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Heat Exploring Kyle Lowry Trades

January 22nd, 2024 at 2:01pm CST by Rory Maher

Accomplished veteran Kyle Lowry is a natural trade candidate for the Heat due to his declining production and $29.7MM expiring contract. While he has been involved in countless rumors over the years, including the past year-plus with Miami, Lowry’s name hasn’t popped up in many reports during the 2023/24 season to this point.

However, Miami “continues” to discuss the 37-year-old point guard in potential trades, sources tell Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. That implies the Heat either restarted or perhaps never stopped exploring Lowry deals.

Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscription required) goes a step further, suggesting that Lowry’s time in Miami “appears to be” nearing its end. Winderman says a resolution to Lowry’s situation is “not only expected” by next month’s trade deadline, it could occur as early as this week.

Lowry started his first 35 games this season, but he was moved to the bench for Friday’s loss vs. Atlanta and that continued for Sunday’s defeat to Orlando. Miami has dropped three straight games and is currently the No. 6 seed in the East with a 24-19 record.

According to Winderman, Lowry was granted permission to travel away from the team after Wednesday’s loss to the Raptors in Toronto. Lowry played nine seasons with the Raptors, making six All-Star teams and helping Toronto win its first title in 2019. But he got caught in bad weather and was late returning to Miami on Friday, leaving his status against the Hawks uncertain — and opening the door for a lineup change. Head coach Erik Spoelstra started Caleb Martin in Lowry’s place.

“We are not where we want to be,” Spoelstra said, per Chiang. “That’s not an indictment on one player. Kyle has been great as a starter and really impactful last year off the bench. So this really isn’t about him. This is about us trying to get to a higher level on both ends of the court, but also offensively. Combinations do matter, rotations do matter, lineups that bring out the best in each other do matter. And I’m still in the process of trying to help the team figure that out.”

Lowry’s overall numbers are solid, if unspectacular. He has averaged 8.2 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 4.0 APG and 1.1 SPG on .426/.385/.833 shooting in 28.0 MPG through 37 games, but his usage rate is a career low 13.3% and his counting stats have all dropped considerably, Chiang notes. Lowry is 0-for-17 from three-point range over the past five games, averaging just 2.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG and 3.6 APG in 25.7 MPG over that span.

For his part, Lowry didn’t exactly sound thrilled with the demotion, but said he was trying to make the best of it.

“For me as a professional, of course I’m disappointed to have to adjust,” Lowry said after going 1-for-9 in 25 minutes off the bench on Sunday. “But I haven’t played well in the last couple weeks and I understand that coach has made a decision to try to move and shake some things and get in a different flow. So as a professional, of course it’s an adjustment. But I have to make it and figure out how to help the team win.”

As Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald observes (via Twitter), the big question is whether the Heat will be willing to take on a multiyear contract in exchange for Lowry’s expiring deal. Doing so would likely put them deep into luxury tax territory in the coming years, which would hurt their roster flexibility due to restrictions from the second tax apron. Still, the Heat could make future trades to shed salary in that scenario, Jackson notes.

Celtics Notes: Porzingis, Brown, Pritchard, Horford, G. Williams

January 22nd, 2024 at 11:56am CST by Arthur Hill

With the Rockets focused on shutting down Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics relied on Kristaps Porzingis in Sunday’s win at Houston, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Providing an option that Boston has lacked in recent seasons, the 7’3″ Porzingis was able to easily shoot over Houston’s smaller defenders on a 32-point night.

“Each night it could be a different guy that has a good game,” Porzingis said. “And we have the trust in each other that we’re willing to sacrifice, ‘let’s get this guy the ball, he’s having a good night.’ And tonight it was my night. Got a couple passes from (Brown) late and took advantage of the mismatch.”

Porzingis also sank a season-high six three-pointers as he tormented the Rockets from both inside and outside. With Porzingis dominating the scoring, Brown became a distributor, registering a triple double and reaching 10 assists for the first time in almost two years.

“He’s becoming a better play-maker, he’s becoming a better guy at understanding the flow of the game,” coach Joe Mazzulla said. “There were a couple of plays that were a direct learning experience from the (Denver) game with the reads and them trying to change matchups. I thought Jaylen did a good job of playing with poise, using his speed to generate a cross-match, finding it and making the right play. He continues to get better and better.”

There’s more on the Celtics:

Rockets coach Ime Udoka noted the development of Payton Pritchard, whose playing time was limited during the season Udoka coached in Boston, Washburn states in a separate story. Udoka gave more minutes to veteran guard Dennis Schröder before he was traded at midseason. “The year I was there [Pritchard] wasn’t happy, and was visibly unhappy at times,” Udoka recalled. “You understand what we had with the guys that were playing in front of him. Obviously Dennis was playing at a high level, but once the trade happened what I told him was to stay patient and be ready at all times, which I knew he was going to be. He came and talked to me about it two or three times to convey that message. But he was ready when it counted.”
Al Horford sat out Sunday’s game and will be active for tonight’s contest at Dallas, Washburn adds. The Celtics continue to be careful with the 37-year-old big man, who hasn’t played in a back-to-back since returning to Boston in 2021. “Mostly it’s just what’s best for the team,” Mazzulla explained about the decision process on when to play Horford. “He’s very open. Whatever he has to do for the team, he’ll do. Just an ongoing discussion about what the matchups are, what we think is best for him and the team.”
Brown joked that he expects former teammate Grant Williams to have “an annoying game” when the Mavericks host the Celtics tonight, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. Williams was a vocal presence during his four seasons in Boston before being shipped to Dallas in a sign-and-trade deal last summer.

Raptors Notes: Brown, Rebuilding, Barrett, Quickley, Boucher

January 22nd, 2024 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Bruce Brown‘s life has been a whirlwind over the past week and it might not slow down for a while, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet. After picking up his championship ring January 14 in Denver, Brown arrived at Pacers’ practice on Wednesday and learned he had been traded to Toronto. He took his physical a day later and played that night. On Friday, he was on a plane with his new teammates for Saturday’s game in New York.

Brown may be on the move again, as he’s still a popular trade target ahead of the February 8 deadline. He told Grange that he expected to remain with Indiana all season, but he knew the contract he signed last summer, which includes a $23MM team option for 2024/25, made him a candidate to be dealt.

“Did I think I was gonna be [in Indiana] the whole year? Yes,” Brown said. “But obviously, the second year is a team option. But signing the deal I knew it was going to be maybe I stay, maybe they get off the deal. I knew at some point, something would happen. But when the season started I knew something would happen just because of how good [the Pacers] were doing and how they’re trying to maximize [Tyrese Haliburton’s] time there. I was told they weren’t trying to move me, but I was a big part of the deal [for Pascal Siakam], so …”

There’s more from Toronto:

The Raptors will need to be patient after trading Siakam for what amounts to future assets, observes Blake Murphy of Sportsnet. While Brown has immediate value, there’s no guarantee he’ll be with the organization past the deadline. Jordan Nwora and Kira Lewis provide bench depth, but they’re both young and will need consistent minutes to develop into reliable players. Murphy adds that while the organization isn’t embarking on a traditional rebuilding process, the 2025/26 season is probably the earliest that it will be playoff relevant again.
RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and OG Anunoby all seem to be in better spots in the wake of last month’s trade with the Knicks, observes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. After the teams met Saturday in New York, Koreen noted that Anunoby’s three-and-D skills fit best on a contender, while Barrett and Quickley can take on a larger role in the offense without having to accommodate Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle.
Toronto is exploring trades involving Chris Boucher, who is the last player remaining from the 2019 title team, Murphy said on “The Raptors Show” pocdast (Twitter link from Evan Sidery of Forbes Sports).

Pistons Notes: Muscala, Thompson, Ivey, Cap Room

January 22nd, 2024 at 10:06am CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons got a strong performance from their new-look bench in Saturday’s loss to Milwaukee, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. Alec Burks scored 33 points and teamed with newly acquired Mike Muscala to hit 11-of-18 shots from beyond the arc as Detroit’s reserves put up 85 points, the most of any team this season. Muscala has noticed a commitment to effort from his new teammates since being acquired in a trade last week.

“Guys play really hard here, and it’s an honor to be a part of that,” he said. “It was a good game today, we just couldn’t get it done, especially on defense. We get a chance to play them again on Monday, and obviously they’re a great team. They have a lot of weapons on offense, but I thought we battled hard today.”

Rookie forward Ausar Thompson, who started for much of the first half of the season, has also become an important part of the bench unit, and Sankofa notes that his rebounding and ability to attack the basket make him an effective complement to Muscala. Coach Monty Williams seems confident in his current bench group.

“Ausar coming off the bench and knocking down shots was huge for his confidence and huge for the development of our young group,” Williams said. “Having (Danilo) Gallinari and Mike out there, they’re seamlessly fitting in and figuring out how we play. Burks has been phenomenal. His ability to score the ball, his ability to communicate and help the young guys on the floor have helped us a ton. You don’t typically get that kind of bench production, but with the vets we have coming off the bench, it certainly helps us.”

There’s more from Detroit:

Jaden Ivey has excelled over the past two weeks with Cade Cunningham sidelined by a left knee strain, and he’ll continue to have a role in running the offense once Cunningham returns, Sankofa adds. “It’s good to see him not just score the ball. Like I said he’s defending, attacking the basket, knocking down open shots,” Williams said. “I think it’s going to be a good complement with those two playing together within the system.”
The Pistons could have $60MM in cap room this summer, and James L. Edwards III and John Hollinger of The Athletic look at how they might spend it, agreeing that it’s likely to be more useful in trading for big salaries rather than signing free agents. Hollinger speculates that the Pistons might have interest in Andrew Wiggins if the Warriors can’t move him before the trade deadline, although he’s a gamble with three years and $85MM left on his contract. Hollinger mentions a few other potential targets with long-term deals, including the Nuggets‘ Zeke Nnaji, the Suns‘ Nassir Little and the Kings‘ Davion Mitchell.
The NBA has moved the starting time of the Pistons’ January 28 contest against the Thunder so it doesn’t conflict with the Detroit Lions’ playoff game on that Sunday, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.

Nets Notes: Simmons, Dinwiddie, Thomas, DSJ

January 22nd, 2024 at 9:03am CST by Arthur Hill

Ben Simmons hasn’t played since November 6, but the Nets remain optimistic he’ll be able to return at some point this season, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Simmons accompanied the team on its West Coast trip that wrapped up Sunday, and coach Jacque Vaughn said there were benefits to having him involved.

“I think just being able to be around at shootaround, being able to be in the film [review Saturday]. All those things matter as he starts to transition his way to being back on the floor, so that gap isn’t so huge for him,” Vaughn said. “Whether it’s different plays that we’re running from last time that he was in, whether it’s different schemes that we were running, if you aren’t around that it can be a lot when he does return. So overall just being able to be around the group and absorb some of that terminology and knowledge is best for us.”

Simmons has been limited to six games because of a back impingement, but the Nets are hoping it’s not another lost season for the former No. 1 overall pick, who has only been healthy for 48 total games since he was acquired nearly two years ago. Simmons’ agent said recently that he’s in the home stretch of his recovery, but Vaughn refused to speculate on when he might be available.

“I’m not gonna give you a step-by-step,” he said. “He’ll move on to that next step, which will be when we get home he’ll get examined again after this long five-hour flight and see how he responds to another week of basketball.”

There’s more on the Nets:

Trade speculation continues to surround Spencer Dinwiddie, who has broken out of his slump as the deadline nears, Lewis adds. The veteran guard posted 16 points and seven assists on Sunday and is averaging 18 points and six assists over the last three games. Lewis notes that Dinwiddie is believed to be willing to sign an extension with Brooklyn, but his $18.9MM expiring contract is useful if the team gets an opportunity to upgrade its roster.
Cam Thomas continues to be a dangerous weapon coming off the bench, but he admits that it’s easier to establish consistency on offense as a starter, Lewis notes in a separate story. Vaughn recently switched his starting lineup, opting for more size while moving Thomas to a sixth-man role. “Maybe it’ll change soon. I get back in the lineup, then you can see more consistency from me in the scoring part,” Thomas said. “But I’ve just got to do my job, man. Whatever he wants me to do. He wants me to come out of the bench, I’ve got to do that. If he wants me back starting, I’m more than open to do it. But it’s kind of tough, but I’ve just got to do my job.”
In a subscriber-only article, C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News looks at how Dennis Smith Jr. has evolved into a team leader since signing with Brooklyn last summer.

Lakers Notes: Russell, Reddish, Hachimura, Prince

January 22nd, 2024 at 7:56am CST by Arthur Hill

If D’Angelo Russell is leaving the Lakers before the February 8 trade deadline, he’s doing his best to raise his value on the way out, writes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. Russell had 34 points and eight assists in Sunday’s romp over Portland and has averaged 27.2 PPG while shooting nearly 54% from three-point range since being reinserted into the starting lineup five games ago.

“I’ve always been like that, recognizing my superpower,” Russell said. “Everybody in the league has one. It might be defensive or just a motor but everyone has one. For me, ever since I was a young kid, I always found myself kinda getting hot throughout the game where I might score five, six points right away. Maybe score 10 in a quarter or something like that and score 10, 12 points the last three minutes of the game. It’s just my superpower.”

The contract Russell signed last summer has led to the trade speculation because it’s a valuable tool for salary-matching purposes. Russell is making $17.3MM this season with an $18.7MM player option for 2024/25 and is a strong candidate to be included in any significant deal. But Woike notes that the Lakers looked fine on Sunday if they decide to hold onto their point guard.

“Tonight was one of the most complete games I’ve seen him play since he’s been back in the Laker uniform,” coach Darvin Ham said of Russell. “He was great on defense, great with his activity, great on and off the ball offensively. He was huge.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

Cam Reddish played 21 minutes Sunday night as he returned to the court after sitting out a week to recover from a left knee effusion, notes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. The rest also helped Reddish heal from a groin injury, and he said he plans to keep working on rehab so he doesn’t have to miss more time. “I definitely have to stay on top of it, for sure,” Reddish said. “But it’s just feeling a lot better. I mean, in general, I just feel a lot better, you know what I mean? Just a few days made all the difference. So, hopefully we can keep that going.”
With Taurean Prince sidelined by left knee soreness, Ham was forced to make another change to his starting lineup, Turner adds. Ham opted for more offense this time as Rui Hachimura rejoined the starting five. “Rui stepped in and made a huge impact,” Ham said. “He was really, really good in his minutes.”
Prince is considered day-to-day, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Ham said Prince “has been fighting through some pain for some time now” and there’s hope that a night off will help.

Northwest Notes: Markkanen, Giddey, Nuggets, Scoot

January 21st, 2024 at 10:07pm CST by Rory Maher

Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, the NBA’s reigning Most Improved Player and a first-time All-Star last season, received high praise last week from Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, writes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune.

“He’s a great, great young player,” Carlisle said of Markkanen. “He’s the closest thing I’ve seen to (Dirk) Nowitzki.”

Carlisle, of course, coached the Mavericks in 2011, when Nowitzki led Dallas to its first and only title.

“(He’s) a seven-footer that can really stretch the game out and play inside,” Carlisle continued. “He’s underrated as an athlete. And his length is really special and the efficiency with which he catches the ball and gets rid of it, shoots it — he just like catches it up here and just goes like this from like anywhere.

“People have tried to put bigger guys on him, smaller guys on him, he shoots over the smaller guys, he’s out-crafts the big guys. So, he’s tough. He’s a much tougher player than what you may think looking at him. He’s tall, slender, angular, but he’s rugged. So he’s a major, major problem.”

While Markkanen has had another excellent season, with averages that are extremely similar to last season, he also missed 10 games due to injury and the competition for All-Star spots in the West will be fierce, Larsen notes. For his part, Markkanen says he hopes he makes it in.

“I think it can get it, I’ve just got to keep grinding. It would mean a lot obviously,” Markkanen said, per Larsen. “Winning games is what helps us, so I’m just doing trying to do my part to get us there, and hopefully I get in. It would definitely be a big thing for me.”

Here’s more from the Northwest:

Both Thunder guard/forward Josh Giddey and head coach Mark Daigneault replied with “no comment” when they were asked about the investigation into Giddey being closed by the Newport Beach Police Department, as Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman relays (Twitter links). Giddey was accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a minor, but he won’t face criminal charges due to a lack of evidence.
Denver handed Boston its first home loss of the season in what could be a potential preview of the 2024 NBA Finals, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic, who argues the Nuggets should still be considered the favorite to defend their title. Tim Bontemps of ESPN has additional quotes after the high-intensity matchup between two of the top teams in the league.
No. 3 overall pick Scoot Henderson sustained a nasal contusion in Friday’s victory over Indiana, causing him to leave the game and not return (Twittter link via the Trail Blazers), but head coach Chauncey Billups was relieved the 19-year-old rookie didn’t have a concussion, as Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report tweets. Henderson was active for Sunday’s game vs. the Lakers.

Trade Rumors: Brown, Grant, Brogdon, Jones, Gafford

January 21st, 2024 at 8:27pm CST by Rory Maher

The Raptors want a minimum of a first-round pick and a “quality player” in exchange for Bruce Brown, according to Marc Stein at Substack.

Toronto just acquired Brown from Indiana in the Pascal Siakam blockbuster, with the Knicks and Lakers among the teams said to be interested in the swingman’s services. Brown cashed in during free agency last summer, signing a two-year, $45MM deal with the Pacers after spending last season as the sixth man of the Nuggets, helping Denver win its first NBA Championship.

However, Brown’s contract could also expire in the offseason, as it features a $23MM team option. He cannot be aggregated with other salaries, but Toronto is free to flip him, and team president Masai Ujiri has said more deals could “definitely” occur before the February 8 deadline.

As Stein writes, due to Brown’s contract and two-way ability, a variety of teams will likely register interest in dealing for the 27-year-old. That has the Raptors optimistic about their chances of landing a valuable return.

For his part, Brown said he’s not requesting a trade and would be open to staying a Raptor.

Here are a few more trades rumors from around the NBA:

The Trail Blazers have been repeatedly described by rivals as “resistant” to the idea of moving Jerami Grant, according to Stein, who is at least the fourth different reporter to say something along those lines. Grant, who re-signed with Portland on a five-year, $160MM deal in the offseason, was viewed as a potential trade candidate after Damian Lillard requested a trade and was eventually moved, but the Blazers front office reportedly likes having a productive veteran such as Grant to help guide a young roster.
Veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon, on the other hand, is viewed as “very likely” to be traded by the Trail Blazers, Stein reports. Stein has heard the Knicks are interested in Brogdon, who was acquired from Boston in the Jrue Holiday deal, though Ian Begley of SNY.tv recently suggested that the Knicks and Blazers haven’t engaged in talks about the veteran guard. Brogdon, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, is in the first season of a two-year, $45MM extension that pays him $22.5MM annually.
Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times confirms recent reporting that the Lakers are interested in Wizards point guard Tyus Jones. Woike also adds Jones’ teammate, center Daniel Gafford, to the list of potential Lakers targets. The Wizards are reportedly looking for first-round picks for both players.

Mavericks Reportedly Interested In Kyle Kuzma

January 21st, 2024 at 7:12pm CST by Rory Maher

The Mavericks are among a group of teams with interest in Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack article.

Minority owner and head of basketball operations Mark Cuban confirmed during a recent radio appearance that the team would like to further fortify its frontcourt. Stein reported that was the case weeks ago.

“If we can get a big who can also create off the dribble, that’d be a plus,” Cuban said. “Six-eight or bigger.”

Kuzma, 28, is 6’9″ and averaging 21.9 PPG, 6.4 RPG and 4.2 APG in 41 games (31.2 MPG) this season for the Wizards. The Mavs were also linked to Pascal Siakam, another power forward who can drive and score in a variety of ways.

According to Stein, the Wizards want a minimum of two-first round picks for Kuzma, and they seem to want higher value picks than the ones the Raptors received from Indiana for Siakam (two of the picks were in 2024, which is considered a weak draft; the other is top-four protected in 2026).

Stein also suggests Washington wants at least a first-round pick for each of Tyus Jones and Daniel Gafford, two other starters who — along with Kuzma — are “drawing no shortage of interest” ahead of the trade deadline, which is February 8. Like Kuzma, center Gafford is on a long-term contract, while point guard Jones is on an expiring $14MM deal.

While Siakam is certainly a more accomplished player than Kuzma, he’ll also be looking to sign a massive long-term contract this summer, whereas Kuzma is on a four-year, $90MM deal that descends over time, meaning he could be making a fraction of Siakam’s salary in a few seasons. As Stein writes, salary considerations are important for teams like the Mavs (Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving) and Kings (Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox) — another team with interest in Kuzma — that already have two players making the max or near it.

However, as Stein observes, the Mavs can only trade one first-round pick (2027) at the moment due to the Stepien rule, and the Wizards have remained steadfast in their months-long desire to accumulate first-rounders after failing to garner any when they had very little leverage in the trades of Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis. That was the case months ago when Dallas checked in on Gafford and Deni Avdija and nothing has changed since, Stein adds.

For what it’s worth, Avdija would also fit the bill as a forward who can make plays, but the poison pill provision would make it trickier to trade him and he’s having his best professional season at 23 years old.

Franz Wagner To Return Sunday For Magic

January 21st, 2024 at 4:52pm CST by Rory Maher

After missing the past eight games — and most of a ninth — with a right ankle sprain, third-year forward Franz Wagner is returning to the Magic‘s starting lineup on Sunday vs. Miami, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). The team confirmed the news (via Twitter).

In addition to having Wagner back, the Magic are also re-inserting Markelle Fultz and Wendell Carter into the starting lineup, according to Beede. Both players started much of last season and to open 2023/24, but they’ve both missed 25-plus games due to injuries this season. That will move rookie guard Anthony Black and big man Goga Bitadze back to the bench — they’ve started most of the season to this point.

As Beede tweets, this is only the fourth time the opening-night starting lineup of Fultz, Jalen Suggs, Wagner, Paolo Banchero and Carter has started together in ’23/24.

Wagner, 22, was injured on January 3, just five minutes into a loss vs. Sacramento. Including that game, Orlando went just 3-6 without Wagner. After starting the season 16-7, the Magic have gone 6-13 since to currently hold a 22-20 record, good for the No. 8 seed in the East.

Prior to the injury, the 6’10” German was averaging career highs in multiple statistics this season, including points (21.3), rebounds (6.0) assists (4.0) and steals (1.2) per night through 33 games (34.2 MPG). Wagner is a former lottery pick (No. 8 overall in 2021) who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the offseason.

Wagner has been very durable to this point in his career, appearing in 79 games as a rookie and 80 last season. He had yet to miss a game in ’23/24 before sustaining the right ankle sprain.