We are just a week away from the NBA trade deadline and trade rumors are flying everywhere. Here are some of the latest rumors not involving Giannis Antetokounmpo (to check out the latest on his trade saga, click here).
Zion staying in New Orleans
This isn’t really much of a surprise or even breaking news, consider it more confirmation than anything:
The New Orleans Pelicans are “unlikely” to trade Zion Williamson — or for that matter, Trey Murphy III or Herb Jones — reports William Guillory of The Athletic.
Although most of the interest is on the biggest names on the roster, sources tell The Athletic it’s unlikely that Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy or Herb Jones will be moved before Feb. 5. While the Pelicans are focused on building a future around 2025 first-round picks Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen, there’s still belief around the team that Murphy, Jones and Williamson can be foundational pieces of the puzzle moving forward.
There’s a case to be made for Jones and Murphy being a part of whatever team president Joe Dumars is building next in the Big Easy — the Pelicans are 7-7 since Jones returned from injury.
With Zion, however, this is also a case of other teams thinking they can get a buy-low deal and basically poach the former No. 1 pick. Dumars is looking for a bigger return and can be patient because ownership trusts him (and he was just hired last summer).
If any Pelican is traded at the deadline, bet on big man Yves Missi, who is drawing interest around the league.
Golden State Warriors
Giannis Antetokounmpo is not the only player the Warriors are interested in, they are one of the teams that would love to talk to the New Orleans Pelicans about wing Trey Murphy III, but (as noted above) are being “stonewalled,” reports Anthony Slater of ESPN.
Or, as Marc Stein put it at The Stein Line, the Pelicans are looking for a “Desmond Bane” like return for either Murphy or Jones (Orlando gave up four first-round picks and a swap for Bane).
If the Warriors do not land Antetokounmpo at the deadline (or Murphy), expect any other trades to be on the fringes. In the wake of Jimmy Butler’s season-ending ACL tear, some pundits speculated the Warriors would jump at a potential replacement — Andrew Wiggins in Miami or Michael Porter Jr. in Brooklyn — but “team sources continue to throw cold water on those ideas,” Slater wrote.
Stephen Curry is being consulted about all of this and his input is being taken seriously, reports Nick Friedel of The Athletic. As it should be.
Big men love Luka
The Lakers made a bet this offseason on the best big man available — Deandre Ayton — to see if he could be the defense-first, bouncy, rim-running five who thrives next to Luka Doncic (and who Doncic needs to be at his best).
Ayton has been… Ayton. He’s been pretty good, not great, averaging 13.3 points and 8.5 rebounds a game, shooting a career-best 66.3% from the field, but not the elite rim protector the Lakers need on defense. He does not look like the long-term answer in Los Angeles.
There are a lot of big men who would love to take Ayton’s spot in the Lakers roster next to Doncic, reports Tim McMahon of ESPN on the Hoop Collective podcast.
“They have the fact they’re the Los Angeles Lakers, and I can just tell you, big men will do back flips to be able to be in that Lakers uniform paired with Luka. I was talking to an agent who’s got a big man who may or may not be on the move and he would love to get his guy in L.A. Big men are going to want to play with Luka that much I can assure you.”
The Lakers’ search for a big man is more of an offseason move than a trade deadline thing.
Bulls’ White, Dosunmu
Chicago, a team usually quiet at the trade deadline, is expected to be active this year.
Specifically, two of the team’s guards, Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu, are drawing a lot of interest, reports Jake Fischer at The Stein Line. White is the more likely to be traded because of his ability to get to the rim — he is averaging 19 points and 4.7 assists per game — but Dosunmu’s defense interests some squads.
Other trade rumors
• With center Steven Adams out for the season following ankle surgery, expect the Houston front office to at least explore trading for a five at the deadline.
• San Antonio has given forward Jeremy Sochan — who has fallen out of the rotation — and his agent permission to look for a trade at the deadline, reports Marc Stein. The 6'8" power forward is just 22 years old and making $7 million in the final year of his contract.
• Tyronn Lue said not to expect the Clippers to do much of anything at the trade deadline — having won 16-of-18, why should they? — but they are gauging interest around the league in Bogdan Bogdanovic, reports Law Murray at The Athletic. Bogdanovic, 33, has been out since just after Christmas with a hamstring injury, but teams are looking for shooting that might roll the dice on him.