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Trade Rumors: Johnson, Claxton, Butler, Suns, Raptors, Sixers

January 17th, 2025 at 11:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Nets forward Cameron Johnson is considered one of the most players most likely to be moved at this year’s trade deadline, and people around the NBA believe Brooklyn will be open to listening on center Nic Claxton as well, according to Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

However, at least one league executive who spoke to ESPN pointed out that Johnson’s and Claxton’s multiyear contracts mean the Nets won’t necessarily be operating with any sense of urgency on the trade market, even with the franchise focused on maximizing its odds in the 2025 draft lottery.

“The Nets asking price is high, and they (have made) it known they don’t feel like they have to trade them now,” that exec said. “But if they’re helping them win games, they’ll trade them or put them on the bench.”

Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas, Trail Blazers big man Robert Williams, and Celtics guard Jaden Springer were some of the other players mentioned as likely trade candidates by sources who spoke to Bontemps and Windhorst. Valanciunas and Williams are veterans who aren’t believed to be part of their rebuilding teams’ long-term plans, while moving Springer could reduce Boston’s end-of-season luxury tax bill.

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

  • Discussing Jimmy Butler‘s trade market, an executive who spoke to ESPN made it clear that Pat Riley and the Heat are fully prepared to take their time as they consider all their options. “The Heat don’t have to make a deal with Jimmy until the summer and don’t have to make a decision about the rest of this season until Feb. 6,” the exec said. “They don’t need to do anything in January and that’s how they’re conducting business.”
  • League sources tell Windhorst that the Suns have discussed using their remaining tradable first-round pick (for 2031) in “various talks around trying to acquire Butler.” Responding to that report, Suns insider John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 stated (via Twitter) that Phoenix hasn’t talked to the Heat about that 2031 pick and wouldn’t want to part with it in a straight-up trade for Butler. While that first-rounder would certainly be extremely valuable if it’s unprotected, it’s hard to see how the Suns could acquire Butler without giving it up — and even if the Suns are willing to move the pick, it’s unclear if that would be enough, given that it would come attached to Bradley Beal‘s unwieldy contract.
  • The Raptors appear to have some interest in getting involved in a potential Butler trade as a facilitator, writes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. When I considered Butler trade scenarios in a Front Office article earlier this month, I noted that Toronto makes sense as a possible third team due to the relatively favorable expiring contracts on the team’s books, including Bruce Brown ($23MM) and Chris Boucher ($10.8MM). If they’re incentivized to do so, the Raptors could potentially take on multiyear contracts and flip those expiring deals to Miami.
  • For now, the Sixers continue to focus on maximizing their potential for the current season, according to Bontemps. However, he acknowledges that stance could change depending on how the next two or three weeks play out. Philadelphia has a 15-24 record, will be without Joel Embiid for at least the next week, and will send its 2025 first-round pick to Oklahoma City if it lands outside the top six.
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And-Ones: Cousins, All-Star Voting, 2025 Draft, More

January 10th, 2025 at 7:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Four-time NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins hasn’t played in the league since finishing the 2021/22 season with Denver, but he continues to compete professionally in non-NBA leagues around the world. The 34-year-old center is joining Selenge Bodons in Mongolia, according to announcements from the club on Instagram and Cousins on Facebook.

The No. 5 overall pick in the 2010 draft, Cousins averaged 19.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game in 654 regular season appearances for seven NBA teams from 2010-22. Cousins’ career was derailed by a series of major leg injuries, including a torn ACL and torn Achilles, which reduced his effectiveness on both ends of the court in his later NBA seasons.

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

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Celtics Notes: Mazzulla, Tatum, Porzingis, Springer

December 26th, 2024 at 10:58am CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics still may have the best roster in the league, but they haven’t looked like the defending champions for the past two weeks, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. Boston is 3-4 in its last seven games, including losses against the sub-.500 Bulls and the short-handed Magic. Coach Joe Mazzulla was candid about his team’s recent play after falling to Philadelphia on Wednesday.

“We’re playing inconsistent basketball, so we’ve got to be better at both ends of the floor,” he said. “Got to be more consistent at both ends of the floor.”

The Celtics are second in the East and third in the NBA with a 22-8 record, but Robb notes that their schedule is about to get much more challenging. There are limited off days and a few back-to-backs coming up over the next three weeks, which could be taxing for a veteran roster and provides little opportunity for practice time.

“We’ve got to be better,” Jayson Tatum said. “It’s still a long season. Nobody’s panicking. We’ve got to navigate the emotional roller coaster of the NBA season. It feels a lot worse than it actually is. We’re not panicking or anything. We’ve just got to man up and look in the mirror and figure out some things that we’ve got to do better at. Everybody’s fully capable, and we’ve always done a really good job of responding, and I have no doubt that we will. So I’m not panicking, but we’ve got to be better, and we will.”

There’s more from Boston:

  • Tatum provided an explanation of the illness that made him a late scratch for Monday’s game against Orlando, Robb adds in a separate story. He described it as a “a 24-hour, 48-hour bug” that began to affect him after warmups. He was still feeling some effects from the virus on Wednesday, even though he managed to post 32 points and 15 rebounds in 41 minutes. “Maybe a little fatigued, I guess, from being sick the last few days, but I’m just trying to push through it, catch my second wind, things like that,” Tatum said.
  • The Celtics weren’t able to provide much information on a left ankle injury that sidelined Kristaps Porzingis for the second half of Wednesday’s game, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. Porzingis seemed to tweak the ankle early in the contest, but he was able to keep playing before having his status downgraded at halftime. “I noticed that he played through it,” Mazzulla told reporters after the game. “I asked him how he was. He said he was okay and then he got re-evaluated at halftime. But I haven’t heard anything.” Porzingis didn’t talk to reporters, but Terada observed that he didn’t seem to have much protection on the ankle in the locker room.
  • Jaden Springer hasn’t played much since the Celtics acquired him in a February trade, but the fourth-year shooting guard tells Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe that being in Boston has been a good learning experience. “I’ve grown a lot,” Springer said. “Coming to a different organization you get to see a different way of basketball. Everyone plays a different style, so coming here you learn new things, pick up on new styles of play, and playing behind another great group of guys. (Jaylen Brown), (Tatum), Jrue (Holiday), Derrick White, (Porzingis), Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, a bunch of guys. So being able to learn from them and watch them every night, it’s been pretty big for me.” 
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Celtics Notes: Mazzulla, Brown, Springer, Horford

December 20th, 2024 at 10:05am CST by Arthur Hill

Head coach Joe Mazzulla had to be restrained from approaching official Justin Van Duyne after the Celtics lost to Chicago on Thursday night, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Mazzulla was angry about being whistled for a technical foul for coming onto the court after a jump ball was called following a loose-ball battle between Payton Pritchard and Ayo Dosunmu. Although Mazzulla was upset in the moment, he admitted to reporters after the game that the technical was justified.

“I just can’t be on the court,” he said. “The ref had to do his job. I was on the court.”

Jaylen Brown, who also received a technical during the exchange, provided a little more insight, Washburn adds. Brown told Van Duyne that he T’d up Mazzulla for no reason and alleges that the official told him not to say that again or he would get a technical of his own. When Brown repeated his comment, Van Duyne obliged.

“You can’t threaten guys with a technical foul,” Brown said. “That’s not part of the game either. You want to fine people for gestures and all this stuff, [then] fine that. We were down three at that time and that led to us being down eight. That affects the game. That could have been avoided. Joe didn’t say anything to deserve a tech.”

There’s more from Boston:

  • Brown’s mother and assistant coach Amile Jefferson both had their homes broken into this week, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Jefferson was with the Celtics in Washington when burglars struck his house on Monday, but Mechalle Brown was at home when she was targeted on Sunday. “We’re all right,” Jaylen Brown said. “We’ll deal with situations accordingly. Thank God nothing serious or physical or threatening happened, but the fact that it could have kind of lingers in your mind.” The NBA issued a statement saying that it is “deeply concerned” about burglaries in the Boston area, and its security representatives have contacted the Celtics and local law enforcement.
  • With Sam Hauser unavailable on Thursday, Jaden Springer got a rare opportunity for extended playing time, notes Souichi Terada of MassLive. Springer had four rebounds and missed both his shots in 13 minutes, marking the first time this season he’s played outside of the fourth quarter. Mazzulla said matchups were behind his decision to keep Springer on the court so long. “Just match the speed that (the Bulls) play with overall,” Mazzulla said. “I thought he does a good job on the offensive glass and his individual defense and just kind of wanted to match the speed there. I thought he played well.” Terada adds that Springer has already been involved in trade rumors and that his $4.2MM expiring contract could be useful in any Celtics deal.
  • Al Horford believes that becoming a three-point threat has extended his career, Terada states in a separate story. Horford only attempted 65 total shots from beyond the arc during his first eight NBA seasons, but he has evolved as the game has changed. “For me, physically, it has added years to my career, I feel like,” Horford said. “It’s been good for me, and I think Brook (Lopez) saw it as well, and it’s been a great benefit. And that’s what I was mentioning, that now, like the guys are coming in from college, and they’re already shooting it, and they’re confident, they’re giving them the green light, and it’s a good thing.”
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Celtics Notes: Walsh, Porzingis, Pritchard, Springer

December 14th, 2024 at 6:19pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jordan Walsh impressed Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla with his willingness to play in Thursday’s win over Detroit, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. The second-year forward was given the option to miss the game because of bruised ribs, but the team was already without Jayson Tatum and Sam Hauser. Walsh decided to play, even though it meant additional stress on his aching ribcage.

“I was explaining to him, when you’re a young guy and you’re banged up a little bit, it’s easy to sit out a game because you’re not expected to play all the time,” Mazzulla said. “And I was telling him about Jayson and Jaylen (Brown) and these guys, when they’re banged up, they don’t have a choice. They have to play and they have to deliver. And I said that’s the hard part, the mentality and the mind-set that young guys have a hard time delivering when they’re not at their best. I thought it was a huge development for him to do that, to work to do that. It just comes from the environment. It comes from how the locker room holds themselves to a high standard. So I think the environment is a big piece in the development.”

A second-round pick in 2023, Walsh has seen an expanded role after spending most of his rookie year in the G League and appearing in just nine NBA games. He has gotten into 17 so far this season, although playing time is still hard to come by on one of the league’s best rosters. He’s averaging 1.4 points and 1.2 rebounds in 9.1 minutes per night.

“I feel like everything you do here builds a reputation, so if I go and sit out when I was supposed to play, now I’m soft,” Walsh said. “Now I’m trying to find a reason to be out. It’s like, nah, I don’t want to be that guy. I want to be the guy who’s always trying to find a way to get in, to play more and be more active. That’s what I want to go for.”

There’s more from Boston:

  • The exuberance that Kristaps Porzingis shows on the court stems from his love of playing for the Celtics, per Khari Thompson of The Boston Globe. Porzingis started his career in New York, then spent time with Dallas and Washington before being traded to Boston last summer. “I definitely enjoy playing here like crazy,” he said. “… Obviously, now you guys see me smiling and happy, but I would say this is how I’ve been most of my career. It’s just now that I’m on a bigger stage and everybody can see how I play and how I enjoy the game.”
  • Payton Pritchard is considered one of the favorites for Sixth Man of the Year honors, but he told reporters, including Souichi Terada of MassLive, that it’s not a priority for him. “It’s not something I really think about,” Pritchard said. “If I’m fortunate enough to win, that’s I guess a testament to the hard work I put in and I think it just means that I helped this team coming off the bench and doing my job at a high level. It’s not something like if I don’t win or win, it’s not make-or-break it for me.”
  • The Celtics’ interest in trading Jaden Springer in October was likely sparked by Lonnie Walker‘s strong preseason, Brian Robb of MassLive states in a mailbag column. The team reportedly would have needed to attach draft assets to get someone to take Springer, so he remained on the roster while Walker was waived. Robb adds that Springer’s $4MM expiring contract could be useful if Boston wants to make a trade before the deadline.
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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.
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Eastern Rumors: Knicks, B. Brown, Stewart, Springer, Bulls

December 2nd, 2024 at 2:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Since Landry Shamet dislocated his shoulder during the preseason, scuttling his chances of making the Knicks‘ opening night roster, reports have indicated that the club is highly likely to re-sign him if and when he gets healthy.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype confirms as much and adds another detail to those reports. According to Scotto, if Shamet returns, the hope in New York is that Matt Ryan – who is currently on a non-guaranteed contract – will clear waivers and rejoin the club on a two-way deal.

The Knicks have an open 15-man roster spot, but don’t have enough breathing room below their hard cap to carry both players on standard deals, so Ryan would have to be cut if Shamet re-signs.

Here are a few more rumors from around the Eastern Conference:

  • Although the Raptors declined offers of multiple second-round picks for Bruce Brown at last season’s trade deadline, there’s a widespread belief that the versatile swingman will be back on the trade block this season, per Scotto. Brown, who is on an expiring $23MM contract, continues to make his way back from arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and appears to be getting closer to making his season debut.
  • Isaiah Stewart‘s demotion to a bench role this season for the first time since his rookie year has led executives around the NBA to believe that the Pistons‘ big man will be available on the trade market this season, according to Scotto. Stewart is in the first season of a four-year, $60MM contract that features flat annual cap hits of $15MM.
  • Confirming previous reporting, Scotto says the Celtics gauged the trade market for Jaden Springer and his $4MM expiring contract in the fall. While there were teams willing to take on Springer if it means acquiring draft compensation from Boston, the C’s weren’t interested at that time in giving up draft capital to move off of the guard’s contract, Scotto reports. It will be interesting to see if that changes before the trade deadline.
  • Explaining the recent uptick in trade rumors surrounding the Bulls, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times says, citing a source, that the only new development in Chicago is that the team is “starting to look at a more responsible asking price” for veterans like Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. The Bulls remain unwilling to attach a first-round pick to LaVine though, Cowley notes.
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Celtics Notes: Backup Big Men, Springer, Scheierman, Pritchard

October 26th, 2024 at 7:24pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics used some rare double big lineups in Thursday’s victory at Washington, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. With Sam Hauser unavailable due to low back pain, Robb states that Jordan Walsh was expected to play a larger role. Instead, coach Joe Mazzulla opted for size when he went to his bench by playing Luke Kornet alongside Xavier Tillman. Neemias Queta came in next, which meant three of Mazzulla’s first four substitutions were big men.

Their presence limited veteran center Al Horford to 20 minutes and allowed him to spend more time on the perimeter. Having extra size in the game also solidified Boston’s defense after a shaky first quarter.

“I just liked our bigs’ ability to just kind of protect the rim and make multiple efforts and be physical on the offensive end,” Mazzulla said in explaining the move. “The guys did a great job fighting for spacing.”

Hauser is out for a second straight game on Saturday and it’s unclear how long the back issue might keep him sidelined, according to Souichi Terada of MassLive. Hauser told reporters that he dealt with soreness in his back throughout the offseason and training camp.

There’s more from Boston:

  • Jaden Springer has reportedly emerged as a trade candidate, but the Celtics viewed him as a potential rotation player heading into training camp, Robb adds in another piece. The fourth-year guard had a quiet preseason and didn’t play in two of the team’s final three exhibition games.
  • Scoring his first NBA points on a layup late in Thursday’s game has been the high point of Baylor Scheierman‘s professional career so far, notes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. After receiving the game ball from his teammates in honor of the achievement, Scheierman talked about the adjustment of having limited playing time after being a star at Creighton. “It’s definitely different coming from college where you play a lot and coming to a team like this that has a lot of established guys,” he said. “But for me, I think it’s just a great opportunity to learn from guys who have made it in this league and obviously signed contracts for a lot of money and have learned at this level. I take it as a learning opportunity, being able to learn from them and grow so that when I get my shot down the line, I’m ready for it.”
  • Payton Pritchard, who has become famous for his long-range buzzer beaters, would like to see them count extra, Himmelsbach states in a separate story. “I honestly think maybe past half court they should look at adding it as a 4-point play,” Pritchard said. “I mean, it could be interesting. I’ve seen rules overseas that they have a 4-point line.”
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Trade Rumors: Kuminga, Nets, Sixers, Murphy, Springer, Tucker

October 25th, 2024 at 5:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Jonathan Kuminga was believed to be seeking a maximum-salary or near-max contract ahead of Monday’s rookie scale extension deadline, which is why he and the Warriors didn’t agree to terms on a deal, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report said today on the B/R App. However, Fischer believes Golden State will be comfortable paying Kuminga big money if he shows this season that his impressive stretch from January to March was no fluke and continues to take strides toward stardom.

“The Warriors will be happy to pay Jonathan Kuminga that top dollar if that sample size is stretched out over the entire course of the 2024/25 season,” Fischer said.

Still, Fischer noted that Kuminga isn’t necessarily a lock to remain with the Warriors long-term and suggested two potential suitors worth keeping an eye on for the fourth-year forward (video clip).

One is no surprise: Brooklyn is currently the only team projected to have maximum-salary cap room and Fischer says Kuminga has “come up” in past trade talks between the Nets and Warriors. The Nets aren’t necessarily specifically targeting the 22-year-old, Fischer clarifies, but their cap situation makes them a potential threat when Kuminga reaches restricted free agency, especially since general manager Sean Marks has shown a willingness in the past to sign RFAs to lucrative offer sheets.

The other team worth watching, according to Fischer, is the Sixers, who would only have a chance to acquire Kuminga on the trade market. Philadelphia has conveyed a willingness to give up draft capital to add another impact player, Fischer explains, and could use KJ Martin‘s pseudo-expiring contract as a salary-matching piece.

That sort of deal may not appeal to the Warriors, and acquiring Kuminga and then paying him in free agency would result in a massive payroll in 2025/26 and beyond for the 76ers, who already have three players on maximum-salary contracts. But Fischer suggests Philadelphia has “a lot of willingness” to go deep into luxury tax territory for the right opportunity to “cement (their) title window.”

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

  • According to Fischer, Trey Murphy was another player believed to be on the Nets‘ and Sixers‘ radars as a potential free agent and trade target, respectively, but he’s off the table after signing a four-year, $112MM extension with the Pelicans.
  • After identifying Celtics guard Jaden Springer as a trade candidate last week, Fischer reiterated that point in his rumor round-up on Friday, noting that moving Springer at or before the February trade deadline would create tax savings for Boston and would open up a roster spot for Lonnie Walker or another player. Fischer added that the Celtics recently called a number of teams to gauge Springer’s trade value.
  • The Sixers, Heat, Bucks, and Suns are among the teams that have spoken to P.J. Tucker‘s representation about a possible trade, sources tell Kelly Iko and Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link). As we relayed on Thursday, the Clippers have granted Tucker’s agent Andre Buck permission to talk to potential trade partners to try to find his client a new home, but the veteran forward’s $11.54MM cap hit will make it difficult to find a deal that works for L.A.
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Wizards, Bucks, Wolves Among Teams Exploring Roster-Trimming Trades

October 19th, 2024 at 11:28am CST by Tristan Tucker

With teams finalizing rosters ahead of Monday’s cut-down deadline, there could be a flurry of activity from teams exploring avenues to keep players on crowded rosters. According to Spotrac’s Keith Smith (Twitter link), several luxury tax teams are exploring moving off salary in an effort to keep other players they like.

While the Wizards aren’t a luxury tax team, they’re one of the many teams looking to make a move before Monday’s roster deadline. As NBA insider Jake Fischer reports (Threads link), the Wizards want to keep Jared Butler around on the 15-man roster. Butler is on a non-guaranteed contract, which made him a release candidate, but he played well in the preseason, averaging 6.8 points and 4.2 assists in 14.3 minutes per game across five outings.

That could lead the Wizards to explore trading or even cutting former No. 10 overall pick Johnny Davis, according to Fischer. The Wizards aren’t expected to exercise Davis’ fourth-year option and while he hit a clutch shot in Friday’s preseason finale, he struggled this preseason and through his two NBA years with shooting efficiency.

However, outright cutting Davis would mean not being able to use his $5.3MM salary to help facilitate trades later down the road. It’s possible Washington agrees to a bigger trade before the beginning of the regular season or considers waiving another player.

As we outlined earlier today, it’s important to note that while most teams will make cuts Saturday, that’s not really an issue for the Wizards. The main wave of cuts today are mostly going to be non-guaranteed contracts and since teams like the Wizards cutting guaranteed salary would be eating dead money anyway, they have until Monday’s deadline to come to a decision.

We have more trade rumors from around the league:

  • The Bucks have informed rival teams of early interest in trading third-year wing MarJon Beauchamp, according to Fischer (Threads link). Beauchamp was the 24th overall pick in 2022 by the Bucks, so their willingness to move him is noteworthy. Across his first two seasons in the league, he’s averaged 4.8 points and 2.1 rebounds. While Fischer suggests the Bucks could be looking to acquire a defensive-minded wing, Smith notes via Twitter that Milwaukee has also expressed interest in re-signing Thanasis Antetokounmpo — moving Beauchamp without taking a player back would open up that opportunity. Antetokounmpo is expected to miss the season while recovering from an Achilles tear, so signing him would be for his locker room presence, which Smith says is “prized” by both the franchise and his brother Giannis.
  • The Timberwolves have looked into trade options for recently acquired forward Keita Bates-Diop, according to Fischer (Threads link). Bates-Diop was rerouted a couple of times this summer, going from the Nets to the Knicks in the Mikal Bridges trade before landing with Minnesota in the Karl-Anthony Towns blockbuster. Bates-Diop is set to make just under $2.7MM this season and with the Wolves already about $17MM over the second tax apron, they’d prefer to move off his salary rather than eating it. Moving Bates-Diop is also about finding a way to keep PJ Dozier on the roster. The Wolves have 15 players on guaranteed salaries, plus Dozier on a partially guaranteed deal. Dozier is a favorite of president of basketball operations Tim Connelly.
  • Celtics guard Lonnie Walker IV‘s Exhibit 10 status is noteworthy, as he was seen as a bargain signing by the reigning champions at the time, but they have tight finances as a team well over the second apron. Still, Walker’s impressive preseason puts Boston in an interesting position, and Fischer indicates the Celtics have considered keeping him around. If they retained Walker through the season and made no other changes, Boston would have to make approximately $9MM in projected tax payments on top of Walker’s minimum-salary contract due to their position against the second apron. However, that amount isn’t calculated until the end of the season, so the Celtics may explore trading Jaden Springer as late as February’s trade deadline so they can keep Walker, Fischer reports.
    [UPDATE: The Celtics are waiving Walker.]
  • The Pistons may be the primary contact for any team looking to make salary- or roster-trimming trades, Smith notes (Twitter link). The Pistons have an open roster spot and $10.2MM in cap space, putting them in position to accommodate players like Davis, Beauchamp, Bates-Diop or Springer if their teams were willing to attach draft capital.
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