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New York Notes: Thomas, Claxton, Dinwiddie, Knicks, Reddish

February 8th, 2023 at 7:45am CST by Luke Adams

It was just two weeks ago that a report identified Cam Thomas as one of the young players the Nets could dangle in trade talks. Since then, Thomas’ role in Brooklyn has changed in a major way.

Thomas has scored at least 43 points in each of his last three games, totaling 134 points on 42-of-75 (56.0%) shooting in those three contests while knocking down 14-of-25 (56.0%) three-pointers. According to ESPN Stats and Info (Twitter link), the 21-year-old is the youngest player in NBA history to score 40 or more points in three consecutive games.

During an SNY TV appearance (Twitter video link), Ian Begley said he hadn’t gotten the impression prior to Thomas’ scoring binge that the Nets were looking to shop him, and that’s even more true now. If anything, Begley noted, Thomas’ play may result in more potential trade partners inquiring on the second-year guard as a valuable young asset as Brooklyn explores the market for roster upgrades.

Here’s more on the NBA’s two New York teams:

  • Begley also confirmed during his SNY TV appearance that the Raptors are seeking center Nic Claxton as part of any major trade with the Nets. That represents a major “roadblock” in Brooklyn’s efforts to land a player like Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, or Fred VanVleet, given what an important role Claxton has played for the team this season, Begley says.
  • Speaking to reporters at an introductory press conference on Tuesday, new Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie stated that he expects to remain with the team through Thursday’s trade deadline, observing that it would be “silly” for Brooklyn to hold the press conference if that wasn’t the plan (Twitter link via Marc J. Spears of Andscape). Brian Lewis of The New York Post passes along a few more of the presser’s notable quotes from Dinwiddie and new Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith.
  • Madison Square Garden Sports president David Hopkinson said on Tuesday that the company would be open to selling minority shares in the Knicks, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. Knicks owner James Dolan has been adamant that he has no desire to give up control of the franchise, but with franchise valuations skyrocketing, it sounds like he’s open to the idea of raising capital by giving up a smaller stake.
  • Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News explores the Knicks‘ trade deadline outlook, suggesting that Cam Reddish will be a strong candidate for a buyout if he’s not moved by Thursday afternoon.
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Kings Acquire Kessler Edwards From Nets

February 7th, 2023 at 6:05pm CST by Luke Adams

6:05pm: The trade is now official, the Nets announced in a press release. Brooklyn received the draft rights to David Michineau, who currently plays for Napoli Basket in Italy’s Lega Basket Serie A, to complete the deal.

3:39pm: The Kings and Nets have finalized an agreement, a league source tells James Ham of The Kings Beat (Twitter links). Ham confirms that Sacramento will end Burton’s 10-day contract a little early to open up a roster spot for Edwards.

2:54am: The Kings and Nets are close to reaching an agreement on a trade that would send forward Kessler Edwards to Sacramento, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link), the deal will send Edwards and cash to Sacramento. It’s essentially a salary dump, since moving off Edwards’ minimum-salary contract will save the Nets approximately $8MM in salary and tax money in addition to opening up a roster spot, per Wojnarowski.

As Wojnarowski notes, Edwards must sign off on the trade, since the terms of his deal with Brooklyn give him the ability to veto a trade. He intends to approve it, according to Woj (Twitter link).

The 44th overall pick in the 2021 draft, Edwards signed a two-year contract with the Nets this past offseason after spending his rookie year on a two-way deal that includes a second-year team option. He showed promise in a limited role last season, averaging 5.9 PPG and 3.6 RPG on .412/.353/.842 shooting.

However, Edwards hasn’t seen regular playing time in 2022/23, logging 79 total minutes across 14 contests. He has scored just 15 points on 6-of-24 (25.0%) shooting for the season.

It’s unclear whether Edwards will finish the season with Sacramento. According to Wojnarowski, the club’s plan for now is to give him the opportunity to play for its G League team, the Stockton Kings, but Woj says his future remains “fluid” with two days to go until the trade deadline. It sounds like if Sacramento needs to open a roster spot at the deadline, Edwards would probably be the odd man out.

The Kings technically have a full 15-man roster for now, but one of those spots is occupied by Deonte Burton, who is on a 10-day contract that expires Wednesday night. His deal may be terminated a little early to accommodate the acquisition of Edwards.

As for the Nets, they’ll create a trade exception worth approximately $1.6MM (Edwards’ salary), but the financial savings and the newly opened roster spot will likely end up being more valuable than that exception.

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Kevin Durant Expected To Be Out Through All-Star Break

February 7th, 2023 at 5:32pm CST by Rory Maher

Nets star Kevin Durant, who is currently sidelined with a sprained MCL in his right knee, is expected to remain out through the All-Star break, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter).

Brooklyn has five more games before the break, so Durant will miss at least those contests. The team resumes post-break on February 24 against Chicago.

Durant, who was named an All-Star for the 13th time last month, will also miss the exhibition event, tweets Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report. An injury replacement will likely be named soon to take his place.

Head coach Jacque Vaughn told reporters, including Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link), that Durant received a “really good report” from doctors. The veteran forward has been doing some on-court work, but hasn’t been taking contact yet.

Before Wojnarowski broke the news, Vaughn also suggested that Durant was looking unlikely to suit up before the break.

“I won’t step over that line…but the days are adding up,” Vaughn said (Twitter link via Alex Schiffer of The Athletic).

A couple of reports over the past couple weeks indicated that Durant was hopeful to return shortly before the mid-season event, but it makes sense for the Nets to be cautious with their best player. In addition to being 34 years old, Durant has had extended injury absences in each of the past three seasons after tearing his Achilles tendon in 2019.

In other injury news for the Nets, forward Yuta Watanabe will be out for Tuesday’s game against Phoenix due to back tightness and is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Wednesday, per ESPN’s Nick Friedell (Twitter link).

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Nets Telling Teams They Don’t Plan To Trade Durant At Deadline

February 7th, 2023 at 2:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Following the completion of the trade that sent Kyrie Irving to Dallas, the Nets and star forward Kevin Durant are having conversations about the franchise’s direction, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

While Durant’s future has been a popular topic of speculation around the NBA since Irving asked to be traded last Friday, there are now just 48 hours to go until the 2023 trade deadline and there has been no indication that KD will follow suit and submit a trade request of his own.

In fact, the Nets have been telling teams that they don’t plan to trade Durant this week, sources tell Wojnarowski, who adds (via Twitter) that multiple clubs have reached out to inquire.

Durant, of course, asked the Nets to trade him last summer, but after the front office unsuccessfully sought out a suitable deal for the better part of two months, he rescinded that request and he and the team agreed to “move forward” with its partnership.

Because Durant and Irving are known to be close and originally came to Brooklyn together in 2019, rival teams have been keeping a close eye on how Durant handles Kyrie’s departure. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on SportsCenter on Monday that Durant was “upset” when Irving asked for a trade, though Windhorst admitted he wasn’t sure whether the 34-year-old’s alleged displeasure was directed more at Kyrie or the Nets (hat tip to RealGM).

There has been a sense that if Durant asks out again, it’s more likely to happen in the offseason than right away. Even then, the Nets would be under no pressure to immediately grant the former MVP’s request, given that he’s under contract through 2026. Durant’s long-term deal and lack of leverage was thought to be a primary reason why Brooklyn opted to keep him this past offseason.

Having acquired two veterans – Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith – in the Irving trade who are capable of contributing immediately, the Nets are believed to be focused on remaining in contention in the short term and are reportedly scouring the trade market for upgrades to their roster.

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NBA G League Announces 24 Players For Next Up Game

February 7th, 2023 at 1:36pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA G League announced today that G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson and Timberwolves/Iowa Wolves forward Luka Garza have been named team captains for the NBAGL Next Up Game, which will take place in Salt Lake City during All-Star weekend.

While the exhibition match isn’t technically being called a G League All-Star Game, that’s essentially what it is. The 24-player pool was selected by a fan vote and by the league itself.

Henderson averaged 21.2 PPG, 6.0 APG, and 4.3 RPG in six Showcase Cup games (28.5 MPG) before missing time with an injury. The guard, widely projected to be the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft, has registered 17.7 PPG, 5.7 APG, and 4.5 RPG in 11 regular season games (29.8 MPG) since returning.

Garza, meanwhile, has been dominant at the G League level while playing for the Timberwolves on a two-way contract. He averaged 29.8 PPG, 9.2 RPG, and 3.2 APG on .628/.500/.794 shooting in nine Showcase Cup games (34.4 MPG) and has been boosted those averages in two regular season games (32.5 PPG, 12.0 RPG, 5.0 APG) for the Iowa Wolves.

Here’s the full list of players who will take part in the G League Next Up Game:

(* Players marked with an asterisk are on two-way contracts with NBA teams.)

As is the case with the NBA All-Star Game, the team captains – in this case, Henderson and Garza – will select their 12-man squads in a draft. The draft for the G League Next Up Game will take place on February 14.

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Fischer’s Latest: Anunoby, VanVleet, Clippers, Hornets, McGee, Bogdanovic

February 7th, 2023 at 12:29pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Raptors remain the team to watch ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline, sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. Pascal Siakam doesn’t appear likely to be moved, although numerous teams have expressed interest, but sources point to OG Anunoby, Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. as more realistic trade candidates.

Fischer cites the Pelicans, Grizzlies, Knicks, Pacers, Trail Blazers, Lakers, Suns and Nets as teams that have recently been linked to Anunoby, although he states that there is “varying interest” around the league. Fischer’s sources confirm that Toronto is placing a premium price on the 24-year-old wing, which other front offices are calling “quite steep.”

Fischer also raises the possibility that offers for Anunoby will be lessened because of the chance that Kevin Durant might be available this summer in the wake of the Kyrie Irving trade. Although Durant hasn’t indicated to the Nets that he plans to issue another trade request, league insiders tell Fischer that several teams are planning to stockpile their resources in case it happens.

Fischer passes along a few more rumors heading into the deadline:

  • Multiple executives from other teams see VanVleet as the most likely Raptor to be moved this week. Fischer notes that the Clippers and Suns have been linked to VanVleet in trade rumors, and hears that the Lakers, Magic and Timberwolves have expressed interest as well.
  • The Clippers started looking for point guard help before John Wall was sidelined with an abdominal strain, sources tell Fischer. Numerous teams have expressed interest in Terance Mann, and the Clippers have several affordable contracts to help get a deal done. Fischer states that L.A. and Phoenix have both mentioned as possible landing spots for Kyle Lowry, Terry Rozier and D’Angelo Russell as well as VanVleet, with the Suns seeking an experienced playmaker who can eventually take over for Chris Paul.
  • Rozier has also been mentioned as a possibility for the Lakers and Timberwolves, Fischer adds, and the Heat are among the teams interested in Charlottte’s P.J. Washington, who wasn’t able to reach an extension agreement before the October deadline. Fischer notes that the Hornets typically aren’t a major player at the deadline, but he identifies Mason Plumlee as a potential trade piece, with the Kings expressing interest and having a desire to move backup center Richaun Holmes.
  • Another veteran center on the market is the Mavericks‘ JaVale McGee, according to Fischer. Dallas signed McGee to a three-year, $17MM deal last summer in anticipation of making him a starter, but he’s no longer part of the rotation.
  • Teams are becoming convinced that the Pistons plan to keep Bojan Bogdanovic. Fischer states that the Bucks recently inquired about the veteran sharpshooter after failing to close a deal with the Suns for Jae Crowder, but Detroit wants at least one unprotected first-round pick in return and Milwaukee can’t offer a first-rounder until 2029.
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Atlantic Rumors: Durant, Nets, Raptors, Claxton, Celtics, Sixers

February 7th, 2023 at 10:08am CST by Luke Adams

Now that Kyrie Irving has been dealt, Kevin Durant find himself under the spotlight once again as league observers wait to see if the Nets forward will resubmit the trade request he made last summer.

Asked on Monday about that possibility, head coach Jacque Vaughn said that’s not something he has talked to Durant about and he doesn’t plan to do so. In Vaughn’s view, as long as the Nets can continue to show they’re capable of competing with the best teams in the East, there’s no reason for Durant to seek a change of scenery.

“At the end of the day, Kevin wants to win,” Vaughn said on Monday, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “That’s always been our goal. He wants to win at shootaround, he wants to win any game of the week. That’s why he loves to play and that’s why he wants to play 82 games. That will be our holy grail. We’ll continue to try to put a group out that wins and until there’s something for me to be concerned about, then I’ll carry on business as usual.”

While the Nets added two solid role players in their Irving trade, their championship upside probably took a hit as a result of that deal, so the team has been exploring further roster upgrades, as we detailed on Monday. According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, before trading Irving, the Nets had also remained in touch with the Hawks about John Collins and had spoken to multiple teams about Joe Harris and Patty Mills.

Although it’s possible Durant could push for a change of scenery again, most people around the NBA don’t expect that to happen this week, ESPN’s Zach Lowe said in a podcast with colleague Brian Windhorst (YouTube link), especially since the Nets’ additions of Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith signaled a desire to continue building a roster around Durant that’s capable of contending — Finney-Smith is a player KD likes and wanted Brooklyn to acquire if the team made a deal with Dallas, Lowe stated.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

  • Following up on reports suggesting that the Nets were talking to the Raptors about Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, and Fred VanVleet, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype says Toronto “covets” Brooklyn center Nic Claxton, having also attempted to acquire him at least season’s trade deadline. Ben Simmons and multiple first-round picks have also come up in the Nets’ trade discussions with the Raptors, Scotto adds.
  • The Athletic’s Jared Weiss and Jay King take a look at what could be on tap for the Celtics at the trade deadline, considering whether it’s realistic to expect them to make a play for Durant and noting that a deal for a center remains the team’s most likely move. Weiss and King also examine Grant Williams‘ up-and-down play and conclude it still doesn’t make sense for Boston to trade him, despite a report from Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer stating that teams are inquiring on Williams.
  • While Daryl Morey is always a good bet to make some sort of move at the trade deadline, the Sixers president of basketball operations tells Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice that he’s not expecting to make a huge splash this week. “I think it’s very unlikely we’re involved in anything big,” Morey said. “It could easily be that we continue to just develop chemistry and then have the group we have. I and (general manager) Elton (Brand) and everyone feels a responsibility in an important year like this to see if we can find anyone who can upgrade the team.”
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Kyrie Irving Trade Notes: Clippers’ Offer, Cap Hits, More

February 7th, 2023 at 8:40am CST by Luke Adams

Before the Nets agreed to send Kyrie Irving to Dallas, the Clippers made an offer that included Luke Kennard, Terance Mann, a future first-round pick, and two first-round pick swaps, league sources tell Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. As O’Connor notes, at least one more outgoing salary would’ve been required for the Clippers to accommodate Irving’s incoming cap hit, but he says that was the “gist” of L.A.’s offer.

Since the Clippers already owe their 2024 and 2026 first-round picks to Oklahoma City and have given OKC swap rights in 2023 and 2025, we can safely assume that their alleged offer for Irving would’ve included their 2028 first-rounder, with swap rights in 2027 and 2029 — the Stepien rule doesn’t allow teams to leave themselves without first-round picks in consecutive future years, while the “seven year rule” doesn’t permit clubs to trade draft picks more than seven years out.

For what it’s worth, ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on the latest episode of his Lowe Post podcast (YouTube link) that he doesn’t believe O’Connor’s reporting is accurate and that he thinks the Clippers’ final offer for Irving was worth less than that.

Whatever the offer was, it wasn’t enough to entice Brooklyn to make a deal, so the Clippers will now have to adjust to the fact that Irving will be playing alongside Luka Doncic for one of their conference rivals.

“Don’t make me think about it right now, please,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said on Monday when asked about the Mavericks‘ new backcourt duo (Twitter link via Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times). “We play them Wednesday. I don’t want to think about that already. It’s going to be a tough challenge. Kyrie’s a guy we’ve always blitzed in the past, Luka’s always a guy we’ve blitzed in the past, and now they got two of them, so like I said, it’s going to be a tough challenge for a lot of teams in the West.”

Here are a few more tidbits related to the Kyrie trade, which became official on Monday:

  • Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link) has the details on the new cap hits for Irving, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Spencer Dinwiddie following the trade. The cap figures for Irving and Finney-Smith got a bump as a result of trade bonuses, while Dinwiddie’s declined because some of his bonuses are now considered unlikely instead of likely. Those bonuses are tied to his team’s playoff success and are based on the previous season’s results — they had been considered likely because the Mavericks made the Western Finals last season, but Dinwiddie’s new team, the Nets, didn’t win a playoff series in 2022.
  • Irving’s track record of recruiting star teammates was a factor in the Mavericks‘ desire to acquire him, according to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). Based on reporting at the time, it was Kyrie who convinced Kevin Durant to join him in Brooklyn back in 2019 when the two stars opted to sign with the Nets.
  • Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said on Monday that he’s looking forward to coaching Dinwiddie and Finney-Smith, but wishes Irving nothing but the best in Dallas, per Nick Friedell of ESPN. “My interactions with Kai have always been positive,” Vaughn said. “I enjoyed coaching him. I want him to succeed. I’ll keep it that simple. We’ve had some ups and downs I guess along the way. I’ve also seen the young man score 60 points. I’ve also seen him bring his kids into the locker room. I’ve also seen him grow as an individual and be a better teammate than when I first met him. So for me, I’m going to always look at the good in people and want the good in people. And I want him to succeed.”
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Durant Not Enthralled With Simmons

February 6th, 2023 at 7:23pm CST by Dana Gauruder
  • Is there any possibility of Ben Simmons getting moved before the trade deadline? ESPN’s Bobby Marks said on the Keyshawn, JWill and Max show that Simmons has no trade value right now (hat tip to ESPN’s Nick Friedell). Marks also said that if the Nets try to trade Kevin Durant,  their return would be greater this summer than it would be before Thursday’s trade deadline.
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Nets Trade Kyrie Irving To Mavericks

February 6th, 2023 at 5:32pm CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 6: Despite efforts by the Nets to expand the deal and involve a third team, the trade remains a two-team swap and is now official, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

The Mavericks’ PR department confirms the trade is official in a tweet.

Nets GM Sean Marks issued a statement, Chris Milholen of Nets Daily tweets, saying in part, “We’re excited to add Spencer and Dorian to our roster, while also securing draft compensation that will increase our flexibility moving forward.”

FEBRUARY 5: The Nets and Mavericks have agreed to a trade that will send point guard Kyrie Irving to Dallas, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

According to Charania (Twitter link) and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter links), Brooklyn will receive guard Spencer Dinwiddie, forward Dorian Finney-Smith, an unprotected 2029 first-round pick, a 2027 second-round pick, and a 2029 second-round pick in the swap. Those draft picks will all be the Mavericks’ own.

The Nets will also send forward Markieff Morris to the Mavs, Charania adds.

News of the agreement between the two teams comes just two days after word broke that Irving had requested a trade out of Brooklyn following failed negotiations on a contract extension. Reports at that time indicated that the All-Star guard had conveyed to the Nets that he planned to leave in free agency if he wasn’t dealt by the February 9 trade deadline.

The Nets wasted little time accommodating Irving’s request, having perhaps grown weary of the drama that has surrounded the 30-year-old since his arrival in Brooklyn in 2019. During those three-and-a-half years, Irving has missed significant time due to injuries, taken personal leaves of absence, refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19 despite a New York City mandate that prevented him from playing in home games, and served a team-issued suspension for promoting an antisemitic film on social media.

On the court, Irving played at his usual high level in 143 total games as a Net, averaging 27.1 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per night with a .489/.396/.909 shooting line in 35.8 minutes per game. However, his and Kevin Durant‘s brilliance didn’t translate to much postseason success — Brooklyn has won just a single playoff series since adding the two stars in 2019.

By trading Irving for a package that includes both veteran players and future draft picks, the Nets – who currently occupy the fourth seed in the East at 32-20 – will set themselves up to remain in contention this year while also securing some assets for the future. Kyrie was set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, but Dinwiddie is under contract for another season and Finney-Smith’s deal runs all the way through 2025/26 (the final year is a player option).

The Mavs, meanwhile, will get the co-star they wanted for All-NBA guard Luka Doncic and their new-look backcourt should be the NBA’s most dynamic, though the move carries substantial risk. The trade will cost Dallas two of its most reliable rotation players, with Dinwiddie having averaged 17.7 PPG on .455/.405/.821 shooting and Finney-Smith handling key defensive assignments on the wing.

Additionally, while Irving could technically sign a two-year extension with the Mavs anytime before June 30, Sam Amick of The Athletic reported earlier today that Kyrie’s preference is to play out the current season and seek a longer-term maximum-salary contract as a free agent, so Dallas may have to take its chances with the mercurial star this summer. Obviously, the organization will be motivated to make it work with Irving — the front office wouldn’t have paid this price if it expected him to be a rental.

According to Marc Stein (Twitter link), the Mavericks consulted with Doncic before agreeing to trade for Irving, who is said to be “ecstatic” to join forces with Luka in Dallas, per Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Mavs president of basketball operations Nico Harrison, formerly a top Nike executive, has a long-standing relationship with Kyrie, notes Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Both the Mavericks and Nets were already on track to be taxpayers this season, but because Irving ($36.9MM) and Morris ($1.8MM) have a higher combined cap hit than Dinwiddie ($20.2MM) and Finney-Smith ($12.4MM), the move will reduce Brooklyn’s projected end-of-season tax bill by about $26.5MM and increase Dallas’ by nearly $29MM, per Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype (Twitter links).

Irving and Finney-Smith have trade bonuses in their contracts. Irving’s is worth 15% of his remaining salary, while Finney-Smith’s is worth 5%. There has been no indication yet that either player will waive or reduce his bonus.

The Lakers, Clippers, and Suns were also said to have interest in Irving, so the Mavs beat out several Western Conference rivals to land him. According to Wojnarowski (Twitter link), the Lakers and Nets had several conversations about a possible deal, but Brooklyn preferred Dallas’ package that included useful present and future pieces — trade talks between the two teams accelerated today, Woj adds.

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