NBA Trade Deadline Rumors: Knicks, Clippers, Jazz, Rockets, Hawks, Nets, Wizards (2024)

Following the acquisition of OG Anunoby, the New York Knicks are the hottest team in the NBA, with a 14-2 record ahead of Thursday’s home matchup versus the Pacers.

Will the Knicks continue fortifying their depth with another trade or stand pat and keep a good thing going?

New York has been connected to a number of players, including Bruce Brown, Malcolm Brogdon, Alec Burks, and others.

The Knicks also registered trade interest in Utah’s Jordan Clarkson and Kelly Olynyk earlier in January, league sources told HoopsHype.

“Whatever team can get Clarkson will be a game changer,” an NBA scout told HoopsHype. “I think he’s the best of the volume scorers available on the trade market.”

Clarkson, the 2020-21 Sixth Man of the Year, began the season as a starter for 19 games and has since come off the bench.

Olynyk has drawn interest from various teams across the league, sources say, and is considered Utah’s top trade candidate ahead of the deadline by rival executives as he prepares to enter unrestricted free agency in the summer.

Knicks guard Quentin Grimes, who was previously discussed in Donovan Mitchell trade talks, came up again in separate discussions for Clarkson and Olynyk with the Jazz, league sources told HoopsHype.

Grimes has also come up in multiple trade discussions with the Atlanta Hawks for guard Dejounte Murray and a separate smaller discussion involving AJ Griffin, league sources told HoopsHype. The Hawks are intrigued by Grimes as a potential 3-and-D fit next to Trae Young, sources said.

Griffin, a CAA client, has fallen out of Atlanta’s rotation after showing promise as a rookie, averaging 8.9 points in 19.5 minutes on 46.5 percent shooting from the field and 39 percent from beyond the arc.

As previously reported by HoopsHype, the Knicks have dangled the expiring contract of Evan Fournier, Grimes, and draft pick compensation for a potential upgrade.

For more on Murray talks, check out Atlanta’s section directly below.

After boisterous rumblings around the league surrounding Dejounte Murray trade talks with the Los Angeles Lakers over the past few weeks, the noise has lessened.

Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell, the centerpiece of any potential Murray acquisition contingent on him being flipped to a third team, has been on a tear during a 10-game stretch from Jan. 13-30 averaging 25.2 points and 6.1 assists. That third team has yet to materialize, while there’s also a hesitancy from Los Angeles to add another asset to incentivize a third team to take on Russell in addition to the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick and former first-round pick Jalen Hood-Schifino who’ve already been discussed with Atlanta.

With the Hawks seeking two first-round picks and looking to shed future payroll without taking any back to avoid the luxury tax next season in trade talks for Murray, there’s been a roadblock to a suitable trade thus far with potential teams interested such as the Lakers, Knicks, Nets, etc.

Despite the goal of trimming future salary, one player with a sizable contract going forward the Hawks seemingly want to keep past the trade deadline is Bogdan Bogdanovic, according to rival executives and league sources who’ve spoken with HoopsHype. Heading into Friday’s slate of games, Bogdanovic has made a three in 56 straight games, the second-longest active streak in the NBA. He leads the East with 141 made threes as of Jan. 31 and is at the start of a four-year, $68 million contract.

After starting the season 13-10, Brooklyn has gone 6-17 since entering Wednesday’s game with Kevin Durant making his Barclays Center return.

Despite Brooklyn’s recent slide, which has put the Nets on the bubble of the final Play-In Tournament spot with the Hawks, the Nets have continued to tell teams Mikal Bridges is not available, league sources told HoopsHype.

Recently, the Houston Rockets were among the teams to register trade interest in Bridges, league sources told HoopsHype. Houston was prepared to send back several of Brooklyn’s unused remaining draft picks from the James Harden trade, but talks never got to that stage because the Nets declined to entertain anything for Bridges when Houston inquired.

As previously reported during an episode of The HoopsHype Podcast with ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the Nets have given teams the impression they’ll keep Nic Claxton past the trade deadline and pay him to re-sign this summer. That stance remains the same a week ahead of the trade deadline.

While Bridges and Claxton are expected to remain past the trade deadline, Nets starting point guard Spencer Dinwiddie is unlikely to be a long-term piece beyond this season, league sources told HoopsHype.

The question is seemingly whether Brooklyn moves him before the trade deadline on Feb. 8 or keeps him through the rest of the season and looks to do a sign-and-trade with him as the Nets did last time he left Brooklyn.

In other Nets news, rival executives who’ve spoken with HoopsHype believe Brooklyn could potentially garner multiple second-round picks in exchange for Royce O’Neale. Those same executives believe Brooklyn could garner a first-round pick and a rotation player for Dorian Finney-Smith should the Nets move the coveted veterans.

A week before the trade deadline, Brooklyn is monitoring how the team looks with Ben Simmons back in the fold after nearly having a triple-double in his return on Jan. 29.

The Los Angeles Clippers have positioned themselves for homecourt advantage in the playoffs. After starting 8-10, the Clippers have gone 22-5 entering Wednesday’s road game against the Wizards.

Amid the hot streak, the Clippers are gauging the trade market on Bones Hyland and PJ Tucker, league sources told HoopsHype.

Hyland, a two-time Rising Stars participant, and former All-Rookie selection, began the year as a rotation player for the Clippers but has since had a minimal role with the Clippers following the acquisition of James Harden. With Hyland still signed on his rookie contract before restricted free agency in the summer of 2025, he’s a potential worthwhile flier for a rival team seeking backcourt help.

Tucker hasn’t played since Nov. 27 and has been frustrated with his role and wants to help a good team. Should the Clippers fail to find a suitable trade partner, Tucker is not expected to discuss a buyout, league sources told HoopsHype. The veteran forward has an $11.54 million player option for next season, as noted on our Clippers salaries page.

After naming Brian Keefe interim head coach on Jan. 25 for the remainder of the season, the Wizards will be open-minded regarding their coaching opening and diligent in their process, including first-time coaching candidates.

Keefe, who has over 17 seasons of coaching experience and previously worked with Wizards executives Michael Winger and Will Dawkins in Oklahoma City, will showcase himself for the job with the remainder of the season.

Ultimately, the early belief around the league is that Washington’s coaching search will land on a first-time head coach with the Wizards still in the exploratory phase of their rebuild.

On the trade front, Kyle Kuzma, Tyus Jones, Daniel Gafford, Delon Wright, and Landry Shamet are among the Wizards who’ve drawn exploratory trade interest. Rookie Bilal Coulibaly is a player the franchise views as a core member of the future.

As previously reported by HoopsHype, the Wizards would need future first-round picks beyond the 2024 draft with the potential to become lottery picks to consider parting with Kuzma. Any team interested in Jones, an unrestricted free agent this summer, would need to give up a first-round pick to acquire him. Should a team dangle a future first-round pick past the 2024 draft that could become a Top 20 pick down the line, the Wizards are expected to consider such an offer.

Wright is expected to draw second-round pick(s) compensation trade offers ahead of the Feb. 8 trade deadline, league sources told HoopsHype.

Lastly, the Wizards remain open to using their trade TPEs (traded player exceptions) to take on salary dumps from other teams for future draft picks and young players.

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