BS Meter for Latest NBA News and Rumors: Knicks Buzz, Zion Slander and More
While the Los Angeles Lakers dominated the headlines this past week with their In-Season Tournament championship, there was plenty of action going on off the court as well.
Opposing teams are reportedly monitoring a New York Knicks guard's availability, the Indiana Pacers' trade deadline wish list has been revealed, and the New Orleans Pelicans' frustration with Zion Williamson continues to grow.
It's time to run the latest NBA news and rumors through the BS meter and see what comes out.
Indiana Pacers Want to Trade for 'Big, Athletic Two-Way Wing'
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The Indiana Pacers are knocking on the door of becoming a true contender in the Eastern Conference, as evidenced by their run to the In-Season Tournament championship game.
Tyrese Haliburton (26.9 points, 12.1 assists, 44.1 percent from three) has established himself as one of the NBA's best point guards, and the Pacers own the NBA's best offense (123.5 rating).
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski told NBA Today that Indiana plans to buy at the trade deadline, with a specific position/skill set in mind.
"They've been aggressive in trying to trade for that big, athletic two-way wing player that they need to build out this roster," he said. "If that's OG Anunoby, if that's Pascal Siakam in Toronto, those kinds of players as they become available in trade talks."
Haliburton should be the only untouchable player on this Pacers roster as the team looks to add defense around him. Bruce Brown is, technically, a two-way wing, but at 6'4", perhaps he doesn't possess the size of the player Indiana is reportedly after.
Both Anunoby and Siakam would be terrific fits with the Pacers, who own all of their future first-round picks as well as an extra one in the 2024 draft (least favorable of Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz). There's some intriguing young talent on this team as well.
Indiana should be checking on players such as Jerami Grant, Lauri Markkanen, Kyle Kuzma, Dorian Finney-Smith, John Collins and others, veterans who can play the three, four or both and would help push the Pacers back into the playoffs.
BS Meter: No BS that Indiana will try to trade for such a player. Unfortunately, so will half of the league.
Pistons Would Need 'Large Offer' to Move Bojan Bogdanović
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One of the biggest names of the 2022-23 trade market, Bojan Bogdanović ultimately finished his season in Detroit. Now with the team off to a horrendous 2-20 start to the season, surely this is the year the Pistons made the veteran forward available, right?
According to The Athletic's Fred Katz, the Pistons "have expressed that it would take a large offer" to move Bogdanović, who only recently returned to the lineup following a calf injury.
What does Detroit consider to be a large offer, exactly?
Bogdanović is going to turn 35 in April, just missed 19 games due to injury and hasn't been a plus defender for years. His outside shooting would help a number of contenders, though, and he is on a team-friendly contract ($20 million this season, $19 million next season with only $2 million guaranteed).
Teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic and Toronto Raptors that rank near the bottom of the NBA in three-point accuracy could all use the Croatian, creating a mini bidding war at least.
Still, Detroit's best time to trade Bogdanović was last season when he was averaging a career-high 21.6 points per game and knocking down 41.1 percent of his threes. He could still fetch a first-round pick and a different veteran player to plug into the rotation, although this hardly seems like a "large" offer.
It would be hard to imagine a team sending the Pistons multiple firsts or an elite young player, especially since Bogdanović's stock has fallen since last season.
BS Meter: A little BS here. This is the message Detroit should want put out, but at the end of the day, getting a good first-round pick should be enough of a return.
Knicks' Immanuel Quickley Being Monitored as a Trade Target
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Is anyone happy in New York this season?
We've already heard complaints from Evan Fournier, Josh Hart and Quentin Grimes about their roles the past few months, and Immanuel Quickley has a case to be disappointed as well.
On a roster loaded with guards and wings, his minutes are down to 24.2 a night, a drop from 28.9 a season ago. After failing to come to an agreement on a rookie extension this fall, the 24-year-old faces an uncertain future with the Knicks as he heads toward restricted free agency.
According to The Athletic's Fred Katz, "teams around the league are waiting to see how the Knicks handle Quickley" before the trade deadline.
He definitely deserves to have a bigger role, whether it's in New York or elsewhere. In 27 career starts, he's averaging 21.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.9 assists and shooting 46.0 percent overall and 39.1 percent from three, up from 40.8 percent overall and 36.2 percent from deep as a reserve.
While he's more combo guard than true floor general (and makes for a small shooting guard at 6'3"), Quickley would thrive if sharing the court with a big playmaking guard/wing a la LeBron James or Luka Dončić.
The San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, Miami Heat, Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz all need long-term solutions at point guard and should be at the top of the list of teams that call to check on Quickley's asking price.
If the Knicks want to better balance out their roster while adding another All-Star caliber player, using Quickley as trade bait may be best for everyone involved.
BS Meter: No BS here with Quickley's minutes down and the Knicks hovering around the middle of the East. Rebuilding teams with a need at guard should be calling.
Dwight Howard, Isaiah Thomas to Return to NBA?
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A pair of former All-Stars would like to make their way back to the league.
Dwight Howard recently posted on X about his desire to make a comeback and play in the In-Season Tournament:
As Thomas told Forbes' Mat Issa, "I'm still trying to play the game of basketball. I want to get back to the NBA. So, I'm still working out and staying ready."
Beginning with Howard, the now 38-year-old center and No. 1 overall pick of the 2004 NBA draft last played in 2021-22 for the Los Angeles Lakers, starting 27 of his 60 games while averaging 6.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 16.2 minutes while shooting 61.2 percent overall. He then spent 2022-23 with the Taoyuan Leopards in Taiwan.
Thomas, 34, also went without an NBA call last season, spending 22 games between the Lakers, Dallas Mavericks and Charlotte Hornets in 2021-22. Playing almost exclusively as a reserve, he put up 8.4 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 15.1 minutes while shooting just 40.1 percent overall.
Howard is going to be in the Hall of Fame and has been one of the best defensive players of the past two decades. Thomas went from the last pick in the draft to a two-time All-Star who brought some magical moments to the Boston Celtics.
For both, though, it's time to enjoy retirement from the NBA.
Players in their mid-to-late 30s who've already spent a year away from the league aren't going to come back any better. That's just the cold, hard truth. Both could certainly still play overseas and make a good living doing so, though.
NBA teams are giving their final roster spots to prospects, not veterans who can make an impact whether they play or not. This may not be fair, but it is reality.
Howard and Thomas are almost certainly done.
BS Meter: BS that either player signs another NBA contract. If it was going to happen, it would have happened last season.
Zion Williamson 'Doesn't Listen' to Pelicans Pleas for Better Diet and Conditioning
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While just having a healthy Zion Williamson on the court has typically been enough for the New Orleans Pelicans to win, this season has been the exact opposite.
The 23-year-old has been available in 19 of the Pelicans' 23 games, but he hasn't looked like the same player. His 13 points and two rebounds against the Los Angeles Lakers in the In-Season Tournament semifinals were a huge disappointment, with New Orleans losing by 33 points in his 25 minutes.
According to Christian Clark of The Times-Picayune, the Pelicans "have repeatedly stressed to Williamson that his diet and conditioning need to improve," but the forward "doesn't listen."
The 2019 No. 1 overall pick looked noticeably winded even in the early going against the Lakers, leading to a lapse in his defensive effort.
This simply isn't the same player we saw at Duke, despite his weight actually being listed higher in college (285 lbs) than it is now with the Pelicans (284 lbs). A quick eye test will tell you that one of these numbers is definitely a lie.
Williamson looks far more grounded now, as his dunk numbers the last two seasons have dropped by 38.3 percent over his first two in the NBA (1.42 per game compared to 2.13). He's settling for more looks from 3-to-16 feet than ever before, with a career low of his attempts (54.6 percent) coming from within 0-3 feet of the rim, where he is most effective.
While we saw a high-flying version of Williamson swat away 1.8 shots per game at Duke, he's down to just five total blocks in his 19 games this season (career-low 0.3).
This is a sad situation, as Williamson has the talent to be one of the very best players in the world if he improved his conditioning. His stamina only seems to be getting worse, though, which is clearly affecting his game.
BS Meter: We don't know the details of what the Pelicans have told Williamson, but this sure looks legit from the outside. No BS detected.
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