NBA Rumors

The Detroit Pistons have reportedly "taken early calls" on forward Saddiq Bey, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

Fischer added the team is "intent on further evaluating Bey" before making any moves, but the organization is at least considering making a deal after he was nearly untouchable in past years.

Bey is averaging 14.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists through 17 games this season, a decline across the board after averaging 16.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 2021-22.

After shooting 34.6 percent from three-point range last year, Bey is now hitting just 29 percent of outside shots.

The 23-year-old has still showcased his upside during the season, reaching 20 points in five of his 17 games. He scored 28 in an October win over the Golden State Warriors.

Consistency has been an issue, however, averaging just nine points over his last five games while shooting 31.4 percent from the field. He's missed the last two games with an ankle injury.

The former Villanova star is eligible for an extension this offseason, which could force the Pistons to make a decision about his future.

Detroit remains far from contention after a 4-15 start to the season. The squad must determine if Bey will be part of the core going forward, or else he could be moved ahead of the trade deadline.

The Phoenix Suns are reportedly in the market for role players.

While Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Phoenix is interested in acquiring John Collins from the Atlanta Hawks, he also noted it seems "uninclined to take on the long-term money" of his deal during his second season of a five-year, $125 million contract.

But Collins isn't the only player the Suns are interested in, as Charania reported Harrison Barnes of the Sacramento Kings, Kyle Kuzma of the Washington Wizards and Kenyon Martin Jr. of the Houston Rockets are all on their radar.

Phoenix is in an unusual situation given that governor Robert Sarver is selling the team, and Charania suggested it remains "uncertain how many future assets the current regime can move" given the situation.

The NBA announced in September that an independent investigation found Sarver "engaged in conduct that clearly violated common workplace standards," which "included the use of racially insensitive language; unequal treatment of female employees; sex-related statements and conduct; and harsh treatment of employees that on occasion constituted bullying."

He was fined $10 million and suspended for one year.

On the court, the Suns are tied for second place in the Western Conference at 9-5. They finished with the best record in the league last season (64-18) but shockingly lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the second round of the playoffs.

Depth may be something of a concern, especially on the wing since Cameron Johnson is sidelined with a knee injury and Jae Crowder is yet to play this season. Charania noted "multiple teams" are interested in Crowder, who is "disgruntled" and looking for an exit.

Kuzma, Barnes and Martin would each improve that wing depth and provide a secondary scorer for Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton. Kuzma is averaging 18.3 points in Washington, Barnes is posting 11.6 in Sacramento and Martin is posting 10.9 in Houston.

Kuzma and Barnes also have championship experience from their time on the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors, respectively.

The Boston Celtics apparently didn't go above and beyond to get a new contract finalized with Grant Williams before the Oct. 17 deadline for rookie-scale contract extensions.

HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reported the team "never offered more than $50 million guaranteed over four years." Scotto previously reported in October the 6'6" forward was believed to be wanting a deal paying him $12-14 million annually.

Williams is now due to hit restricted free agency in the offseason. That allows the Celtics to match any offer sheet he signs, but they may not utilize that luxury when the moment arrives.

According to Scotto, Boston might balk if Williams is handed a deal worth $18 million or more from another team.

The 23-year-old is off to a strong start. Through 12 games, he's averaging 9.5 points and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 60.9 percent from the field and 50.0 percent on three-pointers. The Celtics have been 5.8 points per 100 possessions better with him on the court, per NBA.com.

Based on Scotto's reporting, the front office may not view Williams as an irreplaceable member of the rotation. The payroll moving forward is undoubtedly a factor in that calculus.

The Celtics are on track to have $149.5 million committed in 2023-24, per Spotrac, with the salary cap expected to come in at $134 million. Their cap commitment in 2024-25 falls to $111.4 million, but the figure will easily surpass $140 million if they re-sign Jaylen Brown.

Considering Williams might be playing his way into as much as $20 million on his next contract, president of basketball operations Brad Stevens could be facing a dilemma.

Williams is providing great depth in the frontcourt, and he's an ideal complementary piece for a roster built around Brown and Jayson Tatum. But the money that's required to keep him around might be better spent elsewhere when Stevens is looking at the bigger picture.

The Milwaukee Bucks have reportedly "called numerous teams about Grayson Allen’s trade prospects," according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

Milwaukee has shown interest in Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder, potentially setting up a swap between the two teams, but Phoenix reportedly still has its eyes on other impact players.

Allen has started 10 games for the 10-1 Bucks, averaging 10.8 points and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 42.6 percent from three-point range.

With the Bucks currently ranking just 18th in three-point shooting at 35.2 percent, Allen's ability to stretch the floor is extremely valuable.

The former Duke star set a career high with 11.1 points per game last season in his first year with Milwaukee, starting 61 of the 66 games he played. The 6'4" guard shot 40.9 percent from beyond the arc last year and has a 39.5 percent career mark from three.

Even if the Bucks want to move on from Allen, it's clear he could have value for a contender thanks to his outside scoring ability.

After going to the playoffs with the Bucks, Memphis Grizzlies and Utah Jazz during his short career, Allen is also battle-tested in big games.

Phoenix could use the scoring depth with Crowder not with the team and Cameron Johnson out with a knee injury. He would likely join Landry Shamet and Josh Okogie off the bench behind Chris Paul and Devin Booker in the backcourt.

Meanwhile, there are no shortage of teams that could use an added shooter as Milwaukee looks for upgrades in other areas.

Ime Udoka was not hired by the Brooklyn Nets, but he could return to a coaching job this season or next, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

"[Ime Udoka] will coach again in the NBA, he may coach as soon if not this season somewhere else next season," Wojnarowski said on NBA Today. "I think plenty of teams, just in preparation, have started to do their due diligence on the Udoka situation."

Udoka was suspended as head coach of the Boston Celtics for one year, with Wojnarowski reporting he used "crude language in his dialogue with a female subordinate prior to the start of an improper workplace relationship."

He was considered a "strong frontrunner" to replace Steve Nash as the Nets head coach, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, but Brooklyn instead hired Jacque Vaughn on Wednesday.

According to Charania, one of the reasons the Nets chose not to hire Udoka was "the outcry after word of their plan became known to people outside and inside the organization."

NBA reporter Marc Stein previously noted that "strong voices" urged Nets governor Joe Tsai to reconsider hiring Udoka.

Other teams could have similar blowback if they try to hire Udoka, although a smaller market outside of New York could create a different situation.

The 45-year-old has certainly proved himself as a quality coach on the court, leading the Celtics to an appearance in the NBA final during his first season. The squad went 51-31 during the regular season, good for second in a competitive Eastern Conference.

The defense was especially impressive, leading the NBA in defensive efficiency in 2021-22.

Udoka's resume could be enough to earn him a new job before long.

The New York Knicks have a stockpile of eight first-round draft picks, and the team is reportedly being patient with how those picks will be used to bolster the roster.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Wednesday that executives around the NBA believe the Knicks are "kind of hoarding those first-round picks just waiting for that next megastar to become available" in a potential trade.

The Knicks made three trades during the 2022 draft to secure three future first-round picks and create $18 million in cap space. New York chose not to use its draft capital to pull the trigger on a trade for three-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell, who wound up being sent from the Utah Jazz to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for three players, three first-round picks and two pick swaps.

"For whatever reason, they did not believe that Donovan Mitchell was a guy they wanted to go fully, fully all-in on. ... You choose that you'd rather keep all the picks and all the flexibility," Charania said. "And you have to give [team president] Leon Rose credit for this: They've built up those assets necessary to when whoever that megastar is [available], they'll be right there for him."

Exercising patience isn't something the Knicks have been known for historically, as there have been instances in which the franchise sacrificed future assets in exchange for minimal immediate gain. While the regime under Rose and general manager Scott Perry should be commended for not falling into that trend, the New York fanbase has been starved for a superstar player since Carmelo Anthony was traded in 2017.

Through the early part of the 2022-23 season, the Knicks are a middling team with a 5-5 record. Julius Randle leads the team with 20.1 points and 8.9 rebounds, while prized free-agent signing Jalen Brunson is averaging 19.7 points and a team-high 7.3 assists.

The Knicks will look to get above .500 when they visit the Brooklyn Nets (4-7) on Wednesday night.

Utah Jazz point guard Mike Conley thought he was heading to the Los Angeles Clippers as part of Utah's offseason overhaul that featured the departures of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.

Conley told Tony Jones of The Athletic on Monday he received a message from a "person he trusted" suggesting a move to the Clippers, a team that has interested him in recent years, could be on the horizon. Instead, the Clips opted to sign free agent John Wall.

"We tried to handle it as well as it could be handled," Conley told Jones about himself and his wife, Mary. "It was tough because there weren't really many answers to the questions that we had. We didn't know who was staying or going. We had no clue what to expect. It felt like every day I was being traded somewhere else."

The 2021 All-Star ultimately stayed in Utah, and he's played a key role in the team's red-hot 9-3 start to the 2022-23 season.

After the offseason whirlwind of moves, it seemed like the Jazz might struggle to reach .500, let alone sit atop the Western Conference standings as they do now. It's still a small sample size, but they're on track to far exceed expectations.

Conley has averaged 12.5 points, 7.5 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals through 11 appearances. He's also knocking down 2.4 threes per game at a 42.6 percent clip.

"This was tough at first because I'm 35 and I'm so used to having championship aspirations," Conley told Jones. "I came to the Jazz to play for championships. So I was wondering what would end up happening. But once we got a new coach (Will Hardy) in here and he started laying things out, I knew that I wanted to be here. We are building and developing."

The Ohio State product added he's "loved every second" of playing for the rebuilt Jazz.

Depending on how Utah plays over the next few months, it's still possible Conley ends up on the trade block ahead of the deadline. His three-year, $68 million contract includes a partially guaranteed salary for next season, per Spotrac.

For now, the three-time winner of the NBA Sportsmanship Award said he's focused on the present.

"Honestly, these young guys are keeping me in the moment," Conley told Jones. "Everyone is constantly asking questions and constantly wanting to watch film. I kind of feel like a coach now. I love playing this game and I'm enjoying it."

The Jazz are back on the floor Wednesday night when they visit State Farm Arena to take on the 7-3 Atlanta Hawks.

The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly waiting for a "specific player" to become available in order to trade point guard Russell Westbrook and their first-round draft picks in 2027 and 2029.

Howard Beck of Sports Illustrated reported Tuesday on The Crossover NBA Show (via Peter Dewey of Lakers Daily) that L.A. doesn't plan to circle back to previous discussions involving the Brooklyn Nets' Kyrie Irving or the Indiana Pacers' Myles Turner and Buddy Hield.

"And in those discussions, when I brought up the Lakers, the pushback I was getting was they're waiting for a specific player," Beck said. "That they're not doing the Pacer deal, that they won't do the Kyrie deal now that we for sure thought they would do a couple months ago, is an indication that the Lakers are waiting for a bigger piece to come loose that they think they can trade Westbrook and the two future firsts for."

Los Angeles was widely expected to make a blockbuster trade over the summer after failing to make the playoffs with a 33-49 record last season, but that never materialized.

Pressure on the front office to shake things up has further amplified during the team's 2-8 start to the current campaign.

During an interview with ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Turner caused a stir last week when he urged the Lakers to seriously consider trading for him.

"If I'm the Lakers, I take a very hard look at this with the position that you're in," Turner said. "I know what I can provide for a team—my leadership, my shot-blocking, my three-point ability and just my ability to make plays out there on the floor. And I take a very long look at it. But as far as pulling the trigger, I get paid to shoot. I'm not paid to make these calls, so I couldn't answer that."

While Turner and Hield wouldn't solve every problem facing the Lakers, they would bring some much-needed outside shooting to the roster, which makes it somewhat of a surprise L.A. isn't even at least considering more talks with Indiana.

It's less surprising the Irving talks have faded away while he serves an indefinite suspension of at least five games from the Nets for his promotion of an antisemitic film on social media.

Brian Lewis of the New York Post reported Tuesday that scouts also expressed concern about Irving's on-court actions prior to the firing of Brooklyn head coach Steve Nash, as he failed to run plays that were called.

"I couldn't believe what I was seeing," an unnamed scout said. "Nash would call something, and he'd run the opposite. I've never seen anything like that."

What player the Lakers are waiting to become available is unknown, but the good news for the front office is that Westbrook has started to bolster his trade value since moving to the bench.

The 33-year-old UCLA product, who endured a mostly forgettable first season in L.A., has averaged 19.3 points, 6.8 assists and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 51.3 percent from the field as a reserve for the past six games.

That push toward a return to form by the nine-time All-Star should allow the Lakers to get a little more value in return if he's ultimately moved.

For now, it doesn't sound like general manager Rob Pelinka and Co. are rushing to get a deal done, though.

The Los Angeles Lakers don't exactly have a slew of first-round draft picks at their disposal, which may limit their ability to make a major trade in an effort to turn their season around after a 2-8 start.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium explained the Purple and Gold only have two more of their own first-round picks for the rest of the decade (2027 and 2029) and will be hesitant to trade them in a deal to improve a team that may be a lost cause anyway.

"They're probably looking at marginal changes around the edges at best," Charania reported. "… The organization seems to be moving in a direction where they're going to resist moving first-round picks if the season continues to go down this path."

It seemed almost inevitable that the Lakers would trade Russell Westbrook this offseason, but a deal never materialized. There were reports the team had no interest in attaching one of those picks to Westbrook in a trade, which surely impacted interest.

Now Los Angeles has reached a point where the veteran point guard is actually playing well in his sixth-man role off the bench even though the team is losing.

But things aren't clicking overall on the court, and the result is separate losing streaks of five and three games on the way to an ugly first 10 contests. A championship run seems like the longest of long shots even with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and it may take more than peripheral moves to even reach the playoffs.

That Los Angeles' front office wouldn't be particularly interested in mortgaging even more of its future by trading those picks should come as no surprise.

After all, James turns 38 years old in December, Westbrook is under contract through just this season and Davis has dealt with durability concerns a number of times even ahead of his 30th birthday in March.

The franchise will have to start thinking about building a new core in the future, and moving one or both of those first-round picks in a desperate trade to try to salvage what may be a lost cause in 2022-23 would undercut those efforts.

That means Los Angeles fans may be stuck watching the playoffs without their team for the second straight season.

The Los Angeles Lakers were perceived to be a potential landing spot point guard Kyrie Irving if he was traded by the Brooklyn Nets, but that no longer appears to be the case.

Sam Amick of The Athletic reported Monday that the Lakers have "significant concerns about the prospect of adding Irving at any price and have not been focused on that scenario all season long." Irving is serving a suspension of at least five games for promoting an antisemitic film on social media.

This past offseason, Irving was the subject of substantial speculation as it appeared that the Nets were ready to move on from the controversial point guard. Jake Fischer, then of Bleacher Report, told NBA insider Marc Stein in June that Irving "definitely was considering taking the taxpayer mid-level exception to play for the Lakers" before he exercised his $37 million player option for the 2022-23 season.

Chris Haynes reported for Yahoo Sports in early July that Los Angeles and Brooklyn were "actively engaged in discussions" regarding a potential trade for Irving in exchange for Russell Westbrook. Those talks eventually fizzled, and after the trade request by star forward Kevin Durant was rescinded, Brooklyn moved forward without making significant changes to its core in hopes of contending for an NBA title this season.

However, that didn't end the chatter about Irving's desire to join the Lakers. Last month, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith reported that Irving doesn't plan on re-signing with the Nets when he becomes a free agent next summer and intends to sign with Los Angeles.

Stephen A. Smith: "This is their (Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving) last season together. They're not re-signing with Brooklyn. Kyrie is not re-signing with Brooklyn. Kyrie is planning to go to Los Angeles.”

(h/t @_Talkin_NBA)

https://t.co/BZ46udCwvv

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) October 12, 2022

Prior to his suspension, Irving hadn't done much to improve his perception around the league. The 30-year-old had already caused tumult off the court for his refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccination and his opposition to vaccine mandates. He became the source of even more controversy when he posted a tweet that featured a link to a film Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America.

As part of their announcement of Irving's suspension Thursday, the Nets said they "were dismayed today, when given an opportunity in a media session, that Kyrie refused to unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs." The seven-time All-Star later issued an apology with a statement on social media.

Kyrie Irving issues an apology amid antisemitism controversy that led to his suspension by Nets: “To all Jewish families and communities that are hurt and affected from my post, I am deeply sorry to have caused you pain, and I apologize.” pic.twitter.com/QUXt1WtK2g

— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) November 4, 2022

In eight games this season, Irving averaged 26.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists. The Nets were 2-6 with him in the lineup and have since improved to 4-6 heading into Monday's matchup at the Dallas Mavericks (5-3).