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With less than a month to go until the Feb. 9 NBA trade deadline, team executives are talking and the marquee names for this year’s Marketplace are starting to emerge. Atlanta’s John Collins and Phoenix’s Jay Crowder are still on the trading block, and the debate over both is expected to continue to escalate in the coming days.
However, one organization emerges per Deadline as an important hub for the entire NBA. This season could be San Antonio. Spurs center Jakob Poeltl has garnered significant trading interest from teams such as the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics.
Poeltl is believed to have a great deal of respect for the Spurs organization, head coach Gregg Popovich, and his teammates, but his desire to compete at the highest level has led to pending unrestricted The Spurs wanted to acquire the 27-year-old Poeltl as part of their long-term future, but the risk of his price tag and the It balances the possibility of losing him outright.
The Spurs had offered Poeltl a contract extension of up to four years and $58 million before the season, but it was turned down, league sources say. San Antonio will be able to offer more to Poeltl in the offseason and will have more than $50 million in salary his cap space. Rival executives believe Poeltl will be nearing the $20 million mark a year on a new deal during the offseason. No doubt the Spurs will hold a high threshold for any deal involving Poeltl.
In addition to Poeltl, the Spurs have two established veteran wingers in Josh Richardson and Doug McDermott who will surely attract interest before the deadline.
Richardson, who will become a free agent in July, is rated as a two-way player, averaging 11.3 points, 3.3 assists and a 36.1% 3-point shooting percentage this season. McDermott is under contract for $13.75 million a year through 2024, averaging 10.5 points this season and shooting 42.1% from his 3-point range.
Along with the Spurs, the Charlotte Hornets are an organization many across the league are eyeing as potential sellers as the trade deadline approaches. Guard Terry Rozier, center Mason Plumlee, forwards Jalen McDaniels and Kelly Oubre Jr. are among the players expected to be interested in potential deals.
With three years left on the four-year, $97 million contract extension he signed in 2021, the Hornets are expected to hear Rozier’s suitors before the deadline.
The Hornets (11-34) are the worst team in the Eastern Conference this season, trailing only the Houston Rockets (10-34) for the worst record in the league. Charlotte’s season was derailed by the long absences of key rotation players such as LaMelo Ball, Gordon Hayward, Dennis Smith Jr., Cody Martin and Miles Bridges. They have the 4th worst defense in the NBA.
For now, San Antonio and Charlotte are considered the NBA’s sure sellers in the market. They are setting asking prices for first-round picks, league sources say.
When speaking to NBA team insiders, the Toronto Raptors are the most compelling franchise to watch before the deadline. The 20-24, 11th-ranked Raptors in the Eastern Conference are sometimes underwhelming, with talented players like Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. on the team’s radar. There will be a long list of suitors if the Raptors decide to rebuild and prepare to move some key cornerstones and aim for the draft lottery.
Without a doubt, the Raptors are on everyone’s radar in the NBA.
Other NBA news and notes…
Atlanta Hawks
The Utah Jazz have been the team most involved in a potential Collins trade recently, according to league sources.The Washington Wizards are also among the teams showing interest in Collins. Jazz has two of his productions, Malik Beasley and Jared Vanderbilt, that the Hawks may be interested in.
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detroit pistons
The Raptors, Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans, Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Dallas Mavericks are among the teams showing interest in Detroit’s Bojan Bogdanovic, league sources say. claims to prefer to keep Bogdanovic moving forward, athleticJames Edwards III reported that the franchise was in talks and it was believed that an unsuspecting first-round pick could pry Bogdanovic out of Detroit.
LA Clippers
The Clippers are looking for depth in the frontcourt and are discussing guard John Wall in a potential deal, league sources say. He relies heavily on Moses Brown, who is a .
los angeles lakers
Lakers star Anthony Davis Aiming to return to the lineup By early February, within a few games before the All-Star break, league sources said. Pre-injury Davis was playing like an MVP candidate, averaging 27.4 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.1 blocks and a career-high 59.4% of the field his shooting on the season.
The Timberwolves have a big decision to make with D’Angelo Russell, whose $31.3 million contract has expired with no sign of an extension. Minnesota is exploring the possibility of trading Russell while prioritizing another point guard because the team would lose his salary if he leaves as a free agent, sources say. rice field.
San Antonio Spurs
Sources say the Hawks are in serious talks to hire Spurs executive and former Cavaliers GM Chris Grant as a senior advisor to Landry Fields’ front office. spent nine years (1996-2005) with the Hawks organization before serving as the Cavaliers’ assistant GM and GM from 2005-2014.
toronto raptors
The Suns and Magic have emerged as potential free-agent suitors for All-Star guard VanVleet, league sources say. In one storyline, VanVleet recently spoke out about his pending free agency status for the offseason and his continued focus on the Raptors. My loyalty is with this team and this franchise, trying to get back to the level we’re used to. “
utah jazz
The Timberwolves and Clippers have expressed interest in Jazz guard Mike Conley Jr., league sources say. He has 7.5 assists and 2.3 rebounds. The Jazz are 5-7 without Conley this season, and 18-17 with Conley.
(Top photo by Jakob Poeltl: Nathaniel S. Butler / NBAE via Getty Images)
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