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Zach LaVine Rumors: Lakers, Heat, Sixers, DeRozan, More

November 15th, 2023 at 9:20am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers, Heat, and Sixers are among the teams expected to have a “level of interest” in Bulls guard Zach LaVine, Shams Charania of The Athletic said during an appearance on The Rally (Twitter video link). Charania reported on Tuesday that the Bulls and LaVine have become increasingly open to exploring the possibility of a trade after Chicago got off to another slow start this season.

The Lakers’ big three experiment with Russell Westbrook alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis didn’t work well, with the team eventually moving off Westbrook in favor of reliable depth around its two superstars. It’s unclear how eager Los Angeles would be to sacrifice some of that depth to bring in another ball-dominant, offensive-minded guard like LaVine.

The Heat, meanwhile, were linked to Damian Lillard for much of the offseason and would perhaps view LaVine as an intriguing alternative, though he’s not the play-maker that Dame is. As for the Sixers, the belief is that they want to turn some of the assets they received for James Harden into another impact player, but the emergence of Tyrese Maxey has lessened the need for another guard. A report on Tuesday downplayed Philadelphia’s interest in LaVine.

In addition to monitoring LaVine, teams around the NBA are keeping an eye on DeMar DeRozan in case the Bulls decide to make him available as well, according to Charania.

“The sense around the league is whether it’s LaVine or DeRozan or both, there could be movement in Chicago sooner than later,” Charania said.

Here’s more on LaVine:

The Lakers are among five destinations that Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype believes make sense for LaVine, but his other four suggestions are teams not mentioned by Charania: the Magic, Pistons, Hornets, and Mavericks. Dallas may not be an ideal fit for LaVine after adding Kyrie Irving earlier this year, but the Mavs have reportedly had interest in the Bulls guard in the past, Gozlan notes.
In a mailbag for The Athletic, Kelly Iko makes the case that the Grizzlies would be an ideal fit for LaVine, contending that pairing him with Desmond Bane on the wing would help the team in the short term and open up space for Ja Morant to operate when he returns from his suspension.
Steve Popper of Newsday doesn’t view the Knicks as a likely suitor for LaVine, suggesting that it wouldn’t make sense to give up RJ Barrett as part of a larger package for the Bulls guard, since LaVine is five years older, significantly more expensive, and has been more injury-prone.
As good as LaVine has been as a scorer in recent years, his best hasn’t been good enough for the Bulls, according to Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic, who suggests that it might be in both sides’ best interest to go in a new direction.

Warriors Notes: Green, Klay, Curry, Podziemski, More

November 15th, 2023 at 7:46am CST by Luke Adams

Tuesday’s in-season tournament game between the Warriors and Timberwolves got chippy before either team had scored a single point.

As Kendra Andrews of ESPN details, Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels got tied up battling for rebounding positioning early in the first quarter, then continued to grab and shove each other on the way back up the court, prompting referees to stop play and Wolves center Rudy Gobert to try to intervene. Warriors forward Draymond Green rushed in and put Gobert in a headlock before players were separated (Twitter video link via Bleacher Report).

McDaniels and Thompson were each given two technical fouls and ejected from the game, while Green was also thrown out after being assessed with a flagrant 2 foul. As Anthony Slater of The Athletic relays (via Twitter), official Tyler Ford explained after the game that the referees viewed Gobert as a peacemaker. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr didn’t agree with that ruling or the decision to eject Thompson.

“There is no way Klay should have been ejected. That was ridiculous,” Kerr said, per Andrews. “I was upset about that. As far as the Draymond piece of it, Rudy had his hands on Klay’s neck. That’s why Draymond went after Rudy.”

McDaniels downplayed his role in the altercation following a Minnesota victory, telling reporters that after Thompson grabbed him, he was “trying to defend myself and get him off me.” McDaniels said he was “laughing” as it happened and that he didn’t expect the situion to escalate the way it did, adding, “I guess it was a bigger deal to (Thompson).”

Gobert, meanwhile, referred to Green’s actions as “clown behavior” and offered an explanation for the Warriors star’s early ejection: “Every time Steph (Curry) doesn’t play, (Green) doesn’t want to play without his guy Steph, so he does anything he can to get ejected.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

While a suspension seems extremely unlikely for Gobert, McDaniels, or Thompson, it’s possible Green – who has a history of facing fines and suspensions for on-court physicality – will face further punishment. “I do hope that the league is going to do what needs to be done,” Gobert said after the game in reference to an additional penalty for Green, according to Andrews.
Kerr said the results of an MRI on Curry’s sore right knee were “good news” and that the two-time MVP is unlikely to be sidelined for an extended period, Slater writes for The Athletic. “Nothing alarming. So I would say he’s day to day and we’ll see,” Kerr said. “We’ll just have an update each day and let you know what’s going on. But it won’t be long. If he misses another game or two, whatever, it’s not going to be anything long-term.”
The Warriors’ rotation without Curry, Thompson, and Green was “jumbled up,” Slater notes, but it gave Brandin Podziemski a chance to play a career-high 39 minutes. The rookie became the first Warrior besides Curry this season to score more than 20 points in a game, finishing with 23 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Forward Dario Saric, who got his second start as a Warrior, also surpassed the 20-point mark, contributing 21.
Tim Kawakami of The Athletic takes a closer look at Podziemski’s breakout game, suggesting that the No. 19 overall pick played with the sort of confidence and toughness that Golden State had been looking for. “He’s going to play,” Kerr said of Podziemski, who had previously logged 52 total minutes in six appearances. “He’s going to play every night. He’s earned that. He was incredible tonight. He’s been great in practice. There’s something unique about him at that size to rebound the way he does. He had seven tonight. He’s always in the right spot. He’s fearless. He connects the game. He plays the way we want to play. The ball moves when he’s out there. He’s attacking at the right times, he’s cutting at the right times. Defensively he’s really good. He’s a damn good player, so he’s going to play.”
Even though the Warriors were without their three stars for nearly all of Tuesday’s game, Jonathan Kuminga only played 16 minutes and Moses Moody just 14, according to Slater, who says neither player has staked out a bigger role in the rotation so far this season. The path to increased minutes for the two former lottery picks may be further complicated by Podziemski’s rise, Slater adds.

And-Ones: Sarr, Thompson, Miller, Hawkins, Jacobs, Officiating

November 14th, 2023 at 10:53pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Perth Wildcats big man Alexandre Sarr sits atop the 2024 draft board compiled by The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie, though it’s a lukewarm endorsement. Sarr, who draws comparisons to Brooklyn’s Nic Claxton, occupies the No. 1 spot by default, as he’s looked the best of the prospects who have been in action, Vecenie explains. USC guard Isaiah Collier and G League Ignite wing Ron Holland are next on Vecenie’s list.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren squared off on Tuesday but they’re not the only rookies who have made a strong impression, Sam Amick of The Athletic notes. The Pistons‘ Ausar Thompson, the Hornets‘ Brandon Miller and the Pelicans‘ Jordan Hawkins have also played their way into the Rookie of the Year discussion early in the season.
Malique Jacobs had to come up with $250 for a tryout with the Pistons‘ NBA G League squad, the Motor City Cruise. The former Kent State player not only earned an invite to training camp, but claimed a spot on the roster. The Athletic’s James Edwards profiles Jacobs’ underdog story.
There have been some questionable ejections this season and Yahoo Sports’ Vincent Goodwill spoke with NBA head of referee development and training Monty McCutchen about that issue, as well as other concerns regarding the officiating.

Atlantic Notes: Oubre, Simmons, Dinwiddie, Towns

November 14th, 2023 at 10:10pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Sixers forward Kelly Oubre is back with the team and in “good spirits,” head coach Nick Nurse told The Associated Press and other media outlets. Oubre suffered a broken rib, lacerations and other assorted injuries when he was struck by a vehicle near his residence on Saturday.

Oubre will be re-examined at the end of the week and a timetable for his return could be set at that time, the AP report adds.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Nets coach Jacque Vaughn labeled Ben Simmons‘ latest ailment a “bump in the road,” Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets. “This is just a bump that’s in his road right now that happened. Its not like he wanted it to happen,” Vaughn said. “He was playing well and this happened. Everybody’s body is different. This is what he’s dealing with and we’ll support him while he’s dealing with it.” Simmons will be out at least another week due to a nerve impingement in his back.
Prior to Simmons being sidelined, Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie was struggling with his new role of playing off the ball. “He’s still wrapping his head around how he fits into the different lineups he’s been in, which is definitely understandable,’’ Vaughn said. “But that’s a part of growing together as a team. We’ll continue to learn about the best position to put him in. But he has an extreme ability to impact second group, first group, small and big lineup.’’ An unrestricted free agent after the season, Dinwiddie is averaging 10.7 and 4.8 assists per game this season, compared to 16.5 points and 9.1 assists after Brooklyn re-acquired him last season.
Would the Knicks be better off pursuing a Karl-Anthony Towns trade this season rather than down the road? The New York Post’s Jenna Lemoncelli relays comments made by ESPN’s Tim MacMahon and Brian Windhorst during a recent podcast, which noted that Towns’ salary jumps from $36MM this season to $49MM in the first year of his extension next season with ascending salary figures in future years.

Pacific Notes: Len, Hood-Schifino, Tucker, Harden

November 14th, 2023 at 8:36pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kings reserve center Alex Len has been diagnosed with a moderate high right ankle sprain, James Ham of The Kings Beat relays (Twitter link). Len underwent an MRI after suffering the injury against Cleveland on Monday. He was ruled out for Wednesday’s game against the Lakers and the club will provide further updates when appropriate.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Lakers rookie guard Jalen Hood-Schifino has yet to make his NBA debut but he’s getting closer. Sidelined by a right patella contusion, Hood-Schifino went through full-court drills on Tuesday, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin tweets in a video post. The 17th pick of the draft out of Indiana University, Hood-Schifino could see immediate playing time with Gabe Vincent out with a knee injury.
Clippers forward P.J. Tucker is used to playing 25-to-30 minutes per night, but has only averaged 14.4 minutes in five games since being traded by Philadelphia in the James Harden blockbuster. Tucker is hoping that changes soon, but is willing to do what the team asks of him, he told Janis Carr of the Orange County Register. “I went from 30 minutes starting to playing 10 minutes coming off the bench,” Tucker said. “It’s a huge adjustment for me. I probably have the most adjustment than anybody, but I’m a professional. I come in and do my job every night, do my job and leave it out there on the court in the time I get.”
Don’t give up on the Clippers, even if they’ve lost five straight in the aftermath of the Harden trade, Michael Pina of The Ringer writes. He argues that the strong connection between Kawhi Leonard and Paul George and the team’s overall talent will supersede any chemistry issues created by Harden’s presence.

Latest On Zach LaVine

November 14th, 2023 at 7:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

As reported earlier on Tuesday by The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Bulls and Zach LaVine are increasingly open to the idea of exploring a trade with potential suitors “probing” LaVine’s possible availability.

LaVine could indeed be open to a change of scenery, which he previously dismissed, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

LaVine has been extremely loyal to the organization and will remain professional during the process, but Johnson notes that the star guard is still smarting from Billy Donovan’s high-profile benching of him. There are also members of the organization who remain unconvinced of LaVine’s consistency as a lead option on a championship-contending team, Johnson adds.

However, Johnson also cautions that a potential trade remains unlikely in the near future. Management began the season fully committed to returning to the playoffs and it’s still very early in the season. Also, the trade market doesn’t usually heat up until after December 15, when most players who signed free agent deals during the offseason are eligible to be traded.

Johnson also points out the Bulls held exploratory trade talks regarding LaVine during the offseason but had a very high asking price. It remains to be seen whether the front office will lower its demands.

Here’s more on LaVine:

Which teams ranks highest in terms of potential landing spots for the high-scoring wing? The Lakers are No. 1 on the list put together by NBC Sports’ Kurt Helin. A package of D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura and Taurean Prince, plus a 2029 first-round pick, could be the framework of that deal, Helin suggests. The Sixers have multiple first-round picks plus expiring contracts to dangle. The Grizzlies, in need of another impact player to join Ja Morant once the point guard’s suspension ends, could package several young players and draft picks to land LaVine.
Pump the brakes on a potential Sixers offer for LaVine, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey. The Sixers are happy with how their season has unfolded, and will likely wait to explore trade opportunities when needs become more evident, Pompey writes. They’d also have to be convinced LaVine is the missing piece to a title, since the Sixers could have more cap space than any other team next season.

Thunder Notes: Top Trio, Bertans, K. Williams, Holmgren

November 14th, 2023 at 5:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Thunder trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren have excelled during their first 10 games together. Oklahoma City should be a perennial threat going forward, but coach Mark Daigneault cautions that there are many lessons to be learned before the team reaches a championship level, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

“Wisdom is not something you can shortcut,” Daigneault said. “We have to have a level of patience. It’s something you can’t fast forward.”

We have more on the Thunder:

Forward Davis Bertans, who was traded by the Spurs in 2019, believes San Antonio will soon become a free agent destination thanks to Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs rookie and Holmgren will face each other in a much-anticipated matchup on Tuesday. “I think once everyone sees they have the potential to win, then yes. Especially when they don’t have any max or super max players at the moment,” Bertans told Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. “There is plenty of money available. So they can make something happen, maybe.”
Bertans is now OKC’s oldest player at 31 and he has tried to impart his knowledge to his teammates. “I definitely have some experience. I can help with that,” he said. “Most of the guys on the team, I’ve been in the same type of position they’ve been in before. I try to help any way I can.” Bertans is signed through next season, though he holds an early termination option on his $16MM salary for 2024/25, which is only partially guaranteed for $5MM.
Kenrich Williams is available to play for the first time this season. Williams, who was sidelined by a back injury, can’t wait to suit up, Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman tweets. “Felt like the night before Christmas,” he said on Tuesday morning.
Holmgren has become the focus of the national media but he doesn’t want to be the focal point of the team. He’s trying to blend his skills to his teammates in his first year, he told Lorenzi. “I just tried to come in and find the balance between being aggressive and not making it the Chet show,” Holmgren said. “It’s not that, it’ll never be that.” Thus far, Holmgren is averaging 16.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.3 blocks per game.

Atlantic Notes: Simmons, Sixers, Porzingis, Poeltl

November 14th, 2023 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Nets guard Ben Simmons will remain sidelined for at least a little while longer due to a nerve impingement in the lower left side of his back, according to statements from the team and agent Bernie Lee (Twitter links via Brian Lewis of The New York Post).

As Lewis observes (via Twitter), Simmons required surgery in 2022 on multiple herniated disks on the right side of his back, then dealt with a nerve impingement. However, this issue is affecting the other side of his back and isn’t nearly as severe, Lee says. The club indicated an update on Simmons’ status will be provided in a week.

“He’s not experiencing anything similar to what he’s gone through in the past,” Lee said of his client, per Lewis (Twitter links). “And this is something that the expectation is that with the proper kind of rehab he’ll be able to resume his season in a short period of time without any issue.

“It definitely should be on the shorter side of things. It’s really a day-to-day kind of evaluation situation. What has to happen is the area has to calm down. Once it calms down there’s a period of reactivity that’s built into things.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Having acquired a handful of draft assets in their James Harden trade, how are the Sixers looking to use those assets on the trade market? President of basketball operations Daryl Morey spoke in a recent appearance on The Rights to Ricky Sanchez podcast about what type of player the team would like to add. “I would say first off, they need to be pretty solid on both ends,” Morey said, per Marc Stein at Substack. “As you get into the playoffs, it gets very hard for your top guys to be elite one way. … The other thing would be we probably need them to have a bit of play-making — sort of connector, ball-movement aspects. We are a little short on that and it becomes more important in the playoffs as well.” As Stein notes, it’s perhaps no surprise, based on that description, that Raptors forward OG Anunoby “keeps coming up” as a potential 76ers target.
Rumors surfaced during his time with the Knicks that Kristaps Porzingis would be unhappy if he wasn’t treated as the “face of the franchise,” but the Celtics big man is satisfied with being a secondary option in Boston and says he was never focused on being the go-to guy. “Maybe it was falsely pushed,” Porzingis said of the old narrative, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. “I never felt that way because today’s league is, other than [Nikola] Jokic and [Joel] Embiid, it’s a guard league. It’s mostly guards and small forwards. So I knew that if I want to win, you’re going to have to play with somebody… It was never an issue for me.”
Raptors center Jakob Poeltl spoke to Oren Weisfeld of Yahoo Sports Canada about his first stint in Toronto, the experience of watching the team win a title without him in 2019, and what it’s been like to rejoin the franchise several years later.

Pacific Notes: Curry, Clippers, Theis, Barnes, Suns

November 14th, 2023 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Warriors star Stephen Curry has been ruled out of the team’s in-season tournament game on Tuesday vs. Minnesota due to right knee soreness, per ESPN’s Kendra Andrews.

In the last meeting between the two teams on Sunday, Curry took a hard fall following a drive to the net in the fourth quarter (Twitter video link via Anthony Slater of The Athletic). Although he remained in the game, the veteran guard was seen rubbing his right knee after that play.

Sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link) that Curry is believed to have a sprain in the affected knee. He’s undergoing more testing to determine the severity of the injury, but the initial expectation is that he shouldn’t be out for long, per Charania.

As we detailed on Monday, the Warriors have been relying heavily on Curry on offense this season and will need some of their other players to step up with the two-time MVP unavailable. Dario Saric is the only other player on the roster who has scored at least 20 points in a game this season, according to Andrews.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

There’s a “growing belief” that the Clippers will add Daniel Theis to their roster soon, writes Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files, citing a league source. As Agness acknowledges, Theis would likely need to reach a buyout agreement with the Pacers to get to Los Angeles, since the Clippers aren’t well positioned to trade for him. L.A.’s interest in the veteran center was previously reported.
The Kings got a boost on Monday when De’Aaron Fox returned from a five-game absence to lead the team to a 132-120 win over Cleveland. Fox was one of four starters to score at least 20 points, but the fifth starter – Harrison Barnes – continued to struggle, contributing just four points for a second straight game. Head coach Mike Brown isn’t worried about Barnes, praising the forward’s performance on defense, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. “I think he struggled at the beginning of the season, too, and so for me, as long as he continues to show consistency, especially defensively, I’m fine with it,” Brown said. “He’s taking the right shots and all that other stuff, so I kind of like where he is knowing — and I’m sure he feels the same — that he can play much better, especially offensively, and he will.”
While expecting Devin Booker‘s presence to heal all that ails the Suns may be unrealistic, the star guard can immediately help the team with his scoring, play-making, and defensive communication, says Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Booker is reportedly on track to return from his right calf strain on Wednesday.

Bulls, LaVine Increasingly Open To Exploring Trade

November 14th, 2023 at 1:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Both the Bulls and Zach LaVine are increasingly open to the idea of exploring a trade involving the two-time All-Star, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic. According to Charania, teams around the NBA are “probing” LaVine’s possible availability.

A number of executives, including many general managers, are in Chicago on Tuesday for the 2023 Champions Classic, the NCAA’s annual fall showcase. Conversations about LaVine could begin there, Charania explains.

LaVine is averaging 21.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in 35.1 minutes per game through his first 11 contests this season. The 28-year-old is off to a bit of a slow start – his .409 FG% and .309 3PT% would be career worsts – but is typically one of the NBA’s best scorers, having averaged at least 23.7 PPG for five straight seasons entering this fall.

LaVine is in the second season of a five-year, maximum-salary deal with the Bulls. He’s earning approximately $40MM in 2023/24 and is owed a guaranteed $89MM over the following two seasons. He holds a 2026/27 player option worth just shy of $49MM.

While the plan was for LaVine to be a key part of a Bulls roster that perennially qualified for the playoffs and contended for titles, the team has struggled to compete on a consistent basis since losing Lonzo Ball to the first in a series of knee injuries midway through the 2021/22 season.

Chicago was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in 2022 and was knocked out in the play-in tournament in 2023 after posting a losing record (40-42) in the regular season. The club is off to a 4-7 start this fall and there have already been reports that teams are keeping an eye on the Bulls, as well as speculation that changes could be coming. Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic (Twitter link) says one league source predicted this week that Chicago will have a different roster in a month.

As K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago notes (via Twitter), the Bulls held exploratory talks on LaVine over the summer but had a high asking price at that time. It’s unclear if that price might drop at all based on how the club has started this season, but the players are “very aware” that changes could be coming if they don’t turn things around, says Johnson.

Besides LaVine, DeMar DeRozan could be another major trade chip for the Bulls. Charania says the franchise would ideally like to keep DeRozan beyond his current contract, which expires in 2024. However, there has been a gap between the two sides on both years and salary in their extension talks, and the 34-year-old would like to get a sense of the organization’s direction before committing to a new deal, Charania adds.