Hornets Rumors

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.

James Bouknight Has Sideline Altercation With Head Coach

Hornets rookie guard James Bouknight was escorted to the locker room by team security after an altercation with coach James Borrego during Saturday’s game, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.

The incident began late in the third quarter when Miles Bridges was knocked to the ground in a collision and had to be removed from the game because he was bleeding. Borrego inserted Bouknight for the final 14 seconds of the quarter, which was the only playing time he saw all night.

After the quarter ended, Bouknight and Borrego had a “heated exchange” on the sidelines, according to Boone, and Bouknight seemed to take a step toward his coach before they were separated. He remained in the locker room for the rest of the game.

“Obviously we were all a little frustrated, all of us,” Borrego said after the 18-point loss to Miami, “in the third quarter, early fourth and it got a little emotional there. Beyond that I’ll leave it there.”

Borrego admitted that Bouknight is unhappy over a lack of playing time. The 11th pick in last year’s draft has gotten into just 25 games and is averaging 4.8 points and 1.5 rebounds in 10.0 minutes per night.

“As I’ve said before he’s in a tough spot,” Borrego said. “He obviously wants to play. I get that. I understand that. Look, he’s a kid that we believe in, we trust in and we are going to find more minutes for him, more time. So I won’t get into the specifics. Just two competitors trying to help this team.”

Boone notes that the public dispute comes at an especially bad time for Charlotte, which has lost five of its last seven games and has slipped into ninth place in the East. Anxiety over Thursday’s trade deadline is adding to the tension in the locker room.

Bridges, who emphasized the need for the team to remain united, reached out to Bouknight after Saturday’s incident.

“Everybody’s been through it,” Bridges said. “When I was a rookie I wanted to play. And he’s very talented and he’s not getting in the game like he wants to. But I’m trying to explain to him that everybody’s been through that. I went through that. (LaMelo Ball’s) been through that and he was Rookie of the Year. So he’s good. I talked to him. He’s good and the Coach is good. So everything is good.”

Injury Notes: LaVine, White, Harden, Garland, Hayward, More

Bulls All-Star Zach LaVine has been suffering through back spasms recently, Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic relays. LaVine was noticeably wincing during Chicago’s 127-120 overtime defeat to Toronto on Thursday. Center Nikola Vučević says the team appreciates LaVine’s commitment to winning despite not being fully healthy.

It tells us a lot about Zach playing through back spasms,” Vučević said. “It’s not easy. It limits you a lot. You just don’t have that freedom of movement, especially in the back. It’s a big, important part of your body, especially when you play basketball. I’m sure it was bothering him a lot, especially on the offensive end trying to score and be aggressive.

But it speaks a lot about his commitment to winning and to this team trying to still be out there. Even him not being 100 percent helps us a lot, so we appreciate him being out there.”

Coach Billy Donovan told reporters, including K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link), that the Bulls are hopeful LaVine will return Sunday after sitting out Friday on the second game of a back-to-back. However, Donovan also said that LaVine is still battling the knee soreness that sidelined him for a handful of games last month.

Here are some more injury updates from around the NBA:

  • LaVine wasn’t the only Bulls player absent from Friday’s 122-115 win at Indiana, as Coby White also missed the game due to a groin strain, Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago tweets. Donovan said White has had lingering discomfort in the groin, but it was aggravated against Toronto.
  • Nets coach Steve Nash said James Harden was held out of Brooklyn’s 125-102 blowout loss at Utah on Friday for precautionary reasons, per Nick Friedell of ESPN (via Twitter). The team is giving Harden a couple extra days rest to ensure his hamstring is feeling better. Nash doesn’t think Harden will need an MRI and is hopeful he’ll return to action Sunday at Denver. Rudy Gay exited the game early for the Jazz with right knee soreness and didn’t return to the court, Tony Jones of The Athletic tweets.
  • Cavaliers guard Darius Garland, recently named an All-Star for the first time, missed his third consecutive game Friday at Charlotte with lower back soreness, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Gordon Hayward returned to action for the Hornets in the team’s 102-101 loss after missing the past two weeks due to COVID-19, Boone notes.
  • Lakers forward Carmelo Anthony will likely be out Saturday vs. New York, providing extra rest before the team re-evaluates his strained right hamstring next week, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. LeBron James is also doubtful for the contest against the Knicks with knee swelling, per Marc Berman of The New York Post (Twitter link).
  • Heat center Omer Yurtseven has cleared the health and safety protocols and is available for Saturday’s game at Charlotte, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports (via Twitter).
  • Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2021 draft, missed his second straight game for the Pistons Friday with a hip pointer, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com tweets. Coach Dwane Casey said the injury isn’t considered serious, but the team is being cautious with its rising star. The Pistons fell to the Celtics, 102-93.
  • Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon missed his second consecutive game Friday with hamstring tightness, per Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports (Twitter link). The Nuggets lost to the Pelicans without Gordon, 113-105.

Miles Bridges Hopes To Play Entire Career With Hornets

Hornets forward Miles Bridges, a restricted free agent this summer, says he wants to spend the rest of his career in a Hornets uniform, per Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Bridges recently appeared on The QC Hornets’ Nest, Boone’s podcast for the Observer. Here are some highlights from the chat:

On his desire to stay with a rising Hornets squad long-term, hopefully forever:

If I could, I’d pull a Dirk (Nowitzki) or a Kobe (Bryant), you know. I love being in Charlotte. I love the fans, I love the atmosphere and I want to be a part of something that’s building, you know. I feel like we’re building something and eventually we want to win a championship. That’s the goal.”

On improvements he hopes to make going forward:

Defense. Do better at defense, do better at leading. Staying more consistent during games. My body language, that type of stuff. Mental stuff. I feel like I could be more consistent there. And just being more consistent as a leader. Even when things are going bad, I don’t put my head down. I’m the one to pick everybody up.”

On his partnership with LaMelo Ball:

I love playing with ‘Melo. I knew from the first preseason game that we were gonna be a good group of guys in the game together. I love playing with him. He’s elevated his game, I’ve elevated my game. We push each other. It’s just a brotherhood for me and him. It’s like my brother.”

On LaMelo’s passing ability:

I played with Kemba (Walker) and Devonte’ (Graham) and those guys are great scorers and they can pass, but Melo, he’s a great passer. He finds people even when you’re not looking. So, it’s great playing with him.”

On Charlotte making a playoff push in the second half of the season:

It’s gonna be fun for us. We’re just gonna have to double down on everything that we’ve been doing to make this playoff push. The fans haven’t seen the playoffs in a long time so we want to give them that and we want to experience it for ourselves. We’re definitely gonna be more locked-in coming in after the All-Star break and leading up to the All-Star break.”

Bridges has been a breakout star this season, averaging career-highs in several categories, including: 19.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.0 steal. He’s played in 50 games (35.8 minutes) to this point, with a shooting line of .486/.316/.784.

2021/22 Rising Stars Team Rosters

As we previously relayed, the NBA announced a new format for its Rising Stars event at All-Star weekend, which will take place on Friday, February 18. The event will feature four seven-player teams competing in a three-game tournament (two semifinals and a final).

The player pool is comprised of 12 NBA rookies, 12 sophomores, and four players from the G League Ignite, while the games will be played to a target score: 50 points in the semifinals and 25 points in the final, in honor of the league’s 75th anniversary season.

The rosters were announced on February 1, but now the four honorary coaches (75th anniversary team members Rick Barry, Isiah Thomas, Gary Payton and James Worthy) have selected their seven-man teams, per our JD Shaw (Twitter link). Here are the rosters:

Team Barry:

Team Isiah:

Team Payton:

Team Worthy:

James Ham of ESPN 1320 and The Kings Beat provides (via Twitter) the full draft results.

The top 10, in order, were: Edwards, Mobley, Ball, Anthony, Giddey, Barnes, Cunningham, Bey, Bane, and Wagner. It’s worth noting that Worthy and Anthony both went to the University of North Carolina, so Anthony’s selection at No. 4 is less surprising given that context.

What do you think of the teams? Who do you think will come out on top? Head to the comments section and let us know your thoughts!

Hayward Exits Protocols, Questionable Friday

Hornets forward Gordon Hayward cleared the league’s health and safety protocols on Tuesday, according to the team’s PR department (Twitter link). He didn’t travel with the team to Boston on Wednesday due to reconditioning and is listed as questionable to play against Cleveland on Friday.

NBA Announces 2021/22 Rising Stars Rosters

The NBA has revealed the 28 players (12 rookies, 12 sophomores, and four G League Ignite players) who will suit up for the 2022 Clorox Rising Stars Game in Cleveland this year, per its official PR account (Twitter links). There are a few intriguing surprises among the first-year NBA players.

Here are the players who made the cut:

Rookies:

Sophomores:

Additionally, four players from the G League Ignite will participate in the Rising Stars Game based on voting from NBA G League head coaches. The NBAGL has announced (Twitter link) that MarJon Beauchamp, Dyson Daniels, Jaden Hardy and Scoot Henderson will partake in the action. Players will be separated into four teams, and each G League player will be drafted to join one of the teams later this week.

Among the rookie NBA players, the additions who would be most surprising ahead of the 2021/22 season would be Dosunmu and Jones, both of whom were second-round draft selections. 2021 lottery picks Jonathan Kuminga, Ziaire Williams, James Bouknight, Joshua Primo and Moses Moody were all omitted from inclusion this year.

Among the second-year players, Ball could be appearing on multiple nights during All-Star Weekend this season, as he appears to be a very possible first-time All-Star this year thanks to his outstanding work with the upstart Hornets.

The lottery-bound Magic, Pistons, and Rockets can boast having the most inclusions here, with three players apiece.

As we detailed last week, this year’s Rising Stars event will look a little different, with the four teams taking part in a mini-tournament and playing to a target score in each game: 50 points in the semifinals and 25 points in the final, in honor of the league’s 75th anniversary season.

Boone: Hornets Need Upgrade At Center

  • In a column for The Charlotte Observer, Rod Boone argues that the Hornets must make a move at the trade deadline to upgrade their center position. While Boone isn’t advocating for selling the farm, he believes the team would squander a golden opportunity for “significant growth” this season if it stands pat.

NBA Fines Mavs’ Porzingis, Hornets’ Washington, Raptors’ Champagnie

Three NBA players have been fined $15K apiece by the league for recent violations, according to a pair of press releases.

Mavericks big man Kristaps Porzingis received his $15K fine for kicking the game ball into the stands during the fourth quarter of his team’s blowout loss to Golden State on Tuesday. Porzingis received a technical foul and was ejected at the time of the incident — now he’ll face an additional penalty, though losing $15K of his $31.65MM salary is hardly an exorbitant punishment.

Meanwhile, Hornets forward P.J. Washington and Raptors forward Justin Champagnie were each fined $15K for their involvement in an on-court altercation during the first quarter of Tuesday’s game in Toronto.

As the league outlined in its announcement, Washington hip-checked Champagnie to the ground and the Raptors rookie retaliated by shoving Washington in the back. The Hornets forward escalated the incident by “forcefully shoving” Champagnie, according to the league. Both players received technical fouls and were ejected.

The penalties will sting a little more for Washington and especially Champagnie than for Porzingis. Washington has a $4.2MM salary this season, while Champagnie is a two-way player whose 2021/22 earnings can max out at about $752K.

Eastern Trade Rumors: Smart, Hawks, Collins, Siakam, Sabonis, More

Prior to sending Cam Reddish to New York, the Hawks discussed the framework of a trade with the Celtics that would’ve sent Reddish and Kevin Huerter to Boston in a deal for Marcus Smart, reports Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.

Huerter is one of 11 players affected this season by the poison pill provision, complicating salary-matching in any trade involving him, but the deal described by Fischer theoretically would’ve worked for both sides if Atlanta had included another minimum-salary player (likely Solomon Hill).

Smart ultimately stayed put, and Fischer says it would take “significant value” for the Celtics to move him in another deal in the next two weeks. According to Fischer, there’s a sense around the league that the Celtics will be better in the second half than they were in the first half, as long as they’re healthier and first-year head coach Ime Udoka gets more comfortable.

Here a few more trade notes and rumors from around the Eastern Conference:

  • One team contacted by the Hawks told Bleacher Report that Atlanta wanted a “valuable” first-round pick and a starting-caliber player in exchange for John Collins. Other teams think the Hawks could get even more than that for Collins, says Fischer.
  • According to Fischer, the Raptors and Pacers at least briefly discussed a trade involving Domantas Sabonis and Pascal Siakam, but those talks stalled. The concept makes some sense in theory, since it would allow Myles Turner to be the lone center in Indiana, and Toronto has long been in the market for a five.
  • Since Brook Lopez‘s recovery timeline remains up in the air, the Bucks are “poking around” the market for a center, with Suns big man Jalen Smith mentioned as a possible target, per Fischer. Semi Ojeleye is considered to be available and Milwaukee has received inquiries about Pat Connaughton and Donte DiVincenzo, Fischer adds.
  • A handful of teams have expressed some interest in Cavaliers forward Cedi Osman, including the Spurs, Hornets, Mavericks, and Bucks, writes Fischer.