After multiple months without a single NBA trade, things picked up in a big way last week when the Atlanta Hawks sent Trae Young to the Washington Wizards. That deal not only created a take cycle, but it also opened the floodgates as the Feb. 6 Trade Deadline awaits. There is still a lot of time for the league's 30 teams to jockey for position ahead of that deadline but, as the old idium says, "deadlines spur action" and the action is ramping up.
Here is a look at some of the latest rumblings.
Ja Morant is available: What's the price?
The Ja Morant sweepstakes could take shape in the coming weeks, with Shams Charania of ESPN kicking off a round of speculation that the Memphis Grizzlies would at least be willing to listen on the former All-Star guard. Of course, that does not mean that the Grizzlies must trade Morant in the next few weeks, but one of the major questions around Morant is what the price tag might be.
Famously, Trae Young was dealt from Atlanta to Washington without draft capital going back to the Hawks, though the difference in contractual details is very relevant when comparing the two situations. Speaking on the ALL NBA Podcast, Marc Stein shared that early indications are that the Grizzlies are "hoping for at least one first if they trade Ja Morant."
Of course, "hoping" doesn't mean "will receive," but the Grizzlies are at least framing matters as if that would be their current price. It also matters what kind of salary would be coming back to Memphis, but teams pursuing Morant will have to weigh just how much they would be interested in sending out.
Mixed intel on Michael Porter Jr.
Michael Porter Jr. is having a tremendous season as the No. 1 option with the Brooklyn Nets. The 27-year-old forward is averaging 25.9 points per game in an "all you can eat" setup with the Nets, but Porter Jr. has also maintained strong efficiency and is drawing interest in the trade market given his combination of size, shooting, and overall talent. In fact, John Hollinger of The Athletic recently wrote, via "one trusted league source" that "Michael Porter Jr. is a lock to move by the deadline so the Nets can sell high on his career year."
On the flip side, Marc Stein shared conflicting intel, acknowledging that Hollinger would not share this information flippantly but also saying that others "keep telling me the Nets would rather not trade him now, as hot as he is, to wait till the offseason, see how they do in the lottery, and then make a decision." It is an age-old conundrum for the Nets in that Porter Jr.'s value may never be higher, but if he could sustain this level of performance (and health) through the season, the options tend to be more wide-ranging in the summer.
Knicks set up for 'minor tweaking'
On Substack, Marc Stein wrote over the weekend that New York Knicks role players Guerschon Yabusele and Pacome Dadiet are available on the market "to potentially set the Knicks up to do some minor tweaking." This is not the sexiest trade intel, but it is a reminder that the Knicks are so limited by their luxury tax and apron situations that it is exceptionally difficult to take a massive swing. Could they turn one of these smaller pieces into a real rotation player by April? We'll see.
Daniel Gafford moving instead of AD?
In the same Substack piece referenced above, Stein shares, via rival executives, that the Mavericks and Hawks "do have the option of pivoting to a potential Daniel Gafford swap" instead of the widely rumored discussions around Anthony Davis. Atlanta has pushed back considerably on the reported level of Davis interest, particularly when it comes to not including Zaccharie Risacher in any talks, but the Davis injury could also create obstacles.
On the Gafford front, Stein reports that teams like Atlanta, Indiana, and Boston could have interest in Gafford. The Mavericks do, at least theoretically, have three quality centers in Davis, Gafford, and Dereck Lively, so it would probably be wise for Dallas to clean up that situation if they are unable to move Davis. Gafford did sign an extension that runs for three more years after this one, but he is making less than $20 million annually and could be an option for center-needy teams as a low-end starter or high-end backup.