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.
David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
5. KEVIN LOVE
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.”
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.
Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
4. MARCUS MORRIS
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.
“‘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.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
3. DION WAITERS
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?
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.
Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
1. ANDRE IGUODALA
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_.
The Memphis Grizzlies rookie said that Paul’s “feel for the game is just different” in a recent interview with The Athletic.
Ja Morant is one of the rising stars in the NBA.
The second overall pick in the 2019 Draft, Morant has talent to spare and eyes on taking home the Rookie of the Year award.
But that doesn’t mean that the Grizzlies guard doesn’t envy some of the skills possessed by other guys in the league.
In fact, he told Joe Vardon of The Athletic, that one of the players he admires is none other than Oklahoma City’s Chris Paul.
Though Morant said he would take LeBron’s strength or Steph Curry’s shooting ability, the skill that impresses the talented rookie the most when it comes to CP3 is the veteran guard’s court vision.
“His feel for the game is just different. I learned from it when I went to the camp, he was showing film on himself. It’s just different, what he sees on the floor.”
Morant got the opportunity to learn from Paul following his freshman year at Murray State when attended Paul’s Elite Camp. But he got a more up close and personal education on December 18th when his Grizzlies traveled to OKC to take on the Thunder.
In a 126-122 loss to Oklahoma City, Morant went for 22 points and seven assists, although Paul had 18 points and five assists, plus the victory.
Morant will get another chance at Paul and the Thunder when Memphis tips off against OKC inside Chesapeake Energy Arena on Thursday night.
In four games, Schroder averaged 25.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6 assists to help lead Oklahoma City to a season’s best four-game win streak. He also shot 50.7% from the field.
Schroder topped the 20-point mark in three of the Thunder’s four victories last week and has done so seven times in the last nine games.
The only game in which he did not score 20 or more was in OKC’s comeback win over the Chicago Bulls on December 16. In that game, he scored 18.
In the Thunder’s come-from-behind victory over Memphis on Wednesday, OKC was spurred by Schroder, who tied a career-high with 31 points. In that win, Schroder shot 10-of-19 from the floor and made 10 of his 11 free-throw attempts, including four down the stretch to ice the game.
Schroder and the Thunder return to action on Thursday, when they try and cap a perfect five-for-five homestand with a win over the Grizzlies.
NBA veteran Chandler Parsons opened up to HoopsHype about the strange circumstances surrounding the most recent few years of his pro career.
NBA veteran Chandler Parsons opened up to HoopsHype about the strange circumstances surrounding the most recent few years of his pro career.
Parsons, 31, is currently on the active roster for the Atlanta Hawks and is in the final season of a maximum contract. That means next summer, the 6-foot-10 forward will become a free agent for the first time since the summer of 2016. As such, the market will be able to correct itself with a new deal for Parsons – who is eager to prove he still has plenty of gas left in the tank.
We spoke to the former SEC Player of the Year about the Hawks as well as his new home in Los Angeles, advice on training and more.
What are some of your general takeaways the Atlanta Hawks? What are some of the things that you’ve noticed about the locker room of such a young team and being a part of it as a veteran?
Chandler Parsons: It’s cool just being a veteran on a young team like this that has a lot of talent and a lot of room to grow. Obviously, we’re not winning as many games as we’d like to. But I think this season has pretty much been dedicated to developing these young guys, getting them more experience and just for them to continue to grow in a positive way and not get accustomed and get used to losing, but to learn from it and get the experience, get the exposure and continue to grow and get better. For me, I’ve just been a veteran, good locker room guy trying to lead these guys off the court and just waiting for my opportunity to play.
When you hear those terms like “good locker room guy” and the like, what are some of the things that you’ve picked up along the way to become?
CP: Yeah. Just being there for them, answering questions, leading by example in practice and shootaround and film sessions and just helping out any way I can. Some of these guys like Cameron Reddish are 20 years old and for some of these guys, it’s all so new for them and it’s a long season. They’re pretty much at the length of their college season now, they basically have two more. It’s long. There’s still a lot of basketball to play and these guys are going to continue to get better. Just doing really anything they need, being another coach out there, things like that.
Would coaching be something that you’d consider after your playing career is over?
CP: No chance! Never. I’d rather own the team. I’d rather own the team than coach the team. I don’t know if I have the patience enough to coach. I guess I wouldn’t count it out.
Speaking about owners, how’s your relationship with Mark Cuban these days?
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
CP: Me and Cuban and cool, man. I spent some time with him this summer. I’m happy for him and the way Dallas is playing. Luka Doncic has really taken his game to the next level. He’s one of the best players in our league. Kristaps Porzingis is balling, Tim Hardaway Jr. is balling. They’ve got a lot of pieces that know their roles and they play hard so I’m happy for him.
How often do you pitch Cuban with an idea for Shark Tank? If I had his number, I’d probably get him one or two a week.
CP: It’s crazy. I don’t, but it’s crazy how many people around me are like, “Hey, you’re still in touch with him. Can you ask him about this?” My mom hit me up the other day about some weight loss stuff that she heard about and how it’s crazy and I hit him up and he was like, “Yeah, That’s not mine. It’s not real. Don’t do it.” Something like that I’ll still talk to him about, but I’m not really inventing things and pitching it to him.
It sounds like you’ve got a good real estate mind, though. How is the new property? I saw some photos and I know it’s from the creator of CSI.
Atlanta Hawks forward Chandler Parsons is headed to the beach after shelling out $9.25 million for Malibu home of 'CSI' creator Anthony Zuiker https://t.co/Iw3SizIYqv
CP: Yeah, the house is sick. I was spending a lot of time in Malibu last summer and just like the vibe out there and I found a good house. It pretty much will be my main residence going forward. It’s an hour away from the city.
Will this be your first time really living in L.A. or have you lived there before?
CP: I’ve like that last six years, so I just kept migrating West. I started in West Hollywood and then went to Beverly Hills and went to Bel Air and now just keep going closer to the water.
Are you a surfer? Are you a big water guy?
CP: I like being on the beach, I like being on the water. I like paddleboarding and being out on a boat and stuff like that. I think it’s really my vibe during the summer, beach workouts and things like that. Malibu, it’s a whole nother world.
Who do you train with when you are in Los Angeles?
Since his hiatus from the Memphis Grizzlies, Chandler Parsons has been working out with Drew Hanlen in California to prepare for a comeback. Here's Hanlen discussing Parsons' regimen: pic.twitter.com/6KBuDUEMjB
CP: So it depends. I’ll mix it up between Noah LaRoche basketball-wise and Drew Hanlen. I was with Rob McClanaghan. I mix it up. I don’t think guys should train with just one trainer. I think if you can learn something from Chris Brickley when you’re out here in New York or if you can learn from Rob McClanaghan and take away from everything. Ronnie Taylor when you’re in Miami. I think there are so many good trainers out there that you should try and expand on your game from anybody that you can. That’s what I do and then just have a whole training regimen with different rehab guys, different strength guys, cardio guys, just things like that and mix it up.
Is that one of the things you tell younger players? What are some of the other tidbits you give them?
CP: I think it’s good for them and just to experience everything. I think if any of the rookies are in L.A. this summer, hit me up and stay with me for a week and do a day in the life of a vet or something like that and see step by step what to do. I guess everyone has their own place where they live in the summer, but everyone pretty much lands around at some point be in L.A. I think it’s important just to try everybody and see what you like, see who you don’t like and go from there.
Who are some of the guys that took you under when you came into the league?
(Photo by Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images)
CP: I was always cool with Blake Griffin. He was in the league before me. Even this past summer I hired his entire strength team and we trained together accordingly. Joakim Noah was one of the guys I trained with every day in the summer. That’s pretty much our group and then we’ll go to different workouts, different pickups like UCLA or pickups at West L.A. College and have our team already.
Do you know how Noah is doing these days? I know that he had some serious injury that kept him sidelined for a bit.
CP: He’s good. You can tell he’s been working out. He’s the type of guy that works so hard that he’ll be, during the deadline and during the buyout season, somebody will pick him up. He’ll be a key part for, hopefully, a contender.
You’ve played with some incredible guards in the past like James Harden, Kyle Lowry and Mike Conley. What are some of your thoughts when you look at Trae Young?
CP: Trae is a lot better than I thought. I thought that he was just this guard that jacked up a lot of shots and had some range and could hit buckets, but he’s unbelievable. He’s one of the top point guards in the league. He can handle it, he can shoot from anywhere, he can get in the paint and can get to his floater when he wants. When he wants to pass the ball, he can average 15 assists per night. He’s really, really good and just continues to work hard and continues to be one of the best players in the league.
What about some of the rookies that Atlanta drafted in 2019? They have an interesting class of players.
CP: They’re really good. You see De’Andre Hunter over there and he’s just so solid. He doesn’t play like a rookie. He’s like Harrison Barnes, quiet. He’s methodical. He gets to his spots. He’s under control. He’s never going to take a bad shot and Cameron Reddish is the same. He’s a little looser and a little more swaggy when you see him play, but just the potential. The sky’s the limit for both of them and they’re so advanced. It’s almost like the game is so easy to them in a way, it hurts them because they’ve just got to continue to work, continue to work on their craft, keeping being good guys. Like when Reddish struggled the first month, he was still defending and was probably our best defender, which is good. A lot of young guys, when their shot’s not falling, they’ll shut down. He stuck with it and he found ways to impact a game without scoring really or not being effective or efficient on the offensive end. But he stuck with it and now he’s having some big games. You can tell he’s getting more comfortable every single game. And then there is Bruno Fernando too. He’s a big body. He can step out and shoot the ball. He’s a mismatch down low on the post. The future here is crazy. Before the season, obviously, it’s not going the way we thought. But those three rookies and Trae and Kevin Huerter and John Collins? I don’t know a younger core that’s that good.
But on that same note, unfortunately: How hard is it for you to not get that playing time even with knowing how important it is for Atlanta to develop their young core?
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
CP: It sucks. It really sucks. Obviously, I want to play. I want to help. I’m healthy and I’m in a contract year so I want to show the team that I’m healthy and I can play and I can definitely help this team win. But at the same time, I understand the objective here and I understand the operation and knowing that development, so I’m just staying ready. Like I said, I’m being like being a leader and being a good locker room guy whenever he wants to play me, I’ll be ready.
What do you perceive for the future of your playing career? What are some things that you think you can provide a team moving forward?
CP: Yeah. I know that in today’s NBA I can definitely be a stretch forward. And I feel like, with these lineups, I can also even play the five. Also: twos and threes are the same positions so I can play two through five. And I can bring the ball up, I can shoot the ball and I’m 6-foot-10. There’s not a lot of people that can move like me who are this height. I’m tall, man. It’s always been about health with me and I’m the most healthy I’ve been in a long time. I’ve just got to sustain that and keep managing it. My knees feel great, my body feels great. Hopefully, it’s just a blessing in disguise that I’m not playing now and I’ll be ready. It sucks, but at the same time preserving my body and like I said… I’m dying to play but it’s out of my control.
Do you think that there were misconceptions about you and the way everything went down with your contract situation and how everything went down with your finish in Memphis?
CP: I think anybody with a brain in my situation would have taken the contract. It’s funny. People that are hating on it, if they were in my shoes or if their son was in my shoes, they would have told them to do the same thing. Right? Should I have predicted that I was going to be hurt and took less or took half the money? That’s psychotic. Now the contract is what it was and obviously, I didn’t live up to it. I think if I was healthy, I fully would have done that and I think it was on the path of being a really good player in this league and people are judged off of their salary and I understand that and that’s how it goes. It was out of my control as far as injuries go and not being able to play as much as I wanted to in Memphis sucked. But it’s silly when people hate on it. Anybody in their right mind would’ve done the same thing.
Now that your contract (and so many others around the league that had big deals that summer) is coming to an end, are you almost excited for a new chapter?
Photo by Cato Cataldo/NBAE via Getty Images
CP: I am excited. I went from my rookie deal the first three years to a max contract over the last six years. So I’ve had a lot of expectations, a lot of pressure. And I haven’t been the healthiest player in the league. I think just to get on a team next year, on a financial friendly deal, it changes the whole look of you to the fans as well as you to the media and just you to everything. You see a lot of guys that do that. Dwight Howard on a max deal was awful. Dwight on an interim deal is phenomenal. Someone like Andre Iguodala, when he goes to say, the Lakers for minimum, he’s going to be this huge value and people are going to love him. That’s just how it goes. I have no complaints. I’ve played basketball in the NBA. I set up my future here. I still think there is still time to just show I can still play. I just turned 31. It’s still young and technically I should be in my prime. I’m not worried about it. I just want to play. People probably don’t think I’m healthy just because I’m sitting over here and not playing. But I’m practicing every day. I’m doing every shootaround. I’m doing every lift. I’m doing everything that the team is doing besides playing in the game.
I don’t think that a lot of people know that you are actually healthy and active.
CP: I think people to see that and they see that I’m not playing. That’s what I’m saying, they think it’s my choice and I don’t want to. Basketball is my whole life. It’s been my whole life. Obviously, I was really good about it to get the contracts. I’m really good at it to get the contracts I did. No one just gave me those contracts. But yes, I always say: “Take something away that you love the most in the world and not be able to do it for the last basically three years.” Nobody will enjoy that. I think I haven’t really done media. This is the first time I’ve talked to media since I’ve been in Atlanta. I did a media day in Atlanta, but that’s really the only time I’ve ever talked about anything the last couple of years.
Kevin Love says Ja Morant almost ended his career with this dunk.
It’s strange to say that a flubbed dunk attempt is the most exciting play of the NBA season so far, but in the words of Cavaliers star Kevin Love, Grizzlies rookie Ja Morant nearly ended his career on Friday night with what would have been one of the best dunks of the decade.
In the first quarter of Friday’s Grizzlies-Cavaliers game in Cleveland, Morant drove into the lane uncontested after grabbing a loose ball, and upon seeing Kevin Love lining up to take a charge outside the restricted area, decided to jump over Love entirely for a one-handed dunk. Morant couldn’t quite clear Love and was unable to finish the play, but the attempt itself was spectacular.
Love said after the game that he was so happy that Morant missed the dunk, or he may have had to take off his jersey and leave the floor.
“I went down to their bench and I said ‘he legit jumped over me.’ It was just at the very end he clipped me with his leg, but I was so glad he missed that dunk. I look back, I helped him up and just kind of… that was like my tip of the hat to him. The kid is really, really special and you’ve got to give credit where credit is due.”
Love also gave Morant a shoutout on Twitter.
Ja almost ended my professional career with this dunk…that kid is something special 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 https://t.co/5SxCItAMba
Ja Morant was *this close* to the dunk of the decade.
In a season devoid of Zion Williamson so far, Ja Morant has picked up the slack as the NBA’s most exciting rookie – and the rising Memphis star came close to what would have been a legendary highlight against the Cavaliers on Friday night.
Just a few minutes into the fourth quarter in Cleveland, Morant grabbed a loose ball just behind the three-point line, took a few strides down an open lane and launched into the air, attempting to throw down a towering tomahawk slam over 6-foot-8 Cavaliers forward Kevin Love, who was established outside of the restricted area to take a charge.
Morant came close to vaulting Love entirely, but get his right leg over Love’s head and failed to finish the dunk.
The officials didn’t call a charge on Morant and let play continue. Even though Morant didn’t complete the hurdle, the attempt was stunning from every angle.
According to The New York Times, the Rockets, Lakers, and Clippers remain hopeful that Andre Iguodala will be bought out later this season.
The Houston Rockets are among the Western Conference contenders still hoping to pursue veteran defensive ace Andre Iguodala, if he ultimately receives a buyout from the Memphis Grizzlies.
In a Friday update, Marc Stein of The New York Times listed the Rockets and both Los Angeles teams (Lakers, Clippers) as among those squads hoping that Iguodala becomes a buyout candidate later this season.
Because the Grizzlies seem intent on trying to trade Iguodala first, any potential Iguodala buyout would appear unlikely until after the 2019-20 NBA trade deadline on Feb. 6, 2020. Iguodala would need to be bought out by March 1 in order to be playoff eligible with his next team.
The Grizzlies remain convinced they can find a trade partner for Iguodala and his $17.2 million salary before the Feb. 6 trade deadline … while teams like the Lakers, Clippers and Rockets stubbornly retain hope that the former Warriors defensive ace becomes a buyout candidate
Now 35 years old, Iguodala was traded to Memphis in July purely to cut costs after Golden State faced a hard salary cap due to the double sign-and-trade deal involving Kevin Durant and D’Angelo Russell. The Grizzlies actually received a future first-round pick to take on Iguodala, who has one year and $17.2 million left on his contract.
For Memphis, the primary value of the trade was believed to be that future draft selection, since Iguodala wouldn’t seem to be a fit for the rebuilding Grizzlies at this advanced stage of his career. Thus, many around the NBA have believed that Iguodala would eventually be bought out of his contract, as occurs with numerous veterans on bad teams every season that are in the final year of their contracts.
But to this point, the Grizzlies have held firm on not buying him out and are instead continuing to try and trade Iguodala for more assets. During this process, Iguodala is working out privately away from the team to stay in game shape while awaiting his next destination.
The Rockets, who are well above the NBA’s salary cap, are likely unable to trade for Iguodala — even if they wanted to. This is because they lack the mid-tier salary fillers necessary to approach his $17-million contract and make a deal legal under the league’s collective bargaining agreement. However, reports over the summer indicated that the Rockets believed Iguodala would be a good fit in Houston.
In recent weeks, reports have suggested that the Rockets (19-9) are attempting to add wing depth to their team. At 6-foot-6 and extremely versatile on defense, Iguodala would certainly seem to fit the bill.
As far as Iguodala is concerned, the problem for GM Daryl Morey and the Rockets could be his California roots. Considering he played his last six seasons with the Warriors, either the Lakers (24-5) or Clippers (21-9) would offer a much shorter commute to home than Houston.
But it seems the Rockets still want the opportunity to make their pitch, if Iguodala ultimately becomes a free agent. And if only a small handful of weeks are left in the 2019-20 season by the time Iguodala makes his choice, perhaps that could make geography slightly less of a priority.
With their 24-point comeback coming just two days after the Thunder tied the team record for largest comeback (down 26 to the Bulls on Monday), Oklahoma City is the first team in the last 20 years to overcome a 24-point deficit in back-to-back, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Per @EliasSports, the @OKCThunder are the 1st team in the last 20 seasons to overcome a 24-point deficit in back-to-back games.
They are the 2nd team in the last 20 seasons to overcome a 20-point deficit in back-to-back games, joining the Pacers on Jan. 11 and Jan. 13, 2010. pic.twitter.com/kioU3T8Gmi
They’re also just the second team in the last 20 seasons to overcome a 20-point deficit in back-to-back games, joining the Pacers who accomplished it on January 11 and January 13, 2010.
Third-quarter continues to be an issue for OKC
In all honesty, as amazing as another 20-plus point comeback is, the Thunder would’ve never found themselves in that situation if they didn’t struggle once again coming out of the halftime.
Oklahoma City trailed 68-59 at the break and didn’t score for three solid minutes, allowing the Grizzlies to open on a 12-0 run.
As noted by Maddie Lee of The Oklahoman, OKC is the worst third-quarter team in the league, and are being outscored by their opponents by an averaged of 3.7 points in the quarter.
Schroder shines as sixth-man
There was a lot of speculation about how Billy Donovan’s extremely guard-heavy lineup with work this season. And clearly, it works best with Dennis Schroder coming off the bench.
Schroder scored a game-high 31 against Memphis, hitting on 10-of-19 from the field and dishing out seven assists. He played 32 minutes, that’s more than anyone in the starting five with the exception of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who logged 39.
Schroder is good enough to start in the NBA. He’s good enough to start in Oklahoma City. But the lift he provides off the bench in undeniable and it’s clear he’s comfortable in his role providing a much-needed spark off the bench.
Per the Elias Sports Bureau, the Thunder are the first team in the last 20 seasons to overcome a 24-point deficit in back-to-back games.
For a three-minute stretch at the beginning of the third quarter, it looked like Oklahoma City’s fate against the Grizzlies was already decided.
Down 89-65 with 7:10 left in the frame, the Thunder caught fire, closing out the quarter by outscoring Memphis 28-11 to cut the deficit to 100-93 heading into the fourth.
Like they did Monday against the Bulls, the Thunder took back the lead in the final frame, a Dennis Schroder jumper with just over eight minutes to play.
Chris Paul put OKC out in front 122-120 with a minute left to play and it was Schroder on Wednesday night that iced the win, making all four of his free-throw attempts down the stretch.
Per Elias Sports Bureau, the Thunder are the first team in the last 20 seasons to overcome a 24-point deficit in back-to-back games. They are the second team in the last 20 seasons to overcome a 20-point deficit in back-to-back games, joining the Pacers on Jan. 11 and Jan. 13, 2010.
Per @EliasSports, the @OKCThunder are the 1st team in the last 20 seasons to overcome a 24-point deficit in back-to-back games.
They are the 2nd team in the last 20 seasons to overcome a 20-point deficit in back-to-back games, joining the Pacers on Jan. 11 and Jan. 13, 2010. pic.twitter.com/kioU3T8Gmi
After the game, Billy Donovan gave his team credit for grinding it out despite a tough first half.
“We got a lot of contributions from a lot of different guys. Certainly, the bench was a major factor in us being able to put ourselves in a position to get back in the game. I thought we closed the game well. I thought we got good shots and did some good things down the stretch.”
Oklahoma City’s bench outscored the Grizzlies’ 52-49, with 31 of those bench points for OKC coming from Schroder.
Five other players for the Thunder were in double-digits, Danilo Gallinari and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander both had 20, Chris Paul scored 18, and Steven Adams and Nerlens Noel added 13 and 10 respectively.
With the win, Oklahoma City improves to 13-14 on the year and 9-5 at home.
The Thunder are back in action on Friday when they host the Phoenix Suns.
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.
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.
Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
4. CHRIS PAUL
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.
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.
Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
3. D’ANGELO RUSSELL
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.
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.
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
2. ANDRE IGUODALA
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.
Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports
1. KEVIN LOVE
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.
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_.
