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Bulls May Have Quiet Trade Deadline

January 15th, 2023 at 2:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Due to their up-and-down play so far this season, the Bulls have been a popular target for trade speculation, with outside sources wondering whether players like Nikola Vucevic, Alex Caruso, or even Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan might hit the trade block.

However, multiple sources tell Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times that it actually might be a “very quiet” trade deadline for the Bulls.

There’s still time for Chicago’s outlook to change between now and the February 9 deadline, but based on what we’ve heard from the reporters who cover the team, it doesn’t sound as if the 19-24 Bulls are as eager to sell as those outside the organization want them to be.

K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago stated earlier this week that he thinks the Bulls are actually more likely to be buyers than sellers. If that’s the case, it would mean players like Vucevic, Caruso, LaVine, and DeRozan almost certainly going anywhere.

Still, given that their record is just 19-24 and they’ve already traded away multiple future first-round picks, the Bulls seem unlikely to make a huge splash on the trade market as a buyer either. Johnson suggested that if they do seek a rotation upgrade, a deal might involve Coby White and the 2023 lottery-protected pick Portland owes to Chicago. That sort of package probably wouldn’t bring back an impact player or change the makeup of the roster too significantly.

Of course, it’s also possible that the Bulls simply decide to stand pat and hope that point guard Lonzo Ball is able to return to action at some point in the second half, boosting the team’s play-in and playoff chances. In that scenario, the front office could reassess the roster in the offseason as Vucevic becomes a free agent and DeRozan enters a contract year, deciding on a direction at that point.

Again, things could change between now and February 9. The Bulls are currently on a three-game losing streak that includes defeats to two current lottery teams (Washington and Oklahoma City) — if that slide continues, perhaps president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas will become more willing to sell. But as long as the club remains firmly in the play-in picture, it sounds like that’s not Plan A.

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John Wall To Miss At Least Two Weeks With Abdominal Strain

January 15th, 2023 at 12:44pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Clippers have announced that reserve point guard John Wall has suffered an abdominal strain, per Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).

Turner adds that Wall is set to be reassessed in two weeks, meaning at minimum he will be out for that long.

Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN tweets that, in the interval, Reggie Jackson will step in to replace Wall as the team’s primary backup point guard.

Wall, 32, had been playing competently through his 34 healthy games with L.A., though his shooting numbers were somewhat inefficient. He’s averaging 11.4 PPG on .408/.303/.681 shooting in 22.2 MPG. Wall is also dishing out 5.2 APG and grabbing 2.7 RPG.

Wall has been open recently about the challenges he has faced in dealing with a minutes limit and modifying his workout regimen since joining the Clippers.

In additional Clippers injury news, Turner tweets that starting power forward Marcus Morris has incurred a left calf contusion and is considered day-to-day. Through 41 games this season, Morris holds averages of 13.3 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 1.7 APG. The 6’8″ big man boasts a slash line of .441/.382/.803.

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Eastern Notes: Beal, Porzingis, Knicks, Caruso, Ibaka, Rubio

January 15th, 2023 at 11:59am CST by Luke Adams

Bradley Beal, who has been sidelined for the Wizards‘ last four games due to a low-grade left hamstring strain, is nearing a return.

According to Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link), Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. said today that Beal has been upgraded to questionable for Monday’s game vs. Golden State. If the star guard doesn’t end up playing in that contest, his next chance to return would be on Wednesday in New York.

Here’s more from around the East:

  • In a Q&A with Mark Medina of NBA.com, Wizards big man Kristaps Porzingis discussed why he feels comfortable in D.C., what he’s doing this season to stay healthy, and why his stints with the Knicks and Mavericks didn’t work out as hoped.
  • The Knicks have been scouting the Bulls “closely” as of late, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, who suggests New York would be a team to watch if Chicago decides to make guard Alex Caruso available.
  • Bucks big man Serge Ibaka wasn’t with the team on its four-game road trip this past week due to personal reasons, and it doesn’t sound like that will change anytime soon. According to Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link), head coach Mike Budenholzer said on Saturday that he doesn’t expect Ibaka to rejoin the club when it returns home. The Bucks will play in Milwaukee on Monday and Tuesday before heading back out on the road.
  • After returning to action on Thursday following a year-long recovery from an ACL tear, Ricky Rubio said he was “grateful” to be playing basketball again, per ESPN’s Kevin Pelton. While he acknowledged there were “a lot of emotions” in his first game back, the veteran point guard added that he’s already thinking about what the rest of the season will look like for him and the Cavaliers. “I didn’t work just to come back today,” Rubio said. “I worked hard to come back stronger than ever. It’s not just about today. I’m looking forward to having a strong season, not just a comeback season.”
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Rockets’ Green, Tate Suspended One Game By NBA

January 15th, 2023 at 10:44am CST by Luke Adams

Rockets guard Jalen Green and forward Jae’Sean Tate have each been suspended one game without pay for leaving the bench area during an on-court altercation on Friday in Sacramento, the league announced today (via Twitter).

As we previously detailed, the skirmish began in the fourth quarter of Sacramento’s win over Houston when Kings guard Malik Monk took exception to a loose-ball foul committed by Rockets guard Garrison Mathews (Twitter video link via Bleacher Report).

Following an official review, referees ejected both Monk and Mathews, along with Kings big man Chimezie Metu, who was called an “escalator,” and Rockets forward Tari Eason, who was referred to as an “instigator,” according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.

The players directly involved in the incident escaped without suspensions, though the NBA has fined Mathews $35K and Monk $25K. The league deemed Mathews to be the instigator of the altercation, but said Monk continued it, with both players taunting one another.

While Metu won’t face an additional penalty, Eason has been fined $30K for escalating the fracas and making inadvertent contact with a game official, per the NBA.

Green and Tate weren’t directly involved in the incident, but a player who is not already in the game and leaves the bench in a situation like this one automatically receives a one-game ban. Orlando, for instance, recently had eight players hit with one-game suspensions for doing the same thing during an altercation in Detroit.

Green and Tate will serve their suspensions on Sunday when the Rockets visit the Clippers. They’ll lose 1/145th of their full-season salaries, which works out to about $65K for Green and $49K for Tate.

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Jakob Poeltl Drawing Significant Trade Interest

January 15th, 2023 at 9:53am CST by Luke Adams

Spurs center Jakob Poeltl is receiving “a lot” of interest on the trade market, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said during a TV appearance (YouTube video link). However, it remains to be seen how open San Antonio will be to moving him.

Identifying Poeltl as one of the “real pivotal players” of this season’s trade deadline, Wojnarowski notes that there seems to be more trade interest than usual in centers like the Spurs’ big man this season, with multiple contenders seeing value in strengthening that position. San Antonio will likely receive some “real significant offers” for Poeltl on or before the February 9 deadline, Wojnarowski adds.

Still, there’s no guarantee the 27-year-old will be on the move. The Spurs like Poeltl a lot and wouldn’t mind hanging onto him, according to Wojnarowski, especially since they’ll have a chance to win the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes in the spring. Woj suggests that the team views Poeltl as an ideal fit at the five alongside Wembanyama, who could slot in at the four.

Of course, even if they finish with the NBA’s worst record, the Spurs won’t have more than a 14% shot at the No. 1 overall pick, so their odds of landing Wembanyama will be slim. Additionally, they’re not in a good position to lock up Poeltl to an extension before he reaches unrestricted free agency this summer.

Poeltl is technically extension-eligible, but because he’s only earning about $9.4MM this season, the amount he can receive on an in-season deal is limited. His maximum extension would be worth about $58MM over four years, which isn’t expected to appeal to him, per Wojnarowski.

“He’s going to get more than that in free agency,” Woj said. “He’s not going to do that deal now.”

Poeltl’s contract situation will create a dilemma for the Spurs, who will have to decide at the trade deadline whether it’s worth taking the best offer on the table or whether they want to roll the dice with the veteran center next summer, betting on either re-signing him or recouping some value in a sign-and-trade deal.

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21 More NBA Players Become Trade-Eligible

January 15th, 2023 at 8:23am CST by Luke Adams

Today is Sunday, January 15, which means that nearly two dozen players who signed free agent contracts meeting specific criteria this past offseason are now eligible to be traded.

Most offseason signees became trade-eligible on December 15, but players who met the following criteria were ineligible to be moved for an extra month:

  1. The player re-signed with his previous team.
  2. He got a raise of at least 20%.
  3. His salary is worth more than the minimum.
  4. His team was over the cap and used Bird or Early Bird rights to sign him.

The following players met that criteria and are eligible to be traded as of Sunday:

(* Players marked with an asterisk have the ability to veto trades.)

Most of the players on NBA rosters are now eligible to be moved, though a small handful still can’t be dealt. That group includes Thunder guard Isaiah Joe, who becomes trade-eligible on Monday, Bucks swingman Pat Connaughton (trade-eligible on Wednesday), and Thunder forward Kenrich Williams (trade-eligible on Friday).

There are also several players who won’t become trade-eligible before this season’s February 9 deadline, including Lakers star LeBron James. Players on 10-day contracts are also ineligible to be dealt.

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Pacific Notes: Wall, Trade Deadline, Williams, Brown

January 14th, 2023 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Clippers guard John Wall gave himself a “low C” when asked to rate his comeback season after 34 games, writes Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. Wall’s shooting percentages are close to what they were when he last played regularly — although his turnover rate is a concern — and he’s confident that things will improve.

“The season will get better for me,” Wall said. “It’s tough being on a minute restriction. It’s tough like, trying to figure out guys, figure out what roles you’re going to be. Still frustrated by not getting a lot of, no calls, it ain’t going to never change, I feel like. I think it’s always an excuse. I think we just trying to figure out as a team and as a group and try to get better game by game.”

The Clippers had Wall adjust his workout routine, which featured frequent weightlifting while he was idle with the Rockets last season. Coach Tyronn Lue also made a change to Wall’s playing style that has him taking more catch-and-shoot jumpers, rather than the pull-up variety he preferred when he was an All-Star in Washington.

“Just getting him used to playing that style of basketball when he’s been playing a different way his whole career,” Lue said. “It’s kind of tough, but he’s been doing a good job.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

  • Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register has suggestions for both L.A. teams ahead of the trade deadline. She believes the Lakers should be aggressive in finding another shooter — either Bojan Bogdanovic from the Pistons or Doug McDermott or Josh Richardson from the Spurs, while the Clippers should target a big man with energy, such as the Pacers center Myles Turner, Hawks forward John Collins or Jazz center Kelly Olynyk.
  • Suns coach Monty Williams refused to get into a war of words with Jae Crowder, who said the coaching staff didn’t appreciate what he brought to the team, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Crowder has sat out the entire season so far while Phoenix searches for a trade. “The thing that I’ve been consistent with is the stuff that goes on here, stays here,” Williams said. “I’m not one to use the media to get a point across. It’s just not my way. It’s not how we do business.
  • Kings coach Mike Brown is campaigning for De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis to be named All-Stars, saying “shame on the whole process” if they aren’t included, per Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee. “Hopefully sooner than later, these guys will start getting the appropriate love from around the league that they deserve,” Brown said. “Starting with the media, because the media has a lot of influence.”
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Nets Notes: Warren, Durant, D. Smith, Watanabe

January 14th, 2023 at 9:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

It didn’t take T.J. Warren long to prove he can still play at a high level, but the Nets are focused more on keeping him healthy for the playoffs than maximizing his contributions during the regular season, writes Greg Joyce of The New York Post. Warren missed nearly two full seasons due to foot injuries before returning to the court in early December.

“Every game, I’m feeling more and more like myself,” he said. “Two years is a long time, two calendar years going through multiple foot problems. But I feel great. Mentally, I’m in a good space. I just want to continue to get better and help this team win as much as I can.”

Through 17 games, Warren is averaging 10.5 points off the bench in 20.4 minutes per night. Coach Jacque Vaughn considered moving Warren into the starting lineup in the wake of Kevin Durant‘s injury, but opted for Joe Harris instead in an effort to control Warren’s workload.

“I’ve told him this message: That’s my No. 1 goal, that he’s healthy and hooping in the playoffs, showing his skills off to the rest of the world,” Vaughn said. “That would be the kind of guiding light. Will I be tempted at times (to push his minutes) if he’s rolling? For sure, every coach would be. But hopefully for his longevity, for the group, we’ll put him in a position to succeed the whole year.”

There’s more from Brooklyn:

  • The Nets haven’t decided how involved Durant will be while he recovers from his sprained MCL, according to Alec Sturm of Nets Daily. Vaughn explained that Durant hasn’t been on the bench because the team doesn’t want to risk someone running into him during game action. It also hasn’t been determined how much Durant will travel with the team and whether he’ll consider playing in the All-Star Game, although Vaughn expressed hope that he’ll be fully recovered by the February 19 event.
  • Vaughn also offered some insight into Dru Smith, who signed a two-way contract with the Nets on Friday, Sturm adds. “A guard that has some athleticism, good size, competes, so areas that we really love,” Vaughn said at Saturday’s practice. “I think he has some upside to get better. So (we) look forward to him being a part of our group and getting him involved pretty quickly with (G League affiliate) Long Island. He just landed and went through his physical, so he’ll be around and there’s a possibility he’ll be with the rest of the group watching tomorrow.”
  • Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required) talks to Yuta Watanabe about the impact his success in Brooklyn is having in Japan.
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Celtics Notes: Udoka, Mazzulla, Pritchard, Jackson, White

January 14th, 2023 at 8:32pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics continue to hope their coaching situation resolves itself with Ime Udoka landing another job, but a rival general manager tells Steve Bullpett of Heavy that may not be likely. Although Boston is expected to keep Joe Mazzulla in place beyond this season, he’s still technically the interim coach. Udoka’s suspension for an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate will expire June 30, and the team may have to negotiate a settlement to keep both Udoka and Mazzulla happy.

The problem appeared to be solved when Udoka emerged as the frontrunner for the Nets’ job after they parted ways with Steve Nash in November. But Brooklyn officials changed their minds about hiring Udoka, which the GM believes may reflect the opinion around the league.

“There’s still a lot of question about all that went on with him, but even just the fact that he didn’t fight the suspension says something,” the GM said. “From a team standpoint, it’s hard to bring him in right now. You’ve got women on your staff that could have a problem with it, and there’s the public. … Just the social media climate would bring a lot of criticism.”

There’s more on the Celtics:

  • Payton Pritchard has sat out 14 games this season due to coach’s decision, but he has been delivering when called on, observes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Pritchard turned in solid performances this week while replacing Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown, and he might see regular minutes during Brown’s expected absence. There have been trade rumors regarding Pritchard, who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension during the offseason, but he’s been trying to ignore them and focus on playing. “Obviously I hear it, I see it,” he said. “I know what it is. But that’s not something I can focus on. I’ll let my agent handle that and (team president) Brad (Stevens). I’ll focus on basketball.”
  • The decision to keep Justin Jackson on the roster past last weekend’s salary guarantee date was made to provide insurance in case of a long-term injury to Brown or Jayson Tatum, Brian Robb of MassLive states in a mailbag column. The Celtics don’t have many other options at the wing, Robb adds, so it was safer to guarantee Jackson’s contract than to fill the opening through 10-day deals.
  • Derrick White was forced to leave Saturday’s game at Charlotte after spraining his neck midway through the first quarter, per Souichi Terada of MassLive.
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Lakers Notes: Cousins, Leonard, Brown, Davis, Reaves, Walker

January 14th, 2023 at 7:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

DeMarcus Cousins and Meyers Leonard were impressive during workouts with the Lakers, coach Darvin Ham told reporters, including Dave McMenamin of ESPN, after Saturday’s practice. Both free agent centers auditioned Friday for L.A., which is seeking frontcourt help with Anthony Davis sidelined by a foot injury.

“They both looked great,” Ham said. “Whether or not we’re able to do something with them is a different story. But we’re constantly trying to kick the tires on different scenarios.”

Cousins, a four-time All-Star, is hoping for another NBA opportunity at age 32 after playing for the Bucks and Nuggets last season. McMenamin notes that Cousins signed with the Lakers as a free agent in 2019, but an injury suffered during that summer prevented him from playing. Even though he was waived in February of that season, he remained close to the team and received a championship ring when L.A. won the title.

Leonard, 30, is hoping to revive his career after being out of the league since 2021 due to injuries and the fallout from an antisemitic slur. During that time, he has been rehabbing after shoulder and ankle surgeries, according to McMenamin, and working to repair his reputation.

There’s more on the Lakers:

  • Sterling Brown‘s 10-day contract will expire Sunday night, and Ham was noncommittal when asked if the team plans to keep him on the roster, McMenamin adds. Brown, who also played for Ham when he was an assistant coach with the Bucks, has gone scoreless in four games with L.A. while averaging 2.0 rebounds and 0.8 steals in 6.0 minutes per night. “It depends on our health status and what we feel comfortable doing and making as a next step,” Ham said. The Lakers currently have a full roster and would need to open up a spot before they could sign Cousins or Leonard.
  • Davis, who has been out of action since December 16, did some on-court work during today’s practice, tweets Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. Ham said Davis is “trending in the right direction.”
  • Austin Reaves, who’s dealing with a strained left hamstring, was able to do individual drills at practice today, tweets Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. Ham said Lonnie Walker is making progress toward returning from left knee tendinitis. Both players are projected to have their conditions reevaluated sometime this week.
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