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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.”
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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.
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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.
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Cavaliers Need More Time To Find Out How Good They Are

February 8th, 2023 at 5:17pm CST by Arthur Hill
  • Injuries and lineup experimentation have prevented the Cavaliers from fully seeing how good they can be with Donovan Mitchell on hand, notes Kelsey Russo of The Athletic, who contends that Cleveland shouldn’t be looking at more big moves before the deadline.
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Mat Ishbia Officially Becomes Suns’ Owner

February 7th, 2023 at 3:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

FEBRUARY 7: Ishbia has officially completed the purchase of a majority stake in the Suns, the team announced today in a press release.

“This is the culmination of a lifelong dream. I love the game of basketball deeply but it’s so much more than that for me,” he said in a statement. “Throughout my life, basketball has given me a second family, an education, and so much joy. I am honored to be the next steward of this community’s franchises in the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury and am totally committed to building an incredible organization on and off the floor.”

Ishbia and his group paid $2.28 billion for a 57% stake in the team, sources tell Baxter Holmes of ESPN. That’s the equivalent of a $4 billion valuation. Sarver received $1.48 billion for his 37% stake in the club, Holmes adds.

FEBRUARY 6: Mat Ishbia has been approved by the NBA’s Board of Governors as the Suns’ new owner, according to a league press release. The transaction is expected to close this week.

As Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets, the vote was 29-0 with the Cavaliers abstaining. Dan Gilbert, Cleveland’s owner, is also the majority owner of Rocket Mortgage. Ishbia is the chairman and CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage, which – like Rocket Mortgage – is based in Michigan.

Mat Ishbia and his brother Justin agreed to buy the Suns and the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury from Robert Sarver at a valuation of approximately $4 billion. Sarver, who was suspended by the league for a year and fined $10MM for behavior that “clearly violated common workplace standards,” subsequently decided to sell his controlling stake in the franchise.

Ishbia reached an agreement with Sarver in December.

Typically, it takes at least a couple months for the NBA to officially approve and complete the sale of a franchise because the process involves extensive criminal, financial, and background checks on prospective buyers, who also have to meet with the NBA’s advisory and finance committees.

Ishbia is reportedly eager for the Suns to seek upgrades prior to Thursday’s deadline and his impact may have already been felt, as Phoenix pursued a trade for Kyrie Irving.

Ishbia’s agreement to buy the Suns will give him control of more than 50% of the franchise, as he and his group are also buying out some of the minority shareholders.

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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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Moore’s Latest: Pelicans, Spurs, Warriors, Nuggets, VanVleet, Vanderbilt, More

February 7th, 2023 at 11:31am CST by Luke Adams

The latest trade intel column from Matt Moore of Action Network is packed full of tidbits about the upcoming deadline, including some details on which players a handful of Western Conference teams have made available.

According to Moore, the Pelicans – in the market for another shooter – have made players like Jaxson Hayes, Devonte’ Graham, and Naji Marshall available, while the Spurs are discussing Isaiah Roby in addition to previously reported trade candidates like Josh Richardson and Doug McDermott. Perhaps most interestingly, Moore says the Warriors consider Jonathan Kuminga “off limits,” but have been willing to discuss youngsters James Wiseman and Moses Moody.

Meanwhile, the Nuggets – who have put second-year guard Bones Hyland on the trade block – are seeking another wing and have their eye on players like Bulls guard Alex Caruso, Clippers guard Terance Mann, and Pacers swingman Chris Duarte, Moore writes.

Here’s more:

  • The Magic, who have previously been cited as a possible free agency suitor for Fred VanVleet, have “real” interest in the Raptors point guard, reports Moore. While VanVleet is thought to be available at the trade deadline due to his uncertain contract status beyond this season, one executive told Moore that trying to get a deal done with Toronto is “like blood from stone.”
  • There’s a growing belief that forward Jarred Vanderbilt will be on the move this week even if the Jazz don’t get the first-round pick they’re seeking for him, according to Moore, who suggest the Trail Blazers may be the frontrunner to land Vanderbilt.
  • Two league sources tell Moore that the Cavaliers have contacted the Hawks to inquire about Bogdan Bogdanovic. While there’s no indication those talks went anywhere, it’s worth noting Caris LeVert‘s $18.8MM salary is a near-perfect match for Bogdanovic’s $18MM cap hit.
  • Recent strong play from Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein has reduced the odds that he’ll be traded before Thursday’s deadline — the belief is that he’ll remain in New York, per Moore.
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Cavs Rumors: Small Forward, Reddish, Hart, G. Williams, LeVert, Love

February 7th, 2023 at 7:43am CST by Luke Adams

Although the Cavaliers remain on the lookout for an upgrade on the wing, there’s a “growing sense” that they don’t love the options available to them on the trade market and would be comfortable standing pat if no deal comes to fruition, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscriber link).

Isaac Okoro has been impressive since becoming the full-time starter at small forward, averaging 9.2 points per game with a .500 3PT% in his last 18 games. Given how strong a defender Okoro is, he may be the Cavaliers’ best option at that spot even if his offensive game doesn’t continue to develop, according to Fedor.

Still, Fedor runs through several of the options available to Cleveland, identifying Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr., Doug McDermott, Luke Kennard, Royce O’Neale, and Hamidou Diallo as some potential players of interest, though most of them come with some caveats.

Sources tell Cleveland.com that there are mixed feelings within the Cavaliers’ front office about Knicks forward Cam Reddish, who is considered more of a fall-back option. Reddish has talent and untapped potential, but he’ll be a free agent in a matter of months and isn’t a clear upgrade on what the team already has at small forward, Fedor explains.

Fedor adds that Trail Blazers forward Josh Hart is one player who is high on the Cavaliers’ list of targets, writing that he has “plenty of fans” within the organization and that Cleveland explored a possible sign-and-trade for him two years ago before pivoting to Lauri Markkanen.

There’s a belief around the NBA that Hart will be on the move this week, according to Fedor, who notes that the Blazer has a similar skill set to Okoro but would bring a level of experience and consistency that the former No. 5 overall pick lacks.

Here’s more on the Cavs:

  • Sources tell Cleveland.com that the Cavaliers checked in with the Celtics about forward Grant Williams, but got the sense that he’s unavailable — or would at least cost much more than the Cavs are in position to offer.
  • Veteran wing Caris LeVert tells Fedor that he expects to remain a Cavalier through Thursday’s trade deadline. If LeVert does stick around, Cleveland would be interested in signing him beyond this season, assuming the price isn’t exorbitant, Fedor writes.
  • Although there’s no indication that he’s on the trade block, it’s worth noting that veteran forward Kevin Love has fallen out of the Cavs’ rotation as of late to make room for Dean Wade. Love, who hasn’t played since January 24, had a conversation about his role with head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, tweets Fedor.
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Cavaliers Interested In Josh Hart

February 4th, 2023 at 4:01pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Cavaliers, who are looking to bolster their small forward position at the trade deadline, are one of multiple clubs registering “very strong interest” in Trail Blazers swingman Josh Hart, according to Marc Stein’s latest Substack story (subscriber link).

Hart, 27, is currently in the second season of a very reasonable three-year, $37.9MM deal. He has a player option for the 2023/24 season, meaning he can choose to enter unrestricted free agency this summer.

Across 49 games this year, all starts, the Villanova alum is averaging 9.4 PPG on .506/.311/.732 shooting splits. He’s also chipping in a career-high 8.1 RPG, along with 4.0 APG and 1.1 SPG.

Hart has the outlines of a solid 3-and-D contributor, but in his first full season for Portland, he is falling short on one element of that equation. Hart’s three-point shooting has regressed this season, in both volume and success rate. His 31.1% completion percentage represents a career low, and his 2.1 attempts per contest are likewise his lowest nightly average for a given season.

Cleveland could certainly use help along the wing. The team is currently starting raw swingman Isaac Okoro, a solid defender averaging a modest 6.0 PPG on .485/.333/.720 shooting splits on low volume.

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Dillon Brooks Suspended One Game; Donovan Mitchell Fined

February 3rd, 2023 at 5:58pm CST by Rory Maher

Grizzlies wing Dillon Brooks has been suspended for one game without pay after an altercation with Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, who received a $20K fine, the NBA announced (via Twitter).

Brooks was suspended for initiating the incident by “striking Mitchell in the groin area in an unsportsmanlike manner,” per the league. Mitchell was fined for escalating after “throwing the game ball at and pushing Brooks,” with a minor scrum occurring afterward.

Both players were ejected; Brooks received a Flagrant 2 Foul, while Mitchell received a technical. The incident occurred about halfway through the third quarter of Cleveland’s victory over Memphis on Thursday.

According to the NBA, Brooks will serve his suspension on Sunday against Toronto. The one-game ban will cost him $78,621, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. That’s 1/145th of his salary. Brooks is making $11.4MM in the final year of his contract.

Mitchell already stated he was going to appeal his ejection. He was very unhappy with Brooks after the game, calling it a “cheap shot” and said it was something that had “been brewing for years.”

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