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Wesley Matthews Bought Out By Knicks, Plans To Sign With Pacers

February 7th, 2019 at 4:14pm CST by Dana Gauruder

4:14pm: The Knicks have officially waived Wesley Matthews, the team announced on social media.

2:28pm: Matthews will be bought out by the Knicks later today and intends to sign with the Pacers once he clears waivers, tweets Charania.

2:03pm: Shooting guard Wesley Matthews is expected to reach a buyout agreement with the Knicks, and the Pacers are the frontrunners to sign Matthews once he clears waivers, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. Matthews is also expected to draw interest from the Warriors and Rockets and possibly other contenders, according to Marc Stein of the New York Times (Twitter link).

The Knicks are expected to retain veteran enter DeAndre Jordan, rather than buy him out. Stein adds. Jordan, who like Matthews will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, was also acquired in the blockbuster deal that shipped star big man Kristaps Porzingis to the Mavericks.

The Knicks have already been working on a buyout with disgruntled center Enes Kanter and that could be finalized as early as today, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.

Matthews and Kanter both have expiring $18.6MM contracts. Jordan is making $22.9MM.

Matthews, who is averaging 13.1 PPG and shooting 38% on his 3-point attempts, would be a natural fit for Indiana as it seeks to replenish its backcourt in the wake of Victor Oladipo‘s season-ending injury.

New York’s desire to keep Jordan is mainly due to his willingness to mentor their young bigs, especially rookie center Mitchell Robinson.

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Trade/Buyout Rumors: Kaminsky, Vonleh, Kanter, More

February 7th, 2019 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets are still “pushing hard” for a taker for Frank Kaminsky and there are indications that teams are interested, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times. The fourth-year center will be a restricted free agent this summer and doesn’t appear to be in Charlotte’s long-range plans.

The ninth selection in the 2015 draft, Kaminsky has only appeared in 24 games under new coach James Borrego and is averaging 5.5/2.5/1.1 in about 11 minutes per night. He has fallen completely out of the rotation over the past two months, playing just 41 minutes in Charlotte’s last 23 games.

There’s more to pass along as the deadline gets closer:

  • The Nuggets have expressed interest in acquiring Noah Vonleh from the Knicks, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN. Vonleh has been productive in New York since signing a minimum contract, averaging 8.6 points and 8.5 rebounds per night, mostly as a starter. He will be a free agent this summer. Denver has a pair of trade exceptions that Vonleh would fit into and is about $7MM under the luxury tax.
  • While Enes Kanter probably won’t be traded today, he’s expected to reach the buyout market, and rival executives believe the Celtics will be among the teams with interest in him, sources tell Begley (Twitter link).
  • Elsewhere on the buyout market front, Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link) adds the Pacers to the list of clubs that will have interest in Wesley Matthews if and when he’s bought out.
  • The Rockets, another team with potential interest in Matthews, still intend to be active on the buyout market after sneaking under the luxury tax threshold today, a source tells Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Arthur Hill contributed to this post.

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Mike Conley: “I’ll Play Anywhere”

February 7th, 2019 at 11:39am CST by Arthur Hill

Mike Conley is denying a rumor that he and his representatives are trying to quash a trade to Utah, tweets Omari Sankofa II of The Athletic.

“I’ll play anywhere,” the Grizzlies guard said during today’s shootaround. He claims he doesn’t know how speculation started that wants to head East, adding that he doesn’t have a preference for either conference.

Conley has been the subject of intense speculation since Memphis let it be known last month that it was willing to listen to offers for him and Marc Gasol. A report on Wednesday said the Jazz were making progress in a deal for Conley, but he and his representatives were resisting it, hoping to wind up in Indiana, Toronto or Detroit instead.

Memphis is seeking multiple first-round picks in any Conley deal. Utah reportedly offered a first-rounder and second-rounder, along with a pair of expiring contracts (believed to be Ricky Rubio and Derrick Favors), but declined when the Grizzlies asked for Dante Exum.

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Eastern Trade Rumors: Cavs, A. Holiday, Kaminsky, Raps

February 7th, 2019 at 8:20am CST by Luke Adams

It has been a busy season on the trade market for the Cavaliers, who entered sell mode early and have moved Kyle Korver, George Hill, and Alec Burks in separate deals over the course of the 2018/19 campaign.

Even after all that action, the Cavaliers may not be done dealing, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who reports that Cleveland’s front office is still exploring the market in search of a possible home for J.R. Smith. Although the Cavs plan to continue their efforts to move Smith right up until today’s deadline, making a deal is “easier said than done,” a source tells Fedor.

Despite the fact that Smith is on a pseudo-expiring contract, with only $3.87MM of his $15.68MM salary for 2019/20 guaranteed, his $14.72MM cap hit for this season – and the fact that he hasn’t played in an NBA game since mid-November – will be a tough sell. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Smith ultimately ends up on the buyout market after the deadline.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

  • We’ve heard that the Pacers might be willing to move Cory Joseph and Darren Collison, but it’s their other point guard – rookie Aaron Holiday – who has been a popular target for teams making inquiries, writes J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star. Although Indiana initially took those calls, the club has now pulled Holiday off the table and has no plans to deal him this week, a source tells Michael.
  • While the Hornets remain in the mix for Marc Gasol, they’re also still on the lookout for a potential landing spot for Frank Kaminsky, independent of a Gasol deal, tweets Sporting News’ Sean Deveney. Kaminsky, who has played just 41 minutes in Charlotte’s last 23 games, would presumably welcome a change of scenery.
  • Despite some rumors this week involving the Raptors, Mike Conley, and Kyle Lowry, there’s currently no traction on a Toronto deal that would include those players, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.
  • The Magic and the Bulls are among the clubs that have expressed some level of interest in Clippers point guard Milos Teodosic, according to Orazio Cauchi of Sportando, who hears that a Teodosic trade is still possible. As we heard earlier in the season, the former EuroLeague star also continues to draw plenty of interest from international teams, Cauchi notes.
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NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/6/19

February 6th, 2019 at 10:14pm CST by Arthur Hill

Here are Wednesday’s assignments and recalls from the G League:

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Mike Conley Resisting Trade To Utah?

February 6th, 2019 at 5:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

6:05pm: The Raptors aren’t trying to trade for Conley, while the Pistons are pessimistic that a deal will get done before the deadline, Stein tweets.

5:02pm: The Jazz are closer to working out a trade for Grizzlies guard Mike Conley, but Conley and his representatives prefer to see him sent somewhere else, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN (Twitter link).

“Utah was making some progress in acquiring him, and I think that would have been a tremendous deal for Utah,” Windhorst said on ESPN’s “The Jump.” (video link via @The_6ix_man) “Mike Conley‘s agent has made it known that Mike Conley does not want to play in Utah. … If he’s going to be traded, he’d prefer to go the the Eastern Conference. Now Memphis is working on deals with Detroit and Toronto.”

A trade with the Raptors would mean Kyle Lowry may wind up with the Jazz, Windhorst adds. Utah has been interested in Lowry for a long time and Lowry has “a ton of respect” for Jazz coach Quin Snyder, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The report on Conley is backed up by Marc Stein of The New York Times, who tweets that he is resisting a trade to the Jazz. Conley has no ability to block a deal —  he is under contract for more than $67MM over the next two seasons — but he’s making it clear that Utah isn’t his first choice.

The Pacers continue to talk to the Grizzlies about Conley, according to Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link). However, Indiana and Toronto believe Memphis’ asking price is “prohibitively high.” Jones states that he heard the Pacers offered a young player and a veteran and were met with a counteroffer that they didn’t consider realistic.

A source tells Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press that the Grizzlies are asking the Pistons to include shooting guard Luke Kennard and a first-round pick in any package. Ellis speculates that Reggie Jackson would also be part of the deal, but notes that picking up Conley would limit Detroit’s financial flexibility going forward.

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Forbes Releases 2019 NBA Franchise Valuations

February 6th, 2019 at 1:03pm CST by Luke Adams

A year ago, when Forbes released its annual NBA franchise valuations, the Knicks were reeling from the news that Kristaps Porzingis has suffered a torn ACL, but still earned the top spot on Forbes’ list of the league’s most valuable teams.

This time around, Knicks fans are reeling from the trade that sent Porzingis to Dallas. Once again though, the franchise is still considered the most valuable of any of the NBA’s 30 clubs, according to a report from Kurt Badenhausen and Mike Ozanian of Forbes.

For the first time, all 30 NBA teams have a perceived worth of $1.2 billion or more, per Forbes’ annual report. While all 30 teams’ valuations cracked the $1 billion threshold for the first time last year, 10 franchises were below $1.2 billion.

The league-wide average of $1.9 billion per team in 2019 is also a new record, with franchise valuations up 13% in total over last year’s figures. NBA franchise values have once again tripled over the last five years, according to Badenhausen and Ozanian.

Here’s the full list of NBA franchise valuations, per Forbes:

  1. New York Knicks: $4 billion
  2. Los Angeles Lakers: $3.7 billion
  3. Golden State Warriors: $3.5 billion
  4. Chicago Bulls: $2.9 billion
  5. Boston Celtics: $2.8 billion
  6. Brooklyn Nets: $2.35 billion
  7. Houston Rockets: $2.3 billion
  8. Dallas Mavericks: $2.25 billion
  9. Los Angeles Clippers: $2.2 billion
  10. Miami Heat: $1.75 billion
  11. Toronto Raptors: $1.675 billion
  12. Philadelphia 76ers: $1.65 billion
  13. San Antonio Spurs: $1.625 billion
  14. Portland Trail Blazers: $1.6 billion
  15. Sacramento Kings: $1.575 billion
  16. Washington Wizards: $1.55 billion
  17. Phoenix Suns: $1.5 billion
  18. Oklahoma City Thunder: $1.475 billion
  19. Utah Jazz: $1.425 billion
  20. Indiana Pacers: $1.4 billion
  21. Denver Nuggets: $1.375 billion
  22. Milwaukee Bucks: $1.35 billion
  23. Orlando Magic: $1.325 billion
  24. Atlanta Hawks: $1.3 billion
  25. Cleveland Cavaliers: $1.275 billion
  26. Detroit Pistons: $1.27 billion
  27. Minnesota Timberwolves: $1.26 billion
  28. Charlotte Hornets: $1.25 billion
  29. New Orleans Pelicans: $1.22 billion
  30. Memphis Grizzlies: $1.2 billion

The Sixers are this year’s big riser, moving from 21st on the 2018 list to 12th in 2019. Conversely, the Cavaliers fell the most. After losing LeBron James, Cleveland was the only franchise to see its valuation dip from year to year, as it decreased from $1.325 billion (15th) in 2018 to $1.275 billion (25th) in 2019.

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O’Connor’s Latest: Gasol, Conley, OKC, Prince, More

February 6th, 2019 at 11:16am CST by Luke Adams

As we relayed earlier today, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer hears that the Hornets‘ offer for Grizzlies center Marc Gasol is Bismack Biyombo, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and a protected first-round pick. That would be an underwhelming return for Gasol, but there hasn’t been much league-wide interest in the 34-year-old, O’Connor writes.

The Kings and Pistons were among the teams potentially in the mix for Gasol, according to O’Connor, but Memphis didn’t have any interest in Detroit center Andre Drummond and Sacramento was unwilling to part with promising young wing Bogdan Bogdanovic, whom the Grizzlies wanted.

The Raptors reportedly explored a potential Gasol deal, initially attempting to come up with an individual trade for one Grizzlies veteran before turning it into a package for both Gasol and Mike Conley, O’Connor writes. However, those talks didn’t advance and league sources tell The Ringer that it’s unlikely Toronto ends up with Gasol or Conley.

Elsewhere on the Conley front, the Jazz continue to make a strong push, with an offer that includes Ricky Rubio, Derrick Favors, and a first-round pick, per O’Connor. The sense around the NBA is that the Grizzlies won’t settle for a modest return for Conley, which is something we heard in relation to the Pistons’ offer earlier today.

O’Connor’s latest piece for The Ringer features several more trade-related tidbits, so we’ll round them up here…

  • The Thunder are believed to be among the teams with interest in Cavaliers guard Alec Burks, league sources tell O’Connor. However, Burks wouldn’t fit into OKC’s $10.88MM trade exception. The Thunder, along with the Sixers and Trail Blazers, have expressed interest in Hawks wing Taurean Prince, O’Connor adds.
  • Following up on his report from last week about the Rockets and Grizzlies discussing a Brandon Knight trade, O’Connor suggests that Marquese Chriss and a first-round pick would also go to Memphis in that proposed deal. Houston would be targeting JaMychal Green and Garrett Temple in the swap, though it remains in the discussion stage for now.
  • The Kings have made calls about veteran forwards Harrison Barnes (Mavericks) and Otto Porter (Wizards) but have found no traction on a Porter deal, writes O’Connor.
  • While DeAndre Jordan looks like an obvious trade candidate, it wouldn’t be a major surprise if the Knicks keep him around as a potential recruiter for Kevin Durant, according to O’Connor, who notes that Durant and Jordan are good friends. Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News wrote about this subject on Tuesday.
  • League sources don’t expect the Celtics to do anything at the deadline with Terry Rozier, since he could serve as potential Kyrie Irving insurance or a sign-and-trade sweetener for Anthony Davis in the offseason, says O’Connor.
  • According to O’Connor, the Pacers remain open to moving one of their two veteran point guards, Cory Joseph or Darren Collison. Both players are on expiring contracts.
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Deveney’s Latest: Wizards, Sixers, Fultz, Morris

February 5th, 2019 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

After sharing some trade-related notes on the Trail Blazers, Dario Saric, and Wesley Matthews on Monday, Sean Deveney of Sporting News is back with another handful of trade rumors today. Let’s dive right in and round up the highlights…

  • Wizards owner Ted Leonsis said last week that there are no plans to trade John Wall, Bradley Beal, or Otto Porter at this year’s deadline, and rival executives have heard the same thing in discussions with Washington, writes Deveney. “They’re not budging,” one exec said of the Wizards. “Maybe they’d deal Porter, but they want a star-type player back, and that’s not happening.”
  • The Sixers aren’t yet ready to move on from Markelle Fultz, sources tell Deveney. Fultz is still 20 years old and his value has cratered, so Philadelphia will hold out hope that he can rebuild that value. However, that stance could change in the offseason if the team views Fultz as a key trade chip to acquire important role players.
  • The Sixers have been “very active” on the trade market as they seek depth, but would be content to go the buyout route if necessary, after having success there a year ago, says Deveney.
  • Celtics forward Marcus Morris isn’t a trade candidate, given how important he has been in Boston this season. “I would hate to think where they’d be without Morris,” one scout told Deveney. “All the stuff that’s gone on, at least on the floor, he kind of holds it together for them.”
  • Morris will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and executives around the NBA predict that he’ll command a starting salary in the $11-12MM range, according to Deveney. “Two years makes sense, but maybe a third year on an option,” said one GM. Deveney names the Kings, Jazz, and Pacers as teams that could have interest in the Celtics forward during the offseason.
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Trade Rumors: KCP, J. Parker, O’Quinn, R. Lopez

February 5th, 2019 at 9:51am CST by Luke Adams

In addition to doing their best to pry Anthony Davis away from the Pelicans, the Lakers have reportedly explored a deal with the Bulls involving Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Jabari Parker. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported as much on the Hoop Collective podcast this week, as Matthew Moreno of LakersNation.com relays.

There are a number of potential roadblocks to such a deal. For one, the Lakers would have to include at least one more piece in order to match salaries, since Parker is earning $20MM and Caldwell-Pope has a $12MM cap hit. Most of the Lakers’ other expiring contracts are tied up in their offer for Davis, though they’d be available to move if the Pelicans decide to hang onto AD through the deadline.

Additionally, Caldwell-Pope has the ability to veto a trade, which is why he hasn’t been included in any of the Lakers’ offers to the Pelicans for Davis. Windhorst suggests that the Bulls “really like” Caldwell-Pope, so if KCP reciprocates that interest, perhaps he’d sign off on a deal. But it’s unclear whether he’d agree on a move that would send him from a playoff contender to a lottery team. For what it’s worth, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times hears that Caldwell-Pope doesn’t appear to be interested in the Bulls.

Here are a few more trade rumors and notes from around the NBA:

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