- The Celtics seem to be “on the periphery” of the Tyreke Evans trade discussions, according to Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald, who hears that the Grizzlies have better offers for Evans. However, one GM tells Bulpett that Boston appears to be “lying in wait” in the event that more active talks stall.
- The Grizzlies continue to seek a first-round pick for Tyreke Evans, but suitors like the Celtics, Nuggets, and Sixers have been hesitant to offer more than either a second-round pick or a young player, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Teams seem to be hanging onto their first-rounders tighter than ever, per Woj.
One of the most important deadlines on the NBA calendar is less than 24 hours away, and teams are preparing their best offers as we head for 2:00pm Central. We’ll find out soon if any more franchise-altering moves are in store for this season, but in the meantime here are some Wednesday night trade rumors:
- The Celtics remain in the running for Grizzlies guard Tyreke Evans, but there’s a sense that Memphis is getting better offers elsewhere, according to Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. A GM from another team tells Bulpett that Boston is waiting to swoop in if talks with those other clubs fall apart. Evans’ value figures to have increased after Lou Williams agreed to an extension with the Clippers today, taking one high-scoring guard off the market.
- Multiple teams have shown interest in George Hill, but the Kings don’t want to take on bad contracts, reports Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. The Cavaliers have been the team most prominently linked to the veteran guard, but Jones says the Rockets and others have contacted Sacramento about Hill. Houston could match salaries with Ryan Anderson, but he is owed more than $41MM over the next two seasons and the Kings want to avoid cutting into their future cap space. They are seeking young players and draft picks in return for Hill.
- Teams have also called the Kings about veterans Garrett Temple, Vince Carter and Kosta Koufos, Jones adds in the same story. Both Temple ($8MM) and Koufos ($8.74MM) have player options for next season, while the 41-year-old Carter is on an expiring deal.
- Jazz swingman Rodney Hood told Shams Charania of The Vertical that he expects to be traded. “I’ve had great times in Utah, but regardless of where I’m playing, whether it’s there or somewhere else, I’m going to stay professional,” Hood said. “I’m going to stick with it. My gut feeling is that I won’t be here by the deadline. I’ve enjoyed my time here, but I’ve felt isolated the past month and I would not be surprised if I was moved.”
- The Mavericks are being offered players by teams trying to unload salary, but they aren’t getting enough incentives to make the deals worthwhile, according to Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Sefko lists Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle of the Lakers and J.R. Smith of the Cavaliers as players who would be available if Dallas doesn’t mind committing the cap space.
- The Knicks may be in the market for more deals after sending Willy Hernangomez to the Hornets, writes Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. Kyle O’Quinn and Courtney Lee are the most likely players to be moved.
- Free agent center Greg Monroe will officially sign with the Celtics sometime before Thusday’s game, tweets A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston. Monroe announced his plans to join the team on Friday, but there has been a delay in case the Celtics need an open roster spot for a trade before tomorrow’s deadline.
The Knicks are still reeling from Tuesday’s news that Kristaps Porzingis has suffered a torn ACL and will be sidelined for the rest of the season. While Porzingis’ injury essentially eliminates the Knicks from the playoff race in the East, team ownership can at least find some solace in the fact that the organization remains the highest-valued franchise in the NBA, according to a report from Kurt Badenhausen of Forbes.
For the first time, all 30 NBA teams have a perceived worth of $1 billion or more, per Forbes’ annual report. In 2017, 18 teams had a valuation exceeding $1 billion, which was up from 13 teams in 2016 and just three teams in 2015.
The league-wide average of $1.65 billion per team is also a record, with franchise valuations up 22% in total over last year’s figures. NBA franchise values have tripled over the last five years, according to Badenhausen.
Here’s the full list of NBA franchise valuations, per Forbes:
- New York Knicks: $3.6 billion
- Los Angeles Lakers: $3.3 billion
- Golden State Warriors: $3.1 billion
- Chicago Bulls: $2.6 billion
- Boston Celtics: $2.5 billion
- Brooklyn Nets: $2.3 billion
- Houston Rockets: $2.2 billion
- Los Angeles Clippers: $2.15 billion
- Dallas Mavericks: $1.9 billion
- Miami Heat: $1.7 billion
- San Antonio Spurs: $1.55 billion
- Toronto Raptors: $1.4 billion
- Sacramento Kings: $1.375 billion
- Washington Wizards: $1.35 billion
- Cleveland Cavaliers: $1.325 billion
- Portland Trail Blazers: $1.3 billion
- Phoenix Suns: $1.28 billion
- Oklahoma City Thunder: $1.25 billion
- Orlando Magic: $1.225 billion
- Utah Jazz: $1.2 billion
- Philadelphia 76ers: $1.18 billion
- Indiana Pacers: $1.175 billion
- Atlanta Hawks: $1.15 billion
- Denver Nuggets: $1.125 billion
- Detroit Pistons: $1.1 billion
- Milwaukee Bucks: $1.075 billion
- Minnesota Timberwolves: $1.06 billion
- Charlotte Hornets: $1.05 billion
- Memphis Grizzlies: $1.025 billion
- New Orleans Pelicans: $1 billion
For comparison’s sake, Forbes’ 2017 valuations can be found right here.
- The Marcus Smart trade rumors may be somewhat overblown, according to Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald, who writes that the Celtics will likely only move Smart if they can land a player who helps the team more this season — or if they can acquire a draft pick that can be flipped to secure a player who fits that bill. Bulpett also expressed skepticism that Boston will surrender Smart solely for a rental player.
The Cavaliers continue to engage the Kings about a possible George Hill trade, sources tell Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports. However, the Cavs would like to include both J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert in their package for Hill, and taking on multiple expensive non-expiring contracts doesn’t appeal to Sacramento. Meanwhile, the Kings are quietly looking to get a third team involved in a potential deal, according to Mannix.
Mannix’s latest trade rumor roundup features several more tidbits of interest related to Thursday’s deadline, so we’ll pass along the highlights…
- The future of GM Rich Cho in Charlotte is uncertain, which may complicate the Hornets‘ deadline plans. According to Mannix, there are rumblings about former Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak being a candidate to join the Hornets’ front office in the offseason. Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times wrote last week that Kupchak is considered likely to be hired by an Eastern Conference team this summer.
- Some teams with interest in Marcus Smart view the Celtics‘ asking price of a first-round pick as “unrealistic,” says Mannix.
- The Hawks have made “everyone” available, and while much has been written about the club’s veteran trade candidates, second-year swingman Taurean Prince is another player who has drawn interest, according to Mannix.
- The Magic have shopped Mario Hezonja “hard” in recent days, per Mannix.
- According to Mannix, the Suns are willing to move veterans like Tyson Chandler and Jared Dudley. Neither player’s contract is particularly team-friendly though, so it may be tough for Phoenix to find any value.
- The Clippers say they’re okay with holding onto DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams through the deadline, but rival clubs are skeptical, says Mannix.
The Celtics, Nuggets, and Sixers appear to be the current frontrunners to acquire Tyreke Evans from the Grizzlies, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). According to Wojnarowski, the Heat have also remained engaged on Evans.
Evans, 28, has been enjoying one of the best years of his NBA career in Memphis this season, averaging 19.5 PPG, 5.0 APG, and 5.0 RPG with a .458/.392/.799 shooting line so far. Based on his terrific production, the Grizzlies are said to be seeking a first-round pick in any deal and are currently holding Evans out of their lineup as they consider their options.
It makes sense that the Celtics, Nuggets, and Sixers would have a leg up on Miami in the pursuit of Evans, since the earliest first-rounder the Heat can trade is their 2023 pick. Denver still has all of its future first-round picks, while Boston and Philadelphia are owed at least one extra first-rounder in addition to holding all of their own. If the Heat want to make a play for Evans, their offer would likely have to include former lottery selection Justise Winslow.
While it remains to be seen what sort of package each team is willing to offer for Evans, Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link) hears that the Celtics’ reported hunt for a first-round pick in exchange for Marcus Smart is related to their interest in Evans and Lou Williams. Landing a first-rounder for Smart would allow the C’s to flip that pick – or their own first-rounder – to Memphis for Evans or to the Clippers for Williams, Stein notes.
For now though, the Celtics remain reluctant to include a first-round pick in an offer for a player on an expiring contract, preferring to save those selections for a “more seismic” deal, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe, who classifies Boston’s interest in Williams as “lukewarm.”
The Nuggets are among the teams that have explored possible Marcus Smart trade scenarios with the Celtics, league sources tell Marc Stein of The New York Times (via Twitter). A recent report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski suggested that Boston is willing to move Smart in exchange for a first-round pick.
According to Stein, former lottery pick Emmanuel Mudiay has been made available by the Nuggets in their talks with the Celtics, but it doesn’t appear Denver has been open to including a future first-rounder in an offer for Smart.
Stein isn’t the first reporter to link Mudiay to the Celtics. Over the weekend, Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald said he has heard from a league source that the Celtics and Nuggets have discussed a hypothetical deal of Smart for Mudiay and a draft pick. However, Bulpett added that another league source had denied that account.
If the Nuggets are willing to attach a draft pick to Mudiay in an offer for Smart, it will almost certainly be a second-rounder. While Smart is respected around the NBA for his excellent perimeter defense, his offensive game is extremely limited, and he’s in a contract year, meaning he’ll get more expensive in restricted free agency this summer.
Wojnarowski, who initially reported Smart’s potential availability, appeared today on Zach Lowe’s Lowe Post podcast and expressed skepticism that the Celtics will land a first-rounder for Smart, unless they’re willing to take on long-term salary in return. Woj believes it’s probably more likely that the 23-year-old stays put in Boston through the deadline.
- The Celtics agreed to a deal with Greg Monroe on Friday but the team may be waiting for a corresponding trade before making the signing official, tweets Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald.