NBA Rumors BS Meter: Takes on Lakers, Heat, Thunder Buzz + Vet Wing Eyes Return
A new week brings us a fresh set of NBA news and rumors.
From one potential Zach LaVine suitor dropping out of the race to the Lakers' trade deadline plan, plus a possible return from an NBA bubble hero, there's plenty to sort through here.
It's time to run some post-Thanksgiving rumors through the BS meter and see what comes out.
Thunder to Swing Win-Now Trade?
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The Oklahoma City Thunder have been one of the best teams in all of basketball this season despite possessing the second-youngest roster in the NBA (23.8 average age).
An 11-5 record overall and plus-8.3 net rating (second only to the Boston Celtics) would seemingly signal that this team is ready to compete for a title already, and should be buyers around the trade deadline.
No franchise has more future draft capital to work with than OKC either, with future first-rounders owed to them by the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Utah Jazz, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets over the next five years.
Despite all of the young talent and draft picks the Thunder can offer, don't expect this up-and-coming team to make a win-now trade according to Marc Stein on the #thisleague UNCUT podcast:
"The question with these guys is, because they have so many trade assets—I think that question always lurks with the Thunder in the background—will they make a big move? Will they use the stacks and stacks of draft picks amassed by Thunder [executive vice] president Sam Presti? When will they use it? Will they dive into that stack and try to make a trade for another established player? But their mantra has always been patience. I don't think they're going to bow to any external pressures about trying to speed this up, making some sort of win-now trade. I don't see that as being a target for them. Things are going really well the way it is."
Stein is 100 percent correct here. The Thunder play with an incredible energy and enthusiasm, with all of their core only getting better. Potentially messing up the chemistry of this team or bringing in a veteran to take minutes and shots away from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams or others would be a mistake at this point.
If it ain't broke, don't fit it.
OKC should continue growing the young talent base and go on a real playoff run together with this core before making any drastic moves.
BS Meter: None. The young Thunder should stay the course.
Lakers Choosing 'Internal Improvements' over Outside Help?
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The Los Angeles Lakers were the major trade deadline winners a year ago, swapping out Russell Westbrook and others while adding D'Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, Mo Bamba and Malik Beasley to assist their run to the Western Conference Finals.
Teams with LeBron James typically don't stay silent at the deadline, and with a modest 10-7 start to the season overall, L.A. may need to make a move to appease their star.
For now, though, the Lakers are apparently taking the opposite approach.
According to Marc Stein of the Stein Line substack, "the Lakers, at present, are focused on internal improvement."
Injuries have prevented us from seeing L.A. at full strength, as Vanderbilt has yet to play this season due to heel bursitis while Gabe Vincent has been limited to four games with a knee injury.
Internal improvement should only be expected from so much of this veteran roster, though. Cam Reddish, Jaxson Hayes and Max Christie are all young and getting better, although one shouldn't expect James to be sharpening his skill set as we approach birthday No. 39.
This could also be called "increasing trade value time," showcasing some of the younger players in hopes they could be of interest to rebuilding teams looking to flip a contender at the deadline instead.
There's no way the Lakers stay quiet through February, not with James on the final guaranteed year of his contract and having the right to enter free agency next summer if he wants. This is a championship-or-bust season, one that's not going to end with so much unproven young talent in the rotation.
BS Meter: Total BS that this is the long-term plan, although Los Angeles can still stay patient for now.
T.J. Warren Could Make NBA Return
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For NBA contenders looking for forward help or a scoring punch off the bench, there's one veteran available who would like to make a return to the league.
T.J. Warren, a career 14.6 point-per-game scorer who played for the Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns last season, is healthy and looking for a job.
The NC State product told HoopsHype's Michael Scotto:
"I'm 100 percent healthy now. The foot injuries were a part of my career during those two years. I feel like I was reaching a crazy pinnacle right around the bubble. It was a great situation. Unfortunately, I had the injuries, and it set me back a little bit. I want to go out there and prove myself like I always have my whole career, being kind of under the radar. I feel like my production speaks for itself. I understand the concerns because two years was a long time, especially when you don't know the situation thoroughly, but I'm completely healthy now and looking forward to the opportunity to prove myself again."
Warren averaged 7.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.5 steals and shot 48.9 percent overall in 16.4 minutes per game between Brooklyn and Phoenix last season, after being a part of the Kevin Durant blockbuster deadline trade.
While Warren bounced in and out of the rotation with the Suns, he did have a stretch of 16 games with the Nets (Dec. 9, 2022-Jan. 17, 2023) where he put up 12.0 points on strong shooting (54.1 percent overall, 36.8 percent from three) and looked like his younger self.
Still only 30 years old and just a few seasons removed from averaging 19.8 points per game, he should still be able to play 10-20 minutes per night off a contender's bench.
While he may have to wait until closer to the trade deadline when roster spots open up, expect to see Warren back in the NBA this year.
BS Meter: No BS here. Warren can still get buckets for a team that needs a shot of bench scoring and will return at some point this year.
Miami Heat Not Pursuing Trade for Zach LaVine
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Although the Miami Heat were on a previously reported list of Zach LaVine suitors (along with the Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers), we may not see him make his way to South Beach anytime soon.
According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Heat have "not been pursuing a trade for" the All-Star guard.
Is this the franchise trying to play it cool, or does Miami really not want to make an offer for the 28-year-old scoring machine? An 18th-ranked offense would suggest the Heat could actually use LaVine, especially with Jimmy Butler now at 34 years of age.
Even if Miami was interested in LaVine, the financial ramifications of such a trade would be tricky.
The Heat are already staring down a $28.7 million luxury-tax bill this season, with Butler and Bam Adebayo on max contracts that increase year after year. Tyler Herro is in the first season of a four-year, $120 million extension, and Duncan Robinson is making $37.6 million between now and 2024-25.
Adding LaVine's four-year, $178 million remaining contract is a tough pill to swallow, especially since Butler and Adebayo wouldn't be included in a deal. Swapping Herro and Robinson for LaVine works financially, but would Miami really be that much better, especially with Robinson enjoying a bounce-back season (14.5 points on 43.0 percent from three)?
The Heat will forever be a star destination in trade talks, and Miami could likely do better than LaVine. Sitting this one out would be for the best, although it doesn't hurt to check on Chicago's asking price for the two-time All-Star. That's just good business.
BS Meter: A little BS. Miami may not be pursuing a trade for LaVine, but the front office should have at least had an exploratory conversation by now.
