Raptors Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Knicks/Raptors Dispute, Shamet, Simmons, Beekman, Celtics

December 17th, 2024 at 3:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has scheduled an arbitration hearing regarding the Knicks/Raptors dispute for late July, reports Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link). As Bondy points out, that means the hearing will occur nearly two years after the Knicks initially filed a lawsuit against the Raptors and over a year after a U.S. District Court judge referred the matter back to the league.

The Knicks filed a suit in August 2023 alleging that former video coordinator Ikechukwu Azotam illegally took thousands of proprietary files with him to a position with the Raptors and shared them with his new club. New York was seeking $10MM in damages from Toronto.

The Raptors, referring to the suit as “baseless,” argued that the issue ought to be resolved through the NBA’s arbitration process rather than in court. The Knicks countered by contending that commissioner Adam Silver can’t provide an impartial ruling due to his close relationship with Raptors chairman Larry Tanenbaum, who is also the chairman of the league’s Board of Governors.

The Knicks, who have put out statements every step of the way criticizing the league for its handling of the situation, did so again on Tuesday.

“Last June, the Courts ordered the NBA to arbitrate this theft of proprietary and confidential files – and now, after the NBA sat on this for seven months, we are being told that we will finally get a hearing in another seven months,” an MSG spokesperson said (Twitter link via Bondy). “We remain skeptical because the NBA has consistently demonstrated no desire to address this matter, most likely due to the fact that the Chairman of the NBA is the defendant.”

We have more from around the Atlantic:

Landry Shamet, who dislocated his shoulder during the preseason, returned to action on Monday for the Westchester Knicks, scoring 10 points on 4-of-10 shooting in 20 minutes. There has been a belief that the Knicks will re-sign Shamet once he’s healthy and ready to contribute at the NBA level, but that won’t happen quite yet, according to head coach Tom Thibodeau, who attended Monday’s game (Twitter video link). “It’s good to see him out there healthy again,” Thibodeau said. “(But) there’s a number of things that have to happen before he can play with us.”
Ben Simmons played a season-high 31 minutes on Monday in his first game as the Nets‘ primary point guard following the trade of Dennis Schröder, but struggled running the offense and turned the ball over six times in a blowout loss to Cleveland, notes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “I think it’s just reading the game. When you speed up, you’re gonna have more errors,” said Simmons, who was making an effort to push the pace. “But that’s on me to just know where my guys are gonna be and taking care of the ball as a point guard.”
New Nets two-way player Reece Beekman wasn’t active on Monday, but he’s embracing his new opportunity after being sent to Brooklyn in the Schröder trade, Lewis writes in a separate New York Post story. “For this to be my rookie year and not even halfway through the season for me to get traded is a little crazy,” Beekman said. “But that’s life in the league. So I just got to be able to adjust fast. Just blessed for this opportunity. New situation, but got to get settled in and be ready to hoop. Just do whatever the team needs. I’m coming in with a work-hard mentality and try to do what’s best for the team to put ourselves in a better position.”
Brian Robb of MassLive takes a look at what the Celtics can and can’t do on the trade market this season, given their second-apron restrictions, and considers whether the team has any areas of need to address.

Lakers Rumors: Trade Targets, LeBron, Davis, Bronny, Hachimura

December 17th, 2024 at 12:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers are expected to be one of the most active buyers on the trade market during the 2024/25 season, though it remains unclear how much of their available draft capital they’re willing to move and how significant a deal they’ll make, says Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

As Buha notes, the Lakers were also considered likely to buy last season, but ultimately stood pat at the February trade deadline, choosing not to surrender a first-round pick. However, there’s hope that Golden State’s deal for Dennis Schröder (which saw the Warriors give up three second-round picks and get one back) may be a signal that teams’ asking prices for useful role players will be more modest this time around.

The Lakers are believed to be in the market for three kinds of players, according to Buha: a “physical, defensive-minded” center, a three-and-D wing, and an athletic guard with some size who can defend at the point of attack. As Buha writes, players the Lakers have been linked to in the past, including Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas and Nets wings Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith, are among the targets who would make sense at this season’s deadline.

Jazz guard Collin Sexton and center Walker Kessler, Raptors swingman Bruce Brown, Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant and center Robert Williams, and Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma are some of the other potential players of interest who have come up in Buha’s conversations with team and league sources. However, the Lakers aren’t expected to be in on former All-Stars like Jimmy Butler, Zach LaVine, and Brandon Ingram, Buha adds.

Here’s more on the Lakers and their approach to the trade deadline:

Unsurprisingly, the Lakers aren’t considering trading LeBron James and Anthony Davis and almost certainly wouldn’t do so unless they asked to be dealt, sources tell Buha. Other players unlikely to be moved include Austin Reaves, Max Christie, and Dalton Knecht, who are viewed as potential long-term pieces.
While Bronny James isn’t untouchable, he’s not expected to be included in a trade that doesn’t involve his father, sources tell The Athletic.
One or more of the Lakers’ four mid-sized contracts – D’Angelo Russell ($18.69MM cap hit), Rui Hachimura ($17MM), Gabe Vincent ($11MM), Jarred Vanderbilt ($10.71MM) – figures to be included in any deal of note this season. Of those players, Hachimura looks like the one the Lakers would least want to move, Buha writes, though the forward would probably also have the most trade value of the four. Russell hasn’t drawn significant interest from potential suitors during previous discussions, Vincent has dealt with injuries and has struggled offensively since joining the Lakers, and Vanderbilt has yet to make his season debut as he recovers from offseason surgeries on both feet.

Raptors Notes: Barnes, Poeltl, Boucher, Brown, Barrett, Knicks Dispute

December 17th, 2024 at 8:03am CST by Luke Adams

After Scottie Barnes went down with an ankle sprain last Monday, a report from ESPN indicated that he was expected to miss several weeks. However, the Raptors forward appears on track to beat that projected timeline, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet, who says there’s optimism Barnes could return to action as soon as this week.

Within the same story, Grange explores which Raptors players are and aren’t likely to be in-season trade candidates ahead of the February 6 deadline. Notably, sources who have spoken to Grange believe that starting center Jakob Poeltl will probably stick with the team through the deadline rather than being dangled as a trade chip.

As Grange explains, Toronto would ideally like to just spend one season rebuilding and then begin pushing back toward contention next season in a relatively weak Eastern Conference. Poeltl is under contract for at least 2025/26 (with a player option for ’26/27), so he could be part of the Raptors’ next playoff team. And if the retooling process don’t progress as quickly as hoped, he’d still have trade value in a future transaction window.

Here’s more on the Raptors:

Grange identifies big man Chris Boucher and swingman Bruce Brown – both on expiring contracts – as logical trade candidates for Toronto, but notes that the club is unlikely to extract a significant return for either player due to their large cap hits ($10.8MM for Boucher, $23MM for Brown) relative to their production. “If there was big demand, he wouldn’t be on the Raptors,” one Eastern Conference executive said of Boucher.
As for Brown, Grange hears from team sources that the veteran has bought into what the Raptors are trying to build and wouldn’t be opposed to sticking around, meaning it’s not entirely out of the question that he stays in Toronto and re-signs in the summer.
In a separate story for Sportsnet.ca, Grange takes a look at the impressive strides that forward RJ Barrett has made this season as a play-maker and de facto point guard with Immanuel Quickley having missed most of the season due to injuries. The 24-year-old, who never averaged more than 3.0 assists per game with the Knicks, increased that number to 4.1 APG after being traded to the Raptors last season and has bumped it up again to 6.0 APG so far in 2024/25.
After the Knicks and Raptors informed the U.S. District Court last week that the NBA hadn’t provided them with any updates on its investigation into the Knicks’ allegations of stolen files, the league reached out to both teams on Monday to begin the process, reports Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link). The Knicks, who initially filed a lawsuit against the Raptors and were referred back to the NBA’s arbitration process by the court, have maintained all along that commissioner Adam Silver isn’t an impartial judge and beat that drum again on Monday. “The NBA has admitted to sitting on this serious theft of proprietary and confidential files for several months,” the team told The New York Post in a statement. “The NBA has a clear conflict of interest and a lack of desire to see a fair outcome in this matter – which we’ve said all along.”

Atlantic Notes: Johnson, Brunson, Thibodeau, Barnes

December 15th, 2024 at 1:41pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

It has been a roller coaster ride for Nets shooting guard Keon Johnson over the past year-plus, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Times (subscriber link), who notes that the former No. 21 overall pick was out of work when last season began before catching on with Brooklyn on a two-way deal in November.

The 6’5″ Tennessee alum earned a promotion to a standard partially guaranteed contract over the summer and is now a part of head coach Jordi Fernandez‘s rotation as he looks to hang onto his roster spot through the league-wide salary guarantee date of January 7, Lewis writes.

Through 23 contests so far, Johnson is averaging 6.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.5 steals per contest, with a shooting line of .355/.315/.750. Although he had a couple DNP-CDs earlier in the season, he has been part of Brooklyn’s starting lineup for the past four games.

“I think good things happen to players that work really hard and they do whatever it takes for the team — Keon has been doing it,” Fernandez said. “And he’s not the only one right now. He’s in this position … because he deserves it. He still has work to do and improve, but I’m very happy with him. He’s a guy that can be very, very, very good defensively. He’s able to catch and shoot, he’s an amazing athlete, and all those things so far are important for us.”

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Former Knicks starting center Isaiah Hartenstein, who departed for Oklahoma City in free agency this summer, claimed he wouldn’t have let All-Star Hawks point guard Trae Young celebrate his NBA Cup victory atop the team’s logo on the Madison Square Garden court. All-NBA Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson had a succinct retort when asked about his former teammate’s comments, per Zach Braziller of The New York Post. “Isaiah isn’t here,” Brunson said.
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau disputes the notion that his team has struggled defensively, Braziller writes in another New York Post story. “I think we’re top 10 in points allowed, we’re [12th] in points in the paint, we’re fifth in fast-break points allowed, we’re top five in second-chance points allowed, so those are all good markers,” Thibodeau said. “Defensive field goal percentage the last 10 games has been good. I think we’re 13th [overall]. It’s all moving in the right direction. Can it be better? Yes, and that’s what we’re aiming for.” Braziller notes that the team, which brought in All-Defensive Team forward Mikal Bridges and All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns in separate offseason trades, currently ranks 16th in defensive rating, a dip from its ninth-place finish in 2023/24.
Fourth-year All-Star Raptors forward Scottie Barnes was able to go through a light workout on Sunday with Toronto assistant coaches, reports Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link). Barnes injured his right ankle in a 113-108 loss to the Knicks on Monday, and it is anticipated that he will be sidelined for multiple weeks. Toronto’s best two-way player, Barnes is averaging 20.6 points, 8.4 boards, 7.4 dimes, 1.3 steals and 0.7 rejections in his 14 healthy games for the 7-19 squad.

Frank Kaminsky Expected To Join Raptors 905

December 14th, 2024 at 1:05pm CST by Rory Maher

Free agent big man Frank Kaminsky has decided to enter the NBA G League player pool in advance of next week’s NBAGL Winter Showcase in Orlando, according to NBA insider Marc Stein, who reports (via Twitter) that the former Wisconsin star is expected join the Raptors 905, Toronto’s affiliate.

A former lottery pick (No. 9 overall in 2015), Kaminsky is an eight-year veteran who dealt with a knee injury in his last couple NBA seasons. Kaminsky, whose most recent NBA stint came in 2022/23 with Houston, spent last season in Serbia with Partizan Belgrade.

The 31-year-old signed a training camp contract with Phoenix this fall, earning praise during the preseason from head coach Mike Budenholzer. However, the Suns have the most expensive roster in the league, and chose to waive Kaminsky — and all the other players vying for the 15th standard spot — before the ’24/25 campaign began, likely due to the exorbitant luxury tax penalty for someone who was unlikely to receive minutes.

Instead of immediately entering the G League or heading back to Europe, Kaminsky decided to join Team USA’s roster for a couple of AmeriCup qualifying games in November, viewing it as an opportunity to show NBA teams he could still contribute. Robert Covington and Keita Bates-Diop were among the other notable veterans who suited up for the Americans.

According to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link), the Raptors 905 have a high waiver priority, and while Kaminsky will likely be a short-term addition, he’ll still help the team “immensely” on offense right now. As Murphy observes, 10-day contracts begin in January, so the veteran forward/center will certainly be hoping to make a good impression.

Every season, veteran free agents who don’t make rosters in the fall choose to audition for NBA teams by playing in the Winter Showcase, which will take place in Orlando next week. Guard Devonte’ Graham signed with the South Bay Lakers on Friday.

Eastern Notes: Knicks/Raptors Dispute, Hornets, Banchero, Holland, Sixers

December 13th, 2024 at 6:47pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks and Raptors were required to update the court on the status of the arbitration process of their legal dispute on Friday, but agreed in a joint filing that there’s nothing to report, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Post relays.

The Knicks filed a lawsuit in August 2023 alleging that former video coordinator Ikechukwu Azotam illegally took thousands of proprietary files with him to his new position with the Raptors and shared them with his new club. The Raptors, referring to the suit as “baseless,” argued that the issue ought to be resolved through the NBA’s arbitration process rather than in court, while the Knicks contended that commissioner Adam Silver wouldn’t be impartial.

A U.S. District Court judge ultimately sided with the Raptors and sent the matter back to the NBA, but with no movement yet toward arbitration, the Knicks didn’t miss the opportunity to fire another shot at Silver.

“We’ve been waiting for any direction from the NBA on next steps in this matter for months — proving our point that the NBA is not capable of appropriately and fairly handling this serious theft of proprietary and confidential files,” an MSG Sports spokesperson said in a statement, per Bondy. “Unfortunately, because of the clear conflict of interest between the Commissioner and the Chairman of the NBA, there has been complete silence from the league.”

We have more from around the Eastern Conference:

Two injured Hornets players have been cleared to return to action on Friday in Chicago, with Miles Bridges (right knee bone bruise) and Tidjane Salaun (left ankle sprain) deemed available, per the team (Twitter link). Bridges, who last played on November 19, has missed Charlotte’s past 10 games, while Salaun has been sidelined since last Thursday.
Magic forward Paolo Banchero stated in mid-November that he hoped to be back to the court by Christmas, but his return from a torn oblique doesn’t appear close, as Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel relays. “He’s doing the same ball-handling, a little light movement on the floor, and then just trying to find ways to get the cardio up without applying too much pressure,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said on Friday. “But again, he’s just slowly moving his way to touching the court.”
Pistons rookie Ron Holland entered Thursday’s game in Boston having averaged 5.6 points per game on .425/.180/.786 shooting through his first 25 NBA games. But with Detroit facing a 25-point deficit on Thursday, Holland got a chance to play the entire fourth quarter and showed glimpses of what he could become, finishing the game with 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting. While most of those points came in garbage time, the Pistons were encouraged by what they saw from the No. 5 overall pick. “It’s still against NBA players,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said, per Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. “Against a team who has a great system on both sides of the ball, and they understand what they’re doing. And it proved that he can be successful versus that. Hopefully, that leads to the confidence that kind of unlocks him a little bit and now he goes and he continues to build off of this.”
Sixers forward Paul George can identify first-hand with what teammate Joel Embiid is going through. After Embiid admitted that his knee issues have been “extremely depressing,” George – who has an extensive injury history of his own – said that dealing with health problems is the “toughest part of the game,” writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “We build ourselves up so much. The media builds us up. The community builds us up,” George said. “Then you face an injury that you know you’re not yourself. You’re not the same, but you are expected to be yourself when you get on that floor. So, mentally, it is tough.”

Five Players On Two-Way Deals Who Could Be Promoted

December 13th, 2024 at 10:52am CST by Rory Maher

As Luke Adams explains in our glossary entry, the two-way contract was introduced in the NBA’s 2017 collective bargaining agreement, with additional changes ratified in the 2023 CBA. Players who signed two-way deals before the season began will earn $578,577 in 2024/25, half of the rookie minimum.

There are certain stipulations for players on two-way contracts. They are not eligible for the postseason, and if a team has a full 15-man standard roster, they can only be active for up to 50 games. In cases where a team has fewer than 15 players on standard contracts, two-way players are even more restricted in how many games they’re permitted to be active.

Three players on two-way contracts have already been converted to standard deals in ’24/25 — Scotty Pippen Jr. and Jay Huff each received four-year deals from the Grizzlies, who used part of their non-taxpayer mid-level exception to complete the transactions. The Knicks also promoted rookie big man Ariel Hukporti a two-year standard contract using the minimum-salary exception.

Here are five more players on two-way deals who are candidates to be promoted to standard contracts.

Ajay Mitchell, G, Thunder

Mitchell is arguably the strongest candidate to be converted to a standard deal. There’s also a straightforward pathway for Oklahoma City to complete the transaction — the team would only need to waive rookie big man Branden Carlson, who is on a non-guaranteed standard contract.

A 6’5″ guard from Belgium, Mitchell was the No. 38 overall pick of June’s draft after starring in college at UC Santa Barbara. Not only has the 22-year-old been active for every game thus far for the Thunder, who lead the Western Conference with a 19-5 record, he has also appeared in all 24 contests as a rotation regular, averaging 5.6 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 1.7 APG and 0.9 SPG, with a shooting line of .478/.418/.800 in 16.0 MPG.

Brandon Boston, G/F, Pelicans

The No. 51 overall pick of the 2021 draft, Boston spent his first three seasons on a standard deal with the Clippers, who let him walk in free agency over the offseason. He wound up signing an Exhibit 10 deal with San Antonio for training camp, was released before the season started, and was claimed off waivers by New Orleans and converted to a two-way deal.

It turned out to be a shrewd decision, as the 23-year-old has played a significant role for the injury-ravaged Pelicans, averaging 12.0 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.3 APG and 1.5 SPG in 23 games, including 10 starts (27.5 MPG). While Boston hasn’t been the most efficient scorer — his shooting slash line is .436/.323/.851, with a 53.8% true shooting percentage — he’s one of the few (active) players on the roster who can create offense for himself and others.

New Orleans only has 14 players on standard contracts right now and has shown a reluctance to carry a 15th man due to luxury tax concerns, so the Pelicans are unlikely to consider a promotion for Boston until he has reached his game limit or the team has ducked below the tax line with a trade.

Jamison Battle, F, Raptors

An undrafted rookie out of Ohio State, Battle has been active for 25 of Toronto’s 26 games, averaging 5.8 PPG and 2.0 RPG while shooting 44.0% from long distance in 24 appearances (13.6 MPG).

Although there’s a pathway to convert the 24-year-old sharpshooter, it would require the Raptors to cut a veteran — perhaps big man Bruno Fernando, who is on a non-guaranteed contract. There’s no rush for Toronto to make a decision on Fernando until the Jan. 7 deadline though, so if Battle does get promoted, I’d expect it to occur later in the season.

Dru Smith, G, Heat

At first glance, Smith doesn’t seem like the most obvious candidate to have his two-way contract converted. The 26-year-old missed most of last season with a torn ACL, and has only appeared in 10 games thus far in ’24/25.

However, he has played a major role off the bench lately. As Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald writes, Smith logged a career-high 34 minutes in Thursday’s victory over Toronto, including the entire fourth quarter for the third straight game, earning praise from team captain Bam Adebayo.

“He’s just making the right plays every time down the court,” Adebayo said of Smith’s impact.

The tricky part about converting Smith is the Heat have a high payroll, which is why they’re only carrying 14 players on standard contracts. They’ll likely wait until after the trade deadline so that they don’t surpass the second tax apron and limit their trade options, but if Smith keeps playing like he has been lately, it seems like a matter of when, not if, he gets promoted.

[UPDATE: The Heat’s impending trade of Thomas Bryant could open the door for Smith to be promoted sooner rather than later.

Jordan Miller, F, Clippers

Second-year forward Miller rounds out our five-player list. In 14 appearances in ’24/25, the 2023 second-round pick has averaged 7.9 PPG, 2.5 RPG and 1.3 APG in 16.3 MPG, with a shooting line of .467/.304/.773. Those numbers might not jump off the page, but Miller is a solid, versatile defender who can drive, draw fouls, and create for himself and others.

With Derrick Jones (hamstring strain) out for at least a couple weeks and Kawhi Leonard (knee) still ramping up to make his season debut, Miller has a major opportunity to make himself an indispensable part of head coach Tyronn Lue‘s rotation.

In order for Miller to be promoted, the Clips would need to either waive someone from their standard 15-man roster or make a trade. P.J. Tucker is the team’s most obvious candidate to be traded or released.

Some other two-way players to keep an eye on:

Isaac Jones, F/C, Kings
Jared Butler, G, Wizards
Jamal Cain, F, Pelicans
Trey Jemison, C, Pelicans
Quenton Jackson, G, Pacers
Enrique Freeman, F/C, Pacers

Atlantic Notes: Tatum, Raptors, McCain, Sixers

December 12th, 2024 at 5:11pm CST by Rory Maher

Celtics star Jayson Tatum will be sidelined for Thursday’s matchup vs. Detroit due to right patella tendinopathy, per Souichi Terada of MassLive.com. Tatum, who also missed his first game of the season last week against the Pistons, was initially listed as questionable before being ruled out.

As Terada writes, Boston is likely just being cautious with the All-NBA forward — the team doesn’t play again until Sunday, giving Tatum a full week of rest. Sam Hauser (right adductor strain) and Jaden Springer (illness) will also miss Thursday’s contest.

Here are a few more notes from the Atlantic:

Head coach Darko Rajakovic is understandably disappointed that the Raptors have yet to see all of their young core players share the court together this season, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. Scottie Barnes is expected to miss several weeks after suffering a right ankle sprain, and Immanuel Quickley remains sidelined with a left elbow injury. “It would be awesome,” Rajakovic said of seeing the core together. “We have not had our core guys and main guys in their roles pretty much all season. And what it does at the same time, it’s not allowing us to look (at) what our bench would look like when we have those guys in their roles. … I’m staying hopeful that sooner than later we have this situation to look at our full roster, what it looks like. And I think it’s going to be great for guys to get the chemistry of playing together, (growing) together and give us a lot of answers.”
With the Sixers nearing full strength, what is Jared McCain‘s ideal role? Head coach Nick Nurse hasn’t settled on a decision, but the reigning Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month should get plenty of opportunities either way, as Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer relays. “I’m still not quite sure,” Nurse said. “But I think right now, it looks like he’s kind of an early scorer off the bench at the two. Certainly, we’ll play him some at the one. I could see that changing a little bit somewhere down the road. But [I] really liked him.”
On Wednesday, the Sixers and Philadelphia’s city council continued to spar about the community benefits agreement portion of the proposal for a new arena, report Sean Collins Walsh and Anna Orso of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Some council members wanted the team to increase its public offer of funding from $50MM to the range of $75-100MM. However, despite some opposition, on Thursday the council gave initial approval of the proposed plan, which includes $60MM in funding from the 76ers for the community benefits agreement, according to The Inquirer. A team spokesperson said the Sixers were reviewing last-minute changes to the deal.

Stein’s Latest: Butler, Wizards, Jazz, Nets, H. Jones, Sixers, Cavaliers

December 11th, 2024 at 6:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Rockets, Mavericks and Warriors are the teams most often linked to a potential Jimmy Butler trade, but none of them are considered certain to make a strong bid to acquire the Heat star, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack column (subscription required).

Stein views Golden State as the most serious contender among the group, with sources telling him that the Warriors have expressed some interest in Butler and one informant saying the team wants to “take a swing” on a significant move by the trade deadline. Stein notes that Golden State attempted to land Paul George and Lauri Markkanen during the offseason, even though those efforts were unsuccessful. He adds that Draymond Green has experience playing alongside Butler on the U.S. Olympic team in 2016.

Houston has plenty of assets to offer in exchange for Butler, but Stein points to general manager Rafael Stone‘s stance that he doesn’t plan to pursue a major in-season trade. The Rockets have also let it be known that age considerations will be important if they do go after a star, making sure that player is on a similar timeline as the rest of their young core. That would seem to exclude any interest in the 35-year-old Butler.

Financial restraints will likely prevent the Mavericks from getting involved, Stein adds. They already have Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving on max contracts, and both players will become eligible for new deals in July. Stein doesn’t believe Dallas is looking for another player like Butler, who is used to having the ball in his hands.

Butler, who has a $52.4MM player option for next season, has been open about his intention to pursue free agency. Meeting with reporters after Wednesday’s practice, he refused to commit when asked if he wants to finish his career in Miami.

“I don’t know,” he responded. “I’m pretty sure y’all are going to get a report that’s going to say otherwise anyways. So there’s no sense in me answering that question.”

Stein offers more inside information from around the NBA:

The Wizards, Jazz and Nets are the primary sellers as the league’s unofficial trade season gets set to open Sunday, with a rival executive telling Stein, “When you call them, they’re willing to make a deal right now.” Stein hears that the Raptors, Trail Blazers and Bulls are also being monitored to see if they’re interested in parting with certain players. Sources tell Stein that Brooklyn is asking for at least one first-round pick in exchange for swingman Dorian Finney-Smith or point guard Dennis Schröder. Washington is “increasingly regarded as likely” to pursue trades involving Jonas Valanciunas and Malcolm Brogdon while listening to offers for Kyle Kuzma, who is in the second season of a four-year, $90MM contract.
Sources tell Stein that the Pelicans have no interest in fielding offers for Herbert Jones despite the team’s disastrous 5-20 start. Jones is the team’s best perimeter defender and is under contract through the 2026/27 season.
The Sixers aren’t expected to be active in December, according to Stein, because their most logical trade chip — KJ Martin — doesn’t become trade eligible until January 15.
Scouts believe the Cavaliers will try to acquire at least one more wing before the deadline, Stein adds. Even though Cleveland is at the top of the East, there’s a belief that the team will need to upgrade its perimeter defense for the playoffs.

Raptors Sign A.J. Lawson To Two-Way Contract

December 11th, 2024 at 3:44pm CST by Dana Gauruder

DECEMBER 11: The Raptors have officially announced Lawson’s two-way contract with the team.

DECEMBER 10: The Raptors have agreed to a two-way deal with free agent shooting guard A.J. Lawson, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.

Lawson had an eventful training camp with the Mavericks. Dallas waived the 24-year-old Canadian and his non-guaranteed standard contract, then brought him back on a two-way deal after he cleared waivers. The Mavericks cut Lawson once again before the regular season and he subsequently joined the Long Island Nets in the NBA G League.

Lawson appeared in a total of 56 NBA games for the Mavericks during his two seasons with the team, including 42 in 2023/24. He averaged 3.4 points and 1.3 rebounds in 7.4 minutes per contest and posted a shooting line of .457/.307/.548 at the NBA level.

Lawson has averaged 24.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per game for the Long Island Nets this season.

Toronto opened up a two-way slot on Tuesday by waiving D.J. Carton, who is currently recovering from an ankle injury. Several Raptors regulars are dealing with injuries, including Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley and Bruce Brown. The 6’6” Lawson will add depth to the wing positions.

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