NBA Trade Rumors: Hawks, Larry Nance Jr, Nets, Cam Johnson, Hornets

Hawks

Larry Nance Jr. remains a trade candidate for the Hawks despite suffering a broken hand on Dec. 28 that will sideline him for a while, per ESPN.

“The Hawks are in a position where they can stay conservative at the deadline and still find themselves avoiding the play-in,” ESPN wrote. “If they do look to tweak their roster, Nance’s $11.2 million expiring contract has the most value. Before breaking his right hand Dec. 28, Nance was playing his best basketball, averaging 11.2 points and 7.6 rebounds in the previous five games.”

If Atlanta does decide to make a move — Nance or otherwise — it could be for some additional backcourt help.

“One trade that would improve the Hawks’ backcourt depth is flipping Nance for Spurs guard Tre Jones,” ESPN wrote. “The Hawks rank 24th in turnovers and have allowed the fourth-most points off turnovers per game.”

Nets

Could the Warriors be the team that makes a bid for widely available Nets forward Cameron Johnson? ESPN insiders seem to think so.

Expect the Nets to want more in a Johnson trade than the combined six second-round picks Brooklyn received for trading Dennis Schroder and Dorian Finney-Smith to the Warriors and the Lakers, respectively. Johnson checks three boxes for playoff teams,” ESPN wrote. “He plays a position of need, is on a team-friendly contract for the next three seasons ($22.5 million, $20.5 million and $22.5 million) and is averaging career highs in points (19.5), field goal percentage (49.6%) and 3-point percentage (43.6%).”

So yeah, maybe the Warriors do make sense.

“One hiccup for teams hard capped against the first apron is Johnson’s $4.5 million in unlikely bonuses,” ESPN wrote. “For example, a trade with Golden State would involve Gary Payton II, Kevon Looney, Brandin Podziemski and a 2026 top-eight-protected first match in salary. However, because bonuses count toward the apron, the trade is not legal.”

Hornets

Big man Nick Richards is among the Hornets on the radar of opposing teams. So, yes, he’s likely someone on which to keep an eye.

“A month from the deadline, does GM Jeff Peterson consider Richards expendable now that Mark Williams is healthy?” ESPN wrote. “Or does Williams’ lengthy injury history have Richards as an insurance policy at center? In nine starts this season, Richards averaged 11.3 points and 10.2 rebounds. Richards has one of the better value contracts — $5 million for both this season and 2025-26.”

The Pacers could be one team with an interest in Richards, sources said.

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