Report: J.J. Redick wants Pelicans to trade him, Knicks on list

Pelicans guard J.J. Redick is in the throes of trade rumors. By request. Brian Windhorst of ESPN: He has not played well and not happy and wants to be traded. Would really like to be traded to the Northeast, where his offseason home is in Brooklyn. He’d love to go to Brooklyn, the Knicks, Boston or Philly. That has been communicated out there. It’s been known for a week or two. Redick had already been linked to the Nets, 76ers and Celtics. The Knicks are a new revelation Trade requests are far more common than many realize. Especially by out-of-rotation players – like Redick. At 7-12 and 14th in the Western Conference, the Pelicans are seemingly prioritizing playing young guards like Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Kira Lewis. Redick, age 36 and on an expiring contract, doesn’t have much place in New Orleans. Which is why the Pelicans will probably try to accommodate his trade request. But finding suitors might not be easy. Redick looks more one-dimensional than ever and is struggling in that dimension, shooting just 30% on 3-pointers. His relatively high $13,013,700 salary doesn’t make a trade easier. Maybe win-now teams like the Nets, 76ers, Celtics and Knicks believe Redick will perform better with them. He’s accustomed to winning situations. Playing closer to home could also make him more comfortable. New Orleans will send Redick to whichever team makes the best offer. The Pelicans probably don’t want much. But we’re learning what Redick wants. Players can drive trades themselves. If he’s trying to arrange a deal with Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Boston or New York, one of those teams could bite. Basketball stat collect from isports API, for more details please visit www.isportsapi.com .

Here is what the Rockets reportedly want back in trade for PJ Tucker

After the Houston Rockets traded James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets, rival teams circled them as potential sellers before the trade deadline. The most likely player who many believed could potentially on the move is veteran PJ Tucker. The two parties have reportedly been unable to come to terms on a contract extension and multiple teams have called to inquire about his availability. According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Kelly Iko, the 31-year-old is “not opposed” to a trade. On a recent episode of The Hoop Collective, basketball insider Brian Windhorst hinted at what it would take to trade for Tucker (via ESPN): “The word on the street that I heard that has been floated [for his value]: they either want a first-round pick or three seconds, which I’ve never heard that arithmetic done. Three seconds … There are fifteen teams that are somewhat impacted from trading firsts and eight who can’t really trade any, sort of narrows the market. Most of the competitors, most of the teams who are playoff teams this year, are encumbered from trading their pick.” Windhorst mentioned the Philadelphia 76ers (who “covet” his services), Denver Nuggets (who “have always liked” Tucker but reportedly haven’t reached out yet) and Toronto Raptors (who originally drafted him in 2006) as destinations who are not barred from trading their first-round pick and could be interested in adding Tucker in their pursuit of the playoffs. After the Harden trade, an NBA executive told our own Michael Scotto that the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics make sense as suitors for Tucker as well. The list is presumably much longer, however, considering every contender could use a player like Tucker. Windhorst clarified that this may have only been the asking price that Houston told one team during initial conversations to start the negotiations. But after the Harden trade, The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor also reported Tucker’s price as three second-rounders. ESPN’s Bobby Marks added that it is unlikely that front offices will offer a first-round pick for Tucker or other veterans also on expiring contracts like Derrick Rose. But he said that he would not be surprised to hear about more teams offering packages centered around second-round picks. Ultimately, if Tucker is eventually moved, it sounds like a front office that is willing to offer three second-round picks could convince the Rockets to pull the trigger. Basketball stat collect from isports API, for more details please visit www.isportsapi.com .

Eric Gordon excited by vibe, culture of improving Rockets

Having signed with Houston in July 2016, reserve guard Eric Gordon is the longest-tenured member of the 2020-21 Rockets. Over his five seasons in Houston, the peak likely came in 2018, when the Rockets (65-17) won the most regular-season games in franchise history and easily led the entire NBA in record. That squad, which was led by James Harden and Chris Paul, went to the Western Conference Finals and was only a game away from knocking off eventual champion Golden State — only to have Paul’s hamstring go out at the worst time. In the regular season, the 2017-18 Rockets had two different winning streaks of more than 10 games (14 and 17). Though the current Rockets have won five straight, Gordon isn’t ready to compare this squad — which lacks proven superstars — to that loaded team from a few years ago. He does, however, see common traits in regards to the chemistry and culture within the Houston locker room. Following Sunday’s practice in Oklahoma City, Gordon said: You can see how hard we play. And it’s not just how hard we play; it’s fun when we play that way. We created an atmosphere; it’s been really good lately. It almost feels like a couple years ago, when we had multiple [10-game] winning streaks. Everybody has an unselfish attitude. When you see that, it creates a better vibe, more geared toward winning. Since trading Harden, Gordon is averaging 19.7 points (45.1% FG, 38.8% on 3-pointers) and 2.9 assists in 30.9 minutes per game. He and the Rockets (9-9) hope keep the good times rolling when they visit the Thunder (8-10) on Monday. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. Central. Basketball stat collect from isports API, for more details please visit www.isportsapi.com .

Dallas Mavericks are a bust so far, and some of that is on Rick Carlisle

This is not a good time to be the president, CEO or marketing director of the Rick Carlisle Fan Club. For one of the few times since Carlisle came to the Mavericks in 2008 his team looks like they are not there. It may actually be the first time it’s happened since he’s been here. The Dallas Mavericks are the second-most disappointing team in the NBA, behind only the Miami Heat. More than any other professional sport, the NBA is a player’s league. But if the team is not consistently showing up, which this team is not, the coach has to feel some of that fun. “We’ve gotta be more consistent with our posture and our disposition and our intensity. No question about it,” Carlisle said Thursday in Utah after the team’s practice when I asked him if he thought his team was playing hard enough to win. If a coach disagrees with that type of question, he’s going to let you know about it. What he’s telling his team is to wake the bleep up and get into somebody. The Mavs are scheduled to play the Jazz again on Friday night in Salt Lake City, but don’t be surprised if they fly back on Friday morning after the Jazz’s ball boy flunks a contact tracing test because his pet goldfish has COVID. Other than Luka Doncic’s triple-double tracker, there isn’t much worth celebrating about the 2020-21 Dallas Mavericks. Unless this team starts to play harder, and quits watching Luka amass empty MVP numbers, this is not a playoff team. They are 8-10, losers of three straight and are in 11th place in a stacked Western Conference, three spots south of the postseason. Right now, despite the presence of Luka and Kristaps Porzingis, this is not even an average team. Too many guys are under performing, and expecting Luka to be LeBron when he’s not. There are, however, a host of perfectly reasonable explanations for Carlisle’s team to be where they find themselves. The team has suffered through a slew of absences from COVID protocols, and Carlisle has not had the chance to coach the team the Mavericks built in the six-week offseason once. Also worth noting, no one cares. You can live with the results considering the team has not been together at all. What you can’t live with is a team that appears to be OK getting its butt kicked. No one expected the Mavs to be the L.A. Lakers, or Milwaukee Bucks. But, heck, the Mavs aren’t even the New York Knicks, who are currently 8th in the East. The Mavs are one of the worst rebounding teams in the NBA. You’re not winning if you can’t have the ball. Defensively they are not much better than they were last season, which is barely average. After Friday night, this all has to change. After Friday night, they will have played a league-high 13 games on the road. According to NBA COVID protocols, players are going to practice, the games, and every other minute is spent in a hotel room. That can’t be fun, or helpful. As much as NBA players all yearned to get out of “the bubble” from last season, this season is not much better. “We are not going to make excuses about COVID,” Carlisle said. Wise choice. The Mavs should get forward Maxi Kleber back shortly, and then they will have the team they expected to before the season began. Beginning Saturday against Phoenix, the Mavericks will play 11 of their next 13 games at home. Even though they are playing in an empty American Airlines Center, the chance to just not be on the road should make some difference. If this team is still sleep walking its way around .500 on Feb. 23 after hosting Boston, they will have no choice but to consider a move or two before the trade deadline on March 25. They may not like Cleveland Cavaliers forward Andre Drummond, but it would be nice if they could find a player with that type of interior game. (BTW, there is some thought Drummond may get bought out soon.) The offseason additions of James Johnson and Josh Richardson are nice, and it still doesn’t give the Mavs muscle underneath. The Mavs knew coming into the season this was not a “finished” team, but if they keep playing at their current pace they are most certainly finished. Basketball stat collect from isports API, for more details please visit www.isportsapi.com .

Report: Nets interested in Kevin Love, JaVale McGee

The Brooklyn Nets still have roster spots to fill after unloading Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen, Taurean Prince and Rodions Kurucs in the James Harden trade, which involved the Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers in addition to the Houston Rockets. With Allen going to Cleveland in the deal, the Cavaliers found themselves with an excessive amount of big men on the roster, already featuring Andre Drummond, Kevin Love, Larry Nance Jr. and JaVale McGee on their roster. It turns out the Cavs are looking to move on from some of those bigs — and according to Jason Dumas of KRON 4, the Nets are interested in two. Dumas is reporting the Nets “are in active discussions with the Cleveland Cavaliers to acquire” McGee. Additionally, Dumas reports the Nets “have interest in” Love, who played with Kyrie Irving and Joe Harris previously in Cleveland. McGee is averaging 6.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game while logging 16.8 minutes a night off the bench. Love has been out with a calf injury since he aggravated it in a December 27 game. Basketball stat collect from isports API, for more details please visit www.isportsapi.com .

NBA fans react to Kevin Love to the Nets trade rumor

The Nets just completed a blockbuster trade to acquire James Harden and assemble a new Big 3 in Brooklyn – and according to a new report, the organization may not be finished in the trade market. According to Jason Dumas, a reporter for KRON 4 News in San Francisco, the Nets are “in discussions” with the Cleveland Cavaliers about a trade for center JaVale McGee – but are also interested in five-time All-Star Kevin Love. Love has missed extended time this season with a calf injury. His contract situation would make a deal with the Nets difficult, if not impossible. Love is in year two of a four-year, $120 million deal with the Cavs, and is set to earn $31 million in each of the next two seasons. With no draft capital left following the Harden trade, the Nets would likely have to offer their top role players in this hypothetical trade scenario, leaving them tremendously top-heavy and even weaker on the defensive end. Could the Nets seriously be considering a deal for Love? NBA fans sounded off on a potential Love trade on Twitter. Basketball stat collect from isports API, for more details please visit www.isportsapi.com .

James Harden passes Allen Iverson on all-time NBA list

James Harden received praise for his first performance as a member of the Brooklyn Nets in large part because he became the seventh player in NBA history to log a triple-double in his first game with a new team — and the first to score 30-plus points in such an effort. As impressive as those accomplishments were, that wasn’t all Harden did in the win over the Orlando Magic. Harden also climbed the NBA list for most free throws made all-time, passing Charles Barkley with his 6,351st career free throw to slide to No. 14 all-time. From there, Allen Iverson (6,375) became the next player for Harden to pass. Fast-forward to Friday and Harden was three free-throws away from passing the Hall of Fame guard. By the end of the night, Harden had knocked down the minimum amount of free throws he needed in order to pass Iverson and move to 13th all-time. The next landmark free throw for Harden is No. 6,713. When he drains that on, he’ll have passed both Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Dolph Schayes (6,712). Basketball stat collect from isports API, for more details please visit www.isportsapi.com .