OG Anunoby Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Injury Updates: Raptors, Bucks, Blazers, Nuggets

February 23rd, 2023 at 6:54pm CST by Rory Maher

OG Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr. and Thaddeus Young were all full practice participants on Tuesday evening and head coach Nick Nurse said they looked “good, healthy and ready to go,” on Thursday against New Orleans, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. All three players will indeed play tonight, Lewenberg confirmed on Thursday (via Twitter).

Barring Otto Porter, who is out for the season after foot surgery, the rest of Toronto’s injury report was clean until Fred VanVleet was downgraded to out shortly before tip-off due to personal reasons, per Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link).

Of the group who are set to return, Anunoby had missed the most time — he’s been out the past nine games with a wrist injury he suffered nearly a month ago.

Here are more injury updates from around the NBA:

Jae Crowder is set to make his season debut for the Bucks on Friday against Miami, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Crowder, who sat out the entire ’22/23 season while awaiting a trade from Phoenix, was working out with Bobby Portis and Joe Ingles in Miami during the All-Star break, per Nehm. Portis has been out for a month with a sprained knee, but he was able to practice before the break and will return to action on Friday. According to Nehm, head coach Mike Budenholzer was optimistic about Khris Middleton returning Friday as well. The three-time All-Star has been dealing with right knee soreness lately, missing the final game before the break. All three players are list as available on the latest injury report, Nehm tweets.
However, things aren’t so positive for Giannis Antetokounmpo (wrist sprain) and Pat Connaughton (left calf soreness), who are both doubtful for Friday’s game, Nehm adds. Giannis is day-to-day, while Connaughton was only a partial practice participant Thursday for the Bucks.
Damian Lillard and Jerami Grant are both out for Thursday’s matchup in Sacramento due to rest, the Trail Blazers announced (via Twitter). As Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report explains (via Twitter), the Blazers’ flight out of Portland was delayed for several hours on Wednesday due to a snow storm and finally departed late Thursday afternoon.
Nuggets guard Jamal Murray returned to action on Thursday in Cleveland after dealing with knee soreness leading into the break, tweets Chris Dempsey of Altitude Sports Radio. Murray had missed the previous six games. Unfortunately, Aaron Gordon remains sidelined with a rib injury, per Mike Singer of The Denver Post (Twitter link). Head coach Michael Malone said Gordon’s rib issue is “not where I would wish it would be,” according to Singer, who hears from a source (via Twitter) that the rib isn’t fractured, but it’s still limiting Gordon’s effectiveness.

New York Notes: Thomas, Marks, Knicks, Anunoby, LaVine

February 10th, 2023 at 1:35pm CST by Luke Adams

Nets guard Cam Thomas was fined $40K by the NBA for using “derogatory and disparaging language during a live television interview,” the league announced on Friday (via Twitter).

Thomas was being interviewed on TNT on Thursday night alongside new teammate Spencer Dinwiddie and was asked about comments Dinwiddie made during his press conference earlier in the week. Dinwiddie had joked that the Nets acquired him and Dorian Finney-Smith because they needed more good-looking players.

“We already had good-looking dudes, no homo,” Thomas said (Twitter video link via ClutchPoints).

Thomas took to Twitter late on Thursday night to issue an apology for his comment.

“I want to apologize for the insensitive word I used in the post-game interview,” Thomas wrote. “I was excited about the win and was being playful. I definitely didn’t intend to offend anyone, but realize that I probably did. My apologies again. Much love.”

Here’s more on the NBA’s two New York teams:

The status of Nets general manager Sean Marks is worth watching this offseason, given how disappointing the Kyrie Irving/Kevin Durant era in Brooklyn ultimately was, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Marks has already gotten the chance to hire three head coaches, Lewis notes, and the team seems further from title contention than it has been at any time in recent years.
Speaking to reporters after this week’s blockbuster trades, Marks acknowledged that the Irving/Durant Nets “didn’t work” and said it was “sad” to trade away a superstar like Durant. Adam Zagoria of NJ.com has the story and the quotes from the Nets’ GM.
Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News confirms the Knicks had discussions about OG Anunoby and Zach LaVine prior to the trade deadline, but says those talks didn’t gain traction.
According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, the Knicks and Bulls touched base on LaVine on Thursday, several weeks after initially discussing him. During those earlier talks, there was some support within the Knicks’ organization for pursuing LaVine using a package of Derrick Rose, Evan Fournier, a young rotation player, and “significant” draft capital. New York, concerned that it might be a lateral move, opted not to meet Chicago’s asking price, but it’s possible the two teams will revisit those conversations in the summer, Begley writes.
Although the Knicks didn’t want to give up draft capital to move off Fournier’s contract, they mulled the possibility of downgrading their draft assets in a deal involving him (ie. trading Fournier and a first-round pick in a deal for a less valuable first-rounder), according to Fred Katz of The Athletic. The veteran wing ended up staying put, as New York didn’t find a deal it liked.

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.

Trade Deadline Leftovers: VanVleet, Anunoby, Siakam, Bridges, Bulls, Knicks, More

February 10th, 2023 at 6:50am CST by Luke Adams

After agreeing to acquire Jakob Poeltl from San Antonio, the Raptors didn’t make any additional deadline-day moves, but it wasn’t for a lack of options.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter video link via The Rally), the Bucks were among the teams expressing interest in Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet in advance of the deadline. Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link) hears that those talks included Grayson Allen and a future first-round pick. Grange adds that the Clippers talked about Luke Kennard and Brandon Boston Jr. in their VanVleet discussions with the Raptors, but weren’t willing to include a first-rounder.

As for OG Anunoby, ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on the latest episode of his Lowe Post podcast that the Grizzlies and Pacers were comfortable including three first-round picks in their offers for the Raptors forward, but Toronto was prioritizing young players over future draft picks and neither package included the kind of players they were seeking (hat tip to RealGM).

According to Lowe, the Pacers’ offer also included Houston’s 2023 second-round pick, which Indiana would control if it lands at No. 31 or 32 (it’d be at No. 31 if the season ended today). However, it’s probably safe to assume that two of the first-rounders the Pacers were willing to give up were Boston’s and Cleveland’s 2023 picks, which figure to fall pretty late in the first round.

Lowe also stated on his podcast (hat tip to RealGM) that the Nets briefly pursued Raptors forward Pascal Siakam between their Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant trades, in the hopes of convincing Durant to stay in Brooklyn.

“I think (the Nets) told (Durant), ‘Hey man, in the summer, we can get some big names. There are going to be some big names who might ask out. We are going to collect stuff to give ourselves a shot at it,'” Lowe said. “… They tried to get Pascal Siakam now in the intervening 96 hours because KD made it known he likes Pascal Siakam. He thought he would be a good fit.”

Here are a few more trade deadline leftovers from around the NBA:

After the Nets agreed to acquire Mikal Bridges in the Durant blockbuster, Bridges drew considerable trade interest from rival clubs, Zach Lowe stated on his Lowe Post podcast (hat tip to RealGM). “I know of one team – and I’ve confirmed this – I know of one team who offered four first-round picks for Mikal Bridges,” Lowe said. “Now, I know of at least three first round picks. I think the fourth one may have had some protections or something, but I’m pretty sure that was a thing.”
The Bulls, who didn’t make a deadline deal, received inquiries on Alex Caruso and Coby White, but never seriously considered moving Caruso and got “underwhelming” offers for White, says K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Johnson also talked to a source who downplayed the discussions Chicago had with the Knicks about Zach LaVine, characterizing them as “preliminary.” Another source who spoke to Johnson insisted those talks didn’t happen at all, but didn’t rule out the possibility that such a scenario could be discussed in the offseason, depending on how the rest of 2022/23 plays out.
Spurs big man Zach Collins garnered some deadline-week interest, according to LJ Ellis of SpursTalk, who says from a league source that the Sixers, Nuggets, and Bucks inquired on Collins. Ellis also hears that San Antonio shopped Keita Bates-Diop in search of a second-round pick, but the forward ended up staying put.
If the 2023 first-round pick the Knicks sent to the Trail Blazers as part of the Josh Hart trade lands in the lottery, New York will instead send Portland the following picks, per Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link): The Pistons’ 2024 second-rounder, either the Timberwolves’ or Knicks’ 2026 second-rounder (whichever is least favorable), and the Knicks’ own 2027 and 2028 second-rounders.
John Hollinger of The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that the Grizzlies acquired a minor pick swap in the Luke Kennard trade with the Clippers. Memphis now has the ability to swap a 2026 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable of the Celtics’, Heat’s, and Pacers’ picks) for the Clippers’ 2026 second-rounder.

Raptors’ Anunoby, Pistons’ Bogdanovic Among Trade Candidates Staying Put

February 9th, 2023 at 3:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

While there was quite a bit of activity at the trade deadline, numerous players who were expected to be moved wound up staying put.

At or near the top of that list is the Raptors’ OG Anunoby. He generated plenty of interest around the league, with the Grizzlies, Pelicans, Knicks and Trail Blazers reportedly all in the bidding. Even the Warriors made a substantial run at Anunoby, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania (video link).

Toronto, rather than going into sell mode, brought back center Jakob Poeltl in a deal with the Spurs and kept Anunoby, Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr. and Pascal Siakam, all of whom were mentioned in trade rumors. They’ll now have some hard decisions to make this summer with VanVleet, Trent, and Poeltl expected to hit the free agent market, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN notes (Twitter link).

Here are some of the notable teams who retained key players:

Perhaps no team surprised the league more by not making a move than the Bulls, Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic tweets. It was anticipated the Bulls might blow up an underperforming roster and ship out some combination of Nikola Vucevic, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso, and Coby White. Vucevic will be a free agent this summer and White will also enter the market, though Chicago could make him a restricted free agent by extending a qualifying offer.
The Pistons made a splash in a three-team swap, shipping out Saddiq Bey and Kevin Knox and bringing in former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman from the Warriors. However, Detroit decided to hold onto Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press tweets. Bogdanovic, in particular, drew a lot of interest around the league but the team’s front office repeatedly made it clear in recent weeks it wanted to keep Bogdanovic and Burks to blend in with an otherwise young team next season.
Another surprise was that Heat president Pat Riley failed to make a big move. Miami was unable to find a taker for some of its unpalatable contracts (Duncan Robinson, Kyle Lowry). However, the Heat will actively explore the buyout market, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). The Heat have two available roster spots (and need to fill at least one) and have their $4.1MM bi-annual exception and a portion of their mid-level exception still available to entice free agents.
The Cavaliers were the rare contender that decided to stand pat, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets. Cleveland had long been considered a prime candidate to acquire another wing. Thus, the Cavs will ride with Caris LeVert, Isaac Okoro and Cedi Osman. LeVert will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
The Mavericks didn’t move big man Christian Wood, Marc Stein notes (Twitter link), even though it doesn’t appear the two parties are close to an extension agreement. Wood had said he didn’t want to be traded.
The Sixers failed to deal disgruntled wing Furkan Korkmaz, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Korkmaz, who has fallen out of Doc Rivers’ rotation, had requested a trade.

Bulls, Knicks Discussing Zach LaVine Deal

February 9th, 2023 at 12:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bulls and Knicks are discussing a deal involving high-scoring wing Zach LaVine, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports (Twitter link).

The two parties have been talking but they temporarily broke off those negotiations on Wednesday. They’re now actively discussing a potential LaVine trade once again, Cowley adds.

While multiple reports in recent weeks have indicated the Bulls are unlikely to move one of their core pieces at the deadline, it sounds like they haven’t ruled out that possibility.

There has been an internal debate within the Knicks organization about whether to include Immanuel Quickley in any trade discussions, according to Matt Moore of Action Network. The Knicks have also been linked to Raptors forward OG Anunoby, so the revived discussions with the Bulls could signal New York is willing to deal Quickley.

LaVine, who is averaging 23.6 points per game, is in the first year of a five-year, maximum-salary contract worth approximately $215MM.

The Knicks have already agreed to acquire Josh Hart from Portland but they could include any number of players, including Quickley, to make a LaVine trade a reality. RJ Barrett and/or Obi Toppin might also be logical trade pieces if the Knicks decide to make a blockbuster move.

Trade Rumors: Bey, Wiseman, Bridges, Toppin, LeVert, Gordon, More

February 9th, 2023 at 12:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons and Warriors have engaged in discussions about a possible trade that would involve forward Saddiq Bey and center James Wiseman, reports Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

According to Fischer, Golden State has shown an increased willingness to move Wiseman and Detroit has interest in the former No. 2 overall pick — he was atop the Pistons’ draft board in 2020, notes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link).

Still, both Sankofa and James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter links) say that no deal appears imminent between the Warriors and Pistons, so the talks may not ultimately bear fruit. According to Fischer (Twitter link), Golden State may be weighing an offer from Detroit against other trade opportunities.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA, with the deadline less than two hours away:

According to Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link), the Rockets are among the teams that have kicked the tires on Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson, who are headed to the Nets as part of the Kevin Durant trade. However, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link) has heard that Brooklyn intends to hang onto Bridges through Thursday’s trade deadline.
The Pacers are among the teams to register interest for Knicks forward Obi Toppin, while the Kings are among the teams to have inquired about point guard Derrick Rose, says Ian Begley of SNY.tv. The asking price for Toppin is substantial, according to Begley.
The Cavaliers have informed veteran wing Caris LeVert that he won’t be traded before Thursday’s deadline, according to Matt Moore of Action Network.
Moore also reports that the Pelicans, Grizzlies, and Knicks have made offers for Raptors forward OG Anunoby that include multiple draft picks. There has been internal debate within the Knicks organization about whether to include Immanuel Quickley in any trade offers, including for Anunoby, Moore writes.
Both Brian Smith and Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter links) have heard rumblings about the increasing likelihood that Rockets shooting guard Eric Gordon will be on the move today. Moore reported that there’s skepticism around the league about Houston’s ability to get a first-round pick for Gordon.

Scotto’s Latest: Nets, Bridges, Grizzlies, Blazers, Lewis, Raptors, Spurs

February 9th, 2023 at 9:24am CST by Luke Adams

The Nets have already officially completed one blockbuster trade this week and have agreed to another, but the belief around the NBA is that they’re not done dealing yet. Five executives tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype that they’re prepared for Brooklyn to break up a glut of wings before Thursday’s trade deadline.

After acquiring Dorian Finney-Smith from Dallas, the Nets are poised to add Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, and Jae Crowder to a group of wings that already includes Royce O’Neale and shooters like Joe Harris, Seth Curry, and Patty Mills. Crowder is known to be available, as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported last night, but it’s a safe bet the Nets will be getting inquiries on several other players too.

According to Scotto, several teams – including the Grizzlies – have called the Nets to ask about Bridges. In addition to talking to Brooklyn about Bridges, Memphis has spoken to the Raptors about OG Anunoby and has expressed a willingness to give up multiple first-round picks for either player, Scotto reports. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link) has heard the Nets would be able to secure up to three first-rounders for Bridges if they’re willing to flip him.

While the terms of the Durant and Irving deals suggest the Nets are comfortable stockpiling draft picks, the team will likely be on the lookout for promising young players on rookie contracts too — league sources tell Scotto that Brooklyn tried to get Josh Green and Jaden Hardy from Dallas as part of the Irving trade.

Here’s more from Scotto:

The Trail Blazers are among the teams with interest in Raptors forward OG Anunoby, and Blazers guards Shaedon Sharpe and Anfernee Simons both have fans in Toronto, Scotto says. However, Portland would be reluctant to part with Sharpe in particular, since the team believes the rookie has All-Star upside, per Scotto.
The Pelicans, another one of the teams talking to the Raptors about Anunoby, have dangled draft pick compensation as the centerpiece of potential offers for the Toronto forward. Scotto confirms that New Orleans is willing to move Naji Marshall, Jaxson Hayes, and/or Devonte’ Graham, and adds Kira Lewis to the list of Pelicans players who are available in trade discussions.
Scotto has the details on the draft picks the Raptors are sending the Spurs in the Jakob Poeltl trade, reporting that the 2024 first-round pick will be top-six protected through 2026, while the two second-rounders headed to San Antonio are Toronto’s 2023 and 2025 picks.

Pacific Notes: Suns, Collins, Saric, Warriors, Barnes

February 9th, 2023 at 8:09am CST by Luke Adams

The Suns‘ initial offers for Kevin Durant on Monday and Tuesday fell well short of the Nets‘ asking price as Phoenix sought to keep Mikal Bridges out of its package, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

With the two sides at an apparent impasse, the Suns were in talks with the Hawks and Pistons about a possible three-team trade that would’ve sent John Collins to Phoenix, while the Nets discussed various deals involving Collins, Raptors forward OG Anunoby, and Cavaliers wing Caris LeVert, says Wojnarowski.

However, recognizing that Durant’s mood was “unsettled” and knowing that his preference was to end up in Phoenix, the Nets decided to push the Suns to improve their offer.

The two teams reengaged late on Thursday night, with new Suns owner Mat Ishbia and Nets owner Joe Tsai both getting involved to help put the finishing touches on an agreement, per Wojnarowski. Removing Dario Saric‘s contract from the framework of the deal helped push it across the finish line, Woj adds.

Here are a few more notes from around the Pacific:

Sam Garvin, who was the Suns‘ interim governor during Robert Sarver‘s suspension, will remain in his role as the team’s vice chairman and minority shareholder now that Ishbia has assumed control of the franchise, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
The Warriors have insisted that Stephen Curry‘s leg injury and ongoing absence won’t affect how they approach the trade deadline, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. According to Slater, there have been rumblings this week suggesting that Golden State has become more willing to discuss its younger players if a strong enough upgrade is offered. Slater adds that there’s a “greater whiff of aggressiveness” around the team.
There have been no reports suggesting Harrison Barnes is on the trade block this week, but there also haven’t been any indications that he and the Kings have discussed a contract extension that would keep him in Sacramento beyond this season. Speaking to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee, neither Barnes nor his agent offered much clarity on the possibility of an extension. Barnes said it was “more of a Jeff Schwartz question,” while Schwartz said he had “nothing to report on my side other than Harrison enjoys playing for Sac.”

Trade Rumors: Anunoby, Poeltl, O’Neale, Simmons

February 9th, 2023 at 7:32am CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors‘ trade discussions involving forward OG Anunoby are carrying over into Thursday and are expected to continue into the final hours before the trade deadline, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

While the Suns’ trade for Kevin Durant will take one prime suitor for Anunoby off the market, that deal could help increase the value of the Raptors forward among other Western Conference teams, Wojnarowski notes.

The thinking there is that Phoenix’s rivals – including the Grizzlies and Pelicans, among others – may now be more motivated to acquire a three-and-D wing capable of matching up defensively against a player like Durant in the postseason.

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

Before the Spurs agreed to trade Jakob Poeltl to Toronto, the Celtics, Trail Blazers, Pelicans, and Wizards had offers on the table for the big man, according to LJ Ellis of SpursTalk. Ellis says San Antonio opted to accept Toronto’s offer because it included the strongest draft capital and because the Raptors were the team Poeltl preferred to be traded to. He began his career in Toronto in 2016 and spent two seasons with the team before being traded to the Spurs in 2018.
Add Nets forward Royce O’Neale to the list of wings the Cavaliers are eyeing as potential trade targets, says Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscriber link). There are people within the organization who believe O’Neale would be an ideal fit on Cleveland’s roster and there’s a sense he could be more available now that Brooklyn has traded away Durant and Kyrie Irving, Fedor explains.
The Nets were speaking to some teams on Wednesday about Ben Simmons, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter video link), who expects those talks to continue into Thursday. While Brooklyn is in the midst of reshaping its roster, it may be difficult to find a strong offer for Simmons, whose trade value has declined due to his inconsistent play, health issues, and the $78MM+ still owed to him for the two seasons after this one.