Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Knicks forward Marcus Morris is walking back a sexist comment directed at Grizzlies forward Jae Crowder after an on-court brawl Wednesday night.
Knicks forward Marcus Morris is walking back a sexist comment directed at Grizzlies forward Jae Crowder after an on-court brawl Wednesday night.
He apologized on Twitter.
It’s 2020, yet here we are having to call out an athlete for describing an opponent as having “female tendencies” and “very woman-like.”
That athlete is New York Knicks forward Marcus Morris, who was asked about Memphis Grizzlies forward Jae Crowder. The veteran was on the end of a hard foul near the end of the Grizzlies’ blowout win over the Knicks Wednesday night that led to a scuffle.
“He play the game in a different way. A lot of female tendencies on the court. Flopping and throwing his head back the entire game. It’s a man’s game and you just get tired of it,” he said, later adding, “It’s soft. His game is soft. He’s soft. It’s how he carries himself. It’s just very woman-like.”
Really. That’s what he said:
"He's got a lot of female tendencies on the court, flopping and throwing his head back…he's soft, very woman-like"
– Marcus Morris on Jae Crowder pic.twitter.com/MxtFnKbu3M
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 30, 2020
Morris took to Twitter later in the night to apologize:
I apologize for using the term “female tendencies” I have the upmost respect for women and everything they mean to us. It was a Heat of the moment response and I never intended for any Women to feel as though in anyway I’m disrespecting them. Again I apologize with my comments.
— Marcus Morris (@MookMorris2) January 30, 2020
For my comments.
— Marcus Morris (@MookMorris2) January 30, 2020
Mom dukes text me told me she love me and she raised a great man.
— Marcus Morris (@MookMorris2) January 30, 2020
It goes without saying — or at least I thought it did — but I’m saying it anyway: there’s no place for that sexism anywhere. Insinuating that “female tendencies” are weak and playing like a woman is “soft” is as misogynistic as it gets. While we’re at it, get “soft” out of here, too, one of those phrases that’s so blatantly a part of toxic masculinity. Morris should be embarrassed that he even went there in the first place.
[jwplayer JgW4p3Ph-q2aasYxh]
After an embarrassing display on the court, the Knicks’ troubles apparently extended into the visitor locker room on Wednesday night.
The New York Knicks didn’t have their best night on Wednesday.
In the closing seconds of a 127-106 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, three players in total, including two on the Knicks, were ejected for an on-court shuffle.
The dust-up occurred with 49 seconds left in regulation when Jae Crowder stole the ball from the Knicks. With the Grizzlies up by 18 points, Crowder then ran over to attempt a 3-pointer from the corner. Payton took exception with the move and proceeded to shove Crowder following the shot attempt.
The two had to be separated and were each eventually tossed from the game. In addition to Payton and Crowder getting ejected, Marcus Morris also hit the showers early for his role in the incident.
The Knicks and Grizzlies had to be separated after Elfrid Payton’s hard foul on Jae Crowder late in the 4th. pic.twitter.com/t1YWR5Wxdt
— ESPN (@espn) January 30, 2020
Afterward, Morris offered a sexist comment toward Crowder, calling his behavior on the court very “woman-like.”
“He plays the game in a different way. A lot of female tendencies on the court,” Morris said. “Flopping and throwing his head back the entire game. It’s a man’s game and you just get tired of it. … His game is soft. He’s soft. It’s how he carries himself. It’s just very woman-like.”
"He's got a lot of female tendencies on the court, flopping and throwing his head back…he's soft, very woman-like"
– Marcus Morris on Jae Crowder pic.twitter.com/MxtFnKbu3M
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 30, 2020
Immediately following his comments, Morris offered an apology on Twitter, calling it a “heat of the moment response” and that he didn’t mean for women to feel as though he was disrespecting them with his statement with the media.
I apologize for using the term “female tendencies” I have the upmost respect for women and everything they mean to us. It was a Heat of the moment response and I never intended for any Women to feel as though in anyway I’m disrespecting them. Again I apologize with my comments.
— Marcus Morris (@MookMorris2) January 30, 2020
To make matters even worse, the Knicks were unable to provide the visiting Grizzlies with hot water or enough pressure to even take showers after the game at Madison Square Garden.
According to Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News, Grizzlies rookie Ja Morant said there was no water in the locker room and the water pressure was very low.
Ja Morant says there’s no hot water and only 3 drops of water coming out of the Knicks visitor showers.
“This is beyond me,” he said.
The Grizzlies are actively trying to get both hot water and water pressure to take showers right now.
— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) January 30, 2020
Morant vowed to shower back at the team hotel following the game.
As for the game on the court, Morant led the Grizzlies with his eighth double-double of the season with 18 points and 10 assists. He became just the ninth rookie in NBA history to record two games with at least 10 assists and no turnovers.
The Knicks and Grizzlies play for the final time this season on April 1.
[lawrence-related id=10942,10906,10815]
HoopsHype examines the Philadelphia 76ers’ biggest needs as we approach the trade deadline, as well as specific players they could target.
The Philadelphia 76ers may be considered one of this season’s bigger disappointments relative to expectations, but, to their credit, they still boast a 25-16 record and have the league’s No. 12 net rating at +3.1.
That could indicate they may not need wholesale changes this season but smaller upgrades to their rotation. At the same time, questions remain about the team’s overall awkward fit, particularly between Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid and Al Horford, as well as whether or not they can legitimately contend with the lack of shooting they’re getting from their top players.
ROSTER NEEDS
First and foremost, the Sixers need to add more shooting to their rotation. It’s clear Philadelphia knows that too, as most of the trade rumors coming out of there are regarding the team looking around the Association at floor-spacing wings.
On the season, Philadelphia attempts the sixth-fewest three-pointers in the NBA and knocks them down at a mediocre clip of 35.5 percent, the No. 17 mark league-wide. The weird thing is, at home, the Sixers knock down triples at an elite 37.6 percent rate, which would rank second in the Association if that was their actual success rate on the year, but on the road, that number plummets to 33.5 percent, which would be fifth-worst in the NBA.
That could have something to do with their roster being made up of streaky shooters who get hot when they have the home crowd on their side, and get icy cold when facing adverse conditions.
An upgrade at backup point guard could also help out Philadelphia, as the Trey Burke/Raul Neto combo is pretty inconsistent; landing another improved playmaker might allow Simmons to play off the ball a bit more, too, where he’ll be able to excel as a screen-setter and cutter, two areas he’s added to his game recently.
POTENTIAL TRADE CANDIDATES
One thing the 76ers do have going for them on the trade market is the fact they have pretty decent assets – the easily movable kind – on their roster, including Burke, Neto, Furkan Korkmaz, James Ennis and Kyle O’Quinn, who are all cheap, relatively productive role players. For salary-matching purposes in a potential larger trade, those kinds of contracts come in handy.
As far as Philadelphia players more focal to theoretical trades, if the Sixers do try and swing a huge move and don’t want to deal anyone in their starting 5, opposing teams will undoubtedly be most interested in rookie 3-and-D specialist Matisse Thybulle, who is shooting 42.1 percent from three this year and averaging 2.7 steals and 1.5 blocks per 36 minutes.
Second-year guard Zhaire Smith could also garner some interest, but his development appears to have been severely stunted by missing most of his rookie year with injury, and he doesn’t look anywhere near as promising as he did when he was just a prospect. Smith has yet to see a minute of NBA action in 2019-20.
POTENTIAL TRADE TARGETS
There have been a few players connected with Philadelphia on the trade market recently. Among them, former Sixers fan favorite Robert Covington, Malik Beasley, E’Twaun Moore and Glenn Robinson III, as well as two Detroit Pistons guards, Luke Kennard and Langston Galloway.
There’s clearly a pattern here, as all of those players are above-average to plus-shooters, and would help the 76ers become more a threat from beyond the arc.
There’s also been scuttle about Marcus Morris, who is averaging a career-high 19.1 points this season and shooting nearly 47 percent from three for the rebuilding New York Knicks, being a trade target of Philadelphia’s, though he would be by far the most expensive of the bunch, and would cost the Sixers at least Thybulle, if not some draft capital, too.
Other guys who could be interesting targets for Philadelphia and might actually be moved ahead of this year’s trade deadline include Bogdan Bogdanovic, Jeff Teague and DJ Augustin, one sharpshooting 2-guard and two reliable backup point guards who can knock down threes.
TRADE RESTRICTIONS
As of Jan. 15, every player on the 76ers’ roster is eligible to be traded.
The only restriction they have as far as trades go is they can’t deal Ennis without his permission, as his contract has a Bird Rights-related no-trade clause on it.
DRAFT ASSETS
Draft picks are considered the most premium assets teams can send out, or acquire, in trades.
Odds are, at least for 2020, Philadelphia won’t have much to offer teams draft asset-wise, as their first-round pick is going to the Brooklyn Nets unless the Sixers shockingly miss the playoffs, while the first-rounder the Oklahoma City Thunder owe Philadelphia might not transfer since it’s 1-20 protected. Even if it does transfer this summer, there’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding that pick right now, which could turn teams off from trying to acquire it.
They do have multiple second-round picks lined up for the 2020 draft and beyond, though, and can still offer teams future first-round picks, of which they own all of them.
You can follow Frank Urbina on Twitter: @FrankUrbina_.
HoopsHype examines the Lakers’ biggest needs as we approach the trade deadline, as well as specific players they could target.
Through Jan. 8, the Los Angeles Lakers have proven to be one of the league’s best teams and a legitimate title contender, with a 30-7 record and the NBA’s No. 2 net rating (+7.7).
They may be 0-3 in their three highest-profile games, two against their crosstown rivals, the Los Angeles Clippers, and one versus the Milwaukee Bucks, which came on the road for L.A., but regardless, all the Lakers really need to do is tighten up the edges of their rotation rather than make a wholesale change.
ROSTER NEEDS
Considering the Lakers are clearly one of the league’s elite teams this season, there’s not much they necessarily need, but if we had to nitpick, there is maybe one hole Los Angeles could stand to fill, and that’s to find another backup ball-handler.
With LeBron James starting as the team’s de facto point guard, the role of primary back-up ball-handler/playmaker has gone to Rajon Rondo, who has, for the most part, struggled this season. Rondo is averaging 7.0 points and 5.4 assists nightly, shooting just over 40 percent from the floor and, worst of all, the Lakers are 6.5 points per 100 possessions worse when he’s in the game.
An upgrade at backup point guard could provide the Lakers with a huge boost towards their title chances.
Besides that, another big man who can space the floor could be a good target for Los Angeles (or any contender, really), especially if they do end up trading the player we’re about to discuss. DeMarcus Cousins could have been that player, but he’s likely to miss the rest of the season, though there’s apparently a chance he could return late in the campaign.
POTENTIAL TRADE CANDIDATES
The likeliest trade candidate on the Lakers’ roster appears to be Kyle Kuzma, who has been bandied about a good amount over recent weeks.
Kuzma being available for a swap makes sense, because although many thought he could blossom into the third member of L.A.’s new Big 3, multiple injuries and difficulty acclimating with his role have stymied the Utah product’s development, and he’s currently posting arguably his worst season, averaging just 12 points per game and shooting a mediocre 34.6 percent from beyond the arc.
A change of scenery could benefit Kuzma, as well as help the Lakers land either a win-now veteran or a player who fits better on their roster.
POTENTIAL TRADE TARGETS
There have been a few players to have their names attached to the Lakers in trade rumors over recent weeks.
Most recently, Los Angeles was rumored to be interested in Washington Wizards sharpshooter Davis Bertans, who is having a career season, averaging 15.4 points per game and shooting 43.4 percent from three. Another floor-spacing big man, Marcus Morris has also been mentioned multiple times as a player of interest for the Lakers, though he won’t come cheap, considering he’s the New York Knicks’ best player this season. Perhaps Kuzma and a draft pick could intrigue New York in a potential swap for Morris.
The Lakers have also been rumored to have interest in two ball-handlers: DJ Augustin from the Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies swingman Andre Iguodala. Augustin would provide an immediate upgrade over Rondo at backup point guard, as his career 38 percent outside shooting mark would mesh nicely with what Los Angeles needs. Iguodala, meanwhile, would be a different kind of backup ball-handler, but a very valuable one nonetheless. The 2015 Finals MVP proved during last year’s playoff run for the Golden State Warriors that he’s got enough left in the tank to impact games late in the postseason. Also, his defensive prowess could come in handy against the Clippers’ monster wing duo, should the two L.A. teams face off in the playoffs as many expect.
Other potential trade targets who would make sense for the Lakers but haven’t been rumored about as much include: Evan Turner, Jeff Teague, Ish Smith, Wayne Ellington, Rudy Gay, Dario Saric and Marvin Williams.
TRADE RESTRICTIONS
The Lakers are restricted from two players they currently have rostered: two-way player Davontae Cacock and backup guard Alex Caruso. The former can’t be traded until Jan. 11 while the latter can’t be dealt until Jan. 15.
Additionally, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, JaVale McGee and Rajon Rondo all have no-trade clauses on their contracts, so they would have to approve any deal.
Finally, the Lakers cannot acquire Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, Mo Wagner or Isaac Bonga, due to the fact they traded all of those players over the summer.
DRAFT ASSETS
Draft picks are considered the most premium assets teams can send out, or acquire, in trades. After acquiring Anthony Davis, the Lakers are running low in draft capital, which could make coming to terms on trades a tad more difficult for them this season.
As of now, Los Angeles doesn’t have a first-round pick they can trade until 2026, unless they can get a team to accept their 2021 first-round pick with a 9-30 protection on it, meaning it would have to land in the Top 8 to actually transfer (not happening), or a second-round pick at all until 2023.
You can follow Frank Urbina on Twitter: @FrankUrbina_.
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 site’s Trade page over the past week.
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’ James Ham.
4. MARCUS MORRIS, NEW YORK
Although New York Knicks forward Marcus Morris has professed his love for the team he plays for, and his hope to stay there long-term and help the young players take the next step, that hasn’t stopped the interest league-wide in the 30-year-old.
Specifically, the most recent rumor on the matter states that the two L.A.-based teams are eyeing Morris, which makes sense considering the Knicks big man dropped 38 points on 19 field-goal attempts on the road against the Los Angeles Clippers last week.
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.
3. KYLE KUZMA, LA LAKERS
The closer we get to the 2020 NBA trade deadline, the more it looks like Kyle Kuzma will 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.
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.
There hasn’t been much by the way of actual reporting on possible trade destinations for Love recently, which might have to do with the fact that not many teams are enthralled with the idea of acquiring a 31-year-old big man who has a tricky injury history and is on the first year of a four-year, $120.4 million contract.
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.
1. ANDRE DRUMMOND, DETROIT
There has been smoke regarding an Andre Drummond trade out of Detroit for a while now, and that hasn’t slowed down over the past week.
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
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 7, 2020
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 – monster averages that should pique the interest of motivated teams around the Association.
You can follow Frank Urbina on Twitter: @FrankUrbina_.
HoopsHype ranks the five players who have popped up the most in trade rumors over the past week, including Marcus Morris and Andre Iguodala.
After a painfully long 160 days between trades, the NBA finally saw a bit of movement on that front this past week when the Cleveland Cavaliers agreed to send Jordan Clarkson to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Dante Exum and a couple of second-round draft picks.
Various big-name players have been bandied about over recent days, and though a huge deal may not seem imminent, one could spring up on us at any time, just like how the Clarkson-for-Exum swap occurred almost out of nowhere.
Below, HoopsHype ranks the five players who have popped up the most in rumors on the site’s Trade page over the past week.
Following the Clarkson trade, the expectation is for Cleveland to continue unloading veterans for premium assets, according to reports from Adrian Wojnarowski and the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Chris Fedor. The latter reported the following on Tuesday:
“The [Clarkson] move puts Cleveland about $5.1 million below the luxury tax threshold, which gives the team more financial flexibility when it comes to other deals. Make no mistake, more are coming between now and the trade deadline on Feb. 6. Players are already bracing for those shakeups.”
One of the vets who could be moved is five-time All-Star Kevin Love, who is one of the best players set to be available on the trade market.
Love is averaging 16.2 points, 10.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game this season while shooting 44.2 percent from the floor and 37.3 percent from beyond the arc. The floor-spacing big man also ranks in the “excellent” range, according to Synergy Sports, in scoring out of the pick-and-roll (as the roller) and coming off screens, so teams know the value Love still possesses as a scorer.
Of course, the main issues when it comes to trading Love are his age (31) and contract (he’s the 22nd-highest paid player this year and signed through 2022-23), but if Clarkson was able to net two second-rounders and a decent prospect like Exum, there’s a good chance Cleveland will be able to get a first-rounder, even a protected one, for their star power forward, especially if they’re willing to take back bad salary in return.
Despite the New York Knicks’ struggles this season, Marcus Morris has been a revelation, averaging a career-high 18.4 points per game to go along with 5.6 rebounds and 2.7 triples (on 46.6 percent shooting from the outside) nightly.
Those numbers, plus his stingy defense (he can legitimately cover multiple positions, both on the inside and the perimeter) and short-term contract (he’s only signed through this season) will make Morris a very coveted player as we get closer to the trade deadline, particularly by contenders.
According to a recent report from SportsNet New York, teams around the Association believe the Knicks will be able to net a first-round pick in exchange for Morris if and when they do decide to move him:
“‘Teams love his leadership and he’s been shooting incredibly well,’ a representative for one Eastern Conference team said. ‘You can easily see them getting a late first-round pick for him if that team feels Marcus pushes them over the top.'”
It might not be for another few weeks, but expect to see Morris traded by early February; one of the two L.A. teams, for example, would make a whole lot of sense for him.
Everyone is pretty well-versed in Dion Waiters’ impossibly bad season so far, but for those who aren’t, the gist of it is: He’s been suspended three separate times and has yet to play a minute for the Miami Heat.
As such, logically, Miami would prefer to move on from their troublesome 2-guard, but there aren’t many ways they could do so. On its own, Waiters’ contract lends itself nicely to be used as a trade chip, since it only has a year-and-a-half left on it and merely pays him $12.3 million annually in that span, but why would any team want to add Waiters to their locker room, especially with the way he’s behaved this season?
One league executive went as far as to tell ESPN’s Bobby Marks that Waiters’ deal is as close to the most untradeable as he’s ever seen in the NBA, while various other league execs all agreed that Waiters’ NBA career might be over.
That means Miami, if they really want to get Waiters off their roster, might have to look at the buyout route to make that happen.
Now that Elfrid Payton is healthy for the Knicks, third-year guard Frank Ntilikina’s playing time has gone way down, from over 26 minutes nightly over a 23-game stretch to under 14 minutes nightly over his last four. With that dip in playing time, the French ball-handler’s averages have gone way down (and they were never that impressive to begin with), as Ntilikina is scoring 3.8 points and securing 2.0 rebounds in that stretch.
There have been trade rumors surrounding Ntilikina for a long time now, and that hasn’t changed recently, not with how poorly he’s played in New York and the upside other teams still think he might have. If nothing else, Ntilikina is still just 21 and has proven to have huge promise on the defensive end of the floor, where he routinely makes special plays while covering opponents one-on-one.
According to SportsNet New York, teams around the Association still value Ntilikina for the aforementioned reasons, with one exec speculating that this might be a Markelle Fultz situation, where both sides might benefit from a clean break.
The question is whether Ntilikina still has enough value to net a first-rounder in return, or if he’s fallen so far that other teams only see him worthy of a second-round pick instead.
Memphis Grizzlies swingman Andre Iguodala, who has yet to play a minute for his new team, has long been at the center of trade rumors, pretty much since the time the Golden State Warriors decided to trade him to a rebuilding team.
Contenders around the league are watching this situation closely, as some believe the 2015 Finals MVP could be bought out by Memphis, which would lead to an intense recruitment for his services. However, according to The Athletic, Grizzlier higher-ups are still confident they’ll be able to find a trade for Iguodala, one that will net them either a first-rounder or a promising young player.
That seems reasonable, as Iguodala has proven time and time again that he can contribute at a high level once the playoffs roll around, particularly on the defensive end, where he would wreak havoc for Golden State over the last few years.
As far as the teams rumored to be interested in Iguodala, reports state that the two L.A. teams are at the forefront of this chase, while the Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets have also looked into the possibility of adding the 35-year-old.
You can follow Frank Urbina on Twitter: @FrankUrbina_.
HoopsHype ranks the five players who have popped up the most in trade rumors over the past week, including Kevin Love and Chris Paul.
As of Dec. 15, 123 players became eligible for trade that previously couldn’t be dealt. Because of that many expect activity on the trade market to finally start to pick up after a long dry spell.
Various big-name players have been bandied about over recent days, and though a huge deal may not seem imminent, one could spring up on us at any time.
Below, HoopsHype ranks the five players who have popped up the most in rumors on the site’s Trade page over the past week.
New York Knicks power forward Marcus Morris reportedly committed to the Los Angeles Clippers and San Antonio Spurs last summer before ultimately agreeing to join New York, and by all accounts, he seems to be happy with his decision. Morris has gone as far as to say he’d rather not get traded if he could control it.
Of course, he doesn’t control whether he gets dealt or not, and considering how well he’s playing and where the Knicks sit in the standings (13th in the East with a 7-21 record), odds are, if New York receives a worthy offer, the big man will be traded.
The latest on Morris’ trade market came courtesy of ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe, who had this exchange during a recent TV special:
“‘[The Clippers] thought they had Marcus Morris in July,’ said Wojnarowski. ‘That’s a player they had great interest with, that they saw who would fit with Paul George and with Kawhi Leonard. So, to see them revisit that is certainly plausible.’ Lowe added: ‘I would expect that package to be out there.'”
Morris is averaging a career-high 18.8 points this season, to go with 5.7 rebounds and 2.8 triples on fiery 43.1/47.7/86.1 shooting splits. He’d be a great addition to any contender.
Heading into the season, many expected Chris Paul, a veteran All-Star on an Oklahoma City Thunder team in Year-1 of a full rebuild, to get traded. And although that could still happen, it’s looking less and less likely the more information we receive on the matter.
Both Woj and NBC Sports’ Tom Haberstroh reported over the past week that sources both league-wide and in Oklahoma City believe Paul is staying put this season.
The primary culprit for that is Paul’s enormous contract, which will pay him $41.4 million next year, in his age-35 season, and $44.2 million the year after, in his age-36 campaign. Simply put: That’s way too much money to be paying a diminutive floor general with a history of injury troubles, no matter how well he’s playing right now.
It’ll take a desperate team in a small market to even consider making a run at Paul, and even then, it probably won’t happen until his contract becomes an expiring deal. And that’s only if Paul is still producing at a high level, which may not be the case at that point in his career.
Paul is averaging 16.2 points, 6.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game this season.
Another floor general who came into the season with a lot of trade buzz surrounding his name, D’Angelo Russell also seems likely to stay put through the season, at least if recent reports are to be believed.
Woj says he thinks it's more likely Golden State will wait until the summer to look at trading D'Angelo Russell rather than doing so in-season. Says it doesn't make much sense for Golden State to canvas the league in-season.
— Sagar Trika (@BlazersBySagar) December 16, 2019
The issue with Russell and the Golden State Warriors is that when the Warriors are fully operational, he’d be the third-best guard on his own team while earning an enormous salary over the next four seasons. That would be a poor distribution of resources by Golden State, particularly when Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson get healthy.
Of course, Curry isn’t set to return until at least February while Thompson might not return at all until 2020-21, so the Warriors really don’t have a need to move Russell until next summer, where they can trade him for a player who would give them a more well-balanced roster.
Regardless, there are a few point-guard needy teams out there right now, and if one gets desperate enough for more scoring in their backcourt, we could see a deal before February’s trade deadline.
Russell is averaging 21.5 points and 6.2 assists in 2019-20.
Former Warrior Andre Iguodala, unlike the two aforementioned point guards, is a player who looks likely be traded this season. Iguodala has yet to suit up for the Memphis Grizzlies, who are keeping him away from the team while they figure out what they’re going to do with the 2015 Finals MVP.
According to reports over the past week, coming from multiple reputable outlets, the teams that have interest in Iguodala include the Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Denver Nuggets, the Dallas Mavericks and the Houston Rockets.
The problem is, all of those teams are capped out, and Iguodala is owed $17.2 million this season, meaning both sides are going to have to get the salary swaps just right to make a deal work. In all likelihood, the contenders chasing Iguodala and the swingman himself are probably hoping the Grizzlies agree to a fair buyout with the almost-36-year-old, so that they’re able to sign him to recruit him, sign him to a team-friendly contract and not lose assets in a trade.
At the same time, the Grizzlies have little motivation to do that, so expect Iguodala ultimately to get traded over the next month and a half.
One of the likeliest trade candidates this season is Kevin Love, who hasn’t gone as far as to demand a trade, but made it clear – publicly – that if one does happen, he wouldn’t mind.
It’s obvious why Love is such a bandied-about trade prospect: He’s 31, playing on a team mostly full of up-and-coming players who are nowhere near ready to compete for even a playoff spot, let alone a title. That plus his huge contract make his future with the Cleveland Cavaliers look pretty murky.
There has been some back-and-forth over the past week on whether the Cavs will be able to land a first-round pick in exchange for Love, or whether they’ll have to give one up in order for someone to be willing to take his massive deal, but ESPN’s Zach Lowe thinks they’ll be able to pick up a coveted asset while mentioning the Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns as potential suitors.
Other teams that make sense for Love include the Boston Celtics, Utah Jazz and Brooklyn Nets.
For what it’s worth, Love has no idea how this saga will end, telling The Athletic:
“Could I see [getting traded]? I could see … I just don’t … What’s going to happen with us this summer? Or at the trade deadline? I just don’t know. It’s just tough because, and I’m not a religious guy by any means, but the old saying ‘You want to make God laugh? Tell him your plans.’ Listen, obviously it’s a tough go right now. We’ve got (six) wins. But in some ways, the grass isn’t always greener. You just don’t know how the shit is going to shake out. Ever. In anything.”
Love might not be sure, but all signs point to him getting dealt prior to February.
You can follow Frank Urbina on Twitter: @FrankUrbina_.
New York Knicks forward Marcus Morris said Joel Embiid is too big to be flopping.
[jwplayer oxAdaBIS-z6KDnl0B]
The Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks renewed their rivalry on Wednesday night as the two teams met at the Wells Fargo Center. While the two teams are headed in completely different directions, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any fireworks whenever these two teams meet.
That was the case on Wednesday as Sixers big man Joel Embiid and Knicks forward Marcus Morris Sr. got into it a bit in the second quarter. Embiid was getting in position for an offensive rebound when Morris pulled him down to the ground. The result was double technical fouls called on each player and Morris was called for a flagrant-1 foul before play resumed.
Marcus Morris shoves Joel Embiid to the ground pic.twitter.com/LbpymkkWdu
— NBA RETWEET (@RTNBA) November 21, 2019
After it was over, Morris had a few words for Embiid:
He’s just too big to be flopping, just to be flopping and grabbing. I’m just not the one who’s going to take that so, he knows that. He knows what I’m about.
"He's too big to be flopping"
– Marcus Morris on his run-in with Joel Embiid 👀 pic.twitter.com/e2GzjPj10l
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) November 21, 2019
The Sixers and the Knicks will meet again on November 29 at Madison Square Garden. [lawrence-related id=19736,19725,19727]
