- Sources tell Wes Goldberg of The Bay Area Sports Group that the Warriors are committed to center James Wiseman and would only move him if they could land a “perennial All-Star”-type player. I noted in our Trade Candidate series on Tuesday that Wiseman is among a group of promising young players who could conceivably be dealt, but only for a star.
As we relayed earlier today, Portland and Minnesota are among the teams interested in Aaron Gordon, but the Magic forward is receiving interest from several other clubs as well.
According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, the Rockets, Mavericks, Nuggets, and Warriors are all eyeing Gordon. Some lead members of the Pelicans‘ front office are high on Gordon too, per Fischer. And the Pistons have also inquired about him, league sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. Haynes suggests that Gordon would be “open to a change of scenery.”
Gordon has been the subject of trade rumors for quite some time and the Magic’s current front office hasn’t made many major deals in recent years, so some people around the league are skeptical that Orlando will do anything big at next week’s deadline, per Fischer.
“You talk to them and it’s just like, ‘Well, you know, we’re open to this…’ It’s just like talking in circles,” an assistant general manager told Fischer. Another league source added: “They don’t pick up the phone and call.”
However, according to Fischer, the Magic have already seriously explored moving Gordon and are seeking a return of young players and draft picks. Prior to Gordon’s ankle sprain, the Magic and Timberwolves were making progress on a potential deal that would have sent the 25-year-old to Minnesota for a package that included Ricky Rubio and draft capital, sources told Bleacher Report.
Brooklyn also made an offer for Gordon in mid-January before acquiring James Harden, according to Fischer, though the Nets may not have been targeting the Magic forward for themselves. Fischer reports that Houston is especially interested in Gordon and asked teams during the Harden discussions to engage Orlando about the veteran forward. The Rockets may be taking a similar approach in their Victor Oladipo trade talks, Fischer adds.
Here’ more on the Magic:
- In addition to Gordon, the Magic are believed to be listening to inquiries on Terrence Ross, Evan Fournier, and Nikola Vucevic, though Vucevic is considered far less likely than the others to be moved. Sources tell Fischer that for Orlando to consider a Vucevic offer, it would need to include at least a starter-caliber player and multiple first-round picks. “It would have to be to a point where (a team) offers what someone hasn’t yet been willing to offer,” one Western Conference executive said.
- The Celtics are said to have interest in Vucevic, but their overtures haven’t piqued Orlando’s interest, according to Fischer, who says Boston may be focused on Spurs big man LaMarcus Aldridge for the time being.
- Some executives believe the Magic could get a late first-round pick for Ross or Fournier, but most believe that a package of multiple second-rounders is more realistic, writes Fischer. “If you know you can get better, I would give up all my seconds (for Fournier). Who cares?” one assistant GM said. “I think he’s a good sixth man, maybe a fifth starter. One night he might give you 20, the next night he’s giving you eight. But he definitely can put that thing in the basket, and you gotta guard him.”
- Here’s what one Eastern Conference exec had to say about the Magic and their trade candidates, per Fischer: “They should sell. They own their first-round pick. If you can get that pick into the top five, and you’re adding back Jonathan Isaac and Markelle Fultz next season, all of a sudden things could look very different.”
- As we relayed on Sunday, Warriors sharpshooter Klay Thompson is aiming to return early next season from his Achilles tear. However, he admitted that he’s not expecting to look like his old self right away. “I’ll be honest, I don’t expect to come back balls-to-the-wall, 38 minutes a night, guarding the best player, running around 100 screens,” Thompson said (video link via Anthony Slater of The Athletic). “I’m going to get to that point. I guarantee that. But… it might be 20 minutes to start the season… We’ll see where I’m at. This is usually a 12-month process with the Achilles and that’ll take me to mid-November.”
- Warriors star Klay Thompson hopes to return early next season from a torn Achilles’ tendon, as relayed by The Athletic. “Definitely. Could be a few weeks after [opening night]. Could be a month after,” Thompson acknowledged. “But definitely geared toward early in the season.” Thompson is a five-time All-Star and hasn’t played since June of 2019 due his Achilles’ injury and a torn ACL.
An underwhelming performance in the G League may mean that Alen Smailagic‘s time with the Warriors is close to an end, writes Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle. Golden State traded up in the 2019 draft to acquire Smailagic with the 39th pick, but he hasn’t done much to reward the team’s confidence. He appeared in 14 games for the Warriors last year and hasn’t played at all in the NBA this season.
The 20-year-old power forward/center has two years left on his contract, but both are non-guaranteed. A $1,782,621 guarantee for next season kicks in August 7, but Smailagic won’t have much of an opportunity to prove himself before then. The G League season is done and there may be just an abbreviated version of Summer League.
Smailagic suffered a knee injury in training camp that caused him to miss the first two months of the season. He joined Santa Cruz in the G League bubble, but appeared to be out of shape, according to Letourneau. He averaged 7.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.9 fouls and 2.1 turnovers in 10 games and shot just 15% from three-point range.
“He wants to be a contributor to something really good, but sometimes the timing doesn’t allow for that,” Santa Cruz head coach Kris Weems said. “He probably does need at least another year of development.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Warriors hope James Wiseman‘s missed COVID-19 test was a learning experience for the rookie center, according to Nick Friedell of ESPN. Although Wiseman was cleared for Thursday’s game, coach Steve Kerr kept him on the bench for the first half. “I’m not going to go into detail, but this is all part of development as a young player,” Kerr told reporters. “You’ve got to take care of your business. Everything matters. This was just a reaction to him missing the test and not being able to practice last night.”
- The Lakers‘ injury list continues to grow, notes Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. Alex Caruso is the latest addition after hitting his head on the floor in Friday’s game and being diagnosed with a concussion. Anthony Davis is still sidelined with a right calf strain and won’t be re-evaluated for two more weeks. Marc Gasol and Kostas Antetokounmpo remain in COVID-19 protocols and have been ruled out for the next two games.
- After leaving Thursday’s game with right knee soreness, Patrick Beverley didn’t accompany the Clippers on their three-game road trip, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. Beverley will remain in Los Angeles to get treatment on the knee.
As the Warriors strive to make a return to the playoffs, they owe it to themselves to give young reserve guard Jordan Poole more minutes, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area opines. Poole can provide some ball-handling for the second unit, a skill that is not a strength for his fellow backup guard Brad Wanamaker. With a 19-18 record, the Warriors are currently the No. 10 seed in the crowded Western Conference, which would qualify them for the play-in portion of the 2021 playoffs.
After Jordan Poole outperformed expectations playing for the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G League Orlando “bubble,” Monte Poole believes the time has come for him to get extended run spotting Stephen Curry in the second and fourth quarters during the All-Star point guard’s allocated rest breaks. Poole averaged 22.4 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 3.5 APG across 11 games (all starts) with Santa Cruz.
- Warriors forward Alen Smailagić has been recalled from Golden State’s G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, the team announced in a press release. Smailagić averaged 7.5 PPG and 4.4 RPG in 10 games for Santa Cruz.
Warriors rookie center James Wiseman wasn’t permitted to practice Wednesday and may not be eligible to play tonight after missing a COVID-19 test during the All-Star break, according to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. A source tells Anthony Slater of The Athletic that Wiseman is expected to be cleared as long as he continues to test negative (Twitter link).
“It was a mistake,” coach Steve Kerr said. “He just forgot. It’s disappointing because he could have used the practice tonight. And we needed him out there. So it’s disappointing that he made the mistake.”
Players are required to undergo daily testing and are given two opportunities, one in the morning and one at night. The requirements have been in place since Wiseman entered the league.
“Every practice we have is crucial, but especially the ones where we can actually get some work in,” Kerr said. “The (first) practice after the All-Star break is always an important one because you’ve got to blow it out. You’ve got to get your legs back underneath you. You also have to get your mind right.”
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Getting past the feeling of needing to impress his new team has helped Kelly Oubre turn around his first season with Golden State, writes Marcus Thompson of The Athletic. Oubre struggled with his shot during his first few games with the Warriors, making just two of his first 30 three-point attempts, but he shot 43% from beyond the arc in February while averaging 20.1 PPG. “When I first got here, to the Warriors, I was feeding into all the pressure of, the salary-cap stuff, the contract year,” Oubre said. “You know, the new team that I would really love to make this a home for me in the future. I was kind of putting too much pressure onto myself.”
- General manager Bob Myers wants to keep Golden State in title contention for as long as Stephen Curry remains in his prime, relays Marcus White of NBC Sports Bay Area. Myers talked about the need to maximize the rest of Curry’s peak years during a radio interview on Wednesday. “What’s your responsibility? It’s to help him win a championship, to put the best players around him that you can,” Myers said. “So we try to do that, and I think for a stretch, we did. … And now we say, ‘How do we keep doing that?’ And it never was easy then, and it’s not easy now, but — we don’t ever have it all figured out.”
- Kerr promises changes to the rotation when the second half of the season begins tonight, Poole tweets. Although Kerr wasn’t specific, Poole believes the new look will involve the backcourt.
- The Warriors have several big-picture items to address heading into the post-All Star break portion of the year, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Slater examines the future of pricey forward Kelly Oubre Jr., an unrestricted free agent this summer, plus the development of young big men James Wiseman and Eric Paschall, among other issues.
- The Warriors would be better off building toward next season rather than making moves to collect more victories this season, Tim Kawakami of The Athletic argues. There’s no reason to use their $9.2MM disabled player exception, especially with the luxury-tax implications it would bring. The better course of action would to give lottery pick James Wiseman ample playing time and wait for the loaded draft.
The Warriors have interest in acquiring Rockets guard Victor Oladipo, league sources tell Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer.
Houston just acquired Oladipo in January in the four-team trade that sent James Harden to Brooklyn, but with the Rockets near the bottom of the NBA’s standings and Oladipo set to reach unrestricted free agency this summer, there has been plenty of speculation he could be on the move again before the March 25 trade deadline.
As O’Connor explains, the Warriors’ interest in Oladipo suggests the team would like to add another ball-handler to take some of the pressure off of Stephen Curry. A secondary ball-handler on the wing could play a role similar to the one that Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala played on Golden State’s title teams, O’Connor notes.
[RELATED: Warriors Viewed As Potential Trade-Deadline Wild Card]
It’s not clear what Golden State would be willing to give up in an offer for Oladipo. Rookie center James Wiseman and the Timberwolves’ 2021 first-round pick (top-three protected) are the Warriors’ top trade assets, but it’s probably safe to assume they wouldn’t put Wiseman on the table for a UFA-to-be like Oladipo, who still hasn’t captured his All-Star form since returning from a quad tendon injury a year ago. As O’Connor observes, Houston likely won’t be able to demand a significant return for the 28-year-old.
If the Warriors did make an offer for Oladipo, either Andrew Wiggins or Kelly Oubre would almost certainly have to be included for salary-matching purposes. The Rockets could probably demand more significant draft assets if they were willing to take on Wiggins’ pricey multiyear contract rather than Oubre’s more affordable expiring deal.
League sources tell The Ringer that Bulls forward Otto Porter – who is on a $28.5MM expiring contract – is another player who has drawn some interest from the Warriors. He’d be a more realistic target if he’s bought out, which some executives think could happen, O’Connor says.