Tag: NBA Trade Rumors

Jalen Rose wants 76ers to make Joel Embiid, Russell Westbrook trade

It’s hard to see what the appeal of the trade would be for Philadelphia, but the ESPN analyst attempted to explain it on Friday.

With longtime Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey headed to Philadelphia, it’s natural to consider trade possibilities involving his former team.

On Friday, ESPN analyst and former NBA player Jalen Rose got in on the action. His latest suggestion, however, might appear to be too good to be true, from a Houston perspective. Here’s what he said:

If I’m Daryl Morey, I tried to find a way to parlay Joel Embiid for Russell Westbrook and/or P.J. Tucker. In Houston, they’re going to have to play more traditionally, so therefore you have James [Harden] with the ball on the perimeter, and you have Embiid as his big man. In the Eastern Conference, you have two guys in Ben Simmons and Russell Westbrook that no one is ever going to stop from getting to the basket.

Both those guys have found ways to not be able to shoot jump shots and still basically flirt with triple-doubles, and Russell’s been an MVP of the league. You say ‘Well, that’s not Morey-ball.’ Morey-ball is actually also getting layups and dunks, and getting to the free-throw line. Those two guys do that, too.

For starters, let’s take the “or” out of Rose’s statement. Before even considering the basketball merits, Embiid will make nearly $30 million next season, whereas Tucker isn’t even at $8 million. With both the Sixers and Rockets above the league’s projected salary cap, each team has to send out close to as much money in trades as it takes in.

For the Rockets to take in Embiid, Westbrook’s salary (~$41 million) is much closer to a financial match.

But then there’s the basketball side. At just 26 years old, Embiid is already a three-time NBA All-Star. For his career, he averages 23.9 points (48.0% FG), 11.5 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks in 30.4 minutes per game.

Westbrook, of course, is a nine-time All-Star and former MVP who averaged 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists this past season. In Morey’s analytics-driven system with the Rockets, Westbrook shot a career-high clip of 47.2% from the field. That’s the good news.

The bad news, at least from the perspective of Rose’s hypothetical trade, is that Westbrook will turn 32 years old on Nov. 12. That makes him more than five years older than Embiid, and that’s before considering how each player’s game might age. In theory, a seven-foot center with post moves could have a friendlier aging curve than a guard who depends largely on athleticism — rather than 3-point shooting — for his excellence.

Even though Morey seems to like Westbrook, it’s hard to envision giving up an All-Star center who is only 26 to get him. It’s also fair to wonder how Westbrook would fit next to Simmons, since both guards need space to attack the rim and neither is respected as a 3-point shooter.

By contrast, James Harden is nearly a year younger than Westbrook. He’s also a superior player and, at least on paper, a better bet to age more gracefully (thanks to his superior jump shot). It certainly wouldn’t be a shock if Morey broached that subject, even if it required moving Embiid. However, the Rockets have understandably shown no interest in trading their perennial MVP candidate, so that doesn’t seem to be an option.

Trades involving role players on the Sixers and Rockets — even high-profile ones like Tucker, Eric Gordon, and Al Horford — might be a possibility, assuming Morey still has affinity for his former players in Houston. However, it’s tough to see any trade fit in 2020 involving the four All-Stars of Westbrook, Harden, Embiid, and Simmons.

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Rockets reportedly have no interest in James Harden, Ben Simmons trade

“I’ve already been told with a few expletives included: ‘No, Daryl, James Harden for Ben Simmons is not happening. Don’t ask.'”

With former Houston GM Daryl Morey headed to Philadelphia, it’s natural for many around the NBA to speculate on whether Morey might try to lure Rockets star James Harden to rejoin him on the East Coast.

But it’s highly unlikely that such a transaction could occur in 2020. Per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, who covers the Rockets, the team has no interest in a potential swap involving Harden and 76ers guard Ben Simmons.

Speaking on colleague Brian Windhorst’s podcast, MacMahon said:

I’ve already been told with a few expletives included by somebody with the Rockets: ‘No, Daryl, James Harden for Ben Simmons is not happening. Don’t ask.’

On the surface, the Harden-Simmons speculation is understandable. Should the Rockets ever want to rebuild, the 24-year-old Simmons is seven years younger than Harden, and his salary ($29 million next season) is large enough to potentially make the math work on a trade. (Since both the Sixers and Rockets are above the salary cap, each team would have to send out close to as much money as it takes in.)

A two-time NBA All-Star, Simmons averaged 16.4 points (58.0% FG), 8.0 assists, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.1 steals per game last season. But he’s certainly not at the level of Harden, the three-time defending NBA scoring champion and a perennial MVP finalist. It would also be difficult for the Rockets to play a backcourt of Simmons and Russell Westbrook together, since both are dependent on driving to the basket and neither has the 3-point shooting to help space the floor for the other.

The only way the Rockets might be incentivized to consider a Simmons-Harden deal is if they feared Harden leaving for no compensation in free agency, and the soonest he could potentially do that is in 2022. (To this point, there have been no indications that he’s unhappy in Houston.)

Even if Harden did want out, though, there’s hardly any precedent for an NBA team trading an elite player of his stature who is under contract for multiple seasons moving forward. Those types of leveraged trades only tend to happen within about a year of the star’s potential free agency, as was the case with Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans in June 2019. In the case of Harden and the Rockets, a similar inflection point could be reached in the 2021 offseason, not in 2020.

Moreover, “tanking” also isn’t a realistic option for the Rockets in the 2020-21 season, since Oklahoma City has the right to swap first-round draft picks with them in 2021 from the Chris Paul-Westbrook trade. On the other hand, Houston has full control of its picks in 2022 and 2023, which could make a rebuild more realistic then (if Harden wants out).

As a result of those factors, Houston’s likely path for the 2020-21 season is to give it another go with their duo of recent MVPs, and perhaps surround Harden and Westbrook with additional talent acquired via trade and/or through the use of the Mid-Level Exception (MLE).

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Speaking on a separate podcast of ESPN colleague Adrian Wojnarowski, MacMahon expressed a similar viewpoint. His comments:

What I can say is right now the Rockets are 100% committed to trying to cash in on James Harden’s prime. They consider him the best player in the league, which you know… He’s without question a perennial MVP candidate. That’s just a simple fact. They’re going to try to win a championship as long as he’s at that level and as long as he’s on board.

I think at this point it’s probably a year-to-year deal. If I’m speculating, I’m going to say that decision is more than likely made by James Harden instead of made by the Rockets. In other words, it could get to a point… And I don’t believe this is imminent. Again, I think it’s a year-to-year situation where at some point James Harden, who has tried repeatedly to pair with a superstar to give him a chance to a championship: first Dwight [Howard], then Chris Paul, and now with Russ. If James Harden wants to pair with another superstar, he’s probably going to have to be the one to pack his bags. Is that next offseason? Is that the offseason after that? We’ll see. Obviously a lot of that depends on what happens with the Rockets over these next one or two years.

Depending on what happens in the 2020-21 season, the Morey-Harden connection might eventually make a reunion in Philadelphia possible. After all, acquiring a young All-Star in Simmons who is under contract through the 2023-24 season is certainly a better scenario for the Rockets than losing Harden for no compensation in 2022 free agency.

But the soonest that would likely be realistic is the 2021 offseason. For now, it’s understandably not seen as an option from Houston’s end.

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Rockets reportedly tried to trade for Nerlens Noel at 2020 deadline

The deal didn’t get done, but with Noel set to become a free agent this offseason, Houston might again pursue the athletic big man.

According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, the Houston Rockets didn’t want to completely commit to smaller lineups as part of their flurry of moves at this past season’s trade deadline in February 2020.

Rather, it happened in part because a planned deal for an established backup center didn’t work out following the blockbuster trade of center Clint Capela for versatile forward Robert Covington.

Per MacMahon, Houston’s target was Nerlens Noel of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Here’s how he described it on Zach Lowe’s podcast:

They obviously went all in on micro-ball, but they thought at the time that they could find a bargain big man. If Clint Capela was a full-service Marriott, they thought they could find a Courtyard by Marriott type of big man to at least be in the rotation. .

For example, they had discussions before the trade deadline and were optimistic and thought that they could get a deal done to bring in Nerlens Noel.

The Rockets did trade for Bruno Caboclo in the final hours before the deadline, in hopes that he could potentially fill a similar role. However, he struggled in limited opportunities with the Rockets.

As for Noel, the deal likely fell apart because the Thunder were much closer to contention than expected, and thus less likely to be a seller at the deadline. (Oklahoma City, of course, ended up pushing the Rockets to seven games in a tightly contested first-round playoff series.)

Now 26 years old, Noel averaged 7.4 points (68.4% FG), 4.9 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 18.5 minutes per game this season. Noel made the minimum salary and is set to become a free agent this offseason, so he very plausibly could again become a target by the Rockets — assuming they still want the option of larger lineups. As an athletic center, he could potentially provide both rim protection on defense and a lob threat on offense (like Capela did) as a pick-and-roll partner for James Harden.

Noel was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft by Philadelphia. During his career, he’s played four seasons with the Sixers; one season in Dallas; and the last two in Oklahoma City, where he played alongside current Rockets star Russell Westbrook in the 2018-19 campaign.

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Report: NBA agents believe Knicks have interest in Russell Westbrook

There hasn’t been any indication that Houston would put Westbrook on the trade market. But if they did, New York reportedly has interest.

NBA agents believe the New York Knicks would have interest in All-Star guard Russell Westbrook, if he were made available by the Houston Rockets, according to a new report from SNY’s Ian Begley.

However, there has yet to be any indication that Rockets GM Daryl Morey would be willing to explore such a transaction.

In his latest notebook, Begley writes:

Some agents who represent top point guard free agents believe the Knicks would poke around on a potential Russell Westbrook trade if Houston makes him available. It’s worth noting that Westbrook, per sources, saw New York as a welcome landing spot last summer when Oklahoma City was talking to teams about potential trades.

Westbrook’s work ethic and drive would have an impact on New York’s young players.

Now 31 years old, Westbrook is under contract with the Rockets for at least two additional seasons (he has a player option on the third year).

A nine-time NBA All-Star and the league’s 2017 MVP,  Westbrook averaged 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists in his first season with the Rockets, including a career-best 47.2% shooting clip.

The Rockets have a clear “win now” emphasis, with franchise centerpiece and perennial MVP finalist James Harden now 31 years old, as well. Given that dynamic, as well as the close friendship between Harden and Westbrook and the status of New York’s young roster (the Knicks were just 21-45 last season), it’s hard to see how a deal between the teams would increase Houston’s championship odds in the 2020-21 season.

Nonetheless, should Morey and the Rockets ever decide to change their strategic course, New York’s interest could be a storyline worth remembering. Westbrook’s willingness to play there could also be key, since it’s unlikely that the Rockets would ever trade him somewhere against his will — given Westbrook’s desire to play in Houston.

For now, though, there doesn’t seem to be any traction.

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Report: Mike D’Antoni likely to pick some of his own players for 76ers

If the Sixers hire Mike D’Antoni, he’s likely to pick some of his own players. Might that lead to a trade with his former team in Houston?

If the 76ers hire former Houston Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni as their head coach (and he seems to be the clear frontrunner), the expectation is that he would be able to change Philadelphia’s roster by adding some of his own players, per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

If that’s the case, it’s hard not to imagine at least some exploratory trade discussions between the Sixers and Rockets — since Houston’s roster has largely been shaped to D’Antoni’s liking for four years.

In a story published Sunday, Pompey writes:

According to multiple sources, Embiid is happy that he’ll face the basket instead of posting up in D’Antoni’s proposed five-out system. D’Antoni’s plan is to move Tobias Harris back to power forward. The Sixers will also make trades if he’s hired, according to reports. The expectation is that he’ll have a say in picking players for his freewheeling style of play.

If the D’Antoni plans to start Embiid and Tobias Harris in the frontcourt, that leaves no room for 6-foot-9 big man Al Horford — who will make $27.5 million next season. That’s a rather high price tag for a reserve. Houston GM Daryl Morey has shown interest in Horford in the past, though with Horford now 34 years old, it isn’t clear if that’s still the case.

As for D’Antoni, he’s spoken in glowing terms about Rockets guard Eric Gordon, and the Sixers could clearly use more volume 3-point shooting if they’re going to run D’Antoni’s preferred system. While Gordon’s salary of roughly $17 million for 2020-21 isn’t enough by itself for Houston to take back Horford (with the Rockets above the salary cap, they have to send out close to as much as they send in), it’s enough as a starting point to get in the ballpark, especially if additional teams are involved.

Known for his versatility on offense and defense, Horford averaged 11.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in 30.2 minutes last season.

That said, even if a Gordon-Horford deal is too financially challenging to pull off, there are certainly smaller options, as well. What makes sense may also depend on who the Rockets hire as D’Antoni’s successor, and what potentially fits best within that coach’s preferred system.

The Trade NBA website offers a trade machine to explore the various possibilities that are permissible within the league’s salary cap.

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Rockets GM Daryl Morey is already preparing for free agency, trades

“When we do restart, we think it’s going to be rapid,” Morey said. “There won’t be the normal breaks between the season and the offseason.”

In anticipation of a very fast transition from the 2019-20 NBA season to the offseason, Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey says he’s using his downtime during the league’s ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) hiatus to make plans for free agency and potential trades later this year.

Morey made his comments as part of a taped conversation with play-by-play broadcaster Craig Ackerman and head coach Mike D’Antoni.

Morey, who remains optimistic that the 2019-20 season will ultimately be resumed and completed, said in the new interview:

When we do restart, we think it’s going to be rapid. There’s not going to be the normal breaks between the season and the offseason.

So we’re having to do all our free agency prep, potential trade prep. The draft, we don’t know when that will be. It’s probably going to be right after whatever season we have, when it ends. So when we do restart, it’s going to be accelerated. So we need all the planning done up front.

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The timetable of the 2020 offseason is not yet known, since the usual schedule of the NBA Draft in late June and the opening of free agency on June 30 will likely be pushed back if the league has yet to complete its 2019-20 season by then (unless it is outright canceled).

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In comments last month, Morey said Houston hoped to “add a significant player” this offseason. He noted that the team could use its full Mid-Level Exception (MLE) after the recent trade of Clint Capela for Robert Covington, who will be paid about $5 million less than Capela next year.

Morey did not specify whether he was referring to the taxpayer or non-taxpayer MLE (definitions here). His full comments:

Our [trade] deadline really set us up well. Not only did we shoot for a better structure of our core players, that they fit together better, but also allowed us to be more flexible going forward to add players that we think overall as we allocate our player spending. We were over-weighted at the five spot. This opens up ability to spend at other spots.

The larger MLE (non-taxpayer) — which, if used, hard caps a team at the NBA’s luxury tax apron level — allowed teams to offer contracts starting at $9.3 million last offseason. To this point, the various levels for new contracts in the 2020-21 league year have yet to be established.

Based on what we know now, though, the gap between the contracts of Capela and Covington could make it more feasible for the Rockets to use the larger MLE, fill out their roster, and stay below the apron level.

It’s worth noting that if the NBA cannot resume its 2019-20 season following the current COVID-19 hiatus, that would significantly lessen the league’s basketball revenues for this year. In turn, that could lower the NBA’s team salary thresholds for the 2020-21 season.

In such a scenario, the Rockets might be closer to the luxury tax and apron levels than currently anticipated, which could complicate their ability to use the non-taxpayer MLE.

But for now, the Morey and the Rockets appear optimistic that the 2019-20 season can be salvaged, and that — along with the Covington trade — might also bolster their ability to make a larger addition this offseason. As such, Morey is using his current downtime to prepare for that possibility.

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Forming a new Warriors depth chart following the NBA trade deadline

After moving six players at the NBA trade deadline, the Golden State Warriors will have to revamp their depth chart.

With losses stacking and a chance of making a run at the playoffs unobtainable, the NBA trade deadline provided the most chatter around the Golden State Warriors 2019-20 season.

The Warriors moved a total of six players out of their rotation leading up to the trade deadline. All six players were significant contributors in some form throughout Golden State’s season.

Two of the Warriors leading offensive players, D’Angelo Russell and Alec Burks are playing for new teams. Russell averaged 23.6 points per game, shooting 43.0 % from the field and 37.4 % from long distance. On top of scoring, Russell was Steve Kerr’s chief ball-handler.

Burks played a flexible, yet consistent offensive role off the bench for Kerr, scoring a career-high 16.1 points per game. Burks had two 30-point or more scoring nights in 48 games with the Warriors. Throughout the season, the veteran swingman handled the basketball for Kerr at times as well.

Without Russell and Burks, Draymond Green and Ky Bowman will slide into the primary ball-handling roles in Golden State’s rotation.

Another critical piece for the Warriors, Glenn Robinson III, is now playing for the Philadelphia 76ers. Robinson III started nearly every game for the Warriors, missing only six games in an overall injury-filled season for the rest of Golden State’s roster.

From the frontcourt, both Omari Spellman and Willie Cauley-Stein are in new cities. Cauley-Stein, a former starter, and Spellman, a key bench piece will push Golden State to hit the reset button on the entire rotation.

As busy as the trade deadline was, the Warriors will have to find a way to make up for six players whom all averaged 15 or more minutes per game. Russell, Burks and Robinson III each registered 29 or more minutes per game.

The newest Warrior, Andrew Wiggins, will take over a significant role in Kerr’s offense. After Wiggins, Golden State made a flurry of moves following the deadline to fill out the rest of the rotation.

In the Warriors’ first game after the trade deadline, Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported Bowman, Damion Lee, Wiggins, Green and Marquese Chriss would start against the Los Angeles Lakers.

After the starting lineup, Kerr will have to test who can step up and fill out the bench unit. Rookies Jordan Poole and Eric Paschall could be in line for more minutes off the bench. Kevon Looney and Alen Smailagic could be tapped to bolster the bench frontcourt.

New members of Golden State Zach Norvell Jr, Jeremy Pargo and Juan Toscano-Anderson could add to the mix. However, all are unproven still at the NBA level.

Golden State’s new depth chart following the trade deadline could look something like this:

PG: Ky Bowman — Jeremey Pargo — Zach Norvell Jr. 

SG: Damion Lee — Jordan Poole — Zach Norvell Jr. 

SF: Andrew Wiggins — Eric Paschall — Juan Toscano-Anderson 

PF: Draymond Green — Alen Smailagic 

C: Marquese Chriss — Kevon Looney

Kerr will have the rest of February to figure out what combinations flow together until March when the Warriors’ two-time Most Valuable Player could return from injury.

Stephen Curry’s been progressing through his broken hand rehab with reports pointing towards a potential March return. A healthy version of Curry could solidify Golden State’s rotation for the remainder of the 2019-20 season.

Why the Warriors were right to take a chance on Andrew Wiggins

The D’Angelo Russell – Andrew Wiggins trade was a blockbuster deal that should leave the Bay Area with a great deal of excitement.

Andrew Wiggins to the Golden State Warriors? Nobody could have expected that at the beginning of the day.

Yet, honestly, the more that you think about, the better it sounds.

Casting narratives — no matter the amount of truth in them — aside for a moment, there’s the obvious fit for Wiggins at small forward beside point guard Stephen Curry and shooting guard Klay Thompson if you think of him as replacing the departure of Kevin Durant or Andre Iguodala (even Harrison Barnes, for all intents and purposes). D’Angelo Russell, traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a blockbuster deal that shocked the whole league, was always perceived to be an awkward fit when the Splash Brothers returned from their respective injuries.

A combo guard who would have forced Thompson to slide to small forward, Russell’s relative lack of size at 6-foot-5 was also an interesting dynamic to a team that’s utilized length to their advantage over the last few years. Whether their forward was Durant, Iguodala or Barnes, Golden State’s defensive potential was predicated as much on talent as length.

Wiggins is far from an elite defender but has been as focused on that end this season as any point in his career and standing at 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot wingspan (while being quite the athlete) doesn’t hurt the team defense.

Offensively, his scoring prowess, including the volume (he’s averaging 22.4 points per game) and comfort scoring from three levels like his immediate predecessor at the starting small forward spot (Durant).

His efficiency, due to what’s at times startling shot-selection, can often leave much to be desired even though he’s shot at least 44.4 percent from the field in three of his six seasons. Yet, the Warriors needn’t worry about that as much when Curry and Thompson return due to the gravity they have beyond the arc and the defensive attention they garner, which should be enough to leave Wiggins with plenty of one-on-one opportunities.

Stop me when you see a downside.

It would be different if the team were looking for Wiggins to be the number one option (or 1B) when fully healthy, as Durant was during his tenure with the Warriors. However, he’ll be the team’s third option (or a 2B).

Though he’s likely to have the ball in his hands as much as Thompson plenty of the time, that’s moreso due to the fact that the sharpshooter doesn’t need to have the ball in his hands long to make a basket. Further, as he’s improved his decision-making from years past and is averaging a career-high 3.7 assists per game this season. Now on a team known to emphasize ball-movement and with a reputable championship-culture, there’s even less concern about Wiggins’ potential role.

It’s well-known that Wiggins has yet to live up to the lofty expectations placed upon him after he was selected with the first overall pick in 2014. He may never live up to those expectations to be the greatest player since LeBron James or Kobe Bryant.

Nonetheless, he’s extremely talented and still has plenty of potential. Where there are questions about him putting forth consistent effort, it’s difficult to imagine him adopting a lackadaisical approach with the league’s latest dynasty team and with teammates like Draymond Green demanding greatness from his brothers-in-arms.

That said, the trade is incredibly interesting because the Warriors acquired a draft pick in the 2021 NBA Draft (top-three protected) and own their own draft pick that may be in the top-three in the 2020 NBA Draft. In other words, Golden State is in a fine position to return to the NBA throne and resume their dynastic ways.

This season has been far from what a Warriors fan wanted to see, but with Thursday’s move for Wiggins, Golden State made a shrewd move that should have the Bay Area very excited for their impending future.

Daryl Morey to Clint Capela: ‘We watched you grow into a lion’

In a tribute post on Instagram, Rockets GM Daryl Morey thanked former center Clint Capela for his five-plus seasons in Houston.

The Houston Rockets made a pair of trades for long forwards before the NBA’s 2019-20 trade deadline, bringing in Robert Covington from Minnesota and Bruno Caboclo from Memphis.

But as part of those deals, the Rockets sent out 25-year-old big man Clint Capela ⁠— who was the second-longest tenured player on the Houston roster, trailing only franchise centerpiece James Harden.

So while there’s excitement for the looming debut of Covington on Thursday night, there are clearly mixed emotions from many around the Rockets about seeing their longtime starting center depart.

Rockets GM Daryl Morey, who selected Capela in the first round of the 2014 NBA Draft and ultimately made the final call this week on the deal sending Capela to Atlanta, took to Instagram on Thursday to thank Capela for his five-plus years of service to the organization.

Morey wrote:

We watched you grow into a lion. Thank you, Clint.

Veteran guard Eric Gordon, who has played alongside Capela since signing in Houston before the 2016-17 season, seemed to express his emotions with one sad emoji shortly after the trade was announced.

To Morey’s point, in Capela’s 2014-15 rookie campaign, the Swiss big man played in just 12 regular-season NBA games. He averaged 2.7 points (48.3% shooting) and 2.2 rebounds in 7.5 minutes per game, usually in mop-up duty, and spent most of the year in the G League.

This year, the 6-foot-10 Capela has averaged 13.9 points (62.9% shooting) and 13.8 rebounds in 32.8 minutes per game, with that rebounding total ranking fourth in the entire league.

However, the Rockets seem to believe wing defense and floor spacing for their All-Star backcourt of former MVPs (Harden and Russell Westbrook) are more important to their 2019-20 title chances than Capela’s traditional big man values of size, rebounding, and rim protection.

In comments to the Houston Chronicle‘s Jonathan Feigen, Morey explains why he believes the changes boost their championship odds:

Pretty straight forward. The best way to play with our stars that we feel is the one that gives us the best chance to win the championship is with a stretch four, playing up-tempo, shooting, and wing defenders. Robert Covington was for sure the best one available.

Veteran forward P.J. Tucker slides to Capela’s former role as the starting center. The Rockets are 10-1 in games without Capela this season, including a 4-0 run over the last 10 days with Tucker at center. Meanwhile, Covington will take many of the vacated minutes at power forward.

There were reports this week suggesting that in addition to the Covington and Cabaclo acquisitions, the Rockets aimed to also bring in a more traditional center to help replace Capela’s size.

But that type of deal did not transpire by Thursday’s trade deadline, meaning that Morey will probably have to turn to the upcoming buyout market if the Rockets are to address that need. At 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-7 wingspan, Cabaclo could potentially play minutes at center, though he’s likely out until after the All-Star break with a bone bruise in his left knee.

As for Covington and the current roster’s healthy players, the Rockets (32-18) will debut their new-look lineup Thursday in Los Angeles versus the Lakers (38-11), who have the West’s best record. Tip-off is at 9:30 p.m. Central time, with the game broadcast nationally on TNT.

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How to Watch NBA All-Star Draft, NBA Live Stream, Schedule, TV Channel, Start Time

Watch NBA All-Star Draft Live Online.

The NBA All-Star Game is set for February 16 at the United Center in Chicago, and while we know which athletes were selected, it remains to be seen who will grace Team LeBron James and Team Giannis Antetokounmpo. They are the captains for the event and will make the selections after earning the most votes from the East and West squads. 

NBA All-Star Draft

  • When: Thursday, February 6
  • Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
  • TV: TNT
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

LeBron and Giannis will alternate the first four selections. James has the first pick due to receiving the most All-Star votes. Will he select the Mavericks Luka Doncic, who is averaging nearly a triple-double per game with 28.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game or Kawhi Leonard of the crosstown rival Clippers, who led the Raptors to the 2019 NBA Championship? If Giannis drafts Leonard at No. 2, James could select his teammate Anthony Davis with his second pick of the draft. Where will Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young fall? No matter how it pans out, there is always plenty of offense to go around.

This year’s All-Star Game has a new format as well. The first three quarters will be scored as separate games. In each of the first two quarters, the winning team will receive $100,000 for its respective charity. At the four-minute mark of the third quarter, both squads will use the Elam Ending Rule, where the clock is turned off. In honor of Kobe Bryant’s passing, whoever amasses 24 points first in the fourth quarter will win. That team will win $200,000 for its charity of choice. If one team is able to win all three quarters, the amount heightens to $500,000. 

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