The Philadelphia 76ers (33-21) are heading into the All Star break as the fifth-best team in the Eastern Conference and some serious questions regarding the construction of their roster. This includes whether or not All Stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons can co-exist alongside each other for the long haul.
During a recent episode of ESPN's "Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective" podcast, Windhorst revealed that rival teams are already discussing what a potential trade package for Embiid might look like, as they envision some big changes in Philly's future.
Windhorst explains:
"But anyways, one of the conversations people are starting to have in the league is 'will they move Embiid? What's the price? Where would he go?'
"I'm not going to get into that, but my point is people are talking about that. I don't think they would do that without making an adjustment to the head coach. It's such a radical thing, but the fact that we're in mid-February and the people who work in the league, who have to prepare in advance, are mulling over Joel Embiid potentially coming to market, whether that's true or not... I mean, Josh Harris can come on this podcast and deny it if he wants, but the fact people are talking about it, is not good. It's a symptom of where they are."
Embiid, 25, has heard criticism from every which way this season, including from NBA Hall of Famers Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley, Stephen A. Smith, and the Sixers fanbase. Despite the team's lackluster play, the three-time All Star is still averaging 22.8 points to go along with 12 rebounds and 3.2 assist per night.
Up next for the 76ers is a tough test against the Los Angeles Clippers at home on Tuesday night before they officially head into the All Star break.
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Andre Drummond Reacts To Deadline Deal: "There’s No Friends Or Loyalty"
Drummond seems blindsided by the trade to Cleveland.
Andre Drummond is a Detroit Piston no more, as the organization opted to trade the 26-year old center to the Cleveland Cavaliers just moments before the 3pm trade deadline. We've heard that the Pistons were open to moving Drummond for weeks now, but it appears that the two-time All Star was completely blindsided by today's events.
Immediately after the deal was confirmed, Drummond offered the following thoughts on twitter:
"If there’s one thing I learned about the NBA, there’s no friends or loyalty. I’ve given my heart and soul to the Pistons , and to be have this happen with no heads up makes me realize even more that this is just a business! I love you Detroit... you will always have a special place in my heart! But on to the next @cavs hope your ready! Let’s finish the year off the right way."
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According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Drummond was expected to turn down his $28M player option after this season, but it seems like Detroit didn't even want to risk the chance that he'd be on their books for another year. As a result, they flipped him to Cleveland in exchange for Brandon Knight, John Henson and a future second-round pick.
The Pistons, who drafted Drummond ninth overall out of UConn in the 2012 NBA Draft, currently rank 10th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 19-34. The eighth-year center is averaging 17.8 points, 15.8 rebounds and 2 steals per game.
Detroit Pistons Trade Andre Drummond For A Whole Lot Of Nothing
Pistons receive John Henson, Brandon Knight and a 2nd-rounder for Drummond.
The Detroit Pistons have decided to cut ties with Andre Drummond in the final moments before the NBA trade deadline. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the two-time All Star is headed to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for a Spalding basketball pump and a six pack of Fanta. No disrespect to John Henson and Brandon Knight.
According to Woj, the 26-year old center was expected to decline his $28M player option after this season, which certainly motivated Detroit to flip him to the highest bidder rather than risk losing him for nothing as a free agent this summer. Unfortunately, that haul only turned out to be a couple of vets averaging less than 10 points combined and a second-round pick. On the bright side, the Pistons no longer have to worry about the possibility of Drummond opting in to the final year of his deal, thus saving themselves cap space, right?
The Cavaliers, meanwhile, now have a logjam at the power forward/center position with Drummond joining a front court that includes Tristan Thompson and Kevin Love. Both Love and Thompson had reportedly received interest leading up to the deadline, but it doesn't appear that either player will be going anywhere.
Cleveland (13-39) currently boasts the worst record in the Eastern Conference, while the Pistons rank 10th in the East with a mark of 19-34. Check out some of the instant reactions to the deadline deal below.
NBA Twitter Hilariously Reacts To Warriors-Timberwolves Trade
NBA fans got jokes about Wiggins' fit with Warriors.
After weeks of rumors and speculation, the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves have finally reached a deal centered around D'Angelo Russell and Andrew Wiggins. As first reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Warriors are sending Russell to Minnesota in exchange for Wiggins, as well as a Top-3 protected 2021 first-round pick and an unprotected second-rounder in 2021.
On the one hand, Minnesota now has a formidable one-two punch for the future with Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns. The 23-year old point guard is currently averaging a career-high 23.6 points to go along with 6.2 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game, and he'll pair up nicely alongside his longtime friend who has been visibly frustrated with the team's performance thus far.
On the other hand, Wiggins goes from a bottom five team to the worst team in the league. That said, we all know Golden State is a completely different beast once the Splash Brothers, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, are back in the lineup. We'll likely have to wait until next year to see how that plays out on the court, but fans are already envisioning a nightmare scenario for the 24-year old forward.
As always, #NBATwitter was quick to weigh in with their opinions of the blockbuster trade - and there were plenty of jokes to be made about how Wiggins will mesh with the Warriors starters once they're fully healthy. However, Wiggins has received some support from his former teammate, Zach LaVine, who believes that Golden State is the perfect fit.
Check out some of the reactions to Wiggins joining the Warriors, as well as the trade as a whole, below.
Warriors Agree To Trade D’Angelo Russell: Report
DLo headed to Minnesota.
The Golden State Warriors have reportedly agreed to trade D'Angelo Russell to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Andrew Wiggins, a protected first-round pick in 2021 and a 2021 second-round pick, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Woj notes that the first round pick is Top-3 protected and would become unprotected in 2022.
Russell, now headed to his fourth team in five seasons, is currently averaging a career-high 23.6 points to go along with 6.2 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game. The 23-year old point guard had expressed an interest in signing with Minnesota this past off-season before ultimately reaching a four-year $117M deal with the Warriors as part of the Durant deal.
Now, Russell will get the opportunity to play alongside his longtime friend Karl-Anthony Towns, a player that he has openly discussed teaming up with. During a shoot for Slam Magazine back in October, which featured Russell, KAT and Devin Booker on the cover, DLo revealed:
"We gotta do this again, when we're all on the same team," Russell said toward the end of the shoot. "Nah, don't cut [the cameras]. Y'all got it on footage. When we're all on the same team -- I ain't gonna tell you which team because I don't know -- we're gonna do this again."
The Timberwolves are currently riding a 13th straight losing streak and they rank among the bottom five teams in the NBA with a record of 15-35. The Warriors, meanwhile, maintain the worst overall record in the league at 12-40. Wiggins, 24, is averaging 22.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
PJ Tucker Approves Of Hilarious Memes About Him Playing Center
The internet remains undefeated.
The Houston Rockets have firmly committed to running a small ball lineup for the remainder of the season, and it's PJ Tucker who will be tasked with filling the void left by center Clint Capela. The Rockets traded Capela to the Atlanta Hawks earlier this week as part of a four-team deal that sent veteran forward Robert Covington to H-Town. As a result, the 6'5 Tucker will take over as center.
Naturally, social media was flooded with memes about how Tucker will stack up against the likes of Denver's Nikola Jokic or L.A.'s Anthony Davis, both of whom stand approximately 7-feet tall. The memes haven't gone unnoticed, and Tucker took to IG last night to share one of his favorites.
The Rockets also acquired Jordan Bell as part of the four-team trade so Tucker will have some support, but it's being reported that Mike D'Antoni intends to run with a lineup consisting of Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Eric Gordon, Robert Covington and Tucker. Houston could still pull off another deal ahead of Thursday's 3pm trade deadline but if they don't Tucker better invest in those stilts.
Scroll down to check out some of the internet's thoughts about Tucker running the five.
NBA Trade Rumors: Timberwolves Eyeing Multi-Team Deal To Land D’Angelo Russell
Minnesota focused on pairing DLo with KAT.
One of the biggest names being floated around as we near the NBA trade deadline is D'Angelo Russell - and there's one team in particular that seems hell bent on acquiring the 23-year old point guard.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Minnesota Timberwolves are actively trying to piece together a multi-team with the hopes of acquiring first-round picks that they can then flip to Golden State in exchange for DLo.
Earlier today The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor revealed details of a proposed three-team deal between the Timberwolves, Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks that could have helped Minnesota land their desired first round draft picks. Under that potential scenario, the Rockets would receive Minnesota's Robert Covington, Clint Capela would go to Atlanta, and the T'Wolves would get picks and an expiring contract. However, O'Connor notes that the Warriors are in no rush to part ways with Russell - unless they're floored by the trade package.
Russell, now on his third team in five seasons, is currently averaging a career-high 23.8 points to go along with 6.3 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game.
According to The Athletic's Shams Charania and Jon Krawczysnki, the Warriors are seeking "significant draft pick compensation," including Minnesota's unprotected 2020 pick, in return for any Russell trade. That said, the Wolves have reportedly been hesitant to include their coveted 2020 pick as they are amidst a rebuild themselves, so this whole saga could simply end in a stalemate.
The trade deadline is this Thursday, February 6th at 3pm ET.
Los Angeles Clippers Interested In Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson: Report
Clippers reportedly looking to add bigs at the deadline.
The Los Angeles Clippers are expected to be active this week as the NBA trade deadline approaches, with a pressing need to beef up their size and wing depth. According to Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix, the Clippers are interested in several veteran front court players, most notably Cleveland Cavaliers' big men Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson.
According to Mannix's report, L.A. has already "kicked the tires" on Kevin Love and they've expressed interest in Thompson as well. Another potential candidate is Sacramento Kings' 30-year old center Dewayne Dedmon. The Clippers are currently sitting at 35-15 on the season, second-best in the Western Conference, but they reportedly have some concerns about how they stack up against the conference-leading Los Angeles Lakers.
The New York Times' Marc Stein writes:
"Doesn't guarantee that they'll make a deal, of course, but the Clippers are said to be concerned about their lack of muscle up front compared to the Lakers' length as well as the ongoing health issues Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are battling."
The Clippers have a first round pick and Mo Harkless' $11.5 million contract at their disposal which they figure to use in a deal ahead of Thursday's trade deadline. Whether they land a big fella like Love, Thompson or Dedmon, or go after a defensive wing such as Andre Iguodala or Robert Covington remains to be seen, but we'll find out soon enough as the league's trade deadline is approximately 48 hours away.
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NBA Trade Rumors: Rockets, Hawks & Wolves Proposed 3-Team Trade Revealed
Wolves looking to acquire picks in order to land D'Angelo Russell.
Basketball fans are eagerly awaiting the first big domino to fall as we approach the NBA's trade deadline, but thus far nothing has materialized. That said, there have been plenty of rumors regarding which players are most likely on the move, including Houston's center Clint Capela and Minnesota's forward Robert Covington.
According to The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor, both of those players were recently discussed as part of a three-way deal with the Atlanta Hawks, as the Timberwolves hoped to receive draft picks that they could then flip for Golden State Warriors' point guard D'Angelo Russell. However, O'Connor notes that the Warriors denied the offer and the three-way trade talks have seized.
According to The Athletic's Shams Charania and Jon Krawczysnki, the Timberwolves are far from the only team interested in acquiring Russell ahead of the trade deadline. In a recent report, Charania and Krawczysnki mentioned that Golden State is seeking "significant draft pick compensation" in return for any Russell trade, but the Wolves have reportedly been hesitant to mortgage their future as they are amidst a rebuild themselves.
Specifically, Minnesota has been unwilling to include their 2020 unprotected first round pick in negotiations, which is why they were looking to get involved in a three-way deal with Houston and Atlanta in the first place. Unfortunately for Wolves fans, it looks like the team still needs to acquire more draft capital if they're serious about pairing DLo with KAT moving forward.
NBA Trade Rumors: Boston Celtics Eyeing Rockets’ Clint Capela
Cs looking to make a play for Capela ahead of Thursday's deadline.
NBA title contenders, tanking teams and everyone in between will be exploring the trade market this week ahead of Thursday's deadline, and there are several high profile players that could be on the move. One of the latest reports pertains to Houston Rockets center Clint Capela, who has reportedly become a target of the Boston Celtics.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Celtics and Rockets have engaged in trade discussions centered around the 25-year old big man, and Boston certainly has enough assets to get a deal done. As noted by ESPN's Bobby Marks, the Cs have three first round picks in the 2020 NBA Draft.
The Celtics are currently tied with the Miami Heat for the third best record in the Eastern Conference at 33-15. The Rockets, meanwhile, are fifth in the West with a mark of 31-18. Of course, the Celtics aren't the only team interested in acquiring Capela.
Woj reports that the Atlanta Hawks (worst in the East at 13-37) are another potential landing spot as Houston looks to acquire first-round picks that they could use to pull off a trade for another wing player.
Capela, now in his sixth NBA season, is making $14.9 million this season and will make $16 million, $17.1 million and $18.2 million in successive seasons. In 39 appearances this season he is averaging 13.9 points and a career-best 13.8 rebounds per game.
