<\/p>\n
The NBA trade deadline is officially just under 24 hours from closing as various teams around the league scramble to make moves that could make or break their season.<\/p>\n
The potential availability of Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant remains the story to watch after teammate Kyrie Irving was sent to the Dallas Mavericks in the first blockbuster trade of the window.<\/p>\n
Watch an average of 9 LIVE NBA Regular Season games per week on ESPN on Kayo Sports on ESPN on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now<\/a> ><\/b><\/i><\/p>\n Elsewhere, the Lakers could be on the verge of a three-way trade to solve their Russell Westbrook headache.<\/p>\n Thu, 09 Feb<\/p>\n Thursday February 9th<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Plus \u2014 an Australian is reportedly in high-demand and could be on a new team come Friday [AEDT]. <\/p>\n Follow along below for all the latest updates ahead of the deadline!<\/i><\/p>\n Lakers lose despite Lebron milestone | 03:23<\/p>\n LAKERS EYE THREE-TEAM SOLUTION TO WESTBROOK DILEMMA<\/b><\/p>\n The Los Angeles Lakers look to be inching closer to finding a solution to their Russell Westbrook headache.<\/p>\n The Athletic\u2019s <\/i>Shams Charania reported on Thursday morning: \u201cThe Lakers, Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves are in discussions on a three-team deal that would send D\u2019Angelo Russell to the Lakers, Russell Westbrook and draft compensation such as a first-round pick to Utah and Mike Conley Jr. to Minnesota\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cOngoing discussions have included Utah\u2019s Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt as part of the potential three-team deal to the Lakers,\u201d Charania added. <\/p>\n \u201cSides are working through pick protections and additional draft compensation too.\u201d<\/p>\n It is consistent to whispers ESPN\u2019s <\/i>Adrian Wojnarowski was hearing on Thursday morning linking Russell to the Lakers.<\/p>\n Bleacher Report\u2019s and TNT\u2019s<\/i> Chris Haynes, meanwhile, had reported earlier in the week that the Lakers and Jazz held preliminary discussions regarding a trade surrounding Westbrook.<\/p>\n The news comes after a report from Wojnarowski that Westbrook and coach Darvin Ham got into a \u201cheated verbal exchange\u201d in the locker room during halftime against Oklahoma City.<\/p>\n Though the tense exchange was reportedly brief, Ham was apparently annoyed with Westbrook\u2019s lingering on the floor after getting subbed late in the second quarter. <\/p>\n Voices were raised, according to the report, with talk eventually turning back to the game at hand, one that the Lakers went on to lose, 133-130, to drop to 25-30 in what has been another woeful season in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n Simmons scores only 2 points in return | 01:14<\/p>\n Westbrook finished the game on the floor for the Lakers, tallying 14 fourth-quarter points \u2014 a season-high \u2014 and he and Ham apparently \u201cdapped up\u201d prior to each leaving the arena, per ESPN<\/i>.<\/p>\n It has been an up-and-down season for the nine-time All-Star. Westbrook has been relegated to mostly a reserve role since early in the season. He\u2019s averaging a career-low 28.7 minutes per game to go with 15.9 points per game, his lowest output since his rookie season in 2008-09 with the Thunder.<\/p>\n Westbrook finished Wednesday\u2019s game with 27 points, eight assists and four rebounds.<\/p>\n \u2014 with New York Post<\/a><\/b><\/i><\/p>\n \u2018FOOLISH\u2019 DURANT TRADE SUGGESTION ROASTED<\/b><\/p>\n Plenty has changed since Kevin Durant last requested a trade six months ago.<\/p>\n Coach Steve Nash and superstar teammate Irving are no longer on the team and now there is uncertainty surrounding Durant\u2019s future once more ahead of Friday\u2019s deadline.<\/p>\n ESPN\u2019s <\/i>NBA insider Wojnarowski reported on Wednesday<\/a> that Durant and the Nets have been engaged in talks with owner Joe Tsai and general manager Sean Marks since Irving was traded to the Mavericks. <\/p>\n The focus of those talks, according to Wojnarowski, has been \u201cthe direction of the franchise and its ability to be a championship contender\u201d.<\/p>\n Sources told Wojnarowski that Brooklyn is insisting to inquiring teams that it \u201chas no intention\u201d of moving Durant before the deadline.<\/p>\n Instead, having already acquired Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie as part of the Irving deal, the Nets could look to only build their roster further to put Durant in a position to succeed.<\/p>\n The recent emergence of Cam Thomas has certainly helped, although the Nets also created an additional roster spot and potentially freed up $8 million in salary and luxury tax on Wednesday by trading forward Kessler Edwards and cash to the Sacramento Kings.<\/p>\n Only complicating matters though is reporting from ESPN\u2019s <\/i>Brian Windhorst that rival teams have been strategically hesitant to negotiate with and help the Nets improve their roster.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Nets, I\u2019m not sure teams really want to do business with them right now,\u201d Windhorst said on a recent episode of his \u2018The Hoop Collective\u2019 podcast<\/p>\n \u201cBecause there\u2019s at least some teams that are interested in seeing if they can get Durant. And why would I help the Nets do something to build around Durant when I\u2019m just going to hold my assets for Durant. <\/p>\n \u201cThere may be other teams that are not even interested in doing business with the Nets right now that might also hold assets at this deadline, with the mind towards Durant, not that Durant would be available, but the Durant will be available again in the summer.\u201d<\/p>\n ‘No hard feelings towards Irving’ | 01:09<\/p>\n One team that has been linked to Durant ahead of the deadline is the Boston Celtics<\/a>, with ESPN <\/i>personality Stephen A. Smith claiming Jaylen Brown could be part of a possible deal. <\/p>\n That though is hard to believe given Brown is just 26 years old and squarely in the MVP discussion earlier in the season and Jalen Rose agreed it would be a \u201cfoolish\u201d move.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Boston Celtics, they would be foolish to trade Jaylen Brown at this point of his career,\u201d Rose said on \u2018Get Up\u2019. <\/p>\n \u201cAnd (to) break up Jayson Tatum and that duo that a lot of people have been clamouring for them to do the last few years for some odd reason, for Kevin Durant at this point of his career.<\/p>\n \u201cI know how dominant and great (Durant) is. But at his age, he\u2019s dealt with some injuries over the last couple of years. You don\u2019t trade Jaylen Brown for him if you\u2019re the Celtics.\u201d<\/p>\n AUSSIE THYBULLE \u2018COULD BE MOVED\u2019 AS TEAMS CIRCLE<\/b><\/p>\n According to Michael Scotto of <\/a>HoopsHype<\/a><\/i>, \u201cnearly a third\u201d of the teams in the NBA have \u201cexpressed exploratory interest\u201d in trading for Thybulle during this season. <\/p>\n Now, whether all of those teams are still interested in trading for the 25-year-old is unclear at this stage but Scotto reported the Pacers, Blazers, Bucks, Mavericks, Hornets, Raptors, and Suns all made calls to inquire about Thybulle. <\/p>\n NBA insider Marc Stein, meanwhile, more recently reported that the Hawks and Kings had interest in Thybulle while Sixers beat reporter Keith Pompey heard similar about the Warriors.<\/p>\n \u201cDetermined to contend for a title, the Sixers are expected to keep their core group intact,\u201d Pompey reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cBut Thybulle, no longer viewed as an essential player, could be moved for a decent package.\u201d<\/p>\n Pompey also reported that the Sixers are looking at a center and wing ahead of the deadline but that Thybulle\u2019s trade value has been lowered by his lack of consistent offensive production.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a result,\u201d Pompey reported, \u201cSixers president of basketball operation Daryl Morey could wait until moments before the deadline to see if offers increase\u201d.<\/p>\n Thybulle has seen his average minutes plummet from 25.5 to 12.1 this season, averaging just 2.6 points per game, but the Australian is obviously still one of the league\u2019s best defenders.<\/p>\n One option could also be including Furkan Korkmaz, who has requested a trade, into a potential package alongside Thybulle to increase the value.<\/p>\n NUGGETS GUARD FROZEN OUT IN \u2018AWKWARD\u2019 TRADE WAIT<\/b><\/p>\n Speaking of players who have seen their minutes shrink this season, Bones Hyland has been completely frozen out recently and appears certain to be traded by the Denver Nuggets.<\/p>\n The 38-17 Nuggets sit atop the Western Conference and while Hyland is an exciting prospect, it is quickly becoming clear the second-year guard is not part of Denver\u2019s future plans. <\/p>\n The Nuggets are said to be looking for more defence in their bid for the championship this season and as much as Hyland brings energy and highlight-reel plays off the bench, he does not fit the franchise\u2019s current timeline.<\/p>\n Nets undone in first Kyrie-less outing | 01:06<\/p>\n The young guard is a streaky shooter and the kind of player who still needs time to develop his game, particularly his playmaking and defence. <\/p>\n The Nuggets though, having made shrewd off-season moves to add Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Bruce Brown, are in a position to win right now.<\/p>\n Unfortunately for Hyland that makes him a valuable trade piece, with the 22-year-old not playing in Denver\u2019s last four games. <\/p>\n \u201cYou know he\u2019s such a talented player,\u201d teammate Michael Porter Jr. said. <\/p>\n \u201cObviously he should be on the floor, everyone knows that. I don\u2019t know what the futures gonna hold for him but I wish he was here. I wish he would stay here and it could be figured out.\u201d<\/p>\n Nuggets veteran DeAndre Jordan knows a thing or two about being moved around, having been traded twice in his career.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s been great during this awkward time for him for sure,\u201d Jordan said of Hyland. <\/p>\n \u201cBut he\u2019s been extremely supportive of guys. If he was a bad guy then he would not be shooting after practice with the guys and he would just leave, you know. But he\u2019s being a pro.\u201d<\/p>\n The Timberwolves are one team that has been linked to Hyland, where he would reunited with the man who drafted him, former Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly.<\/p>\n TORONTO STILL THE ONE \u2018MYSTERY\u2019 TEAM TO WATCH<\/b><\/p>\n If there is one team in particular to watch ahead of the deadline, it is the Toronto Raptors.<\/p>\n It has been a relatively underwhelming season so far in Toronto, with the Raptors sitting 11th in the Eastern Conference with a 25-30 record.<\/p>\n There is every chance the Raptors blow it up before the deadline and if that was to happen, there would suddenly be some seriously <\/i>valuable players up for any contending teams looking to make one final splash in their title bid. <\/p>\n Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. are the two more likely players to be available, although that has not stopped rivals from reportedly inquiring about Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby. <\/p>\n No one really knows at this point what Toronto will do. <\/p>\n Even NBA insider Marc Stein reported that the Raptors \u201ccontinue to be difficult for rival teams to read\u201d<\/a>.<\/p>\n Stein wrote that he \u201cstruggles\u201d to see the Raptors trading Siakam or Anunoby before the deadline, although he added they have \u201cexpressed confidence to inquiring teams\u201d that they can get three future first-round picks for the latter. <\/p>\n Stein also pointed out that any teams keeping an eye on Durant\u2019s possible availability in trades would be hesitant to send away their best assets for Anunoby at this stage.<\/p>\n Follow the latest whispers before the NBA trade deadline below! Can\u2019t see it? Click here!<\/a><\/b><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n