Naz Reid Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Notes: Reid, Towns, Conley, Lillard, Samanic

April 1st, 2023 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Naz Reid is a perfect component in the free-wheeling offense that Timberwolves coach Chris Finch prefers, and his absence was evident in Friday’s loss to the Lakers, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. Reid is expected to undergo surgery and miss six weeks after fracturing his left wrist this week.

Finch said the offense lacked “flow” without Reid, who had averaged 18.1 PPG over his last eight games. The team missed Reid’s quick decision-making, Hine notes, and shot just 32% from the field in the second half as it dropped an important game to a rival in the Western Conference playoff race.

The loss of Reid comes while Minnesota is still adjusting to Karl-Anthony Towns, who returned to action 10 days ago. Finch believes the Wolves may be trying to force the ball to Towns too often, and Mike Conley has been working individually with Towns to find the best way to integrate him into the offense.

“Having him back in the mix and him implementing into what we’re already doing is, I wouldn’t say challenging, but it’s the obstacle that we’re trying to (overcome),” Conley said. “How can we get us to space the floor properly. How can we cut? What plays? Plays change when you bring a guy like KAT in. Stuff that we run for him now as opposed to we weren’t running those plays before, so it’s just finding the balance.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

In an interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Conley talks about the challenges he faced after being traded in midseason for the first time in his career. Although Conley has stabilized the Timberwolves since being acquired from the Jazz in February, he rarely gets to see his wife and three young sons, who are still living in Utah.
Appearing Friday on the Dan Patrick Show (video link), Damian Lillard said the Trail Blazers made the choice to shut him down for the rest of the season (hat tip to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports). “I wouldn’t say it’s my decision at all,” said Lillard, who appeared in 58 games this season. “I think maybe the team protecting me from myself. … Every time that I’ve had some type injury like that kind of get irritated or aggravated or something like that, it’s come from just like a heavy load, and stress, and just, you know, going out there and trying to go above and beyond. So, you know, I would say just; there is something there, and also them just trying to protect me from myself as well.” Lillard also reiterated his loyalty to the organization, saying he’s still determined to bring a title to Portland.
Luka Samanic is grateful to get another shot at the NBA with the Jazz, per Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. Before signing a 10-day contract with Utah, the former first-round pick hadn’t appeared in an NBA game since the Spurs waived him before the start of last season.

Wolves’ Naz Reid Breaks Wrist, Out Indefinitely

March 31st, 2023 at 11:41am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

MARCH 31: The Timberwolves have issued a press release confirming that Reid suffered a left scaphoid fracture and announcing that he’ll be out indefinitely.

MARCH 30: Timberwolves big man Naz Reid has broken his left wrist, according to Shams Charania and Jon Krawcyznski of The Athletic (Twitter link). The Athletic’s duo says that Reid will be sidelined for a “significant” amount of time with the ailment.

The center injured the wrist during the second half of an eventual 107-101 loss to the Suns on Wednesday, in a fall after a dunk attempt. Reid appeared to be playing in significant pain afterwards, as Krawczynski noted even prior to the news of the break (via Twitter).

Krawczynski tweets that Reid had emerged as a significant contributor to Minnesota of late. At 39-38, the Timberwolves currently occupy the Western Conference’s eighth seed.

The 23-year-old is the Wolves’ third big man, a crucial utility player who can be played at either frontcourt spot alongside starters Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns. In 68 games this season, the 6’9″ big man had been averaging 11.5 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.1 APG, and 0.8 BPG across 18.4 MPG for the Timberwolves.

Reid went undrafted out of LSU in 2019, and eventually signed a four-year deal with Minnesota. He will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and after earning the vet minimum this season.

Wolves Notes: Gobert, Officiating, Reid, Conley, KAT

March 30th, 2023 at 3:49pm CST by Rory Maher

Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert was highly critical of the officiating following Wednesday’s loss in Phoenix and will likely be fined, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune.

The Wolves have felt they’ve gotten poor treatment from the officials all season long, so it wasn’t just about last night’s game, Hine writes. The Suns attempted 27 free throws versus Minnesota’s 12.

“It’s not fair. It’s really not fair,” Gobert said. “Every night. I’ve been in this league for 10 years and I try to always give the benefit of the doubt, but it’s hard for me to think they’re not trying to help [the Suns] win tonight. It’s hard for me to think they didn’t try to help the Warriors win the other night or Sacramento Kings the other night. It’s just so obvious. As a basketball player that’s been in this league for so long, it’s disrespectful.”

According to Hine, Gobert specifically pointed to how many moving screens he’s been called for this season, and he believes officials are favoring bigger-market teams.

“We understand that we’re not the biggest of the markets and we’re a team that — I think you want to see KD [Kevin Durant] in the playoffs, Steph [Stephen Curry] in the playoffs, you want to see LeBron [James] in the playoffs,” Gobert said. “[The] Timberwolves are not there yet. We got to keep putting our head down, keep playing through that and it’s frustrating for sure, especially for me.”

Here’s more on the Wolves:

Reserve center Naz Reid injured his left wrist yesterday after taking a hard fall on a dunk attempt, Hine adds in the same story. Reid was able to keep playing, but was in noticeable pain in the locker room afterward. It’s unclear if the fourth-year big man will miss time with the injury.
Prior to the game, Suns head coach Monty Williams praised Reid, Hine tweets. “He’s probably a starter in this league on some teams, if not most,” Williams said. If a rival team believes Reid can be its starting center, that might make it tricky for the Wolves to retain him, Hine notes (via Twitter). The 23-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, though he will remain eligible for an extension until the end of June. Reid was recently nominated for Western Conference player of the week.
In addition to his chemistry with Gobert, the Timberwolves traded for Mike Conley because they wanted a mature veteran who “cared less about making flashy plays,” sources tell Kendra Andrews of ESPN. The three-team deal saw the Wolves send out D’Angelo Russell in exchange for Conley, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and three second-round picks. Head coach Chris Finch also strongly implied that Russell’s limitations as a point-of-attack defender played a factor in the trade, according to Andrews, who takes a look at the team’s outlook for the rest of the season.
On The Ringer’s Off Guard podcast with Austin Rivers and Pausha Haghighi, Wolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns said he would like to play for the Dominican Republic’s national team at this summer’s World Cup (hat tip to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net). Towns last played for the Dominican team 10 years ago, prior to entering the NBA, Askounis notes.

Timberwolves Notes: Reid, Edwards, Towns, Playoffs

March 27th, 2023 at 11:02am CST by Dana Gauruder

Karl-Anthony Towns‘ return to action was a welcome sight for the Timberwolves but it created a pleasant dilemma: What to do about Naz Reid?

Though Reid moves to a backup role, he’ll continue to play steady minutes as the team embraces bigger lineups, Chris Hine of The Star Tribune writes.

“We got to find a way to make the two-big lineup work,” coach Chris Finch said. “It has to be who we are in these last eight games. We have the flexibility to go a lot of different directions. But when a guy’s playing this well, he deserves to be out there in some form or fashion. It’s my job to figure it out.”

Reid, an unrestricted free agent after the season, had a team-high 23 points in 21 minutes in the Wolves’ three-point win over Golden State on Sunday night.

We have more on the Timberwolves:

Anthony Edwards admits he was worn out in his first game back after missing three games with an ankle injury, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tweets. Edwards was held to 13 points in 35 minutes. “Tired. Out of shape,” he said. “No legs. But we got the win, man, so I’m cool.”
Towns hit two clutch 3-pointers against the Warriors. The Wolves had three off-days before the game and that gave them more practice time to get Towns back into a rhythm, Kent Youngblood of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes. “One thing is trying to work on KAT’s spacing and decision-making when he gets the ball,” Finch said prior to the team’s road trip. “We can’t have him coming in and being too much of a ball-stopper right now. We have a really good rhythm to our offense. The ball has been moving really well.”
The Wolves pulled within a half-game of the Warriors for the sixth spot in the West. If they can finish in the top six, it would allow them to avoid the play-in tournament. They play Sacramento on Monday night. “We knew where the standings are and we knew we had to beat them at all cost,” Towns told Hine. “We played with that kind of desperation.” Finch didn’t indicate whether Towns and Edwards would play in the second game of a back-to-back.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Northwest Division

March 6th, 2023 at 4:47pm CST by Rory Maher

For the rest of the regular season and postseason, Hoops Rumors is taking a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents during the 2023 offseason. We consider whether their stock is rising or falling due to their performance and other factors. Today, we’re focusing on a handful of Northwest players.

Jordan Clarkson, G, Jazz

2022/23: $13.34MM
2023/24: $14.26MM player option
Stock: Up

Clarkson is expected to decline his player option to land a long-term contract in free agency, which makes a lot of sense. He’s averaging career highs in points (20.8) and assists (4.4) per game and has matched his career best in rebounds per night (4.0) while posting a .444/.338/.816 shooting slash line (.558 true shooting percentage).

The veteran guard will turn 31 years old in the offseason, so this might be his last chance to land a major multiyear payday. He is an all-around poor defensive player, but his play-making has improved this season, and his shot-creation ability is widely coveted.

I don’t have a great feel for how much Clarkson might get in free agency. His representatives could point to the contracts signed by Anfernee Simons (four years, $100MM) and Jordan Poole (four years, $123MM guaranteed) last summer, for example – Clarkson is much older and has less upside, but his strengths, weaknesses and production are fairly similar to those players.

If I were a GM, I would be very hesitant to pay Clarkson that much money, but he has earned a raise on his current deal, that much is certain.

Udoka Azubuike, C, Jazz

2022/23: $2.17MM
2023/24: UFA
Stock: Down

A former first-round pick (No. 27 overall in 2020), Azubuike has unfortunately dealt with a few significant ankle injuries in his brief NBA career, which has impacted his development. Utah declined its fourth-year team option on the 23-year-old big man before the season started, sending a strong signal that he wasn’t in the team’s long-term plans.

Azubuike has only appeared in 26 games this season for an average of 5.9 minutes per contest. It’s hard to get much of a read on someone who plays so little, but he is a limited offensive player who struggles at the free throw line (he shot 41.6% in four college seasons and is at 55.2% on very low volume in the NBA).

The remaining 17 games will essentially serve as an audition for Azubuike. How he performs — and if he gets minutes — could very well determine whether or not he’s able to land a guaranteed contract in the offseason. The odds of that happening seem lower than 50/50 at the moment.

Naz Reid, C, Timberwolves

2022/23: $1.93MM
2023/24: UFA
Stock: Up

Reid’s per 36 numbers have been quite consistent in each of his four seasons. So why is his stock up?

The primary reason is he’s shown that his game is scalable, meaning his production doesn’t suffer with more playing time. The 23-year-old is averaging 16.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.0 block in 11 games as a fill-in starter (26.1 minutes), with the team going 6-5 in those contests. Playing well against reserves is one thing, but doing it over the course of a full game against starters is something entirely different.

Reid has slimmed down considerably since going undrafted out of LSU in 2019 and has shown that he is a quality backup center capable of spot starts. Something in the range of $8-11MM annually seems within reach — a massive increase on his current minimum-salary contract.

Jaylen Nowell, G, Timberwolves

2022/23: $1.93MM
2023/24: UFA
Stock: Down

I liked what I saw from Nowell last season and thought he should have gotten more minutes at times. He is shifty with the ball with a quick first step, and shows some nascent play-making ability.

Something has been off with him for nearly the entire ‘22/23 season, which is unfortunate because he had a big opportunity to establish himself after the Rudy Gobert trade freed up backcourt playing time.

Maybe that’s part of the problem. He often looks like he’s trying too hard and forcing the issue instead of letting the game come to him, often a sign of a player pressing. The steep decline in three-point shooting — from 39.4% last season to 29.3% in ‘22/23 — looks like another mental hurdle, as he hesitates at times even when he’s wide open, instead of trusting himself and letting it fly.

Nowell is only 23 and on a minimum deal. He will get more than that in free agency, but probably not as much as he was aiming for before the season began.

Drew Eubanks, C, Trail Blazers

2022/23: $1.84MM
2023/24: UFA
Stock: Up

Another player on a minimum-salary deal, Eubanks plays within a clearly defined, limited offensive role of setting hard screens, rolling for the occasional lob, and crashing the offensive glass. His averages of 6.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks don’t exactly jump off the page, though he is shooting an impressive 68.3% from the field through 62 games (19 starts, 19.9 minutes).

However, he is an above-average defensive player who moves his feet well for a big man, allowing him to switch onto smaller players better than most centers. The 26-year-old is also a solid rim protector, making up for his relative lack of height (he’s 6’9”) with powerful leaping ability and solid timing while challenging and blocking shots.

Eubanks isn’t the type of player who is going to land a major payday in free agency, but I do think he’s solidified himself as a quality backup due to his consistent energy and the self-awareness he brings of knowing his role. The Blazers have been better when he’s on the court, which is always a positive sign. A multiyear deal in the range of $4-7MM per season seems pretty reasonable.

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.

Wolves Rumors: McLaughlin, Russell, Reid, Hyland

February 7th, 2023 at 11:10am CST by Arthur Hill

Jordan McLaughlin‘s return from a calf injury may be the spark the Timberwolves need to move up the Western Conference standings, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. After missing the past 30 games, McLaughlin was back on the court Sunday, playing nearly 12 minutes in a win over the Nuggets. The backup point guard helped Minnesota’s offense become the best in the league over the second half of last season, and his play-making has been missed while he’s been out of action.

“He just brings a pace to the game,” coach Chris Finch said. “Gets off it early. Makes all the right plays. Competes his butt off on defense. It was good to see him back out there.”

When he suffered the injury in November, McLaughlin was originally considered to be day to day. He returned in early December after missing five games, but reaggravated the calf and admits that he might have tried to come back too soon.

“Calf injuries, anything with the lower extremities, you never know,” McLaughlin said. “It may feel good, but it may not be good. It could’ve been that, but you never know.”

There’s more from Minnesota:

Having McLaughlin available may change the Wolves’ philosophy heading into the trade deadline, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. The team has been mentioned as a possible suitor for Kyle Lowry or Mike Conley, but with McLaughlin back, and Kyle Anderson and Anthony Edwards sharing the playmaking duties for the starting unit, Krawczynski doesn’t see a strong need to bring in an experienced point guard. He points to perimeter defense, bench scoring and rebounding as more pressing priorities.
Trade talks regarding D’Angelo Russell are likely to continue up to the deadline, but his improved shooting numbers over the past two months will make it tough to part with him, Krawczynski adds. The Clippers are among the interested teams, but so far have been unwilling to part with Terance Mann in a potential deal.
Krawczynski confirms that the Wolves have engaged in extension negotiations with Naz Reid during the season and believes both sides would prefer a new agreement over a trade. Karl-Anthony Towns is expected to return from his calf injury sometime after the All-Star break, but Krawczynski states that uncertainty about Towns’ timeline makes it difficult for Minnesota to part with Reid.
Krawczynski identifies Nuggets guard Bones Hyland as a name to watch as the deadline draws near. Wolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly drafted Hyland when he was in Denver and still believes in his potential. Krawczynski suggests it may take an offer of Reid or Taurean Prince to land Hyland.
The front office investigated the possibility of acquiring Kyrie Irving when his trade request became public last Friday, but decided against submitting an offer to Brooklyn, per Krawczynski.

Kyrie Irving Trade Notes: Durant, Doncic, LeBron, Grades

February 6th, 2023 at 8:06am CST by Arthur Hill

The Kyrie Irving trade may lead to a flurry of deals before Thursday’s deadline, but John Hollinger of The Athletic expects most teams to hold onto their first-round picks in case three of the NBA’s biggest stars become available this summer.

It’s barely been seven months since Kevin Durant‘s last trade demand, and even if he doesn’t request it, Hollinger believes the Nets may consider moving him in the offseason. Durant will turn 35 in September, and Hollinger points out that he’s the only star left on a Brooklyn team that no longer looks like a contender and may not have the draft assets to pull off a major addition.

Hollinger also expects rival teams to start monitoring Luka Doncic‘s happiness in Dallas, especially if the Irving deal backfires. He cites league executives who speculated over the past week that acquiring Irving could be toxic for the Mavericks on the theory that he could eventually cause Doncic to ask to leave, the same way James Harden did in Brooklyn when he was paired with Irving. Even if Irving turns out to be a short-term addition, Dallas parted with two rotation players plus draft capital in the deal and doesn’t have an obvious path to improve.

The third star worth watching, according to Hollinger, is LeBron James, who tweeted “Maybe It’s Me” on Sunday after seeing the Lakers miss another opportunity to add talent. James was reportedly a strong proponent of trading for Irving, his former teammate in Cleveland.

There’s more on the Irving deal:

Even though they gave up the best player in the deal, Kevin O’Connor of the Ringer believes the Nets are in a better position. Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith provide additional depth, giving the team possibly 12 players capable of handling regular rotation minutes. O’Connor adds that Brooklyn could still use a backup center and states that the organization still has interest in the Timberwolves‘ Naz Reid.
The Durant-Irving era, which began when both players signed with the Nets in 2019, will go down as a disappointment, says Adam Zagoria of NJ.com. Even after adding another All-Star by trading for Harden in 2021, Brooklyn managed to win just one playoff series. Zagoria notes that this time will always be a “what if?” for Nets fans.
Bobby Marks of ESPN considers the trade a “win-win” for both teams (video link). He argues that Brooklyn got at least one starter, and maybe two, in return for Irving, while Dallas is taking an understandable chance to upgrade its talent level.
In grading the deal, Zach Harper of The Athletic gives the Mavericks a C-plus because of the risk involved and the Nets a B, as long as the deal doesn’t alienate Durant.

Northwest Notes: Murray, Hyland, Wolves, Thunder

February 5th, 2023 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

Asked after Thursday’s win over Golden State about Nuggets players being willing to sacrifice individual opportunities for the sake of team success, Jamal Murray suggested that’s an important reason why the 37-16 Nuggets are tied for the NBA’s best record, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post.

“We’re a championship team,” Murray said. “All that stuff, not being happy, has gotta go out the window or else we’re not going to win. It’s nice to have a coach that knows that and knows what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Murray’s comments could be interpreted as a dig at fellow guard Bones Hyland, who is reportedly on the trade block due in part to unhappiness about his role. However, according to Singer, Murray was talking more about teammates like Vlatko Cancar, whose commitment to doing what’s best for the club hasn’t changed even as his playing time has. Murray, who referred to Cancar as “selfless,” clarified on Saturday that he wasn’t taking any shots at Hyland, tweets Singer.

“It’s tough for Bones, man … No one wants to be in this position,” Murray said of his teammate, who has been a DNP-CD for Denver’s last two games as trade rumors swirl. “… He’s doing his best. Me and him are cool, we don’t have no problems. Just trying to keep him in good spirits and know that his time’s coming.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone also weighed in on Saturday on Hyland’s status as a trade candidate who has been out of the rotation this week. “It’s a real sensitive area for everyone involved,” Malone said, per Singer (Twitter link). “… Just trying to give him some space, but also let him know, yes, this is a business, but we also care about you. …. I put myself in his situation, and it’s not easy.”
In a Q&A with Chris Hine of The Star Tribune, president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said the Timberwolves have had “varying degrees of discussions” about contract extensions with D’Angelo Russell, Naz Reid, and Jaylen Nowell, and view all three players as “very important” to the team. Connelly also admitted he doesn’t particularly enjoy trade season. “The whole idea of trading guys is kind of gross,” he said. They’re human beings, not assets.”
Anthony Slater of The Athletic checks in on the Thunder‘s rebuilding process, which has been progressing ahead of schedule. While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s emergence as an All-NBA caliber player has been the driving force behind Oklahoma City’s relative success (the team has surpassed its win total for each of the last two seasons with 30 games still to play), Slater notes that Josh Giddey has been a capable “co-pilot” and the team is putting together an impressive defensive-minded supporting cast.

Fischer’s Latest: Westbrook, Jazz, Nurkic, Burks, Reid, Centers

February 4th, 2023 at 3:40pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Lakers have talked recently to both the Hornets and Jazz about trades involving Russell Westbrook‘s expiring $47.1MM contract, per Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

Sources around the NBA inform Fischer that the Heat are not interested in trading incumbent starting point guard Kyle Lowry in a deal for Westbrook (and presumably future draft equity). Fischer notes that opposing clubs generally are hoping for both of L.A.’s two movable future first-round draft picks, in 2027 and 2029, in any Westbrook deal, a price the Lakers are hesitant to pay.

According to Fischer, point guard Mike Conley, swingman Malik Beasley and big man Jarred Vanderbilt would be a part of any trade for Westbrook if the Jazz and Lakers are able to reach a deal, but Utah is discussing all of those players with other teams as well.

Here’s more from Fischer:

The Jazz have talked at least to the Hawks, Trail Blazers, and Knicks about trades centered around both Vanderbilt and Beasley as a package deal. Sources inform Fischer that Utah shooting guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker has also been floated in some of these conversations.
Fischer reports that injured Trail Blazers starting center Jusuf Nurkic can be had on the trade market, though his pricey long-term contract has cooled rival teams’ interest.
Sources tell Fischer that the Pistons has interest in potentially signing reserve guard Alec Burks to an extension this offseason, as the team did in the fall with veteran forward Bogdan Bogdanovic. Detroit has expressed reluctance to trade either player at the deadline, Fischer adds.
Timberwolves reserve center Naz Reid has rejected potential contract extensions, making him a possible trade candidate, per Fischer. Reid is hoping to earn something in the neighborhood of $10MM per year, Fischer says, a price Minnesota may be reluctant to pay after having already invested heavily in its starting frontcourt of Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Fischer adds that other reserve centers could very well be on the move, as his sources indicate that the Sixers, Clippers, Trail Blazers, Nuggets, Nets, Celtics, Raptors and Kings are all looking to improve that position.