Rounding up the latest NBA buzz, including Glenn Robinson III’s next NBA team, Ben Simmons trade talk, and a trade destination for Jarrett Allen.
Glenn Robinson III’s Future
NBA teams can sign 10-day contracts starting this Friday and Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports profiles Glenn Robinson III, who is a candidate to sign one of those deals.
Robinson, who has played for six different NBA franchises in his career, has been suiting up for the Wisconsin Herd (Milwaukee’s G League affiliate) this season and recently participated in a veteran workout for the Bucks after a strong showing the G League’s Winter Showcase.
Bucks staffers have sung his praises for his locker-room presence. They’ve remarked how strong and fluid his body looks at 28 after so much time removed from the sport. Through 14 games with Wisconsin, he’s drilled 41.2% of 51 attempts from 3-point range. He was still a bothersome, switchable defender during the Showcase.
Robinson, who is the son of 2x Bucks All-Star Glenn “Big Dog” Robinson, has been serving as a mentor to some of the younger guys in the G League. Fischer’s piece is full of interesting tidbits about Robinson’s journey back to the league, including that he’s hoping the power of crystals will aid him in getting a call-up.
He knows the rest might not be in his hands, that the reasoning behind a call-up is something, sometimes, you cannot compute. His girlfriend has taught him the value of crystals, and Robinson III has tried to harness their greater power. He wore a bracelet of purple amethyst beads to channel tranquility during the Showcase. He wears a copper ring on game days, just like the copper stakes he planted on his farm in Indiana, which are supposed to help vegetables flourish. “It has to hold some property, it has to hold some energy, it has to hold some knowledge,” Robinson III said. “And I think that you can work with them.”
Ben Simmons: Wizards Trade Candidate?
As part of an extensive Washington Wizards NBA Trade Deadline Preview, our own Chris Crouse analyzed potential suitors for Jordan Poole, and the Nets were listed as one of the only realistic trade destinations for the point guard.
If Washington looks to trade Poole before the deadline, pursuing a Ben Simmons-centered trade could be a win for the Wizards.
Luckily for the Wizards, no NBA player is truly untradable since there are usually contracts out there perceived as worse than the one on your favorite NBA team’s roster.
The Bulls and Nets are the only teams that stand out as suitors for Poole in the current NBA environment…
…The league’s insurance plan similarly makes Ben Simmons‘ situation with the Nets more tentable.
Simmons has only played in six games for the Nets this season, though he is reportedly nearing a return.
Jarrett Allen: Thunder Trade Candidate?
The Cavaliers are in the midst of a funky season and while there haven’t been any substantial trade rumors surrounding Jarrett Allen, The Ringer’s Bill Simmons mentioned Allen as a fit for the Thunder in one of his recent podcasts. It’s a trade scenario that could work out for both Cleveland and Oklahoma City.
The Thunder have impressed this season, though adding a reinforcement at the five spot could be what allows them to fully optimize their roster.
For the Cavaliers, restocking their cupboard of some draft picks may make sense (especially if the team does pivot from the Darius Garland–Donovan Mitchell backcourt before the trade deadline).
A trade centered around Davis Bertans and picks—such as the Clippers’ or Rockets’ 2024 selection—would position the Cavaliers in a way that allows them to make additional moves while giving Bertans a chance to contribute to the rotation as a bench piece.