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Spurs Positioning Themselves To Target De’Aaron Fox

December 21st, 2024 at 11:50am CST by Tristan Tucker

Star guard De’Aaron Fox‘s agent — Klutch Sports founder and CEO Rich Paul — met with Kings general manager Monte McNair and assistant general manager Wes Wilcox on Thursday. According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Anthony Slater, the meeting focused on what the long-term plan around Fox would be.

Fox declined a three-year, $165MM extension from the Kings in the offseason and isn’t interested in fighting for a lower-seed playoff spot for the rest of his career. He recently discussed the decision to turn down that extension, explaining that he wants the club to show it’s capable of seriously contending for a championship.

While Fox hasn’t asked for a trade, Amick and Slater write that the Kings star and his agent are reading the room to see what the Kings’ vision is. Fox has another year left on his deal and would qualify for a five-year, $345MM super-max contract if he makes an All-NBA selection this year.

The Kings aren’t a bad team, but they’ve been inconsistent in the first half and there’s little room for inconsistency in a competitive Western Conference, where they rank 12th at 13-15. Fox has stated multiple times that he likes the idea of spending his entire career with one franchise and he has been a major force in the local community. But with Sacramento stuck on the outside looking in for now, opposing teams have started to circle.

League sources tell Amick and Slater that the Spurs are “positioning themselves” to pursue a trade for Fox should he become available, eyeing him to be a long-term partner with Victor Wembanyama. Other teams would likely join San Antonio as suitors if Sacramento considers a trade.

While the Kings have shortened the rotation and their record isn’t inspiring thus far, they are still just three games out of a top-five seed in the West. They’re armed with proven NBA players like Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray and Malik Monk, among others, and they’ve suffered several tight losses, with a 3-9 record in games decided by five points or less.

The Kings know they need an upgrade and are specifically targeting backup centers and wings. Among the names on their short list are Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant, Jazz forward John Collins, Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas, Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma, and Nets forward Cameron Johnson, according to Amick and Slater. They’ve also expressed some lesser interest in Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith, while a bigger trade for Brandon Ingram or Zach LaVine seems unlikely at this juncture.

Fox is having one of his most productive seasons yet, averaging 26.2 points, 6.1 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. But while his production is up, head coach Mike Brown has challenged him to do even more. As Amick and Slater report, there’s some pressure on the Kings to further fortify their roster to convince him to re-up long term.

Southwest Notes: Marshall, Irving, Grizzlies, Morant, Pelicans

December 21st, 2024 at 11:07am CST by Tristan Tucker

After missing five of his previous six games, Mavericks forward Naji Marshall returned to the lineup on Thursday and will continue to bring an edge to a strong Dallas team, The Athletic’s Christian Clark writes. In 22 games with Dallas, Marshall is averaging 11.8 points per game, but he also serves as the muscle of the team.

Marshall began his NBA career on a two-way deal, working his way up to the rotation in New Orleans before signing with the Mavericks this season for three years and $27MM. According to Clark, Marshall breathed a “sigh of relief” when he signed that contract with Dallas after earning the minimum for his first few years, but he knows his work isn’t over.

“I know it’s a narrow window as far as opportunity and just having an overall career in the NBA. I’m in the door, and now I want to stay here,” Marshall said. “Whatever it takes.”

We have more from the Southwest Division:

After missing Thursday’s game against the Clippers, Mavericks star Kyrie Irving is off the injury report and will play, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon (Twitter link). Superstar Luka Doncic will remain out with a heel issue that kept him out of Thursday’s loss.
The Grizzlies sent a mature message in their 51-point drubbing of the Warriors on Thursday, according to Damichael Cole of Memphis Commercial Appeal. Every Grizzlies rotation player scored and six members of the team finished in double figures. The Grizzlies are 19-9 and second in the Western Conference.
There doesn’t seem to be a need for the Grizzlies to make a consolidating blockbuster trade, even with all their depth, The Athletic’s Kelly Iko opines in a mailbag. They could go for someone like Dorian Finney-Smith of Brooklyn, but the team is firing on all cylinders and shouldn’t blow up the core. In the same mailbag, Iko makes the case for Santi Aldama being Memphis’s fourth-best player and discusses their physicality.
Grizzlies star Ja Morant suffered a hard fall in the second half of the blowout over Golden State and didn’t return, logging just 17 minutes. That mostly seemed precautionary, as Memphis already had a big lead at that point, but he’s listed as out for Saturday’s game against the Hawks, the Grizzlies tweeted.
The Pelicans are still struggling to establish chemistry amid their injury woes this season, and their defense hit a new low in surrendering 133 points to Houston on Thursday, Rod Walker of NOLA.com writes. New Orleans has lost 14 of its last 15 games.
Despite dropping five in a row, the Pelicans are hoping to get back on track with a five-game homestand, Walker writes in another subscriber-only story for NOLA.com.

New York Notes: Clowney, Simmons, Bridges, Towns, Knicks

December 21st, 2024 at 10:01am CST by Tristan Tucker

Nets center Nic Claxton was ejected from Thursday’s game against Toronto, allowing second-year forward Noah Clowney to close out the game and shine, The New York Post’s Brian Lewis writes. The 21st overall pick in 2023 recorded season highs of 37 minutes played and nine rebounds to go along with 11 points.

“His growth defensively, his physicality — obviously its multiple areas — he’s been one of our best players at going vertical, taking a charge,” coach Jordi Fernandez said. “His physicality on the ball guarding a really good player like Scottie Barnes, that growth was important. That’s why I was comfortable with him playing all those minutes. … I’m very happy for him because he showed growth. That’s what it’s all about.”

Clowney is averaging 7.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per game this year and looks to be among the team’s young pillars moving forward. If forwards like Dorian Finney-Smith or Cameron Johnson are traded by February 6, Clowney may continue to see his minutes rise as the year goes on.

We have more out of New York:

The Nets‘ identity changed after Dennis Schröder was moved to the Warriors, forcing Ben Simmons and Claxton to start together, which is inhibiting spacing, Lewis writes in another story. The duo struggled together in their first post-Schröder outing, but Simmons had a solid night in the win against Toronto. “Yeah, I mean, there’s more opportunity for me now, just being at that point guard position. So just finding my ways,” Simmons said. “I’m gonna go talk to coach about some different looks and things like that that I see out there.“
Mikal Bridges started his Knicks career in a shooting slump, but he’s starting to flip the script, the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy writes. In his last eight games, Bridges is shooting 43.1% from beyond the arc on 7.3 attempts per game. “Once he started making shots, nobody said nothing [about his revamped shooting form]. Nobody is talking about how it looks now,” teammate Cameron Payne said. “So he just be locked in, man. He’s pretty good with stuff like that man. I actually applaud him for it. Because you could easily get distracted with that or get messed up in the head with it.”
Karl-Anthony Towns is playing at an MVP-level pace, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post asserts. The Knicks center was No. 6 on NBA.com’s most recent MVP ladder. Towns’ 32 points and 20 rebounds against the Timberwolves put an exclamation point on a strong start to the season, Vaccaro writes.
Five of the next seven Knicks‘ games come against teams in the bottom four of the league standings, Bondy observes. The Knicks have won seven of their last nine games and are third in the Eastern Conference at 17-10.

Southeast Notes: Hunter, Young, Williams, Butler, Jaquez

December 21st, 2024 at 8:19am CST by Tristan Tucker

De’Andre Hunter is playing like a Sixth Man of the Year candidate, providing the Hawks with a scoring punch off the bench, Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. Through 17 outings, Hunter’s 19.8 points per game and 45.3% shooting from beyond the arc are both career highs.

“He’s definitely in the running for Sixth Man of the Year, especially if you keep winning and doing the things we’ve been doing,” guard Trae Young said. “Because there’s not a guy come on the bench doing what he’s doing right now and being aggressive and scoring and efficiency and things like that. He’s really bought into it, and it’s made our team a lot better.”

The former No. 4 overall pick out of Virginia was an effective starter after being selected in 2019, averaging 14.3 PPG in 263 games (237 starts). After missing the first 11 games this year, the Hawks elected to bring him off the bench instead of starting him, and he’s thrived in the new role.

“We all know De’Andre can play,” center Onyeka Okongwu said. “He’s been able to play. He’s always been a scorer, defender. He’s finally healthy. Nothing he’s doing is really surprising to me. I’m glad he’s having the year he’s having right now. He deserves it the most.”

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Young is averaging career lows of 39.0% shooting from the field and 32.0% from three, but Williams writes in another story that the three-time All-Star is focused on making an all-around impact to win games rather than dwelling on his shooting percentages. “My percentages aren’t the way they’ve been, but I’m taking different types of shots, too,” Young said, noting that he has no qualms about taking low-percentage shots at the end of quarters or as the shot clock expires. “I’m obviously getting guys involved, and that’s my main priority, and obviously, the defense is the first priority.” As Williams notes, the Hawks star is leading the NBA in assists per game this season with 12.2 per contest.
Since their starting center returned from injury on Dec. 3, the Hornets continue to take a conservative approach with Mark Williams, including having him not play in back-to-backs. Williams understands the vision, but is eager to resume his normal playing schdule, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer writes. “Just overall, as a leader of the team and one of the leaders of the organization, you have to understand what is your vision, what is your bigger picture? And as bad as you want to win games, we also want to make sure that we are putting our players in the best position possible to have great careers,” coach Charles Lee said of Williams.
Heat star Jimmy Butler exited in the first quarter of Friday’s game against the Thunder after turning his ankle and didn’t return. However, as noted by ESPN, he was ruled out for the rest of the night due to an illness, not his ankle injury. There was no word of the ankle in the team’s announcement. It’s not yet clear how much time Butler, involved in trade rumors this season, will miss due to either ailment.
With Butler ruled out, second-year Heat wing Jaime Jaquez Jr. started the second half and played 30 minutes, his third-most in a game this season. Ira Winderman of South Florida’s Sun Sentinel speculates whether Jaquez could serve as Butler’s replacement in the starting small forward role if the latter is moved via trade.

Trade Rumors: Johnson, Thunder, Beal, Cavs

December 20th, 2024 at 10:40pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Versatile Nets forward Cameron Johnson has been the subject of trade interest from multiple contenders this season. According to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer (video link), the Thunder are among the title hopefuls keeping an eye on Johnson.

“I have heard Cam Johnson potentially having interest from OKC,” Fischer said.

Across 26 contests for the chippy 11-16 Nets, the 28-year-old is averaging 19.2 points per game on a .489/.431/.874 shooting line (all career highs). He’s also chipping in 4.5 boards and 3.1 dimes per contest.

The Thunder are currently 22-5 on the year and occupy the No. 1 seed in a crowded Western Conference. Led by All-NBA point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City has emerged as a formidable two-way powerhouse. But OKC’s defeat against the Bucks in the NBA Cup championship game showed it could have potential playoff vulnerabilities, especially against bigger forwards, meaning the team could benefit from adding a player like Johnson.

Here are a few more recent trade rumors and notes:

Given that the Thunder have a bevy of future draft picks at their disposal to use in any potential deal, Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports suggests it may be time for the club to part with some of those selections and cash them in for win-now help. O’Connor wonders if Oklahoma City forward Jalen Williams, the team’s primary shot creator next to Gilgeous-Alexander, is quite ready for prime-time after recording more field goal attempts (61) than points (56) in the three NBA Cup knockout round games. O’Connor advocates for the Thunder exploring additional shooting help, more bigs, and potential a microwave bench guard.
Suns guard Bradley Beal addressed recent trade speculation about his long-term fate in Phoenix, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Beal has been floated as a natural fit for a deal to land Heat All-star wing Jimmy Butler with the team. “Until one of them come say something to me or talks to me, it’s just out there,” Beal said of the team’s front office decision makers. “I’m a Phoenix Sun and I’m here and I’m in the uniform. I don’t pay attention to that. They did that with me for 10 years.” Beal, 31, has a no-trade clause on his $50.2MM contract for this season. “Everybody is going to have an opinion about something. I think that kind of puts you in a negative head space. I don’t pay attention to it.”
Some opposing executives who have spoken to Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor (subscription required) believe the Cavaliers are interested in making a 2-for-1 trade prior to this year’s deadline to consolidate their depth. The Cavs have gotten off to a league-best 24-4 start in 2024/25, thanks in large part to that depth, but the team is just now getting back Max Strus and may want to try to dip below the luxury tax threshold, Fedor observes.

Spurs Notes: Roster, Possible New Arena, Trades, Sochan

December 20th, 2024 at 9:53pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Spurs’ roster was fully healthy for the first time all season for Thursday’s 133-126 overtime victory over Atlanta, writes Michael C. Wright of ESPN.

“It felt like a big relief,” All-Defensive center Victor Wembanyama said. “Even before the game, I think some of my teammates were still questionable. So we were like, ‘Is it the day, finally?'”

Capitalizing on the team’s surprising health edge, acting San Antonio head coach Mitch Johnson started Devin Vassell for the first time all year, moving Julian Champagnie to the bench for the first time since November 4. Vassell responded with 23 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals.

The story, of course, was Wembanyama, who led his team with 42 points, along with six rebounds, five assists and four rejections.

“I thought he imposed his will in a positive way tonight,” Johnson said. “You can see it physically just because of his sheer size when he’s demonstrative, playing with conviction, where he is going to get the ball to the spots he wants to get to and nothing’s going to stop him.”

San Antonio has gone 14-13 thus far this season, but in the competitive West, that’s only good for the No. 11 seed.

There’s more out of Alamo City:

A grassroots community group in San Antonio, COPS/Metro Alliance, has come out in opposition to the city using any of its own dollars for a proposed new Spurs arena downtown, per Molly Smith of The San Antonio Express-News. “Whoever says that this is a done deal I think is crazy, because it’s not a done deal,” said Sonia Rodriguez, leader of COPS/Metro Alliance.
In a Southwest Division mailbag, The Athletic’s Kelly Iko says he’s skeptical the Spurs will be open to offloading many of their rotational pieces in trades this season. Iko does suggest that – if the offer is good enough from a title hopeful – San Antonio could probably be convinced to part with Vassell or Champagnie. However, the club’s current roster seems capable of qualifying for this year’s play-tournament, Iko posits, adding that oft-injured veteran center Zach Collins, who is owed $34.7MM through 2025/26, may be the most tradable current Spur.
In addressing the Spurs’ current starting five, Iko advocates for a shooting-oriented group made up of point guard Chris Paul, Vassell, Champagnie, forward Harrison Barnes, and Wembanyama. Iko cautions, however, that relegating forward Jeremy Sochan and Castle to bench roles would naturally limit their defensive contributions to the roster.

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Guards, Celtics, Johnson

December 20th, 2024 at 8:42pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Although not much has gone right for the Sixers this year, the growing bond between rookie Philadelphia guard Jared McCain and veteran point guard Kyle Lowry is one of the bright spots. Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer examines the relationship between the 38-year-old former All-Star and the 20-year-old Duke alum.

“I call him Unc Lowry,” McCain said of Lowry. “Grandpa. Super vet. Super duper vet.”

McCain is now sidelined indefinitely after undergoing a left knee surgery. But prior to that, the No. 16 pick in this year’s draft was looking like a bona fide Rookie of the Year contender. Lowry’s tutelage has abetted the rookie’s early-season rise.

McCain had earned the Sixers’ starting shooting guard role by early November, but was versatile enough to also spell All-Star starter Tyrese Maxey at the point when he sat. Lowry talked him through that transition on the floor.

“Sometimes when I’m out there on the court, and I’m the only point guard out there, it’s hard for me to kind of adjust to being a shooting guard or a point guard,” McCain said. “Knowing where everybody is at on the court, being able to talk, being vocal. I’ve just got to adjust and be a leader.”

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

On Thursday, the Sixers got the green light from Philadelphia’s city council – on a vote of 12-5 – to construct a new $1.3 billion stadium downtown, per ESPN/The Associated Press. Local activists and residents from nearby Chinatown had been protesting the proposed deal. Sixers ownership hopes to relocate the club from its current home, Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia, to this new locale by 2031.
Although the Grousbeck family, majority owners of the Celtics franchise, had claimed they hoped to offload a majority ownership stake in the franchise by late 2024 or early 2025, no such agreement is yet on the horizon, a source informs Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. The source tells Himmelsbach that prospective buyers are still waiting on initial meetings with Celtics ownership, with bidding expected to tip off in January.
Nets forward Cameron Johnson is trying to ignore growing trade chatter ahead of this year’s February 6 deadline, reports Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “We’ve communicated that: Be where your feet are,” Johnson told Lewis of his conversations with Brooklyn brass. “I think the understanding is, don’t get caught up in things that we can’t control or things that are off the court when we have so much to worry about on the court.” Through his first 26 games this season, the 6’8″ vet is averaging 19.2 points (on .489/.431/.874 shooting splits), 4.5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per night.

Southeast Notes: Joseph, Daniels, Wizards, Hornets

December 20th, 2024 at 6:51pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Well-traveled Magic veteran guard Cory Joseph is becoming a valuable locker room presence for a rising young Orlando squad in his first season with the team, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel.

“The league’s getting younger and they keep me young, too,” Joseph said of his Magic teammates. “It continues to change and you have to continue to adapt. I’m asking a lot of questions as well, trying to learn from them.”

Rookie forward Tristan Da Silva, the No. 18 pick in this summer’s draft, sang the point guard’s praises.

“He’s a great leader for this team, even though he’s not on the court as much,” Da Silva said. “He still has a huge impact on this team.”

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

New Hawks guard Dyson Daniels‘s goal is to improve his shooting mechanics and increase his three-point output this season, per Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Williams notes Daniels has made 30.8% of his 3.4 three-point tries per game overall this season, but also enjoyed a more consistent run between November 18-29, when he nailed 42.9% of 3.5 attempts per game.
Washington, D.C.’s Capital One Arena, home to both the Wizards and the NHL’s Capitals, has gotten the green light for a $515MM renovation, ensuring that both clubs will stick around for the long-term, writes David Aldridge of The Athletic.
Following a Thursday loss to lowly Washington, the Hornets have now dropped nine of their last 10 contests and fallen to a 7-20 record on the year. Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer wonders how, or if, Charlotte will be able to right the ship this year, even in a less competitive Eastern Conference — three East play-in teams have records below .500, but Charlotte is 4.5 games back of the No. 10 seed. The Hornets’ “core four” of All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball, forwards Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges, and center Mark Williams has rarely been able to stay on the court together thus far this season.

Raptors Notes: Lineup, Mogbo, Barnes, Trade Candidates

December 20th, 2024 at 5:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors deployed their youngest starting lineup in franchise history in Thursday’s game vs. Brooklyn, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca, who notes that the average age of Ja’Kobe Walter, Jonathan Mogbo, Ochai Agbaji, Gradey Dick, and returning star Scottie Barnes was 22 years and 187 days. Agbaji, who is 24, called it “crazy” that he was the oldest starter in the lineup.

Missing reliable regulars like Jakob Poeltl, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley, the Raptors lost a winnable game to the Nets by a score of 101-94, but there were some intriguing takeaways, including the use of Mogbo as a switchable small-ball five, Murphy writes.

Toronto has been better defensively with Mogbo on the court this season and the rookie has provided some reasons for optimism with his play on the offensive end of the floor too, according to Murphy, though he’s still in the early stages of his NBA development.

“There is a lot, for sure, for him. He is learning a lot and every time,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said of Mogbo prior to the loss. “When you learn different positions that he’s played lately, different matchups, at some point it comes to you slowing down a little bit with your aggressiveness. But we are working through that, and we want him to be aggressive, we want him to be forceful and when he does that, he’s the player that we like.”

Here’s more on the Raptors:

The Raptors haven’t had much good fortune so far this season, but the team caught a break with Barnes’ speedy return from his ankle injury, notes Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link). The All-Star forward was originally projected to miss “several weeks” due to the sprain, but ended up missing just two games and returning to action 10 days after sustaining the injury. He had 16 points and six assists in 36 minutes on Thursday in his first game back.
Eric Koreen of The Athletic breaks down the Raptors’ roster into “trade tiers,” evaluating which players are the most and least likely to be on the move at this season’s deadline. Koreen classifies veteran swingman Bruce Brown, who is on a $23MM expiring contract, as Toronto’s most likely player to be traded, and suggests Chris Boucher, Bruno Fernando, Davion Mitchell, Kelly Olynyk, and Garrett Temple are the other top candidates to be moved.
Within the same story, Koreen says he views Barnes as essentially untouchable, with Barrett, Quickley, Dick, Agbaji, Mogbo, Walter, and Jamal Shead also unlikely to be dealt. That leaves Poeltl, who probably won’t be untouchable but also likely won’t go anywhere unless Toronto gets a very strong offer, Koreen says.
In case you missed it, the Raptors remained in the top 10 in Sportico’s latest NBA franchise valuations, coming in at $4.66 billion.

Grizzlies’ Vince Williams Out 3-6 More Weeks

December 20th, 2024 at 3:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Grizzlies wing Vince Williams still isn’t close to returning to action and will remain sidelined into the new year, according to a press release from the team (Twitter link).

Williams sustained a Grade 3 right ankle sprain on November 19. The Grizzlies announced two days later that the third-year swingman would be reevaluated in four weeks.

According to today’s update, Williams is making good progress in his recovery from his sprained ankle, but it’s expected to be another three-to-six weeks before he’s able to play again.

Even in a best-case scenario, a three-week timeline would put Williams on track to miss 10 more games and then make his return on January 11. If he requires six weeks to get healthy enough to suit up, the 24-year-old would be unavailable for the next 20 games and would remain on the shelf for all of January.

Williams took advantage of an opportunity for playing time last season when several Grizzlies regulars dealt with injuries of their own and averaged 10.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 27.6 minutes per game across 52 outings (33 starts). He posted a solid shooting line of .446/.378/.800 and appeared poised to be part of Memphis’ rotation this season even with the roster healthier.

However, Williams missed the first 12 games of the season due to a stress reaction in his left leg and then sprained his ankle in just his third game back.

The good news for the Grizzlies is that they’ve had the depth this season to handle a few injuries to rotation players and remain extremely competitive in the Western Conference. After blowing out Golden State on Thursday, Memphis holds the No. 2 seed in the West with a 19-9 record and ranks in the top five of the league in both offensive rating (117.0; fourth) and defensive rating (107.9; fifth).

If the Grizzlies continue to play that well and stay relatively healthy, Williams may have to fight to earn consistent rotation minutes when he returns in the new year.

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