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Wolves Notes: Harrell, Trade Deadline, Gupta, Simmons, Roster Spot

February 12th, 2022 at 10:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Timberwolves wanted to add size to their front line, but the closest they came to making a trade at the deadline was a proposed swap with the Wizards involving Montrezl Harrell, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Harrell could have helped a Minnesota team that has been near the bottom of the league in defensive rebounding all season, but Krawczynski states that there was internal debate about how he would have fit in. He’s only 6’7″ and isn’t a good outside shooter or an outstanding defender, so the Wolves passed on the deal and Harrell wound up in Charlotte.

Minnesota talked to the Celtics about acquiring Marcus Smart, but never made much traction, Krawczynski adds. Boston offered Josh Richardson and Romeo Langford in exchange for Malik Beasley, but the Wolves turned it down, feeling that Beasley’s outside shooting is too valuable to part with.

There’s more from Minnesota:

  • Executive vice president of basketball operations Sachin Gupta had plenty of incentive to make a huge trade by the deadline, but he didn’t feel like the right offer was available, Krawczynski writes in the same piece. Gupta, who took over his position when Gersson Rosas was fired before the start of training camp, could have felt pressure to shake up the roster before the new ownership group decides on his future with the organization. “I could imagine the perception that I would want to put my stamp on things and make a move just for the sake of it. But that’s just not how I operate,” Gupta said. “I’m going to operate from a position of what is best for this franchise, not for me.”
  • The Timberwolves had been mentioned frequently as Ben Simmons suitors since last summer, but the package the Nets got from the Sixers on Thursday is far better than anything Minnesota could have offered, contends Michael Rand of The Star Tribune. The Wolves didn’t have the star that Philadelphia president of basketball operations Daryl Morey was seeking, and they weren’t able to convince a third team to get involved. Rand also suggests that Minnesota may have benefited from keeping its young core together, rather than breaking it up for a shot at Simmons.
  • The Wolves have an open roster spot, but they won’t address it right away, at least not on a permanent basis, tweets Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. Gupta said the team doesn’t expect to fill that spot with more than a 10-day contract until at least March due to luxury tax concerns.
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Wizards Notes: Beal, Point Guard, Porzingis, Batiste

February 11th, 2022 at 12:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Wizards guard Bradley Beal is out for the rest of the 2021/22 season after undergoing wrist surgery and can opt out of his contract this summer. However, president of basketball operations Tommy Sheppard remains confident that Beal hasn’t played his last game with the franchise.

“I believe Bradley is going to be here moving forward,” Sheppard told reporters on Friday (Twitter link via Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington). “… Certainly we plan on him being here in the future. If he feels otherwise, he will let us know.”

Multiple reports in recent weeks, both before and after Beal’s injury, have stated that the Wizards remain committed to offering the star guard a five-year contract if he turns down his player option in the offseason.

Here are a few more Wizards notes:

  • The Wizards’ point guard depth took a hit on Thursday when the team traded away Spencer Dinwiddie and Aaron Holiday just six months after acquiring them. Ish Smith and Raul Neto are handling point guard duties in the short term, but Sheppard said today that upgrading the position will be a priority for the club heading into 2022/23. “That’s our focus for sure in the offseason,” Sheppard said (Twitter link via Hughes).
  • The Wizards’ acquisition of Kristaps Porzingis was the “ultimate high-risk, high-reward move,” Josh Robbins writes for The Athletic. Discussing the move today, Sheppard said, “You can’t be afraid to take big swings” (Twitter link via Robbins).
  • Porzingis missed the Mavericks’ last five games due to a right knee bone bruise, but Sheppard expects the big man to be available soon, tweets Hughes. It’s possible Porzingis could make his Wizards debut as soon as Saturday.
  • Wizards assistant coach Mike Batiste was suspended two games without pay by the NBA for entering the stands in an attempt to confront a fan, the NBA announced on Thursday (via Twitter). The incident took place near the end of the team’s loss to Miami on Monday (video link). Batiste served the first game of his suspension on Thursday vs. Brooklyn and will serve the second on Saturday vs. Sacramento.
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Lowe’s Latest: Gasol, Bucks, Suns, Pacers, Kings, Sixers, More

February 11th, 2022 at 12:10pm CST by Luke Adams

With Brook Lopez sidelined indefinitely, the Bucks and center Marc Gasol, who is currently playing for Girona in Spain, had discussed the possibility of a possible late-season deal, according to Zach Lowe of ESPN (Insider link). However, Lowe suggests that a union “does not appear to be in the cards” now that Milwaukee has acquired Serge Ibaka.

It’s worth noting that the Bucks have three open spots on their 15-man roster following the trade deadline, so there still could be room for Gasol down the road, and it’s not like he and Ibaka haven’t had success teaming up in the past — the two vets played key roles for the 2019 champion Raptors. Still, Milwaukee may be looking to address other positions with those open roster spots, and there’s no guarantee Gasol will look to return to the NBA when his season is over in Spain.

Here are a few more highlights from Lowe’s post-deadline roundup:

  • Sources confirmed to Lowe that the Suns and Pacers had brief discussions about Deandre Ayton and Domantas Sabonis, which was first reported by Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. Fischer suggested the two teams might be exploring the idea of an offseason sign-and-trade involving Ayton, and Lowe agrees that the talks seem to have been just exploratory and informal, possibly aimed at the future rather than present. Indiana subsequently traded Sabonis to Sacramento, which could eliminate the possibility of any future deal with Phoenix for Ayton, but Lowe points out that the Suns’ willingness to consider shaking up their roster – even in the offseason – is noteworthy.
  • Before acquiring Sabonis, the Kings approached the Hawks about John Collins, but they didn’t discuss Tyrese Haliburton or De’Aaron Fox in that context, says Lowe.
  • Lowe expects the Sixers to explore the buyout market for a backup center, since there’s no guarantee that Paul Millsap will bounce back in Philadelphia and Charles Bassey is unproven.
  • The Spurs explored ways to move up in last year’s draft, according to Lowe, who notes that San Antonio has since gained more draft ammo to potentially revisit that idea going forward.
  • Lowe contends that Kristaps Porzingis should take his trade to the Wizards “as a huge slap in the face,” given the modest return the Mavericks received. As Lowe writes, Dallas appeared to be trying to gain more flexibility for future moves by taking back two (relatively) smaller contracts for Porzingis’ max deal, which could pay off down the road. But it “seems to be selling unthinkably low” on Porzingis, Lowe says.
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Mavericks Trade Kristaps Porzingis To Wizards

February 10th, 2022 at 9:29pm CST by Luke Adams

9:29pm: The trade is official, according to a Wizards press release. Dallas also confirmed the deal in a press release, announcing that they’ve waived Brown.

The second-rounder going to Washington is a protected 2022 pick, the teams announced. It’ll have to be the Mavs’ own second-rounder, since they hadn’t previously acquired any others.

“Kristaps is an All-Star player whose unique talents will fit well within our system and allow him to impact the game for us in multiple ways,” Wizards president of basketball operations Tommy Sheppard said in a statement. “He will get a fresh start with our team and provide us with the opportunity to play multiple lineups that feature size, versatility and shooting ability.”

1:38pm: The Mavericks and Wizards have agreed to a major trade, according to reports from Shams Charania of The Athletic and Marc Stein (Twitter links).

Big man Kristaps Porzingis is headed to Washington in the deal, per Stein, while Dallas will receive point guard Spencer Dinwiddie, according to Charania. Tim MacMahon of ESPN reports (via Twitter) that the Mavs are also acquiring sharpshooter Davis Bertans, while Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN says (via Twitter) that the Wizards are getting a second-round pick.

The Mavs will release big man Moses Brown to complete the trade, tweets MacMahon.

According to Stein (via Twitter), the Mavs spent much of the day on Thursday trying to find a home for Porzingis, who was previously linked to the Raptors. Dallas gave up a significant package in 2019 to acquire Porzingis from the Knicks, but he has continued to battle health problems in the years since then and hasn’t developed into the star running mate for Luka Doncic that the Mavs envisioned. He is also owed nearly $70MM for the two years beyond this season.

This season, Porzingis has averaged 19.2 PPG and 7.7 RPG while playing improved defense, but his three-point rate dipped to a career-worst 28.3% and he has only been healthy for 34 of 55 games. Dallas has a 13-8 record in the games he has missed.

The Wizards, who are retooling their roster around Bradley Beal, will roll the dice on Porzingis, hoping he has more success in D.C. than he did in Dallas. They’ll give up Dinwiddie and Bertans, two players who struggled badly this season in the midst of pricey multiyear deals.

Dinwiddie, 28, signed a three-year contract with the Wizards in the offseason, but has shot just 37.6% from the floor in his first season back from ACL surgery. As Josh Robbins of The Athletic tweets, Dinwiddie never seemed comfortable in Washington’s offense without the ball in his hands, which happened a lot when he played alongside Beal.

Bertans, meanwhile, is in the second season of a five-year, $80MM contract, but has seen his three-point shooting fall off a cliff in 2021/22. A career 40.7% three-point shooter entering the season, the 29-year-old forward has made just 31.9% of his attempts from beyond the arc this year.

The Mavericks will be hoping that both players, who have had plenty of success in the past can bounce back in Dallas. Dinwiddie will give the team another ball-handler when Doncic and/or Jalen Brunson aren’t on the court, while Bertans will provide another floor-spacer to give Doncic more room to operate.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (via Twitter), Dinwiddie will give the Mavs’ some insurance in case they’re unable to re-sign Brunson in unrestricted free agency this summer. However, sources tell MacMahon (Twitter link) that Dallas remains confident about its ability to retain Brunson beyond this season.

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Hornets Acquire Montrezl Harrell From Wizards

February 10th, 2022 at 7:08pm CST by Arthur Hill

7:08pm: The trade is official, according to a Wizards press release. The pick Washington is receiving is a conditional seconder (2023 or 2024 from Boston via Charlotte).

The Hornets’ announcement states that the Wizards will receive the Celtics’ 2023 second-rounder if it’s not in the top 45. Presumably, if that pick lands in its protected range, Washington would instead get Boston’s 2024 second-rounder.

1:26pm: The Wizards are finalizing a deal to send veteran center Montrezl Harrell to the Hornets, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Washington will get Vernon Carey and Ish Smith in return, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The Wizards will also receive a second-round pick, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

Harrell, 28, will provide a rugged interior presence for a Charlotte team that has been searching for help in the middle. He was acquired from the Lakers in the five-team offseason trade that sent Russell Westbrook to L.A., and averaged 14.1 points and 6.7 rebounds in 46 games with the Wizards.

Moving Harrell relieves the logjam in the middle that Washington has been dealing with ever since Thomas Bryant returned from an ACL injury last month. However, the timing of the move is interesting because Harrell talked publicly over the weekend about the negative mood in the team’s locker room.

Harrell has a $9.7MM expiring contract, and the Hornets will have early Bird rights on him this summer, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. Harrell is a North Carolina native, which may make him more likely to remain in Charlotte.

Smith, who played two seasons in Washington before going to Charlotte, has a $4.7MM non-guaranteed contract for next season. Carey will make $1.8MM next year and has a $1.9MM team option for 2023/24.

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Wizards Trade Aaron Holiday To Suns

February 10th, 2022 at 6:15pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

6:15pm: The trade is official, according to a Wizards press release. The Suns have to waive a player to complete the deal, but it appears we may need to wait for their announcement to confirm who will be the odd man out in Phoenix.

1:32pm: Wizards reserve guard Aaron Holiday is being sent to the Suns, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM tweets that the Suns are trading cash considerations to the Wizards and will be paying Holiday’s $4.0MM contract via the disabled player trade exception they received due to power forward Dario Saric‘s ACL tear.

The Wizards appear to be open for business today, with star guard Bradley Beal now on the sidelines for the rest of the season due to a wrist injury. Washington is completely reshaping its roster, having also sent out guard Spencer Dinwiddie and power forward Davis Bertans to the Mavericks in exchange for former All-Star big man Kristaps Porzingis and some draft considerations.

Additionally, Washington is sending out reserve big man Montrezl Harrell to the Hornets. As part of the return package in the Harrell exchange, Washington is receiving backup guard Ish Smith, making Holiday expendable.

Phoenix, owner of the NBA’s best record at 44-10, is fairly stacked at the point guard position. The 6’0″ Holiday could compete with minutes as Chris Paul‘s backup with Cameron Payne (currently injured) and Elfrid Payton.

At 25, Holiday is the youngest member of a trio of brothers in the league. The Suns will be his third NBA club in four seasons. He is averaging 6.1 PPG on .467/.343/.800 shooting splits. The youngest Holiday is also notching 1.9 APG ad 1.6 RPG across 16.2 MPG thus far this year.

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Bradley Beal Undergoes Season-Ending Wrist Surgery

February 10th, 2022 at 4:10pm CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 10: Beal underwent surgery on his left wrist today in New York, the Wizards announced in a press release. The team didn’t provide a timeline for his recovery, but it’s safe to say he’ll miss the rest of the season, as noted below.

FEBRUARY 8: Wizards star Bradley Beal will undergo season-ending surgery on his injured left wrist, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). According to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), the procedure will repair a torn scapholunate ligament.

The Wizards have confirmed in a press release that Beal will undergo surgery to repair a torn scapholunate ligament in his wrist and will miss the rest of the season.

“Despite the last 10 days of getting intensive treatment and rehab on my wrist, it became clear that I would not be able to compete to my standards or to the level that our team and our fans deserve,” Beal said in a statement. “I’m disappointed to have my season end this way, but we all agreed that this was the best decision. I look forward to coming back at 100% and continuing to lead this team as we work together to build toward the future.”

Marc Stein had reported earlier today (via Twitter) that evaluations were ongoing on Beal’s wrist, with the Wizards hoping to avoid surgery and considering alternative treatment options. However, it appears Beal and the team decided that surgery was the best choice to address the injury.

It’s a tough blow for the Wizards, whose season has been in a downward spiral since they got off to a 10-3 start and briefly held the top spot in the Eastern Conference — they have since lost 26 of 40 games to fall to 24-29. Although Washington is just one game behind Atlanta for the 10th seed in the East, a playoff berth looks like a long shot with Beal unavailable the rest of the way.

It will be interesting to see how president of basketball operations Tommy Sheppard approaches the trade deadline with Beal sidelined and whether Washington fully shifts its focus to next season, perhaps trying to retool the roster around its star guard like Portland is doing with Damian Lillard.

Of course, it would be a riskier strategy for the Wizards, since Beal can become an unrestricted free agent this offseason by declining his $36.4MM player option for 2022/23. Multiple recent reports have indicated Washington remains focused on re-signing Beal to a long-term deal and there are no indications he wants to leave D.C. But he’ll certainly be keeping a close eye on any roster moves the club makes this week and around the draft before making a decision on his future in free agency.

The star guard, who turns 29 this summer, would be eligible for a five-year maximum-salary deal of $245MM+ as a free agent, as Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. If Washington was on board with making that commitment prior to Beal’s injury and is confident he’ll make a full recovery, presumably his surgery won’t affect the team’s willingness to invest in him long-term.

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Trade Rumors: Mavs, R. Lopez, Hawks, Wizards, Pistons, More

February 10th, 2022 at 9:34am CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks have made Dwight Powell available, but they remain uninterested in moving Jalen Brunson or Dorian Finney-Smith, reports Matt Moore of ActionNetwork.com. If those two players are off the table, Dallas may have a hard time finding a deal that significantly upgrades its roster.

According to Moore, Tim Hardaway Jr., who is out indefinitely due to a foot injury, is the player the Mavericks have shopped most aggressively. Hardaway was having a down year prior to his injury and is on a sizable long-term contract ($53.7MM for three years after this season), so his value will be limited.

Still, Moore notes that Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle is a big fan of Hardaway, whom he coached in Dallas. Moore has also heard that the Wizards and Mavericks discussed a deal involving Hardaway and Spencer Dinwiddie, though a source tells Moore that the two sides didn’t make much progress.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

  • The Magic have been willing to discuss center Robin Lopez, but are apparently asking for a first-round pick, according to Moore. I’d be surprised if a team is willing to meet that price.
  • The Hawks may have a quiet deadline, with John Collins appearing increasingly unlikely to be dealt, but they remain on the lookout for a backup point guard, Moore reports.
  • Within his trade-rumor roundup, Moore also says the Wizards have been willing to discuss anyone besides Bradley Beal or Kyle Kuzma, and adds that Pistons guard Cory Joseph is “gettable.” Moore has received mixed intel on whether Detroit is interested in moving Kelly Olynyk.
  • Pacers center Myles Turner appears less likely to be dealt now that the team has moved Domantas Sabonis, but the Knicks continue to pursue Turner, a league source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post. The big man is dealing with a foot injury that may sideline him until at least March.
  • With Harrison Barnes looking like a good bet to stay with the Kings through the deadline, Richaun Holmes and Marvin Bagley III are the Sacramento players most often identified by rival teams as candidates to be moved in the next few hours, says Sam Amick of The Athletic.
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Southeast Notes: Hayward, Bouknight, Wizards, Beal, Hawks

February 9th, 2022 at 2:48pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets didn’t provided a timeline for Gordon Hayward‘s recovery when they announced on Tuesday that he has been diagnosed with sprained ligaments in his left ankle, simply stating in their press release that he’ll be out indefinitely.

However, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer hears from a league source that Hayward could be sidelined for upward of a month while he recovers from the injury and goes through a rehab process.

With Hayward potentially unavailable until March, Boone contends (via Twitter) that making the right trade at the deadline is even more important for the Hornets, who are in increasing danger of missing the playoffs after a five-game losing streak dropped them to ninth in the East. In a separate story for The Observer, Boone identifies several possible trade candidates for Charlotte, focusing primarily on centers.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

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Latest On James Harden, Ben Simmons

February 8th, 2022 at 2:32pm CST by Arthur Hill

2:32pm: While their trade talks with the Nets have gone nowhere, the Sixers “strongly believe” Harden won’t re-sign with Brooklyn when he reaches free agency and remain hopeful that the Nets will become more willing to engage in trade discussions before Thursday’s deadline, says Sam Amick of The Athletic.

1:42pm: With the trade deadline a little more than 48 hours away, there are conflicting reports about whether the Nets and Sixers still have a chance to complete this season’s biggest blockbuster.

Amid rumors that James Harden might be headed to Philadelphia in exchange for a package that includes Ben Simmons, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype hears that a trade definitely isn’t in the works right now.

“The Nets aren’t trading Harden,” an unidentified NBA executive told Scotto. “He’s staying, and they’ll take their chances in the playoffs. Maybe they’ll look to trade in the summer. They gave up too much to get him and have to see it through this year.”

Scotto adds that Brooklyn is focused on trying to improve the talent around its superstar trio of Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. The team has received calls about Joe Harris and Nic Claxton, but Harris’ value has dropped amid speculation that he will need a second opinion on the ankle injury that has sidelined him since mid-November. Claxton will be a restricted free agent this summer.

If Harden stays put, Simmons will likely remain with the Sixers, who will make another attempt to land Harden this summer, Scotto states. If Harden doesn’t work out, Wizards guard Bradley Beal could be another target, and president of basketball operations Daryl Morey will have more options in the offseason trade market.

Brian Windhorst of ESPN contends that a Harden trade by Thursday remains possible, no matter what the teams are saying publicly. Even if the Nets and Sixers aren’t officially holding trade talks, sources tell Windhorst there have been “back-channel conversations and movement by intermediaries” regarding a Harden-Simmons swap. Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reported the same thing earlier this week.

“It may come down to which side is more comfortable living with the status quo [if nothing happens],” one general manager said. “Both sides probably want to create leverage by saying they don’t need to do anything, but you can see why both have reason to.”

Windhorst confirms that both teams are pursuing other deals, with the Nets trying to move Harris and the Sixers seeking a taker for Tobias Harris, but he cautions that those talks might be smokescreens.

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