We’ve had one big trade — Trae Young going to the Wizards — and now another big name is available at the deadline in Ja Morant (for the latest on him, click here). Let’s break down the latest rumors.
Pelicans standing pat
There are a number of teams interested in Pelicans’ wings Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III, but not at a return that decision maker Joe Dumars and the Pelicans consider fair, so they are taking their ball and going home, reports NBA insider Chris Haynes.
Two thoughts. First, this is a classic “we’re walking away from the negotiating table” tactic to encourage better offers. Maybe those come, maybe they don’t, but the Pelicans are not done talking. Second, there was zero chance that Derik Queen or Jeremiah Fears are now or were ever available via trade.
Anthony Davis
In the wake of trading away Trae Young, the Atlanta Hawks gave themselves more financial flexibility to go after an Anthony Davis trade, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports. The Hawks didn’t want the massive contracts of Young and Davis on the books at the same time, according to the report, but now Young is out the door for an expiring contract in CJ McCollum, giving the Hawks more flexibility.
Atlanta has been the most aggressive suitor for an Anthony Davis trade. Should they be? Should the Hawks go after Davis?
I just do not like the fit. Let’s stipulate that, when healthy, Davis is a top-15-20 player in the league who impacts the game on both ends of the court. He just had 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Mavericks last night and — again, when healthy — would boost the Hawks frontcourt.
But he is a 32-year-old with a lengthy injury history — he has played 65+ games once in the previous eight seasons and has missed 18 games already this season — who is owed $58 million next season, has a $62 million player option for the season after that, and is looking for a contract extension.
Atlanta is now what every team in the league is striving to be — long, athletic, young and versatile. And, they are going to end up with a very high draft pick next June in a very deep draft, courtesy of the New Orleans Pelicans. The rest of the Hawks’ core is young. Jalen Johnson should be an All-Star this season and is 24, Dyson Daniels is 22, Zaccharie Risacher is 20, and the “old man” of the group is Nickeil Alexander-Walker at 27.
Adding Davis, who will be 33 next season when the Hawks want to make a push and become a threat in the East, changes that dynamic — and how many wins does he really bring with him? Atlanta would need Davis to play the five, but he famously does not want to do that full-time and prefers to play at the four.
If Atlanta wants to make this trade, it cannot aggregate CJ McCollum or Corey Kispert into it under the terms of the CBA. That means the trade would have to center on returning Kristaps Porziņģis to Dallas, plus adding the 2024 No. 1 overall pick, Risacher, and Luke Kennard. Atlanta has reportedly been adamant that it does not want to include Risacher in a trade for Davis.
Atlanta should get out of the Davis market, look for a point guard such as Coby White who might be available (or other players on the margins), and, this off-season, look for a star player on the timeline of their other talent. Trading away Young to bring in Davis feels like a lateral move.
Dallas may get to see what Davis, Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving look like playing together after all, with any major roster changes on hold until the summer.
Jonathan Kuminga
Going back to last offseason, the Sacramento Kings have been the team most often linked to a Kuminga trade. It makes some sense, the Kings are simply in need of more young talent and taking a flier on Kuminga — hoping a new setting will help him thrive — is not a bad roll of the dice.
The challenge? Golden State doesn’t like what Sacramento has to offer, reports Sam Amick at The Athletic.
Yet because the Warriors have shown no interest in the Kings’ many available veterans, a third team likely will be required to get something done. There’s this key development, too: While the Kings offered a protected 2030 first-round pick and Monk when they tried to land Kuminga via sign-and-trade in the summer, league sources say the first-round pick is no longer in play.
The Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards also have “all have different levels of interest” in Kuminga, reports Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area.
Kuminga can be traded as of Jan. 15, but don’t expect an immediate deal once the restrictions are off. Nothing seems particularly close to happening at this point.
Domantas Sabonis
While we are talking about the Kings’ trades, Domantas Sabonis continues to be linked to the Toronto Raptors, a team known to be looking for a center, reports Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. Just a reminder that the current Kings general manager, Scott Perry, drafted both RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley when he was with the Knicks.
New York Knicks
While the Knicks may have lost 4-of-5, don’t expect that to push them toward a major trade or shaking up this roster. What owner James Dolan said in a rare interview reportedly is the thinking internally at Madison Square Garden — they like their team as it is and their chances of making the NBA Finals. Here is what James L. Edwards III wrote at The Athletic.
“Per league sources, before this skid, any move the Knicks made — if they made one at all — would be around the margins.”
Don’t expect that to change unless this slump — and the team’s struggling defense — continues. Then all bets are off.
