NBA Notebook: Zach LaVine, Kyle Kuzma, Kristaps Porzingis, Gary Trent Jr, Jordan Clarkson, more

Amid the NBA’s G League Showcase, rival teams are monitoring the Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors, and Washington Wizards.

Just before Chicago executives Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley arrived in Las Vegas for the Showcase, Bulls star Zach LaVine drew the frustration of his teammates during a blowout loss to Minnesota. Several NBA teams, including the New York Knicks, are monitoring whether LaVine will become available on the trade market after Chicago’s underwhelming start to the season at 12-18, Lonzo Ball’s return from injury in question, and Nikola Vucevic’s looming free agency.

In addition to LaVine, NBA executives also discussed the futures of three potential free agents who could hit the market if they decline player options: Kyle Kuzma, Kristaps Porzingis, and Gary Trent Jr. 

With that in mind, this week’s NBA notebook includes the latest intel on Trent Jr. as a trade candidate and Porzingis’ potential free agency value from our own Michael Scotto, the latest trade rumors commentary on LaVine and Kuzma from our capologist Yossi Gozlan, a free agency stock watch from our Frank Urbina, and a new All-World Draft Ranking created by Alberto De Roa.

Who is Toronto’s top trade candidate?

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As Raptors executives Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster strolled between the two courts in Mandalay Bay’s Convention Center, speculation surrounded the long-term future of one of Toronto’s rotation players.

According to numerous NBA executives who spoke with HoopsHype at the G League Showcase, the top Raptors trade candidate is unanimously Gary Trent Jr.

The current belief from those executives is Trent Jr. will opt out of his $18.8 million player option and enter unrestricted free agency this summer. Two executives told HoopsHype they believe Trent could earn $20 million or more if he entered unrestricted free agency. There’s skepticism amongst several front offices across the league that Toronto would be willing to retain Trent Jr. if he eclipses the $20 million annual range.

Recently, Trent Jr. was more efficient coming off the bench during a seven-game stretch where he averaged 18.3 points while shooting 49.5 percent from the field and 39.2 percent from downtown for a 117 offensive rating.

– Michael Scotto

Kristaps Porzingis’ free agency value

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Kristaps Porzingis has looked like the unicorn from his All-Star campaign five seasons ago and now leads the Wizards in points (22.4), rebounds (8.9), and blocks (1.5). It couldn’t have come at a better time for the 7-foot-3 Latvian.

Two NBA executives who spoke with HoopsHype believe Porzingis could opt out of his $36 million player option and enter free agency with the potential to secure a new long-term contract from Washington or another team along the lines of three years, $90 million or four years, $120 million given his current health and play this season.

With the potential for Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma to both enter the market as unrestricted free agents this summer by declining their player options, Washington must decide if the Wizards can become a playoff contender as one of only three teams with three 20-point scorers or change course.

Despite a 10-game losing streak that was just snapped, including the absence of Bradley Beal for six games, the Wizards believe their roster is more talented than the record currently indicates and want to be fully healthy for a stretch before making any roster changes.

– Michael Scotto

Potential salary dump destinations

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The San Antonio Spurs are about $15.9 million below the salary floor, and the Indiana Pacers are roughly $15.4 million below, as noted by our HoopsHype salary cap expert Yossi Gozlan.

Both teams are lurking as candidates to absorb an undesirable contract for future draft pick compensation, according to multiple executives.

– Michael Scotto

Raptors: Gary Trent Jr

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Last week we looked at teams in the league that are under a lot of pressure due to not meeting competitive expectations. One team on this list whose performance of late has been very alarming is Toronto. The Raptors are currently five games under .500 and barely hanging onto the final play-in spot. Many around the league are keeping their eyes on them in hopes of a potential sell off of their starters.

Given Toronto’s track record under Masai Ujiri, it seems unlikely that they would have a fire sale and enter a rebuild. They could’ve taken a step back after Kawhi Leonard left them in free agency and they instead pushed for a playoff run. At most they could bottom out just for this season if the playoffs get out of reach like they did in 2021 without making any significant changes. The talent on their roster is too strong for them not to at least be in the Play-In Tournament.

As Michael Scotto mentioned earlier, if the Raptors do make a big move it could involve Gary Trent Jr. He has a player option worth $18.8 million for next season that he could decline and seek a raise in unrestricted free agency. Toronto will be entering the 2023-24 offseason just under $10 million below the luxury tax and will likely be in the tax if both Trent Jr. and Fred VanVleet decline their respective player options and re-sign for significant raises. It’s possible Trent Jr. is traded as a result of being a cap casualty not only for next season but for the following season once Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby are eligible to sign new contracts as well.

– Yossi Gozlan

Bulls: Zach LaVine

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Another team with a lot of pressure mounting up for them is Chicago. The Bulls are six games under .500 and currently out of the Play-In Tournament. Their struggles have hit the team and organization internally as the Bulls and LaVine reportedly aren’t seeing eye to eye, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

There is a strong case for the Bulls to become sellers ahead of this year’s trade deadline and that mostly depends on how one views this team. If the goal is to contend at the highest levels then they should probably consider a rebuild because this group does not have that high of a ceiling. There are a handful of players worth seriously considering trading now and extracting value for, such as DeMar DeRozan. It would make sense to sell high on the 33-year-old veteran coming off an All-NBA season and they surely could get more value in return for him than they initially gave up.

Chicago may not be interested in blowing it up or even bottoming out just for this season. They are less incentivized to do so since they owe their Top 4 protected 2023 first-round pick to Orlando, and then their Top 10 protected 2025 first-round pick to San Antonio. They just put this team together last offseason and may not want to go back to being a lottery team again just yet. The Bulls could look at their situation considering factors such as Lonzo Ball’s injury, LaVine shaking off post-knee surgery rust, and the expectation that Patrick Williams will get better. Considering Chicago was really good for most of last year, they might be looking at this season glass half full.

– Yossi Gozlan

Wizards: Kyle Kuzma

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The Wizards are another team that many around the league are keeping an eye on to potentially be sellers. They lost 10 games in a row after getting off to a 11-10 start, though six of those losses were without Bradley Beal. While Washington has some room for improvement, it’s tough to envision them being more than a placeholder Play-In team unless someone other than Beal, Kristaps Porzingis, or Kyle Kuzma step up.

If the Wizards didn’t sell last year, they seem even less likely to sell now. If anything they are buyers and will be even if their season continues to spiral, like last year when they traded for Porzingis. As Michael Scotto mentioned earlier, there is a possibility of Porzingis opting out and re-signing on a long-term deal with a lower annual average salary. That could factor into Washington’s competitive outlook if they can gain more flexibility to potentially add another difference maker.

Kuzma’s next contract will also play into their prospects towards improving the roster. The six-year forward is having a career year and has already told several reporters that he plans to decline his $13 million player option for next season and become an unrestricted free agent. He’s due for a raise and the Wizards seem happy to reward him. But amid their recent skid and with both Porzingis and Kuzma having pending player options for next season, the rest of the league will still keep their eyes on the Wizards over the next two months.

– Yossi Gozlan

Free agent stock watch: Up

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Jordan Clarkson

The Jazz remain one of the best stories in the league, trucking along  at 18-16 while sitting eighth in the loaded Western Conference, and that’s at least in part thanks to the borderline All-Star-level play of Jordan Clarkson, who’s putting up 22.8 points on 45.2 percent shooting over his last nine outings. Clarkson, a former Sixth Man of the Year, will appeal to teams looking for an elite bench scorer or even a starting-caliber two-guard, as the former Mizzou standout has proven he can handle either role with aplomb.

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Austin Reaves

There’s a tendency for players on big market teams to get overrated a touch by fans, especially if they’re Lakers, but that’s not the case with Austin Reaves, who’s proving to be a legitimate difference-maker at the NBA level. In his last five outings (one start), Reaves is averaging 13.2 points and 1.2 steals while shooting 55 percent from beyond the arc. What’s more, L.A. is an astounding 11.4 points per 100 possessions better with the former Sooner on the floor this season. The Lakers can’t let this guy walk, it would be Alex Caruso 2.0, though maybe even more egregious, as Reaves appears to have a higher ceiling.

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Kyle Kuzma

There won’t be much drama with the decision Kyle Kuzma has to make regarding the player option on his contract for 2023-24, as his play this season has far outpaced the $13 million price tag on it. Sure, the Wizards are still losing – a lot – but it’s hard to pin that on Kuzma, who’s averaging 24 points and 7.8 rebounds over his last eight games while shooting 40 percent from three.

– Frank Urbina

Free agent stock: Down

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Khris Middleton

The tendency is for star players to pretty much always opt of the final years of their contracts, and that will almost certainly still be the case with Khris Middleton. But the 2021 NBA champion has struggled so mightily this season that even we’re starting to have the slightest of doubts about that, as the Bucks owe Middleton $40.4 million for 2023-24, an astronomical number for the production they’re getting from him right now. In his last six appearances, Middleton is averaging 10.2 points on 28.8 percent shooting, looking like a shell of his former self since returning from injury. Now, a player of Middleton’s caliber will more than likely figure it out and return to at least above-average-starter form at some point this season. But the Bucks’ brass, fans and even Middleton’s agent have to be a little nervous about how he’s looked since returning from injury.

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Will Barton

Over his last couple of seasons in Denver, Will Barton was already starting to show signs of slowing down. However, his output is reaching a new low this year with the Wizards, as the former confident scorer doesn’t look like the same player anymore. Now in his age-32 season, Barton is averaging 8.5 points on 37.4 percent shooting while Washington has been 4.7 points per 100 possessions worse with him on the floor. That’s not what you want to see out of a player set to hit unrestricted free agency.

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Matisse Thybulle

It’ll be interesting to see what the 76ers do with Matisse Thybulle, an impending restricted free agent. Thybulle has had some struggles this season, playing under 14 minutes nightly in his last nine appearances while averaging 4.1 points and 0.8 steals, though he is shooting 43.8 percent from three in that stretch. Making matters more fascinating is that the Australian defensive dynamo has actually made Philadelphia 9.1 points per 100 possessions better during his playing time this season. Regardless, there’s no doubt Thybulle has hurt his free-agent stock overall on the campaign, something he’ll hope to change as the season continues.

– Frank Urbina

All-World Draft Ranking

The NBA is always looking for young, talented players from around the world to join its ranks. Finding these players can be difficult, especially outside traditional talent hotbeds like France and the countries of the former Yugoslavia. So to help identify the best prospects from around the globe, we have created the All-World Draft Ranking. This metric tracks the performance of draft-eligible players in over 50 professional leagues around the world, taking into account their individual statistics, the strength of their competition, and their age. A full explanation can be found here.

Unsurprisingly, the top prospect according to the All-World Draft Ranking is Victor Wembanyama. The 18-year-old unicorn is averaging 22.6 points per game on 61 percent shooting, 9.1 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game in the French LNB, one of the toughest leagues in Europe. He’s also the clear MVP so far by Global Rating. Only Luka Doncic, who was the best player in the Euroleague before joining the NBA, had a more impressive season in Europe as a teenager this century. To learn more about his performances this season, we’re keeping track of all his games here.

It’s also no shock Scoot Henderson, the likely second pick in the draft, ranks right after him in the All-World Draft Ranking. The Ignite star has shown impressive potential in the G League despite playing only five full games, where he averaged 24.2 points and 7.0 assists before suffering a nose fracture. The ambitious NBA-sponsored G League Ignite program has another four players in the Top 20: Leonard Miller at No. 4, Mojave King at No. 9, Sidy Cissoko at No. 11, and Efe Abogidi at No. 18. Great returns so far, but slightly handicapped by the Ignite’s 4-13 record this season.

The most unexpected player in the Top 5, at least according to the mock drafts, is Nadir Hifi. The dynamic 20-year-old guard from Algeria, a country that has never produced anything close to an NBA prospect, is averaging 14.7 points in his first full season in the top French competition. His strong recent performances, including a 32-point outing against Strasbourg and a 26-point game against Euroleague team Monaco, have likely caught the attention of scouts. Keep an eye out on Hifi as the 2023 draft approaches.

While Nikola Djurisic and Rayan Rupert are both considered legitimate first-round candidates for the NBA draft, they are currently not in the Top 10. Djurisic, a Serbian swingman, is having a rough season in the Adriatic League despite averaging 11 points per game, with poor shooting (3-for-28 from deep) and almost as many turnovers (2.3) as assists (2.5). However, there is hope that this may just be a temporary slump for Djurisic, as he shot 50 percent from three-point range in the 2021-22 season.

As for Rupert, a defensive-minded guard playing in the Australian NBL for the New Zealand Breakers, he’s not even within the top 30 prospects in the All-World Draft Ranking, mostly due to his lack of play. Rupert suffered a wrist fracture in November and is not expected to play again until January. Prior to the injury, he was averaging 6.2 points per game on 34 percent shooting. While his numbers may not be impressive, he was showing improvement every game before his injury.

While the top players in the All-World Draft Ranking are expected to come from somewhat well-known competitions, there are also promising prospects emerging from less traditional markets. Players like Marqus Marion (2004), an agile wingman from Denmark, sharpshooter Richard Balint (2002) from the Czech Republic, and talented playmaker Yuki Kawamura (2001) from Japan are all posting impressive numbers in their leagues. While it is difficult to accurately gauge their potential until they face stronger competition, they should draw the attention of scouts searching for lesser-known, hidden gems.

– Alberto De Roa

You can follow Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto), Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan), Frank Urbina (@FrankUrbina_), and Alberto De Roa (@TikotDeRoa) on Twitter. 

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Story originally appeared on HoopsHype