Around the league, there’s a growing sense that the trade market may open earlier than usual - and that some of the names moving before the Feb. 11 deadline could be bigger than expected.
Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reports that executives believe the Nets will at least explore the market for several of their veteran pieces, including Michael Porter Jr. Brooklyn doesn’t control its own first-round pick in June because it still owes Houston from the 2021 James Harden deal, which gives the Nets another reason to consider moving players.
Fischer also notes that the market may be softer than usual, with fewer teams willing to sell off talent for draft capital. As one unnamed Eastern Conference team strategist put it, “There will be less sellers than ever before.”
Porter Jr. is earning $40.8MM this season and will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer.
Fischer also reports that the Pacers are checking on mid-tier upgrades as they try to navigate Tyrese Haliburton’s hamstring injury. Indiana had already been linked to Nique Clifford before he was dealt to the Thunder.
The Clippers, meanwhile, could be looking at a different kind of move. After having so many draft assets stripped away as punishment for circumventing the salary cap, they may be motivated to shop Max Strus, Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr. and possibly Brandon Ingram in an effort to rebuild their pick stash.
Milwaukee is also drawing attention. The league is investigating Gary Trent Jr.’s four-year, $64MM extension, and Fischer says rival teams are wondering whether the Bucks are handing investigators even more to examine by keeping Trent out of the rotation. That scrutiny comes after Trent signed a pair of one-year, team-friendly deals before landing the extension.
One other wrinkle Fischer hears: teams with losing records may be more inclined to strike deals soon after Dec. 15, when most of July’s free-agent signings become trade-eligible. The thinking is simple - a team could get about 30 extra games from a player while giving up roughly the same draft capital it would cost in February.
In Other News...
Pacers Just Sent Knicks Fans A Familiar Early Warning
The Pacers and Knicks opened their NBA Cup meeting with the kind of tight, tense finish that tends to linger well beyond the final buzzer, and Indiana came away with a 106-104 win after New Yorks last shot missed. It was the sort of game that felt familiar to anyone who has watched these two teams cross paths in recent seasons, with Indiana answering enough late to keep control in a matchup that stayed close throughout.
Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 19 points, while Jalen Nesmith added 18 on efficient shooting and Kelly Oubre Jr. chipped in 16. Ivica Zubac also turned in a double-double, giving Indiana a steady interior presence in a game where every possession mattered, and the result offered another reminder that the Pacers can make life uncomfortable for the Knicks when the margin gets thin. [Read more 🡒]
Warren Central Faces A Season-Defining Test Against Center Grove
Warren Centrals unbeaten run has carried the Warriors all the way to a Class 6A regional championship game at home, where Center Grove arrives with the kind of rsum that usually makes for a tense November matchup. The Warriors are 11-0 and have looked every bit the part of a team built for a deep postseason push, but the Trojans are hardly an afterthought at 9-2, especially in a game that brings together two programs with plenty on the line and a little recent familiarity.
For Warren Central, the challenge is as much about matching Center Groves offensive firepower as it is about handling the pressure that comes with a season-defining game in front of its own crowd. Both teams have already seen each other in an earlier season meeting, which adds another layer to a regional final that should feel less like a fresh start than a rematch with real stakes attached. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers May Have Finally Found Their Formula Without Haliburton
The Pacers have spent much of this season searching for a way to steady themselves without Tyrese Haliburton, and Sundays 114-101 win over Washington offered a cleaner version of what that might look like. Indiana is still only 4-8, and with its star point guard expected to remain sidelined until at least Thanksgiving, every game without him has doubled as a test of whether the rest of the roster can create a workable identity.
Against the Wizards, the answer came less from one player taking over than from the kind of collective effort Indiana has been chasing. Rebounding stood out as a major piece of the formula, along with a more connected approach that kept the Pacers from drifting into the kind of uneven stretches that have hurt them early. It was only one win, but for a team trying to survive a long Haliburton absence, it looked like the sort of blueprint worth revisiting. [Read more 🡒]