NBA Trade Watch: Evans Interest High, Hernangomez Seeking Move

With the Super Bowl come and gone, we’ve finally made it to deadline week. There are a number of rumors running rampant across the association involving solid candidates to get moved by Thursday’s 3 p.m. cutoff.

Last week we saw two big transactions occur, one expected and another out-of-nowhere. Blake Griffin was dealt to the Detroit Pistons in a colossal multi-player swap highlighted by Tobias Harris going to the Los Angeles Clippers. Days later, the New Orleans Pelicans acquired Nikola Mirotic for an affordable price to help bolster their frontcourt in the absence of DeMarcus Cousins. If it’s not already evident, the dominoes have started to fall.

Multiple Suitors For Tyreke Evans

The Memphis Grizzlies announced last week that Evans would be shut down (non-injury purposes) until they find a trade partner for the veteran guard. It shouldn’t be too hard to do so because he is easily having the best season in his eight-year career. As a scorer, he’s averaging the most points per game (19.5) since he was a rookie. In addition, he’ll give you both five assists and five rebounds per game.

Despite the struggles with injuries in the last couple of campaigns, Evans has dominated as the go-to guy for the Grizzlies with Mike Conley on the sidelines. Perhaps the most attractive quality about him is that he’s still only 28 years old and has shown what he’s capable of doing with a primary role, plus he’s got an expiring $3.29 million contract.

There are a plethora of teams who would love to add Evans to their roster. Memphis is asking for a first-round pick in return, which might be high for a rental, but it’s also understandable because of how high his value currently sits. The Philadelphia 76ers are the most recent organization to show interest in him, according to Vincent Goodwill of NBC Sports Chicago and Keith Pompey of Philly.com. Others who have thrown their names in the hat are the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Miami Heat, and Houston Rockets.

Willy Hernangomez Requests Trade From New York Knicks

Enes Kanter’s arrival was a positive for Jeff Hornacek and the Knicks, but ultimately, it has led to a minuscule role for the sophomore Hernangomez. Per Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports, that’s exactly why he’s informed the franchise of his desire to play elsewhere. There should be some intrigue there, especially for those clubs in need of a reliable center to score and snatch rebounds.

In his rookie year, Hernangomez was one of the best in the league among his peers, making an NBA All-Rookie First Team and averaging 16 points and 13.6 rebounds per 36 minutes. On a struggling Knicks squad, he had the highest true shooting percentage (56.4) and second-highest PER (19.5) on the team.

This season, he’s essentially been relegated to the very end of the bench. Hernangomez deserves to be developed by an organization that understands the talent he brings to the table. He’s 23 years old and has loads of potential to make an impact. No specifics have been reported, but multiple teams are interested in the young Spanish center.

Quick Notes On Other Rumblings

Celtics guard Marcus Smart is drawing attention from other teams around the NBA. According to Marc Stein of the New York Times, the Denver Nuggets are interested in the fourth-year guard and have made Emmanuel Mudiay available. Danny Ainge is reportedly looking for a first-round pick in exchange.

The Chicago Bulls will likely be busy this week with calls. First reported by the Chicago Tribune’s K.C. Johnson, Robin Lopez has garnered interest from teams looking to add a veteran big man. Gar Forman and John Paxson have also floated Tony Allen’s name in talks with the Thunder. Jerian Grant is another player to keep an eye on who has flown under-the-radar this year.

George Hill is still a candidate to be moved by the Sacramento Kings, but it won’t happen unless “a deal is favorable,” per Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. The franchise wants to make sure it doesn’t mortgage the future in the coming years by taking on an unnecessary contract(s).

Looking for any kind of help they can get, the Cavaliers have called the Los Angeles Lakers about multiple players. As specified by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Cleveland has asked about Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle, and Larry Nance Jr.

According to his agent Mark Bartlestein, DeMarre Carroll knows he’s been mentioned in trade rumors. Brian Lewis of the New York Post says several teams are interested in the veteran Brooklyn Nets forward, but no traction has been made on any potential deals.

Per multiple reports, Shabazz Muhammad wants out of Minnesota. Neither the Timberwolves nor the 25-year-old wing sees a future together in the coming years.

For the latest on the trade deadline and buyout season, stay tuned to Basketball Insiders for the latest news and updates.