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Trade Rumors: Pelicans, Bledsoe, Knicks, Pacers, Holiday, More

March 24th, 2021 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans are hoping to move off some of their expensive, longer-term contracts, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic, who points to Eric Bledsoe and Steven Adams as two players who fit that bill. Since neither Bledsoe nor Adams looks like a positive trade asset at this point, a more appealing young player like Lonzo Ball could “serve as a reward” for a trade partner who is open to absorbing one of those contracts, Vardon writes.

Reports from Ian Begley of SNY.tv and Mike Mazzeo (Twitter link) also suggest that the Pelicans are looking to dump some long-term salary. Begley hears from sources that New Orleans has spoken to multiple teams – including the Knicks – about attaching a first-round pick to Bledsoe’s contract in potential trades. It’s not clear what sort of return the Pels are seeking in exchange for Bledsoe and a first-rounder.

Meanwhile, Mazzeo hears that the Knicks and Pelicans have discussed the possibility of a trade that includes both Ball and Bledsoe, but that New York would want to find a third team to take on Bledsoe’s contract in that scenario.

Here are a few more of the latest trade rumors from around the NBA:

  • Although at least one “prominent voice” within the Knicks‘ organization is in favor of acquiring Andre Drummond from the Cavaliers, the majority of the front office doesn’t view the big man as a fit, according to Begley.
  • The Pacers have held numerous trade discussions this week about Myles Turner, Aaron Holiday, and Doug McDermott, league sources tell Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). A previous report stated that Indiana would have to be blown away to move Turner this week, but Holiday and McDermott are more viable trade candidates.
  • Addressing the Holiday situation, J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star cites league sources who say that many people around the Pacers guard are hoping he’s dealt this week or during the offseason. Playing time is a top priority for Holiday, and he has seen his minutes dip to 18.0 per game under Nate Bjorkgren this season (after averaging 24.5 MPG a year ago). According to Michael, the Knicks and Suns have had interest in Holiday in the past, but it’s not clear if he’s on either team’s radar now.
  • If LaMarcus Aldridge is bought out rather than traded, the Suns would be in the mix, though the Heat and Nets would probably be ahead of Phoenix in the pecking order, tweets Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.
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Woj’s Latest: Drummond, Aldridge, Blazers, Oladipo, Redick, Hornets

March 24th, 2021 at 2:45pm CST by Luke Adams

If Andre Drummond and LaMarcus Aldridge receive buyouts rather than being traded, the Lakers and Heat are widely viewed as the respective frontrunners to sign them. Adrian Wojnarowski essentially confirmed that point during today’s Woj & Lowe Trade Deadline Special on ESPN, though he noted that both big men would have plenty of options on the buyout market.

The Nets, Clippers, Celtics, and Mavericks would have interest in Drummond, according to Wojnarowski. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Zach Lowe said he expects the Hornets to pursue Aldridge if he hits waivers.

The ability to compete for a championship would be a top priority for both veteran bigs, according to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter links), who hears that a championship ring would be “the driving force” for Aldridge. As for Drummond, while the Mavs would have interest, they expect he’d hunt for a ring with Brooklyn or one of the L.A. teams, says Townsend.

Here are a few more notable tidbits from the Woj & Lowe Trade Deadline Special that aired on ESPN this afternoon:

  • The Trail Blazers have been “very active” in trade discussions, according to Wojnarowski, who pointed to Norman Powell and Victor Oladipo as players who could appeal to Portland.
  • Wojnarowski gets the sense that the Rockets will be able to land a mid first-round pick in exchange for Oladipo. However, Woj downplayed New York’s interest in the veteran guard: “I don’t sense the interest in a future partnership with Oladipo is significant with the Knicks.”
  • The Jazz could be a dark-horse suitor for Pelicans guard J.J. Redick in the event of a buyout, says Wojnarowski. Still, the Nets are viewed as the probable frontrunner in that scenario, since Redick’s family is based in Brooklyn. “Geography may play a big part in this,” Woj said.
  • The Hornets had been scouring the market for a frontcourt upgrade, but may “retreat” a little following LaMelo Ball‘s wrist injury, per Wojnarowski.
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Mannix’s Latest: Gordon, Celtics, Barnes, Oladipo, OKC, More

March 24th, 2021 at 11:12am CST by Luke Adams

Several rival executives tell Chris Mannix of SI.com that the Magic appear committed to trading both Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier this week. Having fallen well out of the playoff race in the Eastern Conference, Orlando is prioritizing receiving draft compensation rather than players who could help the team win this season, Mannix writes.

To that end, while Marcus Smart is said to be included in the Celtics‘ trade discussions for Gordon and Fournier, Mannix wonders if the Magic might want to re-route Smart to a third team for more draft capital if Boston and Orlando move forward on that deal.

Mannix also suggests there has been some chatter around the league that the Celtics’ talks with the Magic about Gordon may be a way of pressuring the Kings into more seriously discussing Harrison Barnes, since there hasn’t been much traction with Sacramento to date. The Kings don’t seem to be displaying a strong desire to move key players for draft picks, says Mannix.

Here are a few more items of interest from Mannix’s latest trade rumor roundup:

  • It’s no longer a question of whether or not the Rockets will trade Victor Oladipo, but rather where they’ll send him, according to Mannix, who hears that the Knicks‘ interest in the two-time All-Star may be overstated.
  • The Thunder are “open for business” on deals for Al Horford and George Hill, but haven’t made it down the road in any trade discussions for either veteran. Mannix says Oklahoma City has sought “second-round compensation” for Hill, though it’s unclear if that means one second-round pick or multiple selections.
  • There’s still no serious traction toward any trades involving Cavaliers center Andre Drummond or Spurs big man LaMarcus Aldridge. Mannix thinks both players will ultimately end up on the buyout market, where they’ll receive significant interest.
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Randle Fined $15K; Kenny Payne Being Considered For DePaul Gig

March 23rd, 2021 at 11:09pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum
  • At the end of a 101-100 overtime defeat to the Sixers, Knicks All-Star forward Julius Randle got into a verbal altercation with a referee. The league fined Randle $15K for the incident, according to an official NBA press release.
  • Knicks assistant coach Kenny Payne could be a leading contender for the newly-vacant DePaul University men’s basketball head coaching gig, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. “I think all my staff is terrific and they’ll be recognized,” head coach Tom Thibodeau raved. “So anytime someone has an opportunity to advance we’ll certainly allow them to interview.” Popper adds that Payne is not the only Knicks assistant coach up for a potential new opportunity as a college head coach, as Johnnie Bryant may be under consideration as Utah’s new head coach, and Mike Woodson may be up for the opening in Indiana.
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NBA G League Announces 2020/21 All-NBAGL Teams

March 23rd, 2021 at 3:52pm CST by Luke Adams

After being named the G League’s Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year on Monday, Delaware Blue Coats forward Paul Reed – who is on a two-way contract with the Sixers – headlines the All-NBA G League First Team, as the league announced today in a press release.

Reed was joined on the All-NBAGL first team by MVP runner-up Kevin Porter Jr. of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, as well as Oklahoma City Blue big man Moses Brown, Lakeland Magic forward Mamadi Diakite, and Westchester Knicks guard Jared Harper. All of those players are currently on either standard NBA contracts or two-way deals.

That’s a common theme for this year’s All-NBAGL teams. The majority of the 15 players named to the three squads are either currently under contract with NBA teams or have past NBA experience.

The complete list of the 2020/21 All-NBA G League teams, along with the All-Rookie and All-Defensive squads, is below. Players currently on NBA contracts are noted with an asterisk (*), while those on two-way contracts are noted with a caret (^).

All-NBAGL First Team:

  • Paul Reed (Delaware Blue Coats) ^
  • Kevin Porter Jr. (Rio Grande Valley Vipers) *
  • Moses Brown (Oklahoma City Blue) ^
  • Mamadi Diakite (Lakeland Magic) ^
  • Jared Harper (Westchester Knicks) ^

All-NBAGL Second Team:

All-NBAGL Third Team:

NBAGL All-Rookie Team:

  • Paul Reed (Delaware Blue Coats) ^
  • Mamadi Diakite (Lakeland Magic) ^
  • Malachi Flynn (Raptors 905) *
  • Brodric Thomas (Canton Charge) ^
  • KJ Martin (Rio Grande Valley Vipers) *

NBAGL All-Defensive Team:

  • Paul Reed (Delaware Blue Coats) ^
  • Moses Brown (Oklahoma City Blue) ^
  • Mamadi Diakite (Lakeland Magic) ^
  • Tahjere McCall (Lakeland Magic)
  • Gary Payton II (Raptors 905)

Of the 18 players who earned a spot on one of the G League’s All-NBAGL, All-Rookie, or All-Defensive teams this year, only four – Brissett, Uthoff, McCall, and Payton – haven’t been on some form of standard, two-way, or 10-day NBA contract since the ’20/21 season began. All four of them have previous NBA experience.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Trade Rumors: Hill, Bledsoe, Redick, O. Porter, Knicks, More

March 23rd, 2021 at 2:16pm CST by Luke Adams

George Hill‘s name has come up more frequently in conversations among team executives as the trade deadline approaches, writes Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, adding that the Clippers, Lakers, and Sixers are among the teams with interest in the Thunder guard. Hill hasn’t played since January 24 due to a thumb injury, but is out of his cast and is working toward a return, as Brandon Rahbar of Daily Thunder tweets.

While some clubs are hoping the Thunder will buy out Hill, that seems unlikely, since he has another partially guaranteed year left on his contract, and buyouts aren’t really Sam Presti‘s “M.O.,” as one assistant general manager tells Fischer.

Plus, the Thunder are in position to take on salary in trades if it nets them greater draft compensation, Fischer writes. Oklahoma City is one of two teams – along with New York – that remains below the salary floor this season, as John Hollinger of The Athletic observes, so the club could take on about $12MM without taking any real financial hit.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

  • A number of Pelicans players were prominently involved in trade rumors in January and February, but some of that talk has died down as of late, according to Fischer, who says there doesn’t seem to be any real traction toward an Eric Bledsoe deal. As for J.J. Redick, a buyout seems more likely than a trade at this point, per Fischer.
  • Bulls forward Otto Porter Jr. is available in trade discussions, but would probably only make sense as a salary-matching piece for a high-salary player, such as DeMar DeRozan, writes Fischer. If Porter remains in Chicago through the deadline, it’s possible he could emerge as a buyout candidate.
  • The only way the Knicks would realistically pull the trigger on a Victor Oladipo trade this week is if the team receives assurances that he’ll re-sign this summer, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post, who says the team isn’t interested in giving up any real assets for a rental.
  • Potential buyers are expecting – or at least hoping – that the price tags on certain big-name trade candidates, such as Oladipo, Aaron Gordon, and Harrison Barnes, will drop as the deadline nears, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com. I’m not sure that’s a safe bet, since it seems to be a sellers’ market.
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Rockets Likely To Trade Oladipo Before Deadline

March 23rd, 2021 at 12:56pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat and Knicks, two of the teams linked most frequently to Victor Oladipo, are reluctant to offer substantial packages for the Rockets guard, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). However, that doesn’t mean that Houston is considering moving the two-time All-Star for pennies on the dollar.

[RELATED: Heat, Knicks, Pistons have shown interest in Oladipo]

According to Wojnarowski, a market has developed for Oladipo, with teams offering some combination of young players and/or first-round picks. The clubs making those offers will be capped out this offseason, Woj notes, which means acquiring Oladipo’s Bird rights would be crucial to locking him up long-term. Miami and New York, on the other hand, project to have significant cap room and could conceivably sign Oladipo outright in free agency.

The Rockets appear likely to move Oladipo before this Thursday’s trade deadline, says Wojnarowski.

[RELATED: Hawks worth keeping eye on for Oladipo]

Oladipo hasn’t recaptured his All-Star form since suffering a ruptured quad tendon in 2019, but remains relatively productive, averaging 20.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 4.7 APG on .411/.333/.767 shooting in 29 games (33.4 MPG) for Indiana and Houston this season. He’ll be seeking a raise on his current $21MM salary this offseason when he reaches unrestricted free agency.

Besides Oladipo, not many other Rockets players who are on the trade block are generating major interest ahead of this week’s deadline, per David Aldridge, Kelly Iko, and Danny Leroux of The Athletic. Danuel House has generated some interest, but the market for Sterling Brown and Ben McLemore appears limited.

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Goodwill’s Latest: Brogdon, Blazers, McGee, Heat, Oubre, More

March 23rd, 2021 at 12:19pm CST by Luke Adams

Multiple teams have indicated that the Pacers are open to listening to pitches on Malcolm Brogdon, according to Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. Brogdon is only in the second season of a four-year, $85MM contract, but Goodwill suggests that Indiana is comfortable with the idea of Caris LeVert manning the point if the team gets a deal it likes for Brogdon.

In addition to Brogdon, another Pacers point guard – Aaron Holiday – is thought to be available. A report last week indicated Indiana was seeking a first-round pick for Holiday, which Goodwill confirms. According to Goodwill, Holiday seems to have “fallen out of favor” somewhat in Indiana.

Here’s more from Goodwill:

  • The Trail Blazers are among the teams with interest in Cavaliers center JaVale McGee, per Goodwill. McGee could be had via trade — it remains to be seen whether he and Cleveland would work out a buyout if he stays put at the deadline.
  • The Nets are dangling Spencer Dinwiddie and a second-round pick as they look to bolster their bench, sources tell Yahoo Sports. Brooklyn has discussed players like Avery Bradley, Kendrick Nunn, and Maurice Harkless with the Heat, Goodwill says.
  • Kelly Oubre‘s camp believes the Warriors forward is capable of getting a “top-10 deal” in free agency this offseason, per Goodwill. Presumably, that means one of the top 10 most valuable free agent contracts signed this summer.
  • Goodwill suggests that former Cavaliers executive Brock Aller – who is now the Knicks‘ VP of strategy – is worth keeping an eye on in the event that Cleveland moves on from current general manager Koby Altman at some point. Aller has a long-standing relationship with Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, Goodwill notes.
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Knicks Rumors: Fournier, Oladipo, Rivers, Henson, Pelle

March 23rd, 2021 at 11:42am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks still seem more likely than not to forgo making a major trade at this week’s deadline, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Besides not wanting to surrender major assets in a deal, the Knicks are also reluctant to disrupt the chemistry the current group has established, Begley explains.

Still, the team continues to monitor some of the more notable names available on the trade market. For instance, both Begley and Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports cite Evan Fournier as a possible target. Goodwill suggests New York is monitoring Fournier, while Begley says the club recently had a conversation with Magic about the veteran wing. It’s unclear if any progress was made in those talks, Begley notes.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

  • Although the Knicks have been linked to Victor Oladipo and Lonzo Ball, a trade for either guard seems unlikely unless the asking price drops significantly, writes Begley. That’s not entirely out of the question in Oladipo’s case. David Aldridge, Kelly Iko, and Danny Leroux of The Athletic cited one executive who offered the following assessment on the Oladipo trade market: “I think they (the Rockets) will be selling very low on this, and possibly lower than anyone can imagine right now.”
  • Begley confirms that a trade or buyout of Austin Rivers seems probable, as ESPN’s Zach Lowe suggested on Monday. If the team opens up a roster spot by moving Rivers, John Henson and Norvel Pelle are among the candidates the team would consider to fill it, sources tell SNY.
  • Within his Knicks trade deadline primer, Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic weighs which players currently on the roster are the top candidates to be moved and proposes hypothetical deals for Oladipo and Norman Powell.
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Spurs Rumors: DeRozan, Lyles, Gay, Aldridge

March 23rd, 2021 at 10:47am CST by Luke Adams

In addition to putting LaMarcus Aldridge on the trade block, the Spurs have also made it clear that veteran guard DeMar DeRozan is available, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. Sources tell Fischer that DeRozan, who is earning $27.7MM in the final season of his five-year contract, has interest in playing elsewhere next season, perhaps returning to the Eastern Conference.

While the Spurs don’t typically make big in-season deals, it sounds like they’re at least gauging what they could get for DeRozan on the trade market. Fischer reports that the Knicks have considered trying to acquire the veteran guard, though some people in their front office don’t want to give up assets for players who could be signed in free agency.

There are people in the Bulls‘ front office that believe adding a player like DeRozan could push the team into the playoffs, sources tell Fischer. Additionally, Fischer says the Magic have discussed the idea of trading Evan Fournier and a pick for DeRozan, with an eye toward re-signing him in the offseason. At least one more Orlando player would need to be included in such a deal for salary-matching purposes.

Here’s more on the Spurs:

  • Trey Lyles and his representatives are interested in finding a new home for the veteran forward, multiple league sources tell Fischer. Lyles’ minutes have been inconsistent this season in a contract year — he was a starter for a short time just before and after the All-Star break, but has been a DNP-CD for the Spurs’ last five games.
  • The Spurs remain open to moving Rudy Gay, another veteran on an expiring contract, writes Fischer.
  • The Celtics and the Heat are the teams that have consistently been linked to Aldridge, though both teams appeared more focused on the possibility of landing him via buyout than trading for him, according to Fischer. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst also said on his latest Hoop Collective podcast that the Heat are widely viewed as the leaders for Aldridge, as RealGM relays.
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