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Scotto’s Latest: Harris, Thompson, Lakers, Brunson, Nurkic

February 16th, 2022 at 2:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Prior to last week’s trade deadline, a source close to Gary Harris said he didn’t think the Magic wing would be bought out in the coming weeks, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Harris in the final year of his contract and probably isn’t part of the long-term plans in Orlando, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the team decided to part ways with him to open up minutes for its younger players. However, one recent report stated that the Magic have appreciated the 27-year-old’s influence on their young guards.

Additionally, as Scotto observes, Harris has been one of the Magic’s most-used players this season and hasn’t seen his role reduced at all lately, logging nearly 37 minutes against his old team in Denver on Monday. Ahead of his upcoming free agency, it may be in Harris’ best interests to remain in Orlando, where he’s an important part of the rotation, Scotto says, rather than taking his chances in a situation where he’d be further down in the pecking order.

Here’s more from Scotto’s latest HoopsHype Podcast with Yossi Gozlan:

  • The Lakers are a team worth keeping an eye on if Tristan Thompson is bought out by the Pacers, according to Scotto, who notes that the veteran center “certainly has a lot of relationships there.” Like Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Thompson is a Klutch Sports client.
  • According to Scotto, NBA executives he has spoken to are trying to determine whether the Knicks will make a serious run at Mavericks point guard Jalen Brunson in free agency this summer or whether New York’s rumored interest is being used as a leverage play to boost Brunson’s market.
  • Scotto adds that rival execs always thought the Mavericks would end up choosing between Brunson or Dorian Finney-Smith due to the luxury tax implications of giving both players big long-term deals. However, Mavs owner Mark Cuban has expressed confidence about keeping both players, and has already extended Finney-Smith.
  • Scotto confirms there’s mutual interest between Jusuf Nurkic and the Trail Blazers in continuing their relationship beyond this season, as has been previously reported. Nurkic would be eligible to sign a contract extension anytime before June 30, though he wouldn’t be able to receive a starting salary higher than $14.4MM unless he reaches free agency.
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Knicks Notes: Toppin, Quickley, Thibs, Barrett, Randle

February 15th, 2022 at 5:34pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Talented second-year Knicks players Obi Toppin and Immanuel Quickley are striving to grow through their limited minutes allocations, writes Greg Joyce of the New York Post.

“It’s continual, doesn’t end,” coach Tom Thibodeau said of the young Knicks’ development. “You look at the season in totality, so at the end of the year, that’s when you make a judgment on how the season went… They’re making progress, [but] there’s still a long way to go.”

In 15.1 MPG, Toppin is averaging 7.3 PPG and 3.6 RPG on .510/.233/.744 shooting splits. Across 21.3 MPG, Quickley is averaging 9.2 PPG, 3.0 APG and 2.2 RPG.

There’s more out of the Mecca:

  • Quickley is grappling with a shooting slump that could be impacting his rotation minutes. Steve Popper of Newsday notes that Quickley averaged 38.9% on 4.7 three-point attempts per game as a rookie. This season, his shooting has slipped to 32.2% on 4.8 triples a night. “He’s a diligent worker,” Tom Thibodeau observed. “He’s in morning, noon and night shooting. Just got to stay with it, keep continuing to groove your shot, it’ll come back around. It’s part of it.”
  • After Knicks wing RJ Barrett suffered an ankle sprain during the end of a 132-115 blowout loss to the Nuggets last week, head coach Tom Thibodeau‘s decision to leave him on the court late is being questioned, notes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. “You don’t work backwards,” Thibodeau said. “There’s different points. You look at the score and the time. And if you make a run, then you take a shot at it. So that’s what we did.”
  • As Knicks power forward Julius Randle improves his on-court performance for New York, he is also helping build up his trade value, per Ian O’Connor of the New York Post. The 25-33 Knicks may see their play-in chances fade away this year, but at least the 27-year-old Randle, who averaged 29.2 PPG, 12.8 RPG and 6.2 APG during the club’s recent 1-4 road trip, is reminding prospective trade partners of his abilities as a player.
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Mitchell Robinson Drew Trade Deadline Interest From Bulls

February 14th, 2022 at 10:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder
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New York Notes: Claxton, Simmons, Barrett, Arcidiacono

February 14th, 2022 at 6:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Nets center Nic Claxton feared he would be dealt prior to last week’s deadline, Nick Friedell of ESPN tweets. Claxton termed the days leading up to the trade deadline as a “roller coaster,” but sounds happy to stay in Brooklyn and is looking forward to playing with Ben Simmons, Friedell adds. Claxton returned to action on Monday after injuring his hamstring on February 4.

We have more on the New York teams:

  • Nets coach Steve Nash says Simmons “is in a pretty good place mentally” and will be ready to play “when he’s ready physically,” Adam Zagoria of Forbes.com tweets. The Nets’ medical staff will determine the timetable for Simmons’ debut, with speculation that he could suit up after the All-Star break on February 24 against Boston.
  • RJ Barrett missed Monday’s game against Oklahoma City but has shed his walking boot, Fred Katz of The Athletic tweets. The Knicks’ guard has now missed three games due to a left ankle sprain.
  • Guard Ryan Arcidiacono’s contract with the Knicks is a one-year deal for the minimum and he’ll be a free agent again this summer, Katz reports in another tweet. Arcidiacono inked the rest-of-the-season contract on Sunday.
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Raptors Notes: Porzingis, Trade Talks, Young, Ujiri

February 14th, 2022 at 7:40am CST by Luke Adams

Before Dallas agreed to trade Kristaps Porzingis to Washington last Thursday, one report suggested that the Mavericks and Raptors may be having discussions about the big man.

Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link) and Marc Stein (Substack link) have since confirmed that Toronto had some interest in Porzingis. However, Grange says the Raptors never got close to making a deal for the former lottery pick, while league sources tell Stein that Toronto “stepped away” from those discussions due to concerns about Porzingis’ long-term health.

Porzingis was eventually traded to the Wizards along with a protected second-round pick in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans.

Here’s more on the Raptors:

  • Grange adds (via Twitter) that last week’s three-team trade talks involving the Raptors, Lakers, and Knicks reached an impasse in part due to L.A.’s luxury tax concerns. Presumably, the framework that was discussed would’ve required the Lakers to take on extra salary, increasing the projected luxury tax bill for a team that doesn’t currently hold a top-eight spot in the West.
  • Discussing the Raptors’ decision to acquire Thaddeus Young at the trade deadline, president Masai Ujiri explained that the forward checked multiple boxes for the team: “We wanted a veteran-type player, a Bird rights-type player, that came and bridged (a gap) helping our young guys both in the locker room and on the court” (link via Mike Ganter of The Toronto Sun). For his part, Young told reporters he’s excited to be in Toronto because the team’s energy and style matches how he plays (Twitter link via Eric Koreen of The Athletic).
  • Ujiri admitted during his post-deadline press conference that he doesn’t love the trade deadline, since he views the offseason as a better time to make moves that reshape the roster (Twitter link via Koreen).
  • The Raptors’ roster – which is heavy on length and 6’8″ forwards – reflects Ujiri’s refusal to subscribe to team-building orthodoxy, Koreen writes in a story for The Athletic. “We’re in a copycat league. Everybody wants to do what another person is doing,” Ujiri said. “‘Go play like Golden State.’ Well, we don’t have those types of players. You know, it’s hard to find those types of players. So, for me, we have to create ways where we think we’re going to win in this league, because it’s about winning. And I feel strongly that we can create our own style of play and bring these types of players and figure out a way to do it. Look, will it succeed? I pray it does. I’m hoping it does. And I think it will.”
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Atlantic Notes: Randle, Young, Robinson, Sixers, D’Antoni

February 13th, 2022 at 9:33pm CST by JD Shaw

Knicks star Julius Randle is rejuvenated and encouraged despite his team coming off a rough road trip, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. New York went 1-4 on the trip, defeating the Warriors and losing to the Lakers, Jazz, Nuggets and Blazers.

“Honestly encouraged in a sense of this was a tough trip,” Randle said. “We played some really good teams on this trip. We were in the game and really gave ourselves a shot to win four of the five games.

“It’s encouraging in that sense. But it’s also very disappointing that we were 1-4, easily could have gone 4-1. It’s tough. It’s tough. But for me it sucks, got a long plane ride back home.”

The Knicks are now 25-32 and rank 12th in the Eastern Conference. The team will return to New York for a four-game homestand on Monday, playing the Thunder, Nets, Heat and Sixers.

There’s more out of the Atlantic:

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Knicks Sign Ryan Arcidiacono For Rest Of Season

February 13th, 2022 at 1:43pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

1:43pm: The addition of Arcidiacono is now official, per a team press release (Twitter link).

1:01pm: Guard Ryan Arcidiacono will sign a deal with the Knicks that will keep him in New York for the rest of the 2021/22 NBA season, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The 6’3″ point guard, who won a title with Villanova in 2016, previously signed a pair of 10-day deals with the Knicks earlier this year, as well as a hardship exception deal that was later voided, though he has yet to suit up for an actual game with New York.

Ian Begley of SNY.tv adds (via Twitter) that the addition of Arcidiacono brings the Knicks’ total standard contract count to 15, the maximum allowable.

Arcidiacono spent his first four NBA seasons with the Bulls, mostly as a reserve. He holds career averages of 4.8 PPG, 2.2 APG, 2.0 RPG, and 0.6 SPG in 17.6 MPG. He boasts NBA shooting splits of .431/.373/.807.

Chicago opted not to re-sign the 27-year-old in free agency this summer. He signed a training camp deal with the Celtics, though he did not make Boston’s opening night roster. He has also spent time with the Celtics’ G League affiliate, the Maine Celtics, in between his contracts with the Knicks this season.

When Arcidiacono first signed with New York in January, Charania noted that there was a possibility he would stick with the team for the rest of the year. That possibility has now come to pass.

As Marc Berman of the New York Post (Twitter link) observes, now that the reeling Knicks have a full 15-man roster, they’d have to waive someone in order to be active on the buyout market. Berman floats the possibility that point guard Kemba Walker could be the Knicks player the club opts to be buy out if they want to make another addition.

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Knicks Remain Interested In Trading For Damian Lillard

February 12th, 2022 at 8:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks are continuing to monitor Damian Lillard‘s situation in Portland, but he’s less interested in coming to New York than he was a year ago, a source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post.

The Trail Blazers plan to rebuild their roster around Lillard and turned away several teams that wanted to discuss trading for him before this week’s deadline. However, the Knicks want to be ready if something changes in Portland and Lillard does become available this summer.

New York continues to have a need at point guard, as the offseason addition of Kemba Walker hasn’t worked out. Berman states that the team tried to make deals this week involving Cam Reddish, Alec Burks and Evan Fournier, but weren’t able to move any of them.

Berman adds that the Knicks also tried to get CJ McCollum, Lillard’s longtime backcourt partner in Portland, but were outbid by the Pelicans. Although New York has all its future first-round picks and a few extra second-rounders, many of its other assets have been devalued because of a down season, Berman notes, adding that many people around the league are wondering if the franchise has enough available to make a serious offer for Lillard.

“If they’re going to be in the hunt for Lillard, they’d have to have a good lottery pick this year,’’ an unidentified NBA executive said. “Because they’d have to give up RJ Barrett. I don’t see how they get him otherwise.’’ 

Lillard, who would likely have influence with the Portland front office to send him to a desired location if he does request a trade, has lost some interest in joining the Knicks, according to Berman’s source. After being the fourth seed in the East last season, New York has fallen to 12th place at 25-32.

Another source tells Berman that the Knicks’ chances of trading for Lillard would have been helped by signing DeMar DeRozan, Lillard’s close friend, rather than Fournier in last year’s free agent market. General manager Scott Perry wanted to consider DeRozan, according to the source, but the idea was vetoed by William Wesley, who has become the top decision maker in the front office.

Lillard hasn’t played since undergoing abdominal surgery in mid-January and isn’t expected to return this season. He has three seasons remaining on his four-year, $196MM contract.

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RJ Barrett To Miss Second Straight Game With Ankle Sprain

February 12th, 2022 at 1:17pm CST by JD Shaw
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Leftover Deadline Rumors: Raptors, Rockets, Lakers, Nuggets, Knicks

February 11th, 2022 at 9:07am CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors considered a series of potential trade scenarios before they agreed to send Goran Dragic and a draft pick to San Antonio for Thaddeus Young, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.

According to Grange, Toronto had hoped the Hawks would make Bogdan Bogdanovic available, viewing the veteran wing as someone who could help the team in both the short- and long-term. However, Atlanta didn’t budge on Bogdanovic, forcing the Raptors to look elsewhere.

The Raptors inquired on Pistons forward Jerami Grant and Kings forward Harrison Barnes, sources tell Grange, but the price tags for those players were high. As previously reported, there were also discussions about a three-team deal that would’ve sent Talen Horton-Tucker and Nerlens Noel to Toronto, but Grange suggests those talks never gained serious traction.

Here are a few more leftover rumors on trades that didn’t get made on deadline day:

  • The Rockets never made real progress on a John Wall trade with the Lakers, who were unwilling to attach a first-round pick to Russell Westbrook, but a few days before the deadline, Houston got much closer to moving Wall to another team, a source tells Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. That proposed deal ultimately fell through, per Feigen, who doesn’t specify which team the Rockets were talking to.
  • During a TV appearance, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (video link) said one concept that “could have been discussed” by the Rockets and Lakers before the deadline, “depending on who you believe,” was a swap of Westbrook, Horton-Tucker, and draft capital for Wall and Christian Wood. It doesn’t sound like those talks, if they even occurred, advanced at all.
  • After agreeing to acquire center Jalen Smith from Phoenix, the Pacers explored flipping him to a new team, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Fischer says the Nuggets were among the clubs in the mix for Smith, but Indiana didn’t find a deal it liked and ended up hanging onto the third-year big man.
  • The Knicks didn’t make a deal on deadline day, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. Sources tell Steve Popper of Newsday that the club was willing to move just about anyone on its roster, but had trouble finding trade partners for many of its top trade candidates, including Kemba Walker and Noel. According to Popper, his sources suggested there was a “universal lack of interest in the Knicks’ talent and contracts.”
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