NBA Rumors: Lakers trade priority, Nets fire sale, 76ers coaching change?

The NBA season chugs along with its standard flare for the dramatic. There isn't a better league in major American sports when it comes to completely unnecessary and extremely delightful chaos. There is never a quiet night in the NBA.

We are still a few months away from the trade deadline in February, but with several projected contenders in crisis mode (see: 76ers, Bucks, Pelicans) and a few surprising upstarts looking to make noise (Rockets, Magic, Pistons), expect plenty of chatter in the weeks to come. NBA front offices don't always wait until the deadline to engineer a major transaction, and the current environment around the league is ripe for a shocker.

Here are the latest NBA rumors that demand your attention early in the week.

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NBA Rumors: Nick Nurse's job is safe with the 76ers — for now

The Philadelphia 76ers are in full-blown panic mode after a 2-11 start. There was a players and coaches meeting after Monday's loss to the Miami Heat, during which Tyrese Maxey aired out grievances with All-Star big man Joel Embiid. Among them, his chronic tardiness and inability to lead by example.

It's good for the Sixers to butt heads and establish a sense of urgency, but until the on-court product improves, there won't be much optimism around the fandom. A lot of the issues go beyond individual players or unlucky circumstances. Nick Nurse just hasn't done his job well enough. Philadelphia's poor attention to detail and lackluster offensive execution inevitably reflects back on the head coach. The Sixers' lack of pace or ball movement has been a persistent issue, not to mention their frequent second half collapses.

That said, while nobody anticipated such an awful start to the season, Nick Nurse's job is safe — for now — according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.

While there haven't been internal discussions about Nurse or Morey yet, those will inevitably start up if Philadelphia can't get back on track. It's inexcusable for such a talented team to be 2-11, even with the awful hand Nick Nurse has been dealt. I'd caution against firing Daryl Morey, who is great at his job, but Nurse has not lived up to expectations this season. He typically makes up for offensive lulls with inventive defense, but Nurse's schemes have been muted in their impact all season, on both ends of the court.

NBA Rumors: Nets open to trading Cam Thomas (and everybody else on the roster)

The Brooklyn Nets are 5-9 with a competitive roster and an apparent gem in new head coach Jordi Fernandez. And yet, we know the Nets have their sights set on Cooper Flagg and the top of a loaded 2025 NBA Draft. As such, expect GM Sean Marks to aggressively offload established talent in favor of future picks or promising prospects.

Brooklyn is "open for business," per Sam Amick of The Athletic. That includes breakout two-guard Cam Thomas, who is averaging 24.6 points and 3.1 assists on career-best efficiency out of the gate.

"Fourth-year gunner Cam Thomas failed to come to terms on an extension and is widely considered to be available, but Brooklyn’s list of possibilities hardly ends there," Amick writes. "They have proven vets like Dennis Schröder and Bojan Bogdanovicć, who has yet to play this season because of left foot surgery but is progressing toward a return. Big man Nic Claxton signed a four-year, $100 million extension last summer, but the reality of the Nets’ long-term plans means no one is likely off the table."

This is to be expected. The Nets are wise to cash in while value is high. For all his immense natural talent and promising growth, there are still valid questions about Thomas' ability to contribute within a true winning context. How does he look as the No. 3 or 4 option on a stacked roster? Cam Johnson, Nic Claxton, and Dennis Schroder would all meaningfully improve a contender. The Nets should be able to put together quite a haul. Even Ben Simmons' expiring $40.4 million contract could come in handy for salary dumps.

Don't doubt for a second that Brooklyn has its priorities in the right place. It's fun to win games and look competitive, but eking into the play-in tournament serves nobody. The Nets are playing the long game, which could include a few tough sacrifices along the way.

NBA Rumors: Lakers are actively targeting big men in trade talks

The Los Angeles Lakers pretty much stood pat during the offseason, but with JJ Redick off to a solid start, there is motivation for Rob Pelinka to finally get something done. Depth is a problem for this Lakers team, especially in the frontcourt, where injuries to Christian Wood and Jarred Vanderbilt have been deeply felt.

As a result, the Lakers are actively exploring the trade market for big men, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

This shouldn't come as much of a surprise. The idea of better insulating Anthony Davis has been common theme throughout his entire career, dating back to when the Pelicans traded for DeMarcus Cousins. Davis' defense and offense are too well-suited to the center position to push him to the four spot, but putting a more dependable backup behind him is good process. Especially if said backup can shoot and move well enough to occupy the occasional twin-tower lineup, depending on matchups.

Los Angeles has been connected to several names at this point, from Jazz third-year big Walker Kessler to Hornets high-flyer Nick Richards. It's a generally robust market on the backup center front, so the Lakers shouldn't have trouble finding a worthwhile upgrade before the deadline in February. If anything, we should expect this trade sooner than later.