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Raptors Rumors: Trent, Poeltl, Anunoby, Siakam

February 8th, 2023 at 10:33am CST by Luke Adams

Although the Raptors are widely expected to be active at this week’s trade deadline, rival teams continue to have a tough time getting a read on Toronto’s intentions, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack report.

The Raptors have long been considered a likely seller, with players like Gary Trent Jr., Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, and Pascal Siakam generating trade interest. But Stein hears that there were “fresh rumbles” this week about Toronto exploring Trent and draft compensation in a deal for Spurs center Jakob Poeltl, which is hardly the sort of move a seller would make.

For what it’s worth, the Raptors don’t seem to mind the fact that they’re creating confusion among rivals, Stein says.

In his own look at the Raptors’ trade deadline decisions, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca notes that team president Masai Ujiri has never been the type of executive to go all-in (by trading several future draft picks) or to completely hit the reset button by launching a full-fledged rebuild. Those who want him to embrace one extreme or the other this week may be disappointed, says Lewenberg.

Here’s more on the Raptors as Thursday’s trade deadline nears:

  • The Raptors have expressed confidence to some teams that they can land three first-round picks for Anunoby, according to Stein. However, it remains unclear which club(s) would be prepared to make that sort of offer. Stein says the Grizzlies, Pelicans, and Knicks have all conveyed a willingness to offer two first-rounders for Anunoby. A previous report stated that the Knicks were comfortable putting three first-round selections on the table, but a source who spoke to Sam Amick of The Athletic disputed that claim. The Suns and Pacers continue to be mentioned frequently as possible Anunoby suitors as well, Stein adds.
  • One factor working against a possible Anunoby trade is Ujiri’s reluctance to trade top homegrown talent, says Stein. Lewenberg also touches on that idea in his TSN.ca story, pointing out that it applies to VanVleet and Siakam too. The reason why the asking price for those players has been reported as almost unreasonably high, Lewenberg observes, is because Ujiri values them more than most teams would.
  • Amick is the latest reporter to suggest that Anunoby may not be thrilled with his role in Toronto. That doesn’t necessarily mean that he wants to be traded — he just wants to play a larger role, Amick says, whether it’s with the Raptors or another team.
  • Both Stein and Amick still believe that Siakam is unlikely to be dealt this week. A source with knowledge of the situation tells Amick that Siakam’s preference is to remain in Toronto.
  • Eric Koreen of The Athletic argues that Ujiri and the Raptors can’t afford to be sentimental at Thursday’s deadline, writing that there may never be a better time to maximize the return on some of the team’s most valuable trade chips.
  • In case you missed it, the Raptors are reportedly among the teams with interest in Nuggets guard Bones Hyland, as we relayed earlier today.
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Grizzlies Notes: Adams, Bane, Morant, Arena

February 7th, 2023 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies have lost six of seven games since Steven Adams went down with a knee sprain, and it’s clear the team has missed its starting center, says Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.

“I’ve said it multiple times: You’re not going to replace what Steven does,” head coach Taylor Jenkins said. “I wish we could get every rebound, but it’s willpower. We were first in the league in offensive rebounding and defensive rebounding when he’s on the floor, and that’s even when he’s healthy and in the lineup. And then we’re 28th, even when he’s healthy and sitting on the bench, we’re like 28th in rebounding on both sides. So, we’ve got to find a way.”

Adams’ 11.5 rebounds per game are a career high and represent the highest average for any Grizzlies player this season. Beyond that, his traditional stats are modest (he’s the team’s eighth-leading scorer with 8.6 PPG), but Memphis has a -1.3 net rating when he isn’t playing, the lowest mark for any single player on the team. As Cole relays, Adams’ teammates certainly recognize the value he provides.

“I mean, (Adams) was a big part of what we do,” Desmond Bane said. “Similar to guys like Draymond (Green) and other guys that may not fill up the stat sheet in every single area, but their magnitude is felt on the court. A veteran presence, a screen-setter, rebounder, and a connecter on offense … he does a lot for us.”

Here’s more on the Grizzlies:

  • After being eliminated in the first round of last season’s three-point contest, Desmond Bane was determined to get another invite and win it. However, while his .437 3PT% makes him a solid candidate to be included in this year’s field, he has changed his tune and doesn’t plan to take part in this year’s contest in Utah, Cole writes for The Commercial Appeal. “I want to take some time with my son,” Bane said. “We been moving around a lot. I’d rather hang out with him.”
  • Asked about an alleged incident involving his associates that took place after a Grizzlies/Pacers game last Sunday, Ja Morant was dismissive of the report. “All that stuff pretty much false. It’s been proven,” Morant said, per Mark Giannotto of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. “That’s all I got to say on it.” According to The Athletic’s reporting, members of the Pacers traveling party alleged that someone in an SUV (in which Morant was a passenger) pointed a red laser at them; a Pacers security guard said he believed the laser was attached to a gun.
  • In a subscriber-only story for The Daily Memphian, Chris Herrington makes a case for why the Grizzlies should be focusing on a three-year contention window and should be active at the trade deadline.
  • The latest budget proposal from Tennessee governor Bill Lee includes funds that would go toward renovating FedExForum, according to Adam Friedman and Duane W. Gang of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. The city of Memphis requested money from the state to put toward the Grizzlies’ home arena in the hopes of ensuring the team remains in the city long-term. The Grizzlies’ lease with the city at FedExForum runs through the 2028/29 season.
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NBA G League Announces 24 Players For Next Up Game

February 7th, 2023 at 1:36pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA G League announced today that G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson and Timberwolves/Iowa Wolves forward Luka Garza have been named team captains for the NBAGL Next Up Game, which will take place in Salt Lake City during All-Star weekend.

While the exhibition match isn’t technically being called a G League All-Star Game, that’s essentially what it is. The 24-player pool was selected by a fan vote and by the league itself.

Henderson averaged 21.2 PPG, 6.0 APG, and 4.3 RPG in six Showcase Cup games (28.5 MPG) before missing time with an injury. The guard, widely projected to be the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft, has registered 17.7 PPG, 5.7 APG, and 4.5 RPG in 11 regular season games (29.8 MPG) since returning.

Garza, meanwhile, has been dominant at the G League level while playing for the Timberwolves on a two-way contract. He averaged 29.8 PPG, 9.2 RPG, and 3.2 APG on .628/.500/.794 shooting in nine Showcase Cup games (34.4 MPG) and has been boosted those averages in two regular season games (32.5 PPG, 12.0 RPG, 5.0 APG) for the Iowa Wolves.

Here’s the full list of players who will take part in the G League Next Up Game:

(* Players marked with an asterisk are on two-way contracts with NBA teams.)

As is the case with the NBA All-Star Game, the team captains – in this case, Henderson and Garza – will select their 12-man squads in a draft. The draft for the G League Next Up Game will take place on February 14.

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Fischer’s Latest: Anunoby, VanVleet, Clippers, Hornets, McGee, Bogdanovic

February 7th, 2023 at 12:29pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Raptors remain the team to watch ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline, sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. Pascal Siakam doesn’t appear likely to be moved, although numerous teams have expressed interest, but sources point to OG Anunoby, Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. as more realistic trade candidates.

Fischer cites the Pelicans, Grizzlies, Knicks, Pacers, Trail Blazers, Lakers, Suns and Nets as teams that have recently been linked to Anunoby, although he states that there is “varying interest” around the league. Fischer’s sources confirm that Toronto is placing a premium price on the 24-year-old wing, which other front offices are calling “quite steep.”

Fischer also raises the possibility that offers for Anunoby will be lessened because of the chance that Kevin Durant might be available this summer in the wake of the Kyrie Irving trade. Although Durant hasn’t indicated to the Nets that he plans to issue another trade request, league insiders tell Fischer that several teams are planning to stockpile their resources in case it happens.

Fischer passes along a few more rumors heading into the deadline:

  • Multiple executives from other teams see VanVleet as the most likely Raptor to be moved this week. Fischer notes that the Clippers and Suns have been linked to VanVleet in trade rumors, and hears that the Lakers, Magic and Timberwolves have expressed interest as well.
  • The Clippers started looking for point guard help before John Wall was sidelined with an abdominal strain, sources tell Fischer. Numerous teams have expressed interest in Terance Mann, and the Clippers have several affordable contracts to help get a deal done. Fischer states that L.A. and Phoenix have both mentioned as possible landing spots for Kyle Lowry, Terry Rozier and D’Angelo Russell as well as VanVleet, with the Suns seeking an experienced playmaker who can eventually take over for Chris Paul.
  • Rozier has also been mentioned as a possibility for the Lakers and Timberwolves, Fischer adds, and the Heat are among the teams interested in Charlottte’s P.J. Washington, who wasn’t able to reach an extension agreement before the October deadline. Fischer notes that the Hornets typically aren’t a major player at the deadline, but he identifies Mason Plumlee as a potential trade piece, with the Kings expressing interest and having a desire to move backup center Richaun Holmes.
  • Another veteran center on the market is the Mavericks‘ JaVale McGee, according to Fischer. Dallas signed McGee to a three-year, $17MM deal last summer in anticipation of making him a starter, but he’s no longer part of the rotation.
  • Teams are becoming convinced that the Pistons plan to keep Bojan Bogdanovic. Fischer states that the Bucks recently inquired about the veteran sharpshooter after failing to close a deal with the Suns for Jae Crowder, but Detroit wants at least one unprotected first-round pick in return and Milwaukee can’t offer a first-rounder until 2029.
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Morant's Associates Banned From Arena

February 5th, 2023 at 8:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder
  • Some associates of Ja Morant have been banned from Memphis’ home arena by the league after a postgame incident on Jan. 29, Bob Kravitz and Sam Amick of The Athletic report. Following a game between the Pacers and Grizzlies, acquaintances of Morant confronted members of the Pacers traveling party near the team’s bus at FedExForum. Later, someone in a slow-moving SUV, in which Morant was riding, trained a red laser on them. “Certain individuals involved in the postgame situation and a related matter during the game that night have been subsequently banned from attending games in the arena,” a league spokesman said. Morant tweeted that his brother has been banned from home games for a year.
  • Speaking of Morant, he didn’t play against Toronto on Sunday due to right wrist soreness, the team’s PR department tweets. It’s the ninth game this season the point guard has missed. Grizzlies center Steven Adams sat out due to a right knee PCL sprain.
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Dillon Brooks Suspended One Game; Donovan Mitchell Fined

February 3rd, 2023 at 5:58pm CST by Rory Maher

Grizzlies wing Dillon Brooks has been suspended for one game without pay after an altercation with Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, who received a $20K fine, the NBA announced (via Twitter).

Brooks was suspended for initiating the incident by “striking Mitchell in the groin area in an unsportsmanlike manner,” per the league. Mitchell was fined for escalating after “throwing the game ball at and pushing Brooks,” with a minor scrum occurring afterward.

Both players were ejected; Brooks received a Flagrant 2 Foul, while Mitchell received a technical. The incident occurred about halfway through the third quarter of Cleveland’s victory over Memphis on Thursday.

According to the NBA, Brooks will serve his suspension on Sunday against Toronto. The one-game ban will cost him $78,621, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. That’s 1/145th of his salary. Brooks is making $11.4MM in the final year of his contract.

Mitchell already stated he was going to appeal his ejection. He was very unhappy with Brooks after the game, calling it a “cheap shot” and said it was something that had “been brewing for years.”

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Donovan Mitchell Rips Dillon Brooks For “Cheap Shot”

February 3rd, 2023 at 9:07am CST by Luke Adams

An altercation between Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell and Grizzlies wing Dillon Brooks resulted in both players being ejected from Thursday night’s game in Cleveland and prompted Mitchell to take aim at Brooks in a post-game press conference.

Following a drive to the basket, Brooks ended up on the floor as Mitchell grabbed the rebound. As he rolled over, Brooks hit Mitchell below the belt with his forearm, which the Cavs star viewed as intentional rather than inadvertent. Mitchell immediately threw the basketball at Brooks and shoved him, which resulted in players and coaches from both teams joining the fray to separate the two (Twitter video link via TSN.ca).

After the game, Mitchell suggested to reporters, including Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, that Brooks should be called out for a history of questionable on-court behavior.

“That’s just who he is,” Mitchell said. “We have seen it a bunch in this league with him. Him and I have had our personal battles for years. Quite frankly, I’ve been busting his ass for years. Playoffs. Regular season. And the one game he does an alright job on me today, he decides to do something like that. No place for that in the game. Gotta protect yourself. This has been brewing for years. With me. With other guys in the league. You all see it. This isn’t new. Tonight was just the end of it.

“… Tough when you can’t guard somebody and can’t do something with somebody, you have to resort to that. I’m not typically someone who gets ejected for stuff like that. But at the end of the day, I think my reaction was reacting to a cheap shot. If punishment doesn’t come from that, he’s just going to keep doing it. It’s just dumb to be honest with you and I’m going to appeal it because I don’t think I should’ve gotten ejected for defending myself.”

It’s fair to assume that both players will at least be fined for the incident, and suspensions aren’t out of the question either. Asked what sort of punishment might be appropriate for Brooks, Mitchell declined to offer any specific ideas, but said “it should be something.”

“It’s complete bulls–t. They talk s–t and that’s fine. That’s all part of basketball,” Mitchell said. “We all grew up playing that way. But when you start doing little cheap s–t like that, that ain’t it.

“… The NBA has to do something about it. I’m not the only person this has happened to and there’s no place for that in this game. I took matters into my own hands. When you have a cheap shot like that, there was no need to do that.”

Mitchell’s backcourt mates Ricky Rubio and Darius Garland both referred to Brooks’ play as “dirty,” Fedor notes.

For his part, Brooks declined to address the altercation in any detail after the game, per ESPN, with teammate Ja Morant stepping in to say the Grizzlies wouldn’t be discussing it. Morant did say he feels as if the Grizzlies’ reputation as trash talkers have made the team as an easy target for criticism.

“Anything when it comes to negative about the Grizzlies, we normally, you know, get the punishment,” Morant said. “It ain’t the same. They (the NBA) hate us.”

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Southwest Notes: Johnson, Branham, Rockets, Green

February 2nd, 2023 at 11:49pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Veteran forward Stanley Johnson has managed to grind his way to a major rotation role with the Spurs this season, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscriber link). McDonald notes that Johnson’s committed practice regimen has endeared him to this young rebuilding San Antonio club. Johnson joined the Spurs following a brief stint with the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the G League in December.

“I’m trying to put everything I have, all my focus and energy, into the games and practices,” Johnson said. “I’m very thankful to have any chance to play, even if it’s two minutes a game… I don’t take that lightly. To see a coaching staff that believes in me enough to put me out there on a nightly basis, I’m really grateful for it. It hasn’t happened for my whole career, and it could go away at some point.” 

Through 25 games with the Spurs, Johnson is averaging 5.7 PPG on .531/.444/.647 shooting. The 6’6″ vet is also chipping in 3.0 RPG and 2.3 APG.

There’s more out of the Southwest Division:

  • Spurs rookie shooting guard Malaki Branham is growing as a ball-handler, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (subscriber link). Branham has gotten extended run due to injuries to several San Antonio wings ahead of him in Gregg Popovich‘s rotation. “It’s being thrown in the fire and being ready to play every night,” Branham said. “I feel like I have been doing a good job at that.”
  • The rebuilding Rockets have a significant supply of draft equity as well as the contracts of veterans Eric Gordon and Boban Marjanovic to play with as the trade deadline looms. Kelly Iko and John Hollinger of The Athletic examine Houston’s options and how any moves might impact the club’s long-term future.
  • Grizzlies swingman Danny Green made his season debut for his new team on Wednesday following a knee surgery last spring, writes Evan Barnes of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Green scored three points on 1-of-4 shooting from the floor in 10 minutes against the Trail Blazers. “It was good to get out there and be with the guys,” Green said. “Trying to figure out some things offensively and defensively. Try to build the chemistry… It was fun. Obviously, would’ve been nice to win the game but for me it was good to get out and play a little bit.” Green, 35, is on an expiring $10MM contract this year.
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2023 NBA All-Star Reserves Announced

February 2nd, 2023 at 6:24pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The league has announced its 2023 All-Star reserves during a pregame broadcast on TNT, as voted on by NBA head coaches. As usual, the list of 14 selections featured some interesting surprises.

For the Eastern Conference, coaches voted in Sixers center Joel Embiid (the reigning Player of the Month in the East), Heat center Bam Adebayo, Bulls wing DeMar DeRozan, Celtics wing Jaylen Brown, Bucks guard Jrue Holiday, Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton, and Knicks forward Julius Randle.

Holiday, who is making his second overall All-star appearance this year, last earned an All-Star nod a decade ago while playing for Philadelphia.

Randle will receive a $1.2MM salary bonus as a result of being named an All-Star this season, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). Marks adds (via Twitter) that Holiday will get a $324K bonus. And as long as he appears in at least 65 contests this year, Brown will earn a $1.55MM bonus after having qualified for the All-Star game, Marks tweets.

Among the most notable omissions in the East were a handful of point guards: the Knicks’ Jalen Brunson, the Hawks’ Trae Young, the Cavaliers’ Darius Garland, and the Sixers’ James Harden. Miami swingman Jimmy Butler also missed out. Young, Harden and Butler all made the cut last season.

In the Western Conference, Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, Kings center Domantas Sabonis, Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Clippers forward Paul George, Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard, Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, and Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. were selected as reserves.

Being named to the All-Star team again this year will earn Sabonis a $1.3MM bonus, per Marks (Twitter link).

Lakers center Anthony Davis, Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Suns guard Devin Booker, and Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon were among the Western Conference snubs.

Gilgeous-Alexander, Markkanen and Jackson are the lone first-time All-Stars among these 14 picks.

All-Star weekend tips off on February 17 in Salt Lake City. Los Angeles power forward LeBron James and Milwaukee power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, the captains of their respective conferences, will draft their teams ahead of the 2023 All-Star Game on Sunday, February 19.

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Haynes’ Latest: Hyland, Hornets, Anunoby, Reddish, Barton

February 2nd, 2023 at 9:41am CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets are among the teams to register some interest in Nuggets guard Bones Hyland, Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report stated during the latest episode of his #thisleague UNCUT podcast with Marc Stein.

Haynes, following up on his TNT report on Hyland from Tuesday, reiterated that the second-year guard would be open to a trade that sets him up for a larger role elsewhere. There has been “friction” between Hyland and Denver’s coaching staff, Haynes notes, adding that the Nuggets have confidence in rookie Christian Braun to take on some of Hyland’s minutes if a trade happens.

Echoing previous reports, Haynes also confirms that the Timberwolves are among the teams with interest in Hyland, but expresses some skepticism that the Nuggets would want to send the former first-round pick to Minnesota, since there’s still some resentment from Denver’s ownership group about how Tim Connelly‘s move to the Wolves played out.

Here are a few more items of interest from the podcast:

  • Based on rumblings he has heard, Haynes believes that Raptors forward OG Anunoby would “embrace a change of scenery,” even if he hasn’t explicitly asked to be traded. Haynes also suggests that neither the Grizzlies nor the Pelicans want their Southwest rival to land Anunoby, which is a factor to keep in mind if Toronto seriously considers moving him.
  • The Cavaliers, who have been in the market for help at the small forward position, are among the potential trade suitors to watch for Knicks forward Cam Reddish, according to Haynes. Dylan Windler‘s expiring $4MM contract would be a logical salary-matching piece in a Reddish trade if the Knicks are simply seeking a second-round pick, though that’s just my speculation.
  • Things haven’t worked out well for Will Barton with the Wizards so far, Haynes notes, reporting that the veteran guard would be open to a change of scenery. Haynes identifies the Nets and Bucks as two teams worth keeping an eye on. It’s unclear whether Washington will find a trade for Barton or if he might emerge as a buyout candidate after the February 9 deadline.
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