Injury Notes: Bazemore, Smart, A. Williams, MCW
Although Kent Bazemore‘s season has ended early due to a bone bruise in his right knee, the Hawks swingman still felt like 2017/18 was a better overall year for him than the 2016/17 campaign, writes Michael Cunningham of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“I’m in a great place,” Bazemore said on Tuesday. “Solid bounce-back season after last year’s efforts. I grew as a player and a leader. I’ve learned a new train of thought for an NBA season. Now it’s up to me to take it to the next level and be able to play all season. … I felt great all year. The injury was kind of a freak accident, in my opinion. I was available every night up to that point. It was a good year overall.”
According to Bazemore, the injury will take him about six to eight weeks to fully recover from, which is why the Hawks are shutting him down for the season — there are only about four weeks left in the regular season, and Atlanta obviously isn’t playoff-bound. Bazemore, who will look to enter the 2018/19 season fully healthy, will be entering the third season of his lucrative four-year contract with the Hawks.
Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:
- A league source tells Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald (Twitter link) that the Celtics sure aren’t sure what the odds are that Marcus Smart returns to the court this season. Smart, officially diagnosed with a sprained thumb, reportedly tore a tendon in that thumb. “(They’re) waiting for that second opinion,” the source told Murphy. “Don’t know if it’s a 50% chance or a 30% chance (that he can get back on the court this season). Just don’t know.”
- Although it initially looked like he might play for the Suns tonight, Alan Williams is now targeting Thursday or Saturday for his 2017/18 debut, tweets Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic. Williams has been sidelined all season with a right knee injury.
- The Hornets confirmed today in a press release that Michael Carter-Williams underwent successful surgery to address the torn labrum in his left shoulder. As initially reported last week, the former Rookie of the Year will miss the rest of the season before reaching unrestricted free agency this summer.
Atlantic Notes: Theis, Monroe, Nets, Sixers
Daniel Theis‘ season-ending knee injury will force the Celtics to make adjustments in their frontcourt, as Taylor Snow of Celtics.com details. While the C’s figure out how to replace Theis’ minutes, Brad Stevens says he expects the rookie to make a full recovery and eventually return “better than ever.”
“You really feel for him,” the Celtics’ head coach said of Theis. “He was a guy that came in knowing he could play, but maybe not even expecting to have the type of season he had. And he didn’t change that when we brought Greg (Monroe) in and mixed up minutes here and there. He just kept being who he is, and we’re going to miss him on the court.”
Speaking of Monroe, he’ll get a chance to take on a larger role and make good on his one-year deal with the Celtics now that Theis is out, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston. “One of the reasons why we wanted to sign Greg was because you never know what can happen with your depth inside,” Stevens said.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- They have a long way to go to get to where the Sixers are, but the Nets‘ rebuild has some noticeable similarities to Philadelphia’s “process,” opines Greg Joyce of The New York Post. The 76ers were able to find under-the-radar gems like Robert Covington and T.J. McConnell during their rebuild, and Brooklyn has done the same, identifying guys like Spencer Dinwiddie and Joe Harris as undervalued players.
- In a mailbag for The Athletic (subscription required), Derek Bodner examines why Amir Johnson is getting minutes over Richaun Holmes, and discusses possible uses for the Sixers‘ offseason cap room if they can’t land a star like LeBron James or Paul George.
- A failed trade from December 2013 would have changed the course of recent history in the Atlantic division, but the potential Raptors/Knicks swap involving Kyle Lowry ultimately fell through. Fred Kerber of The New York Post explores that “what if?” scenario.
Lakers Sign Travis Wear To Second 10-Day Deal
MARCH 13: The Lakers have officially inked Wear to a second 10-day contract, the club confirmed today in a press release.
MARCH 12: The Lakers will sign forward Travis Wear to a second 10-day contract, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.
Wear has appeared in five games since he signed the first 10-day deal earlier this month. He has averaged 4.6 PPG and 2.4 RPG in 10.4 MPG. Wear, who made five of 14 3-point tries (35.7%) during that span, scored six points in a 14-point victory over the Cavaliers on Sunday.
The 6’9” Wear appeared in 51 games for the Knicks in 2014/15. He spent time in camp with the Lakers in 2016 and has played for the club’s G League affiliate for the past two seasons.
In 33 G League games for the South Bay Lakers this season, Wear averaged 16.7 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 2.0 APG.
Suns Sign Shaquille Harrison To Multi-Year Deal
MARCH 13: The Suns have officially announced their new deal with Harrison, confirming the signing in a press release.
MARCH 12: The Suns have decided to retain Shaquille Harrison and are working on a multi-year contract that will be guaranteed through the rest of this season, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports tweets.
Harrison’s second 10-day deal expires today and Phoenix has been impressed enough to give the Tulsa product a standard contract. The 6’4” guard has appeared in nine games and is averaging 4.2 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 1.9 APG and 1.3 SPG in 13.4 MPG. He had his biggest output against the Hornets on Saturday, contributing 14 points and four assists in 21 minutes as a starter with Devin Booker sidelined by a triceps strain.
Harrison, 24, went undrafted in 2016 and participated in the Suns’ training camp that year. The last two seasons, Harrison has played with the organization’s G League affiliate Northern Arizona. In 36 games with Northern Arizona, he averaged 11.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 3.5 APG, and 1.9 SPG.
Pro Football Rumors: Your Source For NFL Offseason Coverage
NFL free agency doesn’t officially begin until Wednesday, but the league’s top free agents are already negotiating with teams and lining up new deals. Our sister site Pro Football Rumors has all the latest breaking news and rumors to keep you up to date.
Already, some of this year’s marquee free agents are primed to change teams. Prized quarterback Kirk Cousins is reportedly on the verge of an unprecedented fully guaranteed three-year contract with the Vikings, leaving the Jets and Cardinals to scramble for other options. Minnesota’s own standout quarterback, Case Keenum, has agreed to join the Broncos. The Bears, meanwhile, are adding this year’s top wide receiver in Allen Robinson, as well as No. 1 free agent tight end Trey Burton. Sammy Watkins, an accomplished receiver in his own right, is headed to the Chiefs.
And that’s not all. Tons of names on PFR’s list of 2018’s top 50 free agents remain on the market! To keeps tabs on all the latest NFL offseason news and rumors, be sure to visit Pro Football Rumors and follow along on Twitter @PFRumors.
Poll: Will The Spurs Make The Postseason?
While the Eastern Conference’s eight playoff teams are close to becoming locked in, the race for the postseason in the Western Conference has only intensified in recent weeks.
The Rockets and Warriors have a stranglehold on the top two seeds and are in no danger of missing the playoffs. The Trail Blazers, winners of 10 straight games, have been one of the league’s hottest teams and currently have a small cushion for the No. 3 seed. After Portland, the Thunder, Pelicans, and Timberwolves round out the top six.
A game and a half behind Minnesota and New Orleans, four teams are currently tied in the standings, with the Clippers (36-29) holding a slight edge over the Jazz (37-30), Nuggets (37-30), and Spurs (37-30). Based on current tiebreakers, Denver and San Antonio are on the outside of the playoff picture looking in, for now.
The Spurs’ spot in the standings isn’t a huge surprise — the team has been without All-NBA forward Kawhi Leonard for all but nine games, and outside of LaMarcus Aldridge, the rest of the roster isn’t exactly brimming with star power. It makes sense that the club has struggled. Still, the Spurs haven’t missed the playoffs since 1997, so one of the sport’s most impressive streaks is in danger of coming to an end this spring.
The Spurs are coming off a brutal stretch of the schedule which saw them play road games in Golden State, Oklahoma City, and Houston. The team lost all three of those of those contests, and things won’t get much easier down the stretch.
According to Tankathon.com, the Spurs have the NBA’s fifth-hardest schedule for the rest of the season, with games against the Rockets, Warriors, Trail Blazers, Thunder, Timberwolves, Wizards, Jazz, Bucks, and Pelicans (twice) still on tap. For their part, the Spurs veterans know that they’ll have their work cut out for them if they want to extend their streak of postseason experiences.
“Been winning for a lot of years,” Tony Parker said on Monday, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “Since I’ve been in the league, I’ve made eight conference finals, five NBA Finals. We’ve been winning a lot. But this year, there’s been a lot of injuries. We just have to find a way to try to qualify for the playoffs.”
Of those injuries alluded to by Parker, Leonard’s quad issue has been the most devastating, but there’s a chance the Spurs will get him back in their lineup later this week. While a meeting with Gregg Popovich will determine whether Leonard’s return is imminent, he’s aiming to get back on the court on Thursday. (Update: he’ll be out through Thursday).
Having a healthy, productive Leonard available down the stretch would improve San Antonio’s playoff chances significantly, but it remains to be seen how effective the star forward can be in the season’s final weeks.
What do you think? Is this the year the Spurs’ playoff streak comes to an end, or will they find a way to extend it to 21 straight appearances? Vote below in our poll and then jump into the comment section below to weigh in!
Will the Spurs make the playoffs?
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Yes 68% (423)
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No 32% (197)
Total votes: 620
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Unused Disabled Player Exceptions Expire
Four outstanding disabled player exceptions expired on Monday night when they went unused by a March 12 deadline. As we outlined last week, the Heat, Clippers, Jazz, and Pelicans still had disabled player exceptions available, but were unlikely to use them since the trade deadline had passed and the free agent market lacked impact players.
A disabled player exception can be granted by the NBA when a team has a player go down with an injury deemed to be season-ending. The salary cap exception gives a club some extra flexibility to add an injury replacement by signing a player to a one-year contract, trading for a player in the final year of his contract, or placing a waiver claim on a player in the final year of his contract.
[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Disabled Player Exception]
This season, seven teams received disabled player exceptions from the NBA. Of those seven, three were used on February 8, the day of 2018’s trade deadline. The other four expired this week.
Here’s a full breakdown of the disabled player exceptions for the 2017/18 season:
- Boston Celtics
- Received $8,406,000 DPE for losing Gordon Hayward.
- Used to sign Greg Monroe.
- Brooklyn Nets
- Received $6,000,000 DPE for losing Jeremy Lin.
- Used to trade for Dante Cunningham.
- Miami Heat
- Received $5,500,000 DPE for losing Dion Waiters.
- Not used.
- Detroit Pistons
- Received $5,248,660 DPE for losing Jon Leuer.
- Used to trade for James Ennis.
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Received $2,756,757 DPE for losing Patrick Beverley.
- Not used.
- Utah Jazz
- Received $2,625,000 DPE for losing Thabo Sefolosha.
- Not used.
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Received $2,480,899 DPE for losing Alexis Ajinca.
- Not used.
Hawks Sign Damion Lee To 10-Day Contract
MARCH 13: The Hawks have officially signed Lee to a 10-day deal, the team announced today in a press release. It will run through next Thursday (March 22).
MARCH 12: The Hawks are expected to add yet another player on a 10-day contract. G League guard Damion Lee will become the latest player to ink a deal with Atlanta, according to Chris Haynes of ESPN (Twitter link).
Lee, who played his college ball at the University of Louisville, went undrafted in 2016 and signed a camp contract with the Celtics. He spent most of his rookie season playing for the Maine Red Claws (Boston’s G League affiliate) before joining the Santa Cruz Warriors (Golden State’s affiliate) for the 2017/18 season.
In 38 games this season for Santa Cruz, Lee has averaged 15.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 2.6 APG. He has struggled a little with his outside shot, seeing his 3PT% dip to .305 after posting a .466 mark in 16 G League contests last season.
The Hawks currently have one open roster spot, so they can sign Lee without waiving anyone. Atlanta was already the only NBA team with multiple players currently on 10-day deals, with Antonius Cleveland and Jaylen Morris both on those short-term contracts. Morris will reportedly miss the next two to four weeks with an ankle injury though, so it’s not clear if the Hawks will keep him on the roster throughout his recovery, or if they’ll move on.
Injury Updates: Leonard, Hill, Williams, Ross, Wall
Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard will meet with coach Gregg Popovich on Tuesday to discuss his progress rehabbing from a quad injury, Michael C. Wright of ESPN reports. Leonard could return as early as Thursday if both parties feel he’s ready to play again. The team’s franchise player has been sidelined since January 13th with the lingering quad issue that has cost him all but nine games this season.
In other injury updates from around the league:
- Pelicans forward Solomon Hill could make his season debut as early as this weekend, William Guillory of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports. Hill has been sidelined by a torn hamstring suffered in late August. “We’re so close to the finish line that we’re definitely not going to rush the situation now,” coach Alvin Gentry told Guillory. “I can see a situation where he might be able to play a few minutes here or there.” Hill is in the second year of a four-year, $48MM contract.
- Suns reserve center Alan Williams could make his season debut on Tuesday, according to Scott Bordow of the Arizona Republic. Williams underwent surgery in September to repair the meniscus in his right knee with a six-month timetable to return. He went through a full practice on Monday. Williams, whose three-year, $17MM contract is only guaranteed through this season, averaged 11.4 PPG and 9.1 RPG after the All-Star break last season.
- Magic swingman Terrence Ross is questionable to return this season, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Ross has been sidelined since November 29th with a knee injury. A bone bruise has stalled Ross’ return, Robbins adds. “Some days it feels good, and then some days it kind of flares up,” Ross told Robbins. Ross has one season left on a contract that pays him $10.9MM annually.
- Wizards point guard John Wall went through some non-contract drills Monday as he works his way back from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports relays. If medically cleared, Wall could practice in full for the first time on Friday, Hughes adds.
And-Ones: BIG3, Cook, Larrier, NBA 2K
The BIG3 has fired commissioner Roger Mason Jr. in the wake of an alleged corruption scandal and replaced him with rapper Ice Cube, according to Ben Rohrbach of Yahoo Sports. Mason reportedly secured the investment for the 3-on-3 league from two Qatari businessmen, who were later investigated for refusing to pay millions of dollars to the league. Mason allegedly refused to cooperate with the investigation, according to a TMZ Sports report. In a statement posted by Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today, Mason Jr. refuted the notion he was removed because of corruption, calling the BIG3 work environment “hostile and racist.”
In other basketball news around the country:
- The BIG3’s second season will begin in Houston on June 22, according to a league press release. Games will also take place in Chicago, Oakland, Detroit, Miami, Toronto, Dallas and Boston during the regular season. Atlanta will host most of the playoff games with the championship scheduled for New York’s Barclays Center on August 24th.
- Iowa’s Tyler Cook will enter the draft, but won’t hire an agent, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports tweets. The 6’9” Cook averaged 15.3 PPG and 6.8 RPG for the Hawkeyes as a sophomore this season.
- Connecticut swingman Terry Larrier has opted to enter the draft, he announced in a press release. The 6’8” Larrier averaged 13.9 PPG and 4.8 RPG for the Huskies in his junior season. Connecticut parted ways with head coach Kevin Ollie over the weekend.
- The NBA 2K league will hold its inaugural draft lottery on Tuesday, according to a league press release. The E-Sports league will host its first draft, a six-round event, on April 4th.