The NBA trade market is unofficially open for business—officially. While teams weren't restricted from wheeling and dealing before, the arrival of Dec. 15...
New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson Signing Looks Like a Home Run
Dec 15, 2022
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - DECEMBER 14: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks dribbles up the court against the Chicago Bulls during the first half at United Center on December 14, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
For as much as the New York Knicks remain steeped in uncertainty, both now and over the long term, they have finally found a stabilizing force to ferry them through whatever unknowns still await.
The Knicks' steadying lifeline just so happens to be the "non-star" they "overpaid" during the 2022 offseason and had zero business signing—a career sidekick unfit to shoulder the usage of an offensive hub without a superior safety net alongside him.
The man is Jalen Brunson.
The 26-year-old has spent most of this season overturning first impressions and exposing misconceptions. His latest shoutout-to-the-haters masterpiece: a 30-point, seven-assist surgical takedown of the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night, replete with a win-wrapping three that sent Alex Caruso to the floor...
Mind you, Brunson entered Wednesday night as questionable to play with a foot contusion. He ended by validating, yet again, the money ($104 million) and lengths (trades, tampering charges) New York traveled to get him.
The Knicks, meanwhile, have now rattled off five straight victories, their longest winning streak of the Tom Thibodeau era and, well, basically the last decade:
This run by New York features a bunch of different exclamation points, many of them experimental and, therefore, cathartic. Some even predate the winning streak, stretching all the way back to when yours truly made a plea for the Knicks to fire Thibodeau.
Julius Randle has been on a (predominantly early-game) offensive heater. RJ Barrett is hitting threes (37.9 percent during the winning streak). Quentin Grimes is starting—and defending his ass off.
Deuce McBride and Immanuel Quickley are getting real, live, actual backcourt minutes together. And New York is annihilating opponents when they team up with Grimes.
Evan Fournier and Derrick Rose aren't playing. Cam Reddish isn't, either. Which is weird when you consider Obi Toppin's right knee injury means there's one more vacant rotation spot floating around.
I don't know how to feel about the Isaiah Hartenstein-Jericho Sims frontcourt the Knicks are trotting out. Then again, anything remotely experimental from Thibs is a bold-text W. And he is seemingly resisting some of his most damning impulses—mainly leaning on veterans who don't help the Knicks win over youngsters who are actually good.
If he ever tables the urge to empower and allow hourslong Julius Randle iso possessions, then hot damn, I might just have to issue a full-fledged retraction of my early-November ethering.
New York's winning streak has also featured #TheReturn of its opposing-offense-frying defensive identity. And really, this is a reemergence weeks in the making. The Knicks are eighth in points allowed per possession since Nov. 15 and have the league's best defense during their five-game winning streak.
Some level of unlucky opponent three-point shooting must be baked into these returns. Rival offenses won't knock down 32.5 percent of their triples forever. (Probably.) But save for a few predictable individuals, the Knicks are defending with ball pressure and energy and an omnipresence on the glass and, yes, still fouling too often.
Through it all, there is Jalen Brunson.
Jalen Brunson already has 3 games with 30p/7a this season.
His scoring and shooting splits have actually slumped during New York's winning streak. Part of his value, though, lies in functional equilibrium. His lows are never rock-bottom plunges, and he will continue to maximize and uplift the offense even when he's not scoring.
Nobody on this roster has been as consistently good this season. And that's saying something when you consider the scale at which the Knicks depend on Brunson. His usage rate is far and away a career high, but his true shooting percentage continues to hover around the league average.
Brunson's overall efficiency stands to climb if he starts hitting threes at a higher clip. New York admittedly isn't built to decongest the half court and tee him up for gimmes away from the ball, but he has offset the drop-off with a career-high free-throw-attempt rate and personal-best conversion rate at the charity stripe.
The in-between havoc Brunson incites also remains intact. Defenses react when he ventures inside the arc, where his quirky footwork and body movement and overall cadence is absolutely lethal. Brunson leads the NBA in field goals made between five and nine feet and is shooting a combined 49.3 percent between five and 19 feet overall.
This all says nothing of his capacity to manage the game. It isn't just that Brunson's attack mode opens up opportunities for his teammates; it's that he protects possession with his poise.
New York's turnover rate improves by 5.5 percentage points with Brunson on the floor—the single largest bump in the league, bar none. This control isn't situational. It translates to even the highest-leverage moments.
Low-percentage jump shots and possessions to nowhere have permeated the Knicks' crunch-time operations since, like, forever. Brunson doesn't subscribe to habitual settling. It happens, because duh. Generally speaking, though, he can put set defenses into rotation on any given play, no matter how much time is left. And because he can, he does.
Though the Knicks aren't what you would call a clutch powerhouse, Brunson's stylistic dependability is paying huge dividends. He's notching a true shooting percentage of 61.4 on 32.9 percent usage in crunch time—with a turnover rate south of five. Just two other players are doing the same through at least five appearances: Kevin Durant and Jimmy Butler.
The Brunson discourse will soon start to shift toward the All-Star conversation and whether he belongs in it. He probably does. Devin Booker, Luka Dončić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Damian Lillard are the only other guards averaging 20-plus points and six-plus assists while hitting over 50 percent of their twos and matching Brunson's free-throw-attempt rate. And they all hail from the Western Conference.
2022-23 Eastern Conference All-Stars, per TPA
Starters Donovan Mitchell Tyrese Haliburton Kevin Durant Giannis Antetokounmpo Jayson Tatum
Bench Jalen Brunson Trae Young Joel Embiid Jimmy Butler Pascal Siakam Brook Lopez Dejounte Murray pic.twitter.com/gAUgpEzaa7
To be clear: This doesn't render Brunson an All-Star formality. But it does demand that he enter the running.
Not that it particularly matters. Brunson's performance for the Knicks is bigger than a one-off achievement. It's more like a vindication for both parties.
Skeptics panned New York for signing Brunson. Select folks suffered from sticker shock when they saw the four-year, $104 million agreement. That was always shortsighted. Brunson is the 24th-highest-paid guard in the league, his contract declines before leveling off in years three and four, and the salary cap only goes up from here. The deal was fine then, and let's be honest, it's a friggin' steal at the moment.
Others got caught up in the pretzel-twisting New York did to get here. That includes me. I rated Brunson as the fifth-worst contract from a front office perspective after the first week of free agency. Perhaps the opportunity costs of dredging up cap space to get him was fine (it was), but there was and still is something unsettling about a franchise knowingly making Brunson its best player. It is a move that screams "Addicted to the middle."
That concern endures today. That also doesn't mean I nor anyone else who framed the Brunson contract in that light was right. We were not. I was wrong. I'd like to think it was a nuanced miss, but it was a miss all the same.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 09: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks brings the ball up court during the third quarter of the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center on December 09, 2022 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)
Brunson does little to clarify the Knicks' present or future. They are not on the fast track to title contention nor acquiring another star or two because of him. He is not that player.
What Brunson has done, though, is offer New York scalable stability. He gives the offense direction, an equal parts scoring hub and distributor, without infringing upon the development or opportunity of those around him.
And this is blanket security without condition. Brunson may need to shape-shift depending on what path and form the Knicks take next. That's fine. His is a style wired to optimize rather than monopolize.
Call him a floor-raiser if you must. To the Knicks, specifically, he's something more: certainty amid a long line of unknowns.
Dan Favale covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter (@danfavale), and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, co-hosted by Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes.
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NBA Rumors: Bulls Believe in Playoff Push If Healthy amid DeMar DeRozan Trade Buzz
Dec 15, 2022
CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 14: DeMar DeRozan #11 of the Chicago Bulls prepares to shoot a free throw during the game against the New York Knicks on December 14, 2022 at United Center in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Chicago Bulls are not yet ready to be sellers despite an 11-16 start to the season.
"Chicago officials have told inquiring teams they believe they can make the playoffs when healthy," Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported.
Rival teams are still "closely monitoring" the Bulls if they become sellers ahead of the Feb. 9 trade deadline.
ESPN's Zach Lowe reported on the Lowe Post podcast that the Los Angeles Lakers have had discussions about potential trades for DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vučević.
One key for the Bulls is the health of Lonzo Ball, who is yet to play this season as he recovers from a knee injury. The guard is still apparently a way away from getting back onto the court.
"We're not close to running or cutting or contact," head coach Billy Donovan said last month.
If Ball doesn't progress and the Bulls continue to fall down the standings, it could be time for the organization to start looking at a rebuild.
Vučević is set to become a free agent in the offseason, but the squad could get a solid return in a trade before the deadline. The two-time All-Star center remains productive while averaging 16.3 points and 10.6 rebounds per game, which would be his fifth straight season averaging a double-double.
DeRozan could be in even higher demand while averaging 26.2 points per game in 2022-23. The five-time All-Star was an MVP candidate early last season, but the Bulls' struggles could make him expendable before becoming a free agent in 2024.
Zach LaVine remains the team's face of the franchise and is under contract through 2026-27, while Chicago can rebuild around Patrick Williams and Ayo Dosunmu.
NBA Rumors: Jae Crowder, John Collins Linked to Suns, Hawks, Jazz 3-Team Trade
Dec 15, 2022
DALLAS, TX - MAY 6: Jae Crowder #99 of the Phoenix Suns reacts toward the Mavericks bench after scoring with a three point shot during the second half of Game Three of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Semifinals at American Airlines Center on May 6, 2022 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
The Atlanta Hawks have had discussions on a potential three-team trade that would land Jae Crowder from the Phoenix Suns, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
The Utah Jazz would have received John Collins from the Hawks in this deal, while Jarred Vanderbilt would go to the Suns.
Utah has "signaled a willingness to discuss" Vanderbilt, who the Jazz acquired last offseason in the Rudy Gobert trade, but this projected deal never came to fruition due to a divide on draft compensation and "other shortcomings."
The Suns continue to seek a home for Crowder, who is yet to play this season after the two sides mutually agreed to work out a trade.
Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium recently reported the Suns had discussed another three-way trade that would send the veteran forward to the Milwaukee Bucks in a deal also involving the Houston Rockets.
Charania also listed the Hawks and Miami Heat as potential destinations for Crowder, and he reported Collins' market includes the Jazz, Washington Wizards, Brooklyn Nets and Dallas Mavericks.
Collins has been mentioned in trade rumors for over a year, although he is currently out with an ankle injury and has struggled so far this season with averages of 12.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. His .484 field-goal percentage and .219 three-point percentage would both be the lowest of his career.
An acquiring team would have to believe the 25-year-old can return close to his 2019-20 form when he averaged 21.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.
Crowder, meanwhile, could be an immediate contributor for a contender on both ends of the court after starting 67 games for the Suns last season, averaging 9.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
Though the trade market has been slow for both players, it seems like Crowder and Collins will get moved before the Feb. 9 deadline.
Lakers Rumors: Zach LaVine Would Be 'Dreamiest' Trade as LA Monitors Bulls Situation
Dec 15, 2022
ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 11: Zach LaVine #8 of the Chicago Bulls reacts after scoring during the first half of the game against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on December 11, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
As the Chicago Bulls look for ways to end their recent rough stretch, the Los Angeles Lakers are keeping an eye on one of their best players in a potential trade if they decide to tear things down.
Per Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer, Zach LaVine would satisfy the Lakers' "dreamiest returns" for the two future first-round draft picks they have available to trade.
Fischer did note "a far more realistic outcome" for the Lakers would be flipping Russell Westbrook to Chicago for DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vučević if the Bulls decide to sell.
Amid speculation the Lakers could make a trade during the offseason, general manager Rob Pelinka explained what it would take for him to use the 2027 and 2029 first-round draft picks in a deal.
Pelinka says their “draft capital,” if included in a trade, must bring back talent that clearly improves L.A.’s championship chances https://t.co/e6XpMQG1Vz
At the same press conference, Pelinka also expressed a desire to make sure the Lakers do right by LeBron James after he gave them a commitment by signing a two-year contract extension.
"Let me abundantly clear: We have one of the great players in LeBron James to ever play the game on our team," Pelinka told reporters. "He committed to us with a long-term contract, a three-year contract. So of course we will do everything we can, picks included, to make deals that give us a chance to help LeBron get to the end."
Most of the talk during the offseason was centered around Myles Turner and Buddy Hield with the Indiana Pacers, but the Lakers didn't want to give up both of those first-round picks for those players.
LaVine would give the Lakers a primary ballhandler who is capable of creating on his own and can score from anywhere on the floor. The two-time All-Star is only shooting 35.4 percent from three-point range to start this season, but he made 39.6 percent of his attempts behind the arc in the previous three seasons.
Another aspect that likely appeals to the Lakers is LaVine's contract. He is in the first season of a five-year, $215 million deal that includes a player option for 2026-27.
The Lakers have won nine of their last 15 games after a 2-10 start, but they are still in 12th place in the Western Conference.
NBA Trade Rumors: Knicks Join Lakers Among Most Active Teams; NYK Eyed Eric Gordon
Dec 15, 2022
HOUSTON, TX - DECEMBER 13: Eric Gordon #10 of the Houston Rockets looks on before the game against the Phoenix Suns on December 13, 2022 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images)
The New York Knicks are "one of the more active teams in early trade conversations," according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
The Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets have also reportedly been busy well ahead of the Feb. 9 NBA trade deadline.
New York and Houston had already discussed a potential deal for Eric Gordon this season, but the Rockets are holding out for a first-round pick, per Fischer.
The Knicks have climbed into playoff contention after five straight wins, currently sitting sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 15-13 record. Adding a proven veteran like Gordon in the backcourt could further help the team going forward.
Gordon is averaging 12.1 points per game this season, but he's averaged 16.2 points over his career while shooting 37 percent from three-point range. He would provide some much-needed scoring depth behind the Knicks' top trio of Julius Randle, Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett.
Of course, the Knicks could have also added Gordon and flipped him later in the offseason. However, the team would have needed to acquire him before Dec. 9.
The team still has no shortage of current players on the trade block.
According to Fischer, the squad is looking at deals involving Evan Fournier, Derrick Rose, Cam Reddish and Immanuel Quickley.
Rose and Reddish have fallen out of the rotation and haven't played the last five games, while Fournier hasn't played since Nov. 13.
Reddish could be an intriguing target for a rebuilding team, adding a high-upside player who is still only 23 years old. The 2019 lottery pick is averaging 8.4 points per game this season and will be a restricted free agent in the offseason, making him a low-risk addition for any team.
Rose could be a tougher sell after seeing his production decline this year, averaging just 6.4 points in 13.6 minutes per game. The 34-year-old became expendable with the addition of Brunson, and the Knicks could now be looking to move his $14.5 million salary for this season.
Fournier's contract will make him difficult to trade, currently in the second season of a four-year, $73 million deal. The Knicks would likely need to add the forward to a larger deal to get his money off the books.
Quickley is the only one of the foursome still producing, but the emergence of Miles McBridge and Quentin Grimes could allow New York to deal the 23-year-old.
Report: Pacers Linked to Trade For Hawks' John Collins; Open to Myles Turner Contract
Dec 15, 2022
ABU DHABI, UAE - OCTOBER 8: John Collins #20 of the Atlanta Hawks talks to the crowd before the game against the Milwaukee Bucks as part of 2022 NBA Abu Dhabi Games at Etihad Arena on October 8, 2022 in Abu Dhabi, The United Arab Emirates. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
Two of the NBA's most talked about trade candidates for the past several years are back in the news.
Per Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer, the Indiana Pacers are considered a "team to keep an eye on" if the Atlanta Hawks decide to move John Collins.
Fischer also noted the Pacers are suggesting to opposing teams they are "open" to extension talks with Myles Turner.
The two moves wouldn't necessarily be connected to each other. Fischer noted the Pacers are telling inquiring teams they are looking for a power forward who can play with Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin.
Collins would also be attractive to a team like Indiana because of his contract. The 25-year-old is signed through the 2024-25 season with a player option for 2025-26. He will make $51.92 million in the next two seasons combined after the 2022-23 campaign.
Turner, on the other hand, is in the final season of his deal, and his performance this season could be pricing him out of the Pacers' comfort zone. The eight-year veteran is averaging a career-high 17.6 points per game and is shooting 43.2 percent from three-point range.
Pacers governor Herb Simon has historically been very risk-averse. ESPN's Brian Windhorst said during the offseason Simon was reluctant to give an offer sheet to Deandre Ayton because he "doesn't like hurting his partners—his fellow owners."
Ayton did sign a four-year, $133 million offer sheet with the Pacers that the Phoenix Suns wound up matching to retain the 24-year-old center.
According to Fischer, some rival executives believe the Pacers are saying they are open to extension talks with Turner in an attempt to get opposing teams to increase their trade offers.
Collins and Turner have seemingly been on the trade block for as long they have been in the NBA. Turner said on The Woj Pod that the Los Angeles Lakers should take a "hard look" at trading for him.
The Pacers are playing well enough right now that it could be hard for them to justify moving Turner if they want to make the playoffs. They are currently seventh in the Eastern Conference with a 15-14 record.
The Hawks are only one game behind the Pacers, but there have been some cracks in the foundation. Trae Young and coach Nate McMillan had a public spat over Young not attending a game against the Denver Nuggets that he wasn't going to play in due to a shoulder injury.
If the Hawks decide this version of their roster isn't working, it could mean that Collins finally gets traded after years of speculation about his future.
