Hoopla with Haynes: JaVale McGee getting interest from Nets; Lakers watching Hassan Whiteside
The first installment of "Hoopla with Haynes," featuring news and nuggets from around the league as the trade deadline approaches.
JaVale McGee
The Cleveland Cavaliers’ backup center has garnered interest from top contenders, including the Brooklyn Nets, who are looking to solidify their interior presence, sources told Yahoo Sports.
At this juncture, McGee is not entertaining a buyout of what’s remaining of his $4.2 million salary, sources said, so a trade is the foreseeable path toward finding the veteran big man a new home.
Brooklyn has its eyes on other bigs who are on the market, but if those options dematerialize, McGee could find himself teaming up once again with Kevin Durant.
John Wall
The Houston Rockets’ five-time All-Star is likely to have his left knee scoped at some point this season, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Wall suffered a knee contusion in practice last week. He’s expected to return to play soon, sources said, but addressing his knee down the road is expected.
It’s a knee Wall has had surgery on in the past.
Tristan Thompson
League sources said the Boston Celtics could trade their starting center by the March 25 trade deadline, with the Toronto Raptors being a possible destination.
Thompson is averaging 7.9 points and 8.3 rebounds in his first season with the Celtics after signing a two-year, $19 million deal that includes a player option in the second year.
DeMar DeRozan
The San Antonio Spurs are not actively engaged in seeking out a trade for their best player, but that could change if both sides don’t work out an in-season extension leading up to the trade deadline.
There is currently no dialogue on an extension, sources said.
DeRozan is in the final year of a five-year, $139 million deal he signed in 2016. San Antonio could risk losing him in the offseason for nothing if an extension isn’t established and a trade doesn’t materialize.
Jusuf Nurkic
The Portland Trail Blazers have been without their starting center for two months due to a right wrist fracture, but Nurkic intends to make his return in approximately two weeks, sources informed Yahoo Sports.
Head coach Terry Stotts told media members that Nurkic and CJ McCollum (foot) are waiting to be cleared by doctors.
Anthony Davis
The Los Angeles Lakers announced last Friday that the eight-time All-Star would be examined in two weeks to check the progress of his tendinosis and his right calf strain.
However, sources informed Yahoo Sports that Davis could be sidelined for the next three weeks and possibly beyond. The Lakers will be overly cautious in their approach to working Davis back even at the cost of slipping in the standings, which has occurred.
Davis hasn’t played in a month.
Hassan Whiteside
The Los Angeles Lakers are monitoring the developments of the Sacramento Kings’ seldom-used rim protector, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
If the defending champs strike out on landing Cleveland Cavaliers center Andre Drummond, then Whiteside would be a nice contingency plan.
Aaron Gordon
The seven-year veteran is open to a change of scenery, with the Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons inquiring about trading for the versatile high-flyer, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
A dark-horse squad that could join the Gordon pursuit: the Portland Trail Blazers, sources said.
The Orlando Magic value Gordon and are said to have a substantial price tag attached to his availability.
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