Kawhi Leonard Expected To Remain With Spurs Long-Term?
Rumors of friction between the Spurs and Kawhi Leonard developed over the star’s inability to play with his nagging quad injury, but Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders hears that most of the rift is a result of a lack of communication.
Kyler adds that while the relationship is far from unrepairable, the two sides will need to talk things out once the season is over. The scribe hears that the team isn’t going to make the 2016/17 MVP candidate available in trades.
The Spurs have been “fairly open” with Leonard’s representatives about their willingness to let the situation take its course, though the front office would obviously prefer Leonard to return and get re-acclimated with the team. San Antonio’s medical staff had put the small forward on a program earlier in the season and the doctors cleared him to play at one point. However, Leonard remained in pain and sought additional opinions, which irked the franchise.
Leonard remains in pain today, but he wants nothing more than to put this whole situation behind him and return to the floor. San Antonio entered the night with a record of 36-26, good for fifth in the Western Conference. The team appears to be in decent position to make the postseason, though a deep run will undoubtedly depend on the availability of Leonard and recently injured LaMarcus Aldridge.
The small forward will be a free agent during the summer of 2019, but this offseason, he’ll be eligible for the Designated Veteran Player Exception, a vehicle that could net him in the neighborhood of $250MM.
Sources tell Kyler that Leonard’s situation rivals Aldridge’s situation this past offseason, when a sitdown between coach Gregg Popovich and the power forward was needed to hash out some differences. The open communication led to an extension for Aldridge and the sense around the league is that this will be the second offseason in a row where the Spurs sit down to meet with one of their top players and come away signing him to a long-term pact.
2018 Free Agent Stock Watch: Indiana Pacers
The Pacers are in an enviable position mere months after it seemed like they were doomed to a long and challenging rebuild. The breakout seasons enjoyed by Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis have helped distract from the absence of Paul George while the all-around contributions of an unheralded, cohesive veteran lineup has put Indiana firmly in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
The Pacers didn’t make a major splash at the trade deadline and were even asked specifically by players to avoid tinkering with the chemistry in the locker room. While it’s hard to argue that the franchise made the wrong call standing pat with a roster that’s punched above its weight on a nightly basis, the Pacers have a long road ahead of them before they’re considered serious challengers, even in the East.
It’s refreshing to see a team build anew without bottoming out. Solid drafting and some responsible payroll management will help them climb to the next rung on the ladder.
Cory Joseph, PG, 26 (Up) – Signed to a four-year, $29.9MM contract in 2017
Joseph has thrived as the younger half of a point guard tandem charged with the task of helping the Pacers play a faster style of basketball. While he’s ceded the majority of the starts so far this season to Darren Collison, Joseph is a solid rotation piece and possible future starter. It’s likely we’ve already caught a glimpse of his ceiling, so the former Raptors probably won’t draw major money on the open market. That being said, it’s hard to imagine he couldn’t procure a raise if he turns down his 2018/19 player option worth just less than $8MM.
Glenn Robinson III, SF, 24 (Up) – Signed to a three-year, $3.4MM contract in 2015
After breaking into Indy’s rotation in 2016/17, an ankle injury put Robinson III’s latest campaign on hold until after the All-Star Game. The Pacers may see some upside in the former second-round pick, and likely won’t have to outbid many competitors to retain his services should they wish to do so. Assuming the swingman’s health holds up in the final stretch of 2017/18, expect the club to lock him in for at least a few more seasons at an affordable rate. At this stage in the game, the Pacers can justify the low-risk, medium-reward lottery ticket.
Lance Stephenson, SG, 27 (Up) – Signed to a three-year, $12.6MM deal in 2017
While Stephenson’s career took a turn for the worse after he flew the coop in 2014, his return to Indiana has helped restore his value as a professional basketball player. The 27-year-old may not be the irreplaceable triple-double machine the Hornets hoped he would be when they poached him from Indiana four years ago, but he’s a solid rotation piece whose contributions to the Pacers franchise are both mysterious and intangible. Expect the club to bring their enigmatic swingman back on his dirt-cheap $4.4MM team option.
Joe Young, PG, 26 (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $5.1MM deal in 2015
The Pacers have never seemed particularly intent on working Young into their rotation. While you could argue that a consistently competitive squad like Indiana may be inherently reluctant to throw big minutes at an inexperienced point guard, he only topped the 20-minute plateau four times during his first two years in the league. The 25-year-old has seen an uptick in usage since Collison went down with a knee injury in early February, but the club may be better off turning down his team option and seeing what else they could do with the roster spot.
Thaddeus Young, PF, 30 (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $53.9MM deal in 2015
Young has established himself as a critical component of this Pacers team and fills the role of do-everything veteran forward admirably. While the almost-30-year-old’s services would be welcomed by several other contending teams, it’s hard to imagine Young’s camp being all that confident they’d land more than $13.8MM in a bear market. If Indiana was knee deep in the turbulent rebuild many expected, it would make sense for Young to take that chance, but given that the opposite is true, I anticipate him accepting the 2018/19 player option and returning as a leader on and off the court.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Blazers Will Not Sign Brandon Rush To Second 10-Day Deal
The Trail Blazers have elected not to bring Brandon Rush back for a second 10-day contract, Jason Quick of NBC Sports Northwest tweets.
The 32-year-old veteran did not see action during his brief stay with the franchise, which isn’t a major surprise considering that the franchise was literally obligated to sign a 14th body after last month’s trade deadline.
As Luke Adams outlined previously, NBA teams are only permitted to roster less than 14 players for a period of two weeks.
That means while Rush pounds the pavement looking for another suitor interested in a seasoned vet with a career .402 three-point shooting percentage the Blazers will be on the lookout for another late-season addition in order to get back up to 14 players.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/2/18
Here are Friday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Timberwolves have recalled rookie big man Justin Patton from the G League, according to a team press release. Patton, who has yet to make his NBA debut, may provide some emergency frontcourt depth for Minnesota on Friday night, with Shabazz Muhammad gone and Taj Gibson injured.
- Cavaliers center Ante Zizic continues to bounce back and forth between the NBA and G League, with the team announcing in a press release that he has been re-assigned to Canton. The Cavs’ G League affiliate will host the Grand Rapids Drive on Friday night, so Zizic should be in Canton’s starting lineup for that game.
- The Spurs have sent guards Brandon Paul and Derrick White to the G League, the team announced today in a press release. The backcourt duo figures to suit up for the Austin Spurs on Friday night as San Antonio’s G League affiliate hosts the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
- The Jazz have recalled Tony Bradley from the Salt Lake City Stars, according to the team’s website. Bradley has had 16 trips to the G League this season.
Kevin Durant Confirms He’s Not Going Anywhere In Free Agency
Asked if his 2018 free agency is the foregone conclusion that 2017’s foray onto the open market was, Kevin Durant has confirmed that he’s not going anywhere this summer. As Anthony Slater of The Athletic writes, Durant said today that he’s 100% sure he’ll be back with the Warriors for next season.
Durant, in his second season with the Warriors, has already signed two contracts with the team and may sign a third this summer, since it has made sense for him to go year to year. Durant’s current deal includes a $26.25MM player option for 2018/19, but he could make more money by opting out and signing a new contract. While the reigning Finals MVP knows he’ll remain a Warrior, he isn’t sure what sort of deal he’ll sign – in terms of years and money – if he opts out.
“Who knows? Who knows how I’ll feel? Who knows what’ll happen, what we’ll need at that time?” said Durant, who took a discount last summer that helped the Warriors re-sign Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala. “But like I said, money is not my concern, I’m concerned with my joy and happiness. I made so much money — to be honest, I could live what I’ve made off forever.”
Despite the fact that he has gone year to year with the Warriors, Durant said today that it feels like he has been on a long-term deal with the team. Golden State will have Durant’s Early Bird rights this coming offseason, giving the franchise a little more flexibility to lock up the former No. 2 pick to a longer-term contract. It’s not clear whether or not that will happen, but the star forward suggested that sort of deal is probably in his future, per Slater.
“Financially, obviously, what I wanted to do last year, it made sense. Well, the last two years, it made sense to do the one-year deal,” Durant said. “I’m sure here soon I’ll want to sign a long-term deal just to feel stable. But I’m enjoying every moment of it, so I’m not trying to look too far down the line.”
Clippers Notes: Jordan, Boban, Teodosic
Of all this season’s trade candidates who didn’t end up being dealt, DeAndre Jordan may have been the most frequent subject of trade rumors. However, after sticking with the Clippers through last month’s deadline, Jordan doesn’t seem eager to leave Los Angeles this summer. Although he’ll have the opportunity to become a free agent in July, Jordan tells Michael Lee of Yahoo Sports that his preference is to stay where he is.
“I’m here and that’s what I’m focused on,” Jordan said. “I’m excited. Like I told somebody the other day, I hope I can play another 10 years here. That’s what I’m focused on now.”
Jordan, who spoke about the “great times” he has had over the course of his 10 years with the Clippers, is probably unlikely to exercise his player option for 2018/19, according to Lee. However, even if he opts out, the veteran center could ink a new deal with the Clips. Whether such a deal is in the cards remains to be seen.
Here’s more on the Clippers:
- Center Boban Marjanovic was an afterthought in this season’s Blake Griffin blockbuster, with the analysis of that deal mostly focusing on the other pieces the Clippers received — Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, and a first-round pick. However, Marjanovic has been proving his value to the Clippers as of late, writes Elliott Teaford of The Daily Breeze. Boban has one more year left on his deal after this season and will earn $7MM in 2018/19.
- Clippers point guard Milos Teodosic says he has no regrets about leaving Europe to come to the NBA, as he tells Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. “So far, I really enjoy [playing in the NBA],” Teodosic said. “I’m happy to be here and I really enjoy playing with the best players in the world and against the best players in the world.”
- Earlier today, we opened up a discussion on the Western Conference playoff race, which features the ninth-seeded Clippers looking to work their way into the top eight.
Community Shootaround: Western Playoff Race
While it remains to be seen whether the Rockets or Warriors will finish the season as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, there’s no risk of either team falling below No. 2. Houston currently has a half-game lead on the second-place Warriors and a 12-game lead on the third-place Timberwolves.
After the top two teams in the West though, things get very interesting. As of today, there are seven Western teams separated by just two games in the loss column, with the 10th-seeded Jazz hanging around the race too. Here’s a current snapshot of the standings in the West:
- Minnesota Timberwolves (38-27)
- Portland Trail Blazers (36-26)
- San Antonio Spurs (36-26)
- New Orleans Pelicans (35-26)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (36-27)
- Denver Nuggets (33-28)
- Los Angeles Clippers (32-28)
- Utah Jazz (31-30)
Several of these teams have lost key players via injury or trade this season. The Timberwolves are currently without Jimmy Butler; Kawhi Leonard has barely played for the Spurs; DeMarcus Cousins is out for the season for the Pelicans; the Thunder will be without Andre Roberson for the season; the Nuggets and Jazz have lost Paul Millsap and Rudy Gobert for big chunks of the season, though both are playing now; and, of course, the Clippers traded Blake Griffin before last month’s deadline.
Of the eight teams vying for the final six playoff spots in the West, only the Spurs (3-7) have a losing record in their last 10 games, with the Trail Blazers (five straight wins) and Pelicans (seven straight wins) among the hottest teams in the group. Still, things could change quickly. Two or three losses in a row could send a team sliding down the standings in the West.
These teams have between 17 and 22 games left in the regular season, so we’re entering the home stretch, and there will be a key matchup worth watching nearly every day. The next two nights, for instance, will pit the Timberwolves vs. the Jazz and the Thunder vs. the Trail Blazers.
What’s your take on the Western Conference playoff race? Which two teams will miss the postseason? Which two teams will gain home-court advantage by nabbing the third and fourth seeds? Which first-round matchups would you most like to see?
Jump into the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!
Lakers Sign Travis Wear To 10-Day Contract
11:49am: The Lakers have issued a press release officially announcing their 10-day deal with Wear.
10:33am: The Lakers are filling one of their open roster spots by signing Travis Wear to a 10-day contract, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). After buying out Corey Brewer earlier this week, L.A. had only been carrying 13 players on its 15-man NBA roster.
Wear, a 6’9″ forward, has limited NBA experience, having appeared in 51 games for the Knicks in 2014/15. However, he spent time in camp with the Lakers in 2016 and has played for the club’s G League affiliate for the last two seasons. The former UCLA standout has also been a member of Team USA for several qualifying games for the 2019 World Cup.
In 33 G League games for the South Bay Lakers this season, Wear has averaged 16.7 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 2.0 APG, with a shooting line of .445/.419/.855.
Wear’s 10-day deal will count for $74,159 against Los Angeles’ cap. Once they officially sign Wear, the Lakers will still have one open roster spot if they want to sign another player to a 10-day contract or a rest-of-season deal.
Magic Notes: Isaac, Gordon, Vucevic, Ross
As we relayed on Thursday, rookie Magic forward Jonathan Isaac is on track to play on Friday night for the first time in 2018. Speaking today to reporters, head coach Frank Vogel confirmed that Isaac will make his return to the court, but cautioned that last year’s sixth overall pick will be on a minutes limit. As Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel tweets, Isaac will play about 15 minutes in his first game back from an ankle injury.
Here’s more on the Magic:
- Aaron Gordon recently admitted that it’s a challenge to stay in the present and not think about his upcoming free agency, as John Denton of the team’s official site writes. “Of course, of course, I worry,” said Gordon, who will be a restricted free agent in July. “It’s natural and it’s human to worry. But you work on your mentality so that you can enjoy the present moment instead of worrying. If you’re so caught up in what’s happened or what’s going to happen, you can’t fully enjoy what’s happening right now.”
- Elsewhere at the Magic’s official site, Dan Savage takes an in-depth look at Nikola Vucevic‘s recovery from a broken bone in his hand, detailing how even a fairly common injury for an NBA player can result in a long, arduous rehab process. Vucevic, who suffered the injury just before Christmas, returned to action after the All-Star break.
- Speaking of injured Magic players, Terrence Ross – who has been on the shelf since the end of November with a knee injury – had a small setback in February and is probably still a few weeks away from returning, Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel wrote earlier this week.
Recap Of February NBA Buyouts
Over the last month, several teams headed for the lottery have bought out and/or waived veteran players, allowing them to seek out new opportunities with playoff-bound clubs. Some of those players gave up some money to incentivize the arrangement for their old teams, while others were simply released outright.
Listed below is our round-up of the players who were bought out and/or waived, along with several players who were candidates to receive buyouts but ultimately stayed put.
While it’s still technically possible that players from that second group could be cut, they’ll no longer be playoff-eligible if they’re released now and sign with a new team down the stretch.
Veteran players who were bought out or released in February or on March 1 (chronological order):
- Greg Monroe, C: Waived by Suns; signed with Celtics.
- Quincy Pondexter, G/F: Waived by Bulls.
- Willie Reed, C: Waived by Bulls.
- Tony Allen, SG: Waived by Bulls.
- Marco Belinelli, SG: Waived by Hawks; signed with Sixers.
- Josh McRoberts, PF: Waived by Mavericks.
- Derrick Rose, PG: Waived by Jazz.
- Brandan Wright, F/C: Waived by Grizzlies; signed with Rockets.
- Joe Johnson, F: Waived by Kings; signed with Rockets.
- Ersan Ilyasova, PF: Waived by Hawks; signed with Sixers.
- Trevor Booker, PF: Waived by Sixers; signing with Pacers.
- Corey Brewer, G/F: Waived by Lakers; signing with Thunder.
- Shabazz Muhammad, SF: Waived by Timberwolves; signing with Bucks.
Buyout candidates who remained with their current teams (alphabetical order):
- Arron Afflalo, G/F (Magic)
- Vince Carter, SF (Kings)
- Mario Chalmers, PG (Grizzlies)
- Dante Cunningham, F (Nets)
- Channing Frye, PF (Lakers)
- Jarrett Jack, PG (Knicks)
- Brook Lopez, C (Lakers)
- Joakim Noah, C (Knicks)
- Nerlens Noel, C (Mavericks)
- Marreese Speights, F/C (Magic)