Counting contenders following trades
Checking in on the NBA’s top contenders, post-trade deadline: Houston: It’s getting a bit scary. The Rockets are jumping all over the buyout market, and will add Joe Johnson (Sacramento) and Brandan Wright (Memphis) for the stretch drive and playoffs. Johnson is 36 but still a threat in isolation — remember how he almost single-handedly led Utah past the Clippers in the first round last year — and likely to have many open looks in this offense. Wright, long and rangy at 6foot-10, broke in with the Warriors in 2007 and his trade to New Jersey in 2011 had longrange ramifications; Golden State got a 2012 second-round draft pick that turned out to be Draymond Green.
The Rockets have it all going right now. James Harden and Chris Paul are having the time of their lives, and center Clint Capela is really coming into his own. “Just a complete monster,” said teammate Eric Gordon after Capela pulled down 25 rebounds against Denver on Friday night. “He’s our anchor on defense. For us to have a chance to win it all, he has to be a big part of it.” Oklahoma City: The Warriors know all about the Thunder’s potential after being routed twice this season and looking helpless against the Russell Westbrook-Paul George onslaught (the next matchup is Feb. 24 in Oakland). Still, the Thunder need to find a shooting guard with defensive ace Andre Roberson out for the season and little production coming from Alex Abrines, Josh Huestis, Terrance Ferguson and Jerami Grant. Streak-shooting Marco Belinelli seemed like an option after being bought out by Atlanta, but he committed to the 76ers on Saturday. San Antonio: Coach Gregg Popovich will always find a way to make the Spurs relevant, but Kawhi Leonard’s lingering quad injury suggests a bitter postseason climax. It’s getting late, Leonard remains sidelined, and there’s a lot of pressure on LaMarcus Aldridge to anchor the offense. In the meantime, enjoy Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker as their careers wind down.
Cleveland: Not that anyone has much sympathy for the Cavaliers, but how about these two games after the roster shakeup: at Boston on Sunday, at OKC on Tuesday, leading into the All-Star break. Coach Tyronn Lue has some fresh and intriguing options in his rotation, but for the moment, with Kevin Love injured, it appears the starting lineup will find George Hill and J.R. Smith in the backcourt with Tristan Thompson and Cedi Osman joining LeBron James in the frontcourt. Instant chemistry? That’s a lot to ask with the regular season winding down. But this team is very watchable for the first time in weeks.
Boston: The Celtics have Kyrie Irving, and the Cavaliers don’t. That could be the difference if the teams meet in the playoffs. Even with all the changes, the Cavs don’t have that complement-to-LeBron scorer who can create shots at will. But the Celtics can go flat offensively at times. They’ll take a look at Tyreke Evans if he’s bought out by Memphis, although that’s no guarantee. It would look rather silly for the Grizzlies to sit out Evans for several games in preparation for a trade, back off at the deadline, then give up Evans for nothing. Toronto: The Raptors never seem to be taken seriously, and they’re pretty angry about it, but they need to make a major postseason statement before that will change. DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry are better than ever, center Jonas Valanciunas has noticeably improved, and the Raptors have developed a young, highenergy bench. They’ll be a tough out.
Around the NBA
Isaiah Thomas is a man adrift, joining his third team in eight months, and he’s only passing through Los Angeles. That’s a shame; his father grew up in Inglewood and Isaiah always dreamed of playing for the Lakers. But he’s an unrestricted free agent this summer, the Lakers are committed to Lonzo Ball at the point, and Thomas clearly hasn’t fully recovered from his hip injury. So what’s the next stop? Once a strong candidate for a five-year max deal, Thomas will have to settle for considerably less — and the league’s powerhouse teams aren’t likely to be interested.
Thomas (and his agent) aren’t thrilled about the prospect of him coming off the Lakers’ bench, but here’s some advice. Don’t make a scene, don’t look into a buyout, don’t dwell on a murky future. Enjoy your time with the Lakers, give the fans a few thrills, and make a case for yourself as a still-relevant star.
In a stunning admission, 76ers general manager Bryan Colangelo told reporters that guard Markelle Fultz, the No. 1 overall pick in June, “may not play this year.” Fultz has been medically cleared to play, suggesting that his shoulder injury has healed, but his jump shot is completely broken. He shoots only from inside the free-throw line in practice, and teammates have become exasperated at the sight of curious reporters inspecting his every move. “The kid’s f— 19, man,” guard J.J. Redick was heard to say on a PhillyVoice video. “Holy s—. Y’all are sick. I don’t get the coming in here every day to watch him shoot. It’s a little obsessive.”
Not traded, surprisingly: DeAndre Jordan, Kemba Walker, Avery Bradley (OKC and San Antonio were interested in acquiring him from the Clippers), Marc Gasol, Will Barton and Marcus Smart.