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Trade Deadline buzz: Bojan Bogdanovic headed to Washington Wizards

Check out the latest rumors from around the NBA as the trade deadline nears

NBA.com Staff

There’s less than 24 hours to go until the NBA trade deadline strikes. As teams close in on that 3 p.m. Thursday deadline, chatter and rumors are on the rise.

Who’s garnering interest from whom? Which deals are waiting official approval from the league? Who’s making a deal for the stretch run of 2017 … or for their future?

We’ll keep you informed all day long …

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The Wizards have reportedly added scoring to their bench, according to The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Nets will receive a 2017 first-round pick and two players in return:

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Jahlil Okafor is trying to wait and see what happens next in Philadelphia. “Obviously everybody knows the deadline is coming up tomorrow and I’m one of the guys who could potentially be traded,” he said.

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Carmelo Anthony continues to pop up in rumors around the league. But he’s not nervous about a surprise deal, thanks to a no trade clause in his contract:

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Stan Van Gundy doesn’t see a pressing need for the Pistons as the deadline nears writes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.

The question was whether the Pistons would target shooting at Thursday’s trade deadline. Stan Van Gundy’s answer sounded more like the ruminations of a team president who analyzed his roster over the All-Star break and told his head coach he had everything he needed already on board.

That Van Gundy represents both sides of that equation pushes the likelihood of the Pistons making a significant trade into the category of “statistically irrelevant.” Oh, sure. Somebody could bowl them over with an offer straight out of “The Godfather” playbook – too good to refuse. Other than that …

“Even though we’re three games under .500, I still like our roster. I don’t think there’s really a significant hole,” Van Gundy said. “We’ve just got to play better.”

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If this one came true between the Blazers and Bucks, it would shake up the NBA futures market considerably …

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Another day, another cryptic tweet from Celtics star Isaiah Thomas?

https://twitter.com/Isaiah_Thomas/status/834478524933091328

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The Cavs have heard a lot of Iman Shumpert offers, but none of them are quite what they’re looking for, writes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com:

The Cavs have drawn plenty of interest in guard Iman Shumpert has a potential trade piece, but the team is not interested in any offer its received.

Numerous teams have inquired about Shumpert, including the Houston Rockets, who now need a perimeter defender after trading Corey Brewer to the Lakers for Lou Williams Monday.

But a league source said the Cavs didn’t like what the Rockets are offering for Shumpert.

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A source said neither the Cavs nor Rockets had discussed Patrick Beverley. ESPN reported that the Rockets don’t want to trade him, and also initially reported Houston’s interest in him.

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Among the teams who’ve shown interest in Shumpert are the Minnesota Timberwolves.

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“Let me first be extremely clear: Paul Millsap is not going to be traded and Paul Millsap is absolutely our priority in re-signing him with the Atlanta Hawks.” – Atlanta GM Wes Wilcox

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Washington is two games out of the No. 2 seed and five games behind Cleveland for No. 1 …

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If the Rockets are thinking about making more trades, it seems Patrick Beverley is a player many teams want (but Beverley may not actually be obtainable)…

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Fresh off his fourth All-Star appearance, Paul George’s place on the trade market is being gauged, writes Adrian Wojnarowsk of The Vertical:

The Indiana Pacers are gauging the trade market on All-Star forward Paul George, league sources told The Vertical.

The Pacers are working the trade deadline on parallel fronts: Pursuing deals that will bring talent into Indiana to sell George on signing a long-term extension – and soliciting deal offers on George that would signal a rebuild around center Myles Turner, league sources told The Vertical.

Ultimately, the Pacers will have to evaluate the two paths and make a decision before Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET deadline. There’s no urgency to make a deal for George, unless the Pacers fear the Boston Celtics could ultimately provide Indiana the best possible package of assets in a deal – and think that option could disappear if Boston makes a deal with Chicago for Jimmy Butler.

And according to USA Today’s Sam Amick, George delivered a qualifier to Pacers ownership over the weekend:

Paul George wants to stay in Indiana.

But like so many things this time of year, when the phones are ringing off the hook in NBA offices as the trade deadline nears, the situation between the four-time All-Star and his Indiana Pacers is racked with nuance. So when George met with team owner Herb Simon in recent days and told him that the Hoosier state was still the place for him, how he would love nothing more than to eventually go down as the greatest Pacer of them all, it came with one qualifier.

If they can contend for a title.

According to a person with knowledge of the meeting who spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, that is the crossroads that Pacers president Larry Bird now faces. If the Thursday deadline comes and goes and the Pacers roster remains the same, the pressure rises in a significant way.

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Carmelo Anthony holds the no-trade clause in his contract and plans to rest easy over the next 24 or so hours …

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Some updates from Knicks-land regarding Derrick Rose and his backup, Brandon Jennings …

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More chatter from Houston, where the Rockets may have their eye on the Cavs’ Iman Shumpert …

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The Thunder made a trade in the early weeks of 2016-17, but can they swing another one before Thursday’s deadline?

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Houston reportedly landed Lou Williams from the Lakers yesterday and is ready to make another move it seems …

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Long read on how some trades come together in the NBA …

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The Warriors have a clear item to work on — and it likely can’t be fixed with a trade, writes Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group …

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Worth noting from Mike Prada of SBNation.com about why so many teams want Jae Crowder back in deals with Boston …

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The Cavs are closing in on keeping Derrick Williams around for another 10 days …

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This one’s from last night, but worth noting as today moves along and the Wizards have eyes on a big playoff run …

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The Cleveland Cavaliers are ramping up for the stretch run by taking a look at former standout defensive big man Larry Sanders …

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WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED FROM OVERNIGHT …

Report: Celtics plan to go big (or not go at all) at deadline — The Boston Celtics are in a position perhaps no other team in the NBA can match at the deadline. They are flush with young, trade-able players as well as veterans on salary cap-friendly deals and, oh yeah, have a potential future lottery pick to trade as well in the 2017 Draft. That means Boston could very much be a buyer at the deadline — or it could just as easily sit pat, writes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald:

The Celtics are perfectly capable of pulling off one or more trades that would make them a more interesting regular-season rival for Cleveland, and even give themselves a puncher’s chance in any postseason series.

But those kind of moves would essentially be a fast-food fix and leave them undernourished for the long-term stay at the top that they seek. And president of basketball operations Danny Ainge seems profoundly unwilling to risk the latter for the former.

Multiple league sources continue to tell the Herald that while the Celts are actively seeking a top-tier player by tomorrow’s trade deadline (Jimmy Butler, Paul George, etc.), they would be satisfied using the first-round picks from the Nets this year and next in a longer-term (but potentially more lasting) build.

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“I think a lot of teams have gone after Danny hoping to throw good veterans at him and hope that he’ll give up some of those big assets, but from everything I’ve seen and heard, he’s not doing that unless he gets a real star back,” one league exec said. “If Chicago or Indiana opens up for business, then I wouldn’t be surprised if Boston gets involved big. But I also wouldn’t be surprised if they sit tight or make a small move and wait for the draft if no one they really want is available.”

The word yesterday is that the Bulls and Pacers are not going to part with Butler or George, respectively. That could change at some point before the deadline, and if so, the Celtics would jump into the bidding. But those possibilities have not been looking good of late.

The same is the case with Detroit and center Andre Drummond. Most general managers believe the Pistons expressed a willingness to discuss him simply to gauge the marketplace. And his price tag would have been extremely high.

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So unless a trade this week makes sense for multiple seasons, or could set up another move that would, the Celtics seem fine with letting Thursday pass quietly, if necessary.

But while the Celtics may have eyes for Butler and George, Bulls and Pacers are reportedly refuting talk that those players are available in trades.

Via the Chicago Tribune’s K.C. Johnson on Butler:

But the Bulls are fully prepared to remain competitive in a fluid Eastern Conference with their best player staying put.

The Bulls, a source said, won’t even entertain a Celtics’ offer that doesn’t include their 2017 Nets’ first-round pick, which could be the top overall selection in a strong draft.

Given that the Bulls and Celtics exchanged various proposals centered around Butler last June that featured three to four assets as the price, it’s logical to assume the Bulls would need at least two more assets on top of the Nets’ first-round pick even to begin the internal debate process. Jae Crowder, Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley were players involved in last June’s talks, the Tribune reported at the time, along with the No. 3 overall pick and possibly another first-round selection.

Even if the Celtics pushed such chips to the center of the table before Thursday’s deadline, it’s unknown how the Bulls would react. The internal debate last June on whether to trade Butler was spirited, and Butler’s game has risen to another level since.

And here’s the Indianapolis Star’s Nate Taylor on George:

The Indiana Pacers are eager to make a move before Thursday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline to improve the team’s roster.

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Don’t expect a blockbuster. Multiple sources told IndyStar the Pacers would not consider any trade discussion that involved Paul George.

The Pacers also do not plan to move Jeff Teague, their starting point guard, or Myles Turner, their 20-year-old phenom center.

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Rose not sweating trade rumors — New York Knicks point guard Derrick Rose was dealt suddenly last summer by the Chicago Bulls in a trade few saw coming. He’s had a solid season in terms of pure stats (17.7 ppg, 4.5 apg) so far in New York, but trade talks involving him and the Minnesota Timberwolves picked up yesterday and don’t seem to be dying down. Barbara Barker of Newsday reports on how Rose is trying to remain stoic in the face of trade talk:

Derrick Rose used the edge of his jersey to wipe the sweat from his forehead after practice Tuesday. He was equally as practical and matter of fact when it came to dealing with questions about reports that the Knicks are talking about trading him to the Timberwolves.

“I hadn’t heard anything about it until I came back here,” Rose said after his first practice since the All-Star break. “Like I said before, you never know what is going to happen. You’ve got to be a professional about it. Whatever it is, I’ll be prepared.”

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Rose said he likes New York and is happy playing where he is.

“I love it here, but it’s not up to me. It’s up to the front office,” he said. “I don’t have a problem with the coaching staff. I don’t have a problem with my teammates. I love it here, like I said, but this is a business.”

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Reports: Jazz interested in reunion with D-Will — Point guard Deron Williams arguably had the best moments in his career as a member of the Utah Jazz from 2006-11. In that span, he made two of his three career All-Star Game appearances, played in 44 of his 72 career playoff games and was widely regarded as one of the league’s top point guards. Williams now resides with the Dallas Mavericks and according to both ESPN.com’s Tim MacMahon and Marc Stein as well as the The Salt Lake Tribune’s Tony Jones, the Jazz may be interested in acquiring D-Will once again.

Here’s what ESPN.com has to say about the trade chatter:

The Utah Jazz have expressed interest in reacquiring former All-Star guard Deron Williams via trade from the Dallas Mavericks, according to league sources.

No deal appeared imminent Tuesday night, sources told ESPN, but Utah has registered its interest in bringing Williams back to his original team, with Dallas open to making both Williams and center Andrew Bogut available to other teams in advance of Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET trade deadline.

Williams can’t be traded without his consent, thanks to his one-year, $9 million deal with the Mavericks after he played the previous season in Dallas. The 32-year-old would have to forfeit his free-agent Bird rights if he is dealt to another team.

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Adding depth at point guard makes sense for Utah in part due to starter George Hill’s injury issues. The Jazz are 23-9 when Hill plays and 12-13 when he sits.

And here’s what The Salt Lake Tribune has to say about the talks, as well as whether or not the Jazz will look to trade Derrick Favors at all:

The Utah Jazz will be aggressive looking to add depth before Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, The Tribune has been told, although one target has already gotten away — and an intriguing potential reunion could be a possibility.

The Jazz reached out to the Los Angeles Lakers with an interest in acquiring shooting guard Lou Williams, but the guard was traded on Tuesday afternoon to the Houston Rockets for Corey Brewer and a first-round draft pick.

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With one Williams off the market, Tuesday night’s biggest development was the interest in another player with that last name — former Jazz star Deron Williams, now with the Dallas Mavericks.

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He led the team to four playoff appearances overall and two postseason series wins in his time before being traded to the Brooklyn Nets for a package that included Derrick Favors — himself the subject of trade speculation this week.

But sources have told The Tribune that the Jazz are hesitant to trade Favors before Thursday’s deadline unless they are overwhelmed by an offer. Sources have told The Tribune that the Phoenix Suns have inquired about Favors’ availability.

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Drummond brushes off trade talk — Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond hasn’t had the best follow-up season to his breakout campaign of 2015-16. With the Pistons are mired in the lower half of the Eastern Conference playoff bracket in a season where they were expected to rise higher, Drummond’s name began making the trade-rumor rounds in the past few days. Drummond, for his part, is ignoring the chatter as best he can, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News.

“It’s just the way NBA is; it’s all a business. Everybody’s name gets thrown around when you’re a high-profile guy,” Drummond said Tuesday evening. “My name happened to be in there. I’m not mad or anything like that. I’m still here to play basketball and whatever happens, happens. I can’t control that.”

In recent weeks, Pistons president/coach Stan Van Gundy has said in theory that any player on the roster is available for the right trade package in return, and didn’t back down on acknowledging Drummond’s name has popped up in talks recently.

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“There hasn’t been a serious discussion about Andre, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been discussions about Andre,” Van Gundy said. “The concern would be from Andre’s standpoint, if nobody had any interest in him, if I were him, I’d be concerned.”

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“It won’t be the last (time),” Van Gundy said. “This is the NBA; this stuff happens and it happens all the time. It happens every year and then what usually happens is when your name is not out there — that’s when you get traded.”

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Other roster/trade-related news of note:

Could Andrew Bogut end up in Boston?

The Cavs will reportedly sign Derrick Williams to a second 10-day deal today and may have interest in adding Larry Sanders, too.

The Hawks are reportedly ‘very busy’ as the trade deadline approaches.

Conversely, the Heat are not expected to do much of anything at the deadline.

Brooklyn may try to deal swingman Bojan Bogdanovic.

Should the Trail Blazers consider shopping Damian Lillard?

Players on the Kings are still coming to terms with the DeMarcus Cousins trade.

The Magic may still be in the market to add a point guard/perimeter scorer in the next day.

Assessing the trade market for the Suns’ P.J. Tucker and Tyson Chandler.

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