Portland Trail Blazers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

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.

Knicks, Jazz Have Had Exploratory Talks About Beasley, Vanderbilt

February 4th, 2023 at 10:20am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks and Jazz have engaged in some exploratory conversations about a possible trade that would send wing Malik Beasley and forward Jarred Vanderbilt to New York, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

According to Scotto, the proposed deal would see Evan Fournier, Obi Toppin, and draft capital going to Utah.

As Scotto details, the specific draft assets going from the Knicks to the Jazz presumably represent the sticking point in the talks between the two teams. Utah has reportedly sought a first-round pick for Beasley and one for Vanderbilt as well.

Given that Fournier’s contract, which includes an $18.9MM guaranteed salary for 2023/24, is viewed as a negative asset, the Jazz may want another first-round pick for taking on that deal rather than simply considering him the salary-matching piece for Beasley. On the other hand, Toppin – the eighth overall pick in 2020 – should have positive value and could perhaps take the place of one of the first-rounders Utah is seeking, Scotto notes.

Of course, even if the Knicks and Jazz could agree on the number of first-round picks that would accompany Fournier and Toppin to Utah, the two teams may not see eye to eye on how those picks are protected.

New York controls several protected first-rounders from other teams, including Dallas’ 2023 pick (top-10 protected), Washington’s 2023 pick (top-14 protected), Detroit’s 2023 pick (top-18 protected), and Milwaukee’s 2025 pick (top-four protected). Of those selections, only Milwaukee’s has a chance to ultimately land in the top eight. The Knicks also have the ability to add protections to their own first-rounders if they’re willing to trade one or more of them.

However, CEO Danny Ainge made it a priority to stockpile unprotected first-round selections in his offseason trades involving Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. Beasley and Vanderbilt don’t carry the same value as those two All-Stars, so Ainge won’t have as much leverage in this instance, but he’ll still be pushing to make the protections as light as possible on any pick he acquires.

Current Knicks executive Gersson Rosas signed both Beasley and Vanderbilt to their current contracts when he was the head of basketball operations in Minnesota. Led by president of basketball operations Leon Rose, New York had interest in Beasley before he re-signed with the Wolves in 2020, Scotto writes.

Beasley has reportedly drawn interest this season from teams like Cleveland, Atlanta, Phoenix and New Orleans in addition to New York.

As for Vanderbilt, Scotto has heard that the Pacers have interest in the fifth-year forward, previously named the Suns as a possible suitor, and confirms that the Trail Blazers are in the mix as well. Forward Nassir Little is a player to watch if Portland gets involved in trade talks with Utah, Scotto adds.

Jusuf Nurkic Out Until After All-Star Break

February 3rd, 2023 at 12:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic, who exited Wednesday’s game early in the first quarter after aggravating a left calf injury, has been diagnosed with a calf strain and ruled out for at least the next seven games. The team announced today in a press release that Nurkic is expected to return after the All-Star break.

After re-signing with Portland during the offseason on a new four-year, $70MM deal, Nurkic has averaged 13.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per night with a .524/.390/.686 shooting line in 45 games (27.3 MPG).

While Nurkic’s stats are solid and the Blazers have a positive net rating with him on the court, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer argued earlier this week that the veteran center has been a weak link for the team this season due to his inconsistent effort, as well as his lack of quickness and verticality on defense.

With Nurkic sidelined for the last two weeks before the All-Star break, the Blazers will get a chance to assess what they look like without him. Reserve center Drew Eubanks is a good bet to slide into the starting lineup, while Trendon Watford will likely see a bump in minutes backing up Eubanks at the five.

In more positive Blazers injury news, the club has announced (via Twitter) that Jerami Grant, who left Wednesday’s game early due to concussion symptoms, has been upgraded to available for Friday’s game in Washington.

Trail Blazers Considered Strong Suitor For Jarred Vanderbilt

February 3rd, 2023 at 7:41am CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers have emerged as a “strong suitor” for Jazz forward Jarred Vanderbilt, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reports (Twitter video link).

Portland is one of several teams showing interest in Vanderbilt, according to Charania, who says the 23-year-old appears increasingly likely to be on the move prior to the February 9 trade deadline.

When Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard was asked in September about players he’d like to team up with – outside of obvious stars – he singled out Vanderbilt, as well as Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby. Bridges isn’t currently available, while Anunoby would likely require a huge trade haul, but Vanderbilt might be more attainable.

Vanderbilt doesn’t have much of an offensive game — his 8.5 points per game in 2022/23 represent a career high and he has made just 22 career three-pointers (19 this season). However, he’s a strong, versatile defender who contributes in many ways beyond scoring. He has averaged 7.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.0 steals in 24.2 minutes per game (51 games) for the Jazz this season after arriving in Utah as part of the Rudy Gobert trade.

Vanderbilt, who has also been linked to the Hawks and Suns, is also on a team-friendly contract, earning just $4.4MM this season and $4.7MM in 2023/24 before becoming an unrestricted free agent. He’ll be extension-eligible during the 2023 offseason.

The Jazz have reportedly sought a first-round pick for Vanderbilt. Portland could theoretically meet that asking price, though the pick would have to be conditional, since the 2023 first-rounder the Blazers owe Chicago is lottery-protected through 2028. The Stepien rule prohibits the Blazers from trading first-rounders in consecutive future seasons, but Portland could agree to send Utah a first-rounder two years after its pick conveys to the Bulls.

Justise Winslow, who is earning $4.1MM on an expiring contract, and Keon Johnson, earning $2.68MM in the second year of his rookie scale deal, are among the salary-matching pieces the Blazers could include in an offer for Vanderbilt.

2023 NBA All-Star Reserves Announced

February 2nd, 2023 at 6:24pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The league has announced its 2023 All-Star reserves during a pregame broadcast on TNT, as voted on by NBA head coaches. As usual, the list of 14 selections featured some interesting surprises.

For the Eastern Conference, coaches voted in Sixers center Joel Embiid (the reigning Player of the Month in the East), Heat center Bam Adebayo, Bulls wing DeMar DeRozan, Celtics wing Jaylen Brown, Bucks guard Jrue Holiday, Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton, and Knicks forward Julius Randle.

Holiday, who is making his second overall All-star appearance this year, last earned an All-Star nod a decade ago while playing for Philadelphia.

Randle will receive a $1.2MM salary bonus as a result of being named an All-Star this season, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). Marks adds (via Twitter) that Holiday will get a $324K bonus. And as long as he appears in at least 65 contests this year, Brown will earn a $1.55MM bonus after having qualified for the All-Star game, Marks tweets.

Among the most notable omissions in the East were a handful of point guards: the Knicks’ Jalen Brunson, the Hawks’ Trae Young, the Cavaliers’ Darius Garland, and the Sixers’ James Harden. Miami swingman Jimmy Butler also missed out. Young, Harden and Butler all made the cut last season.

In the Western Conference, Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, Kings center Domantas Sabonis, Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Clippers forward Paul George, Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard, Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, and Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. were selected as reserves.

Being named to the All-Star team again this year will earn Sabonis a $1.3MM bonus, per Marks (Twitter link).

Lakers center Anthony Davis, Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Suns guard Devin Booker, and Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon were among the Western Conference snubs.

Gilgeous-Alexander, Markkanen and Jackson are the lone first-time All-Stars among these 14 picks.

All-Star weekend tips off on February 17 in Salt Lake City. Los Angeles power forward LeBron James and Milwaukee power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, the captains of their respective conferences, will draft their teams ahead of the 2023 All-Star Game on Sunday, February 19.

Blazers’ Grant, Nurkic Exit Wednesday’s Game With Injuries

February 1st, 2023 at 8:51pm CST by Rory Maher

The Trail Blazers had two starters go down with injuries on Wednesday night against Memphis. Center Jusuf Nurkic, who was probable entering the game with left calf soreness, aggravated the injury after just two minutes of action and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest, Portland announced (via Twitter).

Forward Jerami Grant was also ruled out after 20 minutes of playing time after having concussion-like symptoms, per the team (Twitter link). If Grant did indeed suffer a concussion, he will have to clear the NBA’s protocol before returning to the court.

Despite being down both players, the Blazers came away with a much-needed 122-112 victory, snapping an eight-game home winning streak for the Grizzlies. Memphis has now lost six of seven after winning 11 straight, notes Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link).

Backup center Drew Eubanks had a strong performance in place of Nurkic, recording 11 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block in 23 minutes. If Nurkic is sidelined for additional time, Eubanks will continue to receive an uptick in minutes.

As for Grant’s replacement, Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups elected to go small, with Gary Payton II receiving a season-high 29 minutes. Trendon Watford and Nassir Little are also candidates for more playing time.

The Blazers are now 25-26 through 51 games.

Kevin O'Connor Examines Blazers' Options

February 1st, 2023 at 9:08am CST by Luke Adams

After resetting their roster last season with a series of major trades, the Trail Blazers – tied for 11th in the West with a 24-26 record – seem to be back in no-man’s land, writes Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. O’Connor considers what moves Portland can make around star point guard Damian Lillard to become a contender, arguing that center Jusuf Nurkic is a weak link and that the team should be open to the idea of moving any of Anfernee Simons, Josh Hart, and Shaedon Sharpe if the return is right.

Jerami Grant Confirms Blazers Offered Four-Year Extension

January 31st, 2023 at 10:01am CST by Luke Adams

Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant confirmed on Monday that the team has offered him a four-year, $112MM+ contract extension, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic (Twitter link). Grant said he’ll likely wait until sometime in the spring to make a decision on the offer.

“I’m kind of focused on the season at hand right now,” Grant said (Twitter link). “Probably will wait until after the season and talk to (general manager) Joe (Cronin). Everything is good. I like it here. Really enjoying it. So, yeah … we will discuss it when it’s time.”

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports first reported last week that the Blazers had offered Grant an extension.

During the season, the Blazers can offer Grant up to approximately $112.65MM over four years. That’s a 20% raise on this season’s $20.96MM salary for year one of the extension, then 8% annual raises after that. If he becomes an unrestricted free agent, the 28-year-old would be eligible for a deal worth up to a projected $233MM+ over five years from Portland.

Grant is unlikely to receive a maximum-salary offer from the Blazers or another team, but if he believes he can exceed the $28MM-per-year proposal currently on the table, it would make sense for him to opt for free agency instead. He’ll have until June 30 to decide whether to accept Portland’s current offer, so there’s no rush to get anything done during the season.

A year ago, a handful of free-agents-to-be, including Ivica Zubac, Gary Harris, and Thaddeus Young, agreed to extensions during the final week before July 1, so it’s not unprecedented for extension candidates to take their decisions down to the wire. Of course, none of those players’ deals were nearly as lucrative as the offer on the table for Grant, and none of them were expected to have the sort of market value that Grant will.

In his first season in Portland after being acquired in an offseason trade with the Pistons, Grant is averaging 21.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game on .488/.422/.797 shooting through 48 contests (35.8 MPG). He has also provided the Blazers with a big, versatile defender on the wing. While he may be leaning toward staying in Portland, the ninth-year forward would certainly draw interest from rival suitors if he reaches the open market.

Trade Rumors: Guards, Centers, Hornets, Mavs, Hyland, More

January 30th, 2023 at 3:55pm CST by Rory Maher

Previous reports have indicated that the Suns and Clippers are interested in point guards, and they have been the two most active teams looking for help at the position, sources tell Matt Moore of Action Network.

At least one report indicated that the Heat aren’t actively shopping Kyle Lowry, but that hasn’t stopped rival teams from calling to check in on him, Moore writes.

Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer wrote last week that the Clippers are interested in Lowry and Fred VanVleet, and their names are not a coincidence. According to Moore, Kawhi Leonard “has made it clear” that he would welcome backcourt help, and the three players were teammates when the Raptors won the championship in 2019.

Moore believes VanVleet is more likely to be on the move than Lowry due to his age and contract situation. VanVleet, who turns 29 next month, is expected to decline his player option and hit free agency in 2023. Lowry, on the other hand, turns 37 in March and is owed $29.7MM in 2023/24.

As for the Suns, they’ve been looking more at reserves than starters. His name hasn’t come up in trade talks, according to Moore, but rival executives are keeping a close eye on Chris Paul‘s situation in Phoenix in case new owner Mat Ishbia decides to go in a different direction — Paul turns 38 in May.

Moore says Bulls guard Alex Caruso might be the most difficult guard on the market to acquire, as his contract, age, and versatility hold a lot of appeal. Nearly a dozen teams are thought to have “serious interest” in Caruso, but some have already pulled out of talks with Chicago due to a high asking price.

Here are several more trade rumors from Moore:

If the Spurs trade Jakob Poeltl, Moore believes it will come right before the deadline. Rival executives are skeptical San Antonio will be able to get two first-rounders for the veteran center.
While Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic is reportedly available, Moore writes that Portland will only move him for an upgrade at the position.
Multiple teams have inquired on Timberwolves center Naz Reid, but evidently Minnesota didn’t like the offers. Moore hears the Wolves are going to hang onto the 23-year-old and will try to sign him to a contract extension.
The Hornets have set a pretty high bar in talks regarding Terry Rozier and Mason Plumlee. They’re looking for a first-rounder in exchange for either player, according to Moore.
The Mavericks are open to discussing their wing players in an effort to upgrade the roster, but they might also look to shed long-term money. Keep an eye on the Jazz, says Moore, as they could offer “short-term upgrades on expiring contracts” to fulfill both of those desires.
Moore classifies the Pelicans as a team “unlikely to make moves,” though they are interested in wing help. Sources tell Moore the Hawks are unlikely to trade John Collins, as the new front office regime appears to value him more than the previous one did.
The Nuggets are looking for a “playoff-ready wing who can defend” for guard Bones Hyland, but have only received “lowball offers” thus far. Moore believes they’re unlikely to make a deal. However, sources tell Mike Singer of The Denver Post that the Nuggets “believe they have traction on potentially acquiring a first-round pick” for the 22-year-old. Singer also reports that the Nuggets are looking for players on “cost-controlled” contracts similar to Hyland’s, who is in the second year of his rookie scale deal.

Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo Named Players Of The Week

January 30th, 2023 at 2:56pm CST by Rory Maher

Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo have been named the NBA’s players of the week, the league announced (Twitter link).

Lillard averaged 42.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.3 steals on .632/.514/.920 shooting in leading Portland to a 2-1 record last week. The Western Conference winner’s highlight performance was Wednesday’s victory over Utah, when the star point guard put up 60 points, seven boards, eight assists and three steals on an absurd .724/.600/.900 shooting line.

Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, led Milwaukee to a 4-0 week by averaging 38.3 points, 12.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.0 steal on .624/.467/.580 shooting. It’s the third Eastern Conference player of the week honor this season for the 2021 Finals MVP.

According to the NBA (Twitter link), the other nominees in the West were Anthony Edwards, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James, while Bam Adebayo, Kyle Kuzma and Julius Randle were nominated in the East.