With the NBA trade deadline only a day away, four teams are still after the cheaply priced Tyreke Evans.
Tyreke Evans is having a good season, for a bad team, on a very cheap contract. All those variables added together have made many NBA teams interested in acquiring him via trade. Specifically, four teams, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Three frontrunners (Boston, Denver and Philadelphia) and a fourth team (Miami) staying engaged on Memphis' Tyreke Evans, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 6, 2018
The Boston and Philly interest was reported a few days ago, and recent reports have made it known that the Nuggets are very interested in being buyers at the deadline. They’ve expressed interest in Evans, Darren Collison, and Marcus Smart.
The Grizzlies require a first round pick for the services of Evans, which is why the Celtics are seeking the same value for Smart. Their goal is to flip Smart for a first round pick and then flip the same pick for Evans.
Evans strong season has come as a surprise too many. He’s averaging 19.5 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and has shooting splits of 46/39/80. He has also stayed healthy, playing in 46 games already which is the most he’s played in a season since 2014-15.
His performance and numbers set him up perfectly for the sixth-man scoring boost role many playoff teams desire. With Hayward out for the season, the Celtics are looking for another offensive force that could help the offense perform to its capabilities even when Kyrie Irving is off the floor.
Philly has interest in Evans for the same reason. When Embiid is off the floor the offense struggles, as Ben Simmons still hasn’t mastered being an individual offensive threat.
With the Nuggets, Evans could work with Will Barton off the bench and bring a one-two offensive punch off the bench that could cause problems for opponents, especially in the playoffs.
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The Heat mainly have interest due to the injury to scoring threat Dion Waiters. Evans could become the temporary mayor of Waiters Island and potentially improve it in a brief season-ending reign.
All these teams have valid interest in Evans, but with the deadline coming tomorrow will a team part ways with their first round pick for him? Or will the Grizzlies lower their asking price?