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Clippers May Seek Buyout With John Wall If He’s Not Traded

February 4th, 2023 at 6:20pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers are attempting to trade point guard John Wall and may consider a buyout if they can’t find a deal, multiple sources tell Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times.

Wall, 32, signed with L.A. in July after reaching a buyout with Houston. His two-year contract includes a $6.479MM salary for this season and a $6.8MM team option for 2023/24.

After sitting out all of last season, Wall was playing fairly regularly before suffering an abdominal injury on January 13. He has missed the past 11 games, and Greif hears there are concerns about his fit with the Clippers for the remainder of the season.

Wall has averaged 11.4 points, 5.2 assists and 2.7 rebounds in 34 games, but he’s shooting just 40% from the field and 27% on pull-up jumpers. Wall also has a team-low minus-9.2 net rating, which measures the point differential between when he’s on the court and not.

Wall still doesn’t have a target date to return from his injury, although Greif notes that he was able to participate in a full-court scrimmage with coaches and some of his teammates this week. Wall wouldn’t comment directly on trade rumors, telling Greif that he’s concentrating on things he can control.

“This period for the whole league is interesting, trying to see if any trades happen, getting to see if teams stay healthy and stuff like that, so you kind of just all playing it by ear,” Wall said. “Kind of like, if you be here just try to figure out what your role is, and if you’re not here, then you got to try to find a new situation, like what the new situation might be and stuff like that. I’m just trying to focus on trying to get back and play. Just let everything else happen the way it’s going to happen.”

The Wall rumors come as the Clippers continue to search for point guard help before Thursday’s trade deadline. Greif identifies Toronto’s Fred VanVleet as the team’s number one target, and notes that Miami’s Kyle Lowry, Utah’s Mike Conley and Charlotte’s Terry Rozier have also been linked to L.A. in trade rumors. Greif doesn’t consider the Clippers to be a potential landing spot for Kyrie Irving, who submitted a trade request to the Nets on Friday.

Kyrie Irving Sitting Out First Game Since Trade Request

February 4th, 2023 at 5:10pm CST by Arthur Hill

In the wake of Friday’s trade request, Kyrie Irving won’t be active for the Nets‘ game tonight against the Wizards, tweets Nick Friedell of ESPN. Brooklyn has added Irving to its injury report, citing right calf soreness.

In a pre-game session with reporters, coach Jacque Vaughn said Irving didn’t attend the team’s afternoon walkthrough, and he’s not sure if Kyrie plans to show up for the game (Twitter link). Vaughn added that he considers Irving’s status to be day-to-day and doesn’t know when he might play again.

Vaughn reached out to Irving on Friday after the trade request became public, but not to talk about basketball or his future with the team, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link).

“There’s a business side to this thing and there’s a human side to this thing,” Vaughn said. “I elected to touch on the human side and check on him as an individual. I’ll leave the business side to (general manager) Sean (Marks) and that group.”

If Irving has played his last game for Brooklyn, Vaughn faces the challenge of trying to keep the team competitive, especially while Kevin Durant remains sidelined with a right MCL sprain, Lewis adds. Vaughn instructed his players to remain focused on business and shut out the distractions.

“I said to them, we’re not gonna make this weird,” he stated. “We’re here to play, we’re here to do a job, show up and do your job. I said you’ve done the first step of this thing … let’s do the work to get a win tonight.”

There’s more news regarding Irving:

Friedell reports that the Nets’ locker room feels “off” after Irving’s decision, but some players expressed support for him (Twitter link). Nic Claxton and Royce O’Neale admitted they were surprised by the trade request, but Claxton dismissed the idea that Irving let the team down. “At the end of the day we’re all our own individuals,” he said.
In a full story for the New York Post (subscription required), Lewis examines the organization’s options with Irving and cites a limited market for a trade to be completed before Thursday’s deadline. The Lakers are considered to be the most interested suitor, with one Western Conference general manager telling Lewis, “I think there’s only one team that actually wants him.” Lewis also doesn’t believe it’s out of the question that Irving could eventually re-sign with Brooklyn if he’s not dealt.
John Hollinger of The Athletic identifies nine teams that might have some interest in trading for Irving, listing the Lakers as the number one option. Hollinger states that a three-team trade may be the most likely outcome and notes that Brooklyn will be asking for players who can help right away, rather than draft picks.
Sources tell Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link) that the Hawks won’t be among the teams pursuing Irving.

Cavaliers Interested In Josh Hart

February 4th, 2023 at 4:01pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Cavaliers, who are looking to bolster their small forward position at the trade deadline, are one of multiple clubs registering “very strong interest” in Trail Blazers swingman Josh Hart, according to Marc Stein’s latest Substack story (subscriber link).

Hart, 27, is currently in the second season of a very reasonable three-year, $37.9MM deal. He has a player option for the 2023/24 season, meaning he can choose to enter unrestricted free agency this summer.

Across 49 games this year, all starts, the Villanova alum is averaging 9.4 PPG on .506/.311/.732 shooting splits. He’s also chipping in a career-high 8.1 RPG, along with 4.0 APG and 1.1 SPG.

Hart has the outlines of a solid 3-and-D contributor, but in his first full season for Portland, he is falling short on one element of that equation. Hart’s three-point shooting has regressed this season, in both volume and success rate. His 31.1% completion percentage represents a career low, and his 2.1 attempts per contest are likewise his lowest nightly average for a given season.

Cleveland could certainly use help along the wing. The team is currently starting raw swingman Isaac Okoro, a solid defender averaging a modest 6.0 PPG on .485/.333/.720 shooting splits on low volume.

Fischer’s Latest: Westbrook, Jazz, Nurkic, Burks, Reid, Centers

February 4th, 2023 at 3:40pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Lakers have talked recently to both the Hornets and Jazz about trades involving Russell Westbrook‘s expiring $47.1MM contract, per Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

Sources around the NBA inform Fischer that the Heat are not interested in trading incumbent starting point guard Kyle Lowry in a deal for Westbrook (and presumably future draft equity). Fischer notes that opposing clubs generally are hoping for both of L.A.’s two movable future first-round draft picks, in 2027 and 2029, in any Westbrook deal, a price the Lakers are hesitant to pay.

According to Fischer, point guard Mike Conley, swingman Malik Beasley and big man Jarred Vanderbilt would be a part of any trade for Westbrook if the Jazz and Lakers are able to reach a deal, but Utah is discussing all of those players with other teams as well.

Here’s more from Fischer:

The Jazz have talked at least to the Hawks, Trail Blazers, and Knicks about trades centered around both Vanderbilt and Beasley as a package deal. Sources inform Fischer that Utah shooting guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker has also been floated in some of these conversations.
Fischer reports that injured Trail Blazers starting center Jusuf Nurkic can be had on the trade market, though his pricey long-term contract has cooled rival teams’ interest.
Sources tell Fischer that the Pistons has interest in potentially signing reserve guard Alec Burks to an extension this offseason, as the team did in the fall with veteran forward Bogdan Bogdanovic. Detroit has expressed reluctance to trade either player at the deadline, Fischer adds.
Timberwolves reserve center Naz Reid has rejected potential contract extensions, making him a possible trade candidate, per Fischer. Reid is hoping to earn something in the neighborhood of $10MM per year, Fischer says, a price Minnesota may be reluctant to pay after having already invested heavily in its starting frontcourt of Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Fischer adds that other reserve centers could very well be on the move, as his sources indicate that the Sixers, Clippers, Trail Blazers, Nuggets, Nets, Celtics, Raptors and Kings are all looking to improve that position.

Sixers Interested In Jarred Vanderbilt

February 4th, 2023 at 1:34pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Reserve Jazz power forward Jarred Vanderbilt has emerged as a potential trade candidate for the Sixers, sources inform Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

The Sixers are hoping to shore up their frontcourt depth behind starters Tobias Harris and Joel Embiid. The prime backup at present is the undersized Montrezl Harrell. Fischer writes that Utah’s current asking price for Vanderbilt is a first-round draft selection, as has been previously reported.

Though Vanderbilt is traditionally more of a four than a five, his 6’11” wingspan, ability to defend all three frontcourt positions, and lateral speed could endear him to a Philadelphia club currently lacking much versatility among its bigs.

Vanderbilt is in the second year of a three-season, $13.1MM deal he inked while with the Timberwolves. This season with Utah, the 6’9″ big man out of Kentucky is averaging 8.3 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 2.7 APG, and 1.0 SPG. He was recently demoted to a reserve role with the Jazz, behind Kelly Olynyk and Walker Kessler.

Fischer also confirmed the continued interest of the Pacers in Vanderbilt’s services, which had been previously reported.

Bulls Notes: Drummond, White, Caruso, Williams

February 4th, 2023 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Bulls center Andre Drummond is averaging a career-low 12.8 minutes per game, but he’s making the most of his limited playing time. As K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago writes, when he racked up 15 points and 11 rebounds on Thursday vs. Charlotte, Drummond became the first player since Daryl Dawkins in 1979 to reach those statistical benchmarks while playing no more than 15 minutes.

“Am I OK with it? I’m never OK with it,” Drummond said of his modest role. “At the end of the day, I’m a basketball player and I want to play.

“But the circumstances that I’m in, I have to work my way back to where I want to get to. There are certain routes I have to take to get there. Me being a good teammate and showing guys that I’m here to do whatever it takes to help this team win is what’s going to help me get there. That’s what I’m going to do.”

Drummond, who last summer signed a two-year, $6.6MM contract that includes a second-year player option, is a candidate to be moved before next Thursday’s trade deadline. After reporting last month that it might be a quiet deadline for the Bulls, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times reiterated that point earlier this week, but said the team may still make a roster tweak or two, such as a deal involving Drummond.

Here’s more on the Bulls:

As of Friday, the Bulls were taking more calls than they were making, according to Cowley, who hears from one league executive that the team’s asking price remains “very high.” That applies not only to Chicago’s stars, but also to role players like Alex Caruso and Coby White.
League sources say the Bulls have turned down some overtures for White, Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic writes within a breakdown of the team’s top trade assets. Mayberry acknowledges that uncertainty about Lonzo Ball‘s status going forward may be an important factor in Chicago’s reluctance to move White — it’s still unclear whether the team considers the fourth-year guard a keeper beyond this season, when he’ll reach free agency.
Caruso (left midfoot soreness) and Patrick Williams (right ankle sprain) left Thursday’s game early after suffering injuries, as Ryan Taylor of NBC Sports Chicago writes. However, it doesn’t sound like either ailment is serious — both players are listed as questionable to play vs. Portland on Saturday night.

Knicks, Jazz Have Had Exploratory Talks About Beasley, Vanderbilt

February 4th, 2023 at 10:20am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks and Jazz have engaged in some exploratory conversations about a possible trade that would send wing Malik Beasley and forward Jarred Vanderbilt to New York, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

According to Scotto, the proposed deal would see Evan Fournier, Obi Toppin, and draft capital going to Utah.

As Scotto details, the specific draft assets going from the Knicks to the Jazz presumably represent the sticking point in the talks between the two teams. Utah has reportedly sought a first-round pick for Beasley and one for Vanderbilt as well.

Given that Fournier’s contract, which includes an $18.9MM guaranteed salary for 2023/24, is viewed as a negative asset, the Jazz may want another first-round pick for taking on that deal rather than simply considering him the salary-matching piece for Beasley. On the other hand, Toppin – the eighth overall pick in 2020 – should have positive value and could perhaps take the place of one of the first-rounders Utah is seeking, Scotto notes.

Of course, even if the Knicks and Jazz could agree on the number of first-round picks that would accompany Fournier and Toppin to Utah, the two teams may not see eye to eye on how those picks are protected.

New York controls several protected first-rounders from other teams, including Dallas’ 2023 pick (top-10 protected), Washington’s 2023 pick (top-14 protected), Detroit’s 2023 pick (top-18 protected), and Milwaukee’s 2025 pick (top-four protected). Of those selections, only Milwaukee’s has a chance to ultimately land in the top eight. The Knicks also have the ability to add protections to their own first-rounders if they’re willing to trade one or more of them.

However, CEO Danny Ainge made it a priority to stockpile unprotected first-round selections in his offseason trades involving Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. Beasley and Vanderbilt don’t carry the same value as those two All-Stars, so Ainge won’t have as much leverage in this instance, but he’ll still be pushing to make the protections as light as possible on any pick he acquires.

Current Knicks executive Gersson Rosas signed both Beasley and Vanderbilt to their current contracts when he was the head of basketball operations in Minnesota. Led by president of basketball operations Leon Rose, New York had interest in Beasley before he re-signed with the Wolves in 2020, Scotto writes.

Beasley has reportedly drawn interest this season from teams like Cleveland, Atlanta, Phoenix and New Orleans in addition to New York.

As for Vanderbilt, Scotto has heard that the Pacers have interest in the fifth-year forward, previously named the Suns as a possible suitor, and confirms that the Trail Blazers are in the mix as well. Forward Nassir Little is a player to watch if Portland gets involved in trade talks with Utah, Scotto adds.

Kyrie Irving Notes: Possible Suitors, Tsai, Nets’ Reaction

February 4th, 2023 at 9:14am CST by Luke Adams

Following Kyrie Irving‘s trade request on Friday, initial reporting identified the Lakers, Mavericks, and Suns as the point guard’s top potential suitors. Could there be other teams willing to enter the fray and make a play for the Nets star?

Don’t count on the Clippers being one of Irving’s suitors, ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on his latest Lowe Post podcast. Although the Clippers have been linked to some points guards who are considered trade candidates, Lowe and his guest Bobby Marks expressed skepticism that L.A. would have legitimate interest in acquiring Kyrie.

“Everything I’ve heard for a year is leading me to say I would be very, very surprised if the Clippers actually dip their toe into this Kyrie Irving situation,” Lowe said. “Maybe that’ll change if Kawhi (Leonard) goes to them and says, ‘Do this or else’ or whatever. I just don’t get the sense that they have the appetite for it.”

There has been some speculation that the Heat could get involved, but Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter links) says Miami won’t be aggressive in its pursuit of Irving. The Heat will monitor the situation and could be a landing spot if Brooklyn gets desperate, Jackson says, but other suitors will likely be more motivated. Jackson adds that Irving “doesn’t exactly fit the qualities” the Heat value in their players, including “reliability, selflessness, (and) putting (the) team first.”

Sam Amick of The Athletic offers up the Jazz as an outside-the-box suitor for Irving, observing that CEO Danny Ainge wouldn’t have the same reservations about Kyrie that some other executives would, even though his time in Boston didn’t necessarily go as planned.

Amick is just speculating though — there’s no indication the Jazz have actually expressed interest in Irving. I’d be surprised if they do, given that the chemistry in the locker room has been a major asset in Utah this season, and Irving may not have any desire to re-sign with the Jazz when his contract expires in the summer.

Here’s more on the Irving situation:

League sources with knowledge of the Mavericks‘ thinking downplayed Dallas’ chances of landing Irving, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. In the same story, Scotto says the Nets are fans of Mikal Bridges. However, it’s highly unlikely the Suns would be willing to give him up in a deal for Irving.
Nets owner Joe Tsai was firmly against the idea of offering Irving a maximum-salary extension last summer and that stance hasn’t changed, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter video link). Begley doesn’t specify whether Tsai is only opposed to the idea of a long-term maximum extension for Kyrie or if he’d also be opposed to guaranteeing him the max for one or two years. Either way, the difference in opinions on Irving’s value going forward was clearly the driving factor in his decision to request a trade.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst stated on his Hoop Collective podcast that he believes the Nets were surprised by Irving’s trade request, as RealGM relays. A source close to people in the organization who spoke to Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com conveyed a similar sentiment. “People are walking around like, ‘What the f–k just happened?’ It’s crazy,” the source said. “Crazy. But we’ve seen it before there, so nobody should be that surprised. Crazy.” One player source who spoke to Bulpett speculated that Irving’s trade request was a gambit designed to get him the sort of extension he wants.
After “a few months in the sun,” the Nets find themselves in a familiar place, clouded by chaos, Alex Schiffer writes for The Athletic. Elsewhere at The Athletic, John Hollinger explores what an Irving trade might look like for nine different teams, including extreme long shots like the Pelicans and Bulls.
Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post argues that the Nets should give Irving the trade he wants and “end the charade” of trying to mollify him in Brooklyn.

Kelly Oubre Discusses Hand Injury, Trade Rumors

February 4th, 2023 at 8:02am CST by Luke Adams

Hornets forward Kelly Oubre, who is recovering from a procedure to repair a torn ligament in his left hand, said he would have liked to avoid surgery but ultimately decided to defer to the experts, as Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer writes.

“Dr. Carlson said that if I waited to have surgery, my finger and my ligaments would have folded up into my knuckle and I would have a sideways pinkie. And I didn’t really want that,” Oubre said. “So, it was one of those things. I had to talk to my family, talk to my coaches and the staff about. And I think the best deal was for me to get this right so I could perform at 100%.”

According to Boone, Oubre is still wearing a splint on his hand but will transition to a smaller brace next week and hopes to return to action as soon after the All-Star break as possible. He said it has been “terrible” having to watch from the sidelines so far in 2023.

“I’ve never really sat out during the season … for this amount of time,” Oubre noted. “It’s just tough, man, watching my guys put in the pain, go out there and compete, play and have fun and just win games.”

Of course, given that the 15-39 Hornets are expected to be sellers and Oubre is a veteran on an expiring contract, there’s no guarantee he’ll still be in Charlotte once he’s ready to play.

One report published almost a month ago suggested that the Suns, Cavaliers, and Raptors were among the teams with some interest in the 27-year-old before he suffered his hand injury, and a more recent report said the Hornets are engaged in trade talks involving him.

For his part, Oubre would rather stay put, stating this week that he’d love it if the Hornets opt to hang onto him.

“I hope they just keep my name out of it,” he said of the team’s trade talks, per Boone. “I’m looking for a home somewhere where I can just win, and grow, and continue to perfect my craft and also help this city, help this organization. I love everyone on this team and this staff, so I would love to stay here.

““I’m from New Orleans. The New Orleans Hornets used to be my favorite team and now I play for the Charlotte Hornets. And it couldn’t come more full circle than that. So, hopefully God has got in his plan for me to stay.”

Trade Rumors: Irving, Lakers, Walker, Rozier, Mavs, More

February 3rd, 2023 at 10:58pm CST by Rory Maher

Many around the league believe Kyrie Irving‘s preferred landing spot is the Lakers, according to reports from Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports and Marc Stein at Substack, among others.

Count Lakers legend Magic Johnson, formerly the team’s president of basketball operations, as a supporter of acquiring Irving.

“Personally, I’d love to see Kyrie in the purple and gold,” he said (via Twitter).

Irving, of course, won a championship with LeBron James while the two were on the Cavaliers in 2015/16. James also acknowledged Irving’s trade request, cryptically tweeting out an eye emoji and a crown.

However, the Nets are expected to be a buyer at the deadline, which could complicate matters, Stein notes. It’s hard to imagine getting equal value for Irving considering the market for him is reportedly pretty thin.

The Lakers do indeed have interest in Irving, sources tell Jovan Buha of The Athletic. The likely framework would be Russell Westbrook and their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks in exchange for Irving and Joe Harris, per Buha’s sources.

L.A. would push to lottery-protect at least one of those picks, according to Buha, who suggests a third team might have to be involved, depending on Brooklyn’s goals. The Lakers don’t have interest in trading Austin Reaves or Max Christie in a potential Irving package, sources tell Buha.

Interestingly, Lonnie Walker and Patrick Beverley could be involved in an Irving deal or in another trade in order to upgrade the rotation, Buha reports. Beverley’s inclusion is no surprise, but this is the first time this season I’ve seen Walker’s name involved in trade rumors.

Here are more trade rumors from around the NBA:

The Lakers have reportedly had preliminary talks with the Jazz regarding Westbrook, but they remain interested in Hornets guard Terry Rozier, sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
Executives with knowledge of Dallas’ plans tell Goodwill that the Mavericks would definitely take Irving, the question is at what cost. Head coach Jason Kidd is a proponent of acquiring the star point guard, according to Fischer’s sources. Dallas has “confidence in Kidd’s coaching ability to connect with Irving,” Stein writes.
There isn’t universal agreement within the Mavericks‘ organization about adding Irving, however. Some front office members have concerns about Irving’s long-term fit with Luka Doncic, according to sources Tim Cato of The Athletic spoke to. The concern is centered on how they’d mesh in the locker room, as they have “drastically different off-court personas.”
According to Stein, the Nets are believed to be interested Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith in a potential Irving deal, but the Mavericks “would surely insist” on trying to shed the contract of either Tim Hardaway Jr. or Davis Bertans. Dinwiddie played for the Nets from 2016-2021, so they’re very familiar with him as a person and player.
The Mavericks are also interested in Hawks swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic, as “they’re desperate and determined” to get help for Doncic, says Goodwill.