The Brooklyn Nets have reportedly sounded out a rival star.
Plus the Lakers have made a key roster move that could open the door for a potential trade.
Catch up on all of the latest whispers in our NBA Rumor Mill!
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Fri, 02 Dec
Friday December 2nd
NETS ‘TOUCHED BASE’ WITH HAWKS ON COLLINS
The Brooklyn Nets are reportedly exploring the trade market, with Atlanta’s John Collins on their radar.
SNY journalist Ian Begley revealed on The Putback podcast that the Nets “have indeed touched base” with the Hawks about Collins.
“Just interesting because the Nets are in search of some help along the front line and John Collins could certainly help them,” Begley said.
“I’m not sure how far along those talks went, but they have certainly engaged recently. So something to keep an eye on there.”
Collins would be an upgrade in the Nets’ frontcourt and bolster their overall roster alongside Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons – assuming none go back in a potential deal.
Brooklyn has won four of its last five games including threw in a row to improve to 12-11 on the season to currently sit eighth in the East.
It comes after The Athletic’s Shams Charania revealed earlier this month that Atlanta “opened up a preliminary trade surrounding Collins as “interested teams inquire.”
Moreover, Charania said the Phoenix Suns had engaged with the Hawks in trade talks for Collins, but weren’t keen to take on the long-term money of the forward, who’s in the second season of a five-year, $125 million contract ( AUD$183m).
Charania added the Hawks “don’t have an imminent deal in place involving Collins, those sources say, and executives around the league believe a potential deal will be weeks and potentially months in the making ahead of Feb. 9 trade deadline.”
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Despite a hot start to the season, Collins has averaged 12.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 31.5 minutes from 22 games for the 12-10 Hawks.
His scoring output is the lowest since his rookie season, when he averaged 24.1 minutes per contest, as the Hawks run their offense through Trae Young and Dejounte Murray.
LAKERS WAIVE RYAN TO OPEN ROSTER SPOT FOR POTENTIAL TRADE
The Los Angeles Lakers have waived small forward Matt Ryan, the team announced on Friday (all times AEDT), in a move that could open the door for a trade.
Ryan, who hit a buzzer-beating fadeaway triple against New Orleans earlier this month to send the game into overtime, made 12 appearances for the Lakers this season, averaging 3.9 points on 37 percent three-point shooting and 1.2 rebounds in 10.8 minutes per contest.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania first reported the Lakers were part ways with Ryan in a move that opens up a roster spot for a potential trade from December 15.
LA, who’s gone 5-1 over its last six games, has been weighing up trades for guards including Russell Westbrook, Patrick Beverley and Kendrick Nunn, with players signed in the off-season trade eligible after December 15.
Originally setting a 20-game deadline before they’d make a trade, NBA journalist Dave McMenamin revealed the 8-12 Lakers’ current plans on the Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective podcast.
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“What they feel is realistic is playing .500 ball until December 15 when deals start to potentially open around the league because that’s when contracts that were signed this past summer can be traded,” he said.
“And then maybe you can finally make this mythical draft-pick trade that’s been talked about for months and months and months sometime in late December to mid-January and have that be an additional thrust to the type of basketball you’ve already been doing , you’ve already established.”
A trade of Westbrook and pick/s to the Indiana Pacers for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield has reportedly been discussed, while the Athletic Jovan Buha reports the Lakers could consider dealing Beverley, who they added in the off-season.
“One name to watch is Patrick Beverley, who’s the fourth-highest-paid player on the team at $13 million,” Buha wrote.
“Beverley is still an elite defender and one of the group’s vocal leaders, but he’s averaging a career-low 4.1 points per game and shooting a career-worst 23.8 percent on 3s. Beverley, like Kendrick Nunn, could still have value on teams looking for veteran back-court help. The Lakers’ needs and glut of guards make both expendable.”
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