Brooklyn almost let one slip away in Detroit, but Kyrie Irving and the Nets were able to knock off Derrick Rose and the Pistons.
It seemed like the Nets had the game in hand at the end of regulation, but after things went awry in the final possession, Derrick Rose forced overtime. From there, Brooklyn made sure to finish off the Detroit Pistons, snapping their five-game losing streak with a 121-111 win.
Kyrie Irving led the Nets with 45 points on 15-for-30 shooting (5-for-12 from 3-point territory). He also went a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line, grabbed six rebounds and dished out seven assists.
Irving’s 45 points are the most any player has scored against the Pistons this season. His output is also the highest by a Net in Detroit since 1982.
In his first game off the bench since November 14, Dinwiddie scored 10 points on 3-for-7 shooting (1-for-3 from deep, 4-for-4 at the line). He also had five assists and four rebounds in 37 minutes.
Jarrett Allen had one of his biggest games in awhile. He logged his team-high 21st double-double, scoring 20 points on 8-for-13 shooting and grabbing 15 points while battling Andre Drummond. Allen also blocked four shots.
Joe Harris (16) and Caris LeVert (11) were the other two Nets who finished in double figures. Harris was 6-for-12 from the floor and knocked down 4 of his 10 3-point tries.
Nic Claxton had six rebounds in 13 minutes. Wilson Chandler grabbed seven in his 31 minutes of action.
HoopsHype ranks the five players who have popped up the most in trade rumors over the past week, including Spurs big man LaMarcus Aldridge.
There hasn’t been a shortage of NBA trade rumors over the past week, and as we get closer to February, the scuttle will only continue to become more frequent, a trend we’re already starting to see now, in early January.
Below, HoopsHype ranks the five players who have popped up the most in rumors on the siteâs Trade page over the past week.
Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
5. KEVIN LOVE
The Cleveland Cavaliers’ attempts to trade Kevin Love have not been fruitful so far, with the latest rumors on this front telling us that league execs believe Cleveland will have to attach assets in a potential Love deal for a team to actually be interested.
Love certainly could help the Blazers, or Pacers, or Rockets. But that contract is hard to match up in a way that makes sense for Cleveland, which understandably is asking for a lot in return. âI donât think Kevin has a lot of value,â a Western Conference executive said Monday. âThe contract is obvious, but you know he is going to miss games with the toll on his bodyâŚÂ I donât see teams taking Kevin on (without) at least taking back a first-round draft pick or multiple seconds.â
Love’s injury history, age (31) and so-so production this season undoubtedly hurt his value, and that’s without even mentioning the fact that he’s set to be paid like a Top-20ish player for the next four seasons.
Cleveland might be better served playing the campaign out and trying to move Love again this offseason, in hopes his value rebounds over the course of the rest of the season.
Among the teams who have inquired about Covington, according to The Athletic, are the Dallas Mavericks, the Houston Rockets and, most interestingly, his old team, the Philadelphia 76ers. In that same report, however, it is clearly stated that Minnesota won’t trade Covington for cheap, even as they struggle through the 2019-20 campaign.
Covington is under contract for two more seasons after this one, for a total cost of just over $25 million, a fairly team-friendly price which surely factors in to the heavy interest teams appear to have in him.
Of course, his skill set, that of a 3-and-D specialist on the wing shooting over 35 percent from three, must also intrigue contenders league-wide.
First, San Antonio Express News’Â Mike Finger reported that Aldridge hasn’t been placed on the trade block by the Spurs quite yet, but that if that were to happen, there would be plenty of takers, a logical conclusion considering Aldridge is averaging 19.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while shattering a career-high three-point percentage of 43.7 on over 100 attempts from deep.
What’s more, per a report from the Miami Herald, one of those interested suitors could be the Miami Heat, who have been specifically been mentioned as a team looking forward to 2021 free agency, and who are projected to have max cap space that offseason. Landing Aldridge would give Miami a second All-Star to pair with Jimmy Butler â an All-Star who they have chased in free agency in the past, no less â and still allow them to maintain financial flexibility for the all-important 2021 offseason.
David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
2. DENZEL VALENTINE
For a lot of this season, the Chicago Bulls have made third-year guard Denzel Valentine a healthy scratch, handing him DNP-CD after DNP-CD, even as the team struggles for consistency and lacks veteran leadership a lot of the time.
That’s not to say Valentine would fix all of Chicago’s issues on his own, but he’s shooting nearly 39 percent from three over the last two seasons he’s played, and comes from a winning culture in college (Michigan State), so there’s no doubt he could contribute something for the Bulls if given the chance.
The rumored deal between the two teams would have included Chandler Parsons, Damian Jones (or Allen Crabbe, who has since been shipped to Minnesota) and a first-round pick, but now, it appears the Hawks will just chase Drummond in free agency this summer instead.
Another report this past week (courtesy of the New York Post) mentioned that the Knicks are also out on Drummond, which makes sense considering they’re nowhere near a playoff position so why swing a big move for a very expensive player now?
The expensive nature of Drummond’s deal could also make him a difficult sell for contenders lacking in the frontcourt, since salary-swapping on such large contracts can be tricky for teams already at or near the luxury tax.
Nevertheless, there’s a chance Drummond gets traded before next month anyway, so he’s still a player to keep an eye on ahead of the 2020 trade deadline.
You can follow Frank Urbina on Twitter: @FrankUrbina_.
Per Yahoo! Sports, with talks for Andre Drummond falling through between the Hawks and the Pistons, Atlanta could be targeting Steven Adams.
With the trade deadline fast approaching on February 6, teams are having to make final decisions about which players theyâre in on and which players theyâre not.
For the Atlanta Hawks, theyâve decided theyâre officially out on Andre Drummond.
So what does a failed trade between the Hawks and the Detroit Pistons have to do with the Oklahoma City Thunder?
Well, without Andre Drummond in the middle, the Hawks are still in need of a center.
And as it turns out, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports, the Thunderâs Steven Adams could be the player theyâre looking at to fill the void.
Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams is also on the Hawksâ radar and talks could potentially pick up steam as the deadline looms, sources said.
As noted by Jordan Green of Sporting News, Adamsâ contract could make negotiations somewhat tricky, but the Hawks have the personnel at the price that could make it work.
In terms of trade mechanics, Adams is on the books for $25.8 million this season and $27.5 million in 2020-21, so it would be a challenge for most teams to land him. Fortunately for the Hawks, they have multiple expiring contracts (Chandler Parsons at $25.1 million, Evan Turner at $18.6 million, Allen Crabbe at $18.5 million) and could offer a first-round pick acquired from the Nets or one of their own selections.
Adamsâ scoring is slightly down this year after averaging 13.9 points per game in each of the last two seasons.
However, without Russell Westbrook to compete with on the glass, this year Adams is pulling down a career-best 10.0 rebounds per game.
According to Bleacher Report, the Boston Celtics have “monitored” Thunder forward Danilo Gallinari to help fix their “size gap”.
With as well as the Oklahoma City Thunder have been playing this year, there is a reasonable argument to be made that a complete teardown and rebuild may not be the best course of action.
The Thunder are the surprise of the season, sitting comfortably in 7th place in the Western Conference, winners of eight of their last 10 and a 12-4 record over the last month.
While Sam Presti and OKC have yet to officially become sellers, that hasnât stopped other teams from taking a look at what the Thunder might have to offer.
And one of Oklahoma Cityâs most enticing assets is Danilo Gallinari.
According to Bleacher Report, the Boston Celtics could have an interest in trading for Gallinari.
While Danilo Gallinari of the Oklahoma City Thunder isn’t a power player, he’s a legitimate scorer at 6’10”, and he’s another guy Boston has monitored, per an NBA source.
Galloâs season-high 30-point effort in Oklahoma Cityâs 117-104 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday likely bolstered his reputation as a âlegitimate scorerâ.
And while the Celtics have been reportedly had interest in Andre Drummond, Gallinari would be a less expensive option to add to the Câs rotation.
He’s in the final year of his contract at $22.6 million, and Boston would need to send out at least $17.6 million to match Gallinari’s salary.
Per Nick Pincus, the Celtics âwould need to trade out at least $21.6 million to land Drummondâ.
The Celtics not the only team interested in Gallinari. The Thunder big-man has also reportedly drawn interest from the Phoenix Suns.
In his first year in Oklahoma City, Gallinari is averaging 18.6 points, shooting 43.7% from the field and 40.2% from three, all up from his career averages.
HoopsHype ranks the five players who have popped up the most in trade rumors over the past week, including Kevin Love and Andre Drummond.
There hasn’t been a shortage of NBA trade rumors over the past week, and as we get closer to February, the scuttle will only continue to become more frequent, a trend we’re already starting to see now, in early January.
Below, HoopsHype ranks the five players who have popped up the most in rumors on the siteâs Trade page over the past week.
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
5. DEWAYNE DEDMON, SACRAMENTO
Following his trade request, Sacramento Kings big man Dewayne Dedmon was fined $50,000 by the NBA for making “public statements detrimental to the NBA and its teams.”
Surprisingly enough, however, Dedmon returned to the Kings’ rotation on Jan. 7, likely due to the plethora of injuries to Sacramento’s frontcourt rotation, and acquitted himself nicely, dropping 12 points, 10 rebounds and one three-pointer while posting a plus-33 plus/minus.
That type of audition could make Dedmon more appealing to the contending teams searching for a big man who can space the floor and protect the paint, but his price tag (he’s on Year-1 of a three-year, $40 million contract with a partial guarantee on the final season) could scare some of the interested parties away.
For what it’s worth, the Kings are reportedly willing to hear offers on the big man, but won’t take back bad salary that could hurt their future cap flexibility, per NBC Sports’Â James Ham.
However, the Knicks reportedly don’t have plans to move Morris at the moment, per Yahoo Sports, though we all know how quickly things could change if New York receives the right offer.
And the right offer could very well come along soon (as in one containing a first-round pick), especially when you factor in Morris’ high level of play this season and the fact that he’s on an expiring contract. Those two factors, plus New York not being in contention for a playoff spot this year, make Morris a prime trade candidate.
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
3. KYLE KUZMA, LA LAKERS
The closer we get to the 2020 NBA trade deadline, the more it looks like Kyle Kuzmawill be one of the players traded. He’s struggled through injury and acclimation with his new role so far this year, and he’s averaging 12 points on a career-low 42.5 percent shooting for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Originally, most of the reports coming out of L.A. stated that the Lakers were willing to hear offers for their third-year forward, but weren’t going out of their way to trade him.
However, the most recent report on Kuzma’s trade candidacy, courtesy of the Los Angeles Times, stated that it was actually Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka who called the Kings in order to gauge their interest in the Utah product, and not the other way around as many originally believed. That makes a whole lot more sense, because Kuzma doesn’t even fit on Sacramento’s roster all that well, not with all of the young frontcourt depth they already have.
This situation is one to monitor, but Kuzma’s poor fit on the new-look Lakers could, and probably will, lead to his departure prior to next month’s deadline. His spot on the roster would be better used on an additional bench playmaker for Los Angeles.
David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
2. KEVIN LOVE, CLEVELAND
The situation in Ohio between Kevin Love and the Cleveland Cavaliers has had moments of pure ugliness, including last weekend when Love blatantly showed up his teammates and head coach in the middle of a game. And that came on the heels of a report that stated Love had gotten into it with his general manager Koby Altman.
The five-time All-Star went on to apologize publicly for his actions and ended up unpunished by his team, but it’s clear at this point this pairing needs a split, and that the Cavs need to find a trade partner to take the floor-spacing power forward.
Even so, Love desperately wants out of Cleveland, that much is obvious without even having to read the latest reports, so the Cavaliers might have to bite the bullet and attach assets in order to get rid of him, lest they allow him to have more flare-ups of bad attitude that could prove harmful in their young, rebuilding locker room.
Makes sense, too, considering the Pistons are struggling mightily due to injury on the year and have an expensive roster that could use a complete reset. What’s more, because Drummond is set to hit free agency this summer (all but certain, as he has a player option on his deal for next year), Detroit would be wise to move him and land a few assets that could help them with the rebuild to come.
Veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein recently revealed that a source of his believes Drummond will be moved within the next month:
As for Pistons center Andre Drummond … one source briefed on Detroit's attempts to trade Drummond expressed confidence this week a deal to move Drummond will materialize before the Feb. 6 trade deadline
And a local reporter in Detroit thinks the Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors, Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics could be interested in the two-time All-Star center.
On the year, Drummond is averaging 17.5 points, a league-leading 16.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.9 blocks per game â monster averages that should pique the interest of motivated teams around the Association.
You can follow Frank Urbina on Twitter: @FrankUrbina_.
Online bookmakers view the Boston Celtics as frontrunners to secure Detroit Pistons big man Andre Drummond’s services via trade before the February deadline.
The Boston Celtics are currently among frontrunning teams to land Detroit Pistons big man Andre Drummond via trade before the February 6 deadline according to online bookmakers.
The UConn product was linked to the Massachusetts franchise earlier in the week, despite the fact the former No. 9 overall pick isn’t an especially good fit for the Celtics’ style of play or contracts on hand for matching salaries.
Drummond, who has been having an excellent statistical season for an underperforming Pistons, is seen as near-certain to decline the final season of his current deal in order to take advantage of a weak summer free agency class.
Logging a career-high 17.4 points per contest and nearly matching career-high rebounding at 15.9 boards per game, the 26-year-old center is seen as most likely to end up with the Atlanta Hawks by online bookmaker BetOnline Sportsbook.
To head off the inevitable: The Boston Celtics are unlikely to be in on a trade for Andre Drummond. Just like with any big salary player, it would cost them Gordon Hayward or a significant amount of their depth. Boston isn't going to do that unless the player is a clear upgrade.
They grant the Georgia franchise 2/3 odds of landing Drummond, with the Celtics joining the Toronto Raptors in having 5/1 odds in BetOnline’s estimation.
The Charlotte Hornets and Los Angeles Clippers stand out as other options with decent odds at 7/1, and the Dallas Mavericks (8/1) and New York Knicks (12/1) loom as longshots.
Toronto remains an intriguing option as the team’s frontcourt is on the wrong timeline for the surprising growth of wing Pascal Siakam.
Such a move could allow the franchise to retool with a big man able to pass out of the post, albeit without floor vision or shooting of a Marc Gasol.
Boston seems a much less likely option despite online bookmakers granting them favorable odds, as dealing for Big Penguin offers little in the way of raising the team’s ceiling and much risk at reducing it considerably.
The Los Angeles Lakers host the Detroit Pistons, who are thinking about moving long-time center, Andre Drummond.
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The Los Angeles Lakers are back at the Staples Center on Sunday night as they host a Detroit Pistons team that appears to be on the precipice of major changes to their franchise.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported before the weekend that the Pistons and Atlanta Hawks had engaged on trade talks centered on long-time center Andre Drummond. Drummond is the NBA leader in rebounds, both offensive and defensive, but on the heels of being a free agent this summer, it appears the Pistons may be ready to move on after employing Drummond for the past eight seasons.
The Pistons on the court won the other night against the Golden State Warriors but they’ve struggled mightily thanks to injuries to key players. Blake Griffin has played in only 18 of Detroit’s 36 games this season as he continues to manage knee issues.
Outside of Drummond, the most productive player on the Pistons is Derrick Rose. Rose is averaging nearly 17 points and six assists off the Pistons bench. His matchup against Rajon Rondo on the Lakers’ second unit is something the Lakers will need to keep a watchful eye on, given the struggles of Rondo and the Lakers bench as of late.
In spite of the difficulties the Celtics would have adding Andre Drummond due to cap and fit concerns, reports tying the center to Boston are emerging.
The Boston Celtics have “registered interest” in trading for Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond, reports Yahoo Sports’ Vincent Goodwill.
The Celtics have found themselves involved in several trade rumors involving a center despite doing very well with no marquee bigs on their roster, the thinking being postseason success against the likes of larger East rivals requiring some kind of mid-season move.
Few such rumors have had much traction due to the lack of available game-changing centers worth dealing one of Boston’s best players, and this latest one may fit that bill as well.
As great a season as Drummond has been having in Detroit, it’s unclear how the Celtics could trade for the Connecticut product without sending out one of Kemba Walker, Gordon Hayward, or Marcus Smart — a scenario ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski has reported Boston being “unwilling” to do.
Salary matching the $27 million owed the 26-year-old center would require bundling several contracts in the case of Smart, and in such a scenario or one dealing fellow UConn product Walker’s $32.7 million deal for Drummond, any benefit of adding the 6-foot-10 big man would likely be negated.
Boston, Dallas, Toronto have also registered interest in Andre Drummond, according to sources. Drummond has relationships with Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Lowry
In the very unlikely chance Gordon Hayward has made it known he plans to leave the team in free agency this summer with a player option on the final year of his 4-year, $128 million contract, it could be a way to try and retain value, but at present doesn’t seem an especially plausible scenario.
There’s also the issue of Drummond’s fit, whose near-basket, non-shooting style of play doesn’t mesh well with what’s driven the Celtics to the third-best record in the league.
The possibility exists that Goodwill’s sources are framing routine calls between teams as the trade market unfolds as “interest” to drive up any potential asking price.
Whatever the truth of the matter may be, serious interest from Boston at this point seems unlikely at best.
It’s way too early for the Hawks to consider making a move like this.
The Atlanta Hawks are having a pretty terrible season. They’re 7-27 right now and are the worst team in the NBA by record.
Just how bad are things? They last won a game on December 8th â it’s almost been a calendar month since then. It gets worse. Three of their seven wins came within the first two weeks of the season. On November 5th after beating the Spurs they were 3-3. They’re 4-24 since.
Their shining light of hope has been Trae Young, who is just one of two players in NBA history to average at least 28 points and eight assists while shooting 36 percent from three.
The other was James Harden two seasons ago when he won MVP. They’ve got a special one in Atlanta. Yet, that hasn’t translated to anything more than a wasted season.
The Hawks know that and they want to fix it. Apparently, they believe the solution might be trading for Andre Drummond. The Pistons and Hawks are in trade talks centered around their All-Star center, according to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Detroit and Atlanta have been engaged in talks on a trade centered on Andre Drummond, league sources tell ESPN. No deal imminent, but Detroit is talking to Hawks and several other teams on Drummond, sources said.
A trade isn’t imminent, but Drummond would certainly fill a huge void for the Hawks at that position. But, at this point in the season, they should turn away. The Hawks don’t need Andre Drummond right now.
The Hawks are in “The Process” right now
No, they aren’t going through an overt Sam Hinkie tank job â they actually planned on competing this year, which is why a move like this is even in the cards.
But reality is reality. And the Hawks’ current reality is that they’re far and away the worst team in the NBA right now at 20 games under .500. If they kept playing at the pace they are currently, they’d be guaranteed no worse than a top five pick in next year’s draft.
The Hawks are right on pace with where they’re supposed to be. They found a transcendent talent in his second year with Trae Young and John Collins meshes well with him.
The rest of their roster is stacked with players that are either passed their prime or have no idea what they’re doing. There’s not much in between. They aren’t built to win at all.
Drummond isn’t going to change that â especially not this year. They’re already 20 games under .500. If they fight their way back to being the sixth worst team in the NBA instead of the worst team in the NBA, they’d be putting themselves in a much worse position.
The timeline for Drummond just doesn’t add up
Part of why the Hawks are in such a good position despite their record is that they don’t have big money committed to the bulk of the roster moving forward, and they have an extremely young and talented core.
Trae Young is just 21 years old. John Collins is only 22 years old. Whatever pick they’ll get next season will be between 19 and 21 years old â most likely on the younger side. There’s no reason to insert a 26-year-old Andre Drummond into that picture quite yet.
Drummond is searching for his third NBA contract and, with the numbers he’s putting up this season, it’ll probably be a max deal. If the Hawks traded for him, they’d be looking at dishing out a 5-year, $190 million deal.
The Hawks could pay him that. As it stands, they only have $33,369,003 in committed cap space for next season and that number shrinks every year after. They’ve got the cap flexibility next year.
But after that, it’s time for Collins to get paid. Then, after that, it’s time for Young to get paid. Next thing you know, you’re capped out with a team that might be winning 48 games or so for the next five years depending on what’s around them. That’s not a great place to be in.
The Hawks need to just chill. Losing sucks â we get it. But putting a rush job on a rebuild typically isn’t the wisest. You could end up like the Mavericks this year after the Porzingis deal and be pretty fun. But you could also end up like the Timberwolves after the Jimmy Butler deal and be completely miserable.
It’s best to just keep playing the cards you’ve been dealt instead of trying to fix the hand. If they want Drummond that bad, they can pick him up in free agency on a cheaper deal. But giving up assets for a contract that’ll be massive in a few months isn’t where it’s at.
