- Prior health scares related to a lack of sleep has caused lifestyle changes for Magic coach Steve Clifford, as Shaun Powell of NBA.com details. Clifford now gets a normal amount of sleep and he feels he can now more effectively perform his job. “I feel great, I feel like I have a lot more energy,” he told Powell. “Getting seven hours every night, I find that very relaxing. I’ve developed other interests.”
Over the course of the 2018/19 NBA season, up until February’s trade deadline, we’re keeping an eye on potential trade candidates from around the NBA, monitoring their value and exploring the likelihood that they’ll be moved. Each of these looks at possible trade candidates focuses on a specific division, as we zero in on three players from that division.
The Southeast could be one of the NBA’s most active divisions leading up to this season’s trade deadline. It features a pair of underachieving teams (the Heat and Wizards) who could badly use a trade to shake things up, along with at least one lottery-bound club that looks like an obvious seller (the Hawks). It’s too early to tell which direction the Hornets and Magic will go, but they’re candidates to be active too.
Here’s our latest look at a few possible trade candidates from the Southeast…
Otto Porter Jr., F
Washington Wizards
$26.01MM cap hit; $27.25MM guaranteed salary in 2019/20; $28.49MM player option for 2020/21
As I wrote earlier today when I relayed news of the Kings’ renewed interest in Porter, the young forward looks like the best trade candidate of the Wizards‘ three highly-paid cornerstones. His contract isn’t as scary as John Wall‘s, which will make him easier to move. Conversely, he’s not as valuable an asset as Bradley Beal, meaning Washington won’t be as averse to giving him up.
Although Porter’s contract will make him a somewhat tricky sell, he fits the mold of the three-and-D wing that so many teams around the NBA are seeking. He’ll draw interest, especially from teams that have a little cap flexibility but don’t necessarily expect to be major players in free agency — like the Kings, whose expiring contracts and cap space make them an interesting potential trade partner for Washington.
The Pelicans are also said to have interest in Porter. If they’re willing to include a first-round pick and a mid-sized expiring contract, it might be worth it for the Wizards to take on Solomon Hill‘s contract.
Dewayne Dedmon, C
Atlanta Hawks
$7.2MM cap hit; UFA in 2019
A popular subject of trade speculation last season, Dedmon stayed put at the deadline and ultimately ended up exercising his player option to remain in Atlanta for another year. There are reasons to believe that he’s more likely to be traded this time around.
For one, potential suitors may have been put off by his uncertain contract situation last year. This time, his status is clear — he’ll be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, so teams won’t have to worry about accounting for him on next year’s books.
Additionally, the Hawks may have some regrets about how they approached last season’s trade deadline, when they kept Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova, then bought them out after the deadline passed. Both players ended up with the Sixers, serving as important rotation pieces into the second round of the playoffs. This season, Atlanta may be less inclined to let solid contributors get away for nothing.
While Dedmon doesn’t necessarily have one specific skill that could be a difference-maker for a playoff team like Belinelli’s and Ilyasova’s floor-spacing abilities were, he’s a solid big man who has some previous postseason experience under his belt, and he shouldn’t be overly expensive.
Nikola Vucevic, C
Orlando Magic
$12.75MM cap hit; UFA in 2019
It has been a fascinating season for Vucevic and the Magic so far. Despite a modest 10-12 record, Orlando currently holds the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, and Vucevic has played a huge part in the club’s early success, recording career highs in PPG (20.8), FG% (.553), 3PT% (.410), and APG (3.9), among other categories.
The 28-year-old is performing like the type of player the Magic should be trying to re-sign and build around, rather than one they should be looking to dump before he reaches free agency — especially if they remain in the playoff mix. So far, there are no indications that Orlando is interested in trading Vucevic.
Still, this is a complicated situation. The Magic drafted Mohamed Bamba earlier this year to be their center of the future, and with Aaron Gordon and Jonathan Isaac in the frontcourt mix too, it looked like Vucevic might not be in the team’s long-term plans.
Could the Magic realistically lock up Vucevic long-term without compromising the development of their younger players? If they commit to the veteran, would the Magic need to trade one of those other young bigs? Would they be willing to keep Vucevic for the full season and risk simply losing him in unrestricted free agency next summer without any compensation? The answers to those questions will determine whether or not Vucevic becomes available before this season’s trade deadline.
Previously:
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
- Nikola Vucevic‘s All-Star caliber play could force the Magic to be in a tough position next summer, Matt John of Basketball Insiders writes. Despite most of the preseason excitement being placed on Aaron Gordon, Jonathan Isaac and Mo Bamba, Vucevic has averaged an impressive 20.8 points, 11.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. He’s set to become a free agent on July 1.
The Magic have shown some interest in Knicks point guard Frank Ntilikina, a league source tells Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. According to Vorkunov, Orlando had a scout in Philadelphia on Wednesday night watching Ntilikina.
There’s no indication that the Knicks are looking to move their second-year guard, who is less than 18 months removed from being selected eighth overall in the 2017 draft. In fact, a week before the 2018/19 season began, Ian Begley of ESPN.com tweeted that that several teams had inquired on Ntilikina over the last year and New York hadn’t shown any interest in trading him.
Still, teams’ valuations of players can change fairly quickly, and Ntilikina hasn’t taken a major step forward in his second season — most of his numbers so far are the same as last year’s, or worse, and he has seen his role cut back lately, having not played more than 15 minutes in a game since last Wednesday.
With Emmanuel Mudiay and Trey Burke eligible for free agency at season’s end, the Knicks are using this season to determine how those players and others might fit into their long-term future. With those evaluations ongoing, I wouldn’t expect the team to consider dealing Ntilikina anytime soon, but it’s a situation worth monitoring in case anything changes.
As for the Magic, they’ve exceeded expectations in the early part of this season and currently hold a top-eight spot in the East, despite a modest 10-12 record. Point guard is a glaring hole for the club, so Ntilikina is the sort of player who could help in the short term with his defense and who could also be a potential building block for the future.
The hiring of Steve Clifford in Orlando has improved the game of Magic big man Nikola Vucevic to a new level, writes Kurt Helin of NBC Sports. Vucevic, who recently averaged a cool 30.5 PPG in back-to-back road games against the Lakers and Warriors, is playing so well that at least one advanced statistical metric has him ranked ahead of Kevin Durant and James Harden.
As Helin notes, Vucevic is giving credit to Clifford for putting him in better situations this season, which has sparked his improved numbers. Specifically, Vucevic took 56 percent of his shots last season within eight feet of the rim, whereas this season that number is up to 65 percent. Meanwhile, the shots the 28-year-old center is taking from beyond the arc of lesser in number, but higher in efficiency. His three-point percentage has jumped from 31.4 percent a year ago to 39 percent this season.
“The way we play now, it helps me playing inside-out, it gets me going and makes me more comfortable,” Vucevic said. “Last year I felt I was a little too much on the perimeter, space the floor, which is fine, but at the same time [this season’s style] makes it much more difficult for the other team and gives them a different look. It works great for me because I get some easy ones in the paint and am able to step out… The way coach wants me, wants us, to play fits my skill set.”
Vucevic will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and if his numbers continue at the pace he’s set for himself so far this season, he’s likely to be looking at some lucrative contract offers this summer.
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- In other Magic news, swingman Jonathon Simmons was inserted into the starting lineup recently after making a positive impression on Clifford during Sunday’s game against the Lakers, writes John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com. As is often the case, Simmons, 29, impressed his coach with his energy and defense after struggling to find his shot early on this season as a result of offseason surgery on his shooting wrist.
- The Wizards seem to play best when turmoil strikes, writes Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. In the past couple of weeks, negative stories and/or rumors have emerged regarding John Wall, Bradley Beal, and Dwight Howard. Yet, the Wizards are now winners of three of their last four games and playing their best basketball of the season.
- Heat great Dwyane Wade isn’t choosing to retire after this season because he feels he can’t physically play anymore. Rather, he simply believes that he’s given everything he can to the game of basketball and wants to give something else a shot, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
Here are Tuesday’s G League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:
- The Suns assigned De’Anthony Melton to the Northern Arizona Suns, according to the team’s website. This will be Melton’s third stint in the G League this year.
- The Clippers have recalled Jerome Robinson and Sindarius Thornwell from their G League affiliate, the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, per the team’s Twitter feed.
- The Magic have recalled Melvin Frazier Jr. from the Lakeland Magic, according to the team’s Twitter feed. The rookie has appeared in two games for the NBA club, seeing a total of 11 minutes.
Here are Friday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Pacers have recalled center Ike Anigbogu from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, according to a team press release. Anigbogu is averaging 12.2 PPG, 10.0 RPG and 2.4 BPG in five games with the Mad Ants. The 2017 second-round pick has only seen the court once this season with the Pacers.
- The Wizards assigned rookie forward Troy Brown Jr. to the Capital City Go Go prior to the G League team’s game against Canton, the team’s PR department tweets. The 15th overall pick in the June draft has averaged 2.5 PPG in 5.3 MPG over eight appearances with Washington.
- The Magic assigned rookie shooting guard Melvin Frazier Jr. to Lakeland, the team’s PR department tweets. The second-round pick has appeared in two Orlando games but is still looking for his first NBA point. In four games with Lakeland, Frazier Jr. is averaging 8.8 PPG in 27.0 MPG.
Here are Wednesday’s assignment and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Magic have recalled Melvin Frazier Jr. from their G League affiliate, according to the team’s Twitter Feed. The shooting guard appeared in one game during his G League stint, scoring 11 points while adding four rebounds.
- The Spurs have recalled Chimezie Metu from the Austin Spurs, according to a team press release. Metu had 22 points and 10 rebounds during his lone G League appearance.
Here are Monday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Magic assigned rookie guard Melvin Frazier Jr. to Lakeland, the team’s PR department tweets. Frazier, a second-round selection, has appeared in two games with the Magic and three with Lakeland, where Frazier has averaged 7.3 PPG in 23.6 MPG. Lakeland plays the Austin Spurs on Tuesday.
- The Pacers assigned center Ike Anigbogu to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, according to a team press release. The 2017 second-round pick has appeared in one game for the Pacers this season and four for the Mad Ants. He’s averaging 10.5 PPG and 10.0 RPG for the G league club.
Here are Sunday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Magic recalled rookie wing Melvin Frazier from their Lakeland affiliate, according to the team’s PR department (via Twitter). Frazier has only appeared in two games for the Magic so far this season.
- The Pistons recalled Henry Ellenson, Khyri Thomas and Bruce Brown from the Grand Rapids Drive, according to a press release from the team.