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Trade Rumors: Bey, Wiseman, Bridges, Toppin, LeVert, Gordon, More

February 9th, 2023 at 12:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons and Warriors have engaged in discussions about a possible trade that would involve forward Saddiq Bey and center James Wiseman, reports Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

According to Fischer, Golden State has shown an increased willingness to move Wiseman and Detroit has interest in the former No. 2 overall pick — he was atop the Pistons’ draft board in 2020, notes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link).

Still, both Sankofa and James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter links) say that no deal appears imminent between the Warriors and Pistons, so the talks may not ultimately bear fruit. According to Fischer (Twitter link), Golden State may be weighing an offer from Detroit against other trade opportunities.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA, with the deadline less than two hours away:

According to Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link), the Rockets are among the teams that have kicked the tires on Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson, who are headed to the Nets as part of the Kevin Durant trade. However, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link) has heard that Brooklyn intends to hang onto Bridges through Thursday’s trade deadline.
The Pacers are among the teams to register interest for Knicks forward Obi Toppin, while the Kings are among the teams to have inquired about point guard Derrick Rose, says Ian Begley of SNY.tv. The asking price for Toppin is substantial, according to Begley.
The Cavaliers have informed veteran wing Caris LeVert that he won’t be traded before Thursday’s deadline, according to Matt Moore of Action Network.
Moore also reports that the Pelicans, Grizzlies, and Knicks have made offers for Raptors forward OG Anunoby that include multiple draft picks. There has been internal debate within the Knicks organization about whether to include Immanuel Quickley in any trade offers, including for Anunoby, Moore writes.
Both Brian Smith and Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter links) have heard rumblings about the increasing likelihood that Rockets shooting guard Eric Gordon will be on the move today. Moore reported that there’s skepticism around the league about Houston’s ability to get a first-round pick for Gordon.

Matisse Thybulle To Blazers, Jalen McDaniels To Sixers In Three-Team Trade

February 9th, 2023 at 11:40am CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers are in the process of finalizing a trade for Sixers defensive ace Matisse Thybulle, reports Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (Twitter link).

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter links), it’ll be a three-team deal that also includes the Hornets, with forward Jalen McDaniels headed to Philadelphia and Charlotte acquiring multiple second-round picks. Veteran wing Svi Mykhailiuk, whom the Blazers agreed to acquire in the Josh Hart trade with New York, will be flipped to the Hornets in this deal, Woj adds (Twitter links).

Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter links) provides the full breakdown of the agreement:

Sixers to acquire McDaniels, the Knicks’ 2024 second-round pick (from Charlotte), and the Trail Blazers’ 2029 second-round pick.
Blazers to acquire Thybulle.
Hornets to acquire the most favorable of the Hornets’, Hawks’, and Nets’ 2023 second-round picks (from Philadelphia), the most favorable of the Pelicans’ and Blazers’ 2027 second-round picks (from Portland), and Mykhailiuk (from Portland).

In addition to adding a couple of second-round picks and a versatile forward in McDaniels, the Sixers will also dip under the luxury tax line with this move — they were previously $1.1MM over, but by swapping Thybulle ($4.38MM) for McDaniels ($1.93MM), they’ll now be about $1.35MM under.

McDaniels, 25, is having the most productive season of his four-year career. Through 56 games with Charlotte (21 starts, 26.7 MPG), he held averages of 10.6 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.0 APG and 1.2 SPG on .447/.332/.846 shooting. The former 52nd overall pick will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer, but the Sixers will hold his Bird rights if they want to re-sign him.

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported last month that the Blazers were targeting players athletic players with size and 3-and-D wings. While Thybulle isn’t a great shooter, he is a terrific athlete and was named to the All-Defensive Second Team in two of his first three seasons, so he fulfills some of what they were looking for.

Like Cam Reddish, whom the Blazers acquired in the Josh Hart deal, Thybulle will be a restricted free agent in the summer if Portland extends him a qualifying offer. The defensive stalwart was the 20th overall pick back in 2019.

Evidently the Hornets decided they didn’t want to pay McDaniels in the offseason and instead chose to add a couple of second-round picks. While they did give up one (New York’s 2024 pick), they also received two in return, with their own pick almost certain to come back to them (the Sixers controlled it from a previous trade). That pick will land in the early 30s, so it has solid value.

Mykhaliuk was also sent to Portland in the Hart deal and will now be rerouted to Charlotte. He has hardly played this season, but the Hornets will get a cheap flyer on him if they want to keep him around — he was drafted by GM Mitch Kupchak back in 2016 when the two were with the Lakers.

Rory Maher contributed to this post.

Kevin Durant Trade Notes

February 9th, 2023 at 9:43am CST by Arthur Hill

The Suns were at the top of Kevin Durant‘s list of preferred destinations because of his close relationship with head coach Monty Williams, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic. Williams spent a year as associate head coach in Oklahoma City during Durant’s time there, and they worked together on Team USA as well.

Amick adds that credit for the early-morning mega-deal should also go to Phoenix president of basketball operations James Jones, whose image of team building was influenced by his time as a player in Miami when the Heat brought in LeBron James and Chris Bosh to team with Dwayne Wade. In 2019, Jones made the decision to hire Williams, whose connections to Chris Paul and now Durant have turned the Suns into an updated version of that Heat super-team.

Amick hears from sources that Durant spent the past few days seeking advice from confidants about the best path for his future in the wake of Kyrie Irving‘s trade to Dallas. Most league insiders believed he would wait for the offseason to seek an exit from Brooklyn, but the deal with Phoenix came together quickly late Wednesday night.

There’s more on the Durant trade:

Even before Durant made his request last summer, league insiders understood that he had a desire to go to Phoenix, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. The chance to play with a Hall of Fame point guard in Paul and another All-NBA player in Devin Booker was appealing, and Durant knew the Suns had enough draft assets and young talent to make a trade realistic. Sources tell Fischer that Durant didn’t give the Nets a list of preferred locations when he made his trade request last June, but there was an understanding that Phoenix was among the leaders.
Brooklyn issued several public denials through the media this week that Durant was being made available, but teams began to believe on Wednesday that the Nets might reconsider that stance, says Ian Begley of SNY (Video link). He states that several clubs had similar offers ready, including the Grizzlies and Pelicans, but Durant’s desire to be in Phoenix influenced Brooklyn’s decision.
The Nets had no intention of trading Durant when they agreed to send Irving to the Mavericks on Sunday, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN (video link). When Brooklyn obtained Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith from Dallas, they were intended to be pieces that could team with Durant and remain competitive in the Eastern Conference. The Nets’ front office spent Monday trying to move Finney-Smith and draft picks to improve the team even more, but things had changed by Tuesday. Windhorst said there was essentially a “one-team negotiation” with the Suns, and new owner Mat Ishbia was willing to offer a lot more than Robert Sarver did last summer.
The Durant news broke shortly before Irving addressed the media following his first game with the Mavericks, per Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Irving indicated there was a dysfunctional situation in Brooklyn and responded, “I’m just glad that he got out of there,” when he was asked about Durant. “I think this was in the works after year one,” Irving said. “I was unsure about whether or not I wanted to be in Brooklyn because of things that were happening behind the scenes. I just did my best to put my head down and work as hard as I could.”

Scotto’s Latest: Nets, Bridges, Grizzlies, Blazers, Lewis, Raptors, Spurs

February 9th, 2023 at 9:24am CST by Luke Adams

The Nets have already officially completed one blockbuster trade this week and have agreed to another, but the belief around the NBA is that they’re not done dealing yet. Five executives tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype that they’re prepared for Brooklyn to break up a glut of wings before Thursday’s trade deadline.

After acquiring Dorian Finney-Smith from Dallas, the Nets are poised to add Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, and Jae Crowder to a group of wings that already includes Royce O’Neale and shooters like Joe Harris, Seth Curry, and Patty Mills. Crowder is known to be available, as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported last night, but it’s a safe bet the Nets will be getting inquiries on several other players too.

According to Scotto, several teams – including the Grizzlies – have called the Nets to ask about Bridges. In addition to talking to Brooklyn about Bridges, Memphis has spoken to the Raptors about OG Anunoby and has expressed a willingness to give up multiple first-round picks for either player, Scotto reports. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link) has heard the Nets would be able to secure up to three first-rounders for Bridges if they’re willing to flip him.

While the terms of the Durant and Irving deals suggest the Nets are comfortable stockpiling draft picks, the team will likely be on the lookout for promising young players on rookie contracts too — league sources tell Scotto that Brooklyn tried to get Josh Green and Jaden Hardy from Dallas as part of the Irving trade.

Here’s more from Scotto:

The Trail Blazers are among the teams with interest in Raptors forward OG Anunoby, and Blazers guards Shaedon Sharpe and Anfernee Simons both have fans in Toronto, Scotto says. However, Portland would be reluctant to part with Sharpe in particular, since the team believes the rookie has All-Star upside, per Scotto.
The Pelicans, another one of the teams talking to the Raptors about Anunoby, have dangled draft pick compensation as the centerpiece of potential offers for the Toronto forward. Scotto confirms that New Orleans is willing to move Naji Marshall, Jaxson Hayes, and/or Devonte’ Graham, and adds Kira Lewis to the list of Pelicans players who are available in trade discussions.
Scotto has the details on the draft picks the Raptors are sending the Spurs in the Jakob Poeltl trade, reporting that the 2024 first-round pick will be top-six protected through 2026, while the two second-rounders headed to San Antonio are Toronto’s 2023 and 2025 picks.

Pacific Notes: Suns, Collins, Saric, Warriors, Barnes

February 9th, 2023 at 8:09am CST by Luke Adams

The Suns‘ initial offers for Kevin Durant on Monday and Tuesday fell well short of the Nets‘ asking price as Phoenix sought to keep Mikal Bridges out of its package, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

With the two sides at an apparent impasse, the Suns were in talks with the Hawks and Pistons about a possible three-team trade that would’ve sent John Collins to Phoenix, while the Nets discussed various deals involving Collins, Raptors forward OG Anunoby, and Cavaliers wing Caris LeVert, says Wojnarowski.

However, recognizing that Durant’s mood was “unsettled” and knowing that his preference was to end up in Phoenix, the Nets decided to push the Suns to improve their offer.

The two teams reengaged late on Thursday night, with new Suns owner Mat Ishbia and Nets owner Joe Tsai both getting involved to help put the finishing touches on an agreement, per Wojnarowski. Removing Dario Saric‘s contract from the framework of the deal helped push it across the finish line, Woj adds.

Here are a few more notes from around the Pacific:

Sam Garvin, who was the Suns‘ interim governor during Robert Sarver‘s suspension, will remain in his role as the team’s vice chairman and minority shareholder now that Ishbia has assumed control of the franchise, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
The Warriors have insisted that Stephen Curry‘s leg injury and ongoing absence won’t affect how they approach the trade deadline, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. According to Slater, there have been rumblings this week suggesting that Golden State has become more willing to discuss its younger players if a strong enough upgrade is offered. Slater adds that there’s a “greater whiff of aggressiveness” around the team.
There have been no reports suggesting Harrison Barnes is on the trade block this week, but there also haven’t been any indications that he and the Kings have discussed a contract extension that would keep him in Sacramento beyond this season. Speaking to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee, neither Barnes nor his agent offered much clarity on the possibility of an extension. Barnes said it was “more of a Jeff Schwartz question,” while Schwartz said he had “nothing to report on my side other than Harrison enjoys playing for Sac.”

Trade Rumors: Anunoby, Poeltl, O’Neale, Simmons

February 9th, 2023 at 7:32am CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors‘ trade discussions involving forward OG Anunoby are carrying over into Thursday and are expected to continue into the final hours before the trade deadline, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

While the Suns’ trade for Kevin Durant will take one prime suitor for Anunoby off the market, that deal could help increase the value of the Raptors forward among other Western Conference teams, Wojnarowski notes.

The thinking there is that Phoenix’s rivals – including the Grizzlies and Pelicans, among others – may now be more motivated to acquire a three-and-D wing capable of matching up defensively against a player like Durant in the postseason.

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

Before the Spurs agreed to trade Jakob Poeltl to Toronto, the Celtics, Trail Blazers, Pelicans, and Wizards had offers on the table for the big man, according to LJ Ellis of SpursTalk. Ellis says San Antonio opted to accept Toronto’s offer because it included the strongest draft capital and because the Raptors were the team Poeltl preferred to be traded to. He began his career in Toronto in 2016 and spent two seasons with the team before being traded to the Spurs in 2018.
Add Nets forward Royce O’Neale to the list of wings the Cavaliers are eyeing as potential trade targets, says Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscriber link). There are people within the organization who believe O’Neale would be an ideal fit on Cleveland’s roster and there’s a sense he could be more available now that Brooklyn has traded away Durant and Kyrie Irving, Fedor explains.
The Nets were speaking to some teams on Wednesday about Ben Simmons, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter video link), who expects those talks to continue into Thursday. While Brooklyn is in the midst of reshaping its roster, it may be difficult to find a strong offer for Simmons, whose trade value has declined due to his inconsistent play, health issues, and the $78MM+ still owed to him for the two seasons after this one.

Nets, Suns Agree On Kevin Durant Trade

February 9th, 2023 at 12:11am CST by Arthur Hill

The Suns will acquire Kevin Durant from the Nets in exchange for Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, four first-round picks and more draft consideration, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Jae Crowder, who has been sitting out since training camp in hopes of being traded, will also go to Brooklyn in the deal, Charania adds (Twitter link).

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter) that Nets forward T.J. Warren will be part of the trade as well, and the additional draft consideration is a first-round pick swap in 2028. According to Woj, Durant wanted to be dealt to Phoenix, and new Suns owner Mat Ishbia pushed to get the deal completed tonight.

Brooklyn will receive unprotected first-rounders in 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029, a source tells Wojnarowski. The trade will help to replenish the Nets’ draft assets after they sent multiple picks and pick swaps to Houston to acquire James Harden in 2021.

The Suns were on Durant’s short list of preferred destinations when he issued a trade demand last summer. Although Phoenix was among the teams that submitted offers to Brooklyn, no progress was made at the time and Durant eventually rescinded the demand before the start of training camp.

At age 34, Durant remains among the league’s best players, averaging 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game while lifting the Nets into a tight race for the best record in the East before suffering a sprained MCL in his right knee last month. Durant is expected to be sidelined until after the All-Star break, but Brooklyn coach Jacque Vaughn said he received “a really good report” from doctors this week.

Durant still has three seasons remaining on the four-year extension he signed with the Nets in 2021, which led to speculation that the team didn’t feel any immediate pressure to trade him. Brooklyn had reportedly been telling teams that have called about Durant that he wasn’t being made available before the deadline.

A 13-time All-Star, Durant will earn $46.4MM, $49.9MM and $53.5MM over the next three seasons. He will team with Devin Booker, Chris Paul, Deandre Ayton, and the Suns’ remaining assets in hopes of bringing a title to Phoenix. Ironically, there was a report earlier this week that the Suns offered Paul to Brooklyn in hopes of landing Kyrie Irving.

The Durant-Irving pairing that seemed to make the Nets an instant contender when they both signed as free agents in 2019 will officially end with trades just a few days apart. Injuries limited their time on the court together, even when Harden was added to form a Big Three, and they managed to win just one playoff series as teammates, although they had a narrow loss to the eventual champion Bucks in 2021.

The Nets no longer have elite talent on their roster, but Bridges and Johnson have both been valuable during their time in Phoenix, and they join a team that has managed to remain competitive even with Durant and Irving in and out of the lineup.

Bridges, 26, is a strong defender and long-distance shooter and is under contract for three more years at a total of about $70MM. Johnson, also 26, is an elite three-point shooter who is headed for free agency this summer. The Nets can make him restricted with a qualifying offer worth around $8MM.

The trade ends Crowder’s long standoff with Phoenix, but Brooklyn may not be his final stop before the deadline. Wojnarowski tweets that the Nets plan to explore opportunities to move him to other teams.

The deal provides a homecoming for Warren, who spent his first five seasons with the Suns. He signed with Brooklyn in July and has managed to bounce back after missing most of the past two seasons with left foot issues.

Trade Rumors: Poeltl, Wall, Durant, Pistons

February 8th, 2023 at 11:10pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Spurs are sending their “strongest signals” so far that they intend to trade center Jakob Poeltl before Thursday’s deadline, tweets Marc Stein. The organization’s attitude toward a potential deal seems to have changed over the past 24 hours, Stein adds, giving hope to teams interested in acquiring potentially the best center on the market.

The Celtics and Raptors have been frequently mentioned as possible landing spots for Poeltl, and Stein reported earlier today that the Wizards have expressed strong interest as well. The 27-year-old will be a free agent this summer, but San Antonio has plenty of cap room available if it decides to keep him.

The Raptors and Spurs have discussed a deal involving Thaddeus Young and draft assets in exchange for Poeltl, according to Stein (Twitter link). The Spurs played in Toronto tonight, so Poeltl faced questions about the possibility of being traded there, tweets Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express News.

“I just try to focus on the here and now,” Poeltl said. “There is a lot of noise, and I try to keep it out as much as possible and just try to focus on these games.”

There’s more on the trade front:

It appears John Wall‘s time with the Clippers will end soon, whether he’s traded on Thursday or not, Stein adds (Twitter link). A source tells Stein that L.A. will pursue a buyout deal with Wall if it can’t find a taker by the deadline, echoing a report from Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times earlier this week. Wall has appeared in just 34 games and hasn’t played since January 13 because of an abdominal injury.
Nearly every contending team has called the Nets to check on Kevin Durant‘s availability, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. There has been speculation that Durant might want out after Kyrie Irving was traded to Dallas, but Brooklyn’s front office is telling everyone that it plans to hold on to Durant.
The Pistons have been active in trade talks, but they’re not committed to moving Bojan Bogdanovic, Alec Burks or Saddiq Bey before the deadline, per James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. The Knicks, Bucks and Lakers have expressed the most interest in Bogdanovic, but they don’t appear to be offering the draft assets that Detroit wants. Edwards suggests the Pistons might try to use the expiring contracts of Cory Joseph, Nerlens Noel and Hamidou Diallo — worth about $19MM combined — to pick up a player under contract beyond this season.

Deveney’s Latest: Lowry, D. Robinson, Crowder, Okoro, G. Williams, Warriors

February 8th, 2023 at 6:21pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat haven’t been able to find a taker for Kyle Lowry and may not be able to work out a significant deal before the deadline, writes Sean Deveney of Heavy. Sources tell Deveney that Miami had Lowry trade offers rejected by the Nets, Mavericks and Timberwolves and wasn’t able to generate much traction with any other team.

Lowry’s age (36) and contract (fully guaranteed at $29.68MM next season) have been major impediments to finding a trade partner. In addition, he has been limited to 44 games because of injuries, including a current bout with left knee soreness that could sideline him through the All-Star break.

The Heat also haven’t found much of a market for Duncan Robinson, who is under contract for $57MM over the next three years, although the last season isn’t fully guaranteed. Robinson has seen his playing time reduced this season and underwent finger surgery in January. Deveney suggests Miami will need to attach a future first-round pick and a young player to trade Lowry or Robinson, and he notes that some teams have expressed interest in rookie Nikola Jovic and Max Strus.

“They thought they were going to have more assets at this point, that Robinson might be playing better, that (Victor) Oladipo would be better, that Omer (Yurtseven) would be better, that Strus would be better, that Lowry would have value,” an NBA executive told Deveney. “That is why they were confident they would make a move. But they missed on pretty much all of those bets, and it is going to be hard to pull something off.”

Deveney passes along a few more rumors:

The Suns appear willing to accept Caleb Martin from the Heat in exchange for Jae Crowder, but Miami is reluctant to part with Martin, who is 27 and has an affordable contract. Sources tell Deveney that Phoenix is talking to several other teams about Crowder, including the Nets.
The Cavaliers likely won’t deal for another wing if the cost is Isaac Okoro, according to Deveney, who notes that Cleveland has discussed Josh Hart with the Trail Blazers, Bojan Bogdanovic with the Pistons and Malik Beasley with the Jazz.
The Celtics aren’t exploring Grant Williams trades before the deadline, Deveney adds. Although Williams will be a free agent this summer after not reaching a contract extension, Boston prefers to hold onto him at his current bargain price of $4.3MM and may consider a sign-and-trade in the offseason.
The Warriors are listening to offers for Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and James Wiseman, but Deveney hears that their trade value may have decreased from a lack of playing time.

Nets Notes: Simmons, Durant, Trade Market, Morris

February 8th, 2023 at 1:51pm CST by Luke Adams

After missing five straight games due to left knee soreness, Ben Simmons returned to action on Tuesday for the Nets. However, his first game back wasn’t exactly a huge success, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post, who notes that Simmons had just two points and six assists to go along with four turnovers and twisted his ankle in the second quarter of the loss to Phoenix.

“It’s a little swollen, but I’m happy with an ankle sprain over anything with the knee or back,” Simmons said of his tweaked ankle. “So I’ll take this over anything else.”

Simmons added that his knee soreness is related to the back surgery he underwent last spring and stressed that he still has a ways to go before he’s feeling 100% again.

“Back surgery is not a light thing so it takes time,” he said, per Lewis. “Back surgery, you’re affected everywhere. Your knees. So it’s just something I gotta stay on top of. I’ve been saying it from the start. There’s gonna be ups and downs. … I’m not gonna be the same player I was a few years ago. That’s gonna take time to get back.”

Here’s more on the Nets:

It may be difficult for the Nets to acquire roster upgrades ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on his latest Hoop Collective podcast. As Windhorst explains, with teams around the NBA hoping that Kevin Durant will become available again, those clubs are reluctant to make a deal with Brooklyn that would help the club strengthen Durant’s supporting cast and would reduce the likelihood of another KD trade request.
Markieff Morris wasn’t upset about being sent to Dallas along with Kyrie Irving. In fact, he told reporters on Wednesday that he was hoping to be traded along with Irving after Kyrie asked to be dealt, as Tim MacMahon of ESPN relays (via Twitter). “I just wanted somewhere I could have the opportunity to play,” said Morris, who was averaging a career-low 10.6 minutes per game in 27 appearances for the Nets. “I didn’t really play at all this year being in Brooklyn. … I just want to play basketball.”
In case you missed it, we passed along multiple other Nets-related tidbits earlier today, including details on how much case they sent Sacramento in the Kessler Edwards trade and rumors related to Cam Thomas and Nic Claxton.