Western Notes: K. Murray, Reaves, J. Jackson, Jazz
It sounds as if the Kings are aiming to get forward Keegan Murray on the court shortly after the All-Star break, tweets James Ham of The Kings Beat. Murray, who has been out since January 4 due to a moderate left ankle sprain, was ruled out for two more weeks on Tuesday, per a press release from the team.
After the All-Star break, Sacramento’s first game will be at home vs. Orlando on Thursday, February 19. That contest appears to be Murray’s earliest potential return date, though it’s also possible he’ll require more recovery time after he’s reevaluated earlier that week.
We have more from around the Western Conference:
- Lakers guard Austin Reaves played on Tuesday for the first time since December 25. He shot just 3-of-9 from the floor in 21 minutes off the bench following a 19-game absence due to a calf strain, but scored 15 points and a +10 as the Lakers cruised to a comfortable win in Brooklyn. “I thought he moved great and looked like Austin,” head coach JJ Redick said after the game, per Dan Woike of The Athletic, adding that Reaves is in line for a “pretty significant raise” as a potential free agent this summer.
- Sam Vecenie of The Athletic contends that the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade between the Jazz and Grizzlies looks like a potential win-win deal for the two teams, while Tony Jones of The Athletic observes that it signals the end of the tank in Utah — or at least the beginning of the end of the tank, since the Jazz will still be motivated to hang onto their top-eight protected 2026 first-round pick.
- Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (subscription required) explores what Jackson will bring to the Jazz, writing that the former Defensive Player of the Year will give the team the sort of defensive play-maker it badly needed. Utah ranks dead last in the NBA in defensive rating for a third straight season in 2025/26. Larsen also advises not to overlook the other players the Jazz acquired in the deal, including fourth-year wing Vince Williams Jr., who may immediately become the club’s best perimeter defender.
- While Jazz players will miss their four teammates that headed to Memphis in the trade with the Grizzlies, they expressed plenty of enthusiasm about Jackson’s potential impact in Utah, Larsen writes in a separate story for the Salt Lake Tribune. “I think obviously the exciting part is Walker (Kessler) and Jaren, you know. That frontcourt is crazy,” guard Keyonte George said. “And then with Lauri (Markkanen) and just the versatility — I know Will (Hardy) is a phenomenal coach, so I just already know the crazy things that he’s gonna do with them. Walker can be a great presence, but now he also knows that he got somebody behind him. It’s rare that you can know somebody has got your back when you’re the person that’s got everybody back.”
Thunder Acquire Draft Rights To Balsa Koprivica
The Thunder and Jazz completed a minor trade on Tuesday, with Oklahoma City acquiring the draft rights to Serbian center Balsa Koprivica in exchange for cash considerations. Both teams sent out press releases to announce the deal.
Koprivica, 25, is currently with Bahcesehir Koleji in Turkey’s BSL. He played two seasons at Florida State before declaring for the NBA draft in 2021.
Koprivica was selected by Charlotte with the 57th pick in ’21 and traded to Detroit on draft night. The Pistons sent his draft rights to the Clippers in a cash deal in the summer of 2023, and those rights were shipped to Utah a year later as part of a trade involving Russell Westbrook and Kris Dunn.
There hasn’t been any indication that Koprivica is considering coming to the NBA. However, his draft rights could be a minor trade chip for OKC to use in a deal down the road, especially if the team is operating over the second apron in a future season and isn’t eligible to trade cash that year.
Grizzlies Trade Jaren Jackson Jr. To Jazz
The Grizzlies and Jazz have finalized a blockbuster trade that sends former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. from Memphis to Utah along with wings John Konchar and Vince Williams Jr. and center Jock Landale.
In exchange, the Grizzlies have acquired guard Walter Clayton, swingman Kyle Anderson, forwards Taylor Hendricks and Georges Niang, and three future first-round picks.
Those three first-rounders headed to the Grizzlies in the deal are the Lakers’ 2027 pick (top-four protected), either the Cavaliers’, Timberwolves’, or Jazz’s own 2027 pick (whichever is most favorable), and the Suns’ 2031 pick (unprotected).
It’s a shocking move for a couple reasons. For one, multiple reports ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline suggested that Memphis had no interest in moving Jackson and hoped to hang onto – and build around – the big man going forward.
Additionally, while there were multiple teams said to be inquiring on Jackson’s availability in the hopes that the Grizzlies changed their mind, there was no indication that the Jazz were among those teams or that they’d be looking to use their stash of future draft picks to make this sort of move this week. Entering Tuesday’s games, Utah holds a 15-35 record, which is the sixth-worst mark in the NBA.
However, the move for Jackson suggests first-year president of basketball operations Austin Ainge and the Jazz are preparing to take a step forward next season. League sources tell Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link) that the team doesn’t plan to trade forward Lauri Markkanen and still wants to re-sign center Walker Kessler in restricted free agency this summer. Utah envisions a frontcourt made up of Markkanen, Jackson, and Kessler, Jones explains.
Third-year guard Keyonte George and 2025 lottery pick Ace Bailey are among the other long-term building blocks in Utah, where the Jazz still control at least one first-round pick in every future draft, starting in 2026. Notably, that 2026 first-rounder will be sent to Oklahoma City if it lands outside the top eight — the Jazz are still in a fairly strong position to hang onto it, since there’s a 4.5-game gap between them and the NBA’s seventh- and eighth-worst teams (the 18-29 Bucks and 19-30 Mavericks).
As for the Grizzlies, we’d heard for weeks that they were open to trading two-time All-Star Ja Morant, but it wasn’t clear whether they intended to retool around Jackson or fully rebuild around a younger core headlined by Cedric Coward, Zach Edey, and Jaylen Wells. Now we have our answer.
While Clayton and Hendricks are just 22 years old and could carve out places in the Grizzlies’ long-term plans, the return for Jackson is primarily about adding three more first-round picks to an ever-growing collection of draft assets and creating additional cap flexibility in the present and future. The Grizzlies now control 12 first-rounders in the next seven drafts, notes Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Twitter link).
Jackson renegotiated and extended his contract with Memphis last offseason and will earn $205MM over the next four years after this one. He’s the only player of the eight involved in this trade who is owed guaranteed money beyond next season, and taking on his long-term deal will likely eliminate Utah’s cap room this summer.
In terms of 2025/26 money, Utah will be taking advantage of its significant breathing room below the luxury tax line by increasing its payroll by more than $18MM — the Jazz are sending out a combined $27.5MM in salary and taking back roughly $45.8MM.
As Gozlan tweets, the Jazz will use their four outgoing players to legally match Jackson’s $35MM cap hit, then take the other three incoming players into existing traded player exceptions (or a portion of their mid-level, if they prefer to preserve their bigger TPE).
Memphis, meanwhile, will create a record-setting trade exception worth nearly $28.9MM, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).
Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link) first broke the news of the deal, with Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link) providing the details on the draft picks involved. The Jazz officially confirmed the news in a press release.
Trade Rumors: Grizzlies, Bulls, Poeltl, Draymond, Giannis, More
After shedding significant salary and creating a $28.9MM trade exception in their blockbuster deal sending Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah, the Grizzlies are viewed as a potential landing spot for Raptors center Jakob Poeltl, reports Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints (Twitter link).
The Raptors have been discussing a possible Domantas Sabonis trade with the Kings, who have no interest in Poeltl, so a third team would likely be required if Toronto and Sacramento hope to get those talks over the finish line. Poeltl’s contract, which runs through 2029/30 and has more than $100MM left on it, is widely viewed as a negative asset, so Memphis would need to be incentivized to take it on.
The Bulls are also considered a potential facilitator for Poeltl, according to Siegel (Twitter link), but as things stand, Chicago would have to send out salary to accommodate the veteran center’s incoming $19.5MM cap hit, whereas Memphis wouldn’t.
We have more trade rumors on a busy day around the NBA:
- While it was essentially a given, based on reports that the Warriors weren’t including Jimmy Butler in their offer for Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Slater of ESPN confirms that Golden State has included 14th-year veteran Draymond Green in active trade conversations with Milwaukee. Without Butler involved, the Warriors would need to use Green’s $25.9MM salary for matching purposes in order to have a shot at Giannis.
- The Heat have expressed “some level” of interest in Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant in recent weeks, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link), but their focus remains squarely on Antetokounmpo. One source who spoke to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscription required) suggested Miami figures to remain involved in both fronts, since it wouldn’t be impossible for the team to land both players if Memphis’ asking price is low enough.
- The Timberwolves also remain in on Antetokounmpo, but they’re exploring other possible avenues on the trade market and have a lot of balls up in the air, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link), who cautions that Minnesota’s cost-cutting deal involving Mike Conley doesn’t necessarily mean the team will be acquiring Giannis.
- After agreeing to acquire Jackson from Memphis, the Jazz may not be done, tweets Tony Jones of The Athletic. Siegel (Twitter link) hears that Utah remains “very active,” with Jusuf Nurkic and his $19.3MM expiring contract included in the team’s trade discussions.
- Mavericks forward Naji Marshall has been the subject of some trade speculation in recent weeks, but he doesn’t want to go anywhere. Marshall tells Ron Harrod Jr. of DLLS Sports (subscription required) that he’d like to spend the rest of his career playing alongside rising star Cooper Flagg, adding that he expects Flagg to “create history.”
Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel Once Again Named Rookies Of Month
Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg and Hornets wing Kon Knueppel have once again been named the Western and Eastern Conference Rookies of the Month, respectively, for games played in January, according to the NBA (Twitter links).
Flagg and Knueppel, who were Duke teammates last season, have monopolized the award this season, gaining those monthly honors three consecutive times. No one else has won it this season, as the months of October and November were combined.
Flagg, the top overall pick, averaged 20.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game last month. He capped off the month with a 49-point eruption against Charlotte and 34 points against Houston.
Knueppel averaged 17.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists per night in January. He scored a season-high 34 points in the same game Flagg scored 49.
Ace Bailey (Jazz), Cedric Coward (Grizzlies), Caleb Love (Trail Blazers) and Derik Queen (Pelicans) were the other Western Conference nominees. Egor Demin (Nets), VJ Edgecombe (Sixers), Tre Johnson (Wizards) and Collin Murray-Boyles (Raptors) were also nominated in the East.
Cavs Rumors: Garland, Harden, Allen, Ball
Monday’s initial reports that the Cavaliers and Clippers are exploring the possibility of a trade involving James Harden and Darius Garland have since been confirmed by several outlets, though discussions between the two teams have yet to reach an “advanced stage,” according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
The Cavaliers’ interest in Harden is contingent on the possibility of acquiring draft compensation from the Clippers as part of the swap of the two point guards, per Tony Jones, Dan Woike, Sam Amick, and Law Murray of The Athletic. That echoes reporting from Chris Mannix of SI.com, who said on Monday that L.A. has resisted Cleveland’s request for at least one first-round pick or swap.
Before De’Andre Hunter was dealt to Sacramento on Sunday, the Clippers engaged in talks with the Cavs about John Collins, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Hunter, according to Stein and Fischer. While those discussions didn’t result in a deal, L.A. views Cleveland as a viable landing spot for Harden — sources tell Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com that the Clippers have had interest in Garland for several years.
Still, while Harden and the Clippers are working together on a potential trade, both sides recognize that one might not materialize by Thursday’s deadline, Stein and Fischer write.
Outside of Cleveland, Harden has been intrigued by Atlanta and Minnesota as potential destinations at various times this season, sources tell The Stein Line, but neither the Hawks nor the Timberwolves are considered likely to seriously pursue the former MVP at this point. The Wolves are focused on Giannis Antetokounmpo, while the Hawks no longer seem to be looking to make aggressive moves at the deadline after having sent Trae Young to Washington last month, per Stein and Fischer.
One source familiar with the situation told Stein and Fischer that Harden’s apparent desire for a change of scenery is “all about a contract extension.” While Harden isn’t technically extension-eligible this season, reporting on Monday suggested that he hopes to sign a new two-year deal as a free agent this summer, whereas the Clippers are believed to be looking to maximize their 2027 cap room.
Here’s more on the Cavaliers:
- Although the Cavs have been signaling for most of the season that they intend to hang onto Garland, who has been limited to 26 games due to toe issues, there’s a growing belief around the NBA that the two-time All-Star could be on the trade block this offseason if he’s not moved for Harden this week, report Stein and Fischer. Sam Amick of The Athletic has also heard “league-wide chatter” about Garland potentially being available in the summer.
- League sources tell Amick that the Cavaliers have explored the idea of trading veteran center Jarrett Allen, whose three-year, $90.7MM extension will begin in 2026/27. Amick suggests that moving Allen might be a way of “unlocking much bigger possibilities” in Cleveland, which suggests the club’s goal would probably be to move below the second tax apron. Even after reducing their team salary in Sunday’s Hunter trade, the Cavs are still operating roughly $14MM above that second apron this season.
- Sources with knowledge of the Cavs’ thinking have insisted for days that Lonzo Ball – not Garland, Allen, or Max Strus – is the team’s primary trade candidate this week, according to Stein and Fischer, who report that Cleveland has had some preliminary talks with the Hornets about the possibility of uniting Lonzo with his brother LaMelo Ball. Along with Charlotte, the Nets and Jazz are among the teams that have conveyed interest in taking on unwanted salary along with draft compensation. The Cavs would presumably attach second-round draft capital to Lonzo if they agree to a deal that sends him to Charlotte, per The Stein Line.
- The Cavaliers could’ve acquired Malik Monk from the Kings in the Hunter trade instead of Dennis Schröder, but Schröder’s performances with the German national team and his familiarity with head coach Kenny Atkinson from their time together in Atlanta appealed to Cleveland, says Fischer (Substack link).
Siegel’s Latest: Bitadze, Spurs, Celtics, Drummond, Nuggets
Of the three players (Tyus Jones, Goga Bitadze and Jonathan Isaac) the Magic have made available in an effort to dip below the luxury tax line, Bitadze has drawn the most trade interest, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.
Citing league sources, Siegel says the Spurs are one of the teams intrigued by the 26-year-old center, who has been repeatedly linked to Toronto in 2025/26. Bitadze was also mentioned as a possible Knicks target on Saturday.
Robert Williams of the Trail Blazers is another big man the Spurs might be interested in, according to Siegel, who hears injured Blazers wing Matisse Thybulle could be a buyout candidate if he isn’t moved prior to the February 5 deadline.
Here’s more from Siegel:
- Ownership hasn’t put any pressure on president of basketball operations Brad Stevens to reduce the Celtics‘ luxury tax bill ahead of the deadline, sources tell Siegel. Anfernee Simons has long been viewed as a possible trade chip, Siegel notes, and while there’s still a chance he could be moved if Boston can find a frontcourt upgrade, the 26-year-old combo guard has played well in his first season in Boston, which has exceeded outside expectations in ’25/26.
- The Sixers are reportedly open to trading Andre Drummond, who is on an expiring $5MM contract. Moving the 32-year-old center, who has led the league in rebounds per game four times, would put Philadelphia below the tax after the team received a variance credit following Paul George‘s 25-game suspension. Siegel hears the Rockets are a team with some interest in Drummond. Houston recently lost backup center Steven Adams for the remainder of the season due to a Grade 3 left ankle sprain, which required surgery.
- The Nuggets, who are about $400K over the tax threshold, have talked to the Jazz about a trade that would send Hunter Tyson to Utah, according to Siegel, who suggests Denver might put protections on its lone second-round pick (2032) in that sort of cost-cutting deal.
Northwest Notes: Avdija, Markkanen, Porter, DiVincenzo
For Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija, the excitement of being selected for his first All-Star appearance was mixed with a return of the back pain that has limited his playing time lately, writes Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. Avdija was forced to sit out Sunday’s loss to Cleveland, marking the third time he’s been unavailable in the past five games and his sixth absence since January 13. While Avdija is looking forward to the All-Star game, that wasn’t his priority when reporters asked him about the honor.
“I have a lot of other things I think about,” Avdija said. “We’re struggling a little bit right now as a team, so I’m thinking more about the team right now than actually the All-Star (game).”
Freeman notes that Sunday was an eventful day for the Blazers, marked by a trade with Atlanta for Vit Krejci and the return of Blake Wesley, who had been sidelined with a broken bone in his right foot since October 31. Wesley was able to play 19 minutes, finishing with five points, three rebounds and four assists, and said it felt good to be back on the court.
“I feel like I did what the team wanted me to do,” he said. “Bring the energy. Bring the spark off the bench. That’s what I’m known to do. So I’m going to continue to do that.”
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen was among this year’s most notable All-Star snubs, observes Kevin Reynolds of The Salt Lake Tribune. Markkanen, who’s averaging 27.4 points and 7.1 rebounds in 36 games, said before the reserves were announced that he thought he deserved consideration. “I think I’ve played at that level,” he said. “The NBA is really talented and there are a lot of high-level players. Obviously, that is an individual goal of mine. I hope I make it and, like I said, I’ve played at that level.”
- Michael Porter Jr. harbors no resentment toward the Nuggets for trading him. In fact, the Nets forward, who could get moved again this week, fully understands why Denver’s front office made the transaction. “I don’t look back at it with any saltiness toward the organization or anything. I think they got a lot out of trading me,” Porter told Bennett Durando of the Denver Post. “They got not only Cam (Johnson), but (Jonas) Valanciunas, Bruce (Brown), Tim Hardaway, who’s playing amazing. … I think it’s cool. And I still keep up with them. They’ve been able to stay afloat when Joker is out, AG (Aaron Gordon) is out, CB (Christian Braun) is out. And I don’t know with our roster last year, if some of those guys went down, if it would have been the same. So it probably is one of those unique trades where it kind of worked out for everybody.”
- Donte DiVincenzo of the Timberwolves credits Khris Middleton as being his favorite and most impactful veteran during his early years in the league, he stated on the RedHead Sports Pod. “He’s not the most athletic guy. He’s not the most flashy guy. Like, he just knew how to get a bucket and he knew how to be a pro,” DiVincenzo said of his former Bucks teammate. DiVincenzo has been on a tear lately, averaging 12.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.8 steals per game last month.
Dana Gauruder contributed to this post.
Northwest Notes: McDaniels, Thunder, Jazz, Conley
Jaden McDaniels‘ name has popped up in rumors surrounding the Timberwolves‘ pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo, but on Thursday night’s win over the Thunder, he showed just how valuable he is to Minnesota in his own right, writes Jon Krawczynski for The Athletic.
The sixth-year wing is averaging career-highs in points (14.9) and assists (2.9) per game, as well as three-point percentage (44.5%), free throw attempts per game (2.5) and free throw percentage (84.9%). He has also missed just two games this season after playing all 82 last year, and has only made fewer than 70 appearances once in his career (in a COVID-shortened season).
Most importantly, McDaniels has the support of the team around him.
“He’s my favorite player in the league,” star Anthony Edwards said about him. “I love everything about Jaden, everything that he does on the court, defensively, offensively, for us as a team, on the bench, he’s always cheering his teammates on no matter how the game goes for him.”
Both Edwards and head coach Chris Finch have discussed how hard he grinds to fix the holes in his game and the business-like approach he takes to his career.
“He’s an incredible worker,” Finch said. “He’s like a machine every day.”
Krawczynski writes that any Antetokounmpo deal for the Wolves would likely require McDaniels to be moved, either to the Bucks or to a third team, but should no deal come to pass, McDaniels has become the piece the Wolves need him to be at exactly the right time.
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- The Thunder are unlikely to make a major shake-up move at the trade deadline, with most reports indicating that 22-year-old wing Ousmane Dieng is the most likely player on the team to be moved. That said, the team could still use some frontcourt insurance depth, especially with Isaiah Hartenstein in and out of the lineup with injuries, Rylan Stiles writes for Sports Illustrated. In his breakdown of seven potential trade targets, Stiles primarily focuses on depth big men who are unlikely to be overly coveted by their team. Kevin Love (Jazz), Nick Richards (Suns), Bobby Portis (Bucks), and Jock Landale (Grizzlies) are three veterans he believes could be acquired for little more than Dieng and second-round picks, of which the team is loaded. He also looks at the Nets‘ Day’Ron Sharpe, a productive per-minute big man whom Stiles notes could fit into Oklahoma City’s non-taxpayer mid-level exception before the club decides what to do with his team option in the summer. As a more ambitious target, Stiles notes that Trey Murphy III (Pelicans) would make an excellent stylistic fit, but the cost to acquire him would likely be more than the Thunder are willing to pay in-season.
- The Jazz are also not expected to make any major moves by the deadline, Andy Larson writes for the Salt Lake City Tribune. Notably, that means that unless Utah is blown away by a godfather offer, Lauri Markkanen is expected to remain a part of the team’s core moving forward. While Jusuf Nurkic was considered a clear trade candidate coming into the year, his solid play within coach Will Hardy‘s system has the team trying to figure out how he can fit into the team’s outlook moving forward rather than gauging what they can get for him in a deal, Larson reports. Nurkic is averaging a career-high 5.0 assists per game, along with his 11.2 points per game, his best mark since the 2022/23 season. Larson notes that Love and Kyle Anderson could be moved in deals, as both have been in and out of the rotation, and that rather than acting as sellers, the Jazz could be in a position to take bad money in order to add more assets to their substantial draft pick collection. He lists D’Angelo Russell of the Mavericks and Maxi Kleber of the Lakers as two such players they could receive draft compensation to take on.
- Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley wants to keep playing past this season, but doesn’t know if he’ll be able to do so, according to Dane Moore (Twitter video link). “Honestly, every game I play from here on out I think about, ‘Is this my last game?‘” Conley said. “I know I want to play more years, but you just never know how things work… I’m just gonna go out there and have fun and not take things for granted.“
Keyonte George Could Miss Time With Left Ankle Sprain
Jazz guard Keyonte George suffered a left ankle sprain late in the fourth quarter of Friday’s loss to Brooklyn, per Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter links).
While X-rays on George’s ankle came back negative, he had a noticeable limp in the locker room and was being attended to by training staff, according to Larsen, who thinks the 22-year-old could miss time due to the injury.
George is having a breakout third season for Utah, averaging 24.1 points, 6.6 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.1 steals on .454/.378/.899 shooting through 46 games (34.4 minutes per contest). He finished Friday’s game with 26 points (on 9-of-11 shooting), seven assists and three rebounds in 32 minutes.
If George is forced to miss some games, second-year guard Isaiah Collier and rookie Walter Clayton are among the candidates to receive more playing time for the Jazz, who fell to 15-34 following Friday’s loss.
Elijah Harkless, who is on a two-way contract with Utah, is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury. He told Larsen on Friday that he expects to be ready to return in a couple weeks (Twitter link). Harkless was named the G League’s Player of the Month for December.