Sentinels

Free-agent signings have the potential to alter the NBA landscape. They can swing the balance of power dramatically in one direction or another, and there isn&rsquo;t much that other teams can do to stop it.
To the victors go the spoils. To that point, free-agency signings can reshape the trajectory of a team or a player&rsquo;s career. However, some signings were so monumental that they became folklore &ndash; causing rule changes, influencing generations, turning friends to enemies and so on.
Let&rsquo;s explore five signings that reshaped the free-agency process and the entire league.
1. LeBron James to the Miami Heat, 2010
The summer of 2010 featured what was undoubtedly the most anticipated free-agency period of all-time. James was the prize of the 2010 class, and a new rumor seemed to surface every day, connecting him to the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks or Cleveland Cavaliers. But it was the Miami Heat who swooped in, signing James away from the Cavs and Northeast Ohio. The Heat also added Chris Bosh and re-signed Dwyane Wade, ushering in a new era of super-teams. However, James didn&rsquo;t announce his signing through a press release or a tweet. Instead, he opted for "The Decision," a live event that was televised from the Boys &amp; Girls Club in Greenwich, Connecticut. The totality of the move set James and the Heat up to be the villains of the NBA for some time.
James led Miami to two straight championships, and he also won his first two NBA Finals MVP awards. James would later describe his stint with the Heat as his college years. "Miami, for me, has been almost like college for other kids. These past four years helped raise me into who I am,&rdquo; James <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2014/07/11/lebron-james-cleveland-cavaliers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote in Sports Illustrated</a> when he returned to Cleveland. &ldquo;I became a better player and a better man. I learned from a franchise that had been where I wanted to go&hellip; Without the experiences I had there, I wouldn&rsquo;t be able to do what I&rsquo;m doing today."
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2. Kevin Durant to the Golden State Warriors, 2016
If signing with the Heat made LeBron James a villain, signing with the Golden State Warriors made Durant peak-MCU Thanos. In 2015-16, Durant averaged 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game for the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Warriors were fresh off a 73-win season and a trip to the NBA Finals. Still, when Draymond Green called to recruit Durant, it had enough of an impact to open the door for a meeting. The Warriors ultimately wooed him in the Hamptons over the Fourth of July weekend in 2016, and Durant decided to sign with Golden State.
This move infuriated fans even more than LeBron-to-Miami. Fans and analysts questioned Durant&rsquo;s competitive instinct. The fact that close friends James and Wade wanted to play together was understandable. But the thought of Durant joining forces with Stephen Curry and the loaded Warriors &ndash; the team that had just defeated Durant and the Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals a few weeks earlier &ndash; didn&rsquo;t sit well with many spectators. It made Durant seem like a mercenary, hunting for a championship. But love it or hate it, this was a major move in terms of player freedom. Durant signing with the Warriors was the clearest sign yet that basketball is a business, and it also showed the consequences of rings culture and constant discussions about an active player&rsquo;s legacy. &nbsp;&nbsp;
Without this signing, Durant doesn&rsquo;t win back-to-back championships, and he&rsquo;s short two Finals MVPs too. Had he re-signed with Oklahoma City, the Thunder likely would have struggled to win a championship given the high-degree of competition in the Western Conference in the mid-2010s, so who knows when (or if) Durant wins his first championship.
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3. Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal to the Los Angeles Lakers, 1996
In the 1990s, max contract extensions stretched for as long as seven years and players rarely made trade demands. As a result, player movement via free agency was limited. And that brings us to the Los Angeles Lakers and Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal.
O&rsquo;Neal was drafted first overall by the Orlando Magic in 1992. Alongside co-star Penny Hardaway, the Magic advanced to their first NBA Finals berth in 1995. O&rsquo;Neal hit free agency in 1996, at which point the league&rsquo;s salary cap was $24.3 million, but there was no luxury tax or max salary. It appeared that O&rsquo;Neal would re-sign with the Magic, but Orlando made the fatal decision of opening negotiations with a four-year, $54 million offer &ndash; significantly less than the seven-year, $112 million deal that Alonzo Mourning (the No. 2 overall pick in 1992) had just received. The Magic further hurt their credibility by continuing to low-ball O&rsquo;Neal, and a poll released by The Orlando Sentinel showed that 90% of local fans felt O&rsquo;Neal was not worth $115 million hurt too. O&rsquo;Neal was essentially driven into the arms of Jerry West and the Los Angeles Lakers, who signed him to a seven-year, $120 million deal.
Without this signing, the Lakers don&rsquo;t win three-consecutive championships. Conversely, the Magic may have won a championship or two, and who knows what happens with Kobe Bryant&rsquo;s career. Either way though, Shaq&rsquo;s legacy is probably the same.
4. Joe Smith to the Minnesota Timberwolves, 1999
Smith was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft. After a few above-average seasons, he turned down an $80 million extension with the Golden State Warriors. He was then traded to Philadelphia, hitting free agency the following season. He signed a one-year, $1.75 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves after the 1998 lockout, which was well-below fair market value. He re-signed with Minnesota after the season, signing another one-year deal worth $2.1 million.
You may be wondering: Why is Smith on this list? He was a fine player, but not as impactful as the other names featured. Under normal circumstances, Smith wouldn&rsquo;t be included here. However, Smith qualifies for this list due to the fallout from the attempted transaction with Minnesota. The deal was premeditated, and therefore illegal.
Essentially, Minnesota asked Smith to sign these one-year deals for three-consecutive seasons so they&rsquo;d have additional cap space. Then, after the three years, the Timberwolves would have his Bird rights and could go over the cap to re-sign him (giving him a deal worth roughly $86 million to pay him back). Ultimately, the NBA found out. Minnesota was fined $3.5 million and had to forfeit its first-round picks for five consecutive seasons (although the team's 2005 first-rounder was <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120901224939/http:/www.nba.com/news/twolves_draft_pick_011228.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">returned to them</a>). Smith&rsquo;s contract was voided, Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor was suspended and VP of Basketball Operations Kevin McHale took a leave of absence.
This one set a precedent. If a team tries to circumvent the salary cap, the league takes it very seriously. It&rsquo;s very difficult for the NBA to investigate and prove these kinds of arrangements exist. So, how did they prove that Smith&rsquo;s deal with Minnesota was premeditated? Smith's agents had a messy split that prompted a lawsuit and documents spelling out the illegal arrangement were made public.
&ldquo;There are 8-to-10 teams that do this all the time,&rdquo; McHale <a href="https://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/01/nba-joe-smith-illegal-contract-timberwolves" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re just good at it. We&rsquo;re bad.&rdquo;
Had this signing not happened, the Timberwolves probably could&rsquo;ve done a better job surrounding Kevin Garnett with a formidable supporting cast in the early 2000s. But more impactful, this trade set a precedent for the NBA in its willingness to punish teams over salary-cap circumvention.
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5. LeBron James to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers &ndash; 2014, 2019
This probably feels like a cop out, especially since James also holds the top spot in these rankings &ndash; but it&rsquo;s not. James&rsquo; fingerprints are all over modern free agency, from ushering in super-teams to popularizing players recruiting their peers. Each of these signings is significant and unique. James going back to Cleveland in 2014 was huge. It went a long way in repairing his image, completing his return to NBA darling. It also resulted in the city&rsquo;s first sports championship in 50 years. James&rsquo; return also resulted in the most impressive championship of his career, one in which he led a comeback from a 3-1 series deficit over a 73-win Golden State ensemble &ndash; needless to say, James won his third NBA Finals MVP award with Cleveland.
His signing with the Lakers was also monumental. It was the culmination of a long history of James&rsquo; flirtations with major markets. It, too, resulted in another championship and NBA Finals MVP. And it should result in a major showdown of super-teams, with James&rsquo; Lakers and Durant&rsquo;s Nets on a collision course for NBA supremacy as soon as this season.
Without these signings, James would be stuck with two championships and two Finals MVP awards, 3-1 wouldn&rsquo;t be a thing and the Warriors might have won four-straight championships (imagine?!). Further, the GOAT debate would be dramatically different, and who knows where James would have played in his prime years?
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Fans are captivated by free-agent signings for a reason. They regularly influence championships. But they obviously have the potential to be even more impactful, shaping the league&rsquo;s power dynamic for a decade or more with a single stroke of a pen.
In recent years, the best players have been more prone to signing extensions and demanding trades if their team fails to build around them, meaning that these top-tier signings have been happening less frequently. But fear not drama fans, there will always be player movement. After all, there&rsquo;s always someone who wants out of their current situation.

Drew Maresca examines five free-agent signings that ended up altering NBA history.

5 free-agent signings that changed NBA history

The Toronto Raptors are signing veteran Will Barton who will be playoff eligible, <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1630666747366744065" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski</a>.
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ESPN Sources: Free agent G Will Barton is signing with the Toronto Raptors. After completing buyout with Wizards, Barton will join Toronto and be eligible for a playoff roster. He&rsquo;s played in 29 career postseason games with Nuggets and Blazers.
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1630666747366744065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2023</a></blockquote>

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To make room for him on the roster, the Raptors are waiving Juancho Hernangomez reports <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1630666391194837012" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>.&nbsp;
Barton and the Washington Wizards reached a buyout agreement last week, making him a free agent. He was traded to the Wizards over the summer and had a disappointing season in his hometown, averaging 7.7 points while shooting just 38.7% from the field.&nbsp;
In previous seasons, the 32-year-old was a solid player for the Denver Nuggets and the Raptors are hoping that a change of scenery will help the 32-year-old. Despite his struggles, he still connected on 38% from three-point range, something the Raptors desperately need as they rank 27th in the NBA from deep.

The Toronto Raptors are signing veteran Will Barton who reached a buyout from the Washington Wizards last week.

Raptors signing Will Barton, waive Juancho Hernangomez

<a href="https://www.nba.com/bulls/news/bulls-waive-dragic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Chicago Bullls announced</a> that they have waived veteran guard Goran Dragic.&nbsp;
The 36-year-old has signed a one-year deal for the minimum salary last summer and played in 51 games, averaging 6.4 points, 2.7 assists and 1.4 rebounds. But once the team signed Patrick Beverely, Dragic was the odd man out of the rotation.
Dragic will be playoff-eligible if he signs with another team between not and the last day of the regular season ince he was waived before March 1. He could also be claimed on waivers with a team having to take on $1.84 million hit against the salary cap.
Meanwhile, the Bulls open up a roster spot and are $1.2 million below the luxuy tax.

The Chicago Bulls have waived veteran guard Goran Dragic, opening up a roster spot.

Bulls waive Goran Dragic

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is expected to miss "multiple weeks" <a href="https://theathletic.com/4258816/2023/02/27/lebron-james-lakers-foot-injury/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports Shams Charania of The Athletic</a> after suffereing a right foot injury in Sunday's win against the Dallas Mavericks.
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Sources: There's fear Lakers star LeBron James is likely to miss an extended period of time with his right foot injury. James suffered the injury in Sunday's win over Dallas, played through it, and belief is he will be sidelined an indefinite amount.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1630362855747862528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2023</a></blockquote>

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James will likely get multiple opinions regarding the injury but the team is bracing for him to miss an extended period of time.
The Lakers star suffered the injury during the third quarter of their 111-108 comeback win over the Mavericks. Despite the injury, James played through it and finished the game with his team fighting to get into the Play-In Tournament. The Lakers are now 29-32 and sit in the 12th spot in the Western Conference.
L.A. has gone 4-1 since the trade deadline where it remade nearly half its roster, bringing in D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura and Mo Bamba. But losing James &ndash; who is averaging 29.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 6.9 assists this season &ndash; will severely hurt their chances of making the post-season.
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Lakers' star LeBron James is expected to miss "multiple weeks" after suffering a right foot injury.

LeBron James expected to miss "multiple weeks" with foot injury

After months of wondering and waiting if the Los Angeles Lakers would make a deal, the team finally took initiative and struck before the NBA trade deadline &mdash; but they didn&rsquo;t just make one move.
The Lakers made four separate trades between Jan. 23 and Feb. 9, switching out nearly half of their roster after underperforming for the majority of the year. So far, the results have been quite promising.
Since acquiring D&rsquo;Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura, Mo Bamba and Davon Reed, the Lakers are 4-1; most recently, it includes a massive 27-point comeback win against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. LA now sits at No. 12 in the Western Conference, but is just one game back of the New Orleans Pelicans for the final spot in the Play-In Tournament.&nbsp;
When you look at this retooled version of the Lakers roster, it looks like a competent, balanced mix that makes sense together. Despite having two of the best players in the NBA in LeBron James and Anthony Davis, it&rsquo;s been a while since this team could say that.
You have to go back three seasons &mdash; all the way to the 2019-20 campaign &mdash; to find the last time that happened; ironically, LA won a championship that year. However, since then, vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka and the Lakers front office have tried to reshape the roster over and over to try to find the magic again. Those attempts led to disastrous results; the Russell Westbrook experiment was perhaps the poorest decision, as LA gave up its best shooters and significant depth to acquire him.
It appears that, this time around, the Lakers finally learned their lesson, as Pelinka and Co. executed a full reversal. The franchise dealt Westbrook for three pieces in Russell, Beasley and Vanderbilt as part of its revamped "2.0" roster, and it&rsquo;s just what the team needed as it makes a push toward the playoffs.
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Russell &mdash; who is nursing an ankle injury but should be back in the lineup soon &mdash; has shown to have good chemistry with LeBron and AD so far in what has been a small sample size. He won&rsquo;t wow anyone with his numbers, but he&rsquo;s playing a smart, controlled game by picking his spots. Russell has a solid feel for when to look for his own shot and is limiting his turnovers, which are down to just 1.5 per game so far in his second stint with the Lakers.&nbsp;
Beasley is the &ldquo;laser&rdquo; that LeBron has been openly hoping for to help solve the Lakers' shooting problems from three-point range. Even when he isn&rsquo;t hitting his shots, teams have to account for him and his 38% career clip from deep.&nbsp;
Vanderbilt is infectious with his energy and effort, especially on the defensive end of the floor. He was the tone-setter Sunday with 15 points, 17 rebounds and 4 steals to spearhead LA's rallying victory against the Mavericks. (Vando looks to be the steal of the trade deadline.)
Hachimura hasn&rsquo;t blown the doors off since putting on the purple and gold, but he has added size and another shooting presence that teams have to deal with, providing more balance and space for the Lakers' offense.&nbsp;
That quartet of players has breathed a new life into the Lakers as a whole &mdash; particularly with experience.
&ldquo;Adding those pieces, I think it brings more balance,&rdquo; Lakers head coach Darvin Ham recently said. &ldquo;We have guys in that second unit that have been in the starting lineup and played starters' minutes and closed games for us, and had big moments in big games. So we have confidence in the entire roster. But that&rsquo;s a great shot in the arm that we were able to pick up at the trade deadline.&rdquo;
(Bamba debuted with three blocks for LA and registered a double-double in his second game with the team as well.)
Maybe most importantly, this Lakers team looks like it&rsquo;s having fun. There are smiles and high-fives galore with players rooting for one another. You can feel the energy shifting following those roster moves.
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Never get discouraged &mdash; compete harder. <a href="https://t.co/ojRZCVcd9M">pic.twitter.com/ojRZCVcd9M</a>
&mdash; Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lakers/status/1630002602443153410?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2023</a></blockquote>

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There&rsquo;s still plenty of work to be done. The Lakers have two more games on an all-so-important road trip. Tuesday night, they'll play the Memphis Grizzlies and then, they'll take on the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday in a back-to-back. (Plus, LA won't have LeBron for an extended period of time due to a foot injury, which obviously is a huge blow.)
There is no margin for error at this point. The last thing that LeBron, AD and the new-look Lakers want to do is miss the playoffs yet again. With that said, all signs are pointing up.
These guys believe in one another. They believe they can win. And, so far, they&rsquo;re showing it on the court.
Maybe, just maybe, they finally have the right pieces.
"I've always been confident in any club that I've been on [that] once we got into the playoffs, that we can compete with anyone, and I feel no different now," LeBron said. "With the roster, the way we're shaped up right now, if we can finish off this regular season on the right foot, then we can compete versus anyone in the Western Conference, if not the whole league...
"If we can punch our ticket, we can compete versus anyone."

Brian Fritz checks in on the new-look Lakers and how their new additions have given the team a jolt.

Lakers may have found the right formula following trade deadline moves

The NBA and and the Players Association are progressing in their talks for a new collective bargaining agreement with <a href="https://theathletic.com/4254429/2023/02/27/nba-nbpa-collective-bargaining-agreement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic reporting</a> that "there&rsquo;s been significant progress made in recent weeks on key issues and it&rsquo;s given the hope that a deal is within grasp in the coming weeks".
Both sides are hoping to get a new CBA in place before the March 31 deadline and the NBPA has notified the league office that it hopes to finalize a new deal sometime in March.
One high-ranking source involved in negoations said,&ldquo;We want to finish this deal soon and certainly want this wrapped up before the (March 31) deadline. It&rsquo;s close &mdash; we need to dot the I&rsquo;s and cross the T&rsquo;s.&rdquo;
<a href="https://theathletic.com/4254429/2023/02/27/nba-nbpa-collective-bargaining-agreement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Charania reports</a> that one of the big points the league and the Players Association are negotiating over is a new luxury tax system that would lower the penalties for teams barely above the threshold which would allow teams to keep pace with increasing salaries without incurring a heavy tax bill. However, the two sides would keep in place the punitive level of the upper tax levels.
Among the other main points still being negotiated is language regarding load management and the resting of star players, lowering the draft age to 18 but with conditions that would protect veteran players, increasing contract extension raises from 120% to 140% or 150%, and smoothing out upcoming increases to the salary cap.
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The NBA and the Players Associations are closing in on a new collective bargaining agreement before the March 31 deadline.

Report: NBA, NBPA close to new collective bargaining agreement

Even while James Harden is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-stats-notebook-giving-james-harden-the-flowers-he-deserves-philadelphia-76ers-sixers-joel-embiid-tobias-harris" target="_blank" rel="noopener">thriving this season</a> with the Philadephia 76ers, there continues to be talk about where he'll play next season.
Back in December, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&amp;v=iQjEdrZdlfo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Tim MacMahon floated</a> that everyone should "keep an eye" on Harden possibly returning to his former team &ndash; the Houston Rockets &ndash; who will have more than $60 million in available cap space and an owner who is anxious to get back in the playoffs.
Since then, the talk of Harden returning to Houston has only continued. Most recently, <a href="https://twitter.com/bradeauxnba/status/1627824823681404930?s=46&amp;t=S98heYqeEJbZWRTBSZcfrA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rockets insider Kelly Iko</a> stated there&rsquo;s a "70% chance" that Harden will be on the Rockets' opening-day roster next season.
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rockets?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rockets</a> insider <a href="https://twitter.com/KellyIko?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KellyIko</a> said he thinks there&rsquo;s a 70% chance Harden will be on the Rockets opening day roster next season: &ldquo;When there&rsquo;s smoke there&rsquo;s fire&rdquo; 👀 <a href="https://t.co/nfR2Y7O7Hf">pic.twitter.com/nfR2Y7O7Hf</a>
&mdash; Bradeaux (@BradeauxNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/BradeauxNBA/status/1627824823681404930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Until then, Harden has proven to be a great fit alongside Joel Embiid in Philadelphia, averaging 21.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 10.8 assists per game.
The 76ers are currently the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, with a 36-19 record.

The talk continues that James Harden will go back to the Rockets, with one insider saying there's a "70% chance" it will happen.

Insider: '70% chance' James Harden returns to Rockets this offseason

The Atlanta Hawks have dismissed head coach Nate McMillan per <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1628157644107309056" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski</a>.
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The Atlanta Hawks dismissed coach Nate McMillan, sources tell ESPN. <a href="https://t.co/Jjh3qlCnCX">pic.twitter.com/Jjh3qlCnCX</a>
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1628157644107309056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2023</a></blockquote>

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<a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1628158820055945217" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Woj adds</a> that assistant coach Joe Prunty will be the interim coach.
The Hawks have had an up and down season and are currently eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 29-30 record. McMillan had a 99-80 record across three seasons as the Hawks' head coach.
The team will immediately begin a search for a new head coach <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1628159518436904960" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Wojnarowski</a> with a focus on player development, accountability and getting their offense and defense into league's Top 10.
<a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1628160099599650817" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Former Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder</a> will be on the top of their wish list with Milwaukee Bucks assistant Charles Lee and Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson as others that are expected to be considered for the position.
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The Atlanta Hawks have fired head coach Nate McMillan with assistant Joe Prunty taking over as the interim head coach.

Hawks fire head coach Nate McMillan

The Chicago Bulls are expected to shut down guard Lonzo Ball for the remainder of the season, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1628052188890288130" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>.
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The Chicago Bulls are expected to shut down guard Lonzo Ball for the remainder of the season, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Stadium</a>. Pain and discomfort have persisted in Ball&rsquo;s left knee following two surgeries at the beginning and end of 2022.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1628052188890288130?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2023</a></blockquote>

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The 25-year-old Ball has missed all of the season due to continued discomfort in his surgically repaired knee while doing basketball activites.&nbsp;
Ball appeared in 35 games last season with the Bulls before having to undergo surgery on his knee. He has since not played in a game since Jan. 14, 2022 and the team has struggled to replicate his production at the point guard position.
In a statement from the team, Chicago Bulls Executive Vice President &ndash; Basketball Operations Artūras Karni&scaron;ovas said: "Despite making significant increases in strength and function over the past several months, Bulls guard Lonzo Ball continues to experience performance limiting discomfort during participation in high level basketball-related activities. Considering the required time period to achieve the necessary level of fitness to return-to-play and the current stage of the NBA season, Ball will not return this season. The focus for Ball will continue to be on the resolution of his discomfort and a full return for the 2023-24 season.&rdquo;

The Chicago Bulls are expected to shut down Lonzo Ball for the season as he continues to have discomfort in his knee.

Report: Bulls expected to shut down Lonzo Ball for season

The Brooklyn Nets and head coach Jacque Vaughn have agreed to a multiyear extension <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1628046700098256897" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski</a>. The team has also confirmed the news and <a href="https://www.nba.com/nets/news/brooklyn-nets-and-head-coach-jacque-vaughn-agree-to-contract-extension" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued a press release</a>.&nbsp;
The terms of the new contract aren't yet known but Wojnarowski states that's it's for "multiple years part the 2023/24 season".
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🗣 It's official, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NetsWorld?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NetsWorld</a>! The Brooklyn Nets and Coach Vaughn have agreed to a multi-year contract extension. <a href="https://t.co/Gw3ZHxoPxh">pic.twitter.com/Gw3ZHxoPxh</a>
&mdash; Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrooklynNets/status/1628047460743405570?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2023</a></blockquote>

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&ldquo;Jacque has made an immediate and immeasurable impact on our entire organization since assuming the role of head coach earlier this season,&rdquo; said Nets General Manager Sean Marks.
&ldquo;On the court, he&rsquo;s clearly demonstrated his leadership through his ability to connect and communicate at a very high level while displaying tremendous instincts for the game. As a person, they don&rsquo;t come any better than Jacque. His character is impeccable, and there is not a better representative for our team and our borough. We are thrilled to have Jacque lead the Nets for years to come.&rdquo;
Vaughn took over as the Nets head coach in November after Steve Nash's dismissal. Since taking over, the Nets have gone 32-19 and are currently in the No. 5 spot in the NBA's Eastern Conference.&nbsp;

The Brooklyn Nets and head coach Jacque Vaughn have agreed to a multiyear contract extension.

Nets, Jacque Vaughn agree to multiyear extension

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo was scheduled to be in New York on Monday to undergo testing and get further evaluation on his injured right wrist, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Sunday night because neither the Bucks nor Antetokounmpo released the plans publicly.
ESPN first reported that Antetokounmpo was going to New York, and it was later confirmed by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Antetokounmpo injured his wrist Thursday night in Chicago after attempting to block a shot. Antetokounmpo exited after only nine minutes and did not return. He had X-rays and Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said at the time they came back clean.
But there evidently has not been much improvement in the wrist since. Antetokounmpo did not join his brothers as planned for the All-Star Skills Challenge on Saturday night in Utah &mdash; he was filled in for there by Bucks teammate and fellow All-Star Jrue Holiday.
And he played only 20 seconds in his team&rsquo;s victory over Team LeBron in the All-Star Game on Sunday night, getting a dunk on the first possession, then taking a foul and heading to the bench to basically become a coach for the rest of the night.
&ldquo;Taking it day by day, try to get healthy,&rdquo; Antetokounmpo said after the game. &ldquo;You know, obviously I had the incident three days ago. I don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s smart in any way to, you know, play a lot of minutes in the All-Star Game. At the end of the day, obviously, you want to participate, you want to run up and down, joke around, have some dunks, create some work. But at the end of the day, I feel you also have to be mature.&rdquo;
He did not give any hint that the wrist issue is more serious than a sprain.
&ldquo;Hopefully, I can, you know, be available for my team when they need me,&rdquo; Antetokounmpo said.
Milwaukee has the NBA&rsquo;s second-best record coming out of the All-Star break at 41-17, a half-game behind Boston in the Eastern Conference.
Antetokounmpo is third in the NBA in scoring at 31.8 points per game, behind only Dallas&rsquo; Luka Doncic (33.3) and Philadelphia&rsquo;s Joel Embiid (33.1).

Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo was scheduled to be in New York on Monday to get further evaluation on his injured right wrist.

Antetokounmpo going to New York for wrist exam

The Boston Celtics have officially named Joe Mazzulla their permanent head coach, removing the interim tag from his job title. He has also received a contract extension, although terms of the deal have not been released.
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Joe Mazzulla is officially the 19th Head Coach in franchise history 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 <a href="https://t.co/LMcTLS1u0m">pic.twitter.com/LMcTLS1u0m</a>
&mdash; Boston Celtics (@celtics) <a href="https://twitter.com/celtics/status/1626233952968253440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Before the 2022-23 season, the 34-year-old was elevated from assistant coach to interim head coach in the wake of Ime Udoka's season-long suspension for having an inappropriate relationship with a female staff member.&nbsp;
Despite this being his first head coaching opportunity, the Celtics have continued their strong play after advancing to the NBA Finals last summer.
More than halfway through the season, the Celtics are 42-17, which is the best record in the NBA.&nbsp;
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The Boston Celtics have officially named Joe Mazzulla as permanent head coach and given him a contract extension.

Celtics name Joe Mazzulla permanent head coach

Free agent big man LaMarcus Aldridge is working out for the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1625312248750084096" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.</a>
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Free agent F/C LaMarcus Aldridge is working out for the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday, sources tell ESPN. Aldridge, a seven-time All-Star, averaged 12.9 points in 47 games for Brooklyn a season ago.
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1625312248750084096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2023</a>
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The 37-year-old Aldridge&nbsp;has been preparing to return to the NBA for his 17th season. He played 47 games for the Brooklyn Nets last season, averaging 12.9 points in 47 games.
Aldridge is a Dallas native so joining the Mavericks would likely be his preference if he can make a team. Plus, he could possibly provide frontline scoring and veteran leadership. Over he course of his career, the seven-time All-Star has averaged 19.1 points and 8.1 rebounds.

The Dallas Mavericks are working out veteran big man LaMarcus Aldridge, who is hoping to play in his 17th NBA season.

Mavericks to work out LaMarcus Aldridge

<div class="css-1dbjc4n">
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<div id="id__l7e9ml15fh" class="css-901oao r-1nao33i r-37j5jr r-1inkyih r-16dba41 r-rjixqe r-bcqeeo r-bnwqim r-qvutc0" dir="auto" lang="en" data-testid="tweetText">Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Boston Celtics guard Derrick White have been named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for Week 17 of the 2022-23 season (Feb. 6-12).</div>
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Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Boston Celtics guard Derrick White have been named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for Week 17 of the 2022-23 season (Feb. 6-12). <a href="https://t.co/cZyf0DJfmW">pic.twitter.com/cZyf0DJfmW</a>
&mdash; NBA Communications (@NBAPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAPR/status/1625230847891611669?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-1adg3ll r-1udh08x">Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 31.1 points on 57.1% shooting along with 6.3 assists while leading the Thunder to a 2-1 record last week. White helped the Celtics to a 4-0 week averaging 24.5 points, 7.5 assists and 4.8 rebounds.</div>
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Derrick White have been named the NBA Players of the Week.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Derrick White named NBA Players of the Week

The Denver Nuggets are trading Bones Hyland to the Los Angeles Clippers, <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1623756792340570119" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski</a>.
The Clippers will send the Nuggets 2024 and 2025 second-round picks.

The LA Clippers add some firepower as they acquire Bones Hyland from the Denver Nuggets.

Clippers get Bones Hyland from Nuggets

The Pacers are acquiring Bucks guard George Hill and a second-round pick, sources tell ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
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The Pacers are acquiring Bucks guard George Hill and a second-round pick, sources tell ESPN.
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1623741614148448257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2023</a></blockquote>

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It's a low cost for the Pacers who take Hill into their available cap space. The 36-year-old Hill was no longer a regular part of Milwaukee's rotation and was averaging 5.0 points and 2.5 assists this season.

The Pacers made a deal with the Bucks for veteran point guard George Hill.

Pacers acquire George Hill from Bucks

The Portland Trail Blazers, Charlotte Hornets and Philadelphia 76ers have made a 3-way deal with defense specialist Matisse Thybulle headed to the Blazers says <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisBHaynes/status/1623737180664524803" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report</a>. The Hornets are shipping Jalen McDaniels to the 76ers wihle the Hornets getting multiple second-round picks.&nbsp;
Svi Mykhailiuk, who the Blazers acquired in the Josh Hart trade with the Knicks, will go to the Hornets as part of the deal.&nbsp;
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Here&rsquo;s the Philly/Charlotte/Portland breakdown No whiteboard! PHL &ndash; trades Thybulle, 2023 more favorable of ATL, CHA &amp; BRK and receive JMcDaniels, 2029 POR 2nd &amp; 2024 NYK 2nd POR &ndash; trades two 2nds (2027 more favorable of NOP/POR, 2029 POR) and receive Thybulle
&mdash; Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) <a href="https://twitter.com/BobbyMarks42/status/1623744237043843075?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2023</a></blockquote>

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The Blazers, Hornets, and 76ers are making a 3-way deal with Matisse Thybulle going to Portland.

Blazers, Hornets, 76ers 3-way trade; Thybulle to Portland

The New York Knicks are trading Cam Reddish and a protected future first-round pick to the Portland Trail Blazers for Josh Hart, <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1623517868653527040" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sources tell ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski</a>.
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The Knicks are trading Cam Reddish and a protected future first-round pick to the Blazers for Hart, sources tell ESPN. <a href="https://t.co/whB5mS8lfs">https://t.co/whB5mS8lfs</a>
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1623517868653527040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Reddish had fallen out of Tom Thibodeau's rotation earlier this season and now gets a fresh start in Portland. The Knicks get a valuable guard/wing defender in Hart, who has a player option following this season.
This season, Hart is averaging 9.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 50.4% from the field, 30.4% from three-point range and 73.1% from the free-throw line.&nbsp;
UPDATE:&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/MikeAScotto/status/1623523955846905856" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Scotto of HoopsHype</a> says the full deal has the Knicks trading Cam Reddish, Svi Mykhailiuk, Ryan Arcidiacano and a protected future first-round draft pick to the Blazers for Josh Hart.&nbsp;
<a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1623523901715128320" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski adds</a> that the Knicks are sending the Blazers a lottery protected 2023 first-round pick that turns into four future second-round picks if not conveyed this year.

The Knicks are sending Cam Reddish and a protected first-round pick to the Blazers for Josh Hart.

Knicks send Cam Reddish to Blazers for Josh Hart

The Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves are in trade negotiations on a potential three-way deal that would send Russell Westbrook to Utah, D'Angelo Russell to Los Angeles and Mike Conley to Minnesota, <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1623422681331761154" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to The Athletic's Shams Charania</a>. The deal would also have Utah receiving draft compensation including a first-round pick.
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The Lakers, Jazz and Timberwolves are in discussions on a three-team deal that would send D&rsquo;Angelo Russell to the Lakers, Russell Westbrook and draft compensation such as a first-round pick to Utah and Mike Conley Jr. to Minnesota, sources tell me and <a href="https://twitter.com/Tjonesonthenba?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Tjonesonthenba</a>.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1623422681331761154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2023</a></blockquote>

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<a href="https://twitter.com/JakeLFischer/status/1623424315206115328" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports</a> added that Jazz shooting guard Malik Beasley and forward Jarred Vanderbilt will also be a part of the trade, with <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1623424832246370310" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Charania tweeting</a> that both of those players would head to the Lakers. The teams are working through draft compensation including protections.
The Lakers have explored trading Westbrook and his expiring $47 million contract since before the season, but had not been willing to include both of their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks to do so unless they were getting a star player in return.
Russell is also on an expiring contract and the Timberwolves have not been interested in giving him an extension. Minnesota would likely value Conley's veteran presence in their locker room along with his contract, which is partially guaranteed next season. Conley also has chemistry with center Rudy Gobert.
If the deal happens, the Jazz are expected to buy out Westbrook.&nbsp;
<a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1623448341936742400" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski has added</a> that the Lakers and Jazz have "significant deal structure in place" but that the Timberwolves are still deciding whether to do the trade depending on their return of draft assets. Minnesota is also engaged in trade talks involving Russell with other teams.&nbsp;

The Lakers, Jazz, and Timberwolves are discussing a 3-way trade that would send Russell Westbrook to Utah.

Lakers, Jazz, Timberwolves discussing 3-way trade

The Los Angeles Lakers continue to be active before Thursday's NBA trade deadline and the team continues to shop Russell Westbrook and his massive $47 million expiring contract.
<a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/35601501/ahead-trade-deadline-focused-jazz-remind-our-job-listen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Tim MacMahon is reporting</a> that the Lakers have discussed a deal that would send Westbrook to the Utah Jazz. L.A. would also have to include their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks in exchange for a combination of role players that would including Mike Conley, Malik Beasley and others.
MacMahon added that if such a deal happened, Westbrook would likely receive a buyout rather than joining the team.
The Jazz have also talked with the New York Knicks about a deal that would include Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt for Evan Fournier, Obi Toppin and draft compensation, <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/35601501/ahead-trade-deadline-focused-jazz-remind-our-job-listen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to MacMahon</a>.
Jazz CEO Danny Ainge, who has a reputation for being a shrewd negotiator in trades, told MacMahon: &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll try to be careful, but we&rsquo;re trying to get better as fast as we can &mdash; without being panicked, without rushing. We&rsquo;re in control, and we feel like we&rsquo;ve got to be smart about the decisions that we make.&rdquo;
Utah has been one of the surprises of the NBA season, now at 27-28 and sitting in the No. 10 spot in the Western Conference despite trading away its two stars &ndash; Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert &ndash; before the season. While the team is in the last spot for the Play-In Tournament, the Jazz are mainly focused on their long-term rebuild.
The Jazz continue to talk with teams around the league about deals that could include Conley, Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt and Jordan Clarkson. The team has three players it considers untouchable: Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler and Ochai Agbaji.
The Jazz have also <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jazz-expressing-interest-in-john-collins-jalen-mcdaniels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">weighed their options as a buyer</a>, expressing interest in Atlanta Hawks big man John Collins and Charlotte Hornets forward Jalen McDaniels among others.

The Lakers have talked with the Jazz about a possible Russell Westbrook deal before Thursday's NBA trade deadline.

Lakers discussing a Russell Westbrook trade with Jazz

The Orlando Magic are still on the outside looking in of the Play-In Tournament in the Eastern Conference, but the franchise is on the rise. The team has already matched its 22-win total from last season and is only getting better behind the young core of Rookie-of-the-Year favorite Paolo Banchero and second-year wing Franz Wagner.
The Magic could be buyers before the Feb. 9 trade deadline and <a href="https://www.actionnetwork.com/nba/nba-trade-intel-knicks-jazz-nuggets-deadline-rumors?source_caller=api&amp;shortlink=qy6dqcj4&amp;af_sub1=602143514&amp;c=af-newsletter&amp;pid=af-newsletter&amp;deep_link_value=action%3A%2F%2Farticle%3Fid%3D602143514&amp;af_adset=nba-trade-intel-knicks-jazz-nuggets-deadline-rumors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">multiple sources have told Matt Moore of The Action Network</a> that "there&rsquo;s real interest from the Magic in Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet." The 28-year-old veteran would bring some needed experience to the team as it looks to take its next step forward.
VanVleet is in the final year of his contract and has passed on a four-year, $114 million extension, the most Toronto can offer him before the offseason. He recently switched representation and the belief is that he's looking to get a long-term deal that averages between $30 million and $35 million per year.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.actionnetwork.com/nba/nba-trade-intel-knicks-jazz-nuggets-deadline-rumors?source_caller=api&amp;shortlink=qy6dqcj4&amp;af_sub1=602143514&amp;c=af-newsletter&amp;pid=af-newsletter&amp;deep_link_value=action%3A%2F%2Farticle%3Fid%3D602143514&amp;af_adset=nba-trade-intel-knicks-jazz-nuggets-deadline-rumors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Moore adds</a> that former No. 3 overall pick Jalen Suggs could be part of a deal along with draft compensation. However, the under-performing Raptors have been very busy leading up to the trade deadline, with teams around the league showing interest in VanVleet along with Pascal Siakam, O.G. Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr.
Following a slow start to the season, VanVleet has picked up his play over the past few weeks. He is now averaging 19.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists while shooting 39.7% from the field and 34.7% on three-pointers.

The Orlando Magic could be buyers before the NBA trade deadline and they have a real interest in Toronto's Fred VanVleet.

Magic have "real interest" in Fred VanVleet before NBA trade deadline

The Utah Jazz continue to be in the playoff mix at 26-26 and in the No. 10 position in the Western Conference. The team is reportedly looking at being buyers before the Feb. 9 trade deadline.
Two players that Jazz have shown a strong interest in as of late, <a href="https://theathletic.com/4136200/2023/01/30/nba-trade-deadline-rumors-raptors-bucks-suns-crowder/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>, are Atlanta Hawks' forward John Collins and Dorian Finney-Smith of the Dallas Mavericks. He reports that the Jazz and Hawks discussed a Collins deal earlier in the season with Atlanta wanting Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt in return with Utah wanting a first-round pick as part of the deal before the talks stalled.
<a href="https://theathletic.com/4128572/2023/01/27/rockets-trade-john-collins-turner/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic's Kelly Iko</a> recently reportedly that the Houston Rocksts are another team pursuing Collins.
The Jazz have also show interest in Mavericks forward Dorian Finney-Smith <a href="https://theathletic.com/4136200/2023/01/30/nba-trade-deadline-rumors-raptors-bucks-suns-crowder/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with Charania adding</a> that "Dallas would be open to moving the 29-year-old in the right deal for a star-caliber player". While the Mavericks have a hige value on the two-way wing, the Mavericks will need to include him in any deal for an All-Star level player.
Last season, Finney-Smith signed a four-year, $55M extension through 2024-25 that includes a player option for the 2025-26 season.
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The Utah Jazz are looking to add before the NBA trade deadline with the team interested in John Collins and Dorian Finney-Smith.

Jazz interested in Hawks' Collins, Mavs' Finney-Smith

With the Feb. 9 trade deadline quickly approaching, all eyes around the NBA continue to be on what the Toronto Raptors will do.&nbsp;
It's been a disappointing season so far with the Raptors 23-28 and sitting in the 12th spot in the Eastern Conference. There is a lot of individual talent with Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, Fred VanVleet, O.G. Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr. but it was not worked on the court thus far.
<a href="https://theathletic.com/4136200/2023/01/30/nba-trade-deadline-rumors-raptors-bucks-suns-crowder/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>, vice chairman and president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster have told rival teams that "the franchise will make a decision about being a buyer or seller &ndash; or standing pat &ndash; near deadline day."
It has been widely believed that if the Raptors do become sellers, Trent and VanVleet are the players most likely to be moved with both eligible to become free agents in the offseason. There will be no shortage of teams interested in Anunoby if Toronto decides to move the versatile forward and he will command a huge price.
<a href="https://theathletic.com/4136200/2023/01/30/nba-trade-deadline-rumors-raptors-bucks-suns-crowder/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Charania adds</a> that the Knicks are willing to offer multiple first-round picks for Anunoby and the Suns &ndash; who control all eight of their first-round picks through 2030 &ndash; are another team that could be highly interested.
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The Raptors reportedly won't decide if they are buyers or sellers until closer to the Feb. 9 NBA trade deadline.

Report: Raptors still undecided on being sellers before trade deadline

The Milwaukee Bucks have reportedly been in pursuit of Jae Crowder since before this season but have yet to work out a deal with the Phoenix Suns.
With the Feb. 9 NBA trade deadline approaching, <a href="https://theathletic.com/4136200/2023/01/30/nba-trade-deadline-rumors-raptors-bucks-suns-crowder/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic reports</a> that the Suns have given the Bucks permission to meet with the veteran forward and Milwaukee is "believed to be the only team that has received permission to visit one-on-one with Crowder".
He adds that the teams have been in serious talks for months with current proposals involving Jordan Nwora, George Hill, Serge Ibaka and second-round picks. Both teams are trying to find a third team that could give the Suns a forward but so far, they've come up empty.
Several other teams, including the Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks, are also interested in Crowder <a href="https://theathletic.com/4136200/2023/01/30/nba-trade-deadline-rumors-raptors-bucks-suns-crowder/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Charania</a>.
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The Suns have reportedly given the Bucks permission to meet with Jae Crowder as trade talk for the veteran forward continues.

Suns give Bucks permission to meet with Jae Crowder

While Myles Turner has come up in trade rumors over the past few years, he isn't going anywhere for now.
<a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1619454876685336580" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski</a>, Turner and the Indiana Pacers have agreed on a two-year, $60 million contract extension that includes an additional $17.1 million renegotiation on his 2022-2023 salary.
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Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner has agreed on a two-year, $60M contract extension that includes an additional $17.1M renegotiation on his 2022-2023 salary, his agent Austin Brown of CAA Sports tells ESPN. <a href="https://t.co/17nSSwN14z">pic.twitter.com/17nSSwN14z</a>
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1619454876685336580?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Turner was set to become a free agent following the season. The Pacers were able to give him the additional $17 million in a renegotiation because the team was that far under the salary cap.&nbsp;
The 26-year-old center is averaging career-highs in points (17.5), rebounds (7.9), field goal percentage (54.4%) and three-point shooting (39.1%). He is a part of the young core in Indiana alongside third-year point guard Tyrese Haliburton and rookie guard Bennedict Mathurin.

Myles Turnes and the Indiana Pacers agree on a two-year, $60M extension.

Myles Turner, Pacers agree on two-year, $60 million extension

<a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1618299114999144450" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowsji and Baxter Holmes report</a> that billionaire mortgage lender <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/billionaire-mortgage-lender-mat-ishbia-finalizing-purchase-of-the-phoenix-suns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mat Ishbia's purchase of a majority stake in the Phoenix Suns and Mercury</a> at a $4B valuation is expected to become official in next two weeks. That would be in advance of the Feb. 9 NBA trade deadline.
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ESPN Reporting with <a href="https://twitter.com/Baxter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Baxter</a>: Billionaire mortgage lender Mat Ishbia's purchase of a majority stake in the Phoenix Suns and Mercury at a $4B valuation is expected to become official in next two weeks - w/ Ishbia assuming control prior to the Feb. 9 NBA trade deadline. Story soon.
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1618299114999144450?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Their reporting goes on to say that Ishbia is "eager to start his involvement with basketball operations, and expected to be a hands-on owner in matters of team building". One of his first orders of business regarding the roster will like be dealing with Jae Crowder who has been sitting out the final year of his season. The veteran is set to make $10.2M.
&nbsp;

Billionaire Mat Ishbia's majority purchase of the Phoenix Suns is expected to become official within the next two weeks.

Mat Ishbia's purchase of Suns expected to become official in next two weeks

The Milwaukee Bucks continue to hit with the injury bug as <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1618275155255463936" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic is reporting</a> that Bobby Portis will miss some time after suffering an MCL sprain in his right knee.
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Milwaukee Bucks' key F/C Bobby Portis has suffered an MCL sprain in his right knee and will miss some time, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Stadium</a>.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1618275155255463936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2023</a></blockquote>

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The Bucks have been dealing with injuries to key members of its team this season as Khris Middleton has only played in eight games following his return for a knee injury.&nbsp;
Portis has been a key role player for the team over the past few seasons and a great fit next to star Giannis Antetokounmpo on their front line. This season, Portis has averaged 14.4 points and 10.1 rebounds on almost 50% shooting.

The Bucks will be without big man Bobby Portis for some time as he deals with a sprained knee.

Bucks' Bobby Portis to miss time with sprained knee

Barring any setback in pregame, New Orleans Pelicans star Brandon Ingram will return Wednesday night versus the Minnesota Timberwolves after missing two months due to a big toe injury, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1618252096330993664" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>.
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After missing two months due to a big toe injury, New Orleans Pelicans star Brandon Ingram will return tonight vs. Timberwolves barring any setback in pregame, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Stadium</a>.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1618252096330993664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2023</a></blockquote>

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The 25-year-old has been limited to just 15 games this season due to injuries. When he has played, the standout wing averaged 20.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists on 47.2% shooting from the field.

All-Star forward Brandon Ingram is set to return for the New Orleans Pelicans after missing two months with a toe injury.

Brandon Ingram returning for Pelicans after being sidelined two months

Barring any setback during his pregame warmup, Los Angeles Lakers star big man Anthony Davis will return to the lineup Wednesday versus the San Antonio Spurs, <a href="https://twitter.com/mcten/status/1618122256626102273" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin</a>.
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L.A. Lakers star big man Anthony Davis will return to the lineup Wednesday vs. SAS, barring any setback during his pregame warmup, league sources told ESPN. He will be back in the lineup 5 1/2 weeks after suffering a fractured bone spur and stress reaction in his right foot
&mdash; Dave McMenamin (@mcten) <a href="https://twitter.com/mcten/status/1618122256626102273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Davis has missed the last 5 1/2 weeks after suffering a fractured bone spur and stress reaction in his right foot. <a href="https://twitter.com/mcten/status/1618122664232747011" target="_blank" rel="noopener">McMenamin adds</a> that Davis will be on a 20-24 minute restriction.
The Lakers have gone 10-10 since his absence including <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lebron-scores-46-points-with-9-3s-but-clippers-rout-lakers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tuesday night's 133-115 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers</a>. The Lakers are 22-26 on the season and sit in the 13th spot in the crowded Western Conference but are only 1.5 games out of the Play-In Tournament.
The team desperately needed to get its All-Star big man back who, prior to his injury, averaged 27.4 points and 2.1 blocks along with career bests in rebounds (12.1 per game) and field goal percentage (59.4%).
&nbsp;

Anthony Davis is set to return for the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night after missing 5 1/2 weeks with a foot injury.

Lakers' Anthony Davis to return Wednesday night

After being sidelined for eight months with a major knee injury, Danny Green will make his Memphis Grizzlies debut on Feb. 1 against the Portland Trail Blazers. Green made the announcement on his I<a href="https://t.co/5oZ0SmJcQs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nside The Green Room Podcast</a>.
Green torn both the anterior and cruciate ligaments in his left knee last May during the Eastern Conference semifinals while playing for the Philadelphia 76ers.&nbsp;
The 35-year-old not only brings three-point shooting and perimeter defense but also championship experience to a young, upstart Grizzlies team with championship hopes. Now in his 14th NBA season, Green has won three championships including with the San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, and Los Angeles Lakers.

Danny Green will make his Memphis Grizzlies debut on Feb. 1 after being sidelined for eight months with a major knee injury.

Danny Green to make Grizzlies debut after missing eight months

While Chris Paul is back in the lineup for the Phoenix Suns after missing seven games, he has missed 21 of their 48 games this season. Even when the 37-year-old has been healthy, his production has fallen to a career low 13.4 points per game on only 42.7% shooting.&nbsp;
All of this has the Suns to begin to look towards their future beyond Paul and, <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/nba-trade-deadline-latest-whispers-016" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Marc Stein on his Substack</a>, the team is looking at the Raptors' Fred VanVleet, the Knicks' Immanuel Quickley and the Hornets' Terry Rozier as possible trade targets.
Stein says that the all signs point to the Knicks not moving Quickley before the Feb. 9 trade deadline. Meanwhile, it's unclear as to what VanVleet's future is with the Raptors as he is headed towards free agency and the team struggling this season and is now 21-27 at the No. 11 spot in the Eastern Conference. However, Rozier is widedy considered to be available with the Hornets just 13-35, which is the third worst record in the league, and headed towards one of the top picks in the NBA draft.
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The Phoenix Suns are looking at a point guard before the NBA trade deadline as they look ahead to their future beyond Chris Paul.

Suns reportedly looking to add point guard before trade deadline

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday have been named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for Week 14 of the 2022-23 season (Jan. 16-22).
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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday have been named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for Week 14 of the 2022-23 season (Jan. 16-22). <a href="https://t.co/uyO9UhIFOX">pic.twitter.com/uyO9UhIFOX</a>
&mdash; NBA Communications (@NBAPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAPR/status/1617620694988165132?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2023</a></blockquote>

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In the Lakers four games over the past week, James averaged 35.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists with the team going 3.1. Holiday helped his team to a 2-1 record over three games last week where he averaged 33.3 points, 9.3 assists and 4.7 rebounds.&nbsp;

LeBron James of the Lakers and the Bucks' Jrue Holiday were named the NBA players of the week for week 14.

LeBron James, Jrue Holiday named NBA players of the week

The Washington Wizards have listed Kristaps Porzingis as week-to-week after suffering a sprained left ankle in their win versus the Orlando Magic on Saturday.
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Injury update: Kristaps Porzingis will be listed as week-to-week with a sprained left ankle. The injury originally occurred in the third quarter of the team&rsquo;s win over Orlando on January 21. <a href="https://t.co/xlobFnBwzl">pic.twitter.com/xlobFnBwzl</a>
&mdash; Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) <a href="https://twitter.com/WashWizards/status/1617562299707060225?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Porzingis is averaging 22.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 41 games this season.

Kristaps Porzingis will miss some time for the Washington Wizards and is week-to-week with a sprained left ankle.

Wizards' Kristaps Porzingis week-to-week with sprained ankle

Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac is expected to play in his first game since August 2020 on Monday night versus the Boston Celtics, <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1617219218155470849" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>.&nbsp;
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After missing over two NBA seasons, Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac is expected to make his return and season debut on Monday vs. Boston, source tells <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Stadium</a>.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1617219218155470849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Isaac tore the ACL in his left knee in August 2020 but had a setback during rehabilitation as he injured his right hamstring that required an additional surgery in March 2022. Earlier this month, he was able to work his way back to play with the Lakeland Magic, the Magic's G League affiliate.
The 25-year-old has only played 136 games after being taken with the 6th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. When has has played, the 6'10" forward has averaged 9.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game.

Jonathan Isaac is expected to play for the Orlando Magic on Monday after being sidelined for more than two seasons with injuries.

Magic's Jonathan Isaac expected to play Monday after missing two seasons

The Milwaukee Bucks and center Serge Ibaka have mutually agreed to find the 14-year NBA veteran a new home via trade as he remains away from the team <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1616469203954929664" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>.
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The Milwaukee Bucks and center Serge Ibaka have mutually agreed to find the 14-year NBA veteran a new home via trade as he remains away from the team, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Stadium</a>.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1616469203954929664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Ibaka has been away from the team for the last six games for personal reasons and it looks like he will stay away until a trade can be found.&nbsp;
The Bucks traded for the 33-year-old before last season's trade deadline and he averaged 7.0 points and 5.3 rebounds for Milwaukee during the regular season but he was not a part of their rotation in the post-season. This season, he has only appeared in 16 games and only putting up 4.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in less than 12 minutes per game.
The veteran big mane has dealt with back issues over the past few seasons which have greatly slowed him down from being the defensive presence around the rim that he once was.&nbsp;
<a href="https://twitter.com/IanBegley/status/1616272308200476672" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ian Begley of SNY.tv</a> had previous mentioned that the New York Knicks could be interested in adding Ibaka if they're looking to add frontcourt depth, especially with <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/knicks-mitchell-robinson-out-at-least-3-weeks-following-thumb-surgery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mitchell Robinson missing at least the next three weeks</a> following thumb surgery.
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With him no longer a part of Milwaukee's rotation, Serge Ibaka and the Bucks have agreed to find a trade for the veteran.

Bucks, Serge Ibaka agree to find trade

The San Antonio Spurs are signing center Gorgui Dieng to a second 10-day contract, <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1616464376092844034" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski</a>.
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The Spurs are signing C Gorgui Dieng to a second 10-day contract, sources tell ESPN.
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1616464376092844034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Dieng's first 10-day contract with the team on Tuesday night following their win over the Brooklyn Nets.
The Spurs waived him earlier this month after they received Noah Vonleh from the Boston Celtics in a trade simply to dump salary.&nbsp;
Once this second 10-day contract expires, the Spurs will have to decide either to sign him for the remainder of the season or let him go.&nbsp;
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Center Gorgui Dieng is back with the San Antonio Spurs, signing a second 1-0day contract.

Spurs signing Gorgui Dieng to second 10-day contract

<a href="https://twitter.com/MavsPR/status/1616170505979179008" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Dallas Mavericks announced Thursday</a> that Christian Wood has sustained a fracture of his left thumb. He suffered the injury in the second quarter of Wednesday night's game against the Atlanta Hawks and will be re-evaluated next week.
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The Dallas Mavericks announced today that Christian Wood has sustained a fracture of his left thumb. Wood will be re-evaluated next week. <a href="https://t.co/95exgxILBK">pic.twitter.com/95exgxILBK</a>
&mdash; Mavs PR (@MavsPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/MavsPR/status/1616170505979179008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Wood has been a big part of the Mavericks' rise up the Western Conference standings with the team now in the No. 5 spot with a 24-22 record. On the season, the big man is averaging 18.4 points and 8.4 rebounds.&nbsp;

Dallas Mavericks forward Christian Wood will miss at least a few games after fracturing his left thumb.

Mavericks lose Christian Wood for several games with fractured thumb

<a href="https://twitter.com/NY_KnicksPR/status/1616162803156410369" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Knicks announced on Thursday</a> that Mitchell Robinson underwent successful surgery to repair a fractured right thumb. He will be re-evaluated in three weeks.
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Mitchell Robinson underwent successful surgery today to repair his fractured right thumb at the Hospital for Special Surgery. He will be re-evaluated in three weeks.
&mdash; NY_KnicksPR (@NY_KnicksPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/NY_KnicksPR/status/1616162803156410369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2023</a></blockquote>

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The four-year center is averaging 7.2 points and 8.9 rebounds playing nearly 27 minutes per game this season.

The New York Knicks will be without center Mitchell Robinson for at least three weeks after he had surgery on his broken thumb.

Knicks' Mitchell Robinson out at least 3 weeks following thumb surgery

Looking back to the summer of 2022, it was deemed a foregone conclusion that the Los Angeles Lakers would trade Russell Westbrook before the 2022-23 NBA season began. The team had just missed the playoffs for the second time since LeBron James came to L.A., and the trio of Westbrook, James and Anthony Davis just wasn't clicking on the floor.
So rumors flew as to where Westbrook would be shipped off to and the price the Lakers would have to pay to jettison his bulky $47 million contract. Just before the season started, it looked like a deal was going to happen. According to reports, the Indiana Pacers were going to send Myles Turner and Buddy Hield to the Lakers for Westbrook and their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks. The Lakers even <a href="https://twitter.com/AnthonyIrwinLA/status/1572334141659828224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1572334141659828224%7Ctwgr%5E42d7893d3a33391e36a365478b2c60e8cb30e9d7%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Flakers-news-darvin-ham-rob-pelinka-press-conference-canceled-fans-speculate-trade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pushed back a media session</a> with vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka and new head coach Darvin Ham (perhaps because a deal was close?).
Then, it didn&rsquo;t happen.
Now, more than halfway into the season, the Lakers are struggling again with a 20-25 record and sitting at the No. 13 position in the Western Conference. Davis once again suffered an injury that has cost him a big chunk of the season, and the team is still dreadful at shooting from three-point range.
Which begs the question: Did the Lakers wait too long to make a move or is there still hope to improve this roster?
Hindsight is always 20/20. Still, it would have been a smart gamble to take on Turner and Hield, even at that high cost. Turner has blossomed, averaging career-highs in points (17.1) and rebounds (7.8) while still being a force defensively around the rim, ranking third in the league in blocks (2.4). Hield has always been a knockdown, volume shooter, connecting on 40.0% of his shots from three-point range in his career and he has upped that to 42.4% this season.
It's understandable that the Lakers are cautious about making any major moves following the Westbrook trade that gutted their roster of shooting and defense &mdash; both obvious needs. It hasn&rsquo;t totally backfired with Russ playing well in his role off the bench this season, but his bad decision-making and hero-ball ways in crunch time have cost the team at least a few wins.
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Laker fans groan as Russel Westbrook isolates for 10 seconds and turns it over <a href="https://t.co/Q5ucNN84Mp">pic.twitter.com/Q5ucNN84Mp</a>
&mdash; hoops bot (@hoops_bot) <a href="https://twitter.com/hoops_bot/status/1615939443348865024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2023</a></blockquote>

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As we&rsquo;re seeing it play out now, Westbrook's contract should have been used to acquire multiple role players before the season. Even if that meant trading both of those precious future first-round picks, they should've gone for it if the right deal was on the table. Indiana wasn&rsquo;t the only possible landing spot for Westbrook either, with Charlotte and San Antonio also showing some interest in the former MVP.
Imagine a Lakers squad that had proven role players to surround James and Davis. Well, we can. That&rsquo;s the 2020 championship team that included the likes of Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Danny Green. The formula is there, but the front office decided to blow it up.
Now the team has &mdash; again &mdash; banked on a roster filled with one-year players on prove-it, minimum-level deals. Sure, Dennis Schroder and Thomas Bryant have had moments, but both have come crashing down to earth over the past week. You can&rsquo;t depend on those players to put up reliable stats all season long.
Imagine this team with real depth and even a little bit more shooting. Some of those close losses &mdash; and there have been plenty of them &mdash; could have been wins. They can handle it better when Davis has to miss games due to injury. (Unfortunately, that&rsquo;s become a regular thing for him, especially over the past three seasons.) Maybe you could rest LeBron a little more and not put such a 36-minutes-per-game type of burden on his shoulders?
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There&rsquo;s a lot of "coulda, shoulda, woulda" with this Lakers season. But somehow, it&rsquo;s not too late.&nbsp;
The Western Conference is still tight with only three-and-a-half games separating the No. 13 spot and the No. 5 spot. With this kind of parity, that means one good winning streak can bolt a team up the standings quickly.&nbsp;
LeBron is still playing at an incredible level. Austin Reaves and Lonnie Walker &mdash; arguably the team&rsquo;s best role players &mdash; are close to a return after missing a few weeks. And Davis should be back before the end of January after being sidelined for over a month with a stress injury in his foot.
Their schedule is incredibly soft down the stretch. Starting March 1, 15 of their last 20 games are against teams that are currently at or below .500. &nbsp;There are plenty of wins available to make the playoffs. That should be the goal: get in the playoffs and see what happens.
But the team needs more. It&rsquo;s a seller&rsquo;s market with teams holding sky-high prices for players they're open to moving (you can thank Minnesota and the Rudy Gobert trade for that). Those demands should come down a little as the Feb. 9 trade deadline gets closer.
There are moves to be made for the Lakers.
Turner might not be available, but Hield could be, especially considering all of young, talented shooters the Pacers have. Take on Daniel Theis and his salary, and something could be there.
Giving up one of those aforementioned first-rounders to Detroit for Bojan Bogdanovic, who is having a career-year, and backup big Nerlens Noel? Sure.
What about a package from the Hornets including Terry Rozier and PJ Washington? Rozier is owed $48 million over the next two seasons, but that could help with the price of getting a deal done. (Plus, Charlotte is reportedly set on a rebuild, per The Athletic.)
Yes, it would mean the Lakers would be giving up their projected $30 million in cap space this offseason, but it would behoove the team to do something with Westbrook now, since he is on the books for $47 million &mdash; a net of $17 million more would be available to use for players that L.A. could lose come summertime.
The clock is ticking. The season is more than halfway over.
Does this Lakers front office want to bank on this current roster and risk missing the playoffs yet again, or will they dive into the deep end of the pool? Time will tell.

Brian Fritz explains that, in spite of the Lakers' inability to improve the roster over the summer, the team can still right the ship.

Despite an offseason failure, it's still not too late for the Lakers

The Washington Wizards have spoken with multiple teams centered around forward Rui Hachimura, according to <a href="https://theathletic.com/4103918/2023/01/18/wizards-rui-hachimura-trade-options/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania and Josh Robbins of The Athletic</a>.
Their sources say that the 24-year-old, who will become a restricted free agent in July, has drawn interest from "several Western Conference teams in need of scoring".&nbsp;
Meanwhile, the Wizards continue to get plenty of interest in Kyle Kuzma around the league but the team still hopes to keep him long-term. If the Wizards trade Hachimura, it would help their rotation at the forward spots and also put the team in a better position financially going forward, especially with trying to re-sign Kuzma.
Hachimura has dealt with injuries in each of his four seasons in the league, including 16 games this season. However, he has played well when healthy, averaging 12.9 points and 4.4 rebounds. He's making $6.26M this season and will eligible for a qualifying offer of nearly $8M for next season.
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The Washington Wizards are reportedly exploring trade options for forward Rui Hachimura ahead of the NBA trade deadline.

Wizards considering possible Rui Hachimura trades

The New York Knicks continue to shop forward Cam Reddish and <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/sources-reddish-trade-talks-intensify" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marc Stein writes on his Substack</a> that the team is determined to find him a new home before the NBA's Feb. 9 trade deadline. Reddish has fallen out of head coach Tom Thibodeau's rotation and hasn't played since Dec. 3.
The Knicks traded for Reddish last January and included a 2022 first-round pick in the deal with the Atlanta Hawks. Stein now says that the Knicks are only looking for a second-round pick and contract to match his salary with Reddish making nearly $6M this season.
Among the teams that have shown the most interest in the 6-foot-8 swingman are the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks. <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/sources-reddish-trade-talks-intensify" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stein writes</a> that New York would want Reddish in a deal who is a Thibodeau favorite but he is also held in high regard by the Mavericks.
In his four NBA seasons, the 23-year-old Reddish has averaged 10.2 points and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 32.3% from three-point range.&nbsp;
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The trade talks surrounding New York Knicks forward Cam Reddish are reportedly heating up before the NBA trade deadline.

Report: Cam Reddish trade talks heat up

The Charlotte Hornets are expected to listen to offers for veteran point guard Terry Rozier ahead of the Feb. 9 NBA trade deadline, <a href="https://theathletic.com/4098049/2023/01/17/nba-trade-deadline-poeltl-collins-vanvleet-shams/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writes Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>.
The Hornets have struggled all season, partially due to LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward missing nearly half of their games this season, and are 11-34 (which is the worst record in the Eastern Conference).
The 28-year-old Rozier is a steady hand at point guard and is leading the Hornets in scoring, averaging 20.8 points while adding 4.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists. However, his shooting has been down this season, with him connecting on just 41.2% of his shots (including 32.4% from three-point range).
He also comes with a cost, as he has three years remaining on a four-year, $97 million deal.

The struggling Charlotte Hornets are expected to listen to offers for point guard Terry Rozier ahead of the NBA trade deadline.

Report: Hornets expected to listen to trade offers for Terry Rozier

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is now just the second player in NBA history to surpass 38,000 career points.&nbsp;
James passed the record with 5:41 left in the first quarter during the Lakers' Sunday night game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
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HISTORY MADE 👑 LeBron James becomes only the second player in NBA history to score 38,000 career points. <a href="https://t.co/uqLckZ9LY0">pic.twitter.com/uqLckZ9LY0</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1614818304052412416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2023</a></blockquote>

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The 38-year-old James, now playing in his 20th season, is closing in on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA's all-time leading scorer. Abdul-Jabbar holds the record with 38,387 points.
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With a first-quarter jumper, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James became just the second NBA player to score 38,000 career points.

LeBron James passes 38,000 career points

Plenty of teams around the NBA are interested in adding a center as the Feb. 9 trade deadline approaches.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that one center who's drawing plenty of interest is San Antonio Spurs big man Jakob Poeltl.&nbsp;
Wojnarowski says that Poeltl could be one of the "pivotal players" moved at the deadline, and that the Spurs could see some "real significant offers" for the big man.
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The Spurs can only give Poeltl a four-year, $58 million extension right now, but the free agent-to-be will get more than that in the offseason.
Woj adds that the Spurs like Poeltl and would like to keep him, even if they win the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes, but they could move him if an overwhelming offer comes. Poeltl is drawing interest from contenders looking to upgrade their frontcourt.&nbsp;
The 27-year-old is averaging 11.9 points and 9.5 rebounds on 62.4% shooting this season.

The San Antonio Spurs are receiving plenty of interest from contenders in center Jakob Poeltl ahead of the trade deadline.

Spurs' Jakob Poeltl drawing plenty of trade interest

The Washington Wizards are one of the teams that could be active come the Feb. trade deadline with others around the league wondering if the team will look to unload some players.
While Kyle Kuzma's name has come up the most, the Wizards have also been receiving calls about Will Barton <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10061547-nba-insider-notebook-jae-crowder-confused-and-hurt-by-situation-in-phoenix" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writes Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report</a>.
Barton is struggling in his first year in Washington, shooting a career-worst 37.5% and has recently fallen out of Wes Unseld Jr.'s rotation.&nbsp;
The 32-year-old is on an expiring $14.4 million deal and <a href="https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2023/01/wizards-notes-hachimura-goodwin-davis-barton.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic's Josh Robbins</a> recently mentioned Barton has a possible buyout candidate following the trade deadline.
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The Washington Wizards have reportedly been receiving calls from teams interested in Will Barton ahead of the NBA trade deadline.

Wizards receiving calls for Will Barton

The Los Angeles Lakers continue to look around the league and guage the trade market. One player the team has been linked to for months is Detroit Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic.&nbsp;
In an <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2023/01/13/nba-trade-deadline-teams-to-watch-lakers-wizards-jazz-raptors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article discussing the trade market, Howard Beck of Sports Illustrated</a> mentions that "the Lakers and Pistons have discussed a deal that would include both Bogdanović and Nerlens Noel".
The Pistons have shown reluctance to move Bogdanovic unless they get at least an unprotected first-round pick. The 33-year-old is having a banner year, averaging 21.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists shooing 48.7% from the field and 41.5% from three-point range.
Noel has been out of the Pistons rotation with the team giving playing time to young centers Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart. The Lakers have been looking for another big man and recently worked out <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lakers-to-work-out-former-allstar-demarcus-cousins" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DeMarcus Cousins</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/center-meyers-leonard-to-work-out-for-lakers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Meyers Leonard</a>.
While previous talks between the teams had the Lakers including Patrick Beverley and Kendrick Nunn in a deal, the numbers wouldn't work with Noel's $9.24M salary unless LA also included three players on minimum contract.&nbsp;
The team could instead send Russell Westbrook and his $47.1M salary in a deal but the Pistons would have to add more players to match salaries.

The Lakers have reportedly spoken to the Pistons about a trade for both sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic and Nerlens Noel.

Lakers, Pistons have talked Bogdanovic, Noel deal

The Brooklyn Nets are signing G League Sioux Falls guard Dru Smith to a two-way NBA contract, sources <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1613931895548526594" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tell Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>. Smith has played five games for the Heat this season and is averaging 18 points, 6.9 assists and 5.6 rebounds in G League.
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The Brooklyn Nets are signing G League Sioux Falls guard Dru Smith to a two-way NBA contract, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Stadium</a>. Smith has played five games for the Heat this season and is averaging 18 points, 6.9 assists and 5.6 rebounds in G League.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1613931895548526594?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2023</a></blockquote>

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The Brooklyn Nets are signing G League Sioux Falls guard Dru Smith to a two-way NBA contract.

League Sioux Falls guard Dru Smith signing two-way deal with Nets

<a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1613918572480266240" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports</a> that the Atlanta Hawks are finalizing a deal to make Kyle Korver their assistant general manger.
The 41-year-old was already working within the organization as director of player affairs/development.
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ESPN Sources: The Hawks are finalizing a deal to make Kyle Korver an assistant general manager. Korver moves up in the front office under GM Landry Fields after several months as the franchise&rsquo;s director of player affairs/development. Korver was a 2015 All-Star with Atlanta.
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1613918572480266240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2023</a></blockquote>

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The Hawks' front office has changed quite a bit lately, as Travis Schlenk recently stepped down as the team's president of basketball operations and Landry Fields was promoted to general manager. Promoting Korver is one of Fields' first big moves since taking over the front office.
Korver played in the NBA for 17 seasons (including five years with the Hawks), with career averages of 9.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 threes per game. The former All-Star was known as one of the best shooters in the league, as he shot 42.9% from three-point range over the course of his NBA career.&nbsp;

The Atlanta Hawks are finalizing a deal to make Kyle Korver assistant general manager as part of their reshaped front office.

Atlanta Hawks promote Kyle Korver to assistant general manager

Even with <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/anthony-davis-begins-ramp-up-process-could-play-for-lakers-in-few-weeks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anthony Davis ramping up towards a return</a>, the Los Angeles Lakers are still looking to add to its frountcourt and will work out center Meyers Leonard on Friday, <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1613662909300613120" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>.
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Free agent center Meyers Leonard will work out for the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Stadium</a>.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1613662909300613120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Leonard last played in the NBA during the 2020-21 season with the Miami Heat. That season, he was fined $50,000 by the league for an anti-Semetic slur during a live video stream while playing a video game. Just a week later, he was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder but was never an active part of the roster.
He quickly apologized for his comment and began working with the Jewish community in South Florida to help learn more about the damage he has done and further educate himself.
The nine-year veteran averaged 5.6 points and 3.9 rebounds during his career.

The Lakers will work out center Meyers Leonard on Friday as part of their search for more size in its frontcourt.

Center Meyers Leonard to work out for Lakers

The <a href="https://twitter.com/Pacers/status/1613653415242108928" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indiana Pacers announced</a> that Tyrese Haliburton suffered a left elbow sprain and a mild left knee bone contusion in their loss to the New York Knicks on Wednesday night.
He underwent an MRI on Thursday afternoon and is awaiting additional opinions on the results of those scans. Haliburton will be re-evaluated in approximately two weeks.
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Tyrese Haliburton suffered a left elbow sprain and a mild left knee bone contusion last night. He underwent an MRI this afternoon and is awaiting additional opinion on the results of those scans. He will be re-evaluated in approximately two weeks.<a href="https://t.co/YbNSaIZwKt">https://t.co/YbNSaIZwKt</a>
&mdash; Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pacers/status/1613653415242108928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2023</a></blockquote>

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The third-year guard is having a breakout season for the Pacers, averaging 20.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 10.2 assists while helping lead the team to a 23-19 record and the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference.
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Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton will miss at least two weeks after suffering a left elbow sprain and a mild left knee bone contusion.

Tyrese Haliburton out at least two weeks with knee, elbow injuries

One of the surprises of this season has been the play of the Indiana Pacers.
Heading into the season, most thought that the Pacers would struggle and be in contention for one of the top picks in the 2023 NBA Draft. Instead, the Pacers' young core has performed well-above expections with a 23-19 record, putting them in the 7th spot in the Eastern Conference.
<a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/pacers-accelerated-timeline-may-have-them-looking-to-improve-at-trade-deadline-154008427.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports</a> is reporting that "there&rsquo;s indeed a growing sense among rival teams that Indiana will search for upgrades ahead of the Feb. 9 trade deadline," and the team is focused on finding an upgrade at power forward.
The Pacers have three first-round picks in the upcoming draft: their own, Cleveland's (as part of last year's Caris LeVert trade) and Boston's (from the Malcolm Brogdon trade over the summer).
In addition to draft capital, the team seems willing to include 25-year-old guard Chris Duarte in a trade.
One player of interest is Hawks power forward John Collins. Indiana has had internal discussions about pursuing the power forward, <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/pacers-accelerated-timeline-may-have-them-looking-to-improve-at-trade-deadline-154008427.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Fischer</a>.
Fischer adds that PJ Washington of the Hornets may also a target for the Pacers, and he could be a more "cost-effective solution" since he will be a free agent this offseason.
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The surprising Indiana Pacers are now expected to be buyers as the NBA trade deadline approaches.

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