NBA trade rumors: Latest news, buzz as deadline nears

The NBA trade deadline is almost here. Here are the latest rumors on Kevin Love, Blake Griffin and more.

The NBA trade deadline is set for Feb. 18 at 3 p.m. ET, and time is winding down for teams to make decisions. Rumors continue to swirl with the deadline just one day away. 

Numerous big names could be on the move, as contenders look to bolster their teams ahead of the NBA playoffs. Other teams could be looking to unload salary ahead of the summer, when the salary cap will jump to unprecedented levels. Teams rumored to be looking to make moves include the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics and more.

•NBA trade deadline: Who could move? | Case For: Trading Blake Griffin

Who’s staying? Who’s going? Stay tuned for updates as the clock continues to tick.

• TRADE GRADES: Hornets land Courtney Lee | Pistons add Tobias Harris

UPDATE: Read today's rumors here

1:30 P.M. E.T.

• The Jazz have acquired guard Shelvin Mack from the Hawks for a second-round pick, The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.

• Wojnarowski reports that the Hawks have now shut down talks regarding Jeff Teague with suitors including the Jazz and Knicks.

• Team president Donnie Nelson told reporters that Dallas will stay put today. “We don’t think change is the way to go,” he said, according to the Dallas Morning News. Brad Townsend of the Morning News adds that the Mavs received “mid-first-round-pick” offers for Dwight Powell and Justin Anderson.

• The Trail Blazers are likely to waive Anderson Varejao upon completion of their three-team deal with the Cavaliers and Magic, reports Wojnarowski. The Vertical’s Shams Charania reports that the Blazers will waive guard Tim Frazier to clear a roster spot to take on Varejao.

• The Rockets are making calls to assess the value of point guard Patrick Beverley,reports ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.

• The Magic, after a pair of trades this week, are hoping to be players in free agency this summer, reports TNT’s David Aldridge.

• The Suns have told P.J. Tucker that he will not be traded, reports Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic.

• The Clippers plan to sign D-League rebounding leader Alex Stepheson, Charania reports.

1 p.m. E.T.

• The Magic have traded Channing Frye to the Cavaliers, reports Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Sam Amick of USA Today reports the deal also involves the Trail Blazers, who will receive Anderson Varejao from the Cavs. Yahoo’s Marc Spears reports the Magic will receive a second-round pick, and Amick adds that the Magic will receive, and likely waive, Jared Cunningham from the Cavs. According to multiplereports, the Blazers will receive a conditional first-round pick from the Cavaliers.

• The Thunder are in “advanced” discussions with the Nuggets about veteran guard Randy Foye, The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.

• The Bulls and Magic are discussing a trade involving Shabazz Napier, Wojnarowski also reports.

• Wojnarowski reports the Rockets have no serious traction on a Dwight Howard deal.

• Pacers forward Chase Budinger continues to seek a trade, Amick reports.

12:30 E.T.

​​• The Rockets have traded forward DonatasMotiejunas and guard Marcus Thornton to the Pistons, Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowskireports. The Pistons will send back Joel Anthony and a protected 2016 first-round selection. Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post reports the pick is top-eight protected. ESPN’s Marc Stein first reported the deal was on the table.

• Several teams are pursuing Nuggets guard Randy Foye, The Vertical’s AdrianWojnarowski reports.

• There is a “strong belief” within Dwight Howard’s camp that he will not be traded today, reports Ken Berger of CBS Sports.

• ESPN’s Chris Broussard reports the Bulls and Kings are still discussing a deal involving Pau Gasol and Tony Snell for Kosta Koufos and Ben McLemore.

Noon E.T.

• The Heat have traded forward Jarnell Stokes to a currently-undisclosed team in order to free up cap space, reports ESPN’s Zach Lowe.

• One option for the Jazz, who continue to look for a point guard, is Shelvin Mack of the Hawks, reports ESPN’s Marc Stein.

• The Bucks have looked into reacquiring guard Kendall Marshall from the 76ers,reports The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

• There is plenty of trade interest in Nets forward Thaddeus Young, reportsESPN’s Mike Mazzeo. Two interested teams are the Raptors and Celtics, reportsThe Vertical’s Chris Mannix.

11:30 A.M. ET

• The Hawks have made it known to other teams that they are planning to keep their core together, and that key players including Al Horford and Jeff Teague will stay in Atlanta, The Vertical reports. Previous reports had indicated other teams were waiting on the Hawks to make decisions.

• The “most likely scenario” for the Jazz is that no trade goes down on Thursday, reports Jody Genessy of the Deseret News. The Jazz have been heavily linked to Rockets point guard Ty Lawson. The Vertical reports those talks were “casual” and have ended, and that the Rockets do not plan to buy out Lawson.

• Teams are already reaching out to new Nets GM Sean Marks on the availability of forward Thaddeus Young, The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.

• The possibility of Iman Shumpert going from the Cavaliers to the Kings looks “less likely” at the moment, reports Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee.

11 A.M. ET

• Rumors of Pau Gasol going from the Bulls to the Kings continue to be shot down, reports TNT’s David Aldridge. The Bulls star said he thinks it's "improbable" he'll be traded before the deadline.

• Markieff Morris told The Arizona Republic that he hoped to stay with the Suns, and that he did not want to be traded.

10:30 A.M. ET

• The Nets announced the hiring of Spurs assistant general manager Sean Marks as their general manager, less than five hours before the 3 p.m. deadline.

• The struggling Suns could be busy today. Phoenix is in talks with Milwaukee about dealing forward Mirza Teletovic, reports ESPN’s Marc Stein. The Suns also reportedly continue to offer Markieff Morris, and teams have shown interest in P.J. Tucker.

• The Celtics are “showing unwillingness” to pay a premium on Al Horford and Dwight Howard given their respective contracts, reports The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Horford will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and Howard has a player option.

• There is “skepticism” from the Bulls that a deal will come together sending Pau Gasol to the Kings, reportsUSA Today’s Sam Amick.

• The Rockets are having a difficult time finding takers for Dwight Howard, Amick reports.

10:00 A.M. ET

• ESPN’s Marc Stein reports “all indications” show that Brooklyn Nets small forward Joe Johnson doesn’t want a buyout from his contract, but that the situation could change after the trade deadline passes.

• The Jazz and Rockets are in “advanced discussions” on a trade for Ty Lawson—potentially swapping him for point guard Trey Burke—but if the trade were to fall apart, Stein reports Houston would seriously consider waiving Lawson.

• One general manager told NBA.com’s David Aldridge that the Rockets are serious about trading Dwight Howard before the deadline. “I don’t think they want to be left holding the bag,” the GM said.

• The Miami Heat are among the teams considering trading for Howard, but have had concerns about his character, which have prompted them to consider other options including Nuggets guard Randy Foye, reports ESPN’s Zach Lowe.

8:00 A.M. ET

• Houston continues to be aggressive in its attempt to unload Dwight Howard. According to Frank Isola of the NY Daily News, the Hornets turned down the Rockets' trade proposal of Howard for Al Jefferson and Spencer Hawes. 

• Most teams have their general managers working overtime around the deadline. The Nets, meanwhile, are working overtime in search of their next general manager. ESPN.com reports the team negotiated “late into the night” with Spurs assistant GM Sean Marks. A resolution is expected within the next 24 hours. 

• The 76ers are “gauging interest” around the league on rookie Jahlil Okafor, reports Tom Moore of Calkins Media. The former Blue Devil was the No. 3 overall pick by Philly last June.

• In addition to pursuing Pau Gasol (read more below), the Kings also have interest in Cavaliers swingman Iman Shumpert, reports Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. In order to facilitate the trade, the Kings would have to send back Ben McLemore and Timofey Mozgov. Marco Belinelli is also reportedly on the trade block.

Early morning

• The Rockets’ priority is to deal Dwight Howard, but the team is having trouble finding a frontrunner to take on the center, Stein reports. The Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets have weighed a Howard deal, but nothing has materialized, according to Stein. He reported on Wednesday that the Rockets are “ultra-aggressive” trying to find a trade partner for Howard.

• After rumored to be looking for a veteran point guard, the Utah Jazz are expected around the league to go through with a deal for Houston Rockets guard Ty Lawson, Stein reports. Utah has reportedly made Trey Burke available.

• The Sacramento Kings are “aggressively pursuing” Chicago Bulls center Pau Gasol, The Vertical reports. Sacramento is reportedly offering Kosta Koufos, Ben McLemore and a lowering of the lottery protections of the 2016 first-round pick it owes Chicago, according to Adrian Wojnarowski and Chris Mannix. Chicago would send Gasol and guard Tony Snell to Sacramento. Any deal involving a change to the protections would have to include the Philadelphia 76ers.

• FISCHER: Players, personnel remember the point-guard shuffle of 2015

• It appears the Brooklyn Nets have found their top GM target. Stein reports that Brooklyn is increasing its money and promises offered to Sean Marks in order to convince him to leave his position as San Antonio Spurs assistant GM.

• The New Orleans Pelicans “strongly value” point guard Jrue Holiday and don’t intend on trading him, The Vertical’s Marc J. Spears reports.

Feb. 17

UPDATE (11:30 p.m. ET)

• The New Orleans Pelicans “strongly value” point guard Jrue Holiday and don’t intend on trading him, The Vertical’s Marc J. Spears reports.

• The Sacramento Kings are “aggressively pursuing” Chicago Bulls center Pau Gasol, The Vertical reports. Sacramento is reportedly offering Kosta Koufos, Ben McLemore and a lowering of the lottery protections of the 2016 first-round pick it owes Chicago, according to Adrian Wojnarowski and Chris Mannix. Chicago would send Gasol and guard Tony Snell to Sacramento.

UPDATE (10:30 p.m. ET)

• Interest in Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez “has been nonexistent,” Mannix reports. Ownership wants to keep Lopez at the deadline, according to Mannix.

UPDATE (9:30 p.m. ET)

• The Bulls have been “lightly involved” in trade talks surrounding big men Pau Gasol and Taj Gibson, reports CSN Chicago’s Vincent Goodwill.

• The Timberwolves and Bulls have interest in Kings shooting guard Ben McLemore, reports ESPN’s Chris Broussard.

• Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier-Times reports the 76ers are “gauging interest” in rookie center Jahlil Okafor.

UPDATE (8:15 p.m. ET)

• Cleveland’s pursuit of New Orleans’s Ryan Anderson could play into Boston’s desire to acquire Cavs forward Kevin Love, reports A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. The trade could perhaps evolve into a three-way deal.

• The Bulls are “motivated” to deal Pau Gasol, reports The Vertical’s Chris Mannix.

• Mannix reports that teams are currently “waiting on the Hawks” to make a decision, with lots of interest around the league in Al Horford and Jeff Teague should Atlanta get serious about making a move.

• The Magic are waiting to hear back from the Clippers on a Channing Frye trade that would send Lance Stephenson, C.J. Wilcox and a second round pick to Orlando, The Vertical reports. As they wait, the Cavaliers’ offer of Anderson Varejao looks more appealing, but the Magic are hoping to find a third team to absorb his contract. Acquiring Stephenson from the Clippers—who they could then waive for cap relief—looks like the Magic’s preferred deal. USA Today’s Sam Amick reports the Magic are not interested in accepting the Cavs’ Varejao offer.

UPDATE (7:15 p.m. ET)

• The Cavaliers have offered reserve center Anderson Varejao to the Magic for veteran power forward Channing Frye, reports ESPN’s Marc Stein. The Clippers are also in on Frye.

UPDATE (6:30 p.m. ET)

• Houston is shopping Dwight Howard hard, and also looking to deal point guard Ty Lawson, reports Stein.

• One team the Rockets are trying to move Lawson to is the Jazz, who are seeking a veteran point guard, Stein reports. Utah has reportedly made Trey Burke available.

• The Sixers are trying to accumulate more draft assets, reports Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, to the point where they will take back bad contracts into their significant cap space to bring in picks.

UPDATE (5:50 p.m. ET):

• Knicks star Carmelo Anthony told reporters that he does not think the Knicks will make a move ahead of Thursday’s deadline.

• The Kings are reluctant to move guard Ben McLemore, though head coach George Karl isn’t, according to USA Today’s Sam Amick.

• Jazz guard Trey Burke practiced on Wednesday but was not made available to the media, according to Andy Larsen of KSL. The Salt Lake Tribunereported on Monday that Burke was involved in trade discussions. 

UPDATE (4:55 p.m. ET):

• In addition to discussing a Ryan Anderson trade with the Pelicans, the Cavaliers are considering a trade that would include center Anderson Varejao, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Portland and Philadelphia are possible suitors.

UPDATE (4:20 p.m. ET):

• Magic forward Channing Frye practiced with the team on Wednesday, coach Scott Skiles told reporters. The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski has reported the Clippers are progressing toward a deal for the veteran bigman.

• A three-team deal involving Cavaliers forward Kevin Love is still in play, according to Frank Isola. Cleveland is in discussions with New Orleans regarding a deal for forward Ryan Anderson.

• Bulls forward Taj Gibson told reporters that he does not expect to be dealt before Thursday’s deadline.

UPDATE (3:50 p.m. ET):

• Timberwolves guard Kevin Martin would like to be traded to a winning team as a thank you for mentoring young players in Minnesota, according to The Vertical’s Marc Spears.

• The Celtics are favorites to acquire Al Horford if the Hawks make him available, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of Comcast SportsNet. 

• It’s still possible the Clippers will deal Lance Stephenson, though it’s not a certainty. “Many balls are in the air,” according to Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times.

UPDATE (3:00 p.m. ET):

• Detroit traded for Tobias Harris on Tuesday, but the Pistons may not be done: Hoops Critic is reporting that the Grizzlies and Pistons are discussing a possible trade centered on Memphis point guard Mike Conley Jr. Earlier, GM Jeff Bower spoke to The Detroit News and told them the team “would love to find one more move.” According to Marc Stein, though, the Grizzlies have “refused to talk Mike Conley with any team​.” Memphis vice president of basketball operations John Hollinger also refuted the report. 

• The Pacers are not shopping point guard George Hill, coach Frank Vogel said.

• Iman Shumpert could be headed to Sacramento, according to Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. Jones reports Shumpert is available, though Kings GM Vlade Divac could have to give up Marco Belinelli or Kosta Koufos. 

• The Pelicans have rebuffed all inquiries on Jrue Holiday so far, according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe.

• Chicago is “aggressively shopping” power forward Pau Gasol, according to Adrian Wojnarowski. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reports the team has been taking calls on Gasol but isn’t actively looking to trade him

• The Bulls are looking for a player and a first-round pick for forward Taj Gibson, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. 

• The Sixers have received several calls regarding rookie bigman Jahlil Okafor, according to Michael Kaskey-Blomain of Around The Arc.

UPDATE (Wednesday a.m.):

• The Hawks and Pelicans could be trade partners for the Bucks, according to the Racine Journal Times. Milwaukee's front office reportedly "has an affinity for [Jeff] Teague." The paper also reports the team has "quietly been open" to dealing Michael Carter-Williams for some time, but Marc Stein reports that the Bucks have told Carter-Williams he won't be dealt at the deadline for the second straight year. 

• The Bucks won't trade big man Greg Monroe before the deadline, USA Today reports. Previously, it was reported that the Pelicans and Bucks discussed a possible deal for Monroe, and Zach Lowe reported that New Orleans has been looking for a physical player to pair with Anthony Davis in the post.

• The Rockets are doing "everything in their power" to move Dwight Howard before Thursday's trade deadline, according to Bleacher Report's Ric Bucher.

• The Pelicans are trying to trade Ryan Anderson, Adrian Wojnarowski reports. Anderson will be a free agent this summer, and New Orleans reportedly expects to lose Anderson in free agency. Wojnarowski reports that the Pelicans were discussing a possible Anderson trade with the Pistons, but Detroit instead landed Tobias Harris from Orlando.

• The Sacramento Kings have interest in adding Thabo Sefolosha, according to ESPN.com.

• Clippers head coach Doc Rivers said that the team is not interested in trading Blake Griffin, who is currently out with a broken hand, reports Dan Woike of the Orange County Register.

• The Los Angeles Lakers are “torn” over whether or not to keep head coach Byron Scott for the third season of his contract, reports Mike Breshnahan of the Los Angeles Times.

• The Heat reportedly kicked the tires on DeMarcus Cousins and Jahlil Okafor earlier this season, but talks went no where, according to the Miami Herald. The team is also interested in Al Horford. 

• The Kings are looking to trade Darren Collison and Rudy Gay, reports Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. Kennedy reports that both players want out of Sacramento. 

• Rockets forward Terrence Jones could be dealt by the team, reports Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. 

Feb. 16

• The Clippers are close to acquiring forward Channing Frye, reports The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Cavaliers are among numerous teams also interested in Frye. The Clippers are using Lance Stephenson as a trade chip, according to the report.

• The Brooklyn Nets have offered their general manager job to San Antonio Spurs assistant GM Sean Marks, reports Wojnarowski.

• The Raptors and Clippers have interest in Nets forward Thaddeus Young, reports Frank Isola.

• The Timberwolves at present have no “ongoing trade talks” for Ricky Rubio but that may change over the summer, reports Wojnarowski. The Knicks and Bucks could be suitors.

• Wojnarowski reports that the Pistons, after acquiring Tobias Harris on Tuesday, are still on the market to add a veteran guard.

• ESPN’s Marc Stein reports the Hornets and Rockets have discussed the framework of a trade involving Dwight Howard but have not found a workable deal. ESPN’s Calvin Watkins reports the Rockets have also talked to the Heat, Hawks and Raptors about the veteran center.

• Wojnarowski reports that Charlotte has shown “no interest” in moving assets for Howard.

• The Hornets have acquired Courtney Lee from the Memphis Grizzlies in a three-team deal that sends Brian Roberts to the Heat and Chris Andersen to the Grizzlies, The Vertical reports. Memphis also receives two second-round picks from the Hornets and the Heat.

• The Magic traded Tobias Harris to the Pistons for Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova.

• The Indiana Pacers are shopping forward Chase Budinger, reports Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star.

• The Phoenix Suns continue to shop forward Markieff Morris. According to The Vertical, Phoenix is seeking a young player and a first-round pick in exchange for the oft-troubled player.

• Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Toronto Raptors, linked to a move for a power forward, are not interested in Morris.

• If the Cavaliers trade Kevin Love—and that's a big if—they reportedly want a star player in return and not a bundle of draft picks and young parts, according to ESPN.com.

• The Cavs have an open roster spot, and have the option to wait for a player to be bought out, potentially Nets forward Joe Johnson, reports ESPN’s Zach Lowe.

• The Clippers are listening to offers on star power forward Blake Griffin, Lowe reports. While the team may wait until the summer and make another run at it with its core as constituted, their decision on Griffin may be linked to their chances to land Thunder forward Kevin Durant, who will be an unrestricted free agent.

• One of the teams calling on Griffin is the Boston Celtics, according to the Boston Herald, although the Clippers have “no real intention” of moving him. GM Danny Ainge told the Herald the Celtics want to make the team both “short and long-term better” at the deadline.

• The Timberwolves are looking to move Kevin Martin and/or Adreian Payne before the deadline, according to ESPN.com. Chris Broussard reports the team covets Bucks big man Miles Plumlee. 

• The Kings' front-office situation continues to be a fluid situation. The Vertical is reporting owner Vivek Ranadive could bring in a general manager this summer to work under Vlade Divac. 

• Three players that reportedly could be bought out if not traded: Andrea Bargnani (Nets), David Lee (Celtics) and J.J. Hickson (Nuggets).

• Kyle Korver is a "dream target" for the Cavaliers, according to ESPN.com.

• The Kings are working with Ben McLemore to find the shooting guard a new home before the trade deadline, reports ESPN.com.

• The Raptors are looking to add a power forward before the deadline, reports ESPN.com.

• Orlando could be a team to watch before the deadline. ESPN.com reports the team is interested in Jeff Teague and could be willing to move some of its key players, including Victor Oladipo and Channing Frye.