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Trade Rumors: Warriors, D. Murray, Hayward, Lowry, Knicks

January 30th, 2024 at 8:03am CST by Luke Adams

No one will be entirely off the table for the Warriors at the trade deadline except for Stephen Curry, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who said on FanDuel’s Run it Back show (Twitter video link) that Andrew Wiggins, Chris Paul, and maybe even Klay Thompson are among the players who figure to come up in discussions in the next 10 days.

However, the Warriors are high on youngsters like Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski, notes Charania, so those players are very unlikely trade candidates.

Additionally, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne said on Monday (Twitter video link) that she doesn’t expect the Warriors to make any trades affecting their core unless Curry is “on board with that idea.” Thompson and Draymond Green are certainly part of that core, and it seems reasonable to assume Wiggins is in that group as well, given that he’s under contract for three more years and played a key role in Golden State’s 2022 championship.

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

Hawks guard Dejounte Murray is considered a strong candidate to be moved at next Thursday’s trade deadline, but at least one notable member of the organization doesn’t want to see him go anywhere. Sources tell Marc Stein (Substack link) that head coach Quin Snyder has lobbied the Hawks to hang onto Murray, who is under contract for four seasons beyond this one.
While the Hornets will certainly explore trading Gordon Hayward and Kyle Lowry, two veterans on pricey expiring contracts, both players are considered potential buyout candidates if Charlotte can’t find a deadline deal it likes. However, according to Stein, Hayward is “far less likely” than Lowry to seek a buyout if they’re still in Charlotte after February 8. If the Hornets were to retain Hayward through the end of the season, he would retain his full Bird rights and they’d have the option of re-signing him or signing-and-trading him in the summer. Stein also confirms that the Sixers would have interest in Lowry if he’s bought out, as previously reported.
While the initial reports on Julius Randle‘s shoulder injury are relatively positive, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst notes that shoulder issues can bother players for “months” and have a tendency to reoccur. As Adam Zagoria of NJ.com relays, Windhorst argued during a TV segment that the Knicks should consider making a move on the trade market to help offset the loss of Randle.
Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link) passes along an interesting stat about movable first-round draft picks, noting that just 11 teams control 75% of the first-rounders that can be traded.

Pacific Notes: Warriors’ Lineup, Kerr, Bridges, Barnes

January 28th, 2024 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors dropped a little further in the Western Conference playoff race on Saturday, but coach Steve Kerr might have a lineup that’s capable of saving the season, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Slater notes that Draymond Green has been outstanding since returning from his suspension and is no longer on a minutes restriction. He logged 46 minutes in last night’s double-overtime game, and the team was plus-31 when he was on the court and minus-32 without him.

Green has taken over as the starting center, with Jonathan Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins as the forwards. The Kuminga-Wiggins tandem was terrible earlier in the season, but Green’s defensive presence and ball-handling skills are making the combination work. Slater notes that the three of them are plus-41 in their minutes together since Green’s return.

“We’re trying to maximize the number of possessions that those guys play together,” Kerr said. “We’re in a position now with Wiggs playing at a high level and JK having come around, Klay (Thompson), (Stephen Curry), Draymond back after the suspension. We’re in a position where we can put those guys together and it’s probably our best five.”

Their success together likely minimizes any chance that Wiggins or Kuminga will be traded before the February 8 deadline.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Kerr found a quasi-diplomatic way to express his displeasure with the officiating after the Warriors fell to the Lakers Saturday night, Slater adds. “My Mom is here and I want to be on my best behavior,” Kerr said. “So I’m not going to comment on the 43 free throws to our 16. I’m not going to comment on Steph shooting three free throws in 43 minutes.” Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic was fined $25K for complaining about the free-throw discrepancy in a loss to L.A. earlier this month.
Amid rumors that the Suns are confident about their chances of acquiring Miles Bridges from the Hornets, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports argues against the move, saying the organization shouldn’t be considering someone with Bridges’ history of domestic violence. Bourguet also speculates that Phoenix hasn’t moved on Bridges already because it fears a backlash from fans.
With Kings forward Harrison Barnes frequently mentioned in trade speculation, James Ham of Kings Beat (subscription required) looks at how Barnes’ recent scoring outbursts might affect his future with the team.

Warriors Rumors: Kuminga, Wiggins, Defense, Draymond

January 26th, 2024 at 2:38pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors are happy with Jonathan Kuminga‘s development this season and aren’t inclined to trade him at the February 8 deadline, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype said in a conversation with The Athletic’s Anthony Slater on the HoopsHype podcast. It would likely require an “overpay” of draft picks or a deal that returns an All-Star caliber player to get Golden State to consider moving Kuminga, according to Scotto.

Slater essentially agrees with that assessment, noting that one reason the Warriors would be hesitant to move the former lottery pick is that they value him more than the rest of the NBA does. However, as Slater notes, the league-wide perception of Kuminga is likely rising based on how he’s performed lately.

As Slater wrote at The Athletic, in the Warriors’ emotional first game back on Wednesday following the death of assistant coach Dejan Milojevic, Kuminga had a perfect night, scoring 25 points on 11-of-11 shooting to help lead Golden State to a 22-point win. On Thursday vs. Sacramento, Kuminga racked up a season-high 31 points in 30 minutes and was a +16 in a game the team lost by one point.

The Warriors’ investment in Kuminga is paying dividends, according to Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic, who hears from his own sources that the team doesn’t plan to trade the third-year forward and never did.

While Kuminga’s standing in Golden State looked shaky just a few weeks ago when Slater and Shams Charania reported that he had lost faith in head coach Steve Kerr, the 21-year-old has felt better about his situation since meeting with Kerr in the wake of that report, per Slater. Now he’s playing some of the best basketball of his career and cementing his place in the Warriors’ future.

Here’s more out of Golden State:

Scotto and Slater discussed several more Warriors-related topics and rumors in the HoopsHype podcast, including Andrew Wiggins‘ trade market, why Golden State values Chris Paul as more than just an expiring contract, Steve Kerr‘s desire to continue coaching the Warriors beyond this season, and Slater’s belief that Klay Thompson will re-sign with the team in the summer. Regarding Wiggins, both Scotto and Slater have heard whispers about the Mavericks potentially having interest in the former No. 1 overall pick.
Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. said during an NBC Sports Bay Area appearance on Thursday that he continues to evaluate the roster and to consider possible trade opportunities. Dunleavy admitted that the defense has “struggled” and is an area the team wants to “shore up,” but said that won’t necessarily happen on the trade market. “A lot of times, it’s hard at the trade deadline to bring in a player or players that are just going to dramatically improve your defense,” Dunleavy said, per Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. “Look, if that player is available, we’ll look to pursue it. … (But) I think it’s got to come from within. And that comes from everybody. That’s coaches, that’s players, that’s the whole deal of we’ve got to tighten this thing up and find a way to be better defensively because, frankly, offensively, we’ve been great.” Two of the Warriors’ top defenders, Draymond Green and Gary Payton II, have missed significant time this season.
Green has come off the bench in all three games since returning from his suspension, but Slater notes (via Twitter) that Kerr quickly subbed in the former Defensive Player of the Year just three minutes into the second half on Thursday. That might have been Green’s last half out of the starting five, Slater adds.

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.

Fischer’s Latest: Tucker, Suns, Warriors, Mavs, Blazers, Graham

January 17th, 2024 at 12:28pm CST by Luke Adams

After being traded from Philadelphia to the Clippers earlier this season, veteran forward P.J. Tucker is a “strong” candidate to be moved again ahead of the February 8 deadline, says Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

According to Fischer, Washington is viewed as a potential trade destination for Tucker, who would likely be bought out if he’s sent to the Wizards. In that scenario, the Suns and Bucks would be among the teams expected to pursue the 38-year-old on the buyout market, Fischer adds.

Tucker is earning $11MM this season, with an $11.5MM player option for 2024/25, so unless he gives up a significant portion of his remaining money in a buyout agreement, he’d still have a real impact on his team’s salary cap for next season. With that in mind, the Wizards (or another trade partner) would presumably want a solid asset or two as a sweetener to take on his contract, especially if they’re also giving up a rotation-caliber player in the process.

Here’s more from Fischer:

The Suns are one of the more active teams on the trade market and have explored what a package that includes Grayson Allen and Nassir Little could bring back, Fischer reports. Those efforts are complicated by the fact that Phoenix’s draft assets consist of just four second-round picks, according to Fischer, who points out too that Allen has been arguably the team’s most important players outside of its three stars.
Although the Warriors and Mavericks have displayed interest in Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, Golden State has shown little desire to part with either Jonathan Kuminga or Moses Moody, Fischer writes. As for the Mavs, they’ve been linked to many forwards, per Fischer, including Andrew Wiggins, P.J. Washington of the Hornets, and former Mav Dorian Finney-Smith, now a member of the Nets.
Jerami Grant is the sort of player who would appeal to teams like the Mavericks and Kings, but the Trail Blazers aren’t expected to seriously consider offers for the veteran forward, according to Fischer. Portland guard Malcolm Brogdon, on the other hand, is viewed as a more viable trade candidate.
In addition to veterans like Doug McDermott and Cedi Osman, who were previously identified as trade candidates, guard Devonte’ Graham is another Spurs player who is available via trade, sources tell Fischer. Graham has been out of San Antonio’s rotation all season and has a $12.1MM cap hit for this season, with a $2.85MM partial guarantee for 2024/25, so he presumably won’t have positive value.

Stein’s Latest: Hield, Wiggins, Finney-Smith, O’Neale, Fultz, McDermott, Osman

January 14th, 2024 at 5:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons and Wizards pulled off a trade involving four players and two draft picks on Sunday. Expect a lot more activity in the coming weeks, according to Marc Stein in his latest Substack post.

Stein offers a number of interesting tidbits from around the league:

Buddy Hield‘s name was prominently mentioned around the trade market after the veteran guard and the Pacers failed to reach an extension agreement during training camp. Sources tell Stein that Indiana continues to look for ways to move Hield. The Pacers are trying to package his expiring $18.6MM contract and a future first-rounder to get an impact player. Raptors forward Pascal Siakam continues to be talked about as a potential Pacers target. However, Indiana would be reluctant to give up second-year guard Bennedict Mathurin or rookie Jarace Walker in any trade.
Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins is looked upon as another potential Pacers target but it may be difficult for Golden State to create a market for him, Stein writes. Wiggins not only has three more years left on his contract, his production has nosedived.
Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale could be on the move. The Nets are listening to offers for both of those forwards and Stein suggests the Cavaliers should pursue O’Neale, considering they need a wing and he’s close friends with Donovan Mitchell. O’Neale has an expiring contract, while Finney-Smith is signed through 2025/26.
Speaking of expiring contracts, the Magic are “exploring the trade market” the top pick of the 2017 draft. They’ve made guard Markelle Fultz and his $17MM expiring deal available, along with center Wendell Carter Jr, per Stein.
Another team dangling expiring contracts is the Spurs. Forwards Doug McDermott and Cedi Osman are available for teams looking to clear cap room this summer or upgrade their second unit, according to Stein.

Warriors Notes: Kuminga, Podziemski, Curry, Green

January 14th, 2024 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Draymond Green is expected to return from his suspension this week, but Warriors coach Steve Kerr will have to keep finding minutes for Jonathan Kuminga, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Kuminga is coming off the best back-to-back scoring performances of his career, delivering 28 points on Saturday in Milwaukee after putting up 24 points on Friday at Chicago. Despite seeing his role change frequently throughout the first half of the season, Kuminga has reached double figures in scoring in 19 straight games.

“I wouldn’t say (that statistic) impressed me,” Kuminga said. “I had all summer to go out there and work out, get better, come back and help the team. Obviously, things haven’t gone the right way (in wins and losses). But you can see a lot of progress. … In the past, I’d just put my head down. But now … if I attack and I don’t have nothing (there), I can’t score, kick the ball to someone who’s open.”

Green is expected back by Monday at Memphis or Wednesday at Utah, which will complicate rotation decisions for Kerr, who is already trying to balance Kuminga, Kevon Looney, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Dario Saric and Andrew Wiggins. Kuminga seems like the only potential star in that group, and Slater notes that he has become Golden State’s best interior scorer, posting 284 points in the paint for a team that doesn’t have anyone else above 200.

“We’re showing him clips every day trying to get him to get to the rim,” Kerr said. “Especially without the ball. He wants to attack. Which is great. But we’re trying to get him to understand if he gets to the dunker spot, finishes his cuts rather than staying at the foul line, it improves our spacing and he’ll pick off two or three buckets per game getting to the dunker, going to the offensive glass and running to that spot in transition or after a screen. His tendency now is to linger on the perimeter. I want him at the rim. He’s one of the best in the league finishing when he gets the ball in the paint.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

Milwaukee native Brandin Podziemski put up 23 points and 10 rebounds in his first career game in his hometown, Slater adds. He was the only Warriors player with a cheering section at Fiserv Forum. “Ran into my seventh-grade English teacher pregame,” Podziemski said. “She said she’s glad I went to military school or else I’d be a troublemaker. … I was actually here the day this building opened. I was a sophomore in high school. I got to meet Giannis (Antetokounmpo).”
Stephen Curry sat out Saturday on the second game of a back-to-back, tweets Kendra Andrews of ESPN. “He’s just wiped out right now,” Kerr said. “He’s basically been healthy all year and we’ve been relying on him heavily. He’s worn out. He needs the night off.”
Green has acted as an unofficial assistant coach since rejoining the team this week, but the Warriors need him back on the court, observes Shayna Rubin of The San Jose Mercury News. Since Green began serving his suspension, Golden State’s defensive rating has been 123.8, which is the second-worst mark in the league during that time, ahead of only Detroit’s 125.1 rating.

Trade Rumors: Suns, Biggest Needs, Warriors, Lewis, More

January 13th, 2024 at 11:13am CST by Tristan Tucker

Instead of focusing on acquiring a true point guard for their roster, the Suns are more interested in trying to bring in an athletic wing, NBA on TNT’s Chris Haynes said during a broadcast (via Inside The Suns).

“A lot of people will point to a point guard, but in talking with the Suns they believe that with Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, they feel like they need the ball in their hands. They feel like they don’t need another point guard that’s going to take the ball away [from their stars],” Haynes said during the broadcast.

It’s unclear what specific players the Suns are targeting but Haynes expects the market to heat up in the near future, which could provide some clarity.

“Obviously around this time of year, this is when things start to get serious,” Haynes said. “Right now teams are posturing — there’s not a whole lot of sellers right now, but I expect things to change over the next week or so. I think things will really get serious.”

We have more trade rumors from around the league:

Staffers from The Athletic pooled together to break down what all 30 teams in the league should be targeting at the trade deadline. The article mostly focuses on archetypes of players, with Doug Haller agreeing with the notion the Suns need another perimeter defender. Some writers gave specific trade targets for teams, with Andrew Schlect identifying Utah’s Kelly Olynyk and Brooklyn’s Royce O’Neale as two targets who make sense for the Thunder.
In the same article, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater writes the Warriors have “poked around” the center market and could dangle Chris Paul‘s expiring salary. Slater also believes Andrew Wiggins is more likely to be traded at the deadline than Jonathan Kuminga.
A trade involving Pelicans guard Kira Lewis Jr. to avoid the luxury tax feels “inevitable,” according to The Athletic’s William Guillory. While that’s speculation, it has been obvious for months that such a move makes sense. If the Pelicans do move on from Lewis, they should target shooting in return, Guillory writes. Otherwise, he expects New Orleans to have a relatively quiet deadline unless something changes in the next few weeks.
Some recent acquisitions haven’t panned out the way teams may have thought when signing or trading for them, and those teams could look to move said players. The Athletic’s Jay King and Jared Weiss write the Celtics could use another option on the wing since Oshae Brissett hasn’t taken a stranglehold on a rotation spot. Signing Shake Milton hasn’t panned out for the Timberwolves‘ bench, Jon Krawczynski writes, and the team needs more bench scoring as a result. Other recent acquisitions who haven’t quite played up to expectations and could be on the move or supplanted, per The Athletic’s staffers, include the Clippers‘ P.J. Tucker and Jock Landale of the Rockets.
The Wizards have a number of players who could appeal to contending teams, according to The Athletic’s Josh Robbins, including Tyus Jones, Delon Wright, Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala. Robbins writes the goal in any trade, along with obtaining first-round picks, should be to get young prospects who haven’t been able to crack rotations on other teams.

Latest On Pascal Siakam

January 13th, 2024 at 8:21am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Warriors are one of the top threats to trade for Raptors forward Pascal Siakam at the trade deadline, but there are some complicating factors for a potential deal for Golden State or any other team.

As ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski explained in a recent TV appearance (Twitter video link) – and as has been previously reported – Siakam has plenty of say on where he wants to go because he’s in the last year of his deal and any team acquiring him has to be prepared to offer a max contract.

The Warriors would have to first decide whether they want to commit long-term money to Siakam and then determine what a trade package looks like from there. A player like Andrew Wiggins, believed to be available, is on the books for at least two years after this one for an average of $27.25MM per year but Marc J. Spears notes there’s “not a lot of value for Wiggins right now.” Jonathan Kuminga was previously mentioned as a sticking point in negotiations between the two teams.

Siakam would undoubtedly be a boon for a Warriors team with well-documented struggles and, according to Wojnarowski, Golden State is interested, but it’s a “difficult pathway” for the two sides on any deal.

On top of that, other teams don’t have to get desperate to try and acquire Siakam’s services due to his impending free agency. Wojnarowski specifically mentions the Pacers as a team that has engaged with Toronto on Siakam and also has the cap flexibility in the offseason to sign him to a free agent deal. While Jarace Walker and Bennedict Mathurin are two young players on Indiana’s roster Toronto general manager Masai Ujiri “would love to get,” Wojnarowski says the Pacers realize they don’t necessarily have to move either due to their upcoming flexibility.

These complicating factors have led some to believe Siakam and Toronto will find a middle ground on an extension that benefits both parties and allows the Raptors to not lose the two-time All-Star in free agency for nothing. However, Wojnarowski says there’s no traction on an extension between the two sides right now.

The Mavericks are another team that makes sense for Siakam and Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports said during a recent podcast appearance (YouTube link via Locked On Mavericks) that there have been conversations between Dallas and Toronto on a potential deal.

According to Fischer, there are some people in Dallas who view Siakam as a missing piece and believe that a big three headlined by him, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving would make the team a legitimate contender. However, there are others unconvinced he’s worth what he would cost to acquire.

Pacific Notes: Warriors, Curry, Zubac, Beal

January 12th, 2024 at 9:49pm CST by Rory Maher

In search of answers after a poor stretch of games, the Warriors made another change to their starting lineup on Friday night, with Dario Saric replacing Jonathan Kuminga, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link). Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Kevon Looney were the other four starters.

Golden State gave up 75 points to the Bulls at half, which was a season-high for Chicago, and trailed by 13 after two periods. But the Warriors rebounded with a 48-20 third quarter and wound up winning by nine.

Here’s more from the Pacific:

Curry has been in a slump of late for the Warriors, and it’s clear the ups and downs of the season have been wearing on him, writes Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. “I feel like we’ve been in this situation for the last two years,” Curry said. “Even in the championship year, we started 18-2 and then we had some rough patches like this where we struggled mightily. These last couple of years have been rough because of all the noise and distractions, because of the lack of consistency on the court. At least last year we had enough to scare somebody. But we’re far from that right now.”
Center Ivica Zubac has been playing an important role during the Clippers‘ surge up the standings, per Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. The eight-year veteran is averaging career highs in multiple categories this season and has formed a strong two-man game on offense with James Harden while anchoring the paint defensively. “I knew I could play in that pocket, that I could be a roll man on offense and defense,” said Zubac. “I’m confident in my game a lot, so I’ve always been confident. But right now, it’s at a high level.”
Suns guard Bradley Beal had his best game of the season during Thursday’s victory over the Lakers in Los Angeles, recording 37 point (on 14-of-21 shooting, including 8-of-10 from deep), six rebounds and four assists in 32 minutes. In a story for Sportskeeda, Mark Medina describes Beal’s transition to Phoenix, writing that the three-time All-Star has drawn rave reviews for fitting in so well with the team, despite dealing with injuries for much of 2023/24. “Brad is one of the best players in the world,” Kevin Durant said. “To see an opportunity to see that close up and see a guy every day and see who he truly is as a player and then you come out there and get moments like that, that’s always fun. I enjoy seeing my teammates cook like that. We’re going to need more from him because that ignites the bench and it ignites the crowd, even if we’re on the road.”