NBA Rumors Roundup: Pacers interested in Hawks star forward; Raptors want their former player back, and more
The NBA trade market is expected to become active following December 15 when some players become eligible for trade. The latest rumors suggest that the Indiana Pacers could capitalize on their unexpected season and add a player from the Atlanta Hawks.
Meanwhile, the Toronto Raptors are reportedly interested in reuniting with a former player, while there's no extension on the horizon for Nikola Vucevic. A current LA Lakers guard is keen on returning to his former team if he gets bought out.
On that note, here's the latest NBA rumors roundup for December 16 brought to you by Sportskeeda.
No extension talks between Nikola Vucevic and Chicago Bulls
Nikola Vucevic will be an unrestricted free agent this summer if he does not sign a contract extension with the Chicago Bulls. It appears there're no extension talks between the two sides, as per Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports.
The Bulls are struggling this season and could enter a rebuild sooner than expected. Vucevic could turn into a potential trade piece if the Bulls decide to blow it up. He has already been linked to the LA Lakers in a package involving teammate DeMar DeRozan.
However, there're people in the Chicago front office who believe the Bulls are a playoff team when healthy. They have missed Lonzo Ball, who has not played this season due to a knee injury. There's a possibility that he could even miss the entire season.
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Indiana Pacers interested in John Collins
The Indiana Pacers were supposed to be poor this season as they enter a rebuilding phase. However, they have been good, with Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin at the forefront. They also haven't traded Buddy Hield and Myles Turner despite months of speculation.
According to Yahoo! Sports' Jake Fischer, the Pacers could go all-in this season and try to improve their roster. Fischer cited his sources as saying that the Pacers have made an inquiry on John Collins of the Atlanta Hawks. Collins has been inconsistent with the Hawks since Trae Young and Dejounte Murray were ball-dominant guards.
Fischer also noted that the Pacers could be open to giving Turner an extension. A combination of Haliburton, Mathurin, Hield, Collins and Turner could shock teams if they make the playoffs.
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Patrick Beverley prefers Minnesota return if bought out
Patrick Beverley is just in his first season with the LA Lakers, but his name has been mentioned in recent NBA trade rumors. One scenario for Beverley is getting packaged with Kendrick Nunn and a future first-round pick for a reliable shooter.
If Beverley gets trade and bought out, he already has a preferred destination. Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports has reported that Beverley wants to return to the Minnesota Timberwolves if he becomes a free agent.
Beverley spent last season with the Timberwolves, helping them win the play-in tournament and qualify for the playoffs. The Timberwolves gave the Memphis Grizzlies a tough time in the first round but lost in six games.
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Toronto Raptors want Jakob Poeltl back
Jakob Poeltl is a hot commodity for the San Antonio Spurs, having been mentioned in a lot of NBA rumors this season. Poeltl has already been linked to several teams, including the LA Lakers and Golden State Warriors.
Yahoo! Sports' Jake Fischer has said that the Toronto Raptors are a potential suitor for the Austrian big man. Poeltl was originally drafted by the Raptors in 2016 and spent two seasons in the North. However, he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs as part of the Kawhi Leonard trade in 2018.
Poeltl will be a free agent this summer, which gives the Spurs more motivation to move him before the deadline. The Raptors are looking for stability in the middle since Marc Gasol's retirement. Poeltl is averaging 12.9 points and 9.9 rebounds this season.
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Two-time NBA champion on trading block
The Dallas Mavericks signed two-time NBA champion JaVale McGee in the offseason, hoping to help the team improve defensively. However, McGee has flopped for the Mavericks, who have struggled this NBA season.
Michael Scotto of the "HoopsHype" podcast said that the Mavericks would want an upgrade at center. Yossi Gozlan reckons Dallas could have a tough time trading McGee because of his contract.
"He's had a nice second-half resurgence in his career, but a big part of his value has been the short-term deals he’s been on," Gozlan said. "It'll be tough for Dallas to move him in Year 15 of his career with all that money left over."
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