas Sabonis, and Turner’s foot injury may scare away other potential suitors who are more focused on this season than on 2022/23 and beyond.

If the asking price for Turner is too high or the Hornets are wary about the status of his foot, there are plenty of other options the team could pursue, including Christian Wood, Jusuf Nurkic, Richaun Holmes, Daniel Theis, and Nic Claxton.

Top trade candidates:

P.J. Washington‘s name has come up in trade rumors this season, which is interesting. He’s a really solid player, but he’ll be entering a contract year in 2022/23 and is playing a reduced role this season in Charlotte — after averaging 30+ minutes per game in his first two years in the NBA, Washington has averaged just 24.1 MPG in 2021/22.

If the Hornets are really willing to move Washington, that could open the door for them to make a meaningful upgrade at center. But even if they’re not, they’d have some intriguing young players to put in their offers. 2021 first-round picks James Bouknight and Kai Jones haven’t emerged as regular rotation players yet and shouldn’t be untouchable. JT Thor, Nick Richards, and Vernon Carey would have less value, but could also be in play.

Plumlee, who is earning about $9.2MM, would be a logical salary-matching piece in any deal involving a center. His $9.1MM salary for next season is only partially guaranteed for about $4.3MM.

The Hornets have already traded away their 2022 first-round pick, which is protected through 2025, so if they put a first-rounder in an offer, it will have to be one that’s still a few years out. Technically, they control the Pelicans’ lottery-protected 2022 first-rounder and could trade it, but that pick will turn into a pair of second-rounders if New Orleans doesn’t make the playoffs this spring.

Miami Heat

Trade deadline goals:

It could be a quiet deadline for the Heat, who will likely prioritize keeping all their stars healthy rather than on adding anyone new to their group. When Miami played in San Antonio on Thursday, it was the first time since November 27 that Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Kyle Lowry were all on the court at the same time. Despite being plagued by the injury bug, the club remains firmly in the mix for the top seed in the East.

It’s not inconceivable that the Heat could make a significant move — they’ve been linked to Rockets big man Christian Wood and have reportedly explored a package centered around Duncan Robinson. However, Robinson’s three-point percentage has slipped this year and while his long-term contract is reasonable, it’s not especially team-friendly. It’ll be difficult for Miami to get an impact player back without attaching other assets to him — Houston would certainly want multiple additional pieces in any swap involving Wood.

Robinson is the only higher-salaried Heat player who can realistically be included in a deal, since Butler, Adebayo, Lowry, P.J. Tucker, and Tyler Herro are the only others earning more than the minimum.

With Markieff Morris‘ status up in the air, the Heat may try to acquire a backup power forward, but it won’t be a surprise if eventually promoting two-way player Caleb Martin to the 15-man roster is their most impactful roster move the rest of the way.

Top trade candidates:

Although Robinson’s 36.0% three-point rate is well below his career mark, his ability to stretch the floor and spread out opposing defenses is still an important part of Miami’s offensive attack. The Heat wouldn’t want to rely solely on Max Strus to fill that role on the wing, so if they do move Robinson, they’d want a reliable shooter in return.

If Robinson stays put, one or two minimum-salary players could be on the move in smaller deals. It wouldn’t take much for the Heat to part with KZ Okpala, who is in a contract year and still hasn’t become a regular. Rival clubs may also try to pry away Omer Yurtseven, who had some big games when Adebayo and Dewayne Dedmon were unavailable, but has fallen out of the rotation since Miami’s top centers got healthy.

Miami has traded away its 2023 first-rounder, which is protected through 2025 before becoming unprotected in 2026. That means the Heat could conditionally offer their ’25 first-rounder in a trade, but there’s no guarantee it would actually change hands before 2028.

Orlando Magic

Trade deadline goals:

The Magic were the big seller at the 2021 trade deadline, acquiring a series of young prospects and draft picks in separate trades involving Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon, and Evan Fournier.

Orlando’s trade chips this season aren’t as intriguing as they were last March, but the team’s goal will be the same. With no urgency to push for a playoff spot in the next year or two, the Magic will focus on the future, trying to pick up a few extra assets in exchange for veterans who aren’t in their long-term plans.

At 12-42, the Magic are in a tight race with the Pistons for the top spot in this year’s draft lottery standings, so they’ll be motivated to make moves that may hurt their on-court results in the short term.

Top trade candidates:

Veteran wings Terrence Ross and Gary Harris are the Magic’s top trade chips. Unfortunately, neither player is without his warts.

Ross’ $12.5MM cap hit this season and his $11.5MM salary for 2022/23 make him affordable and controllable, but his .311 3PT% this season is the worst of his career, dinging his value. Conversely, Harris is having a pretty solid bounce-back year, increasing his 3PT% to .385, but he’s a rental and his $20.5MM salary will be trickier for some teams to accommodate.

If the Magic can get a first-round pick for either Ross or Harris, it’d be a major win. They’ll likely have to settle for a return closer to what they got for Fournier (two second-rounders).

Besides Ross and Harris, there aren’t a ton of obvious trade candidates on Orlando’s roster. Robin Lopez has reportedly drawn a little interest, but the Magic may see more value in his locker-room leadership than in the late second-round pick they could potentially get for him. Michael Carter-Williams and E’Twaun Moore would be the types of veterans that could help a playoff team in a reserve role, but neither one has been healthy in months.

Mohamed Bamba is a wild card. The team’s rookie scale extension with Wendell Carter Jr. in the fall seemed to signal that Bamba’s days in Orlando were numbered, but he’s enjoyed a nice breakout year ahead of restricted free agency. He’ll probably draw trade interest, but the Magic may hang onto him until the offseason and then determine at that point whether they want to keep him. If they decide not to re-sign him, they still might be able to get something back in a sign-and-trade.

Washington Wizards

Trade deadline goals:

Things in D.C. looked pretty rosy less than three months ago — on November 16, the 10-3 Wizards controlled the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Since then, Washington has lost 25 of 39 games. The team now sits at 11th in the East, a game out of a play-in spot.

General manager Tommy Sheppard received a promotion and an extension on November 17, but he and his front office suddenly face a significant amount of pressure to make the right roster moves at the deadline to help the Wizards salvage their season.

It doesn’t appear that trading Bradley Beal, who can opt out of his contract this summer, is an option the Wizards are seriously considering, so the goal at the deadline will be to acquire players who fit nicely alongside the star guard and can perhaps help convince him that signing a long-term contract with the franchise this summer is the best course of action.

Domantas Sabonis and Jerami Grant have been among the players most frequently mentioned as the top targets on Washington’s wish list.

Top trade candidates:

If the Wizards really want to land a player like Sabonis or Grant, they’ll have to be willing to part with some of their young talent to make it happen. I’d expect that any deal for Grant would have to involve at least one of Deni Avdija, Rui Hachimura, or Corey Kispert. More than one of those three prospects would likely have to be included in a package for Sabonis.

Even if the Wizards would prefer to trade draft picks, their next few first-round selections are off the table — Washington owes its 2023 first-rounder to Houston, and that pick is protected through 2026, meaning the 2028 pick is the only one the team could unconditionally offer at this point.

A number of Wizards veterans are reportedly available via trade, including Montrezl Harrell, Thomas Bryant, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Davis Bertans. None of them would have much value on their own though. Dinwiddie and Bertans, in particular, could be tricky to move — they’re on pricey multiyear deals and haven’t played well this season.

Southeast Notes: Hawks, Spoelstra, Oladipo, Bertans

February 5th, 2022 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Hawks have won eight of their last 10 games, but they still face an uphill battle to avoid the play-in tournament because the first half of their season was such a disaster, writes Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Atlanta looked ready to establish itself among the Eastern contenders after reaching the conference finals last season, but a rough start left the team with a huge hole to climb out of. Even after the recent hot streak, the Hawks are in 10th place, four games out of the sixth spot and a chance to skip the play-in competition.

“We did it to ourselves,” Kevin Huerter said. “We know it’s a grind. We knew two weeks ago when we were eight games under .500 that it was going to take a lot to get ourselves back in the mix. It feels like we’ve only done half the job so far. Half the job is winning seven straight. It’s a good feeling to have won seven straight. I think, for us, the feeling is better knowing that we’re playing better. We’re seeing results that we’ve wanted all year. We have to continue playing like this.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

The Heat’s victory tonight means the race to be the Eastern Conference coach in the All-Star Game will be determined by Sunday’s game in Chicago, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. If the Bulls defeat the Sixers, they will be a half game better at the cutoff point and Billy Donovan will coach the game. If Chicago loses, the Heat will have the East’s best record at 34-20 and Erik Spoelstra will be the Eastern representative for the second time.
Heat guard Victor Oladipo is working out several times a day as he tries to come back from last May’s surgery on his right quadriceps tendon, tweets Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Oladipo participated in a 2-on-2 session with teammates after this morning’s shootaround and then shot extensively before the start of tonight’s game.
Bijan Todd of NBC Sports Washington looks at potential destinations for Wizards forward Davis Bertans, who has been a disappointment since signing a five-year, $80MM deal. Todd notes that the Thunder and Pistons have the cap room to take on Bertans’ contract, while the Celtics and Trail Blazers may also be possibilities.

Scotto’s Latest: McCollum, Covington, Finney-Smith, Raptors, Gallinari

February 5th, 2022 at 5:16pm CST by Arthur Hill

In the wake of Friday’s trade that sent Norman Powell and Robert Covington to the Clippers, many executives around the league expect the Trail Blazers to move CJ McCollum either before the deadline or during the offseason, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The Pelicans and Mavericks are among the teams with interest in McCollum, Scotto adds.

Joe Cronin, the interim general manager in Portland, said the trade with L.A. was designed to create more playing time for Anfernee Simons, who has emerged as a potential star in his fourth NBA season. Cronin calls Simons, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, a “core piece” and said the team “wanted to create a runway here for him.” The same reasoning could apply to moving the 30-year-old McCollum, who will make $69.13MM over the next two seasons.

Scotto shares a few more trade-related tidbits:

After Friday’s trade was completed, several teams called the Clippers to see if they were interested in flipping Covington, who has a $12.975MM expiring contract. However, L.A. sees Covington as insurance if Nicolas Batum decides to turn down his $3.3MM player option this summer and would consider re-signing him even if Batum remains with the team. Scotto views Serge Ibaka as the next Clipper who might be traded.
Sources tell Scotto that the Mavericks passed on an offer of a potential late-lottery pick in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith. The 28-year-old forward will be a free agent this summer, but Scotto cites “sentiment around the league” that Finney-Smith is outplaying his maximum extension of $55.6MM over four years.
Pacers center Myles Turner is among the names the Raptors have considered in their search for help in the middle. Scotto identifies Jakob Poeltl, Robert Williams, Nicolas Claxton and Jusuf Nurkic as other potential Toronto targets, saying the Raptors have considered offering a first-round pick to the Spurs for Poeltl. The price for Turner would be even higher, as Indiana wants either two first-round picks or one first-rounder and a young player with potential.
The Raptors are among several teams with interest in acquiring veteran forward Danilo Gallinari from the Hawks. Scotto notes that Goran Dragic, who hasn’t played since November, could be used to help match salaries in a deal with Atlanta.

Sixers To Pursue Harden Before Deadline; Nets Open To Talking

February 4th, 2022 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers are expected to pursue Nets star James Harden in the days leading up to the February 10 trade deadline, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports that Brooklyn is now believed to be open to discussing a possible deal.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said last week that the Nets wouldn’t consider moving Harden at the deadline, but Charania’s latest report suggests the team isn’t closing the door on the possibility. Sources tell Charania the 76ers and Nets are expected to engage in talks about Ben Simmons and Harden before next Thursday.

According to Charania, Nets officials don’t have any urgency to make a trade involving Harden and still view their roster as championship-caliber as is. However, if Philadelphia is willing to sweeten the deal by attaching more assets – including players like Seth Curry, Tyrese Maxey, and/or Matisse Thybulle – to Simmons, Brooklyn will listen, in case there’s a deal to be made that makes the team more well-rounded as it pursues a title.

As Charania explains, there have been some concerns in Brooklyn about Harden’s playing style, since the former MVP’s tendency to dominate the ball and play at his own pace contrasts with the more “free-flowing, organic” approach employed by Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Head coach Steve Nash has met with the trio to try to find a balance and optimize the offense, per Charania, but the team has yet to hit its stride. Of course, that’s in part because the three stars are so rarely available at the same time.

Still, unless they have major concerns about the on-court fit and Harden’s flight risk in the offseason, the Nets seem unlikely to do anything drastic in the next six days. They’d want a “significant haul” from the Sixers, Charania writes.

Philadelphia has long been focused on landing a star in any Simmons deal, with Harden and Bradley Beal among the players at the top of their wish list. The expectation had been that a player of that caliber wouldn’t become available until the offseason, when both Harden and Beal can opt out of their respective deals.

The Sixers have projected a willingness to extend their standoff with Simmons until then, with Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com reporting today that a deadline deal involving the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up appears increasingly unlikely. If Harden is legitimately available ahead of the deadline though, or if the Wizards are willing to talk about Beal, that could accelerate Philadelphia’s timeline.

The 76ers also continue to discuss possible Simmons scenarios with other teams, according to Charania. Sources tell The Athletic that the Hawks have been the most engaged suitor in recent weeks, having discussed a framework that includes John Collins, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and draft picks.

The Timberwolves have also remained in touch with Philadelphia about Simmons and have been open to the idea of taking on Tobias Harris, says Charania. However, Minnesota isn’t willing to part with the draft assets the Sixers are seeking.

Windhorst/MacMahon’s Latest: Jazz, Pelicans, Fox, Mavs, Grizzlies

February 4th, 2022 at 3:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The relationship between Jazz stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell is back to being “passively aggressively awkward,” ESPN’s Tim MacMahon stated in the latest episode of Brian Windhorst’s Hoop Collective podcast. Windhorst said he has heard the same thing, suggesting Gobert and Mitchell have gotten “under each other’s skin” and referring to it as “the most underplayed story in the league.”

Asked today about the report, Mitchell dismissed it, per Sarah Todd of The Deseret News: “No, no, no, no. We’re good. That’s not true. … I’m getting tired of answering (these questions) to be honest. Look, we put in the work, we’re leaders for our team, and we’re going through a tough stretch and that happens. But this is part of the business and that’s just how it goes.”

Rumors of tension between Gobert and Mitchell were at their height back in 2020 during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. We haven’t heard as much about the relationship since then — MacMahon says that when the Jazz have everyone healthy and are playing well, the issue “falls in the manageable category.”

Here are a few more highlights from Windhorst’s Hoop Collective podcast:

As the trade deadline nears, the Pelicans have been “pretty active looking to buy,” according to Windhorst, who reports that New Orleans has talked to the Trail Blazers, Kings, Rockets, and Hawks about CJ McCollum, De’Aaron Fox, Eric Gordon, and Kevin Huerter, respectively. Windhorst adds that Josh Hart is believed to be among the players the Pelicans would move.
Following up on Fox, Windhorst confirms that the Knicks have shown interest in the Kings‘ point guard and says that people around the league don’t really believe Sacramento is fully out of the Ben Simmons sweepstakes.
Windhorst and MacMahon have both heard whispers that the Mavericks are talking to the Celtics about Marcus Smart, though MacMahon admitted he’s not sure whether those discussions have taken place as of late. “I can say with certainty that they’ve shown interest in Marcus Smart in the past,” MacMahon said. “I don’t know how much of that has been recent.”
After stating earlier in the week that the Mavericks likely won’t move Jalen Brunson unless they get blown away by an offer, MacMahon repeated that point and applied it to Dorian Finney-Smith as well. MacMahon added that Brunson’s preference in free agency would be to stay in Dallas, but after earning a total of $6.1MM in his first four NBA seasons, the point guard’s top priority will be getting paid — he won’t be interested in taking a home-team discount.
Windhorst, MacMahon, and ESPN’s Tim Bontemps all agreed – based on what they’ve heard – that the Grizzlies are unlikely to do anything significant at the trade deadline unless they get an opportunity that’s a “grand slam home run.”

Stein’s Latest: Collins, Hawks, Poeltl, Turner, Fox, Lopez

February 4th, 2022 at 2:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Hawks big man John Collins appears increasingly unlikely to be traded before next Thursday’s deadline, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack article. As Stein explains, Atlanta has been involved in plenty of trade discussions in recent weeks, but the team is playing well lately and seems inclined to push any Collins deal into the offseason.

ESPN’s Zach Lowe conveyed a similar sentiment earlier today. While he didn’t focus specifically on Collins or any other player, Lowe reported that the Hawks remain active in trade talks, but don’t appear to feel the same urgency to make a move that they did a couple weeks ago.

Here are a few more trade rumors from Stein’s latest roundup:

The Spurs would require a first-round pick and a quality player in order to part with center Jakob Poeltl, according to Stein, who says the Bulls are among the teams to express interest in the big man. Stein previously identified Toronto as another club with interest in Poeltl.
Stein was told on Friday morning that the odds of Pacers big man Myles Turner being moved before the February 10 deadline are a “coin flip.” Turner seemed more likely to be dealt before he sustained a stress fracture in his foot that cooled his market.
Despite the Kings‘ insistence that they want to keep De’Aaron Fox and build around him and Tyrese Haliburton, Stein says numerous teams still believe Sacramento would be willing to part with Fox.
Teams have inquired on center Robin Lopez, but it’s unclear how interested the Magic are in trading him, Stein writes.

Pelicans Rumors: Barnes, Covington, Alexander-Walker, Hayes, Hart

February 2nd, 2022 at 11:13am CST by Luke Adams

Multiple reports in January indicated that the Pelicans would likely be buyers at the trade deadline, and there are no signs that has changed, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Scotto reports that New Orleans is expressing interest in several trade candidates, including Kings forward Harrison Barnes and Trail Blazers forward Robert Covington.

As previously relayed, the Pelicans have also been “repeatedly linked” to Rockets guard Eric Gordon and are said to be among the teams with interest in Pacers center Domantas Sabonis. Blazers guard CJ McCollum has also been cited by multiple reports as a player firmly on New Orleans’ radar.

Here are a few more updates on the Pelicans:

Rival executives believe Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Jaxson Hayes are available in trade discussions, Scotto said on the latest episode of the HoopsHype Podcast. Multiple executives tell HoopsHype that the Pelicans are more willing to listen to inquiries about Alexander-Walker than they have been in the past.
Noting that Josh Hart is a player worth keeping an eye on because of his strong play this season and his team-friendly contract structure, Scotto says the Hawks are among the teams that are fans of Hart.
According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, the Pelicans are believed to be revisiting a trade concept that they first discussed with the Kings in the 2021 offseason — the hypothetical deal would involve Barnes and Hart.

Trae Young Day-To-Day With Shoulder Issue

February 1st, 2022 at 1:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Hawks guard Trae Young, dealing with a right shoulder contusion, sat out Monday’s game vs. Toronto, but the team is hopeful he won’t miss much – if any – more time. “He tried to go out and warm up and wasn’t feeling good, so we’ll give him these next two days to recover,” head coach Nate McMillan said (Twitter link via Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution).