Lakers Rumors

Atlantic Notes: B. Simmons, Lakers, Gasol, Knicks

February 11th, 2019 at 2:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson told reporters over the weekend that Ben Simmons had reached out to the team asking if he could get together with Johnson during the offseason to talk to him about playing in the NBA as a point guard with size. While Johnson suggested he’d be on board if the Sixers, the Lakers, and the NBA all signed off, it sounds like it won’t happen.

Appearing on 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia (Twitter link), Sixers GM Elton Brand said today that Lakers GM Rob Pelinka contacted him to ask for authorization and Brand said no “over a month ago.” Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link) hears a different account, citing a source who says that the 76ers initiated the discussion about Simmons wanting to meet with Johnson, with Pelinka calling Brand back to say the Lakers weren’t comfortable with it.

While it’s not clear which team shot down the idea first, neither side appears to be on board, so presumably Simmons and Johnson won’t meet this summer. The fact that the young 76er is represented by Rich Paul is sure to generate some speculation, but Ganguli tweets that Simmons’ desire to talk to Johnson was simply due to their on-court similarities, and he intends to be a Sixer for a long time.

Ganguli’s report won’t necessarily satisfy the NBA though. According to league spokesperson Mike Bass, the NBA is looking into whether there was any communication between Simmons and the Lakers that violated league rules (Twitter link via Ganguli).

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Marc Gasol waived the 15% trade kicker on his contract to help finalize the trade sending him to Toronto last week, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks on The Lowe Post podcast. While the trade bonus would only have been worth about $1.29MM, Gasol’s decision could save the Raptors about $3.2MM in projected tax penalties, as Blake Murphy of The Athletic notes (via Twitter).
Speaking of Gasol, the Raptors are still experimenting with a fluid frontcourt rotation as they figure out how to best use Gasol, Serge Ibaka, and Pascal Siakam, head coach Nick Nurse said today (Twitter link via Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca).
Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic takes a wide-ranging look at what the summer could bring for the Knicks and their two maximum-salary contract slots, from the “utopia” outcome to the “doomsday” scenario.

Magic Johnson Discusses Trade Deadline, Free Agency

February 10th, 2019 at 9:26pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

Magic Johnson spoke to the media prior to the Lakers‘ game against the 76ers on Sunday, discussing several topics that ranged from the trade deadline to the team’s upcoming free agency plans. Below are a sample of his comments.

Asked about the trade deadline – and implicitly the negotiations with the Pelicans for Anthony Davis – Johnson said that the Lakers didn’t feel as if they’d entered good-faith negotiations. “At the end of the day, what happened happened,” Johnson said (video link via Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group).

Johnson also downplayed the idea that players would be negatively impacted by having had to deal with the possibility of being traded, suggesting that it’s part of the business. “A lot of people got traded on Thursday and Wednesday,” Johnson said (video link via Bill Oram of The Athletic). “Guess what’s going to happen next year? A lot of players are going to get traded.”

Johnson also indicated that the lack of success negotiating a trade for Davis won’t affect the Lakers’ free agency plans (Twitter link via Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com).

Finally, Johnson revealed that Ben Simmons reached out to the Lakers about the possibility of working with Johnson over the summer, as Simmons hopes to learn from the best big guard in league history. Johnson expressed his willingness to work with Simmons, but only if the league approves such an arrangement (video link via Oram).

Lakers Notes: Pelinka, Team Chemistry, Additions

February 8th, 2019 at 6:16pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Lakers missed out on Anthony Davis after heavy speculation that the team would send many of its young players out of town. The team did make a pair of trades, though its core of young prospects remains mostly intact.

GM Rob Pelinka was asked about the strain the rumors may have had on the team and how to repair it. Pelinka responded with a story about a pastor and his fiancee who were riding a trolley, as Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times passes along (Twitter link). Pelinka explained how 100 people tried to board the trolley and separate the two, leaving the couple with two options: Allow the people to get between them or hold each other close and allow the people around them to push the couple together.

Team chemistry will be an interesting storyline in Los Angeles as the season progresses. Here’s more on the Lakers and their plan to win games this season and beyond:

Pelinka and team president Magic Johnson met with coach Luke Walton prior to the trade deadline to talk about the roster, Ohn Youngmisuk of ESPN.com relays (ESPN Now link). Pelinka said that adding floor-spacing shooters was a “big need” for the team to be “effective” and he feels the Lakers addressed that need. Both Reggie Bullock, whom Pelinka calls an “elite” shooter, and Mike Muscala are expected to be available for Lakers on Sunday against the Sixers.
The Lakers are evaluating a “handful” of potential players to add from the buyout market, Pelinka said, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com tweets. The GM also added that the team is weighing whether or not to add someone now or wait to bring a player on board. Pelinka did not specifically address Carmelo Anthony when speaking with the reporters.
Pelinka hopes that the Lakers‘ new additions can have the type of impact Julian Edelman has for the Patriots, McMenamin relays in the full-length piece. “I almost look at Bullock and Muscala, my hope is, much like Edelman was,” Pelinka said. “It’s just one player, but that can have such a big impact on overall chemistry, and I hope those two guys can come in and have that impact.”
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report examines the Lakers‘ options this offseason should they again fail to trade for Davis. Pincus speculates that Los Angeles could look to add Nikola Vucevic or DeAndre Jordan in free agency or turn their attention to another star, such as Bradley Beal, on the trade market.

Every NBA Team’s Post-Deadline Roster Situation

February 8th, 2019 at 2:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA confirmed today that 2019’s trade deadline set and matched some records. The 14 trades completed on Thursday were the most made on a deadline day in the last 30 years, and the 19 teams involved in those swaps was tied for the most over that same period.

In total, 34 players were involved in those 14 trades — and that doesn’t even count the eight deals completed during the week leading up to the deadline, as we detailed last night.

Needless to say, there has been plenty of roster upheaval around the NBA, so we’re going to use this space to take a look at all 30 teams’ roster situations to see exactly where they stand. Does your favorite team have a full roster? Or is their roster somehow only two-thirds full? Looking at you, Raptors.

Here’s a breakdown of all 30 clubs’ roster situations at the time of this post’s publication (more moves will be made in the coming days or even hours that won’t be noted here, so keep that in mind):

Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks entered the week with 15 players, but had to waive Daniel Hamilton to clear a spot to acquire Jabari Bird. They subsequently traded Tyler Dorsey for Shelvin Mack, then waived both Bird and Mack.

They currently have 13 players on their roster, leaving two open spots. They’ll have two weeks to get back to the league-mandated minimum of 14 players.

Boston Celtics

After carrying 15 players all season, the Celtics traded Jabari Bird to create an open roster spot. They’ll explore the buyout market for candidates to fill that opening.

Brooklyn Nets

The Nets entered the week with 14 players on standard contracts and one (Mitch Creek) on a 10-day deal. Creek’s contract was terminated a few days early to make room for Greg Monroe, who was waived after being acquired from Toronto.

Brooklyn now has 14 players under contract and could opt to re-add Creek (albeit on a full-season contract), sign another player, or leave that spot empty for now.

Charlotte Hornets

The Hornets had a quiet week and continue to carry 14 players, leaving one open roster spot.

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls created an open spot on their roster by trading Bobby Portis and Jabari Parker for Otto Porter, and are now carrying 14 players.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers acquired two players – Nik Stauskas and Wade Baldwin – for Rodney Hood, which required them to terminate Kobi Simmons‘ 10-day contract early to stay at 15 players.

Subsequently, Cleveland flipped Stauskas and Baldwin to Houston in exchange for Marquese Chriss and Brandon Knight, with Alec Burks heading to Sacramento in that three-team deal. The 3-for-2 move left the Cavs with 14 players and an open roster spot.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks, already at 15 players, acquired two veterans – Zach Randolph and Justin Jackson – in exchange for Harrison Barnes, and had to waive Salah Mejri to make the deal work.

They’re currently at 15 players, but will be releasing Randolph very soon to create an open roster spot.

Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets didn’t make any moves this week and continue to carry a full 15-man roster.

Detroit Pistons

Both of the Pistons‘ trades this week were 1-for-1 swaps in terms of players, with Thon Maker and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk replacing Reggie Bullock and Stanley Johnson.

However, with the team closing in on a deal for Wayne Ellington, someone will need to be waived to stay at the 15-man limit. That player will reportedly be Henry Ellenson.

Golden State Warriors

The Warriors didn’t make any moves this week and still have 14 players under contract, leaving an opening for potential buyout targets.

Houston Rockets

The Rockets had a very busy week. Initially carrying 14 players, they took on three (Iman Shumpert, Nik Stauskas, and Wade Baldwin) in exchange for two (Marquese Chriss and Brandon Knight) in a three-team trade with Sacramento and Cleveland.

That put Houston at the 15-man limit, but the club subsequently sent Stauskas and Baldwin to Indiana, and Ennis to Philadelphia. Now the Rockets are carrying just 12 players and will have two weeks to get back up to 14.

Indiana Pacers

The Pacers had an open roster spot coming into the week, but in order to accommodate a trade that saw them acquire two players (Nik Stauskas and Wade Baldwin) from the Rockets without sending a player back, they had to cut Ike Anigbogu.

Indiana reportedly plans to waive Stauskas and Baldwin, which would reduce their roster count to 13 players. They’d have two weeks to get back to 14.

Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers, with a full 15-man roster already, made a pair of 2-for-1 trades on deadline day that required them to waive a player. For their deal with the Grizzlies, the Clips waived Marcin Gortat. They cut Milos Teodosic to accommodate their swap with the Lakers.

The Clippers remain at 15 players, giving them a full roster, though there have been whispers that they’ll waive newly-acquired forward Michael Beasley.

Los Angeles Lakers

By sending Michael Beasley and Ivica Zubac to the Clippers for Mike Muscala, the Lakers opened up a spot on their roster.

With 14 players under contract, the Lakers are expected to keep an eye on Markieff Morris, Carmelo Anthony, and other veteran free agents.

Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies, who started the week with 14 players on standard contracts and Bruno Caboclo on a 10-day deal, were one of the league’s most active teams.

Memphis started by trading JaMychal Green and Garrett Temple to the Clippers for Avery Bradley, reducing their roster count to 14 players. However, the deal sending Marc Gasol to Toronto was a 3-for-1 swap, forcing the club to waive a player — Omri Casspi was the odd man out, which bodes well for Caboclo’s chances of sticking around.

The Grizzlies are now back to 14 players on standard contracts, plus Caboclo’s 10-day deal.

Miami Heat

The Heat already had an open roster spot and created a second one by moving Tyler Johnson and Wayne Ellington to Phoenix for Ryan Anderson. They’ll have to add a 14th man within the next two weeks.

Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks didn’t give up any major assets to acquire Nikola Mirotic, and even opened up a roster spot in the transaction, sending out Jason Smith and Thon Maker in the three-team trade.

Milwaukee is now carrying 14 players, leaving an opening for a possible buyout target.

Minnesota Timberwolves

The Timberwolves didn’t make any moves this week and still have 15 players under contract. One of those 15 is Isaiah Canaan, whose 10-day contract is about to expire, so Minnesota could create a roster opening by letting him go.

New Orleans Pelicans

The Pelicans started the week at 15 players, then swapped Wesley Johnson for Markieff Morris. Their second move was a 2-for-1 deal, with Nikola Mirotic sent out for Stanley Johnson and Jason Smith.

To make that deal official and remain at 15 players, New Orleans waived Morris.

New York Knicks

The Knicks, who had been carrying 14 players, didn’t make any trades this week, but still saw their roster count dip to 12 when they waived Enes Kanter and Wesley Matthews.

New York will have two weeks to get back to 14 players, and has room to sign three players in total.

Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder were quiet at the deadline, but made a trade last Friday, sending Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot to Chicago. That deal reduced their roster count to 13 players, meaning they have one more week to return to 14.

Orlando Magic

The Magic, who had a full roster, made one trade this week, which only involved two players — Jonathon Simmons for Markelle Fultz. As a result, Orlando remains at 15 players.

Philadelphia 76ers

The Sixers started the week with an open roster spot after Corey Brewer‘s 10-day contract expired. Their 3-for-3 deal for Tobias Harris didn’t change that, but their acquisition of Malachi Richardson from the Raptors gave them a full roster.

Philadelphia followed up those moves by making two more deadline-day deals. Their Markelle Fultz/Jonathon Simmons swap didn’t require a corresponding move, but their acquisition of James Ennis did — in order to make room for Ennis, the 76ers waived Richardson.

The Sixers are now at 15 players, but if they reach a deal with a free agent, they could potentially waive someone like Justin Patton or Furkan Korkmaz.

Phoenix Suns

The Suns entered the week with 14 players under contract. That number dipped to 13 when Emanuel Terry‘s 10-contract expired, which gave the team more than enough room to take on Tyler Johnson and Wayne Ellington for Ryan Anderson.

Phoenix subsequently released Ellington, and is now at 13 players. The club will have two weeks to get back to 14.

Portland Trail Blazers

The Trail Blazers, who had been carrying 15 players, made a 2-for-1 deal earlier in the week for Rodney Hood and no longer have a full roster. They have 14 players under contract.

Sacramento Kings

After entering deadline day with a full roster, the Kings made three trades. Two were 1-for-1 deals (Skal Labissiere for Caleb Swanigan, and Iman Shumpert for Alec Burks), but the other one saw them acquire Harrison Barnes for Zach Randolph and Justin Jackson. That reduced their roster count to 14 players.

The Kings’ roster count dropped one further when they Ben McLemore, but they signed Corey Brewer to a 10-day contract today. Sacramento is now back to 14 players, leaving one open roster spot.

San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs had a quiet deadline and still have a full 15-man roster.

Toronto Raptors

As I alluded to in the introduction to this post, the Raptors had an eventful week that saw them shedding players left and right.

Toronto, already with one open roster spot, traded three players – Jonas Valanciunas, C.J. Miles, and Delon Wright – for Marc Gasol, and moved Malachi Richardson and Greg Monroe in salary-dump deals without taking anyone back. In total, the club traded five players for one, reducing its roster count to just 10(!) players.

Technically, teams aren’t allowed to drop below 11 players (not including two-way contracts), but the Raps likely received a short window to rectify that issue due to the nature of the trade deadline.

They’ll add an 11th man when they sign Malcolm Miller to a 10-day contract, which will likely become official tomorrow. They’ll have two weeks to add three more players to their roster to get back up to 14 players.

Utah Jazz

The Jazz didn’t make any moves this week and continue to carry a full 15-man roster.

Washington Wizards

The Wizards had 13 players on standard contracts and John Jenkins on a 10-day contract before making a pair of deadline trades. They used their open roster spot to take on Bobby Portis and Jabari Parker for Otto Porter, then made a 1-for-1 deal involving Markieff Morris and Wesley Johnson.

Washington now has a full 15-man roster, but can open up a spot when Jenkins’ 10-day deal expires tomorrow night.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Magic Johnson To Meet With Lakers’ Players

February 8th, 2019 at 11:40am CST by Luke Adams

After approximately half of the players on the Lakers‘ 15-man roster were mentioned in rumored trade talks for Anthony Davis within the last week, president of basketball operations Magic Johnson intends to meet with the club this weekend in Philadelphia, reports Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times.

According to Turner, Johnson will talk to the Lakers’ players about the Davis saga and will listen to every player who wants to say something, encouraging an open dialogue so that the Lakers can move forward and focus on the task ahead for the rest of the season. Turner writes that Johnson will emphasize “that the NBA is a business and that this franchise is about winning championships and doing all it can to accomplish that goal.”

Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart, Lance Stephenson, Rajon Rondo, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope were all featured in various Davis-related rumors last week, with reports suggesting that L.A. had offered each of those players in at least one package for the Pelicans’ star.

The ongoing chatter seemed to be affecting the Lakers on the court on Tuesday night, when the team suffered a 42-point loss in Indiana. However, L.A. bounced back on Thursday, winning a dramatic 129-128 contest over the Celtics.

At 28-27, the Lakers remain in the hunt for a playoff spot in the West and currently sit 1.5 games behind the eighth-seeded Clippers. The club opened up a roster spot on Thursday and could add some reinforcements for the stretch run.

While Carmelo Anthony has frequently been linked to the Lakers, the team also has interest in Markieff Morris, assuming he’s healthy, Turner reports. Morris, who is dealing with a neck injury, was waived by the Pelicans on Thursday and is on track to reach free agency this weekend.

Lakers Trade Zubac, Beasley To Clippers For Muscala

February 7th, 2019 at 8:07pm CST by Dana Gauruder

8:07pm: The Clippers have officially announced their trade with the Lakers, issuing a press release to confirm the move. While there’s no indication yet that Beasley has been released, the statement from president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank makes it clear that Zubac is the prize of the deal.

“For two-plus seasons, we have seen Ivica up-close and watched him develop into a skilled center,” Frank said. “For his age, Ivica has proven to be an energetic rim protector who can score around the basket. We are eager for him to join our group of promising young players.”

1:39pm: The Clippers have agreed to trade power forward Mike Muscala to the Lakers for young center Ivica Zubac and journeyman forward Michael Beasley, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The deal will open a roster spot the Lakers, affording them the opportunity to sign a player on the buyout market, with Carmelo Anthony among the players they’ll consider, Wojnarowski adds (Twitter links here).

The Lakers will “seriously look” at Anthony, the Los Angeles Times’ Brad Turner tweets. The Bulls waived Anthony on February 1st after acquiring him from the Rockets last month. Anthony has often been linked to the Lakers since things went sour quickly with the Rockets this season. He’s close friends with LeBron James, who recently stated his desire to play with the longtime All-Star forward.

“I’ve always wanted to play along Melo and if the opportunity presents itself, it would be great,” James said.

Muscala was just acquired by the Clippers in the blockbuster deal with Philadelphia that sent Tobias Harris to the Sixers. He gives the Lakers a big man who can shoot from deep. Muscala, who was averaging 7.4 PPG, is a career 36.5% shooter from distance.

The Clippers’ initial plan is to waive Beasley, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets. Zubac gives them a young big man to grow in their system. He was averaging 8.5 PPG and 4.9 RPG in limited playing time this season. The Clippers would have to extend him a $1.93MM qualifying offer this summer to make him a restricted free agent.

Latest On Anthony Davis

February 7th, 2019 at 1:20pm CST by Arthur Hill

Some members of the Pelicans organization want to get the Anthony Davis trade done today to eliminate the public relations distraction, but those feelings don’t go all the way to the top, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link). The NFL’s Saints remain the priority for owner Gayle Benson and VP Mickey Loomis, who aren’t bothered by the Davis situation.

There’s more news about the top name on the trade market:

The Lakers’ last offer to the Pelicans involved Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Ivica Zubac, Josh Hart and a pair of first-round picks, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7. He suggests the Celtics are prepared to offer Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart, Robert Williams, Al Horford (assuming he opts in) and possibly three first-round picks this summer.
Davis will pressure the Pelicans to start playing him if he’s not dealt before the deadline, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link). “Every game,” a source said. Davis has been sidelined with a fractured left index finger, but recently received medical clearance.
Gambadoro expects Davis to be in the lineup for tomorrow’s game against Minnesota (Twitter link).

Lakers’ Anthony Davis Trade Talks Remain Dormant

February 7th, 2019 at 10:56am CST by Luke Adams

Discussions between the Lakers and Pelicans about a possible Anthony Davis trade remain “dormant” with the trade deadline about three hours away, league sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

According to Wojnarowski, there has been no communication between the two teams and there’s not necessarily an expectation that they’ll even talk today. New Orleans seems content to run out the clock and revisit the Davis trade market in the offseason, Woj adds.

The Lakers pursued Davis for about a week following his trade request, but reportedly pulled out of talks on Tuesday because they felt as if they were bidding against themselves. There was a belief that the Lakers’ withdrawal from discussions was designed to get the Pelicans – who never countered L.A.’s offers – to be more active. However, it doesn’t appear New Orleans in any rush to get return to the negotiating table.

The Pelicans believe there will be more options available to them in the offseason, as teams open cap room, restrictions on the Celtics‘ ability to acquire Davis lift, and the Knicks find out where they land in the draft lottery.

New Orleans also reportedly believes that the Lakers’ best offer – which was said to include Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, Kyle Kuzma, Ivica Zubac, and a pair of first-round picks – will still be on the table in the summer, though L.A. has pushed back against that notion.

Much can change in three hours, so it’s possible the Davis rumor mill will pick up steam before today’s 2:00pm CT deadline. For now though, it appears the Pelicans may be content to try their luck on the trade market after the season.

Trade Rumors: Gasol, Conley, Hornets, Wolves, Suns

February 7th, 2019 at 9:45am CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies hold two of the NBA’s biggest trade chips as today’s trade deadline approaches, and the two teams linked most frequently to Marc Gasol and Mike Conley, respectively, remain in the hunt for those players, according to reports.

Marc Stein of The New York Times tweeted this morning that the Hornets continue to engage the Grizzlies on a potential deal for Gasol, which has been rumored throughout the week, and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski confirms (via Twitter) that the two teams are still trying to bridge the gap in those talks.

Meanwhile, on the Conley front, the Jazz have been most frequently cited as a potential landing spot for the veteran point guard. Despite whispers that Conley prefers not to end up in Utah, the Jazz haven’t abandoned their efforts to acquire him, according to Stein, who tweets that Memphis has considered waiting until the offseason to revisit Conley trade talks.

Even if Gasol and/or Conley stay put, it could still be an active deadline in Memphis. Stein notes (via Twitter) that JaMychal Green is attracting trade interest. Garrett Temple and Justin Holiday have also been mentioned as potential trade candidates.

Here are a few more trade rumors from across the league:

While their focus is on Gasol for now, the Hornets were in the mix for Harrison Barnes before he was sent to Sacramento, according to Stein (Twitter link).
The Timberwolves haven’t made any serious progress on any deals, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News, who observes (via Twitter) that the Jeff Teague, Gorgui Dieng, and Taj Gibson contracts won’t be easy to move due to large cap hits and – in the case of Teague and Dieng – multiyear commitments. Anthony Tolliver, on a smaller expiring contract, has generated interest and could be moved today, Wolfson adds.
League sources tell Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic that the Suns haven’t talked to the Lakers about a Lonzo Ball deal and that Josh Jackson and T.J. Warren aren’t expected to go anywhere today.
Although there may be an outside perception that Anthony Davis‘ trade request has destabilized the Pelicans, none of his teammates have shown even a hint of animosity toward him, as Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com details. Head coach Alvin Gentry called Davis “a great kid,” while teammate Jrue Holiday said, he “loves” having AD around. “He’s like my big brother. He takes care of me,” Jahlil Okafor said of Davis. “… Selfishly, I would love to be by him every day like I have been this year. But at the end of the day, I just want him to be happy.”

Trade Rumors: Davis, Randolph, Wolves, Morris

February 7th, 2019 at 12:44am CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks and Lakers are equal on Anthony Davis‘ list of preferred destinations, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times. The Clippers and Bucks also remain in the top four, Stein adds. New York may make a bid for Davis before the deadline, but it should be in a stronger position after the draft lottery when everyone knows where its first-rounder will fall (Twitter link).

League sources tell Stein that Davis doesn’t expect to sign his next contract before he reaches free agency in 2020, no matter where he is by then (Twitter link). That means anyone who trades for Davis won’t be assured of a long-term extension.

He has been sidelined with a fractured left index finger, but Davis intends to resume playing regardless of what happens at the trade deadline (Twitter link). He has received medical clearance to return to action, but the Pelicans haven’t divulged their plans for Davis if there’s no trade on Thursday. He was held out of two games this week to avoid further injury.

Here’s a roundup of rumors heading into the trade deadline:

The Lakers are running out of hope that a Davis trade will be completed before the deadline, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Pelicans GM Dell Demps hasn’t responded to Magic Johnson’s latest offer, and it appears New Orleans is content to run out the clock. The Pelicans may never have been serious about dealing with L.A. and might have been trying to sabotage the Lakers as revenge for what they consider to be tampering, tweets Rachel Nichols, host of ESPN’s “The Jump.” “It’s not just possible, it’s what happened,” colleague Brian Windhorst said today in an appearance on the show.
The Mavericks will have buyout talks with newly acquired Zach Randolph, Wojnarowski tweets. The 37-year-old hasn’t played yet this season, but he may be able to help a contender.
The Timberwolves continue to look for someone to take Jeff Teague and Gorgui Dieng, sources tell Chris Hine of The Star-Tribune. Teague has a $19MM player option for next season, while Dieng still has two seasons left on his four-year, $63MM deal. Minnesota hasn’t found much interest, but it may be willing to attach Derrick Rose, Taj Gibson, Anthony Tolliver or Luol Deng as incentives.
New Pelican Markieff Morris could become a buyout candidate once he’s fully recovered from a neck injury, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
The Thunder plan to watch what the Suns do with Wayne Ellington and may be interested if he hits the buyout market, according to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News (Twitter link).

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