BS Meter on Latest Lakers Trade Targets, Warriors Rumors, More
The NBA trade deadline is only a few weeks away, which means there's no shortage of rumors to analyze as teams gauge markets and assess targets.
The Golden State Warriors are nearing acceptance as they move through the five stages of grief, while the Miami Heat may only be somewhere between denial and anger as the Jimmy Butler saga continues.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers are on the hunt for upgrades—but only if the price is right.
Here, we'll catch up on the latest whispers and reports around the league before deciding how seriously to take them, viewing all the chatter with a critical eye.
The Warriors Accept Their Middling Fate
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Report(s)
After a loss to the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 13 dropped the Golden State Warriors below .500 for the first time this season, Stephen Curry told Anthony Slater of The Athletic: "Nobody wants to be stale or be in a situation where you are passing up opportunities. But it doesn't mean you're desperate (and) flinging assets all around the place (just because) you want to do something."
Head coach Steve Kerr told Slater: "We've got to try to give Steph every chance he has to perform. That's really important these last few years, whatever that means. But you don't give away the future."
Those echoed comments Draymond Green made to Yahoo Sports' Vincent Goodwill about the team's unified stance against mortgaging the future.
BS Meter: Low
Resignation. That's the word to describe the tone of several key figures in the Warriors organization lately.
Needing a major upgrade to maximize Curry's prime but finding no ideal options on the trade market, the Dubs seem to be accepting of their middling fate.
Curry, Kerr and Green are displaying uncommon patience, maturity and selflessness—the sorts of traits you almost never see toward the end of a dynasty. Most situations like this feel desperate, but the Warriors are seeing things through clear, realistic eyes. There isn't a level-raising deal in front of them that justifies putting multiple future first-rounders on the table.
It's strange to hear this kind of talk, but it feels genuine. Golden State wants to compete at a high level, but it won't chase that dream irresponsibly.
The Lakers Are Out on Zach LaVine
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Report
Per Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times: "The Chicago Bulls have made it no secret that they've tried to trade Zach LaVine. Earlier this season, the Bulls held trade talks with the Los Angeles Lakers. Those talks didn't go very far, and with the Lakers having traded D'Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets, it's unlikely those talks will pick back up."
BS Meter: Medium
This is coming from a Chicago source, so it's not so easy to dismiss it as a leak by the Lakers designed to drive down LaVine's value. At the same time, LaVine has played so well this season that a total lack of interest feels far-fetched.
Los Angeles remains in the thick of the race for a top-six playoff spot and is only a couple of games out of fourth in the West. Even if the Lakers' negative point differential and excellent health luck with LeBron James and Anthony Davis suggest there's massive downside risk in the second half of the season, the fact remains that this team could justify onboarding LaVine and his elite scoring.
LaVine is currently averaging 24.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists while hitting 45.0 percent of his threes. Forget this season; no player in Lakers franchise history has ever matched those figures.
Los Angeles has to consider trading for LaVine, particularly if an otherwise cool market allows for a deal that sends out matching salary with little to no draft capital attached.
Jimmy Butler Will Rejoin the Heat
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Report(s)
The Miami Herald's Anthony Chiang reported that the Miami Heat aren't close to a Jimmy Butler trade and that it's increasingly likely that Butler will rejoin the Heat when his suspension ends later this week.
That report narrowly preceded one from ESPN's Shams Charania relaying that Butler "reiterated to team president Pat Riley in a face-to-face meeting last week that he wants to be traded" and that Butler also told Riley "he will not sign a new deal in Miami."
BS Meter: Frighteningly low
It's hard to imagine Butler wanting to rejoin the Heat after such a chaotic stretch, particularly if he's explicitly told the team he's not going to pick up his option or re-sign in Miami this summer. Then again, Butler has gotten what he wanted out of a similar situation by showing up and being prohibitively disruptive before.
His 2018 eruption at a Minnesota Timberwolves practice is the stuff of legend, and it ultimately earned him the trade he sought.
It's entirely possible the Heat will have to suspend Butler again. If anyone's willing to return to a scenario as awkward as the one in Miami, it's Butler. In fact, a disruptive stretch might even be part of the plan.
Nets Prefer Giannis Antetokounmpo to Jimmy Butler
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Report
NBA Insider Marc Stein reported on his Substack that the Brooklyn Nets "are not planning to pursue [Jimmy] Butler as a free agent this offseason." Even juicier, Stein reported the Nets "have long been described and continue to be painted as a team determined to be in position to trade for Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo someday."
BS Meter: Zero
This is bad news for any leverage plays Butler might want to make in seeking a trade, as Brooklyn's justifiable lack of interest in an aging, max-salary-seeking star means there is no team with enough cap space to give Butler the kind of deal he wants. He can threaten to opt out of the $52 million coming to him in 2025-26 all he wants, but no one will take him as seriously if the lone team with max cap space, Brooklyn, isn't interested in paying him at that level on a new contract.
As for Brooklyn's apparent fixation on Antetokounmpo, there's no reason to doubt its sincerity. Virtually no one spends an entire career with one team, and Antetokounmpo's Milwaukee Bucks are aging and something less than a contender. It may not happen in the next year, but Giannis is eventually going to change teams.
The Nets can offer him a big market, a history of attracting multiple stars in free agency and plenty of money. They're wise to keep their powder dry.
Lakers Targets Include Walker Kessler, Robert Williams III
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Report
The Athletic's Jovan Buha said on his podcast Buha's Block that he believes Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler and Portland Trail Blazers big man Robert Williams are "realistic" trade targets for the Los Angeles Lakers.
BS Meter: Medium
Kessler shook off a disappointing second season and is now back on track to becoming one of the most dominant defensive bigs around. He's the league leader at 72.0 percent from the field and is the only player in the NBA with an offensive rebound rate north of 16.0 percent and a block rate above 7.0 percent.
To say he's a realistic target is to say the Lakers are willing to give up legitimate draft capital (we're talking about at least one lightly protected first-rounder), and that's not so easy to buy. The Jazz have driven hard bargains ever since Danny Ainge took over the front office, and Kessler won't come cheap.
RWIII is a much easier get, though he'd come with a larger salary ($12.4 million this year, $13.3 million in 2025-26) than Kessler's rookie-scale pay rate—not to mention one of the scariest health track records in the league.
Would the Lakers really send the rebuilding Blazers more than a second-rounder and expiring salary for Williams? Would Portland even view that as the best offer? Time will tell, but it doesn't seem like either of those big men are especially likely to land in L.A.
Of course, Buha is only calling them "targets," which is mostly reasonable.
Stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference and Cleaning the Glass. Accurate through Jan. 14. Salary info via Spotrac.
Grant Hughes covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter (@gt_hughes), and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, where he appears with Bleacher Report's Dan Favale.
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