NBA Intel: A near trade deadline deal and buyout market updates

Reporting on 76ers and Bulls trade talks for Andre Drummond fell through, more potential buyout candidates, a Nerlens Noel update, and more from HoopsHype Senior NBA Insider Michael Scotto.

Following the NBA trade deadline, HoopsHype has gathered new intel on trade talks that fell through between the 76ers and Bulls, reporting on how the buyout market took shape behind the scenes for Danilo Gallinari and Thaddeus Young, whether more buyout candidates could hit the market and a Nerlens Noel update.

NBA Trade Deadline Rumors: The latest intel on all 30 teams

HoopsHype Senior NBA Insider Michael Scotto reports on the latest intel on all 30 NBA teams ahead of the trade deadline.

With hours until the NBA trade deadline, here’s the latest intel on all 30 teams gathered by HoopsHype. This story will be updated with any new intel as the deadline nears.

NBA Trade Deadline Intel: Lakers, Celtics, Bulls, Cavs, Mavs, Nets, Pistons, Wizards, Grizzlies, Wolves

NBA trade deadline intel reporting on the Lakers, Celtics, Bulls, Cavaliers, Mavericks, Nets, Pistons, Wizards, Grizzlies, and Timberwolves from HoopsHype Senior NBA Insider Michael Scotto.

With the start of NBA trade deadline week upon us, here’s the latest intel gathered by HoopsHype on the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Brooklyn Nets, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers, Washington Wizards, Memphis Grizzlies, and Minnesota Timberwolves.

Suns’ Yuta Watanabe on Japan’s promising future

Japan has never been a powerhouse on the global basketball stage, and hosting part of the 2023 World Cup was something that they wanted to help put themselves on the map. Considered one of the better teams in Asia, Japan wanted to prove themselves …

Japan has never been a powerhouse on the global basketball stage, and hosting part of the 2023 World Cup was something that they wanted to help put themselves on the map. Considered one of the better teams in Asia, Japan wanted to prove themselves on the world stage, and they somehow did that even though they didn’t make it out of the Round Robin stage.

In dramatic fashion, Japan came back from 18 down to beat the Lauri Markkanen-led Finland team to help Japan win their first World Cup game in 17 years.

Yuta Watanabe, one of the stars of Japan, reminisced recently about his experience this past summer.

“That was really fun. We have great fans in Okinawa. We worked really hard. We beat Finland, Cape Verde, and Venezuela. Those are really good teams, so that was really fun and I’m really excited for the Olympics.”

Currently No. 26 in FIBA rankings, Japan hopes to make some noise in the Paris 2024 Olympics. Obviously, on paper, the team is not on par with juggernauts like the United States, France or Germany, but Watanabe hopes Japan will have an auspicious future, even after he retires.

“If I’m going to retire in five, six years in a realistic world, we [probably] not going to be one of the top teams in the world in five years, but I think at least we will be good enough to compete against those great teams. I mean we did a good job against Germany and Australia in the World Cup. We lost by 20 but we won the second half. I think in five, six years we gonna be there to compete against those teams.”

NBA Trade Deadline Preview: Knicks, Lakers, Warriors, Nets, Rockets, Raptors, Hawks, Pistons

NBA trade deadline preview with reporting on the Knicks, Lakers, Warriors, Nets, Jazz, 76ers, Rockets, Raptors, Cavaliers, Hawks, Pistons, Thunder, and more from HoopsHype Senior NBA Insider Michael Scotto and ESPN’s Bobby Marks on the latest HoopsHype podcast.

HoopsHype Senior NBA Insider Michael Scotto and ESPN’s Bobby Marks report the latest intel on the Knicks, Lakers, Warriors, Nets, Jazz, 76ers, Rockets, Raptors, Cavaliers, Hawks, Pistons, and Thunder on the latest episode of The HoopsHype Podcast.

For more interviews with players, coaches, and media members, be sure to like and subscribe to the HoopsHype podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and anywhere else you listen to podcasts. Listen to the podcast above or check out some snippets of the conversation in a transcribed version below.

The peaks and valleys of the Phoenix Suns

The Phoenix Suns were a team that came into this season with high hopes. Acquiring Kevin Durant last year, going all in by acquiring Bradley Beal, and parting ways with Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton, Matt Ishbia hoped to start this new chapter of …

The Phoenix Suns were a team that came into this season with high hopes. Acquiring Kevin Durant last year, going all in by acquiring Bradley Beal, and parting ways with Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton, Matt Ishbia hoped to start this new chapter of Suns basketball with a winning culture.

Well, that has not happened. The Big Three have only managed to play six games together this season. In a minuscule sample size of 108 minutes, the numbers are encouraging. Their offensive rating sits at a healthy 120.7, with a net rating of +8.0.

Overall, as a team, the offensive rating is middling at 116.4, with a net rating of +0.8.

So, what can we really take away from the Suns at this point in the season?

Let’s delve into some factors that show the possibilities of the team and what has contributed to their slow start.

Top NBA trade candidates eligible December 15 for 2023-24 season

The top NBA trade-eligible candidates after December 15 for the 2023-24 season, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto and Yossi Gozlan.

A look at the top trade-eligible candidates after December 15th for the 2023-24 season with our Senior NBA Insider Michael Scotto and salary cap expert Yossi Gozlan on the latest episode of The HoopsHype Podcast.

For more interviews with players, coaches, and media members, be sure to like and subscribe to the HoopsHype podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and anywhere else you listen to podcasts. Listen to the podcast above or check out some snippets of the conversation in a transcribed version below.

Top NBA trade candidates for the 2023-24 season

Reporting on the top NBA trade candidates for the 2023-24 season on each team from HoopsHype Senior NBA Insider Michael Scotto.

Following the James Harden deal to the Los Angeles Clippers earlier this season and the recent trade chatter surrounding Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine, HoopsHype spoke with 15 NBA executives and league sources to project the top trade candidates for each team this season.

Media poll: Ranking NBA arenas from best to worst

HoopsHype polled media members to rank NBA arenas from best to worst.

What are the top NBA arenas to attend games across the league?

HoopsHype polled 35 media members who’ve traveled to arenas across the country to find out which are the best in the league. Their criteria ranged from the crowd’s atmosphere and energy to the quality of the arena, culinary offerings, and lighting.

Below are the results of the poll, including a fiercely contested three-way battle for the top spot between New York, Los Angeles, and Boston.