Andre Drummond To Replace John Wall In All-Star Game
The NBA has announced that Andre Drummond will replace John Wall in next month’s All-Star Game, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today tweets. The big man has enjoyed a career year with the Pistons, averaging 14.7 points and 15.1 rebounds per game.
Drummond, one of the most notable omissions from the initial wave of All-Stars, will suit up for his second such contest, his last appearance coming in the midst of Detroit’s 2015/16 push to the postseason.
Per Zillgitt, Silver made the decision to include Drummond because he received more voting points from coaches than any other player left off the initial roster in the Eastern Conference.
When the initial rosters were revealed, Drummond seemed particularly offended by his having been left out. At the time, he took out his frustration in the form of a 30-point, 23-rebound, 6-block, 3-steal night against the Jazz.
Wall’s absence from the game is unsurprising after this morning’s announcement that he’ll miss six weeks tending to a troublesome knee.
Central Notes: Pacers, Bucks, Hill
The Pacers find themselves firmly in the Eastern Conference playoff conversation after a busy offseason but don’t expect the organization to start mortgaging its long-term future for short-term success.
The Fox Sports Indiana crew interviewed Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan on Saturday night about the team’s mindset as the February 8 trade deadline approaches.
“We’ve had such a great chemistry, you’re reluctant to disrupt that,” Buchanan said. “You also want to do what’s right for the [Pacers] long term. We’re in no hurry to change up anything with this team.”
Of course Buchanan is well aware of where the Pacers stack up against the rest of the league. For that reason, the club is looking only for something sustainable that they can build around for the next three, four (five, six, seven) years.
Buchanan did note that one aspect the Pacers are always looking to shore up is shooting. “The way the league is going right now, shooting is a premium,” he said. “The more shooting you can put around a playmaker like Victor. Those guys need space.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- A unique characteristic of the Bucks franchise is that their three-pronged ownership group all make big franchise decisions together. David Aldridge of TNT recently wrote about that aspect of the organization, noting that there was a consensus about firing Jason Kidd.
- The Cavaliers supposedly wanted the option of buying out Kings guard George Hill after this season, which is one reason the two teams couldn’t complete a trade, Brian Windhorst of ESPN reports (via Dan Feldman of NBC Sports). Currently Hill’s $19MM for 2018/19 is fully guaranteed. Only $1MM of Hill’s $18MM in 2019/20 is guaranteed, however.
- The Bulls didn’t expect Kris Dunn back in the lineup when they played Portland on Wednesday but they did expect him to travel with the team. That is no longer the case, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune writes.
Knicks Notes: Porzingis, Bradley, Jack
The Knicks have fallen out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture thanks to a recent slide but star forward Kristaps Porzingis would still prefer the team to make a push to sneak back in, Ian Begley of ESPN writes.
Porzingis, averaging 23.1 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in his third season, says that he’s eager to gain playoff experience but concedes that the team’s decision is out of his control.
“I don’t think it’s healthy for any player to have [tanking] in their minds,” Porzingis said. “Whatever happens, you give your all on the court and if it doesn’t work out and you can’t win games then something else good might happen and you have that. But as a player your mindset has to be going out and giving 110 percent and live with the results.”
There’s more out of the Big Apple today:
- It appears as though the Knicks contacted the Pistons about Avery Bradley prior to his being sent to the Clippers, Vincent Ellis of The Detroit Free Press writes.
- There’s a case to be made for the Knicks offering Jarrett Jack to a contender at the deadline but the veteran point guard would rather remain with New York, a team he thinks can possibly claw back into the postseason picture, Fred Kerber of the New York Post writes.
- The Knicks are looking for a way to clear their books of Joakim Noah‘s contract, especially after a heated exchange between the player and head coach Jeff Hornacek. Ian Begley and Bobby Marks of ESPN recently wrote about the options that New York actually has available to them.
Clippers Rumors: LeBron, Jordan, Gallinari
In the wake of Monday’s Blake Griffin trade agreement, word surfaced that the Clippers were trying to force their way into this summer’s LeBron James sweepstakes, with the Griffin move representing the first step necessary to clear salary from their 2018/19 books. However, Clippers fans shouldn’t get their hopes up about that scenario, says Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.
As of now, James isn’t expected to seriously consider the Clippers in free agency, a source close to LeBron tells Spears. A source close to the Clippers also admits to Spears that the club doesn’t really expect to receive legit consideration from the four-time MVP. Still, the team has to make the phone call, Spears notes.
While the idea of acquiring LeBron is a long shot, the new voices in the Clippers’ front office, including Jerry West, were able to convince owner Steve Ballmer that the franchise has a real shot to enter the mix for the NBA’s top 2018 free agents, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times. Multiple league insiders tell Stein that the Clips will continue to explore pre-deadline deals that help them create cap room for this summer, though using cap room in 2019 represents a solid fallback plan.
Here’s more on the Clippers:
- The Clippers haven’t ruled out the possibility of extending DeAndre Jordan or Lou Williams, and have recently ramped up efforts to secure commitments from those players, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. If extensions can’t be reached, the odds of pre-deadline trades involving Jordan and/or Williams would increase. Still, the Clips haven’t closed the door on the idea of re-signing either player this offseason, per Spears.
- Kyler and Stein both suggest that the Clippers will explore attaching multiyear contracts to Jordan and Williams in trades as they look to create more 2018 cap flexibility. Word is that any trade involving Jordan would need to include a contract like Wesley Johnson‘s or Austin Rivers‘, says Kyler.
- It makes more sense for the Clippers to focus on 2019 free agency rather than frantically trying to ditch bad contracts now, argues Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report.
- Danilo Gallinari is currently the only Clipper with a guaranteed salary for 2019/20. The veteran forward will return to action for the club tonight after missing the last 25 games with a glute injury, Doc Rivers confirmed today (Twitter link via Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times).
Cavs Rumors: Thomas, Gilbert, Frye, Wade
Speaking to reporters over the weekend, Isaiah Thomas shared his two cents on a handful of topics, suggesting that he has received a disproportionate amount of blame for a struggling defense that has been ranked in the bottom five all season, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Thomas also bristled at the idea that anyone with the Cavs would be questioning his shot selection, and said that he hasn’t been approached about coming off the bench, calling the idea “disrespectful.”
While Thomas remains in the starting lineup, head coach Tyronn Lue has experimented with a new rotation in an effort to stagger the minutes that Thomas and LeBron James play. As McMenamin details in a separate story, the former Celtic has no issues with that strategy.
“We talked about it, so I think that needs to happen,” Thomas said. “My minutes just can’t be with LeBron at all times. We got to play to our strengths. Just like Chris Paul and James Harden, they don’t play together at all times.”
Here’s more on the Cavs:
- In an in-depth piece for Bleacher Report, Ken Berger passes along several interesting tidbits on the Cavs. Among those details: The Cavs didn’t initially communicate to their players why Kevin Love left last week’s loss to Oklahoma City or why he was absent from practice the next day; Thomas and owner Dan Gilbert are said to be close, and frequently exchange calls and texts; Gilbert appears to be playing a much larger role in roster decisions than he was when David Griffin was the team’s GM. “The word is out that Dan is running things,” one rival executive told Berger. “Frankly, that’s where he’s happiest and the role he’s most comfortable in.”
- Channing Frye‘s expiring contract and his modest role in the Cavs’ rotation make him a prime trade candidate as the deadline nears. However, Lue was against including him in a near-trade for George Hill, league sources tell McMenamin. As long as he remains in Cleveland, Frye will do all he can to help the Cavs win, but he knows there’s still a chance he’s sent to the Kings or another team, joking that his pay checks will “transfer to Sacramento” if it comes to that. “If they feel like George Hill or if they feel like Anthony Davis or whoever else is out there they’re trying to get is going to upgrade them? Do it. I understand,” Frye said. “So there’s no personal or hurt feelings.”
- Dwyane Wade has rejoined the Cavaliers after taking time off to mourn the death of his friend and agent Henry Thomas, per Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Wade won’t be at 100% though, as he’s dealing with a previously undisclosed left shoulder injury, Vardon writes.
- Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com identifies 10 trade candidates who could make sense for the Cavaliers.
Dave Joerger To Resume Coaching Kings Within Week
After suffering a health scare during Sunday’s game in San Antonio, Kings head coach Dave Joerger has been cleared to return to the team’s sideline, the team announced today in a press release. Joerger is expected to resume coaching the Kings sometime within the next week.
Joerger experienced some light-headedness during the first quarter of Sunday’s game against the Spurs and had to take a knee on the sideline. He returned home to Sacramento and underwent a series of precautionary medical evaluations and tests this week, with the results suggesting that he’s in “fine health,” according to the Kings.
Assistant coach Elston Turner will assume interim head coaching duties until Joerger is ready to return, beginning with Tuesday night’s game in New Orleans. Sacramento’s next game will be at home on Friday, so it’s possible Joerger will be good to go for that contest.
Pelicans’ Deal For Nikola Mirotic Falls Apart For Now
1:40pm: In his full report on the story, Wojnarowski suggests that Mirotic’s 2018/19 option is the primary source of the stalemate. Mirotic appears unwilling to sign off on the deal if his option isn’t exercised, and the Pelicans are reluctant to commit to that option due to concerns about next season’s payroll.
12:59pm: Goodwill classifies the trade as having hit a “snag,” while Johnson says the two teams remain in “advanced discussions” (Twitter links). So while nothing is officially done yet, it sounds like the deal isn’t dead either.
12:48pm: The Pelicans and Bulls had a deal in place for Mirotic, but it has fallen apart for now, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter) that the Pelicans’ proximity to a hard cap prevented the team from trading Asik straight up for Mirotic.
If the Pelicans include another player for cap purposes, the deal could still happen, tweets K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. However, New Orleans hadn’t yet agreed to pick up Mirotic’s team option, so a trade would also require his OK, assuming the Pelicans don’t relent and agree to exercise that option.
12:40pm: The Pelicans and Bulls have reached an agreement on a trade that would send power forward Nikola Mirotic to New Orleans, according to Vincent Goodwill of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link). Goodwill reports that the Bulls will receive Omer Asik and a first-round pick in exchange for Mirotic.
There have been no further reports or official announcements confirming the move so far, but it’s possible the two teams are working out details related to Mirotic’s contract. His deal gives him the ability to veto trades unless his 2018/19 team option is exercised, though there was a belief that he’d give his approval to a deal if the Bulls found an offer they liked.
Mirotic, who has been the subject of trade rumors throughout the 2017/18 campaign, was sidelined with facial injuries to start the season after being punched by teammate Bobby Portis during an altercation in practice. Mirotic’s camp reportedly issued an ultimatum in the fall in an effort to get the Bulls to trade either Mirotic or Portis, but the power forwards were willing to bury the hatchet and coexist on the court when Mirotic got healthy.
Since returning to action, Mirotic has enjoyed the most productive year of his NBA career, averaging 16.8 PPG and 6.4 RPG to go along with a .474/.429/.823 shooting line. All of those numbers are career highs. Despite his solid play and the club’s improved record, Mirotic was still said to prefer a trade out of Chicago.
As the Bulls explored the market for Mirotic, the Jazz and Pistons were cited most frequently as potential trade partners. However, Detroit landed a bigger fish on Monday, acquiring Blake Griffin from the Clippers, and Utah was reportedly unwilling to include a first-round pick in an offer for the stretch four.
The Bulls, who were said to be seeking a first-rounder for Mirotic all along, appear poised to get that pick from the Pelicans, though they’ll have to take on an unwanted contract in the process. Asik, a former Bull, is earning about $10.6MM this season, with a guaranteed salary worth $11.29MM in 2018/19. The veteran center has one more year on his deal in 2019/20, but it’s only partially guaranteed for $3MM. By comparison, Mirotic will earn $12.5MM this season and has a $12.5MM team option for ’18/19.
While the Bulls did well to find a first-round pick for a player whose value looked to be on the decline just a few months ago, it’s worth questioning why the team is willing to take on a toxic contract like Asik’s to make it happen, just seven months after selling a high second-round pick to the Warriors for a mere $3.5MM.
As for the Pelicans, they’re set to fill the lineup hole created when DeMarcus Cousins went down on Friday with a season-ending Achilles injury. The move signals that New Orleans still fully intends to make a playoff push this season, pairing Mirotic with Anthony Davis in the frontcourt. The club will also have the financial flexibility to retain Mirotic on his team option next season, since it’ll only cost about $1.2MM than Asik’s guaranteed salary would have. The ability to retain Mirotic is solid insurance in the event that Cousins leaves in free agency — if Cousins re-signs, it’d be interesting to see if the Pelicans would want to carry all three players on next year’s roster.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
All 30 NBA Teams To Play In Vegas Summer League
For the first time, all 30 NBA teams will participate in the Las Vegas Summer League this July, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. This year’s event will take place from July 6-17, as the NBA confirmed in a press release.
News that all 30 teams will play in Las Vegas comes on the heels of reports that the league’s Orlando Summer League will no longer take place. Utah’s Summer League is still scheduled to happen prior to the Vegas event, but only four teams – the Celtics, Spurs, Sixers, and Jazz – played in that league last year.
In 2017, 24 NBA teams participated in the Las Vegas Summer League, with only the Knicks, Pistons, Pacers, Hornets, Magic, and Thunder sitting it out. When the end of the Orlando Summer League was announced in November, it was reported that the NBA hoped to get all 30 teams playing in Vegas sometime soon — the league sounds pleased that it will happen in 2018.
“Summer League has become such an integral part of the NBA calendar, especially in Las Vegas,” said NBA executive VP of basketball operations Kiki Vandeweghe. “It’s grown exponentially. You kind of think about where Summer League has come from, years ago. Now it’s become this event that all 30 teams have to be a part of. … It’s a place you must be. And really, it’s become the center of basketball in the month of July.
“Anybody who is a high draft choice, a free agent trying to make it in the league or a young player trying to get some extra practice, is there,” Vandeweghe continued. “It’s a very central location that has established itself as the premier summer event for basketball in general, not just the NBA but also international as well.”
Blake Griffin Roundup: Analysis, Reactions, Rumors
The Clippers and Pistons had discussed the idea of a Blake Griffin trade for about a week before finalizing an agreement on Monday, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. However, as O’Connor writes, the door opened on a potential Griffin trade back in 2016 after the big man punched a Clippers equipment manager. Doc Rivers had “casual conversations” with the Celtics about a possible Griffin deal in the summer of ’16, then listened last season when the Knicks reached out.
Now that the Clippers have moved on from Griffin, the franchise is “starting over,” but doesn’t plan on bottoming out, a GM tells O’Connor. Depending on what other moves the Clippers make before the trade deadline, pursuing a maximum-salary player this summer could be on the table, though 2019 currently looks like the more logical time for L.A. to go after one or two max guys. If the Clips want to create more flexibility for the summer of 2018, attaching a multiyear contract like Austin Rivers‘ or Danilo Gallinari‘s to Lou Williams‘ inexpensive expiring deal in a trade could be an option, O’Connor notes.
As for the Pistons, they may not be done dealing either. According to O’Connor, Detroit remains interested in Jazz swingman Rodney Hood, and could send out forward Stanley Johnson before the deadline.
As we wait to see how the Clippers and Pistons follow up on Monday’s mega-deal, let’s round up more reactions, rumors, and analysis related to 2018’s first NBA trade:
- After initially responding to news of the trade on Monday night with a Fresh Prince of Bel-Air GIF, Griffin issued a more formal statement this morning, thanking Clippers fans and announcing that he’s ready to start “the next chapter” of his career in Detroit.
- Although the sentiment around the NBA is that the Clippers made out well on Monday, Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports wonders if the Griffin trade will be the rare blockbuster that doesn’t end up helping either team. Mannix also hears that Clips ownership has no interest in a Sixers-esque tear-down and rebuild.
- The Clippers weren’t trying to deceive Griffin when they made their over-the-top pitch to him in free agency seven months ago; if anything, they may have been trying to deceive themselves, writes Lee Jenkins of SI.com.
- The Clippers are moving in the right direction after the Griffin trade, according to Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times, who calls the move a “gutsy admission of a mistake and a calculated gamble on the future.”
- With the Cavaliers set to play the Pistons on Tuesday (the newcomers won’t be active), LeBron James said it was “unfortunate” for Griffin that he was traded by the Clippers, per Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. “He spent his last nine years there,” James said. “He signed a multiyear deal there this summer, so that’s unfortunate. But that’s the business side of it. It’s both sides. It works both sides, though. It’s the business.”
- Despite a new arena, attendance and enthusiasm has been modest in Detroit this season. That’s a key reason why the Pistons needed to swing for the fences and generate some buzz by acquiring a star like Griffin, argues Ansar Khan of MLive.com.
- Pistons president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy has long been willing to push his chips into the middle of the table to land a star player, and finally got his chance to do so this week, says Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.
- We rounded up more initial reactions to the Griffin trade on Monday night.
Lowe’s Latest: Clippers, Griffin, Lakers, Pistons
On the surface, the Clippers‘ return for Blake Griffin doesn’t seem overwhelming, but it’s probably the best they could have done, given how massive his contract is, writes Zach Lowe of ESPN.com.
While Lowe believes Griffin and Andre Drummond can coexist as a productive frontcourt tandem, he notes that the new-look Pistons appear pretty similar to the old Clippers, with Reggie Jackson in place of Chris Paul. It’s hard to envision a path to anything better than the “super-mediocrity” for the Pistons, according to Lowe, who defines “super-mediocrity” as topping out around 50 wins and not being able to legitimately contend for a title.
Lowe’s piece on the Griffin trade also includes several notes and rumors worth rounding up, so let’s check those out…
- There wasn’t much league-wide demand for Griffin, given his injury history and his contract, sources tell Lowe. Matching Griffin’s salary without sending out another elite player or a toxic contract also would’ve been difficult for many teams around the NBA.
- The Lakers are one team that seemingly would have been a good fit for Griffin, since they want to add star players and could have used Brook Lopez‘s $22.6MM+ expiring contract for matching purposes. However, it doesn’t appear they seriously considered making a play for Griffin, according to Lowe, who acknowledges that the Lakers’ lack of a 2018 first-round pick might’ve been an issue if the two teams had explored a deal.
- Lowe isn’t convinced that the Griffin deal makes the Clippers any more likely to move DeAndre Jordan or Lou Williams. The club will still listen to offers and explore deals for both players, but there’s no more urgency to trade them than there was 48 hours ago, per Lowe.
- In examining the Pistons‘ supporting cast and remaining assets, Lowe notes that the team could have had Devin Booker and Donovan Mitchell instead of Stanley Johnson and Luke Kennard. While it’s easy to identify “what-ifs” of that nature for many teams, sources tell Lowe that Detroit debated between Booker and Johnson almost right up until making that 2015 pick.