Five Key Stories: 1/12/19 – 1/19/19
If you missed any of this past week’s biggest headlines from around the NBA, we’ve got you covered with our Week in Review. Below are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days:
Rockets starting center and All-Star candidate Clint Capela will be out of action for the next four to six weeks after undergoing successful surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb. At the time of the injury, the Rockets still had an opening on their 15-man roster, but have since signed swingman James Nunnally to a 10-day contract, as noted below. Last night, it was reported that veteran big man Kenneth Faried will sign with the Rockets as a stopgap for Capela after reaching a buyout agreement with the Nets. It remains to be seen whether the Rockets will wait for Nunnally’s 10-day deal to be completed or trade or waive Carmelo Anthony to create the requisite room on the 15-man roster for Faried.
Turkish prosecutors are seeking an international arrest warrant for, and extradition of, Knicks center Enes Kanter, after accusing him of membership in a terror organization. Prosecutors are reportedly citing Kanter’s ties to Turkish exile Muhammed Fethullah Gulen, the man blamed for a failed coup against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2016. Specifically, Kanter is being accusing of providing financial support to Gulen. Understandably, Kanter did not travel with the Knicks to London this week for their game against the Wizards due to concerns about his safety.
The NBA announced there was no violation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when the Cavaliers signed and subsequently released Patrick McCaw. The NBA could have levied fines or lost-draft-pick penalties on the Cavs if there was evidence of wrongdoing, like testimony that the team signed McCaw solely to free him from his restricted free agency with the Warriors with no plans on keeping him. But, given their injury-ravaged roster, the Cavs had a clear motive for signing McCaw. And given his poor audition for the team, Cleveland also had an obvious motive for moving on from him.
Celtics All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving called former teammate LeBron James to apologize for resisting criticism and not fully appreciating James’ leadership during their time in Cleveland. Irving’s comments came just a few days after he publicly expressed frustration with some of his younger teammates, and while he acknowledged that he made a mistake by calling out his teammates in the press, his admission of his call to James seems to ironically imply that he views his teammates as resisting his criticism and not fully appreciating his leadership.
Here are 11 more notable NBA headlines from the last week:
- Mavericks veteran guard J.J. Barea suffered a torn right Achilles and will miss the remainder of the 2018/19 season after undergoing surgery. Dallas applied for and obtained a disabled player exception as a result.
- The Pistons signed guards Isaiah Whitehead and Kalin Lucas to two-way contracts after waiving both Keenan Evans and Zach Lofton.
- The Sixers signed veteran swingman Corey Brewer to a 10-day contract.
- Heat guard Dion Waiters is not happy with his limited playing time upon his return form injury.
- The Cavaliers signed point guard Cameron Payne to a second 10-day deal.
- Bulls rookie big man Wendell Carter Jr. will be sidelined for 8-12 weeks after suffering ligament damage in his left thumb.
- The Rockets signed former Timberwolves’ swingman James Nunnally to a 10-day contract.
- The Suns signed veteran forward Quincy Acy to a second 10-day contract.
- Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is undecided as to whether he will coach beyond 2018/19 season.
- After it was originally reported that the Mavericks were ramping up trade discussions for point guard Dennis Smith Jr., the team now reportedly hopes to reconcile with the second-year point guard. Smith has not requested a trade.
- The Kings are interested in potentially trading for both Hawks point guard Jeremy Lin (link) and Mavs forward Harrison Barnes (link).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Markelle Fultz To Continue Rehab In Philadelphia
Sixers guard Markelle Fultz has returned to Philadelphia to continue his shoulder rehab with the team, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. There is still no timetable for his return, but he will be attendance for today’s game between the Sixers and Thunder.
Fultz, who was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome in early December, has been rehabbing in Los Angeles since the diagnosis, but now plans to continue his rehab at the Sixers’ team facility in hopes of an eventual return to action this season.
The Sixers have fielded several trade offers for Fultz this season, but it appears that the team remains interested in seeing how the 20-year-old fares throughout the course of his rehab before making a decision on his future with the team.
The No. 1 overall selection in the 2017 NBA Draft, Fultz has had a disappointing start to his young career, averaging a pedestrian 7.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per contest in 33 career games.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 1/12/19 – 1/19/19
Every week, the Hoops Rumors writing team creates original content to complement our news feed. Below are the original segments and features from the past seven days:
- Luke Adams went in-depth in his examination of the stalemate that went on between the Rockets and Danuel House.
- In our lone poll of the week, we asked:
- Will the Nets, currently on a three-game win streak, make the playoffs?
- In this week’s Community Shootaround posts, we asked:
- Should the league take steps to eliminate or reduce 3-point shooting or do you like the game the way it currently is?
- How will the return of big man DeMarcus Cousins for the Warriors affect both him and the team?
- Luke Adams took a look at the importance of January 15, which marked the deadline for two-way contracts to be signed, the deadline to apply for a DPE, and the date where a plethora of players finally became trade eligible.
- In his Fantasy Hoops post, Chris Crouse takes a look at how injuries are affecting the fantasy value of players on the Jazz and Rockets, concentrating mostly on the positive affect it will have on Donovan Mitchell and P.J. Tucker.
- We took a look at the 18 traded player exceptions that are set to expire within the next month.
- In our NBA Trade Candidate Watch, we focused on the Southwest Division for a third go-round.
- Our Free Agent Stock Watch series highlighted the Pacific Division.
Frank Ntilikina Drawing Trade Interest?
With the trade deadline approaching, the Knicks are one team to watch, as they could deal any number of veterans or young players. 2017 first-round draft pick Frank Ntilikina has not developed the way New York had hoped and is one candidate to be traded, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes.
To date, the 20-year-old Frenchman has started in just 23 games through his first two NBA seasons. The Knicks elected to go with veterans at the point guard position last season and Ntilikina has been relegated to bench duty for much of the season.
Per Bondy, the Magic and Suns have expressed interest in Ntilikina. The issue, however, is a split mindset within the front office as Ntilikina was drafted by current team president Steve Mills and has support from the front office. However, general manager Scott Perry took over after Ntilikina was drafted and has less of an attachment to the sophomore. In fact, he recently approached the Hawks about a possible trade but since Atlanta has Trae Young, talks did not go far, Bondy reports.
Ntilikina has averaged just 6.0 PPG and 3.0 APG in 115 career games. While his defense has been a strong suit, Ntilikina has struggled to develop a consistent shot, evidenced by his career 35.7% field goal percentage and 31.2 percent shooting from beyond the arc. The Knicks are in a position to secure a top-five draft pick this summer and given Ntilikina’s lack of development, the team just may explore moving on from the Frenchman.
Anthony Davis To Miss 1-2 Weeks With Left Finger Sprain
Pelicans All-Star Anthony Davis will miss the next one t0-two weeks due to a left index finger sprain, the team announced in a press release Saturday. Davis’ agent Rich Paul said the big man will re-evaluate the injury in three to four days before deciding on whether or not to see a hand specialist, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
Davis suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of New Orleans’ 128-112 loss to Portland on Friday night. He finished the game with 27 points and seven rebounds.
The 25-year-old is enjoying another MVP-caliber season in 2018/19. In 41 games, the five-time All-Star is averaging career-highs with 29.3 PPG, 13.3 RPG and 2.6 BPG
At 21-25, the Pelicans are currently four games back of the Lakers (25-21) for the eighth seed in the Western Conference. Playing without their best player, the Pelicans will need a strong effort from the rest of the team to keep pace in the West.
Nets Waive Kenneth Faried Ahead Of Rockets Deal
The Nets have requested waivers on veteran big man Kenneth Faried, the team announced in a press release on Saturday. Faried is expected to sign with the Rockets upon clearing waivers, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Friday.
Faried – who has a $13.7MM salary – is expected to clear waivers on Monday, per Wojnarowski. The Rockets will need to clear a roster spot for Faried and the team is reportedly ramping up efforts to trade Carmelo Anthony. Anthony, who still technically occupies a spot on the Rockets’ roster, reportedly has multiple options and will land with a new team.
Once his deal with Houston is complete, the team plans to insert Faried into the lineup for significant minutes to offset the absence of Clint Capela. Capela will miss four to six weeks after undergoing surgery for a torn ligament in his right thumb.
In 12 games this season with Brooklyn, Faried averaged 5.1 PPG and 3.7 RPG in 9.8 minutes per contest. Brooklyn acquired Faried, Darrell Arthur, a protected 2019 first round draft pick and a 2020 second-round draft pick for Isaiah Whitehead this past summer.
Nuggets Optimistic Isaiah Thomas Will Return In Mid-February
The Nuggets are optimistic that oft-injured point guard Isaiah Thomas will debut with the team ahead of the mid-February All-Star break, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
Thomas, 29, signed a one-year pact with the Nuggets in July as he recovered from hip surgery in March. It was the same hip injury that cut short his stint in the 2017 NBA Playoffs and delayed the start to his 2017/18 campaign.
Thomas’ final step in recovery is progressing to 5-on-5 scrimmages. If that goes well, Denver expects the former All-Star to possibly return by the Feb. 11-13 homestand and no later than the team’s first game after the All-Star break on Feb. 22, Wojnarowski reports.
It was just over two seasons ago that Thomas was third in the NBA with an average of 28.9 PPG. Thomas seemed destined for a lucrative deal worth north of $100MM but his troublesome hip prevented that. He split last season between the Cavaliers and Lakers, averaging 15.2 PPG in 32 games before undergoing hip surgery.
If Thomas successfully returns, he will battle with guards Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Malik Beasley, Will Barton and Monte Morris for playing time.
Pacific Notes: Rondo, Ingles, Cousins, Shumpert, Divac
Lakers point guard Rajon Rondo has been cleared to practice, Mike Bresnahan of Spectrum SportsNet tweets. The Lakers will not practice prior to their game against Houston on Saturday, so Rondo’s first practice will be delayed until at least Sunday. Rondo hasn’t played since Christmas Day due to a torn ligament in his right ring finger. Rondo, who will be an unrestricted free agent once again this summer, underwent surgery on December 28th.
We have more from around the Pacific Division:
- Clippers coach Doc Rivers still rues the day the franchise let Joe Ingles go, Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News reports. Ingles was the team’s last cut during 2014 training camp because the roster was already filled with guarantee contracts. Ingles has since emerged as a key piece for the Jazz. “I said it the day we released him that this was a bad decision and that we’re going to regret it,” Rivers said. “Unfortunately I was working for someone who said we couldn’t eat a contract. We were begging to eat one contract and they said that will never happen and we had to let him go.”
- The Warriors know there will be adjustment period once DeMarcus Cousins returns to action but they’re confident he’ll eventually fit in, Nick Friedell of ESPN writes. Like many of the team’s stars, Cousins is used to having the ball in his hands frequently. They’ll all have to learn to share it even more with a dominant low-post scorer in the lineup. “Obviously, we want him to be himself,” Stephen Curry said. “We want him to be that player that he knows he can be. Bring that specific and unique skill set to kind of change our look a little bit. We have high-IQ guys all over the floor that will be able to figure it out. It might not be smooth at the beginning because it is going to be different, but he brings another element that we’ve never had before.”
- Kings guard Iman Shumpert denies that he tried to enter Portland’s locker room in a confrontation manner on Monday, he tweets. Shumpert was apparently upset at Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic for setting a hard pick on him but said he merely wanted to talk things out. “I was respectful of their team’s space and privacy. I waited outside and asked to have a conversation. I was greeted by team security that talked to me and I left.”
- Kings GM Vlade Divac confirms that he told minority owners to stop meddling in the team’s affairs, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee tweets. Divac made his feelings known during a conference call with members of the team’s executive board. “I just told them about my plan,” he informed Anderson. When asked if he told those owners to stop meddling and leaking stories, he replied, “Yeah, that’s my plan.”
Free Agent Stock Watch 2019: Pacific Division
Every week, Hoops Rumors takes a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents next offseason. We examine if their stock is rising or falling due to performance and other factors. This week, we turn our attention to the Pacific Division:
Kevon Looney, Warriors, 22, PF (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $1.57MM deal in 2018
Looney has received rotation minutes throughout the season, providing defense and rebounding while the stars do most of the scoring. Looney, who had back-to-back 12-rebound games this week, has made the most of his limited offensive opportunities (62.6%) though he doesn’t shoot threes or make enough of his free throws. Efficiency ratings and advanced defensive metrics are above-average. It remains to be seen how much DeMarcus Cousins‘ return will impact his minutes but for now, he’s enhanced his resume.
Patrick Beverley, Clippers, 30, PG (Up) – Signed to a four-year, $23MM deal in 2015
Beverley missed most of last season due to right knee surgery. Beverley’s offensive numbers are down but that’s not the strength of his game. He has resumed his role as a pesky, on-the-ball defender and Doc Rivers has played him an average of 26.9 MPG this month. Beverley posted one of the oddest stat lines of the year for a guard on Monday — three points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks in 25 minutes against New Orleans. His ability to get under opponents’ skin will help him land a multi-year deal in the summer.
Ryan Anderson, Suns, 30, PF (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $80MM deal in 2016
Anderson will make a substantial amount of money next season, yet he’ll probably sign for the veteran’s minimum. How does that work? He’s guaranteed $15.6MM in the last year of his contract and the Suns have until July 10th to decide whether to give him a $21.2MM full guarantee. Considering that Anderson never plays anymore, that will likely be an easy decision for the Suns. Anderson cashed in at just the right time the last time he entered the market but he’s gone from starter on one of the league’s top teams one season to spectator on one of the league’s worst clubs this year.
Ivica Zubac, Lakers, 21, C (Up) — Signed to a three-year, $3.9MM deal in 2016
Coach Luke Walton and the front office didn’t appear to have any faith in their young big earlier this season, as evidenced by the early-season signing of Tyson Chandler. When finally given a chance a month ago, Zubac has delivered some solid performances. He erupted for 26 points and 12 rebounds in 28 minutes against Oklahoma City on Thursday. Zubac needs to become a more physical defender but he has a deft touch around the rim. A restricted free agent, Zubac’s status with the franchise hinges on how much cap space they want to free up this summer. His qualifying offer is just over $1.9MM.
Kosta Koufos, Kings, 29, C (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $32.9MM deal in 2015
Considering how the Kings have been collecting young bigs through the draft in the last couple of years, it was almost inevitable that Koufos’ role would diminish. That’s especially true this month, as Koufos hasn’t seen the court in the last four games. Koufos is a traditional center who doesn’t shoot threes and he’s also a poor free throw shooter. Defense and rebounding are the areas where Koufos can help a team in a backup role but offers on the open market will be modest.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Mavs Awarded Disabled Player Exception
The NBA has awarded the Mavericks a Disabled Player Exception of $1.85MM due to J.J. Barea‘s Achilles injury, Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
The Mavericks have until March 11 to use the exception.
Unlike mid-level, bi-annual, or trade exceptions, the disabled player exception can only be used on a single player. However, a team can use it in a variety of ways — the DPE can be used to sign a free agent, to claim a player off waivers, or to acquire a player in a trade. Because it’s designed to replace an injured player for a single season, a DPE can only be used to sign or acquire a player on a rest-of-season contract.
A disabled player exception doesn’t provide a team with an extra roster spot, so the Mavs – who are carrying a full 15-man roster – must create an opening in order to use it.
[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Disabled Player Exception]
The veteran guard underwent season-ending surgery on his torn right Achilles on Monday after suffering the injury a week ago.
If a player is seriously injured, his team can request a disabled player exception to replace him. In order for the exception to be granted, an NBA-designated physician must determine that the player is “substantially more likely than not” to be sidelined through at least June 15. If granted, the disabled player exception allows a club to sign a replacement player for 50% of the injured player’s salary, or for the amount of the non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception, whichever is lesser.
In Barea’s case, the exception is modest — 50% of his $3,710,850 salary.