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Joel Embiid Available To Play Tuesday After Month-Long Absence

February 4th, 2025 at 4:23pm CST by Dana Gauruder

FEBRUARY 4: Embiid will be available to play on Tuesday vs. Dallas, the team confirmed today (via Twitter).

FEBRUARY 3: Joel Embiid could return to action on Tuesday. The Sixers are listing their star center as questionable to play against the Mavericks, Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports tweets.

Embiid hasn’t seen action since Jan. 4 due to lingering left knee issues. The big man has only appeared in 13 games this season, averaging 24.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 29.5 minutes per game. He was limited to 39 games last season, when he averaged a career-best 34.7 PPG, 11 RPG and 5.6 APG.

The return of Embiid could factor into the Sixers’ plans regarding their roster with the trade deadline looming. Philadelphia’s brass reportedly has no intention to give up on this season, even though Embiid and prized free agent Paul George have been sidelined for a chunk of its games. George is listed as out on Tuesday due to a finger injury, but he, like Embiid, practiced on Tuesday, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets.

The Sixers have a 19-29 record after losing their last two games following a four-game winning streak.

Embiid isn’t the only Sixers player close to returning after an extended absence. Embiid’s backup Andre Drummond (left toe), Caleb Martin (right hip) and KJ Martin (left foot) are also questionable to play on Tuesday. As Bodner points out, Drummond has only played in four games since Dec. 23, Caleb Martin has been out since Jan. 10 and KJ Martin hasn’t seen action since Dec. 23.

As for their opponent, the Mavericks are listing Anthony Davis and Max Christie as questionable to play on Tuesday, Mike Curtis of the Dallas Morning News tweets. Interestingly, Davis’ abdominal strain was not listed on the Mavs’ injury report. Instead, the questionable tag was due to “trade pending,” though Dallas has officially announced the blockbuster deal with the Lakers and Jazz.

Sixers Trade Caleb Martin To Mavs For Quentin Grimes, Second-Round Pick

February 4th, 2025 at 3:32pm CST by Luke Adams

3:32 pm: The trade is official, according to a press release from the Mavericks, which confirmed the terms outlined below.

12:09 pm: The Sixers and Mavericks have agreed to a trade, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter links), who reports that forward Caleb Martin is headed to Dallas in exchange for guard Quentin Grimes and Philadelphia’s 2025 second-round pick, which the Mavs acquired in a previous deal.

Martin, who signed a four-year, $35MM contract with the Sixers last summer that includes over $5MM in incentives and a 15% trade kicker, was one of several Philadelphia players afflicted by the injury bug in 2024/25, having been limited to 31 outings through the team’s first 48 games.

Martin has been out since January 10 due to a right hip strain, but appears to be nearing a return, having been listed as questionable to play on Tuesday.

When healthy, the 6’5″ forward was an effective role player for the 76ers, averaging 9.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 30.4 minutes per game. He has registered a .435/.379/.622 shooting line so far this season and provided solid, versatile defense on the wing.

Grimes, meanwhile, has enjoyed a strong bounce-back season in Dallas after being traded from the Pistons to the Mavericks last summer. The 24-year-old averaged 10.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 22.8 minutes per night for the Mavs, with a .463/.398/.765 shooting line in 47 outings (12 starts). Like Martin, he’s considered a plus on defense.

As good as Grimes has been in his rotation role, his contract situation was uncertain beyond this season after he turned down a rookie scale extension offer from the Mavs last fall. Having not accepted that deal, which was reported to be worth in the neighborhood of $9MM annually for three years, Grimes was on track to become a restricted free agent during the summer of 2025.

By sending him to Philadelphia, Dallas will avoid going back to the negotiating table with Grimes and will instead get some multi-year cost certainty with Martin, who’s under contract through at least the 2026/27 season before he has to make a decision on his ’27/28 player option. Newly acquired guard Max Christie, who was dealt from the Lakers to the Mavs in the Luka Doncic/Anthony Davis blockbuster, figures to step into Grimes’ role in the backcourt.

The gap between Grimes’ $4.3MM cap hit and Martin’s $8.15MM salary means the Mavericks will go back into luxury tax territory as a result of the deal after having ducked that line in the Doncic trade. If Martin doesn’t waive his trade kicker, his cap charge would increase by another $1.04MM, according to cap expert Yossi Gozlan, who notes (via Twitter) that would leave Dallas just $171K below its first-apron hard cap.

If Martin receives his trade bonus, the Mavs will have to use one of their existing trade exceptions to acquire him, since Grimes’ salary wouldn’t quite be enough for salary-matching purposes. If Martin waives that bonus, Dallas could preserve its exceptions and use Grimes to match.

Whether or not Martin gives up his bonus, this move wouldn’t have been possible for the Mavs if Davis hadn’t waived his trade bonus as part of the deal that sent him to Dallas. He told reporters on Tuesday that he wanted to give general manager Nico Harrison the ability to improve the roster around him and Kyrie Irving as much as possible, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

“Trying to help the team,” Davis said. “Obviously you always want to get better and losing a monumental piece like Luka … it’s a lot, right? So I’m just trying to do my part and help Nico and the organization on how we can continuously get better. That’s just always the right thing to do.”

As for the Sixers, while they’re not throwing in the towel on the 2024/25 campaign following a disappointing 19-29 start, they’re clearly thinking about their future beyond this season in swapping out Martin for Grimes (who is five years younger) and a 2025 second-round pick while generating some tax savings.

The draft pick the Sixers are acquiring is technically the most favorable of their own and the Nuggets’ 2025 second-rounders, which will certainly be the Philadelphia pick.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, the 76ers will save about $6.7MM on their projected luxury tax bill as a result of this deal and move below the first tax apron. They’re still operating about $6.5MM above the tax line.

Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo Earn Player Of The Month Honors

February 4th, 2025 at 2:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Two superstars with five Most Valuable Player awards between them have been named the NBA’s Players of the Month for January. Nuggets center Nikola Jokic earned the honor for the Western Conference, while Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo won it in the East (Twitter links).

Jokic came out on top of a group of nominees that included Devin Booker, Anthony Edwards, Jalen Green, James Harden, Norman Powell, Jaren Jackson Jr., Domantas Sabonis, and Victor Wembanyama, as well as Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who won the award for both Oct./Nov. and Dec.

Jokic comfortably averaged a triple-double in January, with 27.0 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 11.4 assists in 34.8 minutes per game across 14 outings. He also had red-hot .585/.440/.857 shooting line and added 1.9 steals per night as Denver went 10-4 in games he played. The team was 1-2 without him.

Over in the East, Antetokounmpo was selected over fellow nominees Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Jalen Brunson, Cade Cunningham, Darius Garland, Tyrese Maxey, Tyrese Haliburton, and Pascal Siakam.

The Bucks star led his team to a 9-6 record for the month, scoring 30.5 points per game on 60.0% shooting from the floor. He also registered averages of 13.2 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.1 blocks per contest.

Antetokounmpo is the third different Eastern Conference Player of the Month so far this season, joining Tatum (Oct./Nov.) and Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns (Dec.).

Bulls Reluctant To Trade Lonzo Ball?

February 4th, 2025 at 1:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Although the Bulls have received trade interest in Lonzo Ball, they’re not eager to move the veteran point guard and wouldn’t be looking to buy him out of his expiring contract if he remains in Chicago beyond Thursday’s deadline, sources tell Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link).

According to Stein, the Bulls actually have some interest in re-signing Ball beyond his current deal, which pays him approximately $21.4MM this season.

Ball, who missed two-and-a-half NBA seasons while undergoing a series of surgeries to address a troublesome knee injury, made his comeback in the fall and has enjoyed a successful bounce-back season.

While his numbers – 7.2 points, 3.5 assists, and 3.4 rebounds in 21.3 minutes per game – are career lows across the board and his shooting percentages – 36.9% from the floor, 34.8% on three-pointers – are below his usual rates, Ball has been a positive contributor beyond the box score. The Bulls have been 10.5 points per 100 possessions better when he’s on the court than when he’s not.

More importantly, the former No. 2 overall pick hasn’t had any setbacks related to his knee and has seen his minutes limit steadily increase over the course of the season. He logged a season-high 28 minutes on Sunday vs. Detroit.

Due to Ball’s injury history and his relatively high cap hit, the Bulls are extremely unlikely to acquire more than second-round draft capital in any deal involving the 27-year-old unless they take back an unwanted contract or two.

It’s easy to make a case that hanging onto Ball’s Bird rights and re-signing him in the offseason (for far less than the four years and $80MM he got back in 2021) would be better for the Bulls in the long run than adding a second-round pick or two. He remains eligible to sign an in-season extension, so Chicago could even get something done before the summer if he’s not traded.

Of course, this could also be a leverage play by the Bulls in an effort to improve the trade offers coming in for Ball. Stein acknowledges as much, but says (via Twitter) that this is the direction Chicago has been trending with Ball as Thursday’s deadline nears.

Wizards, Bucks Have Discussed Middleton, Kuzma

February 4th, 2025 at 10:10am CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards and Bucks have explored a potential trade that would involve Milwaukee forward Khris Middleton and Washington forward Kyle Kuzma, two league sources tell Josh Robbins and David Aldridge of The Athletic. As we relayed on Monday, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) previously reported that the Bucks have had conversations about pursuing Kuzma.

Swapping Middleton for Kuzma would allow the Bucks to move below the second tax apron, Robbins and Aldridge outline, saving them money and generating more roster flexibility while also allowing them to avoid having their 2032 first-round pick become “frozen” at season’s end.

However, Kuzma is in the midst of the worst season of his career and The Athletic’s duo says the Wizards would be seeking draft capital in order to acquire Middleton, who has battled injuries in recent years.

A straight-up swap of the two players also wouldn’t quite be possible due to the difference in their salaries, so for matching purposes, the Wizards would have to send out a second player along with Kuzma ($23.5MM cap hit; $26.5MM apron hit) in order to take back Middleton ($31.7MM cap hit; $34MM apron hit).

The Bucks are operating about $6.5MM above the second apron and acquiring a second player would keep them above that threshold. So if getting out of second-apron territory is a goal, they’d need to either find a third-team facilitator or send out a second player themselves.

It’s unclear how much traction the two teams have gained in their talks, according to Robbins and Aldridge. When healthy, Middleton is a more valuable all-around player than Kuzma, but he also has been more injury-prone, is four years older, and is more expensive. Middleton holds a $34MM player option for next season, while Kuzma will make $21.5MM in 2025/26 and $19.4MM in ’26/27 on his declining contract.

As for the Wizards, they’re more willing to trade Kuzma now than they were a year ago, when they passed on an opportunity to send him to Dallas, according to The Athletic. But Robbins and Aldridge also note that the forward’s value is at its lowest point, given his struggles this season (.420/.281/.602 shooting), so it may not be the right time for Washington to move him.

Here’s more on the Wizards:

Washington is interested in using its $12.4MM trade exception to take on an unwanted contract in order to add more future draft assets, league sources tell Robbins and Aldridge. The club is operating nearly $12MM below the tax line, so it could use most of that exception without going into tax territory.
Malcolm Brogdon, Marvin Bagley III, and Richaun Holmes are among the other players on expiring or pseudo-expiring contracts whom the Wizards are willing to move, according to The Athletic. Bagley and Holmes aren’t positive assets and Brogdon’s trade value probably isn’t better than neutral, but their expiring money could be useful to a team looking to move off a multiyear contract.
None of the rival teams that have spoken to The Athletic’s duo have heard anything about Jordan Poole being available on the trade market. Poole’s sizable contract remains a potential impediment, but the Wizards are also happy about how he’s performed and bought into the team’s youth movement this season, Robbins and Aldridge explain.
While Corey Kispert isn’t off the table in trade talks, the poison pill provision will make any deal more challenging and the Wizards have genuine interest in keeping the fourth-year sharpshooter around through their rebuild, league sources tell The Athletic.

Hawks Have Reportedly Registered Interest In Paul George

February 4th, 2025 at 8:27am CST by Luke Adams

Confirming a Monday report indicating that the Warriors inquired on Paul George, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer cites sources who say the Hawks have also expressed interest in the Sixers forward.

According to Pompey though, the expectation is that the 76ers would only consider moving George if they could get a “home-run deal.”

Philadelphia has been decimated by injuries this season, resulting in a 19-29 start. George has been limited to 30 appearances so far due to various health issues and has seen his production drop off when he’s been healthy. His 17.1 points per game represent his lowest mark since the 2011/12 season, while his 42.9% field goal percentage and 36.5% three-point percentage are below his career rates.

Given that George is in the first season of a four-year contract worth $211.6MM, those numbers are a cause for some concern. However, as Pompey points out, the club has gone 6-1 in the seven full games that George, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey have played together and doesn’t seem to be in any rush to break up that trio, especially since they’re all on long-term contracts.

George has two more guaranteed years beyond this season, with a 2027/28 player option, while Embiid is locked up through at least 2028 and Maxey is under team control through 2029.

It doesn’t come as a shock that the Warriors checked in on George, since they also had trade interest in him last summer before he opted out of his contract with the Clippers.

The Hawks’ interest is a little more surprising, considering they’re a younger team, but George would theoretically make sense as an on-court fit alongside core players like Trae Young, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu. Atlanta also has some sizable contracts that could be used to match George’s $49.2MM cap hit, starting with Clint Capela ($22.3MM expiring), as well as De’Andre Hunter ($21.7MM) and/or Bogdan Bogdanovic ($17.3MM).

Jeffrey Lurie Denies Interest In Buying Celtics

February 4th, 2025 at 7:53am CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics, whose controlling owners put the franchise up for sale in 2024, were expected to receive four or five bids last month from prospective ownership groups before narrowing those interested parties down to a smaller group of finalists.

Bill Simmons of The Ringer (hat tip to MassLive) indicated last week that Jeffrey Lurie, the owner of the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, was among those finalists, but Lurie suggested to reporters on Monday that’s not the case.

“No, I’m not really interested in acquiring another sports team,” Lurie said, per Ben Volin of The Boston Globe. “I would never say never, but I’m not looking to own another sports franchise. The Celtics, again, are exceptional. They’re so well run. They’re so talented. It’s my childhood team. However, I do not expect that to happen.”

As Volin writes, Lurie grew up in the Boston area and sold an 8% share of the Eagles in December, generating $600MM+ as a result of that sale. That fueled speculation that he was gearing up to invest in the Celtics, but Lurie said on Monday that he remains focused on the Eagles.

“I think it’s connected because they’re my childhood team,” Lurie said. “I’ve got a tremendous amount of respect for their whole culture. I sort of see it as like a kindred soul in the NBA. Wyc [Grousbeck] has been an outstanding owner, I love the way they’ve developed that team and we’ve got to celebrate so many banners over the years. [But] it’s not something that’s top of mind. My whole focus is on my love of the Eagles and to win another Super Bowl for Philadelphia.”

Current Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca was said to be spearheading a consortium that was interesting in taking over majority control of the team. Another current minority stakeholder, Robert Hale, expressed interest in becoming majority owner or joining a group in October, and said in the lead-up to the January 23 deadline that he was “still hanging around the hoop.”

Mark Bezos, the founding partner of HighPost Capital private equity group and the half-brother of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, was also believed to be among the possible bidders.

Spurs Acquire Fox, Kings Land LaVine In Three-Team Trade

February 3rd, 2025 at 2:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

FEBRUARY 3: The trade is official, according to press releases from the Bulls, Spurs, and Kings. Chicago waived Torrey Craig and Chris Duarte to make room for the incoming players, as we detailed in a separate story.

FEBRUARY 2: The Spurs are finalizing a three-team trade in which they’ll acquire Kings star guard De’Aaron Fox, while Bulls high-scoring wing Zach LaVine will be moved to Sacramento, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (via Twitter).

Kevin Huerter, Zach Collins and Tre Jones are being sent the Bulls, while Jordan McLaughlin will join Fox in San Antonio, The Athletic’s Sam Amick tweets.

The Bulls will reacquire the top-10 protected 2025 first-round pick they owed the Spurs, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network tweets. San Antonio will also send out three more first-rounders to the Kings.

Here’s the full breakdown, according to Charania:

Spurs to acquire Fox and McLaughlin.
Kings to acquire LaVine, Sidy Cissoko, the Hornets’ 2025 first-round pick (top-14 protected; from Spurs), the Spurs’ 2027 first-round pick, the Timberwolves’ 2031 first-round pick, the Bulls’ 2025 second-round pick (from Spurs), the Nuggets’ 2028 second-round pick (top-33 protected; from Spurs), and their own 2028 second-round pick (from Bulls).
Bulls to acquire Collins, Jones, Huerter, and their own 2025 first-round pick (from Spurs).

Note: If the Hornets’ 2025 first-rounder falls within its protected range, as expected, Charlotte will instead convey its 2026 second-round pick and 2027 second-round draft pick to Sacramento.

This is the ideal outcome for Fox, who reportedly had the Spurs at the top of his wish list after news was leaked that the Kings would entertain offers for their leading scorer and floor leader. Fox and budding superstar Victor Wembanyama will now become the Spurs’ pick-and-roll partnership for years to come, with San Antonio also able to keep promising rookie Stephon Castle out of the deal.

Fox turned down a three-year, maximum-salary extension offer during the 2024 offseason and had shown a lack of interest in signing an extension, prompting Sacramento’s front office to field trade offers.

Fox will be eligible to renegotiate and extend his contract with the Spurs in August, ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (Twitter link). The 2023 All-Star, who is averaging 25.0 points, 6.1 assists and 5.0 assists per game this season, will no longer have the opportunity to become super-max eligible by making an All-NBA team in 2025, but he’ll be able to sign an extension in the offseason that begins in 2026/27, starts at 30% of that season’s cap, and covers up to four years.

The Spurs, meanwhile, still control six first-round picks over the next seven seasons, starting with two in 2025 (their own and Atlanta’s pick), and could use those draft assets to continue pursuing roster upgrades around Fox and Wembanyama.

LaVine, of course, has been the subject of trade rumors for years. He’ll finally be on the move and will ironically rejoin forces with his former Bulls teammate DeMar DeRozan. LaVine, who has battled knee issues in recent years, has averaged 24.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game with outstanding shooting numbers (.511/.446/.797) in an impressive bounce-back season in Chicago.

While the Kings will collect a handful of draft assets in this deal, the acquisition of LaVine reflects their desire to remain in win-now mode and push for a playoff spot this season. They’re currently 24-24 and hold the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference.

LaVine’s move to Sacramento comes approximately six-and-a-half years after he signed a four-year, $78MM offer sheet with the Kings as a restricted free agent. The Bulls, of course, matched that offer sheet back in July 2018, keeping the former UCLA standout in Chicago.

In addition to shedding LaVine’s contract and creating significant short- and long-term cap flexibility, the Bulls will get their very valuable first-rounder back — even if that pick had landed in its protected range this season, Chicago would still have owed a top-eight protected first-rounder to San Antonio in 2026. By reacquiring that pick, the Bulls will regain full control of their first-rounders going forward.

The Bulls will have to waive two players from their roster to make the deal official, since they’re already at the 15-man limit.

Fox is making $34.85MM this season and $37MM next season in the final year of his deal. Huerter also has one year remaining on his contract. He’s earning $16.8MM this season and $18MM next season.

LaVine, who has a $43MM salary this season, has two years remaining after this season. He’ll bring in $46MM next season and has a player option worth nearly $49MM for 2026/27. He also has a 15% trade kicker, though he could choose to waive that.

Along with Huerter, the Bulls are acquiring the salaries of Collins ($16.7MM this season; $18.1MM next season) and Jones ($9.1MM expiring contract).

McLaughlin is making $2.1MM and will be an unrestricted free agent after the season. Cissoko is making $1.9MM this season and has a non-guaranteed $2.22MM cap hit for next season.

Luke Adams contributed to this story.

Bulls Waive Torrey Craig, Chris Duarte To Finalize LaVine Trade

February 3rd, 2025 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls have officially announced the completion of their three-team trade with the Kings and Spurs that sends Zach LaVine to Sacramento and lands Zach Collins, Tre Jones, and Kevin Huerter in Chicago.

In order to accommodate the one-for-three deal, Chicago has officially waived veteran wing Torrey Craig and fourth-year swingman Chris Duarte. Both players will become unrestricted free agents on Wednesday if they’re not claimed on waivers.

Craig, 34, exercised a $2.85MM player option last June in order to remain in Chicago for a second season after averaging 5.7 points and 4.1 rebounds in 19.8 minutes per game across 53 outings (14 starts) in 2023/24.

However, Craig was limited to just nine appearances this season — he has battled injuries and wasn’t a significant part of the rotation even when healthy. He appeared to be nearing a return from a right ankle sprain that had sidelined him since December 30, so he may draw some interest on the open market.

As for Duarte, the former 13th overall pick was sent from Sacramento to Chicago as a salary-matching piece in the DeMar DeRozan sign-and-trade in July.

A former standout at Oregon, Duarte got off to a solid start in the NBA when he averaged 13.1 points per game with a .369 3PT% as a rookie in Indiana in 2021/22, but his playing time and his production has declined every year since then. He played just 74 total minutes across 17 appearances as a Bull.

Within their press release announcing the trade and the Craig and Duarte cuts, the Bulls included a statement thanking LaVine for his time with the organization.

“Zach has been a cornerstone for this organization and the city,” executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said. “He truly embraced what it means to be a Bull. His work ethic and passion for the game have been inspiring. During his time here, he not only grew as a player but also started a family, and we watched him develop into the person he is today.

“We also sincerely thank Chris and Torrey for their professionalism and contributions. Our organization is extremely appreciative of everything each of these guys have given to the team.”

The Bulls continue to explore their options on the trade market, including potentially flipping Jones and/or Huerter, reports K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter links).

Johnson adds that there’s some optimism within the organization about the possibility of acquiring draft capital in a Lonzo Ball deal. He also notes that the Bulls engaged with the Bucks about a possible LaVine trade before shifting their focus to the deal with the Kings and Spurs.

The full story on that three-team trade can be found here.

Warriors Eye LeBron James, Kevin Durant In Hopes Of Major Deadline Deals

February 3rd, 2025 at 12:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

12:48 pm: Shams Charania of ESPN confirmed during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show (Twitter video link) that the Warriors have inquired about James and Durant, noting that Golden State is casting a wide net in its search for another impact player.

“The Warriors are legitimately calling about every All-Star player,” Charania said. “Name the All-Star player, the Warriors have probably called about him. (Sixers forward) Paul George, they’ve probably called – they have called – about him.

“They’ve made calls on every star. And that, of course, includes players like LeBron, players like Kevin Durant, players like Jimmy Butler. They are making calls. They are dead set on trying to find another star player – a superstar player – with Stephen Curry.”

The Warriors are among several teams who have asked about Durant, per John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link), but Gambadoro says the Suns remain focused on either acquiring Butler from Miami or – if they can’t get Butler – making other smaller deals.

12:00 pm: The Warriors are “big-game hunting” ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline and have contemplated a strategy to reunite the core of the U.S. Olympic squad by teaming up LeBron James and Kevin Durant with Stephen Curry, sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (subscription required).

That’s the most audacious of the plans being considered by Golden State’s front office, but there could be a path to making it happen. Sources tell Fischer that the Warriors are among the teams that have made inquiries about whether James could be convinced to waive his no-trade clause and part with the Lakers. Nothing has changed so far, but Golden State will presumably continue its pursuit through Thursday.

Fischer cites sources who say the Suns currently don’t plan to move Durant before the deadline, but they are listening to inquiries. Durant is aware of the situation, Fischer adds.

Any deal with Phoenix would involve “a very high asking price” involving players and draft picks, according to Fischer, who notes that the Suns have “a level of interest” in Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga.

Fischer points out that Phoenix’s grip on a postseason spot is less secure after the Spurs reached an agreement to acquire De’Aaron Fox from Sacramento. That trade should make San Antonio (21-25) more dangerous in the short term without the Kings (24-24), who are acquiring Zach LaVine as part of the three-team deal, taking a significant step backwards. Both teams are hot on the heels of the 25-23 Suns in the postseason race.

The Suns would like to complete a deal for Heat forward Jimmy Butler, but have found no takers for Bradley Beal and may not be able to make it happen without giving up Durant or Devin Booker.

Fischer also reports that the Warriors haven’t entirely abandoned the idea of trading for Butler, despite a report on Sunday that he wouldn’t sign an extension with them. According to Fischer, there are “reservations” in Golden State’s front office about how Butler’s personality would fit with the team considering his standoff in Miami and his history of messy breakups.

Fischer adds that the Mavericks aren’t trying to add either Butler or Durant, although they’re still searching for roster upgrades after swapping Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis.

The current speculation, according to Fischer, is that the Warriors or Bucks are just as likely to land Butler as the Suns are. However, he adds that Milwaukee has been quiet recently in the Butler pursuit and may be more focused on acquiring Kyle Kuzma from the Wizards.

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