Tag: New York Knicks

NBA trade deadline 2024: A complete tracker of every trade

Rookie Wire is keeping track of every trade ahead of the Thursday deadline based on the latest intel available.

The week of the trade deadline is in full swing around the NBA, with teams working the phones in an effort to improve their rosters ahead of 3 p.m. EST on Thursday.

Since the start of the season, several notable names in the game have relocated after various trades. The moves have helped teams add more firepower to their rosters, while others have solidified their futures with draft picks and additional assets.

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The buyers and sellers around the league should become known as the action figures to heat up over the next 24 hours, with conversations and trade calls ramping up. The recent rumors and speculation should, once again, create another action-packed trade deadline.

Rookie Wire is monitoring the latest news and compiling each trade ahead of the deadline in this tracker. The list will be updated as news becomes available.

Last Update: Feb. 8, 3:10 p.m. EST

Rumor: Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. expected to compete in Slam Dunk Contest

Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. is reportedly expected to compete in the Slam Dunk Contest at NBA All-Star Weekend.

Miami Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. is expected to compete in the Slam Dunk Contest at NBA All-Star Weekend on Feb. 17 in Indianapolis, Indiana, according to Chris Haynes of TNT.

Jaquez expressed interest in participating in the event in December and was viewed as a good candidate after winning a dunk contest in high school. He declined to comment on the event last month, likely waiting until the field of participants was announced.

The 18th pick is expected to be joined by Boston Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown, New York Knicks rookie Jacob Toppin and Osceola Magic guard Mac McClung, who won the event last year.

The league typically asks rookies and other young players to compete in the Slam Dunk Contest. The field will include an All-Star for the first time since 2017 (DeAndre Jordan) and three up-and-coming players in the NBA and G League.

Jaquez and McClung were also among 28 players selected to compete in the NBA Rising Stars game on Feb. 16. Jaquez will play on Team Pau (Gasol), and McClung will team with six other players from the G League on Team Detlef (Schrempf).

The Slam Dunk Contest will headline the Saturday night festivities during NBA All-Star Weekend. The evening will also feature the Skills Challenge, 3-Point Contest and an NBA (Stephen Curry) vs. WNBA (Sabrina Ionescu) 3-Point Challenge.

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Spurs’ Keldon Johnson floated as potential Knicks trade idea

San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson was mentioned as a potential trade fit for the New York Knicks.

Heading into the February 8 trade deadline, the San Antonio Spurs have been playing solid basketball. They still aren’t winning a ton of games, but they’ve been staying competitive in a lot of contests against playoff-caliber teams. And while they may not be in the market to make a big-time move, they could still look to make minor tweaks to the roster.

It seems more likely than not that they stand pat at the deadline, but trading a veteran or two would make sense, as would exploring a potential deal for an upgrade at the point guard position in an attempt to help the development of Victor Wembanyama.

However, while it may be unlikely, Sam Quinn of CBS Sports thinks Keldon Johnson’s removal from the starting lineup could mean he’s not untouchable. He even dubbed him as a potential fit with the New York Knicks.

“It seems unlikely that any of the older veterans would net much from contenders, but what about Keldon Johnson?” Quinn wrote. “He seems like a possible “Knicks bench scorer” solution, especially since he’s big enough to play forward unlike most of their targets. The Spurs won’t trade Johnson for the sake of trading him, but the fact that he’s fallen out of the starting lineup suggests that he’s at least available for the right price.”

Adding Johnson would definitely bolster the Knicks’ hopes of a deep playoff run, providing them with an extra shot creator. San Antonio could look to get back Evan Fournier, a young asset, and draft capital, should they actually show any interest in a deal.

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1 NBA trade deadline 2024 deal that makes sense for every championship contender

Here’s one deal every NBA championship contender should make at the trade deadline.

Super Bowl week in the NBA means one crucial thing. The trade deadline, rife with interesting players galore, is just around the corner. Any contenders, bottom-feeders, or mediocre also-rans looking for a boost in players or future assets have until 3 p.m. Eastern time this Thursday to swing deals at their heart’s content.

(Clears throat): If LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are indeed planning something, they have until then.

This deadline is particularly important to the NBA’s cream of the crop, the genuine championship contenders. With all due respect to squads like the Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat — who could be reasonably classified as contenders by the end of the year — I have narrowed this crop down to four teams in each conference. (The Lakers need not apply.) These are the eight teams who could either swing for the fences or make minor but necessary depth additions in their respective title pursuits:

West

  • Denver Nuggets (defending champions)
  • Los Angeles Clippers
  • Minnesota Timberwolves
  • Oklahoma City Thunder

East

  • Boston Celtics
  • New York Knicks
  • Milwaukee Bucks
  • Philadelphia 76ers

As the specter of the NBA’s trade deadline looms, let’s break down one deal that makes sense for each of these heavyweights.

Taurean Prince: Being benched allowed him to be more aggressive

Although Taurean Prince was moved out of the Lakers’ starting lineup versus the Knicks, he was able to see it in a positive light.

Los Angeles Lakers wing Taurean Prince has been a fixture in the team’s starting lineup so far this season. But on Saturday against the New York Knicks, he found himself having to adjust to a different role.

Head coach Darvin Ham moved him to the bench and went with Rui Hachimura at small forward in the starting lineup. It seemed to work, as the team scored a 113-105 victory at Madison Square Garden and ended New York’s nine-game winning streak.

Fans have criticized Ham for keeping Prince in the starting lineup and giving him heavy minutes despite Prince’s defensive shortcomings. After Saturday’s game, Prince said coming off the bench helped him be more aggressive offensively.

Via Lakers Nation:

“I mean it does allow me to be more aggressive with the second unit but at the end of the day, my job stays the same, to do whatever it is to help us win as many games as possible. Whether that’s starting or coming off the bench, you can’t be salty about it. You got to be a professional and do what you got to do to get it right.”

He had 16 points on 6-of-10 field-goal shooting and 3-of-6 from downtown versus the Knicks. Despite coming off the bench, he still played 33 minutes, while Hachimura logged 19 minutes.

Whether Lakers fans love or hate Prince, he does have to play a significant amount of minutes because he’s one of the team’s few legitimate spot-up 3-point shooters and floor spacers.

LeBron James wore a Knicks towel after a big win in New York and NBA fans wildly speculated about his future

Why would LeBron James wear a Knicks towel? Oh, right!

There’s one evergreen thing to know about LeBron James: Everything he does is intentional.

As we near this week’s upcoming NBA trade deadline, it’s been worth wondering what’s next for the Los Angeles Lakers all-time great. He’s fed the bonkers trade speculation himself, posting a cryptic hourglass emoji after a tough Los Angeles loss. Even though he denied there being any Lakers trade possibilities with a statement through Rich Paul, he’s LeBron James, folks. Speculation about his future never just … goes away.

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It will almost certainly not fade after James wore a New York Knicks towel over his shoulders following a win in the Big Apple on Saturday night:

In all honesty, this probably just is a coincidence. It is not uncommon for home arenas to provide team-branded towels to opposing players. However, it might say something that James elected to wear the towel over his shoulders for his postgame interview. What timing.

The Lakers are in the middle of a playoff push and have one of the greatest players of all time on their roster. It is highly unlikely they punt on any remaining team control of James, if he does indeed opt out of a player option this summer. That said, we’re a few days away from the deadline, meaning everyone is rightfully on high alert about what might happen with him next.

Lakers player grades: L.A. ends the Knicks’ winning streak

The Lakers manufactured yet another upset against a team with a better record than them, this time versus a red-hot Knicks squad.

This has truly been an enigmatic season for the Los Angeles Lakers. They have come out lackadaisical and with what seemed to be a casual attitude a number of times against lesser teams, which has led to many losses against such squads.

On the other hand, they have consistently shown up against teams with a better record than them and manufactured quite a few wins against such opposition.

Versus the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, the Lakers looked to be overmatched, especially given the fact that the Knicks came in with a nine-game winning streak and were the NBA’s hottest team. But surprisingly, the first half was very competitive. Neither team shot well, but they were able to compete by making timely shots, while New York stayed in the game with its rebounding, particularly its offensive rebounding.

After the game was tied at 59 at intermission, New York surged ahead to an eight-point lead late in the third quarter, but the Purple and Gold regained the lead early in the fourth quarter thanks to nine unanswered points to start the period. Their defense was suffocating down the stretch, partly because they often trapped Knicks All-Star Jalen Brunson when he had the ball on the perimeter while making multiple efforts to contest shots at or near the rim.

While Brunson scored 11 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter, seven of those points came off concession baskets in the final seconds with the outcome already decided.

By outscoring the home team 33-19 in the final frame, L.A. achieved an inspiring 113-105 victory. The Knicks’ winning streak is now history, and their fans, who are perhaps the best in all of pro basketball, left the Garden deflated.

The Lakers are now 26-25 on the season and are in ninth place in the Western Conference, and they’re just 4.5 games behind the fifth-place Sacramento Kings. They’re also 3-2 on their current six-game road trip, which wraps up on Monday against the 10-37 Charlotte Hornets.

Lakers vs. Knicks: Stream, lineups, injury reports and broadcast info for Saturday

Here’s all you need to know ahead of Saturday’s Lakers versus Knicks game.

The Los Angeles Lakers visit the New York Knicks on Saturday, and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place.

Early this week, the Lakers (25-25) were blown out on back-to-back nights by the Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks, causing a good deal of concern. Yet even with LeBron James and Anthony Davis sitting out, they somehow defeated the Boston Celtics, who have the NBA’s best record, 114-105.

However, the victory came at a significant cost. Forward Jarred Vanderbilt, who has been a major spark plug for L.A., sustained a right foot injury late in the first half and didn’t return. While X-rays were negative, the team reportedly expects him to miss several weeks of action.

New York is riding a nine-game winning streak and is the hottest team in basketball. It has a 32-17 record and is in third place in the Eastern Conference even though All-Star forward Julius Randle has missed its last three contests.

Fellow All-Star Jalen Brunson has been on a heater lately; he’s averaging 32.6 points in his last nine games.

These two teams met at Crypto.com Arena on Dec. 18 with New York winning 114-109.

Stephen A. Smith to LeBron James: Come to the Knicks to win a ring

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith made a proposal to LeBron James to go to the Knicks in order to have a real shot at his fifth NBA championship.

The exercise in frustration and inconsistency that has been the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2023-24 season has continued unabated, and it has led to some conversations the team’s fans may not want to have.

Trade rumors have swirled around the organization since early in the season. Over the last several weeks, much of that talk has centered on Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray.

But this week, there has been wild speculation the Lakers might even try to trade LeBron James. As a result, various pundits have made trade proposals involving him.

ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith’s proposal was simple: James should ask for a trade to the New York Knicks if he wants to win his fifth NBA championship (h/t The Cold Wire).

Smith’s reasoning is the red-hot Knicks, who are currently riding a nine-game winning streak, have the defense and a brilliant incumbent star, guard Jalen Brunson, to give James the support he needs to win it all.

Rich Paul, James’ agent, said publicly James doesn’t want to be traded and will not be.

The superstar and his team will get an up-close-and-personal look at the Knicks when they face Brunson’s crew at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

NBA Power Rankings: Knicks make a jump behind 9-game win streak

Rookie Wire looked at the NBA through games played on Thursday and ranked each team from worst to first.

After an exciting first half of the season, the NBA is closing in on the trade deadline and All-Star Weekend the following week to start the stretch run for teams vying for playoff positioning.

The trade chatter will certainly ramp up considerably before Thursday, with several teams expected to be active. The impending rumors and other speculation should once again create plenty of storylines to watch over the next several days.

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The league announced the 14 reserve players for the All-Star Game on Thursday, with several first-time selections joining the mainstays in the exhibition this year. Of course, the announcement wasn’t without controversy regarding those snubbed players.

To make further sense of it all, Rookie Wire looked at the NBA and ranked each team from worst to first. We will return each week and provide our latest assessment of the best teams and those that are rising.