OG Anunoby – Page 3 – Syndication Server

Trade rumor rankings: Russell Westbrook, OG Anunoby and more

HoopsHype ranks the 10 players who have appeared most often in trade rumors since yesterday, led by Russell Westbrook.

We’re just two days away from the trade deadline now and things seem to be heating up on the market, so we decided to come back with another edition of our trade rumors rankings series, where we ranked the 10 players who have appeared most often in trade rumors in the last 24 hours, as judged by appearances on our trade rumors page.

We already saw one superstar get dealt in Kyrie Irving. Will we see another major domino fall in the next 48 hours?

With so many players to discuss in such little time, let us jump right into the action.

OG Anunoby would reportedly ’embrace’ a trade and has already told the Raptors as much

OG Anunoby might be the most interesting player who could get moved before the NBA’s upcoming trade deadline.

Toronto Raptors wing OG Anunoby might be the most interesting player who could get moved before the NBA’s upcoming trade deadline Thursday, Feb. 9.

While some insiders “doubt” the Raptors would trade Anunoby, there are rumors one team (perhaps the Knicks) may have even offered as many as three first-round picks for the wing.

Anunoby has said that he doesn’t want out of Toronto, and further reporting indicates that he has “no issue” playing for the organization. But there might be more to the story.

Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes told league insider Marc Stein that Anunoby has, in fact, braced himself for a potential move (via #thisleague UNCUT):

“I think OG himself, off of what I’m hearing, he would like a change of scenery himself. I don’t know if he’s going to management or it’s gotten that far to request a trade, but management knows how he feels. He’s let it be known already. I think he would embrace a change of scenery.”

Haynes added that the Pelicans are high on Anunoby and there could be a bidding war between New Orleans and the Memphis Grizzlies.

We have also listed the Knicks, Suns, and Pacers as potential suitors.

All of these front offices, especially the Pelicans and Knicks, have enough draft collateral in their arsenal to potentially get a deal done.

Anunoby ranks among the top 10 in defensive matchup difficulty, according to BBall-Index, and second-best (minimum: 1,000 minutes) in defensive positional versatility.

This indicates that he guards the best player on the other team, regardless of the position. He is also impactful and currently ranks third-best in Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus (dEPM) in 2022-23.

ESPN’s Zach Lowe reported that “the entire league” wants Anunoby and the Raptors could return a Donovan Mitchell-sized package in exchange for the 25-year-old wing.

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Ranking the 20 most interesting NBA players who could get traded and where each may go

A look at the players who could be dealt by Thursday’s NBA trade deadline.

The NBA trade deadline is one week from Thursday, and while it might seem quieter than normal, there could still be a lot of activity.

Even if there isn’t a looming blockbuster move like when the Nets and Sixers swapped James Harden and Ben Simmons last season, there are teams around the league that could have an entirely different roster before the beginning of the All-Star break.

While there are some obvious sellers (e.g. Pistons, Hornets, Spurs, Rockets), others (e.g. Raptors, Pacers, Jazz) have slightly less clear intentions.

Based on the latest rumors and intel provided by insiders around the NBA, these are the players considered most likely to get traded — and where each player is rumored to go.

But remember: The trade deadline is always full of surprises. No one in the league predicted the Kings would have traded Tyrese Haliburton last season! So in addition to these players, expect the unexpected.

Trade rumor rankings: OG Anunoby, Bojan Bogdanovic and more

HoopsHype ranks the 10 players who have appeared most often in trade rumors over the past week, led by OG Anunoby and Bojan Bogdanovic.

With the NBA trade deadline mere days away, we’re back with another installment of our trade rumors rankings series, in which we rank the 10 players who have appeared most often in trade rumors over the previous week.

After the somewhat surprising deal that saw Rui Hachimura get sent to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Kendrick Nunn and draft capital, a reminder was sent to NBA fans to expect the unexpected, even in what many project to be a quiet trade deadline.

Below, check out the 10 players who have appeared most often in our trade page over the previous week.

Trade rumor rankings: Fred VanVleet, John Wall and more

HoopsHype ranks the 10 players who have appeared most often in trade rumors over the previous week, led by John Wall and Fred VanVleet.

With just weeks remaining until the 2022-23 NBA trade deadline, we’re ranking 10 players in this edition of our trade rumor rankings series, as there are too many players to discuss to make the cut-off of just five, as we usually do.

We’ve only seen one trade thus far this season, an inconsequential salary dump involving the Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs, and Noah Vonleh, who is now a free agent.

We should get some more action prior to the deadline, though, even if it isn’t the most hectic of trade deadlines.

Below, the 10 players who have appeared most often in trade rumors over the previous week, as judged by appearances on our trade page.

Raptors: The case for running it back… or blowing things up

The Raptors continue to have a mediocre season. They are 20-24 and currently tied for the last play-in spot in the East. There is still some hope they can turn it around since they’re 15th in net rating for the year, suggesting that they’ve been underperforming to some degree. After winning 48 games last season with mostly the same team, they should be better than this but they may not get back to that same level.

Even if the Raptors manage to turn things around it appears that this iteration of the core is not a championship contender as is. Since 2019, they’ve won one playoff series and have slowly seen several core players from that group leave. They could be at a crossroads with their starters since they are all due for raises as soon as this offseason or the next. Some tough decisions could be coming soon in Toronto.

Here is a look at the Raptors’ long-term cap outlook if they continue to run this group and what a retool or rebuild could look like.

Takeaways: Rockets rookies Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason show flashes in Toronto

The #Rockets lost a close game to Fred VanVleet and the host Raptors, but there were signs of major progress by Houston’s top rookies, Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason.

It hasn’t been the best start to the season for Jabari Smith Jr., the No. 3 pick in 2022 draft first round. But there were clear signs of progress by both Smith and fellow rookie Tari Eason in Wednesday’s 116-109 loss at Toronto (box score).

Fred VanVleet led the veteran Raptors with 32 points and 4 assists, including 7-of-16 on 3-pointers (43.8%). Jalen Green had another efficient night for Houston with 21 points and 6 assists on 8-of-13 shooting (61.5%), along with 2-of-5 on 3-pointers (40.0%).

But what kept the Rockets competitive to the final whistle was the production on both ends of the court by their duo of rookie forwards and second-year center Usman Garuba.

After scoring just 9 points in his last three games combined, Smith posted the second double-double of his young NBA career with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Eason, his rookie counterpart, added 14 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals off the bench. Garuba tallied 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocked shots in only 14 minutes as the backup behind Alperen Sengun (17 points, 8 rebounds).

Neither rookie was efficient. Smith and Eason shot 36.4% and 33.3%, respectively, but their energy kept the Rockets competitive against a veteran opponent led by OG Anunoby (18 points, 10 rebounds) and reigning Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes (13 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists) in the frontcourt.

Other Houston players to score in double figures included:

Eric Gordon: 10 points, 30% FG, 16.7% on 3-pointers, 29 minutes (Rockets minus-14 when on court)
Kevin Porter Jr.: 12 points, 36.4% FG, 16.7% on 3-pointers, 11 assists, 5 turnovers, 40 minutes (minus-8)
KJ Martin: 13 points, 83.3% FG, 66.7% on 3-pointers, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks, 23 minutes (team-high plus-18)

The Rockets fell to 2-10, while Toronto improved to 7-5.

Scroll on for highlights, analysis, and postgame interviews from Toronto. Houston will finally conclude its four-game road trip on Saturday in New Orleans, with tipoff set for 7:30 p.m. Central.

When should Houston capitalize on its future Brooklyn draft picks?

The Houston Rockets own Brooklyn’s draft capital until 2027. Should they stand pat, or look to cash in some of those assets in the 2022 offseason? Here’s our look at the pros and cons.

As a franchise, the Rockets are starting to arrive at an inflection point as Houston coasts through its hottest July on city record. At the moment, general manager Rafael Stone and the rest of the organization are watching the team’s young foundation currently play in Las Vegas.

Rookies Jabari Smith, Tari Eason, and TyTy Washington are playing with key second-year players such as Josh Christopher and Usman Garuba for a summer league roster that shows immense promise. The organization is holding its breath that these new pieces, in conjunction with existing young standouts such as Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, and Kevin Porter Jr., can bring more wins and defensive intensity than last season.

This is all happening through a fascinating organizational lens. Seemingly, the upcoming season is the last in which the Houston Rockets can truly afford to be amongst the worst in the NBA. After finishing with the league’s worst record in each of the past two seasons, 2023 will mark a transition point where Houston will finally be forced to change.

Beginning in 2024, the Chris Paul-Russell Westbrook trade picks are due to be conveyed from Houston to the Thunder.

One of the worst trades in the organization’s history is set to rear its ugly head following the 2023 NBA offseason, since Oklahoma City will own Houston’s first-round draft selections outright in 2024 and 2026 (with light protections) and have a right to swap picks in 2025.

While Houston dodged the bullet of conveying its 2021 pick to the Thunder by securing the No. 2 overall selection for Green (which made the top-four protection kick in), it’s hard to envision the Rockets finding that type of lottery luck, again — and particularly not during years in which that Green-led core is likely to improve its on-court production.

The Westbrook trade would be talked about far more, if it wasn’t for one overriding circumstance. The importance piece of context is this: Even considering those obligations, it’s not as if Houston is devoid of future draft capital. The James Harden trade from early 2021 affords Stone and the rest of the organization the right to Brooklyn’s picks all the way through 2027. The apparent explosion of the Kevin Durant-Kyrie Irving core has left Houston in a beautiful position entering the next five years.

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Going forward, Houston’s impetus to improve dramatically within the next 12 months and transition back to contention status raises interesting questions. When is the best time for the Rockets to capitalize off that Nets capital? Is patience or a parlay the best way forward?

There are sound arguments for both.

On one hand, the idea for Stone to stay put and allow head coach Stephen Silas the opportunity to develop his young core for another risk-free year is appealing. Green, Smith, Eason, Sengun, and Porter could be allowed to play together as one of the youngest starting lineups in the league and to develop chemistry without consequence. Players such as Christopher and Washington could settle into important bench roles while still leaving plenty of minutes for Silas to use elsewhere.

In all likelihood, the natural development of the young guys would organically produce one of the worst records in the league (again) and strong lottery odds in the 2023 NBA draft. That draft class could be one of the best in years and is headlined by 7-foot-2 French prospect Victor Wembanyama, along with some elite domestic prospects. Adding another rookie with star potential to the young core and carrying a ton of salary cap space into the 2023 offseason ⁠— along with having those Brooklyn picks for future use ⁠— creates many avenues for further growth.

Houston has historically been able to attract star talent, and their cap space combined with the Brooklyn capital would suggest they could land a disgruntled star to play alongside Green and Smith. As is often the case in the NBA, nobody ever truly knows who will be next to move.

The other option, though, is equally sound: Houston could pounce this summer and pursue an All-Star caliber talent.

If they are forced to trade Durant and Irving, the Nets would be in an odd position where they are currently unable to build their next contender through the draft, since any resulting high picks (from being bad) would convey to Houston. As things stand today, they are effectively forced to try and compete immediately, which is likely to result in a middling team built around perennially injured guard Ben Simmons.

The Rockets could change that calculus as a third-team trade partner, if they wanted to offer Brooklyn a tanking avenue. Returning some of those pick assets to the Nets could yield Houston with a high-level player to join that young core and potentially accelerate its winning timeline.

For example, Houston could perhaps parlay some of the swaps and selections into the rumored Durant-to-Phoenix interest, if the Rockets were interested in center Deandre Ayton or swingman Mikal Bridges. The Suns would still be paying the primary bill for Durant’s services, but returning some of Brooklyn’s capital could provide more long-term upside to the Nets than an Ayton-Simmons (or Bridges-Simmons) core.

Another potential target of much discussion is Toronto’s Scottie Barnes or OG Anunoby. The Raptors have by far and away the most potential asset capital to offer Brooklyn, should the Nets choose to disregard Durant’s wishes. This option could benefit Houston, as well.

While Brooklyn can regain the potential to tank and acquire a high draft pick to build around, the Rockets could acquire a small forward or center more talented than anyone at those positions on the current roster. That talent boost could make the transition to playing winning basketball a year from now a little bit easier. There’s also the argument that, while the core meshes, the potential for a high draft pick in 2023 would remain.

Caveats exist, of course. A player such as Barnes may command much of, if not all of, the Brooklyn capital, as compared to a restricted free agent like Ayton. Additionally, some of these trades could require an immediate contract extension for Houston to feel safe to participate. This opportunity cost of salary cap flexibility would have to be weighed by the organization to determine what works best for its future.

Regardless of how you slice it, the Rockets are in an excellent position heading into the 2022-23 campaign. There appears to be a strong young core in place, and multiple paths to improve the team should be available before Oklahoma City is due its Westbrook draft capital.

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Trade rumor rankings: Tobias Harris, John Collins and more

With the 2021-22 NBA season officially over, teams will now start to maneuver ahead of a huge offseason. We’ve already seen one surprising trade go down, with the Houston Rockets agreeing to send Christian Wood to the Dallas Mavericks for salary filler and a first-round pick in the upcoming draft.

Below, check out the latest installment of our trade rumors rankings series, where we rank the five players who have appeared most in trade rumors over the past week.

Trade rumor rankings: Tobias Harris, John Collins and more

HoopsHype presents the five players who have appeared most in trade rumors over the past week, led by Tobias Harris and John Collins.

Below, check out the latest installment of our trade rumors rankings series, where we rank the five players who have appeared most in trade rumors over the past week.