NBA Notebook: Warriors noticed the Malcolm Brogdon difference for Celtics

The Celtics heard a voice on Thursday in the second half that they didn't during the NBA Finals once their deficit against the rival Warriors reached 11 points. Malcolm Brogdon wanted to remind them Golden State's crushing three-pointers would recede if Boston defended consistently.

"Stay the course," he told them. "We're just on the edge, we're 2-3 missed threes of theirs away from it being a one-possession game, so just stay the course. We're playing good defense." 

Joe Mazzulla signaled he would close games with Boston's newest veteran when it made sense, focusing in recent weeks on larger lineups to get Robert Williams III and Al Horford repetitions together. Against the Warriors, Brogdon transformed a matchup many believe he could've swung in June. He scored 14 points, grabbed seven rebound and recorded two assists, a steal and a block while playing the final 25 minutes in the Celtics' win. Steph Curry lauded Brogdon's timely shots (45.5% 3PT), the attention he demanded from defenders, his experience and understanding of the game. 

Brogdon averaged 22.1 minutes off the bench as recently as late last month. He endured his worst slump of the year then, as struggles around the rim and his lagging isolation defense (1.41 points per possession allowed) overtook his hot shooting. The Celtics saw what he could provide with more ball time and 5.7 three-point attempts (58.8%) while Jaylen Brown sat with an adductor strain last week. Brogdon trusted Mazzulla would utilize him wisely, admitting they're managing him after injuries plagued his recent seasons. He averaged 20.7 points per game in three wins at Brooklyn and Charlotte, opening up his scoring game and playing for longer stretches. 

The team returned to full health for its NBA Finals rematch, and started big with Derrick White on the bench, yet Brogdon finally previewed his playoff role. 

"Certain parts of the season call for different things and different styles of play," Brogdon told Boston Sports Journal after the game in the locker room. "Especially from me. Coming off the bench, it's going to be whatever the team needs, whether it's facilitating or being more aggressive scoring the ball."

The Celtics needed his spacing against the Warriors. Golden State's mixed use of Draymond Green to crowd the paint and guarding Jayson Tatum at the point of attack took the basket away from Boston early. That changed late, when the Celtics started attacking the offensive glass behind the Warriors' defensive wall, sending rollers to set up mismatches in the flow of the offense. Brogdon excels at bending the defense without a screen, and his knockdown shooting, 45.6% on catch-and-shoot threes this year, kept a Warriors defender attached to him in the corner enough to free Tatum late. 

Brogdon didn't assert himself as a scorer often upon arrival, racking up assists and proving he can generate second-unit runs alongside Tatum. He never stuck out as a loud locker room presence either, instead promoting a defensive focus with pointed comments through early struggles on that end. He emphasized offensive consistency with his decision-making on the floor. The team never asked for Brogdon to rock the boat. Only to buoy it. 

Limited minutes didn't allow the Celtics to receive his full impact though, and Mazzulla recently discovered ways to best enhance his scoring while fitting the offensive structure they created early this season. Moving from Rick Carlisle's direct play calls to Boston's read-based offense took time, and he switched on defense more than he ever had before in his career. 

"I think he's done a great job of understanding what the game needs and what our team needs at that time," Mazzulla told BSJ at practice this week. "When he's at his best, he's doing both, and his rim read percentage has drastically increased as the year's gone on to where it's almost up to 80%." 

"He's one of the best on our team when it five-on-five, creating an advantage and creating a two-on-one situation for everyone else on the floor and then he's able to get the ball where it needs to get to. He's done a good job, in the second half of the season, learning how to play in those three-man actions when there's a defender on him that we're trying to involve and he's doing a good job of not being idle out there. So with Smart, Jaylen, Jayson, Al, Rob, him and Grant, when we have multiple guys that can play without being idle, it really helps us and he's done a great job of that."

Brogdon also gave the Celtics consistent pull-up three-point attempts (44.3%, 1.7 att./game), an ability that can stop dry spells on offense while Tatum, Brown and Smart have struggled to hit them. He got involved with offensive rebounding on Thursday, missing a follow on his first attempt before sneaking past Kevon Looney to put back Grant Williams' miss through a foul. He ended the frame by beating Jordan Poole to Tatum's errant three and powering through Donte DiVincenzo for the left-handed finish. They marked his only two makes in the paint, falling to 49% there this year. 

While Brogdon and others battled finishing issues, he explained that the drive-and-kick game led to Boston's relatively low average number of shots at the rim each night. He suggested the Celtics attack more often there as they failed to win games where they shot poorly. Their victory over Golden State, while hitting 31.7% of their threes, improved their record to 4-7 when shooting below 32% 3PT. The Warriors already noticed Brogdon in December.

"He's really fun to watch," Steve Kerr said pre-game this week. "I've always admired him from afar, enjoyed watching him play and great fit for them, because he's a connector and they've got a lot of scoring threats and he can supplement the scoring or connect the scoring and get the ball to other guys, so he's a really good player." 

Mazzulla thanked Brogdon for his sacrifices earlier this week, which set a tone after his acquisition by settling any concerns he arrived to supersede Smart. The Celtics' start, rotation and offense wouldn't be possible without Brogdon forfeiting his goal to lead a team to fit as a role player on a winning one. When Williams III underwent surgery in the preseason, White took on a starting role instead of Brodgon so Boston could maintain its lineups. 

Limited minutes worked to keep Brogdon healthy in the first half. The team only lost him for four games due to hamstring tightness and he already surpassed his games played from last season midway through January, extending to 35 minutes again while White and Smart fell injured on Saturday at Toronto. Brogdon broke the offense open with a three, mid-range pull up and pair of free throws after the Celtics went down by 11 in the first quarter, winning 106-104 behind his 23 points on 8-for-16 shooting. He's now averaging 14.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG and 3.7 APG on 48% FG. All complete with his fixed stare and serious demeanor. 

"He's very even-keeled, he doesn't overreact to situations," Mazzulla said. "In order to be a great team, we have to have guys like him where they come off the bench, they have a role, but then they also play above that role and have the humility to do so. We're just a well-balanced team on and off the floor because of that, and he's a part of that."

That bench role previously made it difficult for the Celtics to find him minutes in the rotation late in games. He only logged 95 fourth-quarter minutes next to Smart through Saturday. Fewer shot attempts will make it difficult for him to claim a Sixth Man of the Year award despite his efficiency, and beat writers across 30 teams awarded Jordan Poole the accolade in the mid-season survey over Brogdon. He didn't come to Boston to win that either, downplaying his desire in an NBC Sports Boston interview earlier last month. 

Brogdon chose a bench role with the Celtics over larger ones with the Raptors and others to win a championship. Thursday's game matched his expectations for the kind of atmosphere, he told BSJ, along with the role and intensity he plans to provide in the summer. Brown and Smart see him relieving pressure teams throw at the Jays. Until then, he's focusing on habits and perfecting Mazzulla's system. Brown called him a luxury as a role man.

"(He's) playing with a lot of confidence, understanding what's asked of him and the biggest thing is just the energy that he brings off the bench," Horford said. "When he comes in, the game changes and that's what we need from him, that energy, that focus and he's given us some really good minutes consistently, so it's been really nice to see him start to blossom in these last few games." 

Here's what else happened around the league this week...

Atlanta (23-23): The Hawks have struggled to trade John Collins because of his four-years, $102 million owed through 2026. Utah wanted a draft pick to assume that salary and Landry Fields doesn't view Collins, averaging 13.3 PPG and 7.7 RPG on 51% shooting, as a salary dump. Collins, 25, and regressing as a three-point shooter (26%), while never playing strong defense, didn't receive the deal from Atlanta with much enthusiasm. His name floated in trade rumors ever since. Dejounte Murray's performance - scoring 25.8 PPG on 57.1% shooting - drove a four-game win streak that moved them into eighth place in the east. 

Boston (35-12): Winner of nine straight after overcoming an 11-point deficit to beat the Warriors, avenging four straight demoralizing losses to the defending champions and Raptors. Al Horford, who scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, powered the Celtics to an early lead by posting-up. Jayson Tatum continues to battle left wrist soreness and sat Toronto after scoring 34 points with 19 rebounds and six assists against Golden State, though he turned the ball over seven times and nearly cost Boston the game with three late. Jaylen Brown returned from a three-game absence with adductor tightness and hit the game-tying three to force overtime. The Celtics rank third in offense, fifth in defense and second in January rebounding.

Marcus Smart (ankle), Robert Williams III (knee) and Derrick White (knee) exited Saturday's win and did not return. Mazzulla said they should be ok.

"We talked about poise and physicality. Everybody asks, what did we learn?" Joe Mazzulla said. "It takes a mindset in order to be successful ... you can't be inconsistent with that ... even though you play really, really well and we win, we're still going to have some of those moments. We had some turnovers ... but that's going to happen ... they did too, they ran a great ATO and threw the ball out-of-bounds, and Klay Thompson didn't catch it, so I don't think it's about that. It's about the habits that we're growing as far as our mindset, our poise, our physicality, our ability to execute, our ability to handle the chaos of an NBA game. We showed tremendous growth in our offensive execution and our spacing late game." 

Brooklyn (28-17): Lost four straight games after Kevin Durant's injury to fall to fourth in the east, six games behind the Celtics and 1.5 games behind the Sixers and Bucks. Ben Simmons missed their loss to the Thunder with back soreness and Kyrie Irving's calf kept him out of a loss to San Antonio where Simmons scored a 10-point triple double. Irving returned with 30 points at Phoenix, but didn't produce enough offense for others while Simmons returned to the bench and got ejected. They ranked last in offense during the streak, five points per 100 possessions behind 29th-ranked Indiana. The team will re-evaluate Durant, who remains in a knee brace, early next week, according to TNT. Irving led a win at the Jazz on Friday with 48 points.

Charlotte (13-34): They should play rookie Mark Williams more, who provided solid minutes alongside young wing Jalen McDaniels in the second loss of their mini series against Boston. He ended their five-game losing streak with 17 points and five blocks over Houston in 18 minutes. With their season already cratered approaching the trade deadline, it's worth turning toward a youth movement. LaMelo Ball, the team's only known commodity into the future, sprained his left ankle and will exit the lineup for the third time this season with left wrist soreness also bothering him. Shams Charania reported they'll listen to offers for Terry Rozier, Jalen McDaniels, Mason Plumlee, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Gordon Hayward into February. 

Chicago (21-24): Nikola Vucevic demolished the Warriors with one of his signature games, scoring 43 points in 39 minutes, hitting five threes, grabbing 13 rebounds and serving four assists. Zach LaVine and his resurgent play into the second half, LaVine averaging 27.4 PPG on 49.4% shooting over the past 17 games. He scored 30 points on Detroit in Paris and the up-and-down Bulls landed back in the playoff picture. Their decision on whether to stand pat or sell could alter the balance of power in the east into the future, along with a similarly difficult decision in Toronto. Both could challenge a top seed, or both could accumulate picks and try to turn around a rapid rebuild like the Pacers, Jazz and others have seemingly done. Big decisions loom.

Cleveland (29-19): Donovan Mitchell exited the lineup with a sore groin in the Cavaliers' lone win during on of their worst weeks all season. They fell to Minnesota, then Memphis and a Warriors team that rested Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins with Mitchell out. Isaac Okoro's recent three-point shooting, 57.7% on 2.6 attempts per game in January, provided some solace through mediocre play this month, 14th-ranked offense and defense. They've won 15 of their last 26 games after a hot start, and rank 11th in offense. Evan Mobley didn't grow on that end as expected before unloading 38 points on Milwaukee to show his potential on Saturday. Their wing issues remain well-documented into 2023. They probably need a trade.

Dallas (25-22): Damian Lillard scored 76 points while the Trail Blazers swept the Mavericks in a mini series in Portland last week. Christian Wood keeps this group's offense afloat, but it's clear why Jason Kidd benched him for so long as the Mavericks rank 26th in defense since making him a full-time starter roughly one month ago. He fractured his thumb in the team's next game, a loss to the Hawks, and will be re-evaluated next week. 

They've won only 4-of-8 games Luka Doncic played in this month, where he averaged 40 minutes per game and shot 44% from the field, 30% from three and 71.6% from the free throw line as the possibility of exhaustion emerges for the MVP candidate. ESPN reported Doncic asked for roster improvements ahead of the deadline, something Mavs owner Marc Cuban denied. They need to decide between buy or sell, with the Knicks' ownership of their first-round pick (1-10 protected) limiting their flexibility to offer future picks, and complicating the call on where they stand. 

Detroit (12-36): Cade Cunningham (shin) traveled to Paris with the Pistons for their loss to the Bulls this week, reporting he's pain-free to reporters following season-ending surgery he hopes will alleviate a stress fracture that undermined his second season. The worrisome issue bothered him back to his high school days, and an increasingly lost season for Detroit provided him the time to address it. GM Troy Weaver discussed that future with The Athletic, expressing confidence in the team's trajectory, Killian Hayes and their rookies Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, despite an injury-plagued year.

"Trust me, the dam is going to break, and when it breaks, it’s going to have a great flow to it. We just have to stay patient, stay in the boat and keep working," he said. "I’m even more confident than I was June 18, 2020, that we’re going to get this thing where it needs to be."

Golden State (23-23): Jordan Poole led them to an important back-to-back win at Cleveland while Steph Curry and other regulars sat following their overtime thriller at Boston. That loss marked another defensive setback on the road, blowing an 11-point late in the third quarter and allowing the Celtics to grab 18 offensive rebounds. Poole scored 24 points in a spot start, though, and his 32 on Friday stunned the Cavs. He struggled to take the floor in the Finals against a larger Celtics team in June, and fared better guarding their perimeter players while hitting 10-of-25 from the field. The Warriors need to continue seeing strides from Poole and his young teammates, because The Athletic reported the team isn't expected to make a deadline splash. 

"I just wanted to open up the floor, give us a little different look, maybe get a spark," Kerr said, explaining Poole's insertion as a starter. "We're past the halfway point and we're .500, let's try something different. First time in a while we've had all those guys healthy too. It's a lineup we know can be explosive ... I think I'll keep doing it. We'll see how it goes. It went great tonight (in Boston)." 

Houston (10-36): A revelation might emerge on the Rockets that dawned on outside observers watching their losing streak extend to 13 this week -- the Rockets might need to build around Alperen Şengün. We'll see who leads this group into the future, Stephen Silas and Rafael Stone or others, but Şengün emerged this month as an offensive hub his great passing once projected to allow him to become. He's averaging 18.2 PPG, 9.9 RPG and 5.7 APG in January on 62.2% shooting, and finding teammates for baskets more often than Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. Those guards could see their role or teams changed if front office turnover occurs, because this team absolutely needs more shooting to empower Şengün. 

The Rockets selected him No. 16 overall in 2021 with the Celtics' first-round pick they flipped to Oklahoma City for Al Horford. Houston later acquired the pick for a protected Detroit first-rounder with top-nine and greater safeguards through 2027 that could become a second. Not bad. 

Indiana (23-25): Lost seven games in a row as their defensive ranking fell to 22nd, a tough mark that requires Kings-like offensive production to overcome in the east. That's not possible without injured Tyrese Haliburton (elbow), who said his knee recovered while his other ailment holds him back from returning. The Pacers will re-evaluate him later this month, setting back his potential return until February. The Pacers rank last in offense with a 106.1 offensive rating without Haliburton for six games, shooting a league-worst 47.7 eFG% and losing by 13.9 points per 100 possessions. This injury could force the team to re-assess its perspective on the trade deadline if only one player props them up above lottery status right now. Jake Fischer previously reported Indiana could look to improve before Feb. 9, particularly at the power forward position that Aaron Nesmith held down recently. 

Clippers (24-24): Paul George is running point, Reggie Jackson is playing less, John Wall tries to enter the lineup when he can and often struggles. We know the Kawhi Leonard story, logging only 400 minutes and 17 minutes with George this season. This team can hardly asses what it needs to do until they play more often together, and a glimpse raises the possibility they could use more playmaking. They have extra wings, whether Marcus Morris, Norman Powell, Robert Covington or Luke Kennard, but they owe picks to the Thunder, preventing more competitive offers. In fact, OKC owns swap rights with LA and unimaginably only sit one game behind the Clippers as February approaches. Something needs to change, and little has this year. 

Lakers (21-25): They play so hard, and it paid off when Russell Westbrook and LeBron James poured in late putbacks, and Dennis Schröder stole the ball at half-court from Desmond Bane and ran for a game-winning three-point play over the Grizzlies on Friday. Adrian Wojnarowski reported Anthony Davis (foot) could return next Saturday at Boston after the Lakers managed an 8-8 record in his absence. The Lakers ranked ninth in offense and 18th in defense over their last 15 games, opening up the possibility that Davis' MVP-level impact in their own end could generate a playoff push. Little seems possible beyond that without some roster changes. It's hard to believe some of the players featured in major bench roles, never mind starters.

Memphis (31-14): Now 15-11 in games against west teams after their meltdown in LA. Steven Adams and Dillon Brooks sparred with Fox broadcaster and football Hall-of-Famer Shannon Sharpe along the sidelines, a fitting description for this team with nearly unmatched promise and unproven results. They chatted with the Warriors all series in their eventual loss, Ja Morant's comments dismissing the west in a Bleacher Report interview undoubtedly inspired rivals and every time you look up Tee, Morant's father, gets involved in some scuffle. 

It's entertaining theater. Their play consistency leaves some to be desired, namely an impact wing, but especially Jaren Jackson Jr.'s fouling, which proved disruptive Friday, ending an 11-game win streak. Tee and Sharpe made amends post-game, Tee affirming his respect for Sharpe pre-game. 

Miami (25-22): Making an intriguing move above the play-in line with wins in four of their last six games. We know they can defend at a top-10 level, but offensive inconsistency led to bad losses to the Hawks and Mavericks mixing in with their triumphs. Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry combined for 17 points, and the Heat 90, at Dallas. 

Sean Deveney reported they maintain a standing offer for Jae Crowder, including starting forward Caleb Martin, who would join Duncan Robinson and possibly Dewayne Dedmon to match salaries. The same rival executive expects the Heat to do something big at the deadline, which wouldn't be shocking after their lackluster first half. They dove deep into unsung talent and Butler and Bam Adebayo badly need help. They host Boston on Tuesday.

Milwaukee (29-17): Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) didn't return for Saturday's loss to Cleveland as he hoped after the Bucks scored home wins over the Pacers and Raptors where Jrue Holiday scored 72 points at the point of attack in his place. They fell behind Philadelphia to the No. 3 seed. Mike Budenholzer called Antetokounmpo's absence a precaution, taking a similarly slow approach to Khris Middleton's (knee) return after his practices with G-League Wisconsin. Middleton won't play in the near future and logged seven games in his return from offseason wrist surgery. He last played Dec. 15. 

They'll trade Serge Ibaka, who left the team as both sides agreed to find him a destination where he can play more. A tough finish to his tenure, which started with the team dealing away a wing in Donte DiVincenzo they could use right now. 

Minnesota (24-24): They need to win shootouts, particularly with Rudy Gobert (groin) out of the lineup, and they don't often receive enough points alongside Anthony Edward's (44 on Saturday) to win. They did against Toronto and Houston from D'Angelo Russell and did not at Denver. Karl-Anthony Towns called optimism for a speedy return unfounded on a live stream this week, emphasizing he suffered a Grade 3 calf strain. They've won 14-of-27 without him, staying afloat in the play-in race, but Towns did not share a timeline for his return other than noting he's improved.

“I wish it was four to six weeks. I knew then it wasn’t going to be four to six,” Towns said. “The team was trying to say four to six. There was no way with the injury I sustained, it’s a very significant injury. I don’t know if they were trying to give false hope to the fans or what the case may be.”

New Orleans (26-20): Lost three straight as their depth production waned against Cleveland, Miami and Orlando. Brandon Ingram (toe) still hasn't returned from an eight-week absence. They won admirably in his absence before Zion Williamson (hamstring) joined him on the bench, sending the team to 22nd in offense and 24th in defense in the new year. Dyson Daniels is starting and Trey Murphy III plays big minutes on the wing. NOLA.com reported the team gave Ingram the green light to return when ready, and grew frustrated he still hasn't. Ingram said he's awaiting confidence in his explosive movements. 

New York (25-22): Lost in overtime against Toronto forced by RJ Barrett's full-court rush for a slam that tied the game in the final minute before struggling on offense against Washington and on defense in a loss to Atlanta. Only Julius Randle's strong comeback season defines this group's identity, along with a tighter rotation focused on defense that steadied their play into the new year and pushed them above the play-in line. They fell behind Miami entering the weekend after Mitchell Robinson broke his thumb. Jericho Sims received a spot start in Atlanta with injuries and an adjustment to Tom Thibodeau's system bothering backup addition Isaiah Hartenstein. Cam Reddish and Immanuel Quickley reportedly remain available. 

Oklahoma City (22-24): On the edge of the playoff picture in the west after winning 7-of-10. Their run following their 150-point stunning of the Celtics led them to beat the Nets and Pacers before slowing down at Sacramento on Friday. They rank third in offense and fourth in defense this month, and now need to ask whether it's worth potentially shedding points on their lottery odds to receive some postseason experience. Shai-Gilgeous Alexander and Lu Dort played there during the Chris Paul year and many teammates haven't. Their mix of athletes, defenders and playmakers with an all-star leading the way is starting to show something, and they could become sneaky buyers as their chest of assets and future draft picks increases. But when? 

Philadelphia (30-16): James Harden and Joel Embiid poured 61 points on the Jazz in a one-point win, Embiid stopped Russell Westbrook at the rim on the last possession at Crypto before the Sixers stomped the Clippers despite the precarious LA off night in between. Embiid is scoring a ridiculous 35.1 PPG this month while Harden dishes assists at an unmatched rate league-wide. They're connecting more often too, playing the most efficient basketball of any duo in the league. Tyrese Maxey adjusted well to a bench role. They're worth watching as a budding east threat, but the playoffs challenge them.

Phoenix (23-24): Cam Johnson (meniscus) returned for wins over the Nets and Pacers, signaling the merciful end of their run of injuries that plunged them to the bottom of the west's playoff picture. The Suns went 16-22 after Johnson suffered his injury on Nov. 4, and 4-12 since Devin Booker (groin) exited the lineup on Dec. 19. Johnson scored 19 points in his return and Booker's will wait, with no timeline for his, Chris Paul (hip) and Cam Payne's (foot) ailment. 

Decision day looms on Jae Crowder's future and ownership complications behind the scenes began clearing up with Mat Ishiba, who agreed to buy the team and WNBA's Mercury from Robert Sarver, showing up to his first game. Sarver retains veto power in some trades for now, per ESPN. 

Sacramento (26-19): The west's No. 3 seed, unimaginably, on Jan. 21 and De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis received a fun ESPN appearance where they outlined the team's simple, but effective read-based offense through Sabonis. They won 7-of-11 to start January and average 125.4 points per 100 possessions, best in the league and enough to start considering loading up for their first playoff run since 2005. Big men depth could become a target, with Richaun Holmes only recently growing more involved in their rotation. It's less clear what they can offer teams beyond draft picks. 

San Antonio (14-32): Shams Charania again connected the Celtics and Raptors to Jakob Poetl, the offensively-talented young big man who becomes a free agent this summer and makes just over $9 million. The Spurs can only offer a $58-million extension now and could push further in the offseason to keep him with their Bird Rights. This rumor felt old and their actual trade with the Celtics, taking on Noah Vonleh's contract, showed Boston's comfort with their front court depth since Robert Williams III returned. Poetl would provide some leverage against Grant Williams' free agency in the summer and postseason injuries. It's hard to imagine the Spurs moving him for less than a first-round pick, and they ultimately landed two for Derrick White. 

Toronto (20-27): Lost late to Boston on Saturday without Tatum, potentially weeks from blowing this thing up. Any or multiple of Gary Trent Jr., Fred VanVleet, O.G. Anunoby and Pascal Siakam could move in early February and their lack of progress in recent weeks points toward a tough decision for this front office. 

Only Scottie Barnes is untouchable. This marks an end of an era that started with Kawhi Leonard's arrival and speedy departure, Siakam's emergence into a star who pushed playoff runs with the right pieces around him and Lowry's departure, that further tested their depth. Nick Nurse tried successfully to refocus on frantic defensive schemes and three-point shooting before a VanVleet regression, Barnes sophomore slump and tough east rivals emerging. Masai Ujiri isn't in a fun position and Anunoby's emergence not translating into wins probably surprised the team as it looked to build on last year. 

Utah (24-25): The next most interesting trade-deadline team after the Raptors. They probably don't have any untouchables, but Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton and Ochai Agbaji probably won't move for different reasons, specifically a high cost, tough contract to move, or unproven youth. They've also signaled a desire to keep Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson, but it's hard to imagine Danny Ainge saying no to an overpay for anyone here. Their hot start created tons of trade leverage, and Jared Vanderbilt, Malik Beasley and Kelly Olynyk could all draw interest in February. 

Washington (20-26): Will explore Rui Hachimura deals, according to Shams Charania, as selling looks inevitable for this group, even with Bradley Beal (hamstring) back and Kristaps Porzingis playing well. Hachimura, 25, honed his scoring these past two seasons, but competed for minutes and a role with top picks Deni Avdija and Corey Kispert, none of them emerging fully before the Johnny Davis selection that has to already be scaring Washington's front office. Charania noted they hope to re-sign Kuzma, an unrestricted free agent, and Porzingis, who has a $36-million player option.