- Heat forward Jimmy Butler says he’ll play against Orlando on Friday, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press tweets. He was a late scratch against Boston on Tuesday due to lower back tightness. Center Omer Yurtseven, who hasn’t played this season after undergoing ankle surgery, did some shooting after practice on Thursday, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets. Yurtseven still has a splint on his ankle and his return is not imminent.
After tearing his ACL during a World Cup qualifying game in August, Danilo Gallinari is considered highly likely to miss the entire 2022/23 NBA season, but the Celtics forward hasn’t given up on the idea of returning to action this spring, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe.
“My mindset is that I want to play, and that I’m going to play at the end of the season,” Gallinari said. “I want to play in the playoffs. So that’s the mindset that helps me every day get better and motivates me even more.”
Recoveries from ACL tears often take a full calendar year, but that’s not always the case. Another veteran returning from a torn ACL, Danny Green, is on track to make his season debut next week, less than nine months after he sustained his injury. A similar timeline for Gallinari could put him in line for a return in May — it’s certainly possible the top-seeded Celtics will still be playing at that point.
However, as Himmelsbach observes, even if Gallinari’s recovery process moves quickly, the Celtics would likely be reluctant to bring him back in such a “high-intensity, high-stakes” environment when he hasn’t played for the entire season. The 34-year-old recognizes that and is prepared to accept the possibility of being sidelined until the fall, but he doesn’t want to give up hope on this season quite yet.
“My mindset is there is definitely a chance,” he said. “So when I think about the season, it’s definitely not a lost season for me. So, we’ll see. That’s the mindset that helps me and pushes me to get better every day. If it happens, it’s going to be great. If it doesn’t, I’m looking forward to next season.”
Here’s more out of Boston:
- Jay King of The Athletic poses three key questions facing the Celtics at the trade deadline, including whether they’ll acquire more frontcourt help. Although King’s sources confirmed that Boston is scouring the market for big men, those sources downplayed the odds of the team making a play for Spurs center Jakob Poeltl, suggesting that if Poeltl is moved, it’ll be to a team that’s a better long-term fit for him.
- Poeltl is one of the players on a list of six potential Celtics frontcourt targets compiled by Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. Naz Reid of the Timberwolves and Willy Hernangomez of the Pelicans are among the other options Forsberg explores. A report earlier this week from Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo suggested the Celtics and Heat are among the teams keeping an eye on Hernangomez, as Eurohoops relays.
- The 35-14 Celtics have proven that they’re a legitimate championship contender, so the primary goal for the rest of the season should be managing minutes for their top eight players and ensuring they’re as healthy as possible entering the postseason, contends Chad Finn of The Boston Globe, writing that head coach Joe Mazzulla should be prioritizing June over January.
There’s a huge market for Fred VanVleet if the Raptors decide to trade him, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report.
The 28-year-old guard will be a free agent this summer if he turns down a $22.8MM player option, which Pincus says many league insiders expect to happen. VanVleet can negotiate an extension with Toronto through June 30, but the Raptors could try to move him before the deadline if they aren’t confident about reaching a new deal.
Pincus hears that the Heat, Lakers, Clippers, Timberwolves, Mavericks, Suns and Wizards would be among the most interested teams if VanVleet is made available. He also throws in the Magic, who are seeking an experienced lead guard to play alongside their young core.
The Raptors will want a premium price if they decide to part with VanVleet, Pincus adds, with some combination of young talent, draft assets and players on team-friendly contracts.
Pincus looks at a few other guards who could be changing teams before the deadline:
- With the Hornets near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, they may be willing to consider trading Terry Rozier, who has three more years and nearly $75MM left on his contract. Pincus notes that Charlotte discussed dealing Rozier to the Lakers last offseason and points out that Marc Stein recently identified the Suns as a possible suitor.
- Pincus hears that the Heat, Suns, Mavericks and Clippers would all be interested in trading for D’Angelo Russell if the Timberwolves can’t reach an extension soon with the impending free agent.
- Pincus lists the Lakers, Clippers and Timberwolves as teams in the market for Mike Conley if the Jazz decide to part with their veteran point guard. Conley has a $14.32MM guarantee on his $24.4MM salary for next season and would be much cheaper to acquire than Van Vleet.
- Eric Gordon is attracting interest from the Suns, Lakers and Bucks, but Pincus believes the Rockets may not get the first-round pick they want in return. He suggests Houston might have to settle for a pick swap, using the 2023 first-rounder the team is owed from Milwaukee.
- The Lakers haven’t given up trying to trade Russell Westbrook, but Pincus says they’re not willing to part with their two available first-round picks unless they get a star in return. He adds that L.A. may focus on smaller deals involving Patrick Beverley and Lonnie Walker in an effort to find wing depth or a backup big man.
- The Hawks aren’t looking to move Trae Young now, but a source tells Pincus that it could be a consideration during the offseason. Young has clashed with coach Nate McMillan, and Atlanta’s overall turmoil may lead the team to seek a fresh start.
Bam Adebayo is a long shot to start the All-Star Game, but the Heat center is confident that he belongs there, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Adebayo was outside the top 10 among Eastern Conference frontcourt players in the latest round of fan voting, which accounts for 50% of the final total. Coaches will choose the seven reserves in each conference, with the selections being announced February 2.
Adebayo has a strong case for All-Star consideration, averaging career highs with 21.6 points and 10.2 rebounds per game while anchoring Miami’s defense. He dismisses the results from the fans, but believes the coaches understand how good he is.
“I’m going to be (upset) about if they tell me somebody else has played better than me this year considering I’m leading the NBA in paint points and I’m one of the reasons why we’re winning,” Adebayo said. “So for me, it’s just that fan voting is fan voting. I’ll let that be. But when it comes to coaches voting, that’s when I feel like I deserve to be in it.”
There’s more from Miami:
- Haywood Highsmith earned extended minutes with his performance in Tuesday’s win over the Celtics, Chiang states in a separate story. The third-year small forward has excelled with Jimmy Butler battling injuries, and he put up 15 points and 10 rebounds off the bench against Boston. “H played so well, I just couldn’t take him out of the game,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Those are the kind of things that you want from a head coaching standpoint. Make us play you because you’re playing so hard and you’re making so many things happen.”
- The Heat weren’t expecting to use Max Strus as a starter this season, but injuries have forced him into that role, Chiang adds. Strus has started 25 of the 47 games he has played, including Tuesday night when Butler was a late scratch. “You could look at it either positively or negatively,” Spoelstra said. “That’s why I tell him, ‘Isn’t this what you’ve always wanted? To come in there and play a big role whether you’re coming off the bench or starting. What else could you want?’ I think that’s great to be able to plug and play in a lot of different roles.”
- The lower back tightness that prevented Butler from playing against the Celtics occurred during pre-game warmups, tweets Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel.
Trail Blazers forward Josh Hart “is a name that is very, very hot right now,” ESPN’s Zach Lowe said in the latest episode of his Lowe Post podcast.
In a conversation with ESPN colleague Bobby Marks about Portland’s possible approach to this season’s trade deadline, Lowe stated that there are “a lot” of teams around the NBA who would like Hart, specifically citing Miami as a possible suitor since the 27-year-old is a “Heat kind of guy.”
Hart is playing a crucial role this season for the Blazers. In addition to starting all 45 games he has played, he’s averaging 34.0 minutes per contest and ranks third on the team in total minutes played (1,530). However, his contract situation has made him the subject of trade speculation — he holds a player option on his contract for 2023/24, so he could become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Here’s more from Lowe and Marks:
- Both Marks and Lowe have heard rumblings that the Wizards and Rui Hachimura had discussions prior to the season about a rookie scale extension worth in the neighborhood of $12MM annually, but Hachimura opted to play out his contract year. The forward was traded to Los Angeles on Monday, so the Lakers will have to find common ground with him in free agency if they intend to keep him beyond this season.
- A source from a team with interest in Jae Crowder told Lowe that the Suns are seeking two of the following three things in exchange for the veteran forward: A first-round pick, a good young player, and a solid rotation player. Both Marks and Lowe are skeptical about Phoenix’s chances to get that sort of return, with Lowe remarking that the asking price is why Crowder is still a Sun.
- Lowe keeps hearing that the Grizzlies love Danny Green‘s locker room presence and don’t want to trade him. Green is on track to make his season debut next Wednesday.
- In a discussion about possible deadline moves for the Kings, Lowe said that he’s not sure guard Terence Davis is “loving his playing time” this season and suggested that Davis could be a trade chip. The fourth-year guard is averaging a career-low 12.7 minutes per contest.
- Echoing a recent report from Marc Stein, Lowe indicated that the Hornets appear motivated to hang onto forward P.J. Washington and re-sign him as a restricted free agent this offseason rather than moving him at the deadline.
- Lowe believes the Clippers are a good bet to make a deadline move, but suggests it might be more around the edges than anything major, since the team is reluctant to move Terance Mann and doesn’t have many movable first-round picks left.
Rory Maher contributed to this post.
As the Clippers explore the trade market for potential backcourt or frontcourt upgrades, they continue to rebuff inquiries on fourth-year guard Terance Mann, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack story.
Entering the season, the decision on the Clippers’ starting point guard came down to Reggie Jackson vs. John Wall, but with Jackson’s role cut back and Wall injured, it’s Mann who has started the club’s last nine games at point guard.
One team source who spoke to Law Murray of The Athletic suggested that there’s a belief Mann could be the Clippers’ starting point guard beyond this season. However, it’s unclear how enthusiastic head coach Tyronn Lue is about using Mann in that role. As Murray explains, Lue views Mann as more of a small forward and barely used him in some first-half games. The Clippers’ coach also likes having a more traditional point guard in his rotation, Murray adds.
Here’s more on the Clippers:
- In an article focused on the Clippers’ need to upgrade their roster, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer identifies Heat point guard Kyle Lowry, Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet, and Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein as some of the players L.A. has interest in. Lowry and VanVleet won a championship with Kawhi Leonard, while Hartenstein had the best season of his NBA career a year ago with the Clips.
- According to Murray, there’s a sense that Lue would like to replace Robert Covington with a more reliable center, while the front office would like the team to find a way to make a “long lineup” (which includes Covington) work. Murray suggests the trade deadline may represent a “demarcation point” between Lue and the front office on Covington’s future in Los Angeles.
- While this should come as no surprise, a team source confirms to Murray that the Clippers haven’t given any consideration to trading Leonard.
- Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com explores whether or not the frequent absences of Leonard and Paul George from the Clippers’ lineup has created a sense of frustration within the organization due to the club’s inability to establish any chemistry or consistency.
Kyle Lowry‘s numbers are down this season, but Sunday afternoon he reminded the Heat how valuable he can be in clutch situations, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. The veteran guard scored nine points in the final 3:03 as Miami pulled out a tight game against the Pelicans.
It was a welcome breakthrough for Lowry, who had been sidelined with discomfort in his left knee and had scored just 12 total points on eight shots in his first two games since returning. The 36-year-old is in the midst of his worst season in a decade, but he’s still capable of taking over a game.
“We had some really good execution down the stretch and Kyle was a major part of that,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “They were bottling up some other stuff and he just kind of went vintage there and made a lot of big plays going down the stretch.”
There’s more from Miami:
- Tyler Herro is still one of the Heat’s youngest players at age 23, even though he’s in his fourth season with the team, Chiang notes in a separate story. Herro is now a mainstay in Miami after signing a four-year extension in the offseason, and he’s formed a pick-and-roll combination with Bam Adebayo that’s among the league’s best. “I think just being cool off the court plays a big role into that,” Herro said. “Having that connection and communicating with each other away from basketball helps when you get out here on the court. It makes it that much easier.”
- Even though they won on Sunday, the game showcased the Heat’s lack of three-point shooting, notes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Miami was just 8-of-34 (23.6%) from beyond the arc , and Winderman states that the Pelicans focused on double teaming Jimmy Butler while daring the Heat to shoot threes.
- Due to a rule preventing teams below the standard roster limit from using two-way players for more than 90 combined game nights, the Heat are down to 23 two-way days remaining in the season and will face difficult decisions soon regarding Orlando Robinson and Jamal Cain, Winderman adds in a separate story. Robinson, who has been seeing time at backup center, received a pro-rated deal after being signed on December 11 and only has 13 days remaining, while Cain has 28 games left. Once their two-way days expire, the Heat would have to sign Robinson or Cain to standard contracts to keep them active or waive them and hope to re-sign them to 10-day deals.
The Bucks may have several options in their effort to find a trade for Serge Ibaka, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. League sources tell Scotto that the Nets, Heat and Hawks are among a group of teams that are closely watching the Ibaka situation ahead of the February 9 trade deadline.
NBA executives believe a second-round pick will be enough to acquire the veteran big man, who has barely played for Milwaukee this season, averaging just 11.6 minutes in 16 games. He hasn’t been on the court since January 1 and is currently away from the team as it tries to work out a deal.
Scotto notes that Brooklyn is intriguing because Ibaka played alongside Kevin Durant for several seasons in Oklahoma City. The Nets have been searching for experienced frontcourt help, and Ibaka offers both rim protection and three-point shooting.
With the Heat possibly moving on from backup center Dewayne Dedmon, Ibaka could provide a low-cost alternative, Scotto adds. Dedmon, whose playing time was reduced before his recent one-game suspension, became trade-eligible on January 15.
The Hawks may believe they need insurance at center due to Clint Capela‘s injury woes. Capela returned to the lineup last Monday after missing the previous 10 games with a calf injury, but he has been limited to 31 games this season.
- Max Strus‘ flexibility has been valuable for the Heat in an injury-filled season, notes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. The impending free agent has played 24 games as a starter and 21 off the bench and has seen time at every position except center.
Malik Beasley is a popular target heading into this year’s trade deadline, with several contenders expected to make a play for the Jazz guard, writes Sean Deveney of Heavy.
The desire around the league for more shooting, combined with a shortage of sellers, could produce an “overheated” market for Beasley, an Eastern Conference executive tells Deveney. The 26-year-old is averaging 13.7 PPG for Utah while connecting at 39.9% from the field and 35.8% from three-point range. His contract is relatively affordable, with a $16.5MM team option for 2023/24.
“It is a thin market,” the executive said. “You are going to have to overpay because there are not a ton of guys you can go out and get. … A lot of playoff teams are trying to figure out what it is going to take to get him.”
The Jazz are asking for a first-round pick in return for Beasley, along with a young player and whatever it takes to match salaries, according to Deveney, who hears that Utah is willing to take on salary beyond this season if it believes the players if acquires can eventually be moved for another first-rounder.
Deveney cites the Heat as among the top contenders for Beasley, possibly as part of a larger deal that would also bring Kelly Olynyk back to Miami for a package that includes Duncan Robinson and Caleb Martin along with picks and other young players. Miami prefers to hold onto 2022 first-round pick Nikola Jovic, according to Deveney, who believes that stance could change as the deadline nears.
Deveney also mentions the Cavaliers in a rumor first floated last week by Marc Stein. The proposed three-team deal would send Beasley to Cleveland, Caris LeVert‘s expiring contract to the Hawks and John Collins to Utah.
The Bucks and Nets are also interested in Beasley, Deveney adds, but both teams are limited in the draft assets they can offer. Milwaukee doesn’t have a first-round pick to trade until 2029, while Brooklyn would like to deal Seth Curry or Joe Harris for Beasley, but can’t trade a first-rounder until 2028.
The Celtics, who nearly traded for Beasley last season before acquiring Derrick White, probably won’t be involved in the pursuit this year, Deveney states. He expects them to seek a less expensive wing if they’re active in the market at all, possibly offering Danilo Gallinari and Payton Pritchard in return.
Deveney identifies the Pelicans and Warriors as “dark horses” in the Beasley chase, with New Orleans having the combination of draft capital, young players and salary fillers that Utah is seeking, and Golden State able to get involved if management decides to part with either James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga or Moses Moody.