Jordan Clarkson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Trade Rumors: Mavs, Holiday, Lakers, Celtics

February 8th, 2018 at 9:42am CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks have received some trade offers, but those proposals haven’t featured great draft-pick incentives, a league source tells Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Dallas is willing to use its leftover cap space to take on a contract or two, but the Mavs would require a draft pick valuable enough to make it worth their while.

According to Sefko, the Mavericks have also found that there’s a trade market for center Salah Mejri, who is facing restricted free agency this summer. However, teams haven’t been willing to offer more than a very low second-round pick.

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

Sources tell Sean Deveney of The Sporting News that Bulls wing Justin Holiday has received serious interest. Holiday is one of several veterans Chicago will consider dealing, along with Robin Lopez and Jerian Grant.
The Lakers are using Larry Nance Jr. as a potential sweetener when they discuss Jordan Clarkson trade scenarios, tweets Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders initially suggested last month that Nance could be attached to another player to help L.A. clear salary. Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN examines how Nance and his Lakers teammates are handling the ongoing trade rumors.
The Celtics seem to be “on the periphery” of the Tyreke Evans trade discussions, according to Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald, who hears that the Grizzlies have better offers for Evans. However, one GM tells Bulpett that Boston appears to be “lying in wait” in the event that more active talks stall.
Dante Cunningham and Alexis Ajinca looks like the Pelicans‘ primary trade candidates today, sources tell Scott Kushner of The Advocate (Twitter link). Cunningham has the ability to veto trades and Ajinca is out for the season, so neither player has a ton of value.

Trade Deadline Notes: Evans, Hill, Hood, Mavericks

February 7th, 2018 at 11:28pm CST by Arthur Hill

One of the most important deadlines on the NBA calendar is less than 24 hours away, and teams are preparing their best offers as we head for 2:00pm Central. We’ll find out soon if any more franchise-altering moves are in store for this season, but in the meantime here are some Wednesday night trade rumors:

The Celtics remain in the running for Grizzlies guard Tyreke Evans, but there’s a sense that Memphis is getting better offers elsewhere, according to Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. A GM from another team tells Bulpett that Boston is waiting to swoop in if talks with those other clubs fall apart. Evans’ value figures to have increased after Lou Williams agreed to an extension with the Clippers today, taking one high-scoring guard off the market.
Multiple teams have shown interest in George Hill, but the Kings don’t want to take on bad contracts, reports Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. The Cavaliers have been the team most prominently linked to the veteran guard, but Jones says the Rockets and others have contacted Sacramento about Hill. Houston could match salaries with Ryan Anderson, but he is owed more than $41MM over the next two seasons and the Kings want to avoid cutting into their future cap space. They are seeking young players and draft picks in return for Hill.
Teams have also called the Kings about veterans Garrett Temple, Vince Carter and Kosta Koufos, Jones adds in the same story. Both Temple ($8MM) and Koufos ($8.74MM) have player options for next season, while the 41-year-old Carter is on an expiring deal.
Jazz swingman Rodney Hood told Shams Charania of The Vertical that he expects to be traded. “I’ve had great times in Utah, but regardless of where I’m playing, whether it’s there or somewhere else, I’m going to stay professional,” Hood said. “I’m going to stick with it. My gut feeling is that I won’t be here by the deadline. I’ve enjoyed my time here, but I’ve felt isolated the past month and I would not be surprised if I was moved.”
The Mavericks are being offered players by teams trying to unload salary, but they aren’t getting enough incentives to make the deals worthwhile, according to Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Sefko lists Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle of the Lakers and J.R. Smith of the Cavaliers as players who would be available if Dallas doesn’t mind committing the cap space.
The Knicks may be in the market for more deals after sending Willy Hernangomez to the Hornets, writes Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. Kyle O’Quinn and Courtney Lee are the most likely players to be moved.

Lakers’ Free Agency Focus Shifting To 2019?

February 6th, 2018 at 8:23am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers are recalibrating their free agency focus, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski, who report that the L.A. front office is “looking through a longer lens” as it explores ways to upgrade the roster. Although the Lakers would still like to make a big splash in free agency, they may now be prioritizing the 2019 class over this summer’s group, per Shelburne and Wojnarowski.

Ever since Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka assumed control of personnel decisions in Los Angeles, the team’s desire to pursue free agents in 2018 has been no secret. During the 2017 offseason, the Lakers limited themselves to one-year deals for free agents so as not to cut into their potential cap room for the 2018/19 season.

However, as Shelburne and Wojnarowski detail, there’s still no guarantee that the Lakers will have enough cap space for two maximum-salary free agents this summer, and even if they do, no star players are viewed as locks to head west. The Pelicans are considered the frontrunners for DeMarcus Cousins, who is sidelined with an Achilles injury, while Paul George has hinted recently that he’s leaning toward sticking with the Thunder. And according to Shelburne and Woj, LeBron James is believed to be hesitant about the idea of joining the Lakers without another established star joining him.

The Lakers haven’t ruled out the possibility of landing a big-name player this July, but shifting their focus to the summer of 2019 would reduce the urgency to clear cap room right away. It would also give L.A.’s young prospects more time to develop into the type of players that would attract veteran stars. The 2019 free agent class includes several intriguing potential targets, with Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson, and Jimmy Butler among the players expected to be up for new contracts.

While the Lakers could still end up moving players like Jordan Clarkson or Julius Randle this week in an effort to create more flexibility for July 2018, one league source suggested to Shelburne and Wojnarowski that the odds of a meaningful deal are “50-50 at best.” The Lakers have received some offers for Clarkson and Randle, but none of those offers would create significant cap space going forward and give them the sort of draft picks they’re seeking, sources tell ESPN.

Scotto’s Latest: Pelicans, Gordon, Carroll, Nuggets

February 2nd, 2018 at 10:11am CST by Luke Adams

Before sending Omer Asik to Chicago, the Pelicans explored trading the veteran center to a number of other teams, according to Michael Scotto of The Athletic. League sources tells Scotto that the Hawks and Pelicans recently talked about a deal that would have sent Asik and a first-round pick to Atlanta in exchange for Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova.

The Mavericks discussed a deal that would have seen them take on both Asik and Alexis Ajinca – along with a first-round pick – in exchange for Wesley Matthews, but Dallas was hesitant to take on two undesirable multiyear contracts, says Scotto.

Additionally, the Pelicans proposed a pair of trades to the Lakers, according to Scotto, who reports that one would have sent Asik and a first-round pick to L.A. for Jordan Clarkson, while the other would have sent Ajinca and a second-round pick to the Lakers for Julius Randle. That second deal could technically still happen, but I can’t imagine it would appeal to the Lakers.

Scotto’s piece for The Athletic is jam-packed with more noteworthy trade rumors, so let’s dive in and round up some highlights…

The Magic‘s front office has “left no stone unturned” as the team explores potential trades. Scotto hears that the club has even quietly gauged trade interest in Aaron Gordon, who will be a restricted free agent this summer. I imagine Orlando would require a pretty overwhelming offer to seriously consider moving Gordon.
Several teams have expressed interest in Nets forward DeMarre Carroll, according to Scotto, who identifies the Heat as one of those teams.
As we heard on Thursday, the Bulls are still very much open for business. Robin Lopez is a trade candidate, but Chicago wants a first-round pick in a deal for the veteran center, per Scotto.
Scotto names Malik Beasley, Kenneth Faried, and Emmanuel Mudiay as trade candidates for the Nuggets, noting that the team could be a suitor for Jazz guard Rodney Hood.
Hood isn’t the only Jazz guard who could be available at the deadline — Scotto hears that Utah has also explored the trade market for Ricky Rubio.
Several teams are monitoring Pistons forward Stanley Johnson. Scotto notes that Johnson was one player the Magic coveted when they discussed deals with Detroit earlier in the season, and adds that the Spurs have interest too.
Speaking of the Spurs, they’re one of the teams – as are the division-rival Mavericks – that has expressed interest in Knicks center Willy Hernangomez.
The Wizards are keeping an eye on the trade market and buyout market for a backup point guard, writes Scotto.
Fourth-year forward Noah Vonleh has been shopped by the Trail Blazers, according to Scotto. In addition to keeping tabs on DeAndre Jordan, Portland is also interested in acquiring a small forward.
Executives around the NBA believe that Raptors swingman Norman Powell could be a trade candidate during the offseason due to the emergence of rookie OG Anunoby.

Pistons Rumors: Failed Trades, S. Johnson, Love

February 1st, 2018 at 12:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons had originally planned to approach this season’s trade deadline by aggressively pursuing upgrades on the wing, writes Jake Fischer of SI.com. League sources tell Fischer that Detroit looked into several potential trade candidates around the NBA, including Danny Green, Jordan Clarkson, Tyreke Evans, Rodney Hood, and Courtney Lee. The Magic also called to discuss a deal that would have included Evan Fournier, Elfrid Payton, and Luke Kennard, per Fischer.

As a result of all that research and legwork on wing players, the Pistons came to a realization that prompted them to change direction. “It’s becoming a wing league, and not many teams are willing to move those players,” a Pistons source told Fischer. “We were willing to give up ours.”

Rather than looking to build up on their own wing depth, the Pistons decided to part with Avery Bradley and Tobias Harris in a deal that would bolster their frontcourt instead. It remains to be seen whether that approach will pay off, but the team will start to find out tonight, with Blake Griffin set to make his Pistons debut. “It’s time to make a run now,” one team source told Fischer, who notes that seven of Detroit’s eight remaining games before the All-Star break are at home.

Here’s more on the Pistons from Fischer:

The Pistons, who explored trading for Eric Bledsoe last summer, circled back to him in November and came “within inches” of acquiring him in a three-way deal with the Suns and Pelicans, according to Fischer. That trade, which would have included Reggie Jackson, fell through.
The Pistons will continue to keep an eye out for opportunities to acquire wing players, and Fischer hints that Stanley Johnson is more likely than Kennard to be included in such a deal.
Detroit’s front office worked with Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank and GM Michael Winger on the Griffin deal. Head coach Doc Rivers, who served as the Clippers’ head of basketball operations until this past offseason, didn’t find out about the deal until Sunday — by that point, every detail except the first-round pick protections had already been agreed upon, a league source tells Fischer.
If the Pistons had been unable to finalize a deal for Griffin, they were planning to shift their focus to Kevin Love, says Fischer. Obviously, that was before Love suffered his hand injury, though there’s no indication that the Cavaliers would have seriously considered moving him.

Pistons Make Avery Bradley Available In Trade Talks

January 29th, 2018 at 8:58am CST by Luke Adams

8:58am: The Lakers offered Jordan Clarkson in one version of a potential Bradley trade, according to Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link), who isn’t sure if those discussions will go anywhere. Bradley and his expiring contract would make some sense as a target for the Lakers, who are looking to create major cap flexibility for the summer of 2018.

8:45am: Less than seven months after acquiring him from the Celtics, the Pistons have made Avery Bradley available in trade discussions, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Bradley will be a free agent at season’s end.

According to Wojnarowski, the asking price for Bradley is “significant,” since the Pistons initially traded for him in the hopes of locking him up to a long-term deal this summer. However, the team doesn’t want to risk losing him for nothing.

Detroit, currently three games out of the No. 8 seed in the East, has been one of the NBA’s most aggressive clubs when it comes to exploring the trade market and seeking out potential upgrades. Even as the Pistons have slipped out of the playoff picture, they’re not planning on a fire sale, according to Rod Beard of The Detroit News, who tweets that the club is gauging Bradley’s value and “seeing what’s out there.”

Bradley, 27, has struggled a little with his shot this season, as his .409 FG% is his worst mark since 2012/13. However, he’s still knocking down 38.1% of his three-point attempts, and is contributing 15.0 PPG to go along with solid perimeter defense.

Bradley, who has a cap charge of approximately $8.8MM this season, will be unrestricted – rather than restricted – as a free agent this offseason, which may limit his value for potential suitors. Still, a club that trades for the veteran guard would acquire his Bird rights, which could come in handy in July, since few teams are projected to have significant cap room. Bird rights allow a club to re-sign a player without using cap space, and Wojnarowski suggests that Bradley could command upwards of $20MM annually as a free agent.

Woj’s Latest: Pistons, Fournier, Lakers, Hawks

January 8th, 2018 at 12:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Shooting guards and small forwards are in high demand as the trade deadline approaches, and there simply aren’t that many quality wings expected to be available, Adrian Wojnarowski writes in his latest report for ESPN.com. As Wojnarowski details, the Pistons, Knicks, Pelicans, and Trail Blazers are just a few of the many teams looking for upgrades on the wing.

DeMarre Carroll (Nets), Alec Burks (Jazz), Kent Bazemore (Hawks), and Evan Fournier (Magic) are among the veterans attracting some interest on the trade market, according to Wojnarowski, who notes that the Pistons pursued a deal for Fournier. Such a trade would be hard to pull off without including Reggie Jackson‘s contract, so nothing’s imminent at this point, but the Pistons continue to be aggressive on the trade market, a reflection of Stan Van Gundy‘s desire to win now, says Wojnarowski.

As for the Pelicans, they also remain active in trade talks despite their limited assets, according to Wojnarowski, who notes that Omer Asik and Alexis Ajinca have negative value and won’t be movable without New Orleans attaching a draft pick or two. If the Pelicans can’t trade for a wing, they’ll have to count on getting Solomon Hill back healthy for the home stretch of the season.

Here’s more from Woj:

The Lakers have “made it clear” that Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle, and Larry Nance Jr. are available in trades, reports Wojnarowski. The club had been planning on waiting until after the season to try to move Clarkson, but there may be a mutual desire to get something done on that front sooner rather than later.
Bazemore, Ersan Ilyasova, and Marco Belinelli are expendable in Atlanta, where the Hawks are focused on unloading veterans and stockpiling more young players and draft picks, per Wojnarowski.
The Bulls still plan to trade Nikola Mirotic after January 15, assuming he OK’s a deal. According to Wojnarowski, Mirotic is somewhat intrigued by the Jazz and their head coach Quin Snyder, who has a reputation for maximizing offensive talent.
It’s possible their outlooks could change by the trade deadline, but the Thunder and Pelicans currently have no plans to trade Paul George or DeMarcus Cousins, respectively. Both players can become unrestricted free agents this July.
We passed along more rumors from Woj in full stories earlier today, providing the latest on DeAndre Jordan and examining the Grizzlies‘ asking price for Tyreke Evans.

L.A. Notes: Clarkson, Randle, Ball, Rivers

December 30th, 2017 at 5:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers teammates Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle are taking different approaches to being the subject of trade rumors, relays Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times. She describes Clarkson’s attitude as “freewheeling,” as he is having fun with the season and trying not to let off-court distractions affect his performance. His playing time has dropped to a career-low 23.3 minutes per game, but he has remained productive, averaging 14.4 points and 3.2 assists. Randle is naturally more intense and is limited because his inside game doesn’t mesh well with the Lakers’ approach. As a result, his minutes can vary wildly from game to game depending on the opponent.

Clarkson is under contract for two more seasons (at $12.5MM next year and $13.4375MM for 2019/20), so his fate is entirely up to the team. Randle will be a restricted free agent in July and needs to perform well to maximize his value. The Lakers would reportedly like to unload both players as part of their plan to offer two max contracts in free agency.

There’s more today from Los Angeles:

Lonzo Ball is recovering quickly from the shoulder sprain he suffered last week, and the Lakers are thinking about taking him on their next road trip, Ganguli writes in a separate story. L.A. plays back-to-back games Sunday in Houston and Monday in Minnesota, and coach Luke Walton is concerned that the rigors of travel might be detrimental to Ball’s health. “His shoulder’s feeling better,” Walton said. “It’s something we’re just going to keep treating and if he feels good enough to go, we’ll get him on the court for shooting, after that we’ll get him to practice and then we’ll get him back on the court.”
An MRI on Austin Rivers‘ strained Achilles tendon injury was negative, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical. The Clippers guard, who had to be helped off the court Friday night, will be listed as day to day.
Clippers rookie Jawun Evans may have started a league-wide trend with his tight defense on Rockets star James Harden, writes Elliott Teaford of The Orange County Register. Evans forced Harden into multiple offensive fouls in a game last week, and subsequent opponents have followed his approach. Evans didn’t expect to be a trend setter or even play much in a talented L.A. backcourt, but injuries to Patrick Beverley and Milos Teodosic have provided an opportunity. “I’m relaxed, but I still don’t feel like I’m in the league,” he said. “It still hasn’t hit me yet. I’m blessed to be here. I’m just taking advantage of every moment.

Lakers Believe They Can Trade Jordan Clarkson

December 23rd, 2017 at 5:08pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers are confident they can unload Jordan Clarkson at some point to help with their pursuit of free agents next summer, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said during an appearance on the network’s Full Court Press special.

L.A. reportedly wants to be able to offer a pair of max contracts in July, with LeBron James and Paul George considered to be prime targets. To make that possible the team has to trim salaries, including Clarkson, who has two seasons left on the four-year, $50MM contract he signed in the summer of 2016. He will make $12.5MM next season and $13.4375MM in 2019/20.

“They believe they can trade Jordan Clarkson and get his money off,” Wojnarowski said. “They prefer not to do it at the trade deadline. Clarkson has helped them win games this year, and because they don’t have their pick, they want to win as many games as they can. So I think there’s some confidence there that they can find a deal for Clarkson after the season, to get his money off. But there’s got to be a sequencing here. And it gets back to, are they going to chase one max-salary slot, or two?”

A former starter, the fourth-year guard has adjusted to a reserve role over the past two seasons and has remained productive. He is averaging 13.8 points through 30 games and shooting a career-best 46% from the field.

To open two full-max slots, the Lakers will also have to get rid of Luol Deng, who has only appeared in one game this season and is owed $36.81MM over the next two years, along with Julius Randle, who will have a cap hold of roughly $12.5MM. L.A. may decide to stretch Deng’s contract after this season, which would make it count $7.362MM against the cap for each of the next five years.

Pacific Notes: Clarkson, Booker, Warriors

November 13th, 2017 at 10:33am CST by Luke Adams

After seeing close friends like D’Angelo Russell and Lou Williams traded by the Lakers during the offseason, Jordan Clarkson says he has grown accustomed to the business side of the NBA, as Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times details. As for the trade rumors that have swirled around him this year, Clarkson isn’t ignoring them, but he’s also not letting them negatively impact him.

“To me it’s motivation,” the Lakers guard said of those trade rumors. “It’s a business, you’re either going to be here or you ain’t. Wherever I am, I want to be productive.”

Clarkson’s name hasn’t surfaced much recently in trade rumors, but it’s possible that could change as the trade deadline nears. The Lakers remain focused on clearing as much cap space as possible for the summer of 2018, so any non-core players could become expendable.

While we wait to see what Clarkson’s future holds, let’s round up a few more notes from around the Pacific division…

In a Q&A session with Nick Friedell of ESPN.com, Suns guard Devin Booker discusses the trade that sent Eric Bledsoe out of Phoenix, becoming the face of the Suns, and several other topics. The highlight of the conversation may have been Booker’s “no comment” when asked about the hair salon that Bledsoe supposedly didn’t want to be at when he published his infamous tweet last month.
While some players around the NBA might feel pressure to play through injuries, that’s not the case for Warriors players like Kevin Durant, who missed a game last week due to a leg issue. Golden State’s talent and depth allows the club to rest players to avoid making minor ailments worse, as Durant explains to Mark Medina of The San Jose Mercury News. “We have such a deep team. Guys can go out and get those knick knack injuries taken care of,” Durant said.
It has been a while since the veteran-heavy Clippers have had to lean on rookies, but they’ve done just that with Sindarius Thornwell and Jawun Evans lately, says Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. The rookie guards have been forced into action as the Clips deal with backcourt injuries.