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Trade Rumors: Wolves, A. Davis, Irving, Conley, More

February 6th, 2019 at 12:42pm CST by Luke Adams

After making a big splash earlier in the season by sending Jimmy Butler to Philadelphia, the Timberwolves remain active on the trade market, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, who reports that GM Scott Layden is “canvassing the league for available deals.” Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News relays a similar sentiment, tweeting that Layden has been “much more communicative” than in past years.

According to Wolfson, players on expiring contracts are available, as are Jeff Teague and Gorgui Dieng. However, as of Tuesday, there was “zero sense” that anything was close to getting done. Meanwhile, sources tell Krawczynski that multiple teams checked in last month on Andrew Wiggins to see if the Timberwolves might be willing to move him for “pennies on the dollar.” Those inquires qualified more as due diligence though, and didn’t really go anywhere, per Krawczynski.

Here are several more trade rumors from around the NBA:

  • The Pelicans still have yet to respond to the Lakers‘ most recent trade offer for Anthony Davis, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). L.A. reportedly pulled out of talks on Tuesday after making a big offer on Monday night, though it appears the club would be ready to re-engage if New Orleans makes a counter-offer.
  • While Kyrie Irving‘s comments on his upcoming free agency last week had some league observers wondering if the Celtics would consider moving him at the trade deadline, the team – unsurprisingly – has no intention to do so, writes Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. “Boston’s not taking calls on Kyrie,” one general manager said. “That was made pretty clear.”
  • The Grizzlies are believed to be seeking multiple first-round picks in any package for Mike Conley, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times. According to Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune, the Jazz’s final offer to Memphis was a first-round pick, a second-round pick, and expiring contracts (likely Ricky Rubio and Derrick Favors). The Grizzlies asked for Dante Exum, but were told no, per Jones (Twitter link via John Martin of 92.9 ESPN).
  • A source tells Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times that the Bulls have received “a handful” of calls about Jabari Parker within the last week. Parker is a candidate to be traded, or to be bought out if Chicago can’t find a suitable deal.
  • According to Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), the Hawks have started to receive more calls on veteran trade candidates Kent Bazemore, Dewayne Dedmon, and Jeremy Lin. Smith adds (via Twitter) that Knicks forward Noah Vonleh is another trade candidate to watch, as he has generated multiple inquiries.
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Celtics, Pelicans Have Extensively Discussed Tatum

February 6th, 2019 at 9:48am CST by Luke Adams

While the Celtics aren’t permitted to actually complete a trade this week for Pelicans All-Star Anthony Davis while Kyrie Irving remains on their roster, there’s nothing stopping the two teams from talking — and it sounds like there has been plenty of talk.

A source with knowledge of those talks tells Sam Amick of The Athletic that Boston and New Orleans have discussed C’s forward Jayson Tatum “extensively,” adding that Tatum is expected to be a major part of negotiations if the two sides reconnect in the summer.

While the Celtics and Pelicans have apparently had a number of discussions about Tatum, it’s worth noting that Amick stops short of saying Boston has promised to include the former No. 3 overall pick in an offer for Davis in the offseason. As ESPN’s Zach Lowe observes in an in-depth breakdown of the Davis situation, the C’s have vowed to be aggressive in their pursuit of AD if he’s still a Pelican in the summer, but there are no indications that they’ve explicitly agreed to include Tatum in their package.

It’s a somewhat unprecedented situation, Lowe writes, since there are few scenarios in NBA history where a CBA quirk has required a potential trade partner to wait several months to actually complete a deal for a star player. If the Celtics tell the Pelicans now that they’d include Tatum, it’s possible circumstances could change by June — perhaps Davis suffers a major injury or Irving decides to leave Boston, and the C’s rethink their willingness to move Tatum.

The uncertainty surrounding Tatum is just one of many factors that complicate the Pelicans’ decision-making process, but his upside arguably exceeds that of any of the players the Lakers have offered New Orleans, Lowe writes. If the Pelicans wait until the offseason to make a Davis deal, Tatum could be on the table, and New Orleans will also have a clearer sense of the Knicks’ draft position, which looms as a major wild card as well. As such, it might make sense for the Pels to remain patient.

Here’s more on the Davis trade saga:

  • According to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, league sources expect negotiations between the Pelicans and Lakers to resume before Thursday’s deadline, since L.A. is running out of time and may not have many more avenues to acquiring a star to pair with LeBron James.
  • O’Connor also hears from a league source that the wishes of Lonzo Ball and his camp will have no bearing on how the Lakers and Pelicans approach trade negotiations.
  • Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com (Insider link) makes the case that it wouldn’t be in the Lakers‘ best interests to give up all their best non-LeBron assets for Davis.
  • Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report explores the Lakers‘ fallback options if they don’t trade for Davis this week.
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Lakers Have ‘Fondness’ For Possible Trevor Ariza Reunion

February 5th, 2019 at 10:57pm CST by marksuleymanov

If the Wizards make Trevor Ariza available in trades ahead of Thursday’s deadline, the Lakers would be interested in his services, tweets ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne.

Before the Suns traded Ariza to the Wizards in mid-December, the Lakers had explored a three-team deal that would have brought swingman to Hollywood. Ariza, 33, has previously suited up for the Lakers as he was a key member of the organization’s run to the 2009 NBA championship.

The Lakers agreed in principle to acquire Pistons‘ swingman Reggie Bullock on Wednesday. It’s unclear how, or if, the addition of Bullock would impact the Lakers’ interest in Ariza.

In 49 games this season, Ariza has averaged 12.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG and 3.7 APG between Washington and Phoenix. However, he has played much better since being traded, evidenced by his 15.2 PPG average and .390% field goal percentage. At 22-31, the Wizards occupy 10th place in the Eastern Conference, three games back of the Heat for the eighth seed. However, a rash of injuries has essentially halted Washington’s postseason hopes.

The Lakers’ primary target in trades this week has been Pelicans’ superstar Anthony Davis. However, after several days of negotiations, Los Angeles reportedly pulled out of sweepstakes due to the Pelicans’ demands. If the Lakers do not acquire Davis, it’s possible they shift their focus to other targets as they fight for the eighth seed in the Western Conference.

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NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/5/19

February 5th, 2019 at 8:42pm CST by marksuleymanov

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

  • The Nets assigned oft-injured guards Allen Crabbe and Caris LeVert to their affiliate in Long Island for practice, the team announced (Twitter link). Brooklyn recalled both men after practice, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post (Twitter link). LeVert has not played since Nov. 12 when he suffered a right foot dislocation and Crabbe has been sidelined with a sore knee since Dec. 12. Crabbe will be available Wednesday against the Nuggets while Brooklyn is hopeful LeVert can return shortly thereafter.
  • The Wizards assigned John Jenkins to their G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go, the team announced (Twitter link). Jenkins has yet to play in a game with Washington and has appeared in just one game with the Go-Go.
  • The Bulls assigned Antonio Blakeney to their G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, the team announced (Twitter link). Blakeney has appeared in 40 games with Chicago this season, averaging 7.8 PPG and 1.6 RPG.
  • The Lakers assigned rookie Isaac Bonga to their G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, the team announced (Twitter link). The 19-year-old has averaged 12.3 PPG, 6.1 RPG and 2.6 APG with South Bay.
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Michael Beasley Addresses Confrontation With Luke Walton

February 5th, 2019 at 7:28pm CST by marksuleymanov

Following a loss to the Warriors last Saturday, a pair of Lakers veterans were reportedly involved in a heated altercation with head coach Luke Walton. The veterans in question were Michael Beasley and JaVale McGee.

Reports of the altercation varied from “stopping short of physical” to being “overhyped.” Beasley, in a statement released to Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes, confirmed that a postgame conversation with Walton occurred but never escalated beyond that.

“This past Saturday after the Warriors game, Coach Walton and our team had a conversation after a tough loss. Despite reports to the contrary, there was nothing physical between Coach Walton, me, or any other teammate,” Beasley said. “I’ve sat back in the past when stories have been twisted and misreported, but I won’t do that this time. I respect Luke and I respect this team. We are trying to win a championship together.”

Beasley, 30, has been among several Lakers mentioned in trade talks amid the organization’s pursuit of Anthony Davis. One year removed from averaging 13.2 PPG for the Knicks, Beasley has been relegated to just 25 games (two starts), averaging 7.2 PPG for Los Angeles.

As for McGee, who reportedly had a heated verbal joust with Walton, he described reports as “fake news” in a statement to Yahoo Sports. McGee, 31, has averaged 10.8 PPG for the Lakers as the team’s primary center.

The Lakers entered play on Tuesday with a 27-26 record, 1.5 games back of the Clippers for the eighth seed in the Western Conference.

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Lakers Reportedly Pull Out Of Anthony Davis Trade Talks

February 5th, 2019 at 1:37pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers have pulled out of negotiations with the Pelicans about a trade for Anthony Davis, a source with knowledge of the situation tells Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. According to the source, the Lakers balked at New Orleans’ “outrageous” requests for Davis.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski follows up on Turner’s report, tweeting that the Lakers would be willing to re-engage with the Pelicans before Thursday’s trade deadline, but no longer want to bid against themselves. They’ll wait for New Orleans to make a counter-offer, per Wojnarowski, who calls the Lakers’ approach a negotiating tactic pushing the Pelicans to be more active in the process (Twitter link).

According to Turner, Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson informed Pelicans GM Dell Demps on Tuesday that the team had made its best offer for Davis and would be moving on rather than continuing to add to that package.

Late on Monday night, the Lakers increased their offer for Davis once more, according to Turner, who says that the Lakers were willing to send their entire young core of Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and Ivica Zubac to New Orleans. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and two first-round picks would also have been included in the swap, and the Lakers were willing to take on Solomon Hill‘s pricey multiyear contract, per the Times’ report.

While it’s hard to see how the Lakers could add much more to that offer, the Pelicans have reportedly sought four first-round picks and multiple second-round picks from L.A. as part of the package. The Lakers don’t intend to send six (or more) draft picks to the Pelicans, per Turner’s source.

“(The Pelicans) wanted more and more and more,” one source told Turner. “There was no more to give. They had cap relief with Hill being in the deal. But the more they wanted, the more it because outrageous and unrealistic.”

Reports we relayed earlier today suggested that the Pelicans felt they needed to be “overcompensated” to seriously consider sending Davis to the Lakers this week, since they think there will be more options available to them in the summer — particularly since the Celtics can enter the mix at that point.

The Pelicans also reportedly believe that the current Lakers offer will still be available in the offseason, though Turner notes that L.A. has indicated that won’t be the case. The Lakers don’t want to get into a bidding war with Boston in the offseason, according to Turner, who has previously suggested that the club may shift its focus to star free agents if it doesn’t acquire AD this week.

Turner adds that one person told him that New Orleans is hopeful that Davis will reverse course and recommit to the Pelicans if he remains on the roster through the deadline, though that seems pretty unlikely. According to Scott Kushner of The Advocate (Twitter link), multiple sources “strongly deny” that the Pelicans are still holding out hope for a long-term union with Davis.

In related news, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported this morning that Davis feels “healthy” following his finger injury and had hoped to return to action for the Pels on Monday night against Indiana, but the organization elected to keep him inactive. The All-Star big man almost certainly won’t suit up for New Orleans again until after the deadline, assuming he returns to the club at all.

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How Porzingis Trade Could Impact Lakers

February 5th, 2019 at 1:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Of the teams on Anthony Davis‘ reported wish list, the Bucks and Knicks likely don’t have the necessary assets to make a viable offer for the All-Star big man at this time. That leaves the Clippers as the biggest threat to the Lakers among those four preferred destinations. And while the Clips reportedly haven’t made an offer, Johan Buva of The Athletic argues that going all-in for Davis should be the franchise’s new Plan A.

  • Last week’s Kristaps Porzingis trade could have a ripple effect on teams like the Lakers and Clippers, as Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times explains. In addition to making the Knicks a more significant offseason threat for the same top free agents those L.A. teams will be chasing, the deal also turns a veteran like DeAndre Jordan into a buyout candidate. If Jordan is bought out, a reunion with the Clips would be a “definite possibility,” says Woike.
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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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Latest Anthony Davis Trade Rumors

February 5th, 2019 at 8:31am CST by Luke Adams

Monday was an eventful day for the Anthony Davis rumor mill, as news broke that Davis’ camp had provided the Pelicans with a list of four teams – the Lakers, Knicks, Clippers, and Bucks – with which he’d be willing to sign long-term. Around the same time, the Lakers reportedly increased their offer for Davis, proposing a deal that would give New Orleans young players, multiple first-round picks, and salary relief. However, the Pels continue to lean toward hanging onto Davis beyond the deadline.

That Lakers offer – which includes Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, two first-round picks, three veterans for salary-matching purposes, and the Lakers taking back Solomon Hill – is the strongest pitch L.A. has made for Davis. However, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, the Lakers have felt that their conversations with the Pelicans have been “one-sided,” and they’re becoming increasingly pessimistic that New Orleans will make a deal with them this week.

The Pelicans have yet to provide the Lakers with a counter-offer, but in order to seriously consider Davis to the Lakers this week they’d want to be compensated – or, more accurately, “overcompensated” – for passing up on the chance to see what the offseason would bring, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. According to Woj, GM Dell Demps and the Pels are seeking more draft picks from the Lakers — they want a “historic” haul of draft assets that would include four first-rounders, along with multiple second-round picks.

Wojnarowski writes that the Pelicans believe any offer the Lakers make now will still be available to them during the offseason, and multiple rival GMs think that New Orleans may use L.A.’s final offer this week as a baseline for negotiations in the summer.

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge has, of course, been urging the Pelicans to wait until the offseason, when the designated rookie rule restricting Boston from acquiring Davis will no longer apply. League sources tell Wojnarowski that the C’s have “promised to be aggressive” with their assets at that point as they pursue Davis.

According to Chris Mannix of SI.com, the Celtics have “refused to directly dangle” Jayson Tatum at this point, but the Pelicans have received the impression that nothing and no one would be off the table this summer in discussions with Boston. The Pelicans are “enamored” with Tatum, per Mannix, who suggests that Tatum’s franchise-player potential is higher than that of anyone in the Lakers’ offer. Acquiring a player with All-NBA potential in an AD trade is reportedly a goal for New Orleans.

Davis’ camp has repeatedly made it clear that Boston isn’t a preferred destination for the All-NBA big man, but that strong anti-Celtics stance may be posturing in an effort to push AD to the Lakers. Ainge is unconcerned that the C’s aren’t on Davis’ wish list, and there’s little that would dissuade him from aggressively pursuing AD in the offseason, Mannix writes.

Here are a few more Davis-related items to kick off Tuesday:

  • While the Knicks are one of the teams on Davis’ wish list, they haven’t re-engaged the Pelicans since trading Kristaps Porzingis last week, sources tell Wojnarowski. Winning the draft lottery would be the Knicks’ best path to building a viable offer for Davis, which is one more reason why the Pelicans could be incentivized to wait until the offseason to make a move.
  • Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has not been included in any of the Lakers‘ offers for Davis, since he has the ability to veto a trade and has shown no interest in going to the Pelicans, per Tania Ganguli and Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Although the Lakers and KCP’s camp have been exploring possible destinations for the veteran wing, he appears unlikely to be moved this week, one source tells the Times duo.
  • The Suns have reached out to the Pelicans and Lakers and let them know that they’d have interest in Lonzo Ball and would be open to joining a potential Davis trade as a third team, according to Ganguli and Turner. Ball’s father LaVar said on Monday that he wants to see his son land in Phoenix if he’s traded by the Lakers.
  • If Davis remains in New Orleans through the deadline, there’s a “real possibility” that he and the Pelicans could agree to a limited playing schedule for the season’s final two months, according to Wojnarowski. That decision has yet to be made though.
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Pelicans Leaning Toward Keeping Davis Past Deadline

February 4th, 2019 at 9:36pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers are fighting an uphill battle to finalize a deal for Anthony Davis before the trade deadline, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports. There’s significant support within the Pelicans organization to retain Davis for the remainder of the season and revisit trade talks during the offseason, when several new and different scenarios would be available to them, Wojnarowski adds.

The Lakers are growing increasingly pessimistic the Pelicans will make a deal with them, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN tweets.

The Lakers upped the ante on Monday in their zeal to acquire Davis, who can become a free agent in the summer of 2020. They are presently offering the Pelicans a package built around three young starters — Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma and Lonzo Ball— and two first-round picks. They’re also willing to take on Solomon Hill‘s contract, which runs through next season.

Los Angeles president Magic Johnson had multiple phone conversations with New Orleans GM Dell Demps on Monday. Davis expanded his list of teams that he’d consider signing with in the long term besides the Lakers, including the Bucks, Clippers and Knicks.  But the Clippers and Bucks have yet to make offers for Davis and the Knicks haven’t contacted Demps since trading Kristaps Porzingis to Dallas, league sources told Wojnarowski.

The Celtics remain anxious to trade for Davis during the offseason and pair him with Kyrie Irving, though their plan to pursue Davis remains unaffected by whatever Irving might do in free agency. The Celtics remain confident they’ll re-sign Irving, Wojnarowski adds.

New Orleans is hopeful the Celtics might include their top young player, Jayson Tatum, along with a package of first-round picks. By waiting past the deadline, the Pelicans would also have a better idea what type of first-round picks the Celtics could convey to them.

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