Hawks Rumors

Trade Rumors: Mavs, R. Lopez, Hawks, Wizards, Pistons, More

The Mavericks have made Dwight Powell available, but they remain uninterested in moving Jalen Brunson or Dorian Finney-Smith, reports Matt Moore of ActionNetwork.com. If those two players are off the table, Dallas may have a hard time finding a deal that significantly upgrades its roster.

According to Moore, Tim Hardaway Jr., who is out indefinitely due to a foot injury, is the player the Mavericks have shopped most aggressively. Hardaway was having a down year prior to his injury and is on a sizable long-term contract ($53.7MM for three years after this season), so his value will be limited.

Still, Moore notes that Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle is a big fan of Hardaway, whom he coached in Dallas. Moore has also heard that the Wizards and Mavericks discussed a deal involving Hardaway and Spencer Dinwiddie, though a source tells Moore that the two sides didn’t make much progress.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

  • The Magic have been willing to discuss center Robin Lopez, but are apparently asking for a first-round pick, according to Moore. I’d be surprised if a team is willing to meet that price.
  • The Hawks may have a quiet deadline, with John Collins appearing increasingly unlikely to be dealt, but they remain on the lookout for a backup point guard, Moore reports.
  • Within his trade-rumor roundup, Moore also says the Wizards have been willing to discuss anyone besides Bradley Beal or Kyle Kuzma, and adds that Pistons guard Cory Joseph is “gettable.” Moore has received mixed intel on whether Detroit is interested in moving Kelly Olynyk.
  • Pacers center Myles Turner appears less likely to be dealt now that the team has moved Domantas Sabonis, but the Knicks continue to pursue Turner, a league source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post. The big man is dealing with a foot injury that may sideline him until at least March.
  • With Harrison Barnes looking like a good bet to stay with the Kings through the deadline, Richaun Holmes and Marvin Bagley III are the Sacramento players most often identified by rival teams as candidates to be moved in the next few hours, says Sam Amick of The Athletic.

Southeast Notes: Hayward, Bouknight, Wizards, Beal, Hawks

The Hornets didn’t provided a timeline for Gordon Hayward‘s recovery when they announced on Tuesday that he has been diagnosed with sprained ligaments in his left ankle, simply stating in their press release that he’ll be out indefinitely.

However, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer hears from a league source that Hayward could be sidelined for upward of a month while he recovers from the injury and goes through a rehab process.

With Hayward potentially unavailable until March, Boone contends (via Twitter) that making the right trade at the deadline is even more important for the Hornets, who are in increasing danger of missing the playoffs after a five-game losing streak dropped them to ninth in the East. In a separate story for The Observer, Boone identifies several possible trade candidates for Charlotte, focusing primarily on centers.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

Trade Rumors: Harden, Simmons, Barnes, Dragic, Fournier, Hawks

A number of NBA reporters have expressed skepticism that a James Harden/Ben Simmons mega-deal will come to fruition this week, citing sources who say it almost certainly won’t happen. However, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst remains bullish on the possibility of the Nets and Sixers figuring something out before Thursday’s trade deadline.

[RELATED: Sixers, Nets Engaged In Trade Talks On Tuesday]

Appearing on ESPN’s Greeny with Mike Greenberg (video link), Windhorst said the two teams are “absolutely” talking and negotiating possible terms, and suggested Harden would welcome a deal.

“Yesterday, the 76ers were out looking for other moves, talking to other teams about other moves – moving players, opening roster spots – leading those teams to believe that they were getting ready to make the (Harden/Simmons) deal,” Windhorst said. “They have swapped offers, and really right now it’s about haggling (over) the ancillary parts.

“Now, does that mean it’s absolutely going to get done by tomorrow? No, I can’t say that. I’m not sitting in the room. It’s complicated. … But they are in the ‘deal zone’ right now, and so I am leaning toward this probably happening. I don’t want to guarantee it or anything, but I think we’re headed in that direction.”

In an appearance of his own on Greenberg’s show, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (video link) cast doubt on his colleague’s reporting.

“I try not to do the prediction business because you follow the news where it leads,” Wojnarowski said when asked about the likelihood of a Harden/Simmons swap. “But right now, there’s no negotiation going on between Philadelphia and Brooklyn. The trade deadline is tomorrow at 3:00, it can change. But the idea that they’re going back and forth that’s been surmised by some, I don’t believe that to be accurate. … I think, barring a flurry of negotiations and activity that hasn’t happened yet, right now James Harden is likely to be with the Nets.”

Here are a few more trade rumors from across the NBA:

  • Although the Kings continue to explore potential trades involving forward Harrison Barnes, they’ve told teams they’re not interested in packages heavy on future assets, per Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link). Sacramento remains focused on competing for the playoffs this season and would want players that could help right away.
  • After a report on Tuesday indicated New York has shown interest in acquiring expiring contracts, Mannix suggests the Knicks could “jump in the mix” for Raptors point guard Goran Dragic. However, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link) says Toronto doesn’t see Evan Fournier as a fit. The Knicks continue to shop Fournier’s long-term contract around, tweets Steve Popper of Newsday.
  • Grange also reports that the Spurs have rebuffed the Raptors‘ interest in center Jakob Poeltl and are seeking more than just a mid first-round pick and expiring salary in exchange for Poeltl.
  • The Hawks have been frequently mentioned in trade rumors in recent weeks, with players like John Collins and Danilo Gallinari cited as candidates to be on the move. However, a person familiar with the situation told Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that, as of Tuesday night, there was about a 90% chance that the Hawks would simply stand pat this week.

NBA Announces Slam Dunk, Three-Point, Skills Challenge Contestants

The NBA has announced a full list of the participants for its three-point, slam dunk and skills challenge competitions ahead of the upcoming 2022 All-Star Weekend in Cleveland.

Per the NBA (Twitter link), the following players will partake in the Mountain Dew Three-Point Contest, which appears to have outpaced the dunk contest as the premiere event for established stars at All-Star Weekend. Four 2022 All-Stars will compete:

According to the league (via Twitter), these are the contestants in the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest:

Below are the NBA’s announced players for the newly revamped Taco Bell Skills Challenge (Twitter link). This year, the Skills Challenge will be divvied up into three teams: Antetokounmpo brothers (“Antetokounmpos”), Cavaliers players (“Cavs”), and rookies (“Rooks”).

These three events will take place on All-Star Saturday on February 19.

Raptors Working On Deal For Danilo Gallinari

The Raptors have talked to the Hawks about acquiring Danilo Gallinari, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.

The framework of the trade would send Goran Dragic‘s $19.4MM expiring contract to Atlanta in exchange for Gallinari. Fischer adds that additional details about what other assets might be involved are still unclear.

Fischer believes that the trade agreement earlier today that will send CJ McCollum from the Trail Blazers to the Pelicans could make the swap of Gallinari to Toronto more likely. The Hawks had been among the teams discussing a possible McCollum deal.

Brian Windhorst of ESPN confirms that the Raptors are offering Dragic and draft assets in their search to add another wing player and help in the middle. Although Toronto is 14-6 since the beginning of 2022, Windhorst notes that the Raptors are hoping to add depth because their starters have been logging heavy minutes.

Pelicans, Blazers In Serious Talks About CJ McCollum

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

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

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

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

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 PoeltlRobert WilliamsNicolas 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.