Getty Images D'Angelo Russell #0 of the Golden State Warriors
The Knicks fired their team president just days before a critical point in the NBA season: the trade deadline. While the GM Scott Perry may not have a job come summertime (at least in the same capacity), he is leading the charge for now and is expected to make a few moves prior to the deadline.
The Knicks Remain Interested in D’Angelo Russell
New York still has eyes for D’Angelo Russell, according to Newsday’s Steve Popper. Most of the reports of the Knicks’ interest came prior to Steve Mills’ dismissal, though it appears the remaining members of the regime have attempted to see if they can pry Russell from Golden State,.
Yet, our own Sean Deveney hears that the talks are “not serious yet” between the two sides. New York needs to put together a better offer than they currently have.
The Knicks have no intention of trading Barrett, per Deveney. The Warriors would want New York’s 2020 first-rounder in addition to Kevin Knox or Mitchell Robinson (plus additional salary filler) to make a deal, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv.
Minnesota, which is New York’s main competition for Russell, is working around the clock to figure out a way to acquire Russell, a source confirms to Heavy.com.
Marcus Morris is Available
With the Knicks changing their leadership, Marcus Morris’ fate also shifts. The team has made him available in trade talks and it seems like it is just a matter of time before New York deals him, as Newsday reports.
The Lakers have an interest the forward and the Knicks have expressed exploratory interest in Kyle Kuzma. A trade would require additional pieces from Los Angeles, as Morris is making $15M and Kuzma is taking home just $1.9M.
The Clippers also have interest in Morris. They have an easy path to acquiring someone in Morris’ price range in Maurice Harkless, as I recently wrote for SLAM Magazine.
Morris inked a one-year deal with the Knicks after verbally agreeing to a contract to a contract with the Spurs last offseason. San Antonio made traded Davis Bertans to Washington in order to accommodate the move and watching Morris back out, forced them to scramble for options, which led to the Trey Lyles signing.
Suns’ Kelly Oubre on the Move?
The Suns are closing in on trading for Luke Kennard, as appear willing to give up a first-rounder to Detroit for his services. Now, Marc Stein of the New York Times reports that the team is fielding calls for Kelly Oubre.
The Suns are fielding trade calls on Kelly Oubre with 22 hours and change to go before the NBA trade deadline, league sources say
It’s not clear which teams are looking into Oubre, who came to the Suns last season in a trade with the Wizards. Oubre was the No. 15 overall pick back in the 2015 draft, originally selected by Atlanta before having his rights dealt to Washington. He spent three-plus seasons with the Wizards, appearing in 252 games for the franchise before moving to the Pacific Division.
This season with the Suns, he’s scoring 18.5 points per game while bringing down 6.7 rebounds per contest. He’s making just 44.9% of his threes.
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