Mike Conley Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Western Notes: Jazz, Markkanen, Joe, Westbrook

February 20th, 2023 at 10:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Jazz will be adding at least two players in the coming days. Now that they’ve bought out and waived Russell Westbrook and Leandro Bolmaro, they’re down to 12 players on the 15-man roster. Teams are only permitted to dip below 14 players on standard contracts for up to two weeks at a time.

The Jazz have a multitude of financial options to expand the roster, including the use of $5.5MM of its midlevel exception available to split up and sign players to multiyear contracts, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets.

We have more from the Western Conference:

After his All-Star appearance, the Jazz want to see more growth from Lauri Markkanen, Tony Jones of The Athletic writes. Now that they’ve traded Mike Conley and Malik Beasley, they will put the ball in Markkanen’s hands more often during crunch time, seeing how he makes decisions for himself and others. The coaching staff also wants to see him in more isolations.
Isaiah Joe‘s perimeter shooting has been a critical factor for the Thunder‘s offense, according to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. The reserve guard has knocked down 45.2% of his 3-point attempts. “Giving a guy like him the freedom to take some tough ones and show the other team that he’ll make some tough ones, it opens things up for the offense and I think we’ve benefited from that,” coach Mark Daigneault said.
The Clippers are making a foolish mistake by adding Westbrook, who plans to join them once he clears waivers, Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times opines. The issues that Westbrook had with the Lakers — poor shooting, ball hogging, sullenness and selfishness — won’t go away when he joins Los Angeles’ other team, according to Plaschke. Adding him negates the Clippers’ strong trade deadline moves and the fact that their lineup was finally playing together, Plaschke adds.

Timberwolves Notes: Conley, Trade Targets, Reid, Edwards

February 12th, 2023 at 5:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Timberwolves brought in veteran Mike Conley to run the point and dealt impending free agent D’Angelo Russell. Coach Chris Finch believes Conley will be a better fit to initiate their offense, Chris Hine of The Star Tribune writes.

“(Russell has) grown to have a lot of fans around the league and we were able to make a move that we felt matched us up a little bit better as we grow into this roster, get a little bit healthier,” Finch said. “We get KAT (Karl-Anthony Towns) back, Ant’s (Anthony Edwards‘) ascendancy — we just kind of needed a connector. I felt we needed a guy who was a connector there. When you have a chance to get a guy like Mike, you don’t think too much about it.”

We have more from the Timberwolves:

Minnesota was looking to make more deals, particularly for shooters, before the deadline passed on Thursday, according to The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski. Among the players the Wolves pursued were Denver’s Bones Hyland, Phoenix’s Jae Crowder, Detroit’s Saddiq Bey and Miami’s Max Strus. All of those players except Strus got traded elsewhere.
In the same story, Krawczynski reports that the Timberwolves fielded many inquiries regarding center Naz Reid. More than a dozen teams asked about his availability but the Wolves didn’t come close to moving him. He’ll be an unrestricted free agency after the season.
Conley is not only busy meshing his on-court skills with his new teammates — he’s also quickly establishing himself in the locker room, Krawczynski writes in a separate story. “Leadership. Just being that veteran in the locker room that we needed,” Edwards said. “He can shoot the ball really good. Pass the ball. Him and Rudy (Gobert) got a really good connection, so I think it should be pretty good.”
The fact that Conley is signed through next season also added to the appeal of acquiring his services, GM Tim Connelly told Hine. “There was some appeal of the contract of Mike as well,” Connelly said. “You’re always trying to think for the here and now and think of next year and beyond. It was not done lightly, and (Russell) was not a guy we were looking to move just to move.” Conley’s $24.36MM salary for next season is partially guaranteed for $14.32MM.

Lowe’s Latest: Durant, Grizzlies, Anunoby, Pelicans, Warriors, Clippers

February 10th, 2023 at 10:02am CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of the Nets‘ Kevin Durant trade agreement with the Suns, reports indicated that Brooklyn only really negotiated with Phoenix rather than canvassing the NBA to generate a bidding war. The Nets likely already knew what teams were willing to offer after discussing Durant deals for nearly two months in the offseason, and liked the combination of players and picks the Suns were willing to offer.

According to Zach Lowe of ESPN (Insider link), another team that was prepared to put a strong package of draft picks on the table for Durant was the Grizzlies. Sources tell Lowe that the Nets were aware since July that Memphis was willing to trade every available draft pick and swap of its own for Durant (it’s unclear if that offer would’ve included Golden State’s lightly protected 2024 first-round pick or just the Grizzlies’ own first-rounders).

However, the Suns’ inclusion of Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson helped tip the scales in their favor. Sources around the league have said that the Grizzlies have kept Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr. entirely off-limits in any trade talks, according to Lowe, so the players in Memphis’ offer wouldn’t have been as valuable as the ones in the deal Brooklyn ultimately accepted.

Here’s more from Lowe:

After mentioning on his podcast that the Grizzlies and Pacers each offered three first-round picks for Raptors forward OG Anunoby, Lowe says the Pelicans – another presumed suitor – didn’t hold any serious talks with Toronto about him. As Lowe reiterates, the Raptors were seeking a high-level player or prospect in an Anunoby deal; Will Guillory of The Athletic says New Orleans didn’t show much interest in discussing Dyson Daniels or Trey Murphy in trade talks.
The Warriors also engaged with the Raptors about Anunoby, Lowe confirms, but he says the two teams don’t appear to have gotten all that close to an agreement. Golden State likely would have had to include Jonathan Kuminga as the centerpiece of its offer, sources tell ESPN.
The Clippers never ended up having any serious trade talks for D’Angelo Russell or Kyle Lowry, and the Mike Conley bidding was out of their price range, Lowe says. They also got nowhere close on Fred VanVleet, since the Raptors would have wanted Terance Mann and possibly more draft equity than L.A. could’ve offered, Lowe adds.

Northwest Notes: Payton, Blazers, Hyland, Clarkson, Conley, Gobert

February 10th, 2023 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

It got a bit lost in the shuffle of Thursday’s trade deadline activity, but one of the more interesting moves at the deadline was the Trail Blazers trading away guard Gary Payton II after he had appeared in just 15 games with the team. Payton was dealt just seven months after Portland beat out rival suitors to sign him to a three-year contract as a free agent.

One source tells Jason Quick of The Athletic that one key reason for the move was that Payton had indicated he didn’t want to be in Portland anymore — he was “ecstatic” to be sent back to the Warriors, according to that source.

It’s a worrying sign that so many players the Blazers trade seem so enthusiastic about leaving Portland, Quick writes, pointing to Norman Powell, Robert Covington, Larry Nance Jr., and Josh Hart as other recent examples.

Quick also questions how Damian Lillard and Jerami Grant (who has been offered an extension) might view the Blazers’ deadline moves, which included trading Payton and Hart and acquiring flawed or unproven young players like Cam Reddish, Matisse Thybulle, and Kevin Knox.

Head coach Chauncey Billups had been hoping to add size and experience to the roster, but Portland’s deals this week accomplished neither and may result in the team taking a step back in the short term. As Quick writes, the Blazers will have to hope that Lillard and Grant still believe in the team’s long-term plan.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

When Bones Hyland left the Nuggets‘ bench out of frustration in the fourth quarter of a Jan. 22 game against Oklahoma City, it represented a tipping point, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post, who says that incident didn’t sit well with a number of Denver’s veterans and led to the team exploring Hyland’s trade market in earnest. According to Singer, Hyland’s poor fit alongside Jamal Murray, his defensive lapses, and his displeasure with his role were all factors that led to him being dealt. Still, trading the second-year guard was a difficult decision that went up to ownership, sources tell The Denver Post.
The Jazz and guard Jordan Clarkson aren’t expected to reach an agreement on an in-season extension, but sources tell Tony Jones of The Athletic that Utah remains very open to continuing its relationship with Clarkson beyond this year. The 30-year-old can become an unrestricted free agent in the summer by turning down a $14.3MM player option for 2023/24.
The Timberwolves‘ acquisition of Mike Conley signals the team’s commitment to improving the fit for Rudy Gobert, who developed chemistry with Conley in Utah, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. “I love Mike,” Gobert said on Wednesday. “I just love the way he plays the game — the way he makes people around him better, his professionalism, the way he plays to win and his selflessness, and I love him as a person too, so obviously I’m happy.”

Lakers, Jazz, Wolves Complete Three-Way Trade

February 9th, 2023 at 2:16pm CST by Arthur Hill

FEBRUARY 9: The trade is now official, the Timberwolves have confirmed in a press release. As expected, Minnesota waived Bryn Forbes to open a spot on their roster to complete the deal.

FEBRUARY 8: A three-team deal involving the Lakers, Jazz and Timberwolves is in the process of being finalized, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The trade will send Minnesota guard D’Angelo Russell to L.A., along with Utah’s Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt.

The Wolves will get point guard Mike Conley, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the less favorable of the Wizards’ and Grizzlies’ second-round picks in 2024 (from the Lakers) and Utah’s second-round picks in 2025 and 2026, sources tell Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Utah will receive Russell Westbrook and a 2027 first-round pick from the Lakers that is top-four protected. In addition, the Jazz will acquire Juan Toscano-Anderson and Damian Jones.

After months of searching, the Lakers found a way to unload Westbrook’s $47.1MM contract and only had to part with one of their two tradable future first-rounders. Westbrook has adapted well this season to a sixth man role under new head coach Darvin Ham, but his contract was still considered a burden and his lack of outside shooting made him a poor fit for L.A.’s offense.

The Jazz are expected to pursue a buyout with Westbrook once the trade is official, tweets Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report. If an agreement is reached, the Clippers would be interested in signing Westbrook, according to Haynes (Twitter link). He adds that the Bulls are also considering Westbrook, which would reunite him with Billy Donovan, his former coach in Oklahoma City (Twitter link).

The Lakers were able to add the shooters they had been seeking in Russell and Beasley, along with a versatile frontcourt addition in Vanderbilt. Russell, whom L.A. selected with the second overall pick in the 2015 draft, is connecting at 39.1% from three-point range this season, while Beasley is shooting 35.9% from long distance, providing two new weapons to space the floor around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Russell will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, Beasley has a $16.5MM team option for 2023/24, and Vanderbilt’s $4.7MM salary for ’23/24 is mostly non-guaranteed, so the Lakers will still have the flexibility to create significant cap room in the offseason if they so choose. They could also operate over the cap by hanging onto Beasley and Vanderbilt and attempting to re-sign Russell and Rui Hachimura, whom they acquired last month.

The Wolves, who have encountered difficulty incorporating Rudy Gobert into their offense, should benefit by reuniting him with Conley, his former Jazz teammate. Conley also brings a veteran presence that was lacking on a young Minnesota team — he’ll be charged with helping to make the Wolves’ Twin Towers approach work once Karl-Anthony Towns returns from his calf injury.

Unlike Russell, Conley is under contract for next season — his $24.4MM salary is partially guaranteed for $14.3MM. That will reduce the Wolves’ cap flexibility this offseason, but also ensures they won’t have to worry about losing their starting point guard for nothing in free agency.

As Wojnarowski points out (via Twitter), by acquiring the Lakers’ lightly protected 2027 first-rounder, the Jazz are adding another valuable piece to their collection of draft assets. Utah will have 15 first-round picks with little or no protections through 2029, along with a talented young core to build around and possibly more than $60MM in cap space this summer.

Even before a potential Westbrook buyout, the deal will open up a roster spot for the Jazz, who are sending out four players and only taking three back. The Wolves, who are acquiring two players for one, will have to waive a player from their 15-man roster to accommodate the extra newcomer.

Timberwolves To Waive Bryn Forbes

February 9th, 2023 at 12:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Timberwolves are waiving guard Bryn Forbes, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tweets.

Minnesota needed to open up a roster spot to complete the agreed-upon three-team trade with the Lakers and Jazz. The Timberwolves are trading D’Angelo Russell to Los Angeles and bringing in guards Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker,

Forbes was on a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract, so waiving him will not have any implications beyond this season.

The 29-year-old hadn’t seen much playing time with Minnesota. He appeared in 24 games off the bench, averaging 3.3 points in 10.6 minutes. Forbes appeared in a combined 75 regular season games with San Antonio and Denver last season.

A career 40.9 percent 3-point shooter, Forbes could be an interesting option for a contender looking for bench help once he clears waivers.

Northwest Notes: Hyland, Blazers, Nurkic, Wolves, Thunder

February 9th, 2023 at 8:51am CST by Luke Adams

Second-year Nuggets guard Bones Hyland is considered a strong candidate to be moved ahead of this afternoon’s trade deadline, but if it were up to teammate Michael Porter Jr., Hyland wouldn’t be going anywhere, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post (subscription required). In addition to wanting Hyland to remain in Denver, Porter would also like to see him back in the club’s rotation.

“Bones is one of my favorite players, and I think he’s such a great player and person,” Porter said. “Circumstances make it so that sometimes he’s misunderstood, but me and him have a good connection. He’s such a talented player, obviously he should be on the floor. Everyone knows that. I don’t know what the future’s gonna hold for him, but I wish he was here. I wish he would stay here, and I wish it could be figured out. Obviously, that’s not up to me. That’s up to the front office.”

Hyland, who reportedly hasn’t been thrilled with his modest role in Denver, has been a DNP-CD for the team’s past four games. The Nuggets are believed to be seeking a first-round pick or a defensive-minded wing in any deal involving the 22-year-old.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Although the Trail Blazers‘ deal sending Josh Hart to New York doesn’t exactly scream “win now,” star guard Damian Lillard didn’t mind the move, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic. “I think it’s a game of chess … you gotta do what you gotta do, and trust the process that repositioning ourselves will be beneficial,” Lillard said. “… I’ve always liked Cam Reddish a lot.”
Jusuf Nurkic recognizes that the Trail Blazers‘ plans could change at the last minute before the deadline, but he said on Wednesday that general manager Joe Cronin has told him he won’t be on the move this week. “We had a really good, nice chat,” Nurkic said, per Quick. “I don’t know if I should really put it out there, but he said, ‘No, we are not trading you.'”
Given how aggressively the Timberwolves recruited and pursued D’Angelo Russell in 2019 and 2020, Wednesday’s trade agreement sending Russell out in a deal for Mike Conley represents a major philosophical shift in the team’s direction at point guard, says Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. While Russell was a scorer who could pass, Conley is more of a “classic” point guard, and the Wolves could use a veteran with his ability to organize and lead a team, Krawczynski explains.
It’s unlikely to be too eventful a trade deadline for the Thunder, who aren’t yet ready to be buyers and don’t have many veterans worth selling, writes Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman (subscription required).

Lakers/Jazz/Wolves Trade Notes: 2027 Pick, Westbrook, Conley, TPEs

February 9th, 2023 at 6:26am CST by Luke Adams

After months of speculation about whether the Lakers would include both of their tradable future first-round picks (2027 and 2029) in a Russell Westbrook trade, the club only attached its 2027 first-rounder to Westbrook in a three-team trade agreement with Minnesota and Utah. Perhaps most importantly, the Lakers’ front office retained its ability to trade its 2029 pick despite lightly protecting the 2027 selection.

As Zach Lowe of ESPN tweets, the top-four protected 2027 first-round pick the Lakers are sending to the Jazz in the deal won’t carry over to 2028 if it lands in its protected range. In that scenario, the Lakers would instead send their ’27 second-round pick to Utah.

If the protections on the first-round pick had carried over to 2028 (or 2029), the Lakers’ ability to trade their 2029 first-rounder would’ve been significantly hampered due to the Stepien rule that prohibits teams from leaving themselves without first-round selections in consecutive future seasons. But because Los Angeles’ obligations to Utah will end in 2027 no matter where that pick lands, the Lakers still have the ability to dangle their 2029 first-rounder, unencumbered, in trade talks today or during the offseason.

Here’s more on the three-team deal that’s sending D’Angelo Russell back to Los Angeles and Mike Conley to Minnesota:

“Addition by subtraction” was part of the Lakers‘ thinking in moving Westbrook, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, who hears from team and league sources that Westbrook’s situation in Los Angeles had become “untenable” during the last week, with both sides ready to move on from the partnership.
The Lakers took a patient, diligent approach to solving the Westbrook problem, passing on opportunities last offseason and earlier this season to trade both of their available first-round picks in deals with Indiana, Brooklyn, and others, writes Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. While the Lakers still have a ways to go to even qualify for the postseason, they’re far better equipped now to earn a spot and to be competitive in a playoff series, in Pincus’ view.
Losing Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, and especially Conley hit the Jazz‘s locker room hard, according to Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. “You know that trades are like a legitimate thing, but to go through it,” rookie center Walker Kessler said, before trailing off. “I’m a very empathetic person, so you just kind of feel for them. I’m not saying anything was done wrong. It’s part of the business, but it’s definitely a hard thing to go through.”
Although Conley was “universally beloved” within the organization, the Jazz‘s front office wanted to move his contract, which was a factor in the decision to make the trade, says Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune. Conley’s deal includes a $14MM+ partial guarantee for next season.
In a column for The Star Tribune, Chip Scoggins says that trading Russell was the right move for the Timberwolves, but suggests that the team’s long-term plan is still unclear. As Scoggins notes, the Wolves are ostensibly in win-now mode, but just traded away their starting point guard and still don’t have a timeline for Karl-Anthony Towns‘ return.
Assuming no new pieces are added to the three-team trade once it’s made official, the Jazz will create trade exceptions worth approximately $5MM and $4.4MM, while the Timberwolves will generate a trade exception worth $3.7MM. The Lakers will create two trade exceptions as well, though neither will be worth more than $2.3MM.

Lakers, Jazz, Wolves Discussing Russell, Conley, Westbrook

February 8th, 2023 at 4:30pm CST by Luke Adams

4:30p.m.: The Lakers and Jazz have the structure of a trade in place, but the deal will depend on what the Wolves get in return for Russell, particularly in terms of draft assets, sources tell Wojnarowski (Twitter link), who adds that Minnesota has discussed Russell with other teams as well.

2:49pm: The Lakers, Jazz, and Timberwolves are engaging in discussions on a potential three-team trade that would send Mike Conley to Minnesota, D’Angelo Russell to Los Angeles, and Russell Westbrook and draft compensation (including a first-round pick) to Utah, according to Shams Charania and Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link).

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported during an appearance on NBA Today (Twitter video link) that the Lakers were talking to Minnesota about Russell and says the Wolves would also receive some draft compensation in the deal if it’s finalized (Twitter link).

According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), Jazz swingman Malik Beasley and Jazz forward Jarred Vanderbilt have been included in versions of the proposed trade. Charania confirms as much, tweeting that those two players would end up with the Lakers.

The three teams continue to negotiate and are working through draft picks and pick protections, sources tell The Athletic. Wojnarowski cautions that the Jazz remain involved in other trade discussions involving Conley, so it’s not a sure thing that this three-team swap will be completed.

Veteran point guards Conley, Russell, and Westbrook have all been the subject of trade rumors for much of the 2022/23 season. Russell and Westbrook are on expiring contracts and haven’t engaged in serious extension talks to remain with their current teams beyond this year; Conley has a partially guaranteed contract for next season, but may not have a place in the rebuilding Jazz’s future.

The Lakers have explored possible Westbrook trades since last offseason, but have thus far been unwilling to include the kind of draft capital it would take to move off his $47MM+ cap hit and acquire multiple reliable rotation players in return.

Due to restrictions affecting earlier picks, L.A. can only currently trade its first-rounders for 2027 and 2029. It’s unclear whether the team would give up both of those picks in this proposed deal, but it’s safe to assume at least one would be included, since the trade would provide the Lakers with two strong outside shooters in Russell and Beasley, along with a versatile wing and frontcourt defender in Vanderbilt, addressing two of the club’s biggest needs.

Russell, of course, is a former Laker, having been selected second overall by the franchise in the 2015 draft.

The Timberwolves, meanwhile, may view Conley as a better fit in their backcourt alongside rising star Anthony Edwards than Russell has been. Conley also had success playing with Rudy Gobert in Utah and could potentially help make the big man more comfortable in Minnesota.

In addition to the promising on-court fit, having Conley under contract for next season would allow the Wolves to head into the summer without having to worry about negotiating a new contract for their starting point guard, as they would with Russell.

As for the Jazz, they would likely buy out Westbrook if they move forward on this trade, as Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report confirms (via Twitter). The motivation on Utah’s end would be to cash in veterans for future draft picks as the team continues its rebuilding process.

Jazz Notes: Vanderbilt, Beasley, Conley, Trade Talks

February 6th, 2023 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The Jazz are facing a “robust” trade market with plenty of interest in Jarred Vanderbilt, Malik Beasley and Mike Conley, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic.

Sources tell Jones that Utah has been involved in trade calls with every team and has received multiple offers for more than one of its players. He cites “general interest” in Jordan Clarkson as well, although some clubs don’t want to commit to an impending free agent, and states that teams have also called about Kelly Olynyk.

The front office started reviewing all the offers over the weekend, according to Jones’ sources, and will decide soon if any are worth pursuing. He hears that the Jazz won’t approach the trade deadline as a fire sale and will only move forward with deals if they are in the best interest of the team’s future.

Jones was informed that a Western Conference team has offered multiple second-round picks in exchange for Vanderbilt. He’s not sure if Utah will accept that or hold out in hopes of landing a first-rounder as Thursday’s deadline draws closer.

Jones views Vanderbilt as the player most likely to be moved this week. He has been a starter for much of the season, but the emergence of rookie center Walker Kessler has limited the need to keep Vanderbilt on the roster. Utah has received multiple offers for Vanderbilt and must decide whether his age and favorable contract make him more valuable as a keeper or a trade asset.

Jones offers more insight from Utah:

A Western Conference team offered the Jazz a “significant expiring contract” in exchange for Conley earlier this season, but they turned down the deal. Jones hears that Conley, who is under contract for one more season with a partial guarantee, is happy to remain in Utah and serve as a veteran leader and will only be sent to a contender if he is traded.
The Jazz have talked to the Lakers about taking on Russell Westbrook‘s contract, but nothing appeared substantial Sunday night, according to Jones. L.A. has been reluctant to part with its first-round picks in 2027 and 2029 to get rid of Westbrook’s expiring $47.1MM deal.
Utah has also discussed deals involving John Collins, but multiple league sources tell Jones that the Hawks won’t part with him unless they’re confident that the return would significantly boost their playoff chances.
The Jazz also asked the Mavericks about Dorian Finney-Smith before Dallas included him in the deal with Brooklyn for Kyrie Irving.
Inquiring teams have been told that Lauri Markkanen, Kessler and fellow rookie Ochai Agbaji aren’t being made available, Jones confirms.