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Trade Rumors: Sixers, Pelicans, Nuggets, Early Movers, Simmons

December 13th, 2024 at 10:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers‘ slow start this fall hasn’t changed the expectation that Daryl Morey and the front office in Philadelphia will be active leading up to the February 6 trade deadline, sources tell Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Insider link).

Shooting and frontcourt size are among the area the 76ers may look to address, with KJ Martin viewed as the team’s most logical trade chip due to his pseudo-expiring contract, which includes a cap hit of $7.98MM for this season. However, Martin won’t become trade-eligible until January 15, so Philadelphia will have another month to assess its needs before moving forward on potential trade scenarios.

Within that same ESPN story, Bontemps and Brian Windhorst address another injury-plagued team off to a disappointing start, citing sources who say that there has been an increase in opposing scouts at Pelicans games, with rivals looking to gather intel for possible deals. While New Orleans’ plans are unclear at this point, the club is expected to at least make a move to get out of the luxury tax — its team salary is currently $1.4MM above that threshold.

Brandon Ingram, of course, is considered a potential trade candidate, but his $36MM+ cap hit will complicate trade talks. According to Bontemps, several sources have recently told ESPN that they’re not sure whether anyone making more than $20-25MM will be dealt during the season.

Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:

The Nuggets are interested in making a trade to upgrade their rotation and “know they need a shake-up move of some sort,” but will be hard-pressed to find an appealing deal due to their position relative to the tax aprons and their lack of movable contracts, NBA insider Marc Stein said during an appearance on DNVR Sports (Twitter video link). “It’s been painted to me as eager. They are eager to make a move,” Stein said. “(But) the reality is if they don’t involve (Michael) Porter (Jr.), the optionality there is extremely limited.”
While most in-season deals are unlikely to be completed until much closer to the February 6 trade deadline, Jake Fischer (Bleacher Report video link) identifies the Lakers and Bucks as teams who could be motivated to act sooner rather than later on the trade market, adding that the Knicks are also “still sniffing around on what to do for their center depth.”
In a separate video clip, Fischer explores whether the Nets could realistically trade Ben Simmons and his $40MM+ expiring contract, suggesting that a team seeking 2025 cap room might be able to incentivize Brooklyn to take on multiyear salary in exchange for Simmons by attaching an intriguing young player and/or draft assets.
Fred Katz of The Athletic takes a closer look at several of the CBA and trade rules – new and old – that are expected to make it more challenging than ever for teams to pull off trades this season.

Sixers’ Joel Embiid Sustains Sinus Fracture

December 13th, 2024 at 10:03pm CST by Luke Adams

10:03pm: Embiid had been diagnosed with a sinus fracture, according to the Sixers, who say he’ll be evaluated further this weekend and his status will be updated as appropriate (Twitter link via Neubeck).

9:50pm: Sixers center Joel Embiid exited Friday’s loss to Indiana just before halftime after being struck in the face by Pacers wing Bennedict Mathurin and didn’t return in the second half, per The Associated Press.

Mathurin and Embiid were battling for a rebound under the Sixers’ basket when Mathurin’s left forearm and elbow made hard contact with the the right side of Embiid’s face and the bridge of his nose (Twitter video link via Bleacher Report). He fell to the floor and held his face in pain for a few moments before walking to the locker room.

The Sixers announced at the start of the third quarter that Embiid had been ruled out for the rest of the night and would undergo further testing to assess the severity of the injury, per Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (Twitter links). As Bodner observes, The former MVP has a history of facial injuries, having sustained orbital bone fractures on both the left side of his face (in 2018) and the right side (in 2022). He also dealt with Bell’s palsy during last season’s playoffs.

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse told reporters after the game that Embiid was still being tested to determine whether there are any fractures in the area where he was hit (Twitter link via Bodner). Even if X-rays come back clean, Embiid could end up in the NBA’s concussion protocol, meaning he’d have to pass a series of tests before being cleared to return to action, Bodner tweets.

Friday’s contest was just the sixth of 23 Sixers games that Embiid has played this season. He has missed time due to left knee swelling and was also suspended three games for a locker room run-in with a reporter.

Philadelphia will be back in action on Monday in Charlotte, then won’t play again until hosting the Hornets next Friday, so if Embiid’s injury turns out to be minor, he’ll have plenty of recovery time in the next week. The 76ers figure to provide an update on his status at some point this weekend.

Sixers guard Jared McCain also suffered an apparent head injury when he hit his head on the floor during the second half on Friday, but he cleared the NBA’s concussion protocol and was able to return to the game (Twitter link via Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports).

And-Ones: Top Front Offices, Daniels, NBA Cup, Rookies

December 13th, 2024 at 9:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Sam Presti and the Thunder were voted as the NBA’s best front office by a panel of 40 executives (team presidents, general managers, VPs, and assistant GMs) across the league who were polled by Sam Amick, John Hollinger, and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.

As The Athletic’s trio explains, each respondent picked their top five NBA front offices and points were awarded in the same way they are in the MVP vote – 10 points for first place, seven points for second, five points for third, three points for fourth, and one point for fifth – in order to determine the rankings. The only rule was that execs couldn’t vote for their own team.

The Thunder were a runaway winner with 354 points, showing up on 39 of 40 total ballots and earning 29 first-place votes. The Celtics (250 points; nine first-place votes), Heat (114 points), Grizzlies (64 points; one first-place vote), and Timberwolves (54 points; one first-place vote) rounded out the top five.

A total of 21 front offices received at least one vote. The nine who didn’t were the Lakers, Suns, Kings, Trail Blazers, Pelicans, Bulls, Pistons, Hornets, and Hawks.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Dash Daniels, the younger brother of Dyson Daniels, has committed to joining the Melbourne United as part of the Australian National Basketball League’s Next Stars program, report Shams Charania and Jonathan Givony of ESPN. The younger Daniels, who is considered one of the top international prospects of the 2026 draft class, is considered a standout defender like his brother, having averaged a tournament-high 3.6 steals per game at this year’s FIBA U17 World Cup.
NBA executive VP of basketball strategy Evan Wasch referred to Las Vegas as a “fantastic home” for the NBA Cup semifinals and final, but indicated this week in a Zoom call that the league isn’t necessarily committed to Vegas as the in-season tournament’s long-term host. “We’re very open to all sorts of different formats for the future,” Wasch said, per Mark Medina of Sportskeeda. “That could mean taking the tournament on the road. It could mean taking it to different markets in the U.S. It could mean exploring international markets. It could mean, for example, having the semifinals in home markets like we have for the quarterfinals to build into the local fandom and exciting arena atmospheres. I would say everything is on the table for the future.”
While most of the top picks in the 2024 draft haven’t come flying out of the gate this fall, there are plenty of second-rounders and undrafted free agents from the ’24 class who are making positive early impressions. John Hollinger of The Athletic highlights several of them, including Jazz forward/center Kyle Filipowski, Suns big man Oso Ighodaro, and Grizzlies wing Jaylen Wells.
The Athletic’s NBA writers identified the biggest need for all 30 teams, with good health coming up for a handful of clubs, including the Sixers, Bucks, and Magic.

Eastern Notes: Knicks/Raptors Dispute, Hornets, Banchero, Holland, Sixers

December 13th, 2024 at 6:47pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks and Raptors were required to update the court on the status of the arbitration process of their legal dispute on Friday, but agreed in a joint filing that there’s nothing to report, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Post relays.

The Knicks filed a lawsuit in August 2023 alleging that former video coordinator Ikechukwu Azotam illegally took thousands of proprietary files with him to his new position with the Raptors and shared them with his new club. The Raptors, referring to the suit as “baseless,” argued that the issue ought to be resolved through the NBA’s arbitration process rather than in court, while the Knicks contended that commissioner Adam Silver wouldn’t be impartial.

A U.S. District Court judge ultimately sided with the Raptors and sent the matter back to the NBA, but with no movement yet toward arbitration, the Knicks didn’t miss the opportunity to fire another shot at Silver.

“We’ve been waiting for any direction from the NBA on next steps in this matter for months — proving our point that the NBA is not capable of appropriately and fairly handling this serious theft of proprietary and confidential files,” an MSG Sports spokesperson said in a statement, per Bondy. “Unfortunately, because of the clear conflict of interest between the Commissioner and the Chairman of the NBA, there has been complete silence from the league.”

We have more from around the Eastern Conference:

Two injured Hornets players have been cleared to return to action on Friday in Chicago, with Miles Bridges (right knee bone bruise) and Tidjane Salaun (left ankle sprain) deemed available, per the team (Twitter link). Bridges, who last played on November 19, has missed Charlotte’s past 10 games, while Salaun has been sidelined since last Thursday.
Magic forward Paolo Banchero stated in mid-November that he hoped to be back to the court by Christmas, but his return from a torn oblique doesn’t appear close, as Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel relays. “He’s doing the same ball-handling, a little light movement on the floor, and then just trying to find ways to get the cardio up without applying too much pressure,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said on Friday. “But again, he’s just slowly moving his way to touching the court.”
Pistons rookie Ron Holland entered Thursday’s game in Boston having averaged 5.6 points per game on .425/.180/.786 shooting through his first 25 NBA games. But with Detroit facing a 25-point deficit on Thursday, Holland got a chance to play the entire fourth quarter and showed glimpses of what he could become, finishing the game with 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting. While most of those points came in garbage time, the Pistons were encouraged by what they saw from the No. 5 overall pick. “It’s still against NBA players,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said, per Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. “Against a team who has a great system on both sides of the ball, and they understand what they’re doing. And it proved that he can be successful versus that. Hopefully, that leads to the confidence that kind of unlocks him a little bit and now he goes and he continues to build off of this.”
Sixers forward Paul George can identify first-hand with what teammate Joel Embiid is going through. After Embiid admitted that his knee issues have been “extremely depressing,” George – who has an extensive injury history of his own – said that dealing with health problems is the “toughest part of the game,” writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “We build ourselves up so much. The media builds us up. The community builds us up,” George said. “Then you face an injury that you know you’re not yourself. You’re not the same, but you are expected to be yourself when you get on that floor. So, mentally, it is tough.”

Atlantic Notes: Tatum, Raptors, McCain, Sixers

December 12th, 2024 at 5:11pm CST by Rory Maher

Celtics star Jayson Tatum will be sidelined for Thursday’s matchup vs. Detroit due to right patella tendinopathy, per Souichi Terada of MassLive.com. Tatum, who also missed his first game of the season last week against the Pistons, was initially listed as questionable before being ruled out.

As Terada writes, Boston is likely just being cautious with the All-NBA forward — the team doesn’t play again until Sunday, giving Tatum a full week of rest. Sam Hauser (right adductor strain) and Jaden Springer (illness) will also miss Thursday’s contest.

Here are a few more notes from the Atlantic:

Head coach Darko Rajakovic is understandably disappointed that the Raptors have yet to see all of their young core players share the court together this season, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. Scottie Barnes is expected to miss several weeks after suffering a right ankle sprain, and Immanuel Quickley remains sidelined with a left elbow injury. “It would be awesome,” Rajakovic said of seeing the core together. “We have not had our core guys and main guys in their roles pretty much all season. And what it does at the same time, it’s not allowing us to look (at) what our bench would look like when we have those guys in their roles. … I’m staying hopeful that sooner than later we have this situation to look at our full roster, what it looks like. And I think it’s going to be great for guys to get the chemistry of playing together, (growing) together and give us a lot of answers.”
With the Sixers nearing full strength, what is Jared McCain‘s ideal role? Head coach Nick Nurse hasn’t settled on a decision, but the reigning Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month should get plenty of opportunities either way, as Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer relays. “I’m still not quite sure,” Nurse said. “But I think right now, it looks like he’s kind of an early scorer off the bench at the two. Certainly, we’ll play him some at the one. I could see that changing a little bit somewhere down the road. But [I] really liked him.”
On Wednesday, the Sixers and Philadelphia’s city council continued to spar about the community benefits agreement portion of the proposal for a new arena, report Sean Collins Walsh and Anna Orso of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Some council members wanted the team to increase its public offer of funding from $50MM to the range of $75-100MM. However, despite some opposition, on Thursday the council gave initial approval of the proposed plan, which includes $60MM in funding from the 76ers for the community benefits agreement, according to The Inquirer. A team spokesperson said the Sixers were reviewing last-minute changes to the deal.

Stein’s Latest: Butler, Wizards, Jazz, Nets, H. Jones, Sixers, Cavaliers

December 11th, 2024 at 6:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Rockets, Mavericks and Warriors are the teams most often linked to a potential Jimmy Butler trade, but none of them are considered certain to make a strong bid to acquire the Heat star, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack column (subscription required).

Stein views Golden State as the most serious contender among the group, with sources telling him that the Warriors have expressed some interest in Butler and one informant saying the team wants to “take a swing” on a significant move by the trade deadline. Stein notes that Golden State attempted to land Paul George and Lauri Markkanen during the offseason, even though those efforts were unsuccessful. He adds that Draymond Green has experience playing alongside Butler on the U.S. Olympic team in 2016.

Houston has plenty of assets to offer in exchange for Butler, but Stein points to general manager Rafael Stone‘s stance that he doesn’t plan to pursue a major in-season trade. The Rockets have also let it be known that age considerations will be important if they do go after a star, making sure that player is on a similar timeline as the rest of their young core. That would seem to exclude any interest in the 35-year-old Butler.

Financial restraints will likely prevent the Mavericks from getting involved, Stein adds. They already have Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving on max contracts, and both players will become eligible for new deals in July. Stein doesn’t believe Dallas is looking for another player like Butler, who is used to having the ball in his hands.

Butler, who has a $52.4MM player option for next season, has been open about his intention to pursue free agency. Meeting with reporters after Wednesday’s practice, he refused to commit when asked if he wants to finish his career in Miami.

“I don’t know,” he responded. “I’m pretty sure y’all are going to get a report that’s going to say otherwise anyways. So there’s no sense in me answering that question.”

Stein offers more inside information from around the NBA:

The Wizards, Jazz and Nets are the primary sellers as the league’s unofficial trade season gets set to open Sunday, with a rival executive telling Stein, “When you call them, they’re willing to make a deal right now.” Stein hears that the Raptors, Trail Blazers and Bulls are also being monitored to see if they’re interested in parting with certain players. Sources tell Stein that Brooklyn is asking for at least one first-round pick in exchange for swingman Dorian Finney-Smith or point guard Dennis Schröder. Washington is “increasingly regarded as likely” to pursue trades involving Jonas Valanciunas and Malcolm Brogdon while listening to offers for Kyle Kuzma, who is in the second season of a four-year, $90MM contract.
Sources tell Stein that the Pelicans have no interest in fielding offers for Herbert Jones despite the team’s disastrous 5-20 start. Jones is the team’s best perimeter defender and is under contract through the 2026/27 season.
The Sixers aren’t expected to be active in December, according to Stein, because their most logical trade chip — KJ Martin — doesn’t become trade eligible until January 15.
Scouts believe the Cavaliers will try to acquire at least one more wing before the deadline, Stein adds. Even though Cleveland is at the top of the East, there’s a belief that the team will need to upgrade its perimeter defense for the playoffs.

Stein’s Latest: Nuggets, Yabusele, Nance, Reath

December 9th, 2024 at 8:05am CST by Arthur Hill

The Nuggets‘ problem with lack of production off their bench could have been addressed by seeking a sign-and-trade deal for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope instead of letting him leave in free agency, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack column (subscription required). Denver improved to 12-10 by winning in Atlanta Sunday night, but that was on the heels of an embarrassing loss Saturday at Washington. Coach Michael Malone is leaning heavily on his starting lineup as he has few proven options among his reserves.

Sources tell Stein that the Mavericks were interested in obtaining Caldwell-Pope via sign-and-trade when free agency opened last summer, but those plans changed when the Nuggets exhibited a reluctance to pursue that option, which would have meant taking back contracts and increasing their luxury tax payment. Denver was also reportedly unwilling to send Caldwell-Pope to one of its chief Western Conference rivals.

Stein points out that Dallas had free agents Tim Hardaway Jr. and Josh Green, who could have been made available in a deal for Caldwell-Pope. Both players were eventually traded, with Hardaway going to Detroit in a swap for Quentin Grimes and Green heading to Charlotte in the six-team deal to acquire Klay Thompson.

Stein hears that the Nuggets eventually warmed up to the idea of a sign-and-trade for Caldwell-Pope, but it was too late in the process to find a taker. Orlando used its cap space to add him with a three-year, $66MM offer, taking away another important piece of the roster that brought a title to Denver in 2023.

Stein describes the Nuggets as “eager” to shake up their current team before the February 6 trade deadline, but they face limited options because of their financial position. He calls it an “open secret” that the team would like to unload former first-round pick Zeke Nnaji, but they would likely have to include draft assets to sweeten any deal due to the fifth-year power forward’s disappointing performance and a contract that runs through 2027/28.

There’s more from Stein:

Guerschon Yabusele‘s strong start and his minimum contract could make him a valuable trade asset, but the Sixers don’t appear to have any interest in moving him. Yabusele has been one of the few bright spots for the injury-riddled team, averaging 9.9 points and 5.6 rebounds in 24.5 minutes per game while shooting 39.5% from three-point range. Even with its disastrous start, Stein points out that Philadelphia is only a game-and-a-half out of the play-in tournament and four-and-a-half games away from the top six in the East. A source tells Stein that the Sixers are “thrilled” with Yabusele’s performance so far.
The Hawks have been getting offers for Larry Nance Jr. since they acquired him in an offseason trade with New Orleans, but they aren’t interested in parting with him, Stein adds. He points to Clint Capela ($22.3MM expiring contract) as the Atlanta big man who’s most likely to be on the move before the deadline, noting that the Knicks considered making an offer for Capela before landing Karl-Anthony Towns.
Stein confirms a report by Jake Fischer that Trail Blazers center Duop Reath is worth watching in trade talks. Reath is earning the veteran’s minimum and is probably expendable with three other centers on the roster.

Embiid: Ongoing Knee Issues “Extremely Depressing”

December 8th, 2024 at 8:34pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Joel Embiid made a triumphant return to action on Sunday but he was far from jubilant afterward. The Sixers superstar center expressed exasperation to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps over his ongoing left knee issues that have kept him out of action most of the season.

“Depressing. Just trying to figure it out. There’s no injury. Just between the swelling … we’ve got to get it figured out. That’s it,” he said. “I’ve been saying it for the last few months. It’s been extremely depressing. It’s something that hasn’t been figured out, and it’s been extremely annoying, because I would love to play every single game.”

In uniform for just the fifth time this season and the first time since Nov. 20, Embiid logged 33 minutes against Chicago and contributed 31 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two blocks.

It was just the second time this season that Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George played in the same game. During their 26 minutes on the court together, the Sixers outscored the Bulls by 14 points.

“It’s easier, man. There’s a lot more space out there,” Maxey said of Embiid’s return. “I felt like today, even when he’s out there and I’m not out there, it’s harder to maybe trap or whatever. They can’t trap ball screens, you know what I mean? Either or if they don’t drive, then I can score or shoot 3 or if they drop too much and help too much for me, I’m pocket passing to him and he’s getting a layup or a [midrange jumper] … it makes the game easier.”

Embiid signed a three-year max extension in September and recent reports have detailed the extensive medical testing he underwent prior to the extension agreement. The team had anticipated Embiid’s issues would be manageable and were surprised by the early absences as he continued the rehab process.

“It felt good to have the guys on the floor. I believe if we’re healthy, and we’re on the floor, we have a chance against anybody, and I like what we have,” Embiid said. “I think the whole thing is about health … that’s what it comes down to. I wish I could have been playing from the beginning. I would love to play every single game, every single minute, but sometimes your body just says, ‘No,’ and you can’t do nothing about it. All you can do is just keep working to fix it and get better.”

Sixers’ Joel Embiid To Return Sunday

December 8th, 2024 at 11:51am CST by Rory Maher

Former MVP Joel Embiid will return to Philadelphia’s starting lineup on Sunday afternoon vs. Chicago, the Sixers announced (via Twitter).

Embiid, who has missed the past seven games, was questionable heading into Sunday’s contest due to left knee injury management. Prior to the game, head coach Nick Nurse said the star center would be on a minutes restriction if he was able to suit up (Twitter link via K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network).

The 30-year-old big man has been limited to just four games this season. Embiid underwent surgery on the knee last winter prior to returning at the end of the 2023/24 season. He managed to play in the 2024 Olympics in Paris with Team USA, but has experienced swelling and discomfort to open ’24/25. He was also suspended for three games after an altercation with a columnist and has missed time for personal reasons.

As Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes, Embiid will almost certainly be ineligible for major postseason awards for the second straight season. He has already missed 17 games in ’24/25, and if he misses one more, he’ll be disqualified due to the 65-game rule.

The 76ers have won three of their past four games, but are still just 6-15, making them the No. 13 seed in the East.

Atlantic Notes: Barnes, Raptors, Embiid, Knicks’ Offense

December 5th, 2024 at 9:54pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Raptors are playing their best basketball of the season when star Scottie Barnes is on the floor, Sportsnet.ca’s Michael Grange writes. This season looked like an opportunity for Toronto to potentially bottom out and add a lottery prospect to a young core that includes Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, Gradey Dick and Ja’Kobe Walter, but Barnes’ excellence is making that difficult.

Entering Thursday, Toronto had won five of their last eight games with Barnes in the lineup, trending up despite still holding a 7-16 record. Barnes was again deadly against the Pacers on Tuesday, finishing as a plus-18 in his 36 minutes. Part of that success stems from the chemistry Barnes is building with fellow forward RJ Barrett, Grange writes.

“When we’re both being aggressive, we’re both getting downhill, we’re both pushing the pace, finding each other in transition, it pays off really well,” Barnes said. “Our games complement each other really well, we’re finding each other with that space we’re able to create and play off that.”

While there’s plenty of time remaining in the regular season for movement up and down the standings, the Raptors are just two games behind the Pacers for the No. 10 seed and the final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Despite a rough start to the season, Toronto’s energy has been high all year thanks in part to a summer getaway that set the tone for the season, Eric Koreen of The Athletic details. “We were vibing. We were just vibing, having a good time,” Fernando said of the team’s trips to Spain and Miami this offseason. “We would definitely wake up first thing in the morning for workouts.” While the Raptors aren’t happy to have a losing record, Koreen writes that they understand that the team is a work in progress and is cognizant of their youth. Veterans have helped establish a culture and young players like Jamal Shead and Jonathan Mogbo expressed gratitude for their early career playing time. “I feel like we’re more together than teams that I’ve been on where we had a really good record,” newcomer Davion Mitchell said.
Sixers superstar Joel Embiid (left knee injury management) is set to miss his seventh straight game, having been ruled out for Friday’s game against Orlando, according to PHLY Sports’ Kyle Neubeck (Twitter link). Adem Bona was also ruled out while Andre Drummond, who missed the past two games, has been upgraded to questionable. Bona played on Wednesday with Embiid and Drummond out, but he was the only player 6’10” or taller to see action for the club. Philadelphia started Guerschon Yabusele and KJ Martin amid its frontcourt injuries.
The Knicks led the NBA with a 121.0 offensive rating heading into Thursday’s tilt against the Hornets, Peter Botte of the New York Post observes. Tom Thibodeau‘s team has consistently been effective on offense during his tenure, but New York has never had a league-best offense since the NBA started tracking points per 100 possessions. The Knicks’ five starters are averaging a collective 97.8 points per game and top reserve Miles McBride is adding a career-best 11.3 points per game.

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