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Trade Rumors: Knicks, C. Lee, Raptors, Collison

February 22nd, 2017 at 12:21pm CST by Luke Adams

As of this afternoon, Carmelo Anthony still hasn’t been approached by Knicks management about any trade scenarios, and reiterated that he expects to remain in New York through the deadline, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN.com. However, even if Anthony stays put, the Knicks could look to move a veteran player or two. Derrick Rose‘s name has surfaced in several rumors this week, and Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders makes a case for why New York should send him to the Timberwolves for Ricky Rubio. Elsewhere at Basketball Insiders, Steve Kyler reports that veteran guard Courtney Lee is believed to be available.

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

  • The Raptors remain in the market for a big small forward or a wing who can shoot, sources tell Josh Lewenberg of TSN 1050 (Twitter link). Lewenberg suggests that Toronto could dangle Jared Sullinger‘s expiring contract, a point guard, and a draft pick as the team searches for a deal.
  • In the wake of the DeMarcus Cousins trade, Kings point guard Darren Collison told reporters that he has spoken to Vlade Divac and the Sacramento GM said there are no plans to trade Collison (video link via ABC10). Given how Divac and the Kings dealt with Cousins, it’s probably fair to take those assurances with a grain of salt.
  • Speaking of that Cousins deal, Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post provides some additional details on the first-round pick sent to the Kings in the swap. According to Bontemps (Twitter link), if the Pelicans keep the top-three protected pick in 2017, it will become protected only for the No. 1 overall pick in 2018.
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Lowe’s Latest: Clippers, Raptors, Wizards, Suns

February 20th, 2017 at 9:57pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Clippers are trying to acquire a small forward without giving up one of their four core players and ESPN’s Zach Lowe reports that Austin Rivers and Jamal Crawford aren’t drawing much interest from opposing teams. The franchise called the Wizards trying to bring Otto Porter to Los Angeles, but Washington was disinterested in engaging in trade talks.

A package of Rivers, Crawford, and a “distant” first-rounder won’t be enough to pry Wilson Chandler from the Nuggets, Lowe reports. Denver is seeking a lottery-protected first-round pick and swap rights on another pick for Chandler or Danilo Gallinari. The Nuggets intend to compete for the eighth seed in the Western Conference and they believe they can do it without one of their veteran small forwards.

Here’s more from Lowe’s latest piece:

  • The Raptors would like to add another rotation player, sources tell Lowe. The Raptors currently have 15 players under contract, but they could waive Jared Sullinger should they need an open roster spot. Lowe adds that any deal that sends out a high-priced veteran is not likely to occur until the offseason.
  • The Wizards are also eager to add a rotation player. The team has been linked to Lou Williams and it has explored trading a protected first-rounder in exchange for him. Lowe believes that’s too much value for Washington to give up and opines that two second-round picks may be able to get a deal completed.
  • The Suns are listening to offers on most of their veterans and Lowe writes that P.J. Tucker is the player who is most likely to be traded. The scribe names the Clippers and Raptors as teams to watch.
  • The Bucks are willing to listen to offers for anyone besides Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jabari Parker, Thon Maker and Khris Middleton. Lowe adds that the Wolves have expressed interest in Tony Snell.
  • Jahlil Okafor was close to being acquired by the Blazers before the team traded for Jusuf Nurkic. Lowe adds that the Sixers did not hold Okafor out of two contests to simply drive up his price.
  • The two-way contracts for players who play in the NBA as well as the D-League could increase the value of second-round picks going forward, Lowe speculates. The scribe adds that front offices are still examining the new CBA and it could cause some teams to wait until after the season to make major deals.
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Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Raptors, Oakley, Lin

February 16th, 2017 at 10:36pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Sixers center Joel Embiid claims he’s “more surprised than everybody else” how well this season has gone after he was sidelined two seasons by foot injuries. During the interview with ESPN Radio, Embiid admits he entertained thoughts of retiring during those lost seasons. “I was such in a dark place, I wanted to quit basketball,” Embiid said.  “I just wanted to go back home and just leave everything behind.” Embiid pines for the Rookie of the Year award, saying it would be validation for the sacrifices he made to get back on the court. He’s hopeful of returning soon after the All-Star break after missing the last 11 games with what he describes as a left knee bone bruise, though he reportedly has a partial meniscus tear.

In other news around the Atlantic Division:

  • The  Raptors do not want to part with young assets now that they’ve made a big move by acquiring power forward Serge Ibaka, according to Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. Toronto would prefer to hold onto Delon Wright, Jakob Poeltl, Lucas Nogueira, Pascal Siakam, Norm Powell and Fred VanVleet, Smith continues. They could still package Jared Sullinger‘s expiring contract, a 2017 first-rounder and one of their backup point guards to make another move, Smith adds.
  • Charles Oakley doubts his issues with Knicks owner James Dolan will ever be resolved, Newsday’s Jim Baumbach relays via a Sports Illustrated interview. Despite a meeting with commissioner Adam Silver and Dolan earlier this week, Oakley is still fuming over his forcible removal from Madison Square Garden and arrest on February 8th.  “My life is going to change a lot because it’s just like getting a DUI sometime or going to jail for murder,” he told SI. “It’s something on my record. If you Google my name, it’s going to come up. And that hurts.”
  • Nets point guard Jeremy Lin is expected to return to action immediately after the All-Star break, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets. Lin practiced on Tuesday without any setbacks, according to NetsDaily.com. Lin’s season has been wrecked by hamstring woes. Signed to a three-year, $36MM contract last summer to be the team’s No. 1 point guard, Lin has appeared in just 12 games.
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NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 2/12/17

February 12th, 2017 at 5:33pm CST by Milo Taibi

Here are Sunday’s D-League Assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

  • The Raptors recalled Bruno Caboclo, Jared Sullinger, and Fred VanVleet from their D-League affiliate, the Raptors 905, the team announced on Twitter. All three players received 27+ minutes in Raptors 905’s game against Canton on Saturday, with Jared Sullinger recording a double-double (16 points, 10 rebounds).
  • The Pacers assigned Rakeem Christmas to their D-League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the team announced on its official website. This maneuver should allow Christmas to receive D-League minutes on an off-day for the Pacers. Christmas has made just three NBA appearances since January 29, recording five points in that span.
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Who Should The Raptors Target At The Trade Deadline?

February 10th, 2017 at 7:16pm CST by Milo Taibi

The current owners of the fourth-seed in the Eastern Conference, there’s every reason to believe the Raptors will be active buyers at the trade deadline. But who will team president Masai Ujiri and GM Jeff Weltman target? As things currently stand, the Raptors will enter the second half with their 2015/16 rotation in place, sans Bismack Biyombo.

DeMar DeRozan has been vocal in his push for Toronto’s front office to acquire help; telling Laura Armstrong of the Toronto Star “help is a great word with any team. Anybody could take help any day if it makes you better, a team better, anything.” DeMarre Carroll echoed DeRozan’s sentiments, noting that the team’s starting unit has been stretched thin amid a playoff run.

One form of help (albeit a flashy one) could come in the form of Serge Ibaka. This past week, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders indicated the Raptors as a potential “long-term fit” for Ibaka’s services. Ibaka’s in the final year of a four-year, $49MM contract, but the Magic’s asking price is believed to be high. Provided Dwane Casey and the Raptors don’t need to sell off rotation players to acquire him, Ibaka would be a considerable upgrade over Patrick Patterson and Pascal Siakam in Toronto’s frontcourt.

Josh Lewenberg of TSN doubled-down on the team’s need to pursue a trade, citing the team’s recent struggles (Toronto has gone 4-6 over their last 10 games). While the team had offseason acquisition Jared Sullinger tabbed for a starting role, the former Celtic is still working to get in shape after suffering a fractured right foot in October. The Raptors have long admired Paul Millsap‘s game, Lewenberg writes, but the Hawks appear unlikely to deal him amidst their pursuit of a four-seed.

Ryan Wolstat of the National Post cited Ibaka and Millsap as ideal fits, while throwing Taj Gibson, Trevor Booker, and Wilson Chandler in the mix as potential trade targets. While Booker isn’t a “sexy name,” compared to Ibaka or Millsap, he has quietly enjoyed a productive for the 9-44 Nets. Averaging 10 points with 8.7 rebounds, the 29-year-old Booker is in the first year of a two-year, $18.375MM pact. Booker’s “doggedness,” on each end of the court is a trait the Raptors could use, Wolstat notes.

What do you think? Which target makes the most sense for Ujiri and Weltman to pursue? What’s Toronto’s ceiling for a 2016/17 playoff run?

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NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 2/10/17

February 10th, 2017 at 2:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Friday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

  • The Sixers have assigned rookie guard Chasson Randle to the Delaware 87ers, the team announced today in a press release. Randle joined the Sixers about a month ago but has seen his minutes fluctuate during that stretch. He’ll have the opportunity to get plenty of playing time for Philadelphia’s D-League affiliate tonight against Canton.
  • The Spurs have recalled Bryn Forbes from the D-League, according to a press release issued by the team. Forbes posted 22 points in his most recent game with the Austin Spurs on Thursday.
  • The Raptors made a series of D-League moves today, recalling Delon Wright and assigning Jared Sullinger and Fred VanVleet (Twitter links). Assuming their assignment lasts until tomorrow, Sullinger and VanVleet will play in Saturday’s game for the Raptors 905.
  • The Jazz have recalled Joel Bolomboy from the Salt Lake City Stars, per a team release. Bolomboy had been on his 13th D-League assignment of the 2016/17 season.
  • The Wizards have assigned Danuel House to the Delaware 87ers via the flexible assignment rule, the team announced in a press release. House, who has appeared in just one NBA game this season, has had his rookie season curtailed by a right wrist fracture. A former member of the Texas A&M Aggies, House has averaged 15 points in two D-League games.
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Atlantic Notes: Ainge, Sullinger, Bradley

January 31st, 2017 at 6:17pm CST by Austin Kent

The Celtics remain the most likely team to make a splash before the deadline, writes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. The abundance of draft picks and valuable supplementary assets put them in a unique position to either get a deal done directly or facilitate one for others.

“I don’t think any move of significance gets done before the deadline without [Celtics general manager] Danny Ainge being given the chance to put his fingerprints on it,” one executive tells Bulpett.

The Celtics, of course, have been featured in trade speculation all season and are one of the possible destinations that Carmelo Anthony would supposedly consider waiving his no-trade clause for. Sources around the league, Bulpett writes, say that Ainge is “patrolling the marketplace in hopes that a player worthy of some of the assets he has accumulated becomes available.”

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

  • Fifth-year big man Jonas Valanciunas isn’t a good fit in Toronto, writes Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. Valanciunas’ defensive deficiencies — and Lucas Nogueira‘s lack of strength — make Bismack Biyombo‘s absence this season all the more noticeable during Raptors games. Still, Wolstat argues, while it’s hard to put a value on talented big men like Valanciunas, you can’t just give them away without getting something substantial in return.
  • When Jared Sullinger went to the D-League for a rehab start over the weekend, he did so of his own volition, writes Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun. “I thought it was great,” Raptors head coach Dwane Casey said. “You can’t force him to go. He decided to go. He wanted to go. It was a great step.”
  • The steady growth of Avery Bradley has been invaluable for the Celtics, writes Steve Bulpett in a separate story for the Boston Herald. “Isaiah’s having a spectacular year, and I think that’s a little bit overshadowed how great of a year Avery’s having,” said president of basketball operations Danny Ainge. “[…] Listen, he is our best defensive player, and he’s our second-best offensive player. And that’s a rare combination for a player.” Bradley has been out of action since January 16 but is expected to return this week.
  • The Knicks have struggled this season but that doesn’t necessarily mean that Derek Fisher was the better head coach. The former New York bench boss recently slammed current Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek in a Lakers broadcast where he now serves as an analyst. “There’s enough analysts and reporters who like to talk about: coulda, shoulda [in] what they did,” Hornacek told Marc Berman of the New York Post. “We don’t pay much attention to it. I think he’s also trying to push himself in a light that maybe someone else will give him a job.”
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NBA D-League Recalls/Assignments: 1/29/17

January 29th, 2017 at 8:33pm CST by Austin Kent

Here are the D-League transactions from the day:

8:33pm:

6:58pm:

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Atlantic Notes: Turner, Wright, Raptors, Sixers

January 21st, 2017 at 9:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Trail Blazers guard Evan Turner credits Celtics coach Brad Stevens with turning his career around, relays Josue Pavon of WEEI.com. Turner, the No. 2 pick in the 2010 draft, enjoyed limited NBA success before coming to Boston in 2014. He spent two years playing under Stevens before signing a four-year, $70MM deal with Portland. “He helped me figure out myself and a lot of guys in the locker room’s career, re-energized it,” Turner said of Stevens. “I just always thought he was a great, classy person. A sincere individual. Never thought he was too big and he does a lot of great things but I really appreciate the friendship I was able to form with him and get to know what type of guy he is. Very special person, special coach. It makes a lot of sense why he’s had so much success throughout his career because he’s a good individual and his mentality stuff has definitely helped me learn how to be a pro and how to see bigger picture, point of views.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

  • Raptors point guard Delon Wright is active for the first time this season, according to a tweet from the team. He had surgery in August to fix a labral tear in his right shoulder. Wright was the 20th pick in the 2015 draft, but got into just 27 games with Toronto last season, spending most of the year in the D-League.
  • With Wright and power forward Jared Sullinger both back on the court, the Raptors are almost completely healthy for the first time this season, notes Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun. Patrick Patterson and Lucas Nogueira were both able to participate in today’s practice and should be able to play soon. Patterson has missed nine of the last 11 games with a sore knee. Nogueira went through the league’s concussion protocol after being hit in the face Tuesday.
  • The Sixers‘ recent success comes from having a roster of players who are trying to prove they belong in the league, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “We all have that similar story,” Nik Stauskas said. “We all have something to prove. We all have the same goal. That kind of makes coming together a little bit easier.”
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Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Noah, Sullinger

January 19th, 2017 at 1:29pm CST by Will Joseph

The Knicks are not headed in any particular direction, which is arguably the worst position for franchise to be in, and New York president Phil Jackson is a significant reason for that, Chris Herring of ESPN.com argues in a panel of fellow ESPN scribes (Insider subscription required). Carmelo Anthony is also partly to blame because his large contract, which includes a no-trade clause is hamstringing the team,  is holding the franchise hostage, Bradford Doolittle opines. The panel suggested, however, that Anthony still has something left and in the right situation he could be a positive part of the Knicks. There are differing opinions on whether or not the Knicks should be in win-now mode or start tanking, with the latter being difficult to do, considering it would mean shedding players with contracts teams would have to take on creatively.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

  • Joakim Noah hasn’t lived up to his $72MM contract and it’s possible that the Knicks will take him out of the starting line-up once Kristaps Porzingis is healthy enough to return to action, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Noah is averaging 5.6 points per game this season.
  • Jared Sullinger made his season debut for the Raptors on Wednesday and although the team lost, he felt like he exceed his own expectations, as Doug Smith of the Toronto Star relays. “I was able to keep up with the game,” Sullinger said. “I didn’t think I was going to be able to keep up, especially how hard and how fast the Sixers play, but I was able to keep up with the game.”
  • Jae Crowder is more valuable to the Celtics than Anthony could ever be, Logan Mullen of WEEI.com contends. Mullen argues that Anthony doesn’t provide the intensity that Crowder brings on a nightly basis. The scribe admits that the Celtics need one more star player, but cautions that Anthony isn’t the right fit.

Chris Crouse contributed to this post

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