Wade Injures Elbow; MRI Set For Thursday
The Bulls are concerned that Dwyane Wade could miss several games with a right elbow injury he suffered tonight, writes K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune.
An MRI is scheduled for Thursday morning to determine the extent of the damage. Wade, who was wearing a sling after the game, said he “heard a couple of pops.”
“My concern level is there are only 14 games left, and I’ve never had this injury,” Wade said. “So I can’t say two days, two weeks. I don’t know.”
Southeast Notes: Hawks, Wall, Beal, McRoberts
The Hawks haven’t settled on their point guard rotation for the rest of the season, according to Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution. Jose Calderon, who was claimed off waivers earlier this month, has been the backup to Dennis Schroder in the past four games, but that doesn’t mean the job is his to keep. Coach Mike Budenholzer said Malcolm Delaney, who had the role before Calderon arrived, will also be part of the mix. “No doubt that Jose has been great,” Budenholzer said. “Jose is so positive and talking and in Dennis’ face, in everybody’s face. He’s like wow. To have both of those guys, I wouldn’t under-sell what Malcolm does. I think he’s been real good next to Dennis.”
There’s more news from the Southeast Division:
- Wizards point guard John Wall is downplaying claims that he and backcourt partner Bradley Beal had a strained relationship. In an interview with Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated, Wall says much of the dissension stemmed from a misunderstanding over Beal’s contract talks. “Everybody said I tried to play him or something. I was watching his money. I was mad. That wasn’t it,” Wall said. “All I said was, ‘Let him be healthy. Let him earn his money.’ It’s the same way they said I didn’t earn my money. ‘How did he get $80 million? He didn’t deserve it.’ But then all of the sudden when everybody was getting paid, nobody was saying nothing.” Beal agreed to a five-year, $127MM contract last summer.
- Wizards GM Ernie Grunfeld reached out to the Nets in the trade that sent Bojan Bogdanovic to Washington, tweets NetsDaily.com. Brooklyn was hoping for a first-round pick in return and wound up with Washington’s first-rounder along with Andrew Nicholson and Marcus Thornton in exchange for Bogdanovic and Chris McCullough.
- A stress fracture in his left foot has kept Heat forward Josh McRoberts out of action since December 27th, but he still might play this season, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Coach Erik Spoelstra offered an update today, saying, “He’s on the court a little bit now, and we’ll just have to see how he progresses.” McRoberts missed the preseason with a stress reaction in the foot, then returned to start 14 straight games before being sidelined again. He has a player option for 2017/18 worth slightly more than $6MM.
New York Notes: Hornacek, Porzingis, Goodwin, Lopez
This season hasn’t turned out the way the Knicks had hoped, but coach Jeff Hornacek doesn’t think anyone will be fired because of it, posts Ian Begley on ESPN Now. New York thought it had built a playoff contender by trading for Derrick Rose and signing Joakim Noah over the summer, but the Knicks have crashed to 12th place in the East with a 27-41 record. “We’re all going through this,” Hornacek said. “Every single guy, every single coach, every part of management, everybody’s to blame. We’re all in it together. I don’t think there’s been any other talk of anything, so we try to do the best we can.”
There’s more tonight from New York City:
- Kristaps Porzingis will miss at least one game with a left thigh bruise that he suffered Tuesday, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. Porzingis will be held out of Thursday’s game with the Nets and will be re-evaluated before a three-game road trip that starts Monday. “We’ll see — whenever he’s ready to play,’’ said Hornacek, who remains upset that Porzingis said the Knicks are in “confusion from top to bottom” after a loss on Sunday. Porzingis refused to expand on that statement today, telling reporters, “I made those comments after the game and I spoke my mind. That’s not something I really want to keep talking about.”
- Archie Goodwin joined the Nets for practice today after signing a 10-day contract this morning, relays Cory Wright of NBA.com. Goodwin is eager to resume his NBA career after playing three games with the Pelicans earlier this season. Coach Kenny Atkinson said Goodwin won’t play tomorrow against the Knicks, but could see time Friday or Sunday. “He’s the profile we’re looking for, young, talent, hasn’t found his footing in the league yet,” Atkinson added.
- The Nets considered signing Goodwin earlier in the season after he was waived by New Orleans, tweets NetsDaily.com.
- Brook Lopez, now in his ninth season with the Nets, was so sure that he was being traded two years ago that he had a friend get his luggage ready, writes Fred Kerber of The New York Post. Lopez believed he was headed to the Thunder in a 2015 deadline deal. Kerber examines how Lopez has adjusted his game to become an effective 3-point threat.
Yabusele Done In China, May Play In D-League
Celtics first-round pick Guerschon Yabusele has completed his season in China and could play a few games with the team’s D-League affiliate, relays A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.
The more immediate concern for Boston is evaluating a sprained ankle that he suffered recently. Austin Ainge, director of player personnel, said Yabusele will be evaluated by the Celtics’ medical staff this week and will be sent to the Maine Red Claws if the ankle is OK.
“We’re hoping to get him a few games with the Red Claws,” Ainge said. “Get him some experience in the D-League and Summer League.”
Yabusele, a 6’8″ forward out of France, was the 16th player selected last season. He played 43 games with the Shanghai Sharks, averaging 20.9 points and 9.4 rebounds per night.
“It was a challenge for me, being over there as a young player,” the 21-year-old said. “It was a great experience for me to go over there. I learned a lot about playing basketball, being a pro when you are not in your city. We had a great season. We lost [in the] first round of the playoffs, but I am more [confident] as a player; it was good. My game is better than it was before.”
Yabusele hopes to join the Celtics next season. The team plans to invite him to training camp and give him a chance to earn a place on the roster, but making the team won’t be easy. Ainge said Boston plans to give one spot to Croatian center Ante Zizic, whom the team selected at No. 23 last year. The Celtics have 10 players on their current roster with guaranteed contracts for 2017/18, along with a lottery pick from the Nets. Amir Johnson, Kelly Olynyk, Jonas Jerebko, Gerald Green and James Young will all be free agents.
“I’m really excited about it,” Yabusele said about his chance to play in the NBA. “I’m going to give my all for the team, give my all for the Boston Celtics. I’m ready.”
Jeff Teague Likes New York, But Not The Triangle
The triangle may discourage Pacers point guard Jeff Teague from considering the Knicks when he becomes a free agent this summer, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post.
Teague is considered among the possible replacements for Derrick Rose, who may not be re-signed when his contract expires at the end of the season. Teague said he hoped to be traded to New York in 2014, but that was before Phil Jackson arrived as team president with his triangle offense.
Teague, who will be 29 in June, believes the approach isn’t a good one for a penetrating point guard like himself or Rose, saying, “I think a player like Rose, it gives you a better chance of containing him.”
An Indiana native, Teague may decide to stay with the Pacers, who own his Bird rights and can offer more money and more years than other other team. However, this will be his first experience as an unrestricted free agent, and the Knicks should be among the interested organizations if he decides to listen to offers. New York could have nearly $25MM in cap space if Rose is not re-signed.
Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek is defending the triangle and claims it could be a selling point for free agents.
“There might be players out there who think that way,” he said in response to Teague’s comments, “but there are also probably players out there who say, ‘Oh, man, I’d like to run something like that.’ Guys might not necessarily want to run around in the staggers. It’s still an offense guys who are knowledgeable in the game should like. It’s a strategy almost every time down the court as a player. In a way, looking at it that way, it’s fun to run.’’
This is Teague’s first season with the Pacers after seven years in Atlanta. He is making $8.8MM and averages 15.1 points and 7.9 assists per game.
Pelicans Consider Replacing Gentry, Demps
The Pelicans will need “significant progress” over the final four weeks of the season to save coach Alvin Gentry’s job, according to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.
The organization is more likely to keep GM Dell Demps, but that isn’t guaranteed, Deveney adds.
The Pelicans were considered favorites to grab the West’s final playoff spot after the February 20th trade that brought DeMarcus Cousins to New Orleans. However, the team has gone just 4-6 since the deal and sits five games behind Denver with 15 left to play.
A scout tells Deveney “the writing is on the wall” concerning Gentry’s future, but management isn’t demanding a playoff appearance for him and Demps to stick around. The front office understands that a transition period was necessary for Cousins and Anthony Davis to get used to playing together and to change from an up-tempo strategy to a twin towers approach. Cousins is averaging 20.9 points per game in New Orleans, down from 27.8 with the Kings, and his shooting percentage has dropped from 45.1 to 42.1.
Working in Gentry’s favor may be a lack of proven talent in the coaching market. The team is believed to want someone to serve as both a coach and team president, and there may not be anyone available who has merited that dual role.
Gentry, who has one year left on his contract at $3.3MM, faced similar rumors early in the season. A November 13th report said it might be a matter of days until a coaching change after the Pelicans started the season 1-9. However, Gentry was able to get the team on the edge of the playoff race and save his job, at least temporarily.
Gentry has a 57-92 record in nearly two seasons on the Pelicans’ bench, and the team has made the playoffs just once in Demps’ five seasons as GM.
And-Ones: BIG3, Hairston, Jefferson, Extensions
A number of players who have been traded at the trade deadline or during the NBA season spoke to Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype about the experience, with Cavaliers wing Iman Shumpert providing some of the more interesting quotes. As Shumpert explains, he was injured when he was sent to Cleveland by the Knicks, and had mixed feelings about the move.
“I just remember the feeling [sucked],” Shumpert said. “It was like, ‘Ah, I’m hurt, we’ve lost a bunch of games in a row and then I’m traded.’ Then, shortly after we walk in and we get to playing with the Cavs, we go on a long winning streak. I kept thinking back to my old teammates like, ‘Damn, I was hurt and we were losing. Now I come here and I’m playing well and the energy is great.’ I just felt like they kind of grabbed me out of hell. And every game was being showcased on TV and we’re winning. It was just crazy. I was happy, but I felt bad too.”
Here are a few more odds and ends from across the league:
- As first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (via Twitter), former NBA star Julius Erving has committed to coaching a team in the BIG3 this summer, the league confirmed in a press release. Erving will join Gary Payton, George Gervin, Clyde Drexler, and others as BIG3 coaches. Check out our comprehensive players/coaches list for the full breakdown.
- Former NBA wing P.J. Hairston, who was in camp with the Rockets last fall, has been suspended for five NBADL games for violating the D-League’s anti-drug policy, according to a press release. Hairston is currently playing for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston’s affiliate.
- In other D-League news, former NBA power forward Cory Jefferson has left the Austin Spurs to play in the Philippines, tweets Chris Reichert of The Step Back. International basketball journalist David Pick adds (via Twitter) that Jefferson, who is signing with the Alaska Aces, has multiple Euroleague offers for the 2017/18 season.
- Keith Smith of RealGM takes an early look at the market for rookie-scale extensions this coming offseason, making his predictions on which players will get new deals before they reach restricted free agency. As I outlined last week, a few of this year’s key rookie-scale extension negotiations will be complicated by major injuries.
Nets To Target George Hill In Free Agency?
After actively pursuing restricted free agents last summer, the Nets are expected to have the cap room to be players in free agency once again this offseason. And according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, one free agent that rival executives expect Brooklyn to target is veteran point guard George Hill.
As Net Income of Nets Daily details, Windhorst discussed the Nets’ possible free agent plans on an ESPN podcast this week. The report comes with a caveat — Windhorst hasn’t heard directly from GM Sean Marks or the Nets about their free agent plans. However, the ESPN reporter explains that GMs and executives around the NBA have been talking about Brooklyn’s presumed interest in Hill.
Last offseason, the Nets targeted multiple guards in free agency, signing Allen Crabbe and Tyler Johnson to pricey four-year offer sheets. Those offers were ultimately matched by the Trail Blazers and Heat, respectively, leaving Brooklyn with Jeremy Lin on a more modest three-year deal. Even with Lin under contract for next season though, it seems the Nets will be closely monitoring other point guards in free agency.
According to Windhorst, the Nets are also expected to dip back into the restricted free agent market as they look to add shooters. Otto Porter will likely be a Brooklyn target, and Windhorst says the Nets will also be “major players” for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Hill, Porter, and Caldwell-Pope will all be in line for big-money, long-term contracts this summer, and their respective teams are expected to make every effort to keep them. Windhorst notes that the Nets are capable of making things very difficult on Utah and driving the price up on Hill, whose camp reportedly believes he can get a max offer in unrestricted free agency. Porter is also viewed as a likely candidate for a max deal, while it remains to be seen whether Caldwell-Pope will get an offer that substantial. The Wizards and Pistons, respectively, won’t want to lose those key RFAs for nothing.
Draft Notes: Yurtseven, Thompson, Keene
North Carolina State freshman Omer Yurtseven has decided to declare for the 2017 NBA draft, according to a report from The Associated Press. Yurtseven, a seven-foot center from Turkey, averaged a modest 5.9 PPG and 4.4 RPG in his first – and perhaps only – college season. Per NC State spokesman Craig Hammel, the young big man won’t hire an agent right away, which will allow him to test the draft waters and potentially return to school for his sophomore year.
Here are a few more draft-related items to round up:
- Another seven-footer, Ohio State’s Trevor Thompson, tells Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com that he plans to forgo his final year of college eligibility to enter this year’s draft. After testing the waters a year ago and ultimately withdrawing, Thompson appears more likely to keep his name in the draft this time around, though he’s no lock to be selected.
- The nation’s leading scorer, Marcus Keene, has decided to enter the 2017 draft, a source tells Larry Lage of The Associated Press. The junior point guard averaged an eye-popping 30.0 PPG this season for Central Michigan.
- Although only a handful of early entrants – including the three players noted above – have declared for the 2017 draft so far, ESPN’s Chad Ford (Insider link) takes a closer look at which underclassmen and international players figure to join that group. Top prospects like Lonzo Ball, Josh Jackson, and Malik Monk are among those described by Ford as having “one foot out the door.”
- Sean Deveney of The Sporting News identifies 10 prospects who have plenty at stake in this year’s NCAA tournament.
Derek Fisher Eager To Return To Coaching
The Knicks fired Derek Fisher as their head coach a little over 13 months ago, and the former NBA point guard has found a new role as an analyst for TNT. However, as Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press details, Fisher is eager for another shot to coach an NBA team, suggesting that “there’s no question” he’ll return to it at some point.
“I’ve always been most at home, most comfortable when I’m trying to figure out how to help my team win and those were thoughts I had as a player and those were the thoughts I had as a coach,” Fisher said in a phone interview with Mahoney. “So when and if that opportunity presents itself again, I’ll definitely be ready for it. I’m looking forward to it and I think the biggest thing would be what and where and when. I think that applies for everybody that is kind of waiting for and looking for that next great opportunity.”
Fisher’s stint as the Knicks’ head coach was short-lived. After leading the team to a 17-65 record in 2014/15, Fisher got off to a 23-31 start last season before being replaced by Kurt Rambis and – eventually – Jeff Hornacek. New York hasn’t exactly turned things around since Fisher’s dismissal though, having compiled a 36-60 record since then.
No NBA team has fired its coach during the 2016/17 season so far, which is extremely rare — SBNation’s Tom Ziller suggested back in November that it hasn’t happened for at least 35 seasons. Still, it’s unlikely that all 30 NBA teams get through the offseason without some turnover in the coaching ranks, so perhaps at that point Fisher will receive some attention as a candidate.
Although Fisher’s 40-96 record with the Knicks likely won’t make him the most sought-after option available for teams seeking a new head coach, New York’s underwhelming play and Phil Jackson‘s involvement over the last year may retroactively cast Fisher’s performance in a more favorable light.