- The Wizards‘ 6-29 record is underwhelming to say the least, but one bright spot in their season has been the leadership and play of point guard Tyus Jones, per Ava Wallace of The Washington Post. A full-time starter for the first time in 2023/24, Jones is averaging career highs in several categories, Wallace notes, and has helped cultivate a good locker-room environment for the Wizards despite their lack of on-court success.
Echoing recent reporting from Adrian Wojnarowski, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports confirms that the Hawks are “certainly open for business” ahead of the trade deadline and says Atlanta has been one of the NBA’s most active teams in recent trade conversations.
According to Fischer, the Hawks have told multiple teams in recent discussions that the only untouchable players on their roster are guard Trae Young and forward Jalen Johnson. Notably missing from that group is guard Dejounte Murray, whom Atlanta has “made widely available,” sources tell Yahoo Sports.
While the pairing of Murray and Young in their backcourt hasn’t been as successful as the Hawks hoped, the former Spur would presumably still have significant value on the trade market, in large part due to the relatively team-friendly four-year extension he signed during the offseason. That deal, which begins in 2024/25, can be worth up to $120MM with incentives.
Pointing out that the Hawks control their own 2024 first-round pick and owe their 2025 first-rounder to San Antonio, Fischer suggests that it’s possible the team will move some veterans this year, add a 2024 lottery pick to a core headed by Young and Johnson, and look to get back to the playoffs next season.
Here’s more from Fischer:
- The Knicks made some calls to potential trade partners about veteran big men following Mitchell Robinson‘s injury, per Fischer, but after they added Precious Achiuwa in their trade with Toronto, rival executives now think the Knicks may be more focused on exploring backcourt trade targets ahead of the deadline. Fischer mentions Alec Burks of the Pistons and Malcolm Brogdon of the Trail Blazers as a couple possibilities, though it’s unclear if New York has actually expressed interest in either player.
- The Wizards have let teams know that they’re open to trading veterans for draft assets, sources tell Fischer. That list of veterans may include Kyle Kuzma, who signed a new four-year contract with the club last summer, though there’s a sense that Washington would seek multiple first-rounders for the forward, Fischer writes.
- The Celtics are expected to hang onto big man Luke Kornet through this weekend’s salary guarantee date, according to Fischer, who says that the team’s other non-guaranteed players – Svi Mykhailiuk, Dalano Banton, and Lamar Stevens – are also more likely than not to stick around through that deadline. Fischer adds that rival front offices are preparing for Boston to explore trades that improve the team’s bench.
- In case you missed it, we also rounded up a few Pascal Siakam-related rumors from Fischer in a separate story.
- The Wizards currently have the worst defense in the NBA and the team looked particularly listless on that end during Wednesday’s blowout loss to Toronto, writes Ava Wallace of The Washington Post. The Raptors had gone just 3-10 over their past 13 games entering the contest, but scored 132 points while shooting 57.1% from the field last night. Rebounding issues continue to plague the 5-25 Wizards, Wallace notes, with Toronto winning the battle of the boards 53-34.
With the Pistons looking to avoid becoming the first team in NBA history to ever lose 27 consecutive games in a single season, starting center Jalen Duren appears poised to make his return from an eight-game absence due to a left ankle sprain. He’s listed as probable to play vs. Brooklyn on Tuesday, tweets James L. Edwards of The Athletic.
While no player on the Pistons has particularly flattering on/off-court numbers this season, the team has played better with Duren available. Detroit’s net rating in the big man’s 404 minutes this season is -7.9; that net rating slips to just -12.8 in the team’s 988 minutes without him on the court.
Here are a few more injury-related updates ahead of Tuesday’s slate of games:
- The Jazz will get a couple guards back in their rotation on Tuesday, as both Keyonte George (left foot inflammation) and Talen Horton-Tucker (left foot inflammation) have been upgraded from questionable to available, tweets Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. George has missed Utah’s past six games, while Horton-Tucker was unavailable for the last two.
- The Wizards haven’t listed any injuries for Tuesday’s game against Orlando, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic (via Twitter), which means veteran guard Delon Wright should be available for the first time since spraining his left knee on November 10.
- Kings center Alex Len, who last played on November 13, has been upgraded to available and been cleared to return from a high right ankle sprain, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link). It’s unclear if Len will actually play at all in Portland on Tuesday, given that he only logged 41 total minutes across six appearances prior to the injury.
- Pacers wing Bruce Brown has been ruled out of Tuesday’s game in Houston as a result of a right knee bone bruise (Twitter link via Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files). It’ll be the second consecutive missed game for Brown after he appeared in each of Indiana’s first 27 contests this season.
The Warriors appear to have gotten a major steal late in this year’s draft, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Weaving a separate but related agreement into the Chris Paul/Jordan Poole deal, Golden State sent Patrick Baldwin Jr. and cash to Washington for the 57th pick, which it used to select Indiana center Trayce Jackson-Davis, who has been indispensable, especially since Draymond Green‘s latest suspension.
Jackson-Davis showed the Wizards what they missed in their Friday night matchup, posting his third straight double-double with 10 points and 15 rebounds. He feels like he has something to prove to the rest of the league after sliding so far on draft night.
“Washington, I think, called me on draft day,” Jackson-Davis recalled. “Them and the Spurs called me and said, ‘We’re thinking about taking you early in the second. We’re probably going to get a pick.’ But it didn’t happen. Then all of a sudden my agent called and said the Warriors are trading for Washington’s pick.”
The Warriors have a numerical model that projected Jackson-Davis as a top-15 prospect and they considered him worthy of a first-round pick, Slater adds. Jackson-Davis said he heard that Golden State was trying to trade for another first-round selection after taking Brandin Podziemski at No. 19, but couldn’t find an acceptable deal until the draft was almost over.
Jackson-Davis added that teams began calling his agent around the 35th pick, but they all wanted him to accept a two-way contract. His insistence on a guaranteed deal caused him to stay on the board until nearly the end.
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Green has missed more than five games during his indefinite suspension, which means Golden State can transfer him to the suspended list and sign a replacement player, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. Memphis added Bismack Biyombo during Ja Morant‘s suspension, but salary cap concerns may make the Warriors less likely to follow suit — they already have an open roster spot.
- Coach Steve Kerr likes his current rotation, but changes are still expected soon, per Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle. After missing two games with an illness, Andrew Wiggins could be ready to return on Christmas Day, and Gary Payton II, who has been sidelined since late November with a strained right calf, recently began practicing again. Room will also have to be made for Green whenever he’s reinstated by the league.
- Tim Kawakami of The Athletic re-examines the 2020 draft and explains why the Warriors opted for James Wiseman instead of Tyrese Haliburton. Head coach Steve Kerr said he thinks Haliburton was ranked fourth or fifth on Golden State’s board. “I was disappointed that they (had) the No. 2 pick because I felt like if they were anywhere out of the top three, I felt like I was going to be the pick,” Haliburton said.
- Suns guard Bradley Beal doesn’t want to see his former team move forward with relocation plans to northern Virginia. Beal, who spent 11 seasons with the Wizards before being traded this summer, appealed to owner Ted Leonsis to reconsider last week’s announcement (video link). “D.C, there is no moving to Virginia, like what is that?” Beal said. “Ted, we love you to death. We understand what you want to do and trying to do, but you can’t take the team out of D.C.”
It’s been difficult for Wizards guard Jordan Poole to adjust to Washington on the court, as he’s averaging 17.5 points on 40.8% shooting from the floor while taking 15.1 field-goal attempts per game. However, as Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes, he’s been an excellent fit off the court for his new team.
“He’s always got a smile on his face,” teammate Corey Kispert said. “He can talk to anybody. Off the court, he’s just a ray of light. He always brings good energy, and it’s good to see Jordan every single day when I walk into the building. I know I can count on him to pick me up if I’m not feeling great.”
While Poole has been rough on defense and inconsistent on offense, he’s approaching this season with a positive outlook, Robbins writes.
“This is the most that they’ve been on me other than the playoffs or the finals,” Poole said. “I think it’s awesome, honestly, just to feel that over the course of the game how teams are over and over and over night-in, night-out coming out with physicality because that’s what’s in their game plan. That’s what coaches think would be a good way to slow me down. So, I’m embracing it, learning from it, growing from it.”
It’s evident that despite their 5-23 record as of Saturday, Poole and his teammates have established solid chemistry.
“Porzingis was the same way — kind of a pleasant surprise in the same way,” Kispert said. “We all heard a lot of rumors of him coming from Dallas and the things that happened there. And then when he showed up in our locker room, he immediately took me by surprise, and he treated everyone great. Anybody off the team or in my circle of friends back home who were asking me about him — I could only say positive things about him. And Jordan’s been the same way: [He’s] been an absolute pleasure to be a teammate of and to get to know.”
In another story about Poole’s acclimation, The Washington Post’s Ava Wallace writes about the guard’s specific adjustments to his game and the switch from Golden State to Washington. Wallace points out that Poole is no stranger to this, as it took him two years to find his groove with the Warriors.
“You’ve got to just keep going, every day. The plan is the plan,” Poole said. “Someone just told me that the other day, and I kind of like it. Everything will pan itself out, you know? You’ve just got to keep doing what you’re doing as long as you’re doing it with the right intent, which I believe in 100 percent. It’s just a matter of time.”
We have more from the Wizards:
- While Kispert’s efficiency on three-pointers is down so far this season — to 37.4% from 42.4% in 2022/23 on roughly the same attempts per game — Wallace writes that he has shown improvements in other areas of his game. Kispert has improved as a play-maker and off-ball mover, Wallace observes, and he’s taking smarter shots. “The growth doesn’t change no matter what my output says in the box score,” Kispert said. “I still feel it. I still know it. Obviously, I can’t let it discourage me. But some things are just out of my control as a player, and that’s just kind of the way things go.“
- Guard Landry Shamet missed eight games in a row for the Wizards but made his return Friday against the Warriors (Twitter link via Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network). Shamet played just 13 minutes in his return and didn’t score.
- Forward Kyle Kuzma exited Washington’s Friday game against the Warriors with right knee soreness and did not return (Twitter link via the team). However, Andscape’s Marc J. Spears tweets that Kuzma told him that he expects to be ready for the Wizards’ next game (vs. the Magic on Tuesday).
There was minimal trade chatter at the NBA’s annual G League Showcase this week, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. Still, the Hawks are among the teams worth keeping an eye on, according to Fischer, who says Atlanta still seems to be open to dealing Clint Capela and De’Andre Hunter.
A veteran Swiss big man, Capela is averaging a double-double (11.8 PPG and 10.7 RPG in 26 games) for the seventh straight season. He’s making $20.6MM this season and will earn $22.3MM in 2024/25. Fifth-year forward Hunter, meanwhile, will make $90MM over the next four years after inking a rookie scale extension prior to 2022/23.
The news isn’t surprising, since both players were involved in rumors over the summer and the Hawks have had a pretty disappointing start to the 2023/24 campaign. HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto has heard similarly.
While Scotto recently reported that the Knicks would consider trading Immanuel Quickley if the right deal presents itself, Fischer hears the fourth-year guard’s name “has been virtually absent” from early trade talks. Perhaps that will change in the next several weeks leading up to the deadline, but it seems to indicate New York isn’t actively shopping Quickley.
Here’s more from Fischer’s latest rumor round-up:
- The 5-22 Wizards look like prime candidates to be sellers at the deadline in the first year of their rebuild, according to Fischer. Daniel Gafford, Kyle Kuzma and Tyus Jones are among the players who could net positive returns. Rival teams value Kuzma’s contract (four years, $90MM), and the Wizards could get “legitimate first-round capital” if they move the veteran forward, Fischer writes. Opposing executives also think Washington might be able to land a first-round pick for Jones, who is making $14MM in the final year of his deal.
- The Wizards will likely receive calls on former lottery picks Corey Kispert and Deni Avdija as well, Fischer adds, but it’s unclear if Washington is interested in dealing them. Avdijia, in particular, would be difficult to trade due to the poison pill provision. According to Fischer, rivals are skeptical Jordan Poole would fetch a “worthwhile return” due to his early-season struggles and pricey long-term contract (he’s owed $123MM+ over the next four years).
- The Rockets could be in the market for a backup center, sources tell Fischer. As Fischer explains, free agent addition Jock Landale hasn’t secured a rotation spot, averaging just 8.5 MPG in his 16 appearances, and the team might seek an upgrade behind Alperen Sengun.
Rival executives believe Pascal Siakam is more likely to be traded than OG Anunoby if the Raptors decide to shake up their roster, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. In fact, teams looking for help on the wing think Toronto “will do whatever it takes” to retain Anunoby as a free agent in 2024 — he’s widely expected to decline his $19.9MM player option for next season.
Scotto reports that top front office executives from the Pacers and Hawks had extensive conversations with Toronto’s brass at the NBA G League’s Winter Showcase in Orlando this week. Both teams have consistently been linked to the Raptors for several months, Scotto notes.
If the Raptors trade Siakam, they’d be looking for young players and draft capital in return, according to Scotto, with the goal of retooling around Scottie Barnes and Anunoby.
To that end, Pacers forward Jarace Walker, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2023 draft, could be a name to watch in trade talks. He hasn’t played much as a rookie this season, but he’s had some strong performances in the G League. Scotto also hears the Hawks would prefer to keep Jalen Johnson, who was having a breakout third season before sustaining a fractured wrist (he was recently cleared to resume practicing in full).
Here are more rumors and notes from Scotto:
- Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen has been the subject of some trade speculation this season, but Scotto is the latest reporter to reiterate that the Finnish star is expected to stay put. According to Scotto, there are three reasons for that: Markkanen wants to remain with the Jazz, the cost of acquiring him could be exorbitant, and he could renegotiate and extend his contract in the offseason, which would bypass 2025 free agency. Multiple executives told Scotto the idea of a possible Markkanen trade was “wishful thinking.”
- There’s a “strong belief” among rival executives that the Hornets will make front office changes “by next season at the latest,” Scotto writes. If president of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak is fired or moved to a different role, Nets assistant GM Jeff Peterson and Wizards senior VP of player personnel Travis Schlenk are potential candidates to replace him, league sources tell Scotto. As Scotto writes, both Peterson and Schlenk previously worked with new Charlotte co-owner Rick Schnall in Atlanta.
- Kings guard Keon Ellis and Cavaliers guard Craig Porter Jr. are among the top candidates to be promoted to standard deals from their current two-way contracts, per Scotto. Cleveland has an open roster spot and wouldn’t necessarily need to release anyone to give Porter a raise (and make him playoff-eligible), while Sacramento has Juan Toscano-Anderson on a non-guaranteed deal.
Knicks center Mitchell Robinson will reportedly miss the remainder of the 2023/24 season following left ankle surgery. Robinson took to social media in response to the news, and he was understandably discouraged.
“I just don’t get it…I do everything I’m asked when it comes to my body and this s–t still happens like wtf. Another year another disappointment,” he wrote on Snapchat (Twitter link via New York Basketball).
Robinson has battled injuries throughout his career, including being limited to 59 games last season. Despite missing the past six contests, he still ranks second in the league in total offensive rebounds. He was averaging career highs in rebounds (10.3), offensive rebounds (5.3) and steals per game (1.5) prior to the injury.
Here are a few more notes from New York:
- When the Knicks initially ruled Robinson out for at least eight-to-10 weeks, they weren’t in a rush to find a replacement center, league sources tell Fred Katz of The Athletic. In fact, they haven’t been actively involved in trade conversations this fall, according to Katz, who wonders if that will change after applying for a disabled player exception for Robinson. Katz considers potential trade targets who could potentially fit Robinson’s role, either using the DPE or more traditional means. Some players mentioned include Andre Drummond (Bulls), Clint Capela (Hawks), Precious Achiuwa (Raptors) and Daniel Gafford (Wizards).
- Prior to Wednesday’s game in Brooklyn, center Isaiah Hartenstein was asked about the team’s rivalry with the Nets. “Is there a rivalry? I mean, I don’t feel it,” Hartenstein said, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. “I mean, most of the time we go to Barclays it’s mostly Knicks fans so I don’t know if it’s really a rivalry at this point.” As Hartenstein mentioned, the Knicks are far more popular than the Nets, and they currently have a better record as well (16-11 vs. 13-14), winning last night’s contest in a blowout.
- The Knicks lost a franchise-record 65 games in 2018/19 in hopes of landing the No. 1 overall pick and selecting Zion Williamson, who has missed more than half of his career games to this point with injuries. They ultimately landed the No. 3 pick and chose RJ Barrett. In a subscriber-only story for The New York Post, Bondy re-drafts the top-15 picks of 2019, with Williamson, Ja Morant and Darius Garland making up his top three, followed by Barrett and Tyler Herro.