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Western Trade Rumors: Westbrook, Pelicans, Nuggets, Blazers, More

December 14th, 2021 at 9:26am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers have had internal conversations about the possibility of trading Russell Westbrook, league sources tell Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. Westbrook hasn’t fit in as well with LeBron James and Anthony Davis this season as the team had hoped.

However, Fischer suggests that any deal involving Westbrook is unlikely. He’s earning $44.2MM, with a $47.1MM player option for 2022/23, and there simply aren’t many players around the NBA who are available and could be used for salary-matching that sort of figure.

Fischer notes that a Cavaliers package centered around Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio would work, but such a deal probably wouldn’t appeal to Cleveland and hasn’t been discussed by the two teams. The Lakers, meanwhile, likely wouldn’t have much interest in acquiring Rockets guard John Wall, whose salary is nearly identical to Westbrook’s.

As Fischer writes, Sixers star Ben Simmons is one player whose salary could make him a candidate to be moved in a trade for Westbrook, and a Monday report indicated the Lakers have interest in Simmons. But Westbrook isn’t on Philadelphia’s wish list and conversations between the 76ers and Lakers haven’t gotten very far, says Fischer.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the Western Conference, via Fischer:

Despite their slow start, the Pelicans haven’t given up on the idea of vying for a spot in the play-in tournament and could be buyers at the trade deadline, according to Fischer, who says former lottery pick Jaxson Hayes is considered to be available via trade.
The Nuggets are seeking wing upgrades and may put JaMychal Green on the trade block, sources tell Bleacher Report.
Jusuf Nurkic and Robert Covington, who are both on expiring contracts, are viewed as perhaps the most obvious trade candidates for the Trail Blazers, but Larry Nance Jr. may also be a prime target for rival front offices, says Fischer.
The Rockets would like to create an opening on their 15-man roster to promote two-way player Garrison Mathews, Fischer writes. Houston has a number of veteran trade candidates on its squad, including Eric Gordon, Danuel House, D.J. Augustin, and Daniel Theis.
The Spurs have been “frequently linked” to Suns center Jalen Smith, who is on the trade block, according to Fischer. Phoenix has previously been reported to have interest in San Antonio forward Thaddeus Young.

Pistons Considered Open To Jerami Grant Trade

December 13th, 2021 at 10:15am CST by Luke Adams

Pistons forward Jerami Grant is expected to be one of the most sought-after players on the trade market this season, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who hears from sources that Detroit is open to a possible deal.

Charania says that the Pistons get dozens of calls about Grant each week, though the list of known suitors isn’t long at this point.

Charania identifies the Trail Blazers and Lakers as a couple teams in pursuit of the 27-year-old. The Sixers have previously been said to have interest in Grant, but there have been conflicting reports about how serious that interest is. Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer wrote today that Grant would make sense as a trade target for the Jazz — that sounds more like speculation than anything concrete, though it’s worth noting that Charania also said today that Utah is in the market for a “defensive-minded wing” on the trade market.

Grant has expanded his game since arriving in Detroit, showing an ability to be an on-ball scorer and secondary play-maker after establishing himself as a solid spot-up shooter and defender in Oklahoma City and Denver. His skill set would appeal to most playoff teams, so he figures to draw widespread interest around the league if he’s legitimately available.

Grant is currently on the shelf due to torn ligaments in his right thumb and likely won’t return until closer to the trade deadline. However, both Charania and O’Connor hear that the injury is unlikely to affect his trade market or the Pistons’ willingness to listen to offers.

In 78 games (33.7 MPG) across two seasons with the Pistons, Grant has averaged 21.6 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.7 APG, and 1.1 BPG on .425/.344/.847 shooting. He’s earning just over $20MM this season and his contract runs through 2022/23. As Charania observes, Grant will become extension-eligible during the 2022 offseason and could sign a four-year deal worth up to $112.65MM at that time.

Teams with trade interest in Grant know they’d have to go pretty close to that max – if not all the way up to it – in order to extend him before he reaches free agency in 2023, according to Charania, who likens Grant’s situation to that of Aaron Gordon a year ago. Denver acquired Gordon from Orlando at the trade deadline, then signed him in the offseason to a four-year extension with a base value of nearly $87MM.

Knicks, Lakers Among Teams Reportedly Interested In Ben Simmons

December 13th, 2021 at 9:17am CST by Luke Adams

Following up on ESPN’s recent report stating that there may be momentum toward a Ben Simmons deal, Shams Charania of The Athletic confirms that the Sixers have increased their efforts to explore multi-team trade scenarios involving Simmons.

According to Charania, the Knicks and Lakers are among the teams with interest in Simmons. Charania adds that the Timberwolves, Trail Blazers, Kings, Pacers, and Cavaliers also have interest, but those clubs have been previously cited as potential suitors for the three-time All-Star, whereas New York and Los Angeles are new additions to the list.

The Knicks would be a fascinating potential trade partner for Philadelphia. Their top offseason additions – Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker – haven’t been major successes so far and the team is off to a 12-15 start, perhaps increasing the likelihood of an in-season shakeup. New York would have the contracts necessary to match Simmons’ $33MM+ salary, and it’s probably safe to assume Tom Thibodeau would be a fan of what last season’s Defensive Player of the Year runner-up could bring to the table on defense.

Still, while the Knicks might be willing to roll the dice on Simmons if all it took was Fournier, Walker, and a couple draft picks, Philadelphia will presumably seek a more significant return. The 76ers remain on the hunt for an All-Star caliber player and/or multiple first-round picks in any deal for Simmons, Charania notes.

It’s even trickier to imagine the Lakers as a realistic trading partner for the Sixers. Given the salaries on the team’s books, Los Angeles would almost certainly have to include Russell Westbrook in any trade involving Simmons and I’m skeptical that 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey would want to acquire Westbrook again after doing so in Houston didn’t pay dividends. Perhaps a three-team structure could work, but the Lakers seem like a long shot at best in the Simmons sweepstakes.

It’s unclear whether the Sixers have gained any real traction in any of their discussions involving Simmons, according to Charania.

Blazers Make Starting Lineup Adjustment

December 12th, 2021 at 9:37pm CST by JD Shaw

The Trail Blazers made a starting lineup adjustment on Sunday, choosing to start Larry Nance Jr. over Robert Covington at power forward, Jason Quick of The Athletic reports (via Twitter). While the move adds more size to the lineup, it could hurt the team’s ability to space the floor and shoot. Nance has made just 29% of his attempts from three-point range this season, while Covington has hit 35%.

Northwest Notes: Wolves, Gay, Lillard, Nnaji

December 12th, 2021 at 3:29pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The 11-15 Timberwolves‘ current five-game losing streak, which includes three consecutive home blowout defeats, displays Minnesota’s clear need for more frontcourt help, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Adding someone at the level of 6’11” Pacers big man Myles Turner, a solid defender and floor spacer, could be exactly the cure for what ails them.

“We’re not putting the work in,” Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns noted of the club’s recent losing streak. “It’s as simple as that. We gotta put more work in. All of us. Top to bottom.”

There’s more out of the Northwest Division:

New reserve Jazz forward Rudy Gay has proven to be exactly what the doctor ordered for Utah this season, writes Mark Schindler of Basketball News. When he plays alongside All-Star starting Jazz center Rudy Gobert, Gay has been particularly effective. Lineups featuring that tandem have outscored opponents by 24.3 points per 100 possessions. Because the bulky 6’8″, 250-pound Gay can convincingly defend centers on switches, he operates as a helpful release valve for Gobert, who can struggle guarding opponents along the perimeter on switches.
Trail Blazers All-Star point guard Damian Lillard has taken umbrage with what he perceives to be the media’s depiction of him as being somewhat wishy-washy in his thinking, per Portland’s official Twitter account (video link). “You can criticize how I play or who I am as a player, that’s one thing,” Lillard said. “But who I am as a person and the things that I say, I mean them. That’s one thing that I stand on and I know people can’t challenge me on that.”
Second-year Nuggets forward Zeke Nnaji is doing his darnedest to improve this season, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post. With long-term injuries sidelining forwards Michael Porter Jr. and P.J. Dozier, Nnaji has carved out some legitimate rotation minutes this month, Singer observes. He is averaging 6.6 PPG and 2.4 RPG, across 17.6 MPG this month. Especially notable, Nnaji is shooting 58.6% from long range this year, tops in the league for volume three-point shooting (defined as two or more triples taken a night). Denver head coach Michael Malone is already a fan. “He is self-motivated,” Malone said. “He is a guy that is not allowing his maybe not playing or Summer League failures to identify and define him, and that’s kind of who Zeke is. He’s a guy that does everything hard. You’re never gonna catch Zeke Nnaji cutting corners.”

Momentum Towards Ben Simmons Trade, Lillard Off The Table

December 10th, 2021 at 4:23pm CST by Rory Maher

Momentum is building towards a Ben Simmons trade for the Sixers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe of ESPN (Twitter link). Several teams are engaged with Philadelphia at the moment, with the 76ers discussing both two- and three-way deals. Philly is still searching for a top-tier player, Woj adds.

In a follow-up tweet, Wojnarowski relays that the increased activity is partially due to the fact that December 15 is just days away. That’s the date when most offseason signees become eligible for inclusion in trades.

Woj also says that the Trail Blazers have told the Sixers that Damian Lillard is off the table in trade talks, adding that interim GM Joe Cronin is committed to building around Lillard, who has repeatedly expressed his desire to stay in Portland long-term (Twitter links).

It’s only natural that trade talks would pick up around Dec. 15, but it’s interesting that the timing coincides with the Pacers listening to offers for Caris LeVert, Domantas Sabonis, and Myles Turner.

I’m not trying to imply that the Sixers necessarily want any of those three players, as Sabonis and Turner have positional overlap with Joel Embiid and LeVert has struggled thus far, but it’s definitely possible that the Pacers – who were linked to Simmons earlier this year – could be involved in the three-way talks.

Sixers Notes: Maxey, Embiid, Lillard, Morey

December 10th, 2021 at 1:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Tyrese Maxey has emerged as a bright spot for the Sixers in the Ben Simmons standoff, writes Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. With Simmons not playing and Shake Milton sidelined by a sprained ankle, Maxey became the team’s opening night point guard. He has remained in the starting lineup and is averaging 16.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists in his second NBA season.

“Tyrese’s energy is so contagious,” Matisse Thybulle said. “… He’s got one of the hardest jobs on the court being a point guard trying to quarterback the whole gym, and (coach Doc Rivers) doesn’t take it easy on him, and he’s able to take this challenge and show up day in and day out with one of the best attitudes on the team.”

The Sixers landed Maxey with the 21st pick in the 2020 draft, even though they had him ranked in the top 12. President of basketball operations Daryl Morey, who had just arrived from Houston, credits the scouting department and general manager Elton Brand for identifying Maxey as a top prospect.

“We believed in Tyrese so much,” Morey said. “We weren’t looking for ‘solid’. … We felt like our first-round pick, we wanted to shoot for someone who could be a higher-end player in the league. We were surprised he was there, and really thrilled he was there.”

There’s more from Philadelphia:

Joel Embiid had to briefly leave Thursday’s game in the second half to get checked for abdominal pain, but he doesn’t believe it’s a big deal, according to Justin Grasso of SI.com. “In the first quarter, I thought it was a cramp,” Embiid said. “As the game went on, I started not breathing right. So I needed to check it out. I honestly don’t know (what it was), but it was pretty painful. I’m not sure what happened. I don’t know (if it’ll affect me moving forward). I’ll be fine.”
There’s a chance to trade for CJ McCollum right now if the Sixers decide to send Ben Simmons to the Trail Blazers, but Damian Lillard probably won’t be available until at least the offseason, Kyle Neubeck of The Philly Voice states in a mailbag column. However, the collapsed lung that McCollum suffered this week could delay trade talks.
Morey’s trade history suggests that Sixers fans shouldn’t get attached to anyone other than Embiid, Neubeck adds. Morey overhauled the Rockets several times during his years in Houston and will continue seek the best possible return for Simmons at any position other than center.

Joe Cronin Will Be Given Chance At Blazers’ GM Job

December 10th, 2021 at 12:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

At a potentially crucial stage for the Trail Blazers, interim general manager Joe Cronin will be given the opportunity to earn his position on a permanent basis, writes Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian.

At a press conference Thursday, new president of business operations Dewayne Hankins said the organization is in the “first quarter” of its GM search and there’s no timeline to fill the role. Hankins said franchise chair Jody Allen and vice chair Bert Kolde will give Cronin the freedom to handle all the typical GM duties, but his primary mission will be to reform the roster to contend for a title.

“Ownership has been very upfront with me and they’ve told me that they believe in me and obviously by giving me this role, they trust me to transition this organization,” Cronin said. “So they haven’t made many declarations other than, ‘This is a nice venue for you to be able to do good work, and you’ll be evaluated,’ and I do have a chance. They told me, ‘You’ll have an opportunity. This is going to be a fair opportunity to prove yourself.'”

Cronin, who took over as interim GM after Neil Olshey was fired last week, said he has been working with coach Chauncey Billups to identify players around the league who might be available before the February 10 trade deadline. The slumping Blazers may have to shake up their roster soon after dropping four straight games and sliding to 11th place in the Western Conference.

Cronin explained to reporters that he will talk to other GMs about potential deals, but won’t finalize anything without approval from Allen and Kolde.

“The way I’ve kind of approached this is, I’m going to get the deal to the one-yard line, and then I’m going to take it to Jody and Bert, and then they make the final call,” Cronin said. “They’ll have our recommendations as to what to do. So, it’s pretty standard that way in the regard of there is a clearinghouse you have to go through. But my understanding is yes, go out, do your job, find deals, participate as if you are the GM.”

Trade rumors have surrounded the franchise for months, particularly involving star guard Damian Lillard. However, Lillard made a statement this week that he remains committed to staying in Portland and isn’t looking for a deal. Backcourt partner CJ McCollum is also seen as a potential trade candidate, along with Robert Covington and Jusuf Nurkic, who both have expiring contracts.

Billups, who also spoke at the press conference, said he wants a team that plays smart and shows competitive fire. He has criticized his players on numerous occasions for their effort following losses.

“Our roster is our roster and we’ve got some really talented players,” Billups said. “And when we’re playing well, we’re playing together, we’re pretty damn good. We’ve proven that already this year. And then we can be pretty bad too.”

Blazers Notes: Cronin, Lillard, McCollum, Trade Targets, Luxury Tax

December 9th, 2021 at 7:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Blazers interim general manager Joe Cronin said the roster requires some changes and vows it will happen, Mark Medina of NBA.com tweets. “We know there’s something we need to do with the roster, and we will,” he said.

Cronin has “constant communications” with Damian Lillard about the roster. Cronin also indicated that Lillard and CJ McCollum are “happy” with head coach Chauncey Billups and his staff.

Cronin says he has the backing of the team’s ownership, Medina adds in another tweet. “They told me they believe in me,” he said. “They haven’t made many declarations other than this is a nice venue for you to do good work, you’ll be evaluated and you’ll have a chance.”

Cronin was the team’s director of player personnel before GM Neil Olshey was fired last week.

We have more on the Blazers:

HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto and Yossi Gozlan discuss trade scenarios involving McCollum — currently out with a collapsed lung — and the search for new GM in a podcast. Scotto believes the franchise should pursue trades for their backcourt stars and start a rebuild.
Gozlan explores potential trade targets for McCollum, including Ben Simmons, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner and others, in a separate HoopsHype story.
Whether they make big or small moves, the Blazers have to find a way to get under the luxury tax threshold, The Athletic’s John Hollinger writes. They’re currently $3MM over the tax line and it’s not worth paying that price, given the team’s current issues.

Damian Lillard: “I’m Not Asking For A Trade”

December 8th, 2021 at 5:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

Damian Lillard has tried again to quell speculation that he wants out of Portland, Ros Gold-Onwude of ESPN reports on “NBA Today” (video link). Addressing the media during today’s shootaround, Lillard stated emphatically that he plans to give the Trail Blazers more time to recover from their slow start.

“I’m not asking for a trade,” he told reporters. “… My intentions are to be in Portland and to figure this out.”

Lillard recognizes that injuries and unrest in the organization have contributed to the team’s 11-14 record, which ranks 10th in the Western Conference, just a half-game ahead of the Kings for the final play-in spot. Those injuries include Lillard, who will miss his fifth straight game tonight with an abdominal issue, and backcourt mate CJ McCollum, who is sidelined with a collapsed lung.

Lillard is likely responding to a report Monday that he’s growing frustrated with the Blazers and wants the organization to work out a trade with the Sixers for Ben Simmons. He stated that other people have been speaking for him and said he’s in the office every day with coach Chauncey Billups trying to figure out the team’s problems.

“Why would I be part of trying to find solutions if I’m planning an exit?” Lillard asked.

It has been a difficult season for Lillard, who is averaging just 21.5 points per game while shooting 39.7% from the field and 30.2% from three-point range, all down significantly from last season. In addition, there has been off-the-court strife, with the latest incident being the decision to fire general manager and president of basketball operations Neil Olshey last week following an investigation into his workplace conduct.

Gold-Onwude also talked to Billups, who describes his relationship with Lillard as “strong” and says they are working together to give the team a successful future.