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Knicks Rumors: Rose, Carmelo, O’Quinn, Jennings

February 22nd, 2017 at 7:10am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have been actively exploring potential Derrick Rose trades with the deadline nearing, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (podcast link). As Wojnarowski notes, the club’s approach to Rose suggests there isn’t a ton of interest in re-signing him this summer.

According to Ian Begley of ESPN.com, some members of the Knicks organization are “wary” of taking on any long-term salary back in a deal for Rose, since the team could free up more than $21MM for 2017/18 by keeping the point guard’s expiring contract on the books.

As the Knicks mull what to do with Rose, here are a few more notes on the team from Wojnarowski and Begley:

Rival executives around the NBA believed – as of Tuesday evening – that the Clippers and Celtics haven’t entirely closed the door on a Carmelo Anthony trade, writes Begley. Still, according to Wojnarowski, the Knicks have been underwhelmed by what teams are willing to give up for Anthony, reducing their motivation to move him.
Per Wojnarowski, it’s possible that the Knicks hang onto Anthony through the deadline, then try to reopen trade scenarios around the 2017 draft. Begley reports that some people within the Clippers organization think that the All-Star forward would be open to waiving his no-trade clause and approving a move to Los Angeles in the summer.
Even if the Knicks don’t move any marquee veterans, a deal this week is possible. According to Begley, teams have asked about guys like Kyle O’Quinn and Brandon Jennings in recent days.

Celtics Notes: Drummond, George, Bradley

February 21st, 2017 at 6:49pm CST by Austin Kent

The Celtics would be a potential landing spot for Andre Drummond if the Pistons are open to moving their young center, a source tells A. Sherrod Blakely of CSN New England. Blakely wonders if Boston, having shown little interest in DeMarcus Cousins before he was dealt, could instead be eyeing a big man like Drummond.

While we’ve known for some time that the Pistons are open to dealing anybody on the roster at the right price, Drummond’s recent behavior on Twitter, Blakely argues, could indicate that something is brewing. Earlier today, Drummond retweeted an eyeball emoji tweet that Isaiah Thomas sent out. Worth noting, Blakely writes, is that the point guard did exactly such a thing shortly before the Celtics added Al Horford in the summer. Later, Drummond posted his own eyeball emoji tweet and removed all references to the Pistons from his Twitter biography.

Tempering expectations on the Drummond speculation is Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press, who says that multiple people with firsthand knowledge of the Pistons claim it’s very likely the 23-year-old stays in Detroit through the deadline.

There are a few more Celtics rumors bouncing around today:

The Celtics may be unlikely to move one of their Nets picks for Jimmy Butler but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t include it in a deal for Pacers swingman Paul George. A CSN New England report filed Tuesday cites an article published by Frank Isola at the New York Daily News. “Everyone is talking about Butler to Boston but Danny Ainge and Larry Bird go way back. Paul George could be the sleeper,” said Isola’s source, an anonymous executive.
One player that could make an interesting pieces at the trade deadline is Avery Bradley, says a recent CSN New England report. In a podcast, Zach Lowe of ESPN mentioned that Bradley will see his contract expire next season at the same time that Isaiah Thomas’ contract comes due and for that reason might be moved ahead of time.
A report out of Toronto links the Celtics to both Jimmy Butler and Paul George but adds that the Celtics will likely hold onto their potential top pick. Ryan Wolstat of the National Post thinks Boston can offer an enticing package for Butler without including the pick.

Wizards, Jazz, Others Interested In P.J. Tucker

February 21st, 2017 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

P.J. Tucker‘s name has been coming up in trade rumors for over a month now, and with less than 48 hours to go until the deadline, the Suns swingman appears to be receiving interest from several potential suitors. Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link) identifies the Raptors, Wizards, Clippers, Hawks, Celtics, and Jazz as teams eyeing Tucker.

Several of those teams have already been linked to Tucker in recent weeks. The Clippers and Hawks were among the teams initially named as suitors in January, along with Chicago, Cleveland, and Minnesota. More recently, Sean Deveney of The Sporting News wrote that the Celtics have “deep interest” in Tucker, and ESPN’s Zach Lowe said that the Raptors were a team to watch.

The inclusion of the Wizards and Jazz in Scotto’s report appears to be new, though both teams are known to be in the market for modest upgrades to their respective rotations. Both Washington and Utah are believed to have interest in Lou Williams, a far more lethal scorer than Tucker, who is known more for his defense.

Tucker is on an affordable contract, earning just $5.3MM this season, but he’ll also become an unrestricted free agent this summer, so it remains to be seen how much value the Suns will be able to extract for a rental player.

Mavs Willing To Take On Contracts Attached To Picks

February 21st, 2017 at 12:49pm CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks aren’t expected to engage in a full-fledged fire sale before this Thursday’s trade deadline, but the team appears to be focused on the future as they mull potential roster moves. According to ESPN’s Marc Stein (Twitter link), team owner Mark Cuban said on Monday that Dallas is willing to take on cumbersome contracts this week if draft picks are attached to those deals.

Salary-dump trades in which teams take on contracts and receive a draft pick or two for their troubles aren’t uncommon. In fact, one such deal has received extra attention this week — the Sixers and Kings completed such a swap back in 2015, with Philadelphia taking on a few contracts from Sacramento and receiving first-round swap rights in 2016 and 2017 in the deal, along with an unprotected 2019 pick. That now looks like an especially prescient move on the Sixers’ behalf.

The Mavs may not be in a position to make a deal like that, if only because the team doesn’t have the necessary cap room to absorb a salary without sending money out in return. In fact, Dallas is so far over the cap that the team is only about $1MM from going into the tax. As such, a more realistic scenario involving the Mavs would see Cuban’s club taking on an unwieldy long-term contract in exchange for a shorter-term deal, and getting a pick out of the exchange.

In addition to accommodating salary dumps, the Mavs are believed to be exploring moving veterans who aren’t part of their long-term plans, including perhaps Andrew Bogut. According to Mike Fisher of Scout.com, a league source believes that Bogut will be a fallback option for the Celtics at the deadline if Danny Ainge is unable to land a big fish.

Fisher suggests the Mavs could get a future first-round pick in such a deal, though a Boston Globe report from earlier today indicated that Boston will be reluctant to part with a first-rounder in a trade for a role player. The Bogut scenario with the Celtics would perhaps be a good spot for Dallas to take on an unwanted contract in order to get a first-round pick, but there aren’t any expendable, overpaid players on long-term deals on Boston’s roster.

Celtics Rumors: Tucker, Okafor, Thomas' Tweet

February 21st, 2017 at 11:06am CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics have identified a “small group of role players” that would interest them, including P.J. Tucker, per Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. However, the club has no plans to give up a first-round pick for a modest piece like Tucker, a source tells Himmelsbach. The Globe reporter adds that Sixers big man Jahlil Okafor isn’t presently on Boston’s radar, though ESPN’s Marc Stein said in a recent radio appearance that the C’s hadn’t entirely closed the door on that possibility.
Beat reporters in Boston haven’t suggested that the Celtics are close to any deal, but Isaiah Thomas put fans on high alert with a tweet on Monday night. As Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com notes, the last time Thomas sent the eyes-wide-open emoji in a tweet, it happened right before the C’s agreed to sign Al Horford.

Celtics, Clippers Discussed Blake Griffin Trade

February 20th, 2017 at 8:40pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Celtics have had discussions with the Clippers regarding Blake Griffin, though a deal remains extremely unlikely, sources tell Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. If Los Angeles were to send Griffin to Boston, it would require the Celtics to give up Jae Crowder and either Avery Bradley or Marcus Smart in addition to future picks, sources tell Lowe.

Griffin will be a free agent after the season and Boston would likely need official permission to speak with the power forward before making an official offer to Los Angeles. The team would want to gauge Griffin’s interest in re-signing in Boston and Lowe notes that Minnesota allowed Cleveland to have similar conversations with Kevin Love before he was acquired by the Cavs.

Griffin isn’t the only star that the Celtics have interest in bringing aboard. Lowe adds that the team has “zeroed in” on Jimmy Butler and Paul George, though both appear unlikely to be traded. Lowe hears that the Pacers are turning away trade inquiries on George and it was reported earlier today that the Bulls are leaning toward keeping the 3-time All-Star. Lowe writes that the Celtics would need to include Brooklyn’s 2017 pick in an offer to entice the Bulls and Chicago could even demand both of the Nets’ picks in exchange for Butler.

Bulls Leaning Toward Keeping Jimmy Butler

February 20th, 2017 at 4:45pm CST by Milo Taibi

According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, there is a growing feeling around Jimmy Butler‘s camp that the three-time All-Star won’t be moved at this year’s deadline. Sources told Cowley that while the Bulls have taken multiple inquiries on Butler, they haven’t been pursuing trade talks.

Cowley observed that Butler trusts GM Gar Forman enough to believe he won’t be traded. The Celtics have consistently been connected with Butler in trade rumors- Isaiah Thomas cooed over Butler’s skill-set during the All-Star break- but the Bulls’ front office is hesitant to forfeit their chances at a playoff run.

The Bulls currently occupy the seven seed in the Eastern Conference with a 28-29 record. As Cowley points out, entering sell-mode this season would eliminate any chance of retaining Dwyane Wade over the offseason.

While the Bulls are unlikely to deal their most prized asset, other rotation pieces- Rajon Rondo, Nikola Mirotic, Taj Gibson– could still be on the move. Earlier this month, Doug McDermott and Robin Lopez were mentioned in trade talks as well.

Himmelsbach: Celtics Never Had Real Interest In Cousins

February 20th, 2017 at 1:34pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics never had any real interest in Cousins, league sources tell Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. According to Himmelsbach, Boston “could not overlook all the warning signs” associated with the star center. “It’s just really hard when you can’t find one basketball person [to vouch for him],” one source said.

Celtics Weren't Actively Engaged On DeMarcus Cousins

February 20th, 2017 at 8:20am CST by Luke Adams

According to Mannix, that win over the Celtics without their star center in the lineup had some members of the Kings’ organization “dreaming of what a free-flowing, post-Cousins offense could look like.” Now the team will get a chance to see what its offense looks like without Cousins on a full-time basis.

Given the underwhelming nature of the trade package the Kings received, Kristian Winfield of SBNation.com wonders where the other offers for Cousins were. According to Mannix, a handful of teams, including the Magic and Celtics, expressed “nominal interest” in Cousins, though Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald tweets that Boston wasn’t one of the clubs actively engaged with Sacramento on Sunday.

Celtics Have “Deep Interest” In P.J. Tucker

February 19th, 2017 at 3:08pm CST by Milo Taibi

The Suns have been shopping P.J. Tucker, and- according to a report from Sean Deveney of the Sporting News– the Celtics have “deep interest” in the 31-year-old. Boston could view Tucker as an alternative to trading for Jimmy Butler; a move that would require giving up their first round draft pick. A defensive standout, Tucker has averaged six rebounds with 1.5 steals through 57 games in 2016/17.

Tucker is on an expiring contract, making $5.3MM in the final season of a three-year, $16.5MM deal. With the addition of Tucker, Deveney notes, GM Danny Ainge would be able to add depth while keeping Boston’s draft picks intact. Interestingly, Deveney points to Tucker’s locker room presence as a potential advantage over Butler, as “Jimmy Buckets” would have to be willing to assume a secondary role behind Isaiah Thomas.

If a move to the Celtics doesn’t materialize, we’ve recently seen the Timberwolves connected to Tucker as a trade deadline possibility.