De’Andre Hunter Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Stein’s Latest: Rockets, Barnes, O’Neale, Hunter, Bogdanovic, Jazz, Murray

January 16th, 2024 at 6:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Rockets are pursuing frontcourt options to give Most Improved Player Award candidate Alperen Şengün some help, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack post. They’re danging Victor Oladipo‘s expiring $9.5MM deal and Jock Landale‘s contract, which isn’t guaranteed beyond this season, as enticements. Houston is also seeking another shooter and has shown interest in the Kings’ Harrison Barnes, according to Stein.

Here are more tidbits from Stein’s story:

Barnes could be on the move, despite signing a three-year, $54MM extension last offseason. However, the Kings would prefer to get an impact player using Barnes as part of the package. They’ve had discussions with the Raptors regarding a potential Pascal Siakam deal. The Kings have also made Kevin Huerter and Davion Mitchell available but have no interest in dealing second-year forward Keegan Murray.
Stein suggested a couple of days ago that the Cavaliers might pursue Royce O’Neale to fill their 3-and-D need. He now hears that the Nets forward is indeed on Cleveland’s list of targets. The Hawks’ De’Andre Hunter could also be a target to watch for Cleveland, but his contract — he’s in the first year of a four-year, $90MM extension — would make the Cavs’ future cap issues more challenging. O’Neale will be a free agent after the season.
The Pistons had some exploratory discussions with a number of teams regarding swingman Bojan Bogdanović. However, it’s not a certainty they’ll deal him, says Stein. They may want to keep him around to help avoid setting the NBA record for the worst all-time season record, currently held by Sixers (9-73).
The Jazz’s surge up the Western Conference standings has made it tougher to predict what their front office will do in the coming weeks. Kelly Olynyk and Jordan Clarkson are the veterans most frequently mentioned as potential trade pieces but the chatter regarding John Collins has died down since he became the team’s starting center, according to Stein. Top exec Danny Ainge will still likely listen to trade pitches for virtually any player on the roster.
Dejounte Murray‘s list of potential suitors includes the Spurs, Lakers, Nets, Knicks and Pistons, Stein reports. The Hawks, as previously noted, are looking to replenish their draft assets after they gave up three first-round picks (two of their own) and a pick swap to acquire him from San Antonio in 2022.

Southeast Notes: Livers, Bagley, Christopher, Hawks’ Trade Chatter, Washington

January 14th, 2024 at 6:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Wizards view Isaiah Livers and Marvin Bagley III as the most important parts of their trade with the Pistons on Sunday, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic, rather than the two second-round picks Detroit tossed in to rid itself of Bagley’s contract.

Washngton parted with Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala in the deal. The Wizards are banking on their player development system to get more out of the two forwards they acquired. The team can make Livers a restricted free agent this summer if it likes what it sees from him the rest of the season.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Josh Christopher is joining the Heat’s NBA G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. Christopher, who had a two-way contract with the Jazz before he was waived on Monday, appeared in 138 games with Houston from 2021-23 but hasn’t seen any NBA action this season. He has appeared in 18 games (17 starts) for the Jazz’s G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars, averaging 17.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 6.0 assists in 29.0 minutes per contest.
Trae Young and Jalen Johnson are the only players the Hawks are unwilling to trade, John Hollinger of The Athletic confirms. There’s plenty of trade chatter involving Dejounte Murray and they’re also trying to determine the trade value of De’Andre Hunter and Clint Capela. The Hawks could use Murray as means to shed the contract of either Capela or Hunter.
Hornets forward P.J. Washington returned to action on Sunday after missing the previous three games with a foot injury. the team’s PR department tweets. Washington, who is averaging 13.0 points and 5.2 rebounds per game this season, signed a three-year contract over the summer.

Southeast Notes: Butler, Hunter, Mathews, Hawks, Diallo, Hornets

January 10th, 2024 at 12:15pm CST by Luke Adams

After missing four games near the end of December due to a left calf strain, Heat star Jimmy Butler ‘s return on Dec. 30 was short-lived. He logged 23 minutes in a loss to Utah that night before suffering a new injury that the team has referred to as a right toe MP joint sprain.

Butler will miss a fifth consecutive game on Wednesday when the Heat face the Thunder, but he told reporters on Tuesday that he’s relieved the injury isn’t more serious and that he doesn’t think his absence will last much longer.

“I (initially) thought it was way worse than it really was. I was scared for a much larger reason because of a bruise or the bone. So glad it wasn’t (that),” Butler said, per Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. “It’s getting better. I’m moving a little bit better. … It was bad. It’s not nearly as bad now. I can put my shoe on and tie it without too much pain. I’m smiling because I’ll be back soon.”

Wednesday’s game will be the 13th contest that Butler has missed so far this season. If he sits out five more games between now and the regular season finale in April, he’ll be ineligible for end-of-season award consideration. However, he said on Tuesday that’s not something that’s on his mind.

“What you think?” Butler said when asked if he cares about possibly becoming ineligible for awards. “You think I’m worried about some reward? The only reward I give a damn about is those banners over there.”

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

The Hawks issued a pair of health updates on Tuesday, announcing (via Twitter) that injured forward De’Andre Hunter (right knee) recently begun taking part in half-court workouts and will increase his basketball activities soon. The team also stated that guard Garrison Mathews, who underwent an MRI after injuring his left ankle on Sunday, has been diagnosed with a sprain and will be reevaluated in one or two weeks.
Danny Chau of The Ringer digs into whether the Trae Young era in Atlanta can be salvaged and whether big roster changes might be coming for the Hawks in the next few weeks.
Discussing the newest addition to the Wizards‘ roster on Wednesday, head coach Wes Unseld Jr. talked about what Hamidou Diallo will bring to the team, per Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link). “High-level energy,” Unseld said. “He defends. He plays downhill, plays with force. He can be very disruptive, very active. He’s got positional size, which I think is great. He’s improved his three-point shooting.” There hasn’t been much in-game evidence for Unseld’s final claim, as Diallo made just 7-of-33 threes (21.2%) with the Capital City Go-Go in the G League this season before signing a 10-day contract with Washington.
In a mailbag for The Charlotte Observer, Roderick Boone tackles several Hornets-related topics, weighing the odds of an in-season trade involving Terry Rozier and explaining why he doesn’t think Charlotte will let Miles Bridges walk for nothing in free agency in the summer.

De’Andre Hunter To Miss At Least Two Weeks With Right Knee Inflammation

December 25th, 2023 at 1:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

De’Andre Hunter will undergo a non-surgical procedure on Tuesday to address inflammation in his right knee, the Hawks announced (via Twitter).

Hunter’s condition will be reevaluated in about two weeks, the team added. The 26-year-old small forward sat out Atlanta’s last two games because of pain in his knee.

Hunter has appeared in 24 of the Hawks’ first 29 games and is averaging 14.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists per night while shooting 46% from the field and 40.4% from three-point range. He has been the subject of recent trade rumors as a result of Atlanta’s disappointing 12-17 start.

Hunter is in the first season of the rookie scale extension he signed in 2022 and has three more years left on his contract at $21.7MM, $23.3MM and $24.9MM.

Fischer’s Latest: Capela, Hunter, Quickley, Wizards, Rockets

December 22nd, 2023 at 8:50pm CST by Rory Maher

There was minimal trade chatter at the NBA’s annual G League Showcase this week, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. Still, the Hawks are among the teams worth keeping an eye on, according to Fischer, who says Atlanta still seems to be open to dealing Clint Capela and De’Andre Hunter.

A veteran Swiss big man, Capela is averaging a double-double (11.8 PPG and 10.7 RPG in 26 games) for the seventh straight season. He’s making $20.6MM this season and will earn $22.3MM in 2024/25. Fifth-year forward Hunter, meanwhile, will make $90MM over the next four years after inking a rookie scale extension prior to 2022/23.

The news isn’t surprising, since both players were involved in rumors over the summer and the Hawks have had a pretty disappointing start to the 2023/24 campaign. HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto has heard similarly.

While Scotto recently reported that the Knicks would consider trading Immanuel Quickley if the right deal presents itself, Fischer hears the fourth-year guard’s name “has been virtually absent” from early trade talks. Perhaps that will change in the next several weeks leading up to the deadline, but it seems to indicate New York isn’t actively shopping Quickley.

Here’s more from Fischer’s latest rumor round-up:

The 5-22 Wizards look like prime candidates to be sellers at the deadline in the first year of their rebuild, according to Fischer. Daniel Gafford, Kyle Kuzma and Tyus Jones are among the players who could net positive returns. Rival teams value Kuzma’s contract (four years, $90MM), and the Wizards could get “legitimate first-round capital” if they move the veteran forward, Fischer writes. Opposing executives also think Washington might be able to land a first-round pick for Jones, who is making $14MM in the final year of his deal.
The Wizards will likely receive calls on former lottery picks Corey Kispert and Deni Avdija as well, Fischer adds, but it’s unclear if Washington is interested in dealing them. Avdijia, in particular, would be difficult to trade due to the poison pill provision. According to Fischer, rivals are skeptical Jordan Poole would fetch a “worthwhile return” due to his early-season struggles and pricey long-term contract (he’s owed $123MM+ over the next four years).
The Rockets could be in the market for a backup center, sources tell Fischer. As Fischer explains, free agent addition Jock Landale hasn’t secured a rotation spot, averaging just 8.5 MPG in his 16 appearances, and the team might seek an upgrade behind Alperen Sengun.

Knicks Rumors: Murray, Anunoby, Barrett, Quickley, Fournier

December 22nd, 2023 at 5:31pm CST by Rory Maher

While one recent report indicated the Knicks haven’t been very active in trade conversions thus far this season, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype hears from sources who say New York is among a group of teams that have shown “exploratory interest” in Hawks guard Dejounte Murray.

As Scotto writes, Murray can’t be traded until January 9, which is six months after the one-time All-Star signed a four-year, $111MM+ extension over the summer. But with the Hawks off to a slow start (they’re 12-15, the No. 10 seed in the East), Scotto suggests they’d be willing to listen to offers on several players on their roster, including De’Andre Hunter and Clint Capela, who have both popped up in trade rumors in the past year.

In June 2022, before Murray was traded to Atlanta from San Antonio, multiple reporters said the Knicks were interested in his services — it’s not surprising that they’re rumored to be checking in on his availability again. Through 27 games this season, the 27-year-old is averaging 20.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 5.4 APG and 1.5 SPG in 34.3 MPG.

Here are a few more Knicks rumors from Scotto:

New York is still interested in Raptors forward OG Anunoby, Scotto reports. When the two teams discussed Anunoby last season, RJ Barrett came up in the talks, but “nothing substantive materialized.” According to Scotto, the Knicks would likely have to give up a significant haul of assets to land Anunoby, who can become a free agent in 2024 if he declines his player option for ’24/25.
The Knicks and Immanuel Quickley did not agree to terms on a rookie scale extension before the ’23/24 season began, and Scotto previously reported that there was a pretty significant gap in what the young guard was seeking on his next deal and what New York was willing to offer. That gap — plus the team’s belief that he would eventually like to start — has made the Knicks willing to consider trading Quickley if the right opportunity arises, according to Scotto.
Unsurprisingly, Scotto hears the Knicks have also been attempting to trade Evan Fournier and his expiring contract, but they obviously haven’t found any takers yet — otherwise he wouldn’t still be on the roster.

Trade Rumors: Mitchell, Grant, Hawks, Clarkson

December 19th, 2023 at 11:17am CST by Luke Adams

There’s no indication that the Cavaliers are considering trading Donovan Mitchell, and the star guard shut down that topic of conversation following injuries to teammates Darius Garland and Evan Mobley. However, in an Insider-only story for ESPN.com, Kevin Pelton argues that it’s something the team should think about, given that Cleveland doesn’t appear to be a legitimate title contender in the short term and Mitchell can become a free agent in 2025.

As Pelton writes, if the Cavaliers aren’t confident in their ability to extend Mitchell beyond his current deal, they could maximize his value on the trade market by moving him sooner rather than later, potentially getting back pieces that could complement Garland and Mobley as they enter their respective primes.

It seems unlikely that the Cavs will heed Pelton’s advice and make Mitchell available in advance of this season’s trade deadline. But if the four-time All-Star eventually ends up on the trade block, the Knicks, Nets, Heat, and “at least two other” Southwest teams would be among the potential suitors to watch, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on his latest Hoop Collective podcast (hat tip to NetsDaily).

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

Ever since Damian Lillard requested a trade out of Portland, forward Jerami Grant has been viewed as a logical trade candidate, given that he seems to be on a different timeline than the rebuilding Trail Blazers. However, Danny Marang of 1080 The Fan in Portland (Twitter link) says he continues to hear the team has “zero interest” in moving Grant and is happy with the role he’s playing on the current roster.
Teams around the NBA are keeping an eye on the Hawks to see if they’ll become a trade deadline seller, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack story. Atlanta was at the center of several offseason trade rumors – many of which involved Clint Capela and/or De’Andre Hunter – but didn’t end up doing anything too significant and is off to an underwhelming (11-15) start this fall.
Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (video link) confirms that Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson is considered available via trade, as previous reports have suggested. Clarkson likes playing in Utah and isn’t seeking an exit, Haynes notes, but multiple contenders have inquired about him.

Injury Notes: Thompson, Edwards, McDaniels, Hunter, Irving, Markkanen, Kessler, Little

December 10th, 2023 at 9:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Amen Thompson, the fourth pick of the draft, will return to action on Monday. He’s no longer listed on the Rockets’ injury report.

Thompson will jump right back into the rotation when his team faces San Antonio, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports. He’s been out since Nov. 1 due to a right ankle sprain.

“The plan is to incorporate him back into the lineup,” head coach Ime Udoka said. “Obviously, we have guys playing well, so we have to find minutes and opportunity there, and we’ll tweak our rotation some once we get him in with certain groups.”

We have more injury-related news with 13 games on Monday’s schedule:

Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards is listed as questionable against New Orleans due to a right hip pointer. Forward Jaden McDaniels (right ankle sprain), who hasn’t played since Nov. 20, is also listed as questionable, the team’s PR department tweets.
Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter (right quad tendon soreness) is listed as questionable against Denver, Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal Constitution tweets. He played 37 minutes against Philadelphia on Friday.
Kyrie Irving (right heel contusion) and Josh Green (right elbow sprain) are among the Mavericks players listed as out for their game against Memphis, Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal tweets.
The Jazz will be missing two key frontcourt players when they face Oklahoma City. Forward Lauri Markkanen (left hamstring strain) and center Walker Kessler (right foot soreness) won’t play, Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman tweets.
The Suns’ Nassir Little has an orbital fracture and is in the NBA’s concussion protocol, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports tweets. Phoenix hosts Golden State on Tuesday.

Eastern Rumors: Nets, Quickley, Hawks, Hayward, Martin

November 29th, 2023 at 3:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Executives around the NBA continue to monitor Nets forwards Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale, who were considered trade candidates during the offseason, writes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Rival executives believe Brooklyn will seek the equivalent of two first-round picks for Finney-Smith, though they hope that cost will drop closer to the deadline, according to Scotto, who adds that some execs who spoke to HoopsHype think the Nets would want a protected first-round pick for O’Neale. Finney-Smith still has multiple years left on his contract, while O’Neale is on an expiring deal.

Teams are also eyeing Nic Claxton and are curious to see whether Brooklyn is willing to roll the dice on re-signing him as an unrestricted free agent next summer, since he won’t become extension-eligible before then. For now, the Nets view Claxton as part of their core and wouldn’t be inclined to move him unless they get an offer that blows them away, Scotto explains.

Finally, some NBA executives think that veteran guard Spencer Dinwiddie might be available on the trade market later this season — and they think he’d have some value. “Dinwiddie can help a team and make big shots,” one exec told Scotto.

Scotto has more trade rumors and notes from around the Eastern Conference. Let’s dive in…

Rival teams are keeping an eye on whether or not the Knicks will make Immanuel Quickley available, according to Scotto, who says the guard was seeking about $25MM per year on a rookie scale extension before the season, while New York offered approximately $18MM annually. “I think Quickley might be New York’s best trade asset besides Jalen Brunson,” one league executive told HoopsHype.
The Hawks still have some trade interest in Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, says Scotto. De’Andre Hunter and Clint Capela were mentioned during the offseason as possible trade candidates for Atlanta and Scotto believes one or both players could be available again before February’s deadline. However, the Mavericks‘ interest in Capela has diminished due to the strong play of rookie Dereck Lively, Scotto notes.
Multiple “playoff-caliber” teams have been in touch with the Hornets to gauge the potential availability of veteran forward Gordon Hayward, per Scotto.
Scotto also reports that teams have expressed some exploratory interest in Sixers wing KJ Martin, who was part of the James Harden blockbuster earlier this month. Martin has played a limited role in Philadelphia but is coming off a solid year in Houston.

Southeast Notes: Muscala, Shamet, Hornets, Hawks

November 2nd, 2023 at 12:54pm CST by Rory Maher

Wizards big man Mike Muscala, who was acquired from Boston this offseason in the Kristaps Porzingis trade, got the Latin phrase “carpe diem” (it translates to “seize the day”) tattooed on his right forearm this summer in honor of his late mother, who passed away prior to 2022/23. As Bijan Todd of Monumental Sports Network writes, the 11-year veteran tries to his embody his mother’s zeal for life by bringing her “positive energy” and gratitude, both on and off the court.

“You owe [the starters], when you come in off the bench, just to have that extra energy, and try to, like you said, bring a spark,” Muscala said. “It doesn’t got to be anything crazy, but something to just kinda change the game up a little bit, figure out how you can fit into that. I feel like we got a lot of guys on this team that can do that, too. That’ll be a big thing for us throughout the season.”

Muscala, 32, has appeared in three of Washington’s four games, averaging 3.0 points and 3.3 rebounds in 13.7 minutes per night. He’s playing on an expiring $3.5MM contract and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2024.

Here’s more from the Southeast:

Wizards guard Landry Shamet, another offseason addition who was acquired from Phoenix in the Bradley Beal trade, made his ’23/24 season debut on Wednesday, recording eight points, two assists and a steal in 12 minutes. As Josh Robbins of The Athletic notes (via Twitter), Shamet had missed all of preseason and Washington’s first three games with a fractured left toe. Now on his fifth team in six seasons, Shamet could be a free agent next summer — his contract is only guaranteed for this season.
Slow starts to games and poor defensive rotations have plagued Charlotte through four games, with the Hornets off to a 1-3 start. Head coach Steve Clifford said he’s still trying to figure out how to juggle the rotations, according to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “That’s ever evolving,” Clifford said. “That’s every day. To be honest with you, I think once you start playing, I think if you talk to most coaches, that’s what you spend your time on. But I do have to be careful in that it still starts with you want the guys on your team to be in rhythm when they are playing. And you can’t just do, ‘We are going to play match-up basketball every night,’ because you can’t be taking guys out. I really think if a guy doesn’t play at least six minutes, you can’t expect him to play well.”
Hawks head coach Quin Snyder told reporters on Wednesday that minutes at power forward will be split between Saddiq Bey, Jalen Johnson and — to a lesser extent — De’Andre Hunter, who mostly plays the three. Neither Snyder nor the players are concerned with who starts, per Brad Rowland (Twitter link). “People get fixated on starting,” Snyder said as part of a larger quote. “It is what it is. You go watch a game in Europe, they start different lineups all the time and no one thinks anything of it. … I think, particularly in Saddiq and Jalen’s case because they’ve both started games, they haven’t thought about it the way the general public thinks about it. … And that’s refreshing, because I think it shows their commitment to the bottom line, which is not the stat sheet. It’s the wins.”