With just a few weeks until the February 5 trade deadline, there’s a lot of smoke in the trade discussions, but also some fire. Here’s the latest on some of the key names.
Jonathan Kuminga
Starting today (January 15), Jonathan Kuminga can be traded – and he demanded it, reports Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of ESPN.
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Kuminga demanding a trade is like a sixth grader saying he likes KPop Demon Hunters – everyone already thought that was the case.
What we do know is that a deal is not imminent. Part of the problem is that Steve Kerr has barely played in Kuminga this season – he hasn’t touched the court in 13 games – has damaged the Warriors’ clout. While the Warriors claim they could simply hold onto Kuminga until the summer when he becomes an expiring contract that would interest more teams, no one thinks they’ll actually do that, which is echoed by a report from The Athletic.
Sacramento, which has long been fascinated by Kuminga and his potential, remains in the mix for his services, but the offer of Malik Monk and a protected top-12 first-round pick put on the table last summer is no longer available, reports The Athletic (Monk’s trade value is up, Kuminga’s is down since this offer). The ESPN story also mentions Dallas as a potential landing spot.
The Golden State Warriors have spoken with the Lakers, who are interested in Kuminga, reports The Athletic. However, there’s not a lot of traction there (Gabe Vincent and Maxi Kleber for Kuminga are working under the CBA, but the Warriors want players who can help them win now and can shrug at this offer; why would the Lakers trade something of real value to take a flyer if Kuminga can fit next to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves?).
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The key is that Golden State doesn’t want to get back long-term money or bad contracts in a deal, but they want players who can help now. That said, the Warriors may ultimately have to accept a deal they don’t like, as it’s clear both sides are more than ready to move on. something Tony Jones discusses at The Athletic. He also explains why Kuminga and Warriors coach Steve Kerr have simply never been on the same page.
“There are several reasons why Golden State is eager to get him out of the building. He doesn’t want to play a role. He wants to be a star, which is understandable because that’s how you get paid a lot of money. But his self-awareness in that sense is non-existent.
“He’s not a ball-in-hand player. At this stage of his career, he’s a power forward who can make some shots and put the ball on the floor to attack the closeouts. Kerr wants him to leverage his athleticism and play on the gravity created by Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler. Attacking spaces. Moving without the ball. Finishing at the rim. Most importantly, defending with energy. He doesn’t do those things, and that’s fine. What he needs to understand is that the Warriors wouldn’t stop him from doing these things if he proved he could do them. He hasn’t, and he hasn’t figured that out yet.
The team trading for Kuminga is essentially betting on the 6’7″ winger’s athleticism and potential to break through in a different system – that he can still be the guy who (as Charania noted) averaged 24.3 points on 55.6 percent shooting in the final four games of the Warriors’ second-round loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves last May. The team trading for him can either choose player option for next year and see how things go, or do a new deal (which would probably be shorter because it. has prove itself).
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Jacques Morant
It’s the worst-kept secret in the league at this point: Ja Morant wants to go to Miami, something that has been reported multiple times and in multiple places. You can add to this the report that Morant bought a house in Miami to the list of reasons why that could happen (although a number of non-Heat players have offseason homes in the city).
Miami and Memphis have had “preliminary discussions,” but the talks “have not intensified.” reports Anthony Chiang at the Miami Herald.
Morant and his team of advisors are meeting this week in Europe (where the Grizzlies play games in Berlin and London) to discuss the situation and the path forward. Yahoo Sports’ Kelly Iko Explained why Morant and his camp are pushing for Miami.
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“The Heat have always been considered one of the most thorough and structured organizations in the NBA, a major aspect of development that appeals to Morant, who has missed 34 games due to various suspensions. Morant also has a deep respect for Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, who also leads Team USA; Morant wants to represent his country at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The presence of a Miami veteran is an added selling point and something that Morant is dreaming.”
Two thoughts on the Heat and Morant, both discussed here before. First, Miami isn’t giving up much to take this roll of the dice on Morant. The trade will almost certainly include Terry Rozier’s contract (while he remains federally indicted), and could include Simone Fontecchio or Davion Mitchel, and perhaps a pick. Or it could be Rozier and Tyler Herro for Morant and Ty Jerome. The question is: are these deals acceptable to the Heat?
Second, regarding Heat culture, it doesn’t change. Players come in and adapt to it or switch off and get swapped again (or let go). Morant will have to prove he can fit in, the system doesn’t bend to him.
This whole saga still gives off the impression that Memphis has a profession to fall back on, he’s just trying to find a better one. Toronto remains a team to watch, with Immanuel Quickley’s salary being the big key, reports Marc Stein of The Stein Line.
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Anthony Davis
THE strange saga of Anthony Davis and reports of hand surgery On Wednesday – a report from ESPN that he was going to have surgery, which Davis immediately denied, and the Mavericks came out later in the day and said he would not have surgery but would be re-evaluated in six weeks – raised some eyebrows around the league for that reason:
It looked like someone was pulling the levers to ensure Davis would be traded before the deadline.
Which brings us to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, who said on the Hoop Collective podcast that Davis’ agent, Rich Paul, is working hard to get the big man out of Dallas and into a new home before February 5th.
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“It’s very clear that Rich Paul, who represents Anthony Davis, wants Anthony Davis to be traded before the deadline – and why would he want that? Because he thinks it’s in his best business interest. Because he accepted the Mavericks’ ‘We’ll see’ about an extension as a ‘no.’ And there are teams where Rich Paul clearly considers it likely that AD will get the kind of extension he’s looking for when he becomes eligible in August.
“The Mavericks were going to explore the trade market anyway and they have. It’s ongoing. They don’t feel obligated to trade Anthony Davis. They tell me and anyone who will listen to me that they’re not trading AD just to make a deal… They insist they’ll only make a deal that makes sense to them. And what exactly that threshold is isn’t clear. But it’s a draft combination of compensation, promising young talents and financial relief in the form of expired salaries.
“‘Rich Paul is not going to intimidate us.’ That’s a direct quote from a member of the Mavericks organization… A third source: (owner Patrick Dumont) has no problem going into next year and seeing, with a healthy Kyrie (Irving) and a healthy AD, alongside Cooper Flagg, and seeing what that looks like.
Dumont realized too late the mistake he made with the Luka Dončić trade – perhaps not the question “why would you trade him?” » but the part about opening the process to the market, patience and position of strength. He learned his lesson and applies it to Davis’ business process.
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An Anthony Davis trade still feels like it will be part of a blockbuster offseason, but not at the deadline.
Other trade rumors
• Even though Michael Porter Jr. is considered the player most likely to be traded at the deadline, the Brooklyn Nets have negotiated through the media with Brian Lewis of the New York Post reporting that Brooklyn is willing to be patient while waiting for the right deal, and that includes holding on to it past the deadline. Everyone’s wondering right now: As we get closer to the February 5 deadline, trade deals will become a lot more real.
• Golden State has been linked to Michael Porter Jr., but the sides haven’t spoken in over a month, and there isn’t much interest from the Warriors, reports Shams Charania and Anthony Slater at ESPN.
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• The Warriors are interested in Trey Murphy III, but the Pelicans continue to fend off calls for him or Herbert Jones at the deadline.
• Indiana is looking for a big man and has called Atlanta about Onyeka Okongwu, Dallas about Daniel Gafford, the LA Clippers about the LA Clippers’ Ivica Zubac and New Orleans about Yves Missi, Marc Stein reports.
• The Orlando Magic are calling out teams looking to trade backup point guard Tyus Jones for second-round draft capital, Stein tells The Stein Line. While Jones may not fit as hoped for the Magic, he could be a very good roll of the dice by another team.
