Hoops Rumors Originals

Trade Deadline Outlook: Northwest Division

February 14th, 2017 at 3:45pm CST by Luke Adams

In the days leading up to the February 23 trade deadline, Hoops Rumors will be taking a closer look at each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. We’ll be identifying each team as a buyer, seller, or something in between, and discussing which teams and players are most likely to be involved in deals this month. We’ve already covered the Atlantic. Today, we’re examining the Northwest.

Buyers:

Two Northwest teams are currently over .500, and both the Thunder (31-25) and Jazz (34-22) are in decent position to add reinforcements, though that’s certainly no lock for either team. Oklahoma City has already cashed in many of its trade assets, including a protected 2020 first-round pick sent to the Sixers for Jerami Grant earlier this season. With no trade-eligible first-round picks before 2022 and Enes Kanter on the shelf, the Thunder have limited trade options. Young players like Cameron Payne and Josh Huestis are probably their strongest realistic trade chips at the moment.

As for Utah, the Northwest leaders likely won’t want to shake up their roster too significantly — potential 2017 free agents like Gordon Hayward and George Hill would be trade candidates if they were on lottery teams, but they’re not going anywhere for the Jazz. Still, the team’s sizable chunk of cap room, depth at the point guard spot, and extra first-round picks would make it easy for the Jazz to get something done if they receive an offer they like.

Sellers:

Outside of Ricky Rubio, the Timberwolves (21-34) don’t really have many productive veteran players who would make good trade candidates this month — guys like Cole Aldrich, Jordan Hill, and Brandon Rush don’t have a ton of value. With Tom Thibodeau at the helm, and the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference still within reach, it’s fair to wonder if the Wolves might look to be buyers in the right deal. But even Thibodeau, who has a fondness for veteran players, certainly recognizes that this isn’t the year to go all-in, particularly with Zach LaVine out with a torn ACL.

Somewhere in between:

The Trail Blazers (23-32) and Nuggets (25-30) already got together for one trade this week, and it’s fitting that the immediate impact of the move was a little unclear — it fell somewhere between buying and selling for both teams, since swapping Jusuf Nurkic for Mason Plumlee is unlikely to significantly change the trajectory of either team’s 2016/17 season.

Both teams are within striking distance of the postseason, with Denver currently holding the No. 8 seed in the West, but that doesn’t mean that they’ll be buyers in the next nine days. The Blazers would probably like to clear a little more salary to improve their long-term cap outlook, and the Nuggets have several veteran players believed to be on the block. It wouldn’t be a surprise if either team traded for immediate help, or if either team made a deal with a focus on the future.

Team most likely to make a move:

The Trail Blazers and Nuggets would likely have split this honor before Monday’s deal, and I think it still belongs to one of them. Portland general manager Neil Olshey acknowledged this week that his roster is a “work in progress,” adding that the team will have to make some moves at some point. Moving Plumlee was a good first step, but the Blazers’ work isn’t done yet.

Still, the Blazers have the option of waiting until the offseason to make additional deals, since their cap is more crowded next year than this year. For now, I view the Nuggets as the more likely team to make a second move, if only due to the sheer number of trade candidates on the roster. While Nurkic was perhaps the most obvious one, players like Wilson Chandler, Kenneth Faried, Danilo Gallinari, Will Barton, Jameer Nelson, and even Emmanuel Mudiay have all been mentioned in at least one trade rumor this season. Denver figures to hang onto most of those players, but I expect to see at least one or two on the move.

Player(s) most likely to be moved:

Injured Trail Blazers center Festus Ezeli is a good candidate to be dealt in a financially motivated swap. Clearing Ezeli’s salary from their books for this year and next would give Portland a little extra breathing room (the team is currently right up against the tax line for 2016/17), and a team below the salary floor might be willing to take him on. The only roadblock for the Blazers will be deciding how much they’re willing to give up to move Ezeli. I doubt Portland will attach a first-round pick to him, but the team has already traded many of its future second-round picks, which limits its options.

Of the players who could actually contribute down the stretch, Wilson Chandler seems like as good a bet as any to find a new home. Any number of Denver’s rotation players could be on the move, but Chandler is the only one whose desire to be traded has been reported, so I imagine the team will make an effort to accommodate him.

Under-the-radar trade candidate(s):

Teams in need of a point guard could target a team in the Northwest, since every team except the Trail Blazers has some interesting backup options at the position. For instance, if the Timberwolves don’t move Rubio, it could make sense for the team to explore a deal involving Tyus Jones, since there aren’t enough minutes in Minnesota to go around for him, Rubio, and Kris Dunn.

The Jazz also have an interesting collection of point guards on their roster behind Hill. Shelvin Mack, Raul Neto, and Dante Exum are all on favorable contracts and none of them are older than 26. Neto is probably the most expendable of the bunch, but Mack is believed to be available as well. As for Exum, the Jazz probably aren’t eager to give up on the former fifth overall pick, but he has been slow to develop so far and won’t be starting in Utah anytime soon if the team is able to re-sign Hill this summer.

What do you think is in store for the Northwest teams over the next nine days? Which teams are most likely to make a deal? Which players will be on the move?

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trade Deadline Outlook: Atlantic Division

February 13th, 2017 at 2:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Buyers:

Two Atlantic teams currently hold top-four spots in the Eastern Conference, and both the Celtics (35-19) and Raptors (32-23) are in great position to strengthen their rosters at this year’s deadline.

Boston, in particular, is loaded with trade assets, including a handful of extra first-round picks. While there are several teams around the league holding additional draft picks, none have the upside that the Celtics’ selections do. The C’s have the right to swap picks with Brooklyn this season, and hold the Nets’ 2018 pick outright, and no NBA team has a worse 2016/17 record that the Nets. If any club wants to make a superstar available, a logical first step would be to give Danny Ainge a call and ask about those two Brooklyn picks, either of which would be a great starting point for any trade package.

The Raptors, meanwhile, don’t have quite the stash of draft picks that Boston does, but Toronto holds a couple extra future first-rounders, and is also carrying several intriguing young players on its roster. Guys like Delon Wright and Bruno Caboclo should be available, and in the right deal, perhaps the Raps would be willing to include a rotation player like Terrence Ross, Norman Powell, Lucas Nogueira, or even Jonas Valanciunas. Although they’ve struggled lately, the Raptors took Cleveland to six games in the Eastern Conference Finals last season, and adding an impact power forward would make their roster even more dangerous.Read more

Sellers:

As noted above, the Nets have the NBA’s worst record this season (9-45), and it’s not particularly close. It’s an easy decision for the team to become a seller, rather than a buyer, though Brooklyn’s trade assets are somewhat limited. Most of the club’s roster consists of young developmental players, or recently-signed veterans that the Nets might not be ready to move, such as Trevor Booker and Jeremy Lin. The most obvious trade candidate on the roster is Brook Lopez, and the Nets are certainly listening to offers, but since the veteran center has another year left on his contract, there’s no urgency to make a move quite yet.

Across town, the Knicks (23-33) are a little closer to playoff contention than Brooklyn is, but New York seems rightly reluctant to push all its chips in on this season’s team. The Knicks’ front office is believed to be leaning toward trading veterans and building around Kristaps Porzingis and Willy Hernangomez. In order to start that process in earnest though, Carmelo Anthony would have to go, and there’s no indication yet that he’ll waive his no-trade clause within the next 10 days, which complicates New York’s approach to the deadline. Veterans like Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah could also be trade candidates, but Rose’s expiring contract and Noah’s exorbitant long-term salary make the former Bulls duo a tricky sell.

Somewhere in between:

At 20-34, 13th in the East, the Sixers are closer to being sellers than buyers, but after a multiyear tanking process, the franchise appears open to adding immediate help in the right deal. That doesn’t mean that Bryan Colangelo expects a playoff berth this season, but if he can add a veteran on a multiyear contract who can contribute for the next couple years, he seems willing to pull the trigger.

At the same time, it’s not hard to imagine the Sixers going the tanking route for one more season. With Joel Embiid sidelined due to a knee injury, moving one or two other key rotation players from a group that includes Jahlil Okafor, Nerlens Noel, and T.J. McConnell would go a long way toward securing another bottom-five finish – and another top-five draft pick – for the franchise before it shifts to win-now mode in the summer.

Team most likely to make a move:

On paper, the Celtics and Raptors seem very likely to make at least a modest deal, but both teams have been extremely patient over the years, hoarding assets and waiting for the right moment to strike. If that moment doesn’t come in the next 10 days, it’s not unfathomable that both teams could wait until the offseason to cash in some of their trade assets.

The Sixers, on the other hand, seem like a virtual lock to make a move of some sort. It would be a surprise if both Okafor and Noel remain on the team’s roster through the deadline.

Player(s) most likely to be moved:

If it weren’t for his no-trade clause, and perhaps that pesky 15% trade kicker as well, Anthony would probably be the top trade candidate in the division. Phil Jackson and the Knicks have made it pretty clear – publicly as well as privately – that they’re ready to move on from their longtime star, but that appears to have made Carmelo dig in his heels even more, and he has all the leverage.

With Anthony a question mark, and few obvious trade candidate in Brooklyn outside of Lopez and Randy Foye, we’ll turn to the Sixers for the players most likely to be moved. Trade rumors have surrounded Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel all season long, and Philadelphia finally appears ready to make a move with at least one of them. Okafor was held out of action this weekend and reportedly told teammates he thinks he’ll be dealt, while Noel has been viewed all season as one of the players most likely to change teams.

Under-the-radar trade candidate:

The sheer amount of media coverage in New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and Toronto makes it difficult for trade candidates from any of these five teams to fly under the radar. But it’s worth keeping an eye on Nets sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic. The 27-year-old is enjoying a career year, with 14.3 PPG and a .362 3PT% in 53 games so far. He’s also a restricted free agent at season’s end.

Last summer, the Nets had two unsuccessful forays into restricted free agency, but they may be more willing to jump back in when they’re the ones with the matching rights. Bogdanovic is young enough to be a long-term piece in Brooklyn, and the team has the cap flexibility to keep him around, even if he fields other offers this summer.

Still, Bogdanovic’s outside shooting could help a contender down the stretch this season, and his RFA status reduces some offseason uncertainty, making him more appealing than an unrestricted free agent. If a team makes the Nets a strong offer for Bogdanovic this month, it would make sense for Sean Marks to consider a move.

What do you think is in store for the Atlantic teams over the next 10 days? Which teams are most likely to make a deal? Which players will be on the move?

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Weekly Mailbag: 2/6/16 – 2/12/16

February 12th, 2017 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

We have an opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap or the NBA draft? Drop us a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com. Here are this week’s inquiries:

How can James Dolan be so naive? He plans on keeping Phil Jackson after all he has done. He keeps adding fuel to the fire he started about Charles Oakley. Do the Knicks ever have any chance of being any good with Dolan as an owner or is he the biggest issue? — Yaakov Schreier

An old sports adage says, “You can’t fire the owner,” and that’s the Knicks’ biggest problem right now. Fans across the country cheered on Oakley in his confrontation with Dolan, and the former Knicks tough guy has become more popular than ever now that he is banned from Madison Square Garden. MSG crowds have targeted Joakim Noah, Carmelo Anthony and Jackson as losses have piled up, but the real source of frustration is Dolan, who seems badly out of touch and incapable of building a winner no matter how much money he throws around. There have been suggestions that the Oakley incident will discourage free agents from coming to New York, but it may also make a young talent like Kristaps Porzingis think twice about a long-term future with the Knicks.

What trades are the Pistons most likely to make and what kind of package could they get for Andre Drummond? — Mark Holmes

Coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said this week that “everyone is available,” but Drummond is probably less available than anybody else. Detroit should ask for a star and a first-round pick in any deal, but it seems unlikely that Drummond is going anywhere. He’s only 23 and did the organization a favor last year by waiting until the offseason to sign his extension, giving the Pistons more cap room to work with. Reggie Jackson is the first name that comes to mind when discussing potential Detroit trades. A rumor made the rounds this week that the Pelicans were interested in Jackson, possibly as part of a three-team deal involving Jahlil Okafor. Jackson seems like the player to watch as the deadline grows nearer.

There are reports that the Cavs are interested in Jose Calderon and Andrew Bogut. Both are aging veterans. What is the possibility that they go a little younger and call Utah about Shelvin Mack and are they interested in Denver’s seven-footer Jusuf Nurkic, seeing how they really want to move him. — Dayre Dancy

Mack is a real possibility, although one of what seems like dozens for Cleveland as a backup point guard. He helped the Jazz after being acquired in a draft-day deal last season, but he’s on an expiring contract and probably isn’t in the team’s long-term plans. Nurkic would be attractive for the Cavs because he’s still on a rookie contract, but the Nuggets probably want more than Cleveland is willing to part with. The Cavaliers have an obvious need for Calderon, Bogut or almost any big man or point guard, but they may prefer to wait until after the trade deadline and try their luck on the buyout market.

Community Shootaround: Durant Returns To OKC

February 11th, 2017 at 12:27pm CST by Austin Kent

It’s been seven months since Kevin Durant decided to leave the only franchise he ever knew to sign with the Warriors and today the eight-time All-Star will make his much-anticipated return to Oklahoma City. Sure, for nine seasons Durant helped put the Thunder on the map, but don’t expect his reception at the Chesapeake Energy Arena to be anything less than hostile.

On one hand, Durant treated the franchise that drafted him with relatively unprecedented respect, on the other, well… sports fan logic. As Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News tweets, Durant didn’t force a trade out of Oklahoma City and he didn’t put up a stir mid-season and distract the Thunder from their 2015/16 campaign. He waited dutifully until the offseason before making a decision well within his rights as a player.

Still, though his decision is certainly defensible, it didn’t win over very many fans outside of the Bay Area. Shortly after Durant’s personal essay detailing his thought process regarding the move to Oakland was published, Stephen A. Smith of ESPN tweeted a sentiment to which skeptical fans could relate. Smith called Durant’s decision a “weak move”, lambasting the superstar for opting to sign with the team that just rallied to eliminate the Thunder in the 2016 Western Conference Finals.

Needless to say, when Durant takes the floor for the Warriors this evening, emotions will be at an all-time high. Earlier this morning Howard Beck of Bleacher Report tweeted that the ugliest sports scene he ever witnessed first-hand was LeBron James‘ first game back in Cleveland after signing with the Heat in the summer of 2010.

How do you think Durant’s return to Oklahoma City will go? Do fans have the right to boo an ex-star that did so much for the franchise? If so, how far is too far when fans react negatively?

Weigh in below!

Hoops Rumors Originals: 2/4/17 – 2/11/17

February 11th, 2017 at 11:20am CST by Austin Kent

The Hoops Rumors staff published a series of original features this week. Here’s a look at some of our favorites:

We’re right in the thick of 10-day contract season and remembering who signed where and whether or not they’ve been retained is no small task. We’ve published an official tracking tool that monitors the contract of each 10-day signee.
The Sixers haven’t made a significant move to address their frontcourt logjam yet but when it does it will likely involve second-year center Jahlil Okafor. This week Chris Crouse explored the big man’s value as a trade candidate.
Only two trade exceptions are set to expire this month and the Cavaliers own both of them. Luke Adams discussed where the trade exceptions came from and how they could prompt Cleveland to make a deal prior to February 18, five days ahead of the trade deadline.
An ever-shifting backcourt in Dallas has made the Mavs one of the toughest teams to gauge in fantasy. Chris Crouse wrote about Yogi Ferrell and the value of the rest of the guards on the injury-depleted roster.
The Raptors have most recently been linked to Serge Ibaka, but regardless, there’s a growing consensus that Toronto would benefit from making a move. Milo Taibi looked at the options that the franchise has ahead of the trade deadline.
Every week we like to see what our readers think about certain trending topics, here are our Community Shootarounds.
- The Bucks suffered a blow when it was announced that Jabari Parker will miss the rest of the season. Should the club make a move? Or stand pat and wait for next year?
- The Nuggets have no shortage of valuable assets but who, exactly, should the team part with?
And finally, here are the Hoops Rumors Originals from the previous week in case you missed them.

Categories:
Hoops Rumors Originals

Who Should The Raptors Target At The Trade Deadline?

February 10th, 2017 at 7:16pm CST by Milo Taibi

The current owners of the fourth-seed in the Eastern Conference, there’s every reason to believe the Raptors will be active buyers at the trade deadline. But who will team president Masai Ujiri and GM Jeff Weltman target? As things currently stand, the Raptors will enter the second half with their 2015/16 rotation in place, sans Bismack Biyombo.

DeMar DeRozan has been vocal in his push for Toronto’s front office to acquire help; telling Laura Armstrong of the Toronto Star “help is a great word with any team. Anybody could take help any day if it makes you better, a team better, anything.” DeMarre Carroll echoed DeRozan’s sentiments, noting that the team’s starting unit has been stretched thin amid a playoff run.

One form of help (albeit a flashy one) could come in the form of Serge Ibaka. This past week, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders indicated the Raptors as a potential “long-term fit” for Ibaka’s services. Ibaka’s in the final year of a four-year, $49MM contract, but the Magic’s asking price is believed to be high. Provided Dwane Casey and the Raptors don’t need to sell off rotation players to acquire him, Ibaka would be a considerable upgrade over Patrick Patterson and Pascal Siakam in Toronto’s frontcourt.

Josh Lewenberg of TSN doubled-down on the team’s need to pursue a trade, citing the team’s recent struggles (Toronto has gone 4-6 over their last 10 games). While the team had offseason acquisition Jared Sullinger tabbed for a starting role, the former Celtic is still working to get in shape after suffering a fractured right foot in October. The Raptors have long admired Paul Millsap‘s game, Lewenberg writes, but the Hawks appear unlikely to deal him amidst their pursuit of a four-seed.

Ryan Wolstat of the National Post cited Ibaka and Millsap as ideal fits, while throwing Taj Gibson, Trevor Booker, and Wilson Chandler in the mix as potential trade targets. While Booker isn’t a “sexy name,” compared to Ibaka or Millsap, he has quietly enjoyed a productive for the 9-44 Nets. Averaging 10 points with 8.7 rebounds, the 29-year-old Booker is in the first year of a two-year, $18.375MM pact. Booker’s “doggedness,” on each end of the court is a trait the Raptors could use, Wolstat notes.

What do you think? Which target makes the most sense for Ujiri and Weltman to pursue? What’s Toronto’s ceiling for a 2016/17 playoff run?

Only Two Trade Exceptions Set To Expire This Month

February 10th, 2017 at 12:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Traded player exceptions, which we’ve described in the past in the Hoops Rumors Glossary, are often created in trades involving at least one over-the-cap team. Deals of that sort are made frequently in the weeks, days, hours, or even minutes leading up to February’s trade deadline, and trade exceptions expire one year after they’re created, so it would make sense that several TPEs would be on track to expire later this month, as a result of last year’s deadline moves. That’s not the case, however.

As I noted when I took a closer look at trade exceptions back in July, the NBA’s huge salary cap jump in 2016 resulted in just three teams – the Clippers, Raptors, and Cavaliers – staying over the cap through the offseason. The league’s other 27 teams opted to use cap room, which meant renouncing any trade exceptions that may have been on their books.

As a result, eight trade exceptions that would have expired this February were renounced over the summer instead, with the Hawks, Bulls, Nuggets, Grizzlies, Heat, and Suns all forfeiting at least one TPE.

Since only the Clippers, Raptors, and Cavs stayed over the cap, those are the only teams that could still own TPEs which would expire this February. Los Angeles and Toronto didn’t create any trade exceptions at last season’s deadline, leaving Cleveland as the only team with any exceptions expiring this month — the Cavs hold two TPEs, both created in the same three-way deal. They’ll expire on February 18, so if the club intends to make use of either of them, it will have to happen a few days before this year’s deadline.

The first Cavs exception, created when they sent Jared Cunningham to Orlando, is worth just $947,276. Given its modest value, that TPE is unlikely to be used at this year’s deadline. However, the club’s other remaining trade exception is worth monitoring.

Initially worth more than $9.6MM, Cleveland’s second TPE was created when the club sent Anderson Varejao to Portland, and it has already come in handy — the Cavs used more than $5.2MM of that exception to acquire Kyle Korver from Atlanta last month, paring its overall value down to just under $4.4MM.

That isn’t a huge amount to work with, but as I observed when I examined the Cavs’ options last month, there are a few intriguing veteran point guards around the league whose salaries would fit into that TPE, including guys like Leandro Barbosa, J.J. Barea, and Devin Harris. Cleveland probably won’t end up acquiring any of those players, but the trade exception gives the club some flexibility to fortify its roster without sending out any salary in return.

The full list of the NBA’s outstanding trade exceptions can be found right here.

Community Shootaround: Milwaukee Bucks

February 9th, 2017 at 5:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bucks seemed to be on the upswing and a good bet to make the playoffs coming into this season. As the trade deadline approaches, the outlook doesn’t look so rosy.

They have one of the league’s most dynamic players in Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has blossomed into an All-Star starter. They also made a wise choice in the second round of last June’s draft in Malcolm Brogdon, who has exceeded all expectations as a scorer and playmaker.

Little else has gone right for the franchise this season. Despite the efforts of Antetokounmpo, the Bucks have floundered below the .500 mark, due in part to Khris Middleton‘s injury. Middleton made his season debut on Wednesday after recovering from a torn hamstring. Just when the Bucks had all their main pieces in place, they suffered another devastating setback.

Second-league scorer Jabari Parker tore his ACL on Wednesday. He will miss the rest of the season and probably a good portion of next season. The snake-bit Parker also suffered a torn ACL during his rookie campaign, and one can only wonder how a second major knee injury will affect the remainder of his career and the fortunes of the Bucks franchise.

That leaves the Bucks front office in a difficult spot. They recently traded center Miles Plumlee to the Hornets in what was, by all appearances, a salary dump of a questionable contract they handed out last summer. But Milwaukee still has limited financial flexibility after shelling out big money to acquire free agents Greg Monroe, Mirza Teletovic and Matthew Dellavedova and retain John Henson.

Teletovic and journeyman Michael Beasley figure to get more playing time in the wake of Parker’s injury. Milwaukee finds itself with the 11th-best record in the East but it’s only one game in the loss column behind the Pistons, who currently hold the eighth and final spot.

That leads us to today’s topic: In the wake of Jabari Parker’s knee injury, should the Bucks make a move before the trade deadline to improve their playoff chances? Or should they stand pat and try to regroup in the summer?

Please take to the comments section to give us your input on this subject. We look forward to hearing your opinion.

Fantasy Hoops: Ferrell, Cousins, Embiid

February 8th, 2017 at 6:41pm CST by ChrisCrouse

We’ve hit the third quarter of the NBA season and Hoops Rumors is examining the fantasy basketball landscape in order to help you dominate the competition. Check back weekly for more fantasy basketball analysis.

Breaking Down Dallas’ Backcourt

Something very interesting is happening in Dallas. A rookie has taken control of the team and elevated them just as everyone thought the franchise was done for the season. No, we’re not talking what Dak Prescott just did for the Cowboys and we’re not talking about their running back Ezekiel Elliot either (although, you could find out the latest on those two at our sister-site Pro Football Rumors). We’re talking about what undrafted point guard Yogi Ferrell has done for the Mavericks.

If Pierre Jackson doesn’t injure his hamstring nearly two weeks ago, Ferrell isn’t on this team. If J.J. Barea doesn’t remain sidelined with a calf strain and Deron Williams‘ toe injury doesn’t linger, Ferrell never gets to start. Yet, all of those things happened and it’s led to an incredible opportunity for the former Indiana Hoosier.

Ferrell has seen the most court time on the team since arriving in Dallas. His 36.7 minutes per game ranks 15th in the league since his first start on January 29th. He’s scoring 16.3 points per game and he’s shooting 47.1% from behind the arc. The team has gone 4-2 in Ferrell’s six starts, but they were a missed C.J. McCollum floater away from being 5-1.

The 23-year-old has become a nice asset in fantasy and he’ll remain one as long as injuries keep the team’s regulars on the sideline. Barea is a few weeks away from returning and Williams’ toe injury may keep him out until the All-Star break. The Mavs have four more games before the break, so if Ferrell is available (owned in roughly 45% of ESPN leagues), he’s worth adding.

Once Williams is healthy, there’s a chance that he’ll be dealt. The Cavs were considering him as a trade acquisition, though for the time being, Dallas appears reluctant to deal the veteran point guard. If the team were to move him, Ferrell becomes a must-own in all leagues.

Ferrell isn’t the only Mavs guard worth rostering while the team gets healthy. Seth Curry, who signed a two-year, $6MM deal with Dallas over the summer, is having a nice season. Over his last 12 games, he’s shooting 51.0% from the field, a figure that ranks fifth in the league among players seeing at least 32 minutes per game. However, he now finds himself on the injury report after hurting his shoulder in Tuesday’s game against the Blazers. As of this writing, it doesn’t appear to be serious, but if he’s not back up and running for Thursday’s game against the Jazz, Devin Harris should see more opportunity. Harris could be a nice low-cost option in daily fantasy if Curry is out.

My end-of-season rankings for the backcourt are as follows: Williams, Ferrell, Curry, Barea, Harris. Keep an eye on this situation for the rest of this season, as Dallas guards have ever-changing fantasy values due to a number of injuries on the team.

Here’s more fantasy analysis and notes from around the league:

Rudy Gay ruptured his Achilles in mid-January and since he was sidelined, DeMarcus Cousins has become even more involved in the offense. The big man is averaging nearly six assists per contest since the small forward’s injury compared to 4.4 per game before it. That’s the good news. The bad news is that Cousins is suspended for tonight’s game against the Celtics as a result of picking up his 16th technical of the season and if he picks up two more technicals, he’ll be suspended for another game.
Since MLK day, only Stephen Curry and Isaiah Thomas have made more three-pointers than Otto Porter. The small forward has made 54.9% of his shots from behind the arc over that stretch. Porter can become a restricted free agent after the season and he’s playing like he wants to get paid. He’s a top-40 fantasy option for the rest of the season.
Joel Embiid has missed nine of the Sixers’ last 10 games, including tonight’s tilt with the Spurs, because of a knee injury. Coach Brett Brown said that the team is simply being cautious with Embiid and the big man is expected back on the court soon. I implored fantasy owners to trade Embiid in a recent edition of Fantasy Hoops since his fantasy value was at an all-time high. I would still consider trading him in the right deal due to his injuries woes and the Sixers propensity to be “cautious” with injuries.

Fantasy questions? Take to the comment section below or tweet me at @CW_Crouse.

Statistics are current through Wednesday afternoon.

Trade Candidate: Jahlil Okafor

February 6th, 2017 at 10:49pm CST by ChrisCrouse

As the February 23 trade deadline nears, Hoops Rumors will be taking a closer look at several players we consider trade candidates, discussing their value, speculating on potential destinations, and explaining why they are – or should be – available. These players won’t necessarily be dealt in advance of the deadline, but it won’t be surprising if they are.

Jahlil Okafor, C
Philadelphia 76ers
2016/17 salary: $4,788,840
Team holds an option for the 2018/19 season; eligible for restricted free agency in 2020
Trade restrictions: None

Jahlil Okafor knows he’s in a unique situation. He’s heard his name in trade rumors since he was drafted by the Sixers with the No. 3 overall pick. He’s seen his role on the team fluctuate and he’s handled it all like a professional should.

“I know I’m not the type of player that’s DNP,” Okafor said earlier in the month about a game in which he was a healthy but didn’t see the court. “But that’s what it is right now. Coach Brown has been phenomenal with communicating with me. I know in the long run, I’ll be fine.”

In the long-run, Okafor will likely be playing for another team. GM Bryan Colangelo has reportedly been in contact with eight other franchises regarding an Okafor trade and the strong play of both Joel Embiid and Dario Saric have increased the likelihood that the team deals either Okafor or Nerlens Noel, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

It appears that Okafor is more likely to be dealt than Nerlens Noel, as John Smallwood of the Philadelphia Inquirer wrote last month. Two months ago, the opposite was true. Noel wasn’t seeing regular minutes and Philadelphia was investing time in the Okafor-Embiid pairing. The team didn’t like what it saw and it stopped using the combo together. Okafor has seen his role diminished since the team split up the centers, while Embiid has thrived, which led one anonymous league executive to claim that the Cameroon native could eventually become a top-3 player in the league.

Okafor will likely never reach that pinnacle, though that doesn’t mean he can’t have a great career. Over his first season and a half, he’s shown promise on the offensive end, aggressively taking the ball to the basket either by backing defenders down or driving at them from the elbow. It’s been inconsistent, but that’s expected; he’s a 21-year-old kid who has only appeared in 88 career games. Teams looking for a young big man certainly see what’s there. He isn’t a blank canvas on the offensive end.

Okafor’s defense remains a work-in-progress. He’s the league’s second-worst center on defense, per ESPN’s Defensive Real Plus/Minus. Karl-Anthony Towns is the league’s worst, according to that metric, so we should remember that it takes time and experience in this league to become a good defender in the post. Rim protectors need to learn how to properly position themselves during the offensive attack. Once a player learns that, simply being a massive near 7-footer is enough to be an adequate defender; just ask Nikola Vucevic. Magic coach Frank Vogel vowed to install his defensive principles and coach up Vucevic so that he can improve on his defense. This year, the Swiss behemoth has been defending opposing bigs at a top level. He’s the 15th most impactful defender this season, according to NBAMath, and there’s hope that Okafor can take similar strides with the right amount of experience and coaching.

That’s not to say coach Brett Brown isn’t doing a great job with Okafor and with this team. The issue is that there are only so many coaching hours available and Brown has so many young guys on the roster. Gregg Popovich was always able to get the best out of non-star players because his top players were experienced and didn’t need as much attention. Popovich could devote the time to the role players and coach them up to help them improve. Brett Brown has no such luxury. Examine the Sixers’ roster; How many players are self-sufficient and don’t need a considerable amount of coaching?

Okafor will get to an acceptable level on defense, but he’s not going to substantially improve without seeing more court time. He’s barely cracked 800 minutes so far this season (232 players have seen more minutes than Okafor this year, including Anthony Tolliver and Corey Brewer among others). He’s firmly behind Embiid on the depth chart and both Noel and Richaun Holmes have seen action ahead of him at times when everyone is healthy.

Philadelphia is being cautious with Embiid’s knee injury, which opened up an opportunity for Okafor to start (and audition for other teams) tonight against the Pistons. The game could end up being one of Okafor’s final contests with the Sixers, as the team was reportedly heavily engaged in talks with the Pelicans to send the Duke product to New Orleans. Philadelphia was set to receive a 2018 first-rounder in addition to center Alexis Ajinca and there was a 5:00 pm EST deadline today to complete a deal, presumably because Philadelphia played tonight and needed to know whether or not to have Okafor suit up. The teams didn’t consummate a deal before that cutoff, but the two sides remain engaged in talks, as Keith Smith of RealGM reports (Twitter link).

Anthony Davis would be an excellent frontcourt partner for any player in the league, but his skillset particularly suits Okafor. At this point in his career, Okafor doesn’t have much range. He can’t play outside the paint and that, coupled with his defensive issues, makes pairing him in the frontcourt a tough task. He needs to be aligned with someone who has an outside shot and is able to help cover up his defensive imperfections. The potential Davis-Okafor pairing is arguably the best-case scenario for any franchise looking to build around the 2015 ACC Player of the Year.

The Pelicans are shopping their 2018 first-round pick around the league with an eye on acquiring a center, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter link), so they could ostensibly make another deal and miss out on acquiring Okafor.

“Obviously at this time of the year all the GMs are talking,” Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said earlier tonight. “In that situation right there it’s best that you guys ask [GM Dell Demps]. I don’t want to get misquoted or anything. Like I said, all the GMs are talking back and forth.”

I speculate that a deal will get done with New Orleans and the franchise is just looking to gain leverage during trade talks. However, if Demps decides to trade the team’s pick elsewhere, the Bulls could get back in the mix for Okafor, as they reached out to the Sixers late last week regarding the big man.

Philadelphia is reportedly looking for at least one future first-round pick in exchange for Okafor. He’s under team control for at least two more seasons after this one, so Philadelphia doesn’t necessarily have to deal him before the deadline. Still, regardless of whether it happens this season, this offseason or a year from now, an Okafor trade remains likely. Sam Hinkie’s final first-round selection has the potential to be a solid NBA player and he could even develop into an All-Star-caliber player down the road; it’s just not going to happen while he’s a member of the Sixers.

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