Clippers Rumors: Griffin, CP3, Rivers
The Clippers have been one of the NBA’s most successful regular season teams over the past several years, but that regular season success hasn’t translated into a deep playoff run — the team has been eliminated in either the first or second round of the postseason in each of the last five years.
With Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and J.J. Redick all on track to become unrestricted free agents this summer, the Clippers could find themselves at a crossroads, writes Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. Although there’s still optimism within the organization about Paul and Griffin re-signing, things could change quickly if the Clippers suffer another first-round defeat this spring.
Ding provides a handful of interesting Clippers-related tidbits in his piece, so let’s round up some of the highlights…
- “More and more people” around the NBA believe that Griffin isn’t necessarily a lock to remain with the Clippers in free agency, according to Ding. Griffin’s interests in the entertainment industry make him likely to stick in Los Angeles, but Ding suggests that the star forward may be open to considering the Celtics or even the Lakers.
- For his part, Griffin weighed in on the Clippers, who have been up and down this season and have played sub-.500 ball since the All-Star break: “One thing you can control always is effort. Our effort hasn’t been there at times as a team. Haven’t had trust. I think that’s something we talked about a lot early in the season: the trust. Knowing the next man’s going to be there for you, knowing you’ve got to be there for whoever goes next. I think we miss that.”
- One team source indicated to Ding that Paul’s “hard-driving nature and politician’s polish” make it hard for teammates to get close to him. According to that source, “nobody’s really friends with Chris.” Another source tells Ding that CP3 is closer to Doc Rivers than he is to any of his teammates.
- There’s still some “in-house resentment” toward coach’s son Austin Rivers, but it “isn’t out of control,” Ding writes.
Joel Embiid Undergoes Surgery On Left Knee
MARCH 24, 7:22pm: Embiid underwent successful arthroscopic surgery today on his left knee, the Sixers announced in a press release.
The young center will be able to transition back to full weight-bearing activites on the leg in about two weeks, at which point he’ll begin a conservative rehab process, per Dr. Neal S. ElAttrache, who performed the procedure.
GM Bryan Colangelo added in a statement that the team is forecasting a “healthy return to basketball activity” for Embiid.
MARCH 22, 6:20pm: Embiid will have surgery on his left knee at some point over the next few days, the Sixers announced via its Twitter feed.
4:10pm: After having been shut down for the season as a result of a knee injury, Joel Embiid is considered “very likely” to undergo surgery on that troublesome left knee, reports ESPN’s Marc Stein. The Sixers have yet to make an official announcement regarding Embiid.
Sources tell Stein that the Sixers have been “extensively exploring” treatment options for Embiid, who suffered a partially torn meniscus and a bone bruise in his left knee earlier this year. When Philadelphia announced three weeks ago that Embiid would miss the rest of the season the team indicated that it was working with “leading specialists” to determine the best course of action for the young center.
Assuming Embiid does go under the knife, a recovery timetable won’t be established until after the procedure, Stein notes. Presumably, the 23-year-old’s rehab timeline would put him on track to be ready for the 2017/18 regular season, but this offseason will be an interesting one for Embiid and the Sixers.
As I noted earlier this month, Embiid is one of several third-year players whose injury issues will complicate contract talks this offseason. The former No. 3 overall pick looked like a potential franchise cornerstone when he was healthy earlier this season, but he has appeared in just 31 games over the course of three NBA seasons. He’ll be extension-eligible for the first time as of July 1, and it will be interesting to see what sort of deal the 76ers are willing to put on the table. If Embiid isn’t extended this year, he’ll be eligible for restricted free agency in 2018.
Glenn Robinson III Out At Least Two Weeks
The Pacers will be without a rotation player for most of the rest of the season as they push for a playoff spot. According to Nate Taylor of The Indianapolis Star (via Twitter), head coach Nate McMillan announced today that Glenn Robinson III will be out at least two weeks with a left calf injury. Robinson will be re-evaluated after those two weeks.
A third year wing out of Michigan, Robinson has enjoyed his best NBA season to date in 2016/17. Appearing in 69 games (27 starts), Robinson has established new career highs across the board, with 6.1 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and a shooting line of .466/.392/.711 in 20.7 minutes per contest.
If Robinson is able to return in two weeks, it would put him in line to play in the Pacers’ final three regular season games. However, if he’s sidelined for longer than those two weeks, it’s possible he may not play again this season. A playoff return could be in the cards, but Indiana will have to earn a postseason berth first — the Bucks have pulled even with the Pacers for the No. 6 seed at 36-35, and the Heat (35-37), Bulls (34-38), and Pistons (34-38) are all within striking distance too.
With Robinson out of the mix, players like C.J. Miles and Thaddeus Young, among others, could get a few extra minutes.
Bulls Could Pick Up Rajon Rondo’s Option
Bulls.com beat writer Sam Smith addressed several topics in his most recent mailbag, including the status of veteran point guard Rajon Rondo (article link). Interestingly, despite Rondo’s tumultuous season in Chicago, it is “no longer ridiculous” to envision the Bulls picking up Rondo’s $13.397MM option for 2017/18. Rondo has “remained and emerged as the one true point guard on the roster,” Smith notes, while serving as a great mentor for younger players.
Rondo’s contract is partially guaranteed for next season, meaning Chicago could create an additional $10MM+ in cap room by cutting him. If the Bulls decide to part ways with Rondo, they’ll want to make that decision by June 30, as they’ll only be on the hook for $3MM of his contract. Smith points out that Rondo could serve as a useful stopgap before the team receives a big payroll for free agency in 2018.
The Bulls are still very much in the playoff picture- just one game behind Miami for the eighth seed- thanks in part to Rondo’s quality play of late. The 31-year-old has posted 12.8 points on 49.2% shooting with 7.7 assists over his last six games, a sharp improvement from his rocky start to the season.
Along with Rondo’s production comes his baggage, of course. This season Rondo has publicly aired out teammates Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler, saying “my vets [on the Celtics] didn’t pick and choose when they wanted to bring it” (link). Additionally, Ken Berger of Bleacher Report asserted that Rondo “just flat-out blows off” coach Fred Hoiberg‘s play calls.
Rondo spoke with K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune in mid-March, refusing to focus on his contract during the team’s playoff chase.
“I’ll visit that in the offseason. I’m just focused on trying to make the playoffs and do what I can for this team to help us win each game,” Rondo said. “I tried to stay positive throughout the entire thing. I’m not going to point fingers or say anything toward the organization. They gave me the opportunity to play for the Chicago Bulls and that was the goal from the jump.”
Jonathan Isaac To Enter NBA Draft
Florida State freshman Jonathan Isaac is declaring for the NBA draft, according to Evan Daniels of Scout.com (Twitter link). Isaac, who is expected to sign with an agent, thanked Seminoles fans in a video on his Instagram page (link). Isaac was regarded as the draft’s No. 5 prospect in CBS Sports’ rankings.
Isaac’s announcement comes six days after Florida State’s tournament elimination against Xavier. The 19-year-old Isaac was a collegiate standout in his freshman season, averaging 12 PPG with 7.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks over 32 games. Isaac has long been on draft radars, working out for NBA scouts before the start of his Seminoles career.
As Wayne E. McGahee III of the Tallahassee Democrat points out, Isaac is the third Seminole to declare for the draft in the last three days, as Dwayne Bacon and Xavier Rathan-Mayes also announced their intent to enter the draft. Current Seminoles in the NBA include Malik Beasley, Okaro White, and Toney Douglas.
“I’m here with my mom to officially announce I’ve decided to enter the 2017 NBA draft,” Isaac stated in his video post. “I’d like to thank all of Florida State for making my time here worthwhile, and a special thanks to all you fans and FSU’s amazing staff. I truly enjoyed my time here, and it’s all because of you guys. I know the season didn’t end as well as everyone expected, but I’m proud of what my team accomplished, and I’m honored to be a part of the Seminoles’ basketball family.”
James Harden “Put A Word In” To Acquire Lou Williams
According to a report from Shams Charania of The Vertical, James Harden was instrumental in Houston’s acquisition of Lou Williams. A former Sixth Man award recipient, Williams was enjoying a productive season with the Lakers- averaging a career-best 18.6 points on 44.4% shooting over 58 games. Two weeks before the deadline, Harden made his pitch to Williams.
“When James called, he asked me if I was interested in playing with them,” Williams told Charania. “I told him that I loved the Lakers, but James and them have a group that fit my personality, fit how I play. He said he was going to make it happen. I’ve heard that before, so I didn’t really put stock into it. I guess James did put the word in, and the team made it happen.”
The task of trading for Williams was a challenging one, Charania notes, due to the ongoing transition period in the Lakers’ front office. The deal was eventually completed, with Lou heading to Houston in exchange for Corey Brewer and the projected 27th overall draft pick. Williams, who has given the Rockets “some punch off the bench,” has earned the praise of coach Mike D’Antoni.
“We needed one more guy that could create, and Lou is perfect,” D’Antoni told The Vertical. “Lou is a professional scorer. In case someone is off, if someone is injured, Lou brings another 15 to 20 points. We still need to incorporate everything. You can never have enough shooters and playmakers, and he does both.”
Showing no signs of slowing down in his age-30 season, Williams compared himself to Jamal Crawford of the Clippers. Crawford, 37, has remained a featured member of Doc Rivers‘ rotation in his 17th season.
“Until the wheels fall off for us,” Williams said. “I already have 12 [seasons] in the can. Forty for me probably would be a little farfetched, because of being in my 12th season, being 30. Forty would be, what, 22 seasons? I don’t know if I got 22 seasons in me, but God willing, I’ll get close.”
Pacific Notes: Len, Zubac, Warriors, Chriss
With restricted free agency looming, Alex Len has been given every opportunity to lock down the Suns‘ starting center job. Veteran big man Tyson Chandler has been shut down for the season for non-health reasons, and Dragan Bender remains sidelined with an ankle injury. Earl Watson has recently deployed a combination of Len, Alan Williams, and Marquese Chriss at the five. Now averaging 10.8 PPG with 9.5 rebounds over his last four games, the onus is on Len to prove himself as an NBA-caliber starter down the stretch.
“It’s my contract year, so it’s a huge stretch. I just have to show everybody I can be a starting center in this league,” Len told Doug Haller of AZ Central. “I got an opportunity, I just have to prove it.”
Watson spoke positively of Len, noting the fourth-year center’s efforts to add 3-point shooting to his arsenal.
“Big guys in this league, either you develop and shoot the 3 or you become a great rebounder,” Watson said. “Alex Len is a capable corner 3-point shooter, he just has to get comfortable shooting it and he has to practice it. That’s where the confidence will come from.”
More from around the Pacific…
- Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post performed a “postmortem” of the Lakers, previewing the team’s summer strategy. Per Bontemps, Magic Johnson would be inclined to select Lonzo Ball of UCLA whether L.A. receives the first or second pick. Bontemps notes that D’Angelo Russell may be used as trade bait over the offseason, while the team still holds Brandon Ingram in a high regard (despite his gaudy 29% mark from 3-point range).
- Chriss has become the Suns‘ bright spot, Doug Haller of AZ Central writes. The 19-year-old feels confident and comfortable in his rookie season, displaying an “ultra-aggressive” style of play on each end of the court. When asked of his post All-Star break improvements, Chriss offered a pragmatic answer: “A lot of the shots I took (in the first half of the season) were contested,” he said. “They weren’t good shots. I think this second half I’ve taken a lot better shots and I’ve kind of picked my spots of when to go to the hoop.”
- According to Tim Kawakami of Mercury News, the Warriors and Jerry West have had preliminary discussions of an extension (Twitter link). While the interview didn’t delve into his long-term plans with Golden State, West held an informative Q&A with Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
- Ivica Zubac discussed his future plans with Joey Ramirez of Lakers.com. Zubac, who has lost 24 pounds since December, spoke about the benefits of getting in shape. “I can run way more,” Zubac said. “I’m playing a lot more minutes now. In the beginning of the season if I entered the game and played three minutes — that would be it. … Now I’m feeling great.” The 20-year-old rookie plans to get stronger over the offseason, so he can “fight all these guys in the post.”
Central Notes: Felder, James, Pistons, Williams
Kay Felder made an impact in his most recent D-League assignment; scoring 26 points in a match-up with the Maine Red Claws. The 5’9″ Felder raised eyebrows, however, with his decision to dunk at the conclusion of a 110-99 win, when the away team had already conceded the loss. NBA vet Jordan Mickey didn’t appreciate the gesture:
“I take pride in being a professional and not doing anything like that at the end of a game,” Mickey told Glenn Jordan of Amico Hoops. “No NBA team I know of would do that. I know the Celtics wouldn’t do it for sure and I doubt the Cavaliers would do something like that. Guys know better than to do stuff like that. It is what it is, I’ll keep that in the back of my mind if we happen to play these guys again.”
Still riding high from his 26-point showing, Felder praised the Cavs for giving him an opportunity to receive minutes with the Canton Charge.
“I think the Cavs are doing a great job of bringing me down, calling me up, letting me see what Kyrie (Irving) or LeBron (James) is doing and bringing it down here and helping these guys out as well,” Felder said. “It’s not just for me. I can also help these guys as well with what I see up there.”
More from around the Central…
- Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon-Journal was critical of the Cavs‘ defensive effort in a loss to Denver on Wednesday. Ridenour understands that the 32-year-old James needs to conserve energy as the postseason approaches, but pointed out a second quarter sequence in which James stayed downcourt to protest a no-call. LeBron finished the game with a -30 rating, his second-worst plus-minus of the season.
- The Pistons‘ late-season swoon has resulted from “a complicated mosaic of factors,” Rod Beard of The Detroit News writes. Specifically, Beard points out poor defense, inconsistencies at point guard, a lack of leadership, and slow starts to must-win games. “[Stan] Van Gundy does much of the talking but the leadership mantle needs to come from the locker room,” Beard writes. “After Wednesday’s loss, the players were saying all the right things about playing better in the last 10 games, but the next step is turning that talk into action — and more importantly, victories.”
- Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com addressed Derrick Williams‘ recent lack of playing time in his latest mailbag. Despite a stellar plus-minus when Williams and James are each on the court, Tyronn Lue has gone with J.R. Smith and Kyle Korver over Williams in the second unit. Vardon points out that if Williams is getting minutes in the postseason, either Iman Shumpert or Richard Jefferson would have to be benched; that’s a move he doesn’t see Lue pulling off.
And-Ones: Brown, Johnson, Porter Jr., Thunder
Swingman Anthony Brown has a stress fracture in his left ankle and will miss the remainder of the D-League season, Chris Reichert of The Step Back tweets. The No. 34 overall pick by the Lakers in the June 2015 draft was averaging 20.3 PPG in 24 games for the Erie BayHawks. Brown was the last cut by the Lakers during training camp this season, then had a brief stint with the Pelicans. He also played for the Magic on a 10-day deal in late January but wasn’t re-signed.
In other news around the league:
- La Salle’s B.J. Johnson will test the draft waters but has not hired an agent, Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com tweets. The 6’7” swingman averaged 17.6 PPG and 6.3 RPG during his junior season. He’s not considered a top 100 prospect by DraftExpress or ESPN’s Chad Ford.
- Michael Porter Jr., the nation’s top recruit, has been granted a release from his letter of intent by the University of Washington, ESPN’s Jeff Borzello reports. Porter Jr., a 6’10” forward, asked for a release after Lorenzo Romar was fired as Huskies coach last week. Porter Jr.’s father, Michael Porter Sr., has accepted an assistant coaching job at Missouri, according to Borzello, fueling speculation that his son will land there. As Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders notes, Porter Jr. said in a conference call he would seriously considers the Tigers even before news broke of his father’s new job. “It could be something real, real special to be able to come home and do my thing there,” Porter said of possibly playing at Missouri.
- The Thunder could make a blockbuster deal this summer to land another star to pair up with Russell Westbrook, Erik Horne of The Oklahoman speculates. The team’s salary commitments prevent it from landing a top-level free agent this summer, Horne explains. Thus, the Thunder would probably have to give up its first-round pick and a player such as Enes Kanter, who enters his walk year next season, to land another All-Star talent, Horne concludes.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 3/23/17
- The Cavaliers recalled center Larry Sanders from their D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge, the team announced on its website. Sanders signed with Cleveland on March 13th after Andrew Bogut suffered a leg fracture. Sanders made a brief appearance in one game with the Cavs last week and also played a game with the Charge before his recall.
- The Thunder assigned forward Josh Huestis to the Oklahoma City Blue, according to a team press release. Huestis is averaging 14.0 PPG and 6.3 RPG for the Blue, who play the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on Friday.
- The Bulls assigned point guard Cameron Payne to the Windy City Bulls, according to the D-League team’s Twitter feed. Payne played against the Iowa Energy on Thursday and had 14 points and eight assists in 26 minutes.