Goran Dragic Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacers Rumors: Turner, Sabonis, Ayton, Rubio, McCollum

February 8th, 2022 at 7:16am CST by Luke Adams

After trading Caris LeVert to Cleveland, the Pacers continue to talk to teams about centers Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis, but are still seeking a substantial return, writes Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. Indiana wants at least two first-round picks for Turner and an even more significant package for Sabonis, according to Fischer.

The Trail Blazers, Mavericks, Raptors, Knicks, Hornets, and Kings are among the teams to express interest in Turner, but they’ve all balked at the Pacers’ asking price so far, Fischer writes. As Fischer reported last week, Toronto has discussed a framework of Goran Dragic‘s expiring contract and a first-round pick for Turner, but it sounds like Indiana would want more assets than just a single first-rounder.

The Kings have engaged with the Pacers about both Turner and Sabonis, though it’s unclear how much progress was made in those talks, says Fischer. De’Aaron Fox was “at least mentioned in some capacity” in discussions between the two teams, according to Fischer, which echoes a January report.

Here’s more on the Pacers:

Some people around the NBA who have spoken to Bleacher Report have suggested the Suns may be one of the teams interest in Sabonis. While Phoenix isn’t expected to shake up their roster this week, some of Fischer’s sources believe an offseason deal that involves Sabonis and a Deandre Ayton sign-and-trade is a possibility.
Both Fischer and ESPN’s Brian Windhorst say that Ricky Rubio‘s expiring contract could be flipped before Thursday’s trade deadline, which Adrian Wojnarowski first reported on Monday. T.J. Warren and Jeremy Lamb, also on expiring contracts, look like trade candidates too, per Fischer.
Fischer reports that the Pacers are believed to be one of the teams with some interest in Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum.

Scotto’s Latest: McCollum, Covington, Finney-Smith, Raptors, Gallinari

February 5th, 2022 at 5:16pm CST by Arthur Hill

In the wake of Friday’s trade that sent Norman Powell and Robert Covington to the Clippers, many executives around the league expect the Trail Blazers to move CJ McCollum either before the deadline or during the offseason, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The Pelicans and Mavericks are among the teams with interest in McCollum, Scotto adds.

Joe Cronin, the interim general manager in Portland, said the trade with L.A. was designed to create more playing time for Anfernee Simons, who has emerged as a potential star in his fourth NBA season. Cronin calls Simons, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, a “core piece” and said the team “wanted to create a runway here for him.” The same reasoning could apply to moving the 30-year-old McCollum, who will make $69.13MM over the next two seasons.

Scotto shares a few more trade-related tidbits:

After Friday’s trade was completed, several teams called the Clippers to see if they were interested in flipping Covington, who has a $12.975MM expiring contract. However, L.A. sees Covington as insurance if Nicolas Batum decides to turn down his $3.3MM player option this summer and would consider re-signing him even if Batum remains with the team. Scotto views Serge Ibaka as the next Clipper who might be traded.
Sources tell Scotto that the Mavericks passed on an offer of a potential late-lottery pick in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith. The 28-year-old forward will be a free agent this summer, but Scotto cites “sentiment around the league” that Finney-Smith is outplaying his maximum extension of $55.6MM over four years.
Pacers center Myles Turner is among the names the Raptors have considered in their search for help in the middle. Scotto identifies Jakob Poeltl, Robert Williams, Nicolas Claxton and Jusuf Nurkic as other potential Toronto targets, saying the Raptors have considered offering a first-round pick to the Spurs for Poeltl. The price for Turner would be even higher, as Indiana wants either two first-round picks or one first-rounder and a young player with potential.
The Raptors are among several teams with interest in acquiring veteran forward Danilo Gallinari from the Hawks. Scotto notes that Goran Dragic, who hasn’t played since November, could be used to help match salaries in a deal with Atlanta.

Trade Rumors: Dragic, Noel, Zubac, Batum, Millsap

February 2nd, 2022 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors have phoned rival teams to gauge what sort of return they could get in exchange for Goran Dragic‘s expiring contract and a first-round pick, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.

Toronto is known to be in the market for an upgrade at center, but likely won’t want to part with any of its core players in an in-season deal. That makes Dragic’s expiring deal and a draft pick the most logical package for the Raptors to offer.

That framework of Dragic and draft assets was brought up in negotiations for Pacers center Myles Turner before he sustained a stress fracture in his foot, says Fischer.

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

In addition to confirming that Evan Fournier, Kemba Walker, and Alec Burks are available on the trade market, as previously reported, Fischer says the Knicks are also open to moving center Nerlens Noel. Like the other three veterans, Noel is in the first season of a multiyear contract.
David Aldridge and Josh Robbins of The Athletic add Ivica Zubac and Nicolas Batum to the list of players the Clippers may be willing to move in a deal for a play-making point guard. A previous report stated that Marcus Morris, Serge Ibaka, and Eric Bledsoe are available. Batum has the ability to veto a trade that involves him.
Nets big man Paul Millsap, who is training in Atlanta while he waits to be traded or released, says his body feels great and he feels like he still has a lot to contribute, as he told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (video link). According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Bulls – who pursued Millsap in the offseason – are a team worth keeping a close eye on if the 36-year-old is waived.

Clippers Seek Point Guard; Bledsoe, Ibaka, Morris Available

January 31st, 2022 at 5:09pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Clippers are shopping for a play-making point guard and are willing to move several veterans in order to achieve that goal, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer reports.

The Clippers believe a starting point guard is the missing piece to become a championship contender when Kawhi Leonard and Paul George return to action, even though it’s uncertain whether they’ll be back this season or next year.

The front office has made Eric Bledsoe, Serge Ibaka, and Marcus Morris available to acquire another floor leader, O’Connor says. The team views current starter Reggie Jackson as more of a scorer than a pure point guard.

Bledsoe is signed through next season but his $19.38MM salary next season is only guaranteed for $3.9MM. Ibaka is making $9.7MM this season and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. The Clippers would prefer to hold onto Morris, who is in the second year of a four-year, $64MM contract, but the forward may be their most attractive trade piece.

O’Connor suggests the Clippers would also be willing to part with Luke Kennard, Terance Mann, Ivica Zubac, Jason Preston, Brandon Boston Jr., or Keon Johnson if the right deal came along.

As O’Connor notes, the Clippers have been linked in some fashion to Jalen Brunson, Dennis Schröder, Kemba Walker, Goran Dragic, Spencer Dinwiddie and John Wall in recent weeks. Brunson would seemingly be the best fit, though the Mavericks aren’t inclined to deal him, despite the fact that he’ll be an unrestricted free agent after the season.

Dragic, currently in limbo, might be a good short-term fit. Wall, who hasn’t played this season while the Rockets seek a new home for him, could also be an intriguing possibility. The salaries of Bledsoe, Ibaka and Morris could be matched up to obtain Wall. The Clippers could also simply wait to see if Wall winds up on the buyout market and make a play for him at that point.

Mavs Rumors: Brunson, Finney-Smith, Kleber, Powell, Dragic

January 31st, 2022 at 1:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Although Jalen Brunson and Dorian Finney-Smith have been frequently mentioned in trade rumors within the last few weeks, Marc Stein says in his latest Substack article that the safe money is on both players remaining with the Mavericks through the February 10 trade deadline.

Dallas has rebuffed trade interest in Brunson and Finney-Smith so far, according to Stein, who notes that both players are important parts of the team’s current roster. Discussing Brunson specifically, Stein says the Mavs believe the point guard wants to stick with the team long-term and haven’t considered the idea of sending him to the Knicks in a deal that would allow them to reacquire their 2023 first-round pick.

While the Mavs would ideally like to extend both Brunson and Finney-Smith before they reach unrestricted free agency this summer, it’s unclear if either player will be interested in a four-year, $55.6MM deal, which is the most Dallas can offer at this point. A previous report stated that Finney-Smith may be seeking $15MM+ annually on his next contract, and Stein says Brunson is believed to after $18MM+ per year.

Here’s more on the Mavs:

As they consider potential deadline moves, the Mavs are looking to upgrade their offense rather than their defense, which is why they backed off pursuing rim-protecting Pacers center Myles Turner, Stein writes.
Dallas’ ability to make an impact trade may be hindered by the lack of interest in many of their players outside of Brunson and Finney-Smith, according to Stein. Tim Hardaway Jr. was having a down year before he got hurt, and the perceived trade value of Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell has “waned,” Stein adds.
Sources tell Stein that using their $10.9MM trade exception to acquire guard Dennis Schröder from the Celtics isn’t in the Mavs’ plans.
If Goran Dragic is bought out, either by the Raptors or by a team that acquires him as a salary-matching piece, Dallas would be among the frontrunners to sign him, but multiple clubs would be in the running, according to Stein.

Eastern Notes: Dragic, Olynyk, Rose, Grimes

January 30th, 2022 at 7:02pm CST by JD Shaw

The Raptors are receiving a great deal of interest in veteran point guard Goran Dragic ahead of the February 10 trade deadline, Doug Smith of The Toronto Star writes. Smith reports that Dragic will most likely be traded — not bought out — in the near future.

Dragic, 35, is set to make $19.4MM this season. He’s spent the past six-and-a-half seasons with Miami, who sent him to Toronto last offseason as part of a sign-and-trade for Kyle Lowry. Since then, he has only played five games with the franchise, the last of which was on November 13.

Dragic has been away from the Raptors due to personal reasons. In August, he suggested that he didn’t want to stay in Toronto, a comment that he later apologized for making. He started for Miami just over a year ago on its run to the NBA Finals, averaging 19.1 points in 17 playoff games.

There’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Pistons big man Kelly Olynyk has cleared the NBA’s health and safety protocols, Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press tweets. Olynyk recently returned from a knee injury, but he only played in two games before entering protocols. He’ll miss Sunday’s game against Cleveland (return to play conditioning).
Knicks guard Derrick Rose revealed that his December ankle surgery was a regular scope and removed a bone spur from his deltoid ligament, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Rose is hopeful to return shortly after the All-Star break. “I felt relief right away after the surgery,” Rose said. “I felt the relief. I’m just being very, very appreciative of where I am at and how much I did just to get to where I am right now.”
Steve Popper of Newsday examines why starting Quentin Grimes could help change the Knicks‘ fortunes. Grimes has shown potential at just 21 years old, connecting on 40% of his attempts from deep this season. He was drafted No. 25 overall last year.

Atlantic Notes: Rose, Reddish, Raptors, Watanabe, Schröder

January 25th, 2022 at 12:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

Derrick Rose is traveling with the Knicks on their three-game road trip and there’s optimism that he will be able to resume playing next month, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Rose had surgery on his right ankle on December 22 and was projected to be sidelined about eight weeks, which would have him returning right after the All-Star break.

“I hate to speculate,’’ coach Tom Thibodeau said. “I know he’s doing everything according to plan and there hasn’t been any setback. The swelling’s all gone and he’s feeling a lot better. That’s the important thing.”

Thibodeau added that Rose hasn’t been cleared to run or jump yet, but he is doing workouts in a pool. The loss of Rose, combined with knee issues for Kemba Walker, have left the Knicks short-handed at point guard, although Walker returned to the starting lineup Monday night.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

After playing five minutes Sunday in his Knicks debut, Cam Reddish didn’t get off the bench at all Monday, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv. There’s no obvious candidate to be removed from the rotation to give Reddish more minutes, so Begley wonders if a trade is in the works, noting that it wouldn’t make sense for the Knicks to give up a first-round pick for Reddish if they didn’t intend to use him.
The Raptors aren’t interested in trading core players Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby and Scottie Barnes, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Instead, Toronto will focus on acquiring other pieces who can complement that group going forward. One obvious move involves finding a taker for Goran Dragic‘s $19.4MM expiring contract. Dragic was acquired from the Heat in the Kyle Lowry deal, but hasn’t played since early November while tending to personal matters, which Grange said the Raptors didn’t expect.
The Raptors have assigned Yuta Watanabe to their G League team, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports. As a fourth-year player, Watanabe would have needed to give his approval to the move. He has played in just 19 games this season.
The Cavaliers may be the Celtics‘ best option in working out a deal for Dennis Schröder, John Hollinger of the Athletic says in a discussion with Jay King about Boston’s trade prospects. Hollinger proposes sending Schröder to Cleveland for Kevin Pangos, Ed Davis and a 2023 second-round pick in a trade that would leave both teams under the luxury tax.

Trade Rumors: Simmons, T. Harris, Magic, Wolves, Cavs

January 11th, 2022 at 8:50am CST by Luke Adams

After reporting last week that the Sixers‘ preferred outcome would be to have Ben Simmons play for the team this season and then revisit his trade market in the offseason, Marc Stein said in his latest Substack article that teams around the NBA are skeptical about that stance. As Stein notes, it could be a negotiating ploy to try to get potential trade partners to improve their offers, since the odds of Simmons acquiescing to Philadelphia’s wishes and reporting to the team this season still appear extremely slim.

Stein also reported last week that the Hawks are a team to watch in the Simmons sweepstakes, a subject that ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Marc J. Spears discussed in the latest episode of Windhorst’s Hoop Collective podcast.

As RealGM relays, Windhorst and Spears have both heard the Sixers are exploring the concept of attaching Tobias Harris to Simmons in any deal. Theoretically, those two players could produce a greater trade return than Simmons on his own, but Harris’ shooting numbers are down this year and his contract isn’t exactly team-friendly — he and Simmons are earning a combined $69MM this season, which would create salary-matching complications.

According to Spears, the Hawks were more interested in discussing just Simmons than trying to construct a deal that also included Harris.

Here are a few more trade rumors and notes from across the league:

Rival executives have said the Magic are shopping veteran wings Gary Harris and Terrence Ross, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. However, those execs remain unsure what Orlando’s plan is for Mohamed Bamba, who is playing well this season. Bamba will be eligible for restricted free agency in the summer and Orlando has already signed another young center – Wendell Carter Jr. – to a long-term extension.
HoopsHype relays a pair of Timberwolves tidbits, noting that Darren Wolfson said on his The Scoop w/Doogie podcast that Minnesota has talked to the Pacers about Myles Turner. Appearing on the same podcast with Wolfson, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst suggested that the Wolves have offered virtually whatever pieces they can besides Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards to the Sixers for Ben Simmons.
Identifying possible trade targets for the Cavaliers outside of Caris LeVert, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link) named Celtics guard Dennis Schröder, Jazz forward Joe Ingles, and Raptors guard Goran Dragic as some players that will likely pique Cleveland’s interest. Fedor also mentioned Kyle Anderson, though he cautioned that he’s not sure whether the Grizzlies would move Anderson.

Heat Notes: Chalmers, Guy, Depth, Dragic

January 2nd, 2022 at 8:29pm CST by JD Shaw

When veteran guard Mario Chalmers received a call about signing a 10-day hardship contract with the Heat, the two-time champion found it hard to believe, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes.

The Heat weren’t in touch with Chalmers and his agents throughout the week. Rather, the opportunity for Chalmers came quickly on Thursday afternoon, a deal he accepted without giving much second thought. The team also badly needed players as it dealt with a sudden COVID-19 outbreak.

“I’m not going to lie. My immediate reaction is I didn’t believe it,” Chalmers admitted. “I thought my agent was playing with me.”

Here are some other notes out of Miami tonight:

New Heat guard Kyle Guy praised the team’s system and history of developing players, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes. Miami also gave a 10-day contract to Guy, who recorded an impressive 17 points, four rebounds and three steals off the bench against Houston on Friday. He shot 6-of-8 from the floor and 4-of-6 from three-point range in the contest.
In a separate article for the Sun Sentinel, Winderman examines whether Guy’s strong first impression may prompt the Heat may reconsider their depth chart. At full strength, Miami has a second unit consisting of Victor Oladipo, Tyler Herro, Max Strus, Markieff Morris and Dewayne Dedmon, along with impressive third-stringers Gabe Vincent, Caleb Martin and Omer Yurtseven.
Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald explores why a reunion between the team and Goran Dragic is unlikely this season. Dragic is currently away from the Raptors and was recently seen working out at Miami’s facility, but the Heat are ineligible to reacquire him unless he’s traded to another team. Miami can’t acquire him in a trade with the Raptors or sign him if Toronto releases him.

Heat Notes: Robinson, Strus, Vincent, Dragic

November 30th, 2021 at 11:30am CST by Luke Adams

After making 42.7% of his three-point attempts from 2019-21 and earning a $90MM contract this offseason, Heat sharpshooter Duncan Robinson is off to a slow start in 2021/22. On the heels of a 1-for-9 night vs. Denver on Monday, Robinson’s three-point rate is down to 32.8% for the season, including just 23.6% in home games.

Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra doesn’t have a good explanation for Robinson’s drop in production at home, but also doesn’t sound too concerned that the 27-year-old will struggle all season, as Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel relays.

“He just has to stay with it,” Spoelstra said, adding that he thought Robinson got some good looks on Monday. “I don’t have an answer for why it would be different. It’s probably a little bit too short of a sample size this early in the season.”

The Heat have every reason to be patient with Robinson — his new contract runs through at least the 2024/25 season, with an option for ’25/26.

Here’s more out of Miami:

If Robinson’s shooting doesn’t improve, the Heat could lean more on Max Strus, Winderman writes in a separate article for the Sun Sentinel. Strus, who signed a two-year, minimum-salary deal over the summer, has gotten off to a solid start from beyond the arc, with a .382 3PT%.
The Heat’s point guard depth behind Kyle Lowry looked awfully thin to start the season, but the team’s decision to promote Gabe Vincent to the 15-man roster and allow him to earn the backup point guard spot is working out so far, writes Winderman. Vincent has a career-best .370 3PT% through 18 games (15.1 MPG) and the team has a +9.2 net rating when he’s on the court.
While Goran Dragic is very unlikely to end the season with the Raptors, there’s probably not a viable path for him to return to Miami, given the NBA’s rules preventing teams from reacquiring players they traded earlier in the league year, Winderman says in a mailbag for the Sun Sentinel.