NBA News: Knicks, Hornets, and Pistons sellers in the trade market? More

Hello Hoops Heads! Here’s the latest NBA news.

NBA News: Does Kyle Kuzma want out of Washington?

Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma‘s name came up in trade talks earlier this season, but the Wizards didn’t seem likely to move him given their place in the standings and his solid season. That said, a new report suggests that Kuzma is unwilling to re-sign with the Wizards in the offseason and wants to be paid between $20 million-$25 million a season under his new contract.

Considering Washington will pay Bradley Beal $51 million on average over the next four seasons and will probably try to re-sign a resurgent Kristaps Porzingis, they may be more willing to move Kuzma now, especially after dropping seven straight games.

NBA News: New names for existing trophies

The NBA unveiled new designs for six of their trophies, as well as new names for each award. The Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy for Defensive Player of the Year, the John Havlicek Trophy for Sixth Man of the Year, the George Mikan Trophy for Most Improved Player, the Wilt Chamberlain Trophy for Rookie of the Year, and, of course, the Michael Jordan Trophy for Most Valuable Player.

In addition to renaming the awards after NBA legends, the league also announced a new trophy named after Jerry West, the Jerry West Trophy for NBA Clutch Player of the Year. The NBA has recently really leaned into the importance of its history; just last season, it had a year-long celebration of its 75th anniversary.

Additionally, the NBA also created the Larry Bird Trophy for the Eastern Conference Finals’ Most Valuable Player and the Magic Johnson Trophy for the Western Conference Finals’ Most Valuable Player. Personally, some of these new awards are nice, albeit unnecessarily, though updating the names of existing trophies does add to the allure of the awards.

NBA News: Are the Knicks looking to trade their spare parts?

Recent lottery pick Cam Reddish, former MVP Derrick Rose, and veteran Evan Fournier have all fallen out of the New York Knicks rotation, and they could be moved before February’s trade deadline according to Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus.

The Lakers have been linked to Fournier and Reddish according to The Athletic’s Fred Katz (subscription required), as have several other teams, while the Mavericks have been linked to Rose. Additionally, Immanuel Quickley according to Katz, has also been discussed in a package deal for Fournier. It may take a few weeks for us to know where all four players end up, but it’s clear that the Knicks are looking to make significant roster moves.

NBA News: Are the Detroit Pistons having a fire sale?

After a terrific draft and free agency, the Detroit Pistons had a lot of expectations placed on them heading into the season. They have clearly underperformed and now find themselves without their best player, Cade Cunningham, who will now have season-ending surgery on his shin.

With an 8-22 record and little to play for, the Pistons are shopping some of their players including Bogdan Bogdanovic, Nerlens Noel, Alec Burks, and Saddiq Bay. The Mavericks have been linked to Noel, the Mavs, Clippers, and Wizards to Bey, and at least four teams to Bogdanovic according to Eric Pincus.

With so much interest in those players, it’s likely that at least one of them gets moved. That would net them additional picks while also cementing the Pistons’ status in the bottom three of the standings, where they’d have a chance at selecting Victor Wembanyama.

NBA News: Are the Charlotte Hornets tanking?

The Charlotte Hornets have had one of the most disappointing seasons of any team. It started in the summer with the Miles Bridges situation and continued into this season with star guard LaMelo Ball missing all but four of their first 28 games. As a result of being without their two best players from last season, the Hornets find themselves with a 7-21 record, which is the worst record in the NBA.

While they could still turn things around, that seems incredibly unlikely at this point, and they have little incentive to do so. The San Antonio Spurs own their protected pick in the 2023 NBA draft (top 15 protected), and they are in a position to share the best odds at landing the number one or number two pick in the draft.

Therefore, it makes sense that they may be open to trading Kelly Oubre, Mason Plumlee, PJ Washington, and Terry Rozier, according to Eric Pincus, and embracing the tank. Even if they don’t ultimately move those players, they appear to be well on their way toward a high lottery pick. That’s all for now, Hoops Heads!