Clippers Notes: Playoffs, Green, Temple, Arena
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer wants to see his team in the playoffs, even though it would mean surrendering this year’s first-round pick, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic. Sources tell Amick that Ballmer has made his wishes clear to the organization, although it was widely assumed that the Clippers were resigned to a second straight non-playoff season when they traded Tobias Harris to the Sixers earlier this month.
L.A.’s draft choice, which is owed to the Celtics, is lottery protected, which means the Clippers keep it if they don’t make the postseason, but lose it if they do. The pick has the same protection for next year, then becomes a 2022 second-rounder if the Clippers miss the playoffs in both seasons.
While it might be nice to hold onto the pick for an infusion of young talent or an asset to chase Anthony Davis, the Clippers believe a playoff appearance is more important and could be a valuable selling point when they chase free agents this summer.
“I think the race, alone, would be a learning tool. If we can make it and they get in, you can’t have a better teacher than the playoffs,” coach Doc Rivers told Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. “You can talk about the playoffs all you want, but it’s a different beast.”
There’s more Clippers news to pass along:
- The Clippers have the 22nd-toughest schedule over the rest of the season, placing them between their closest competitors — the Lakers at ninth and the Kings at 25th — Amick adds in the same story. In addition to their other reasons for wanting to reach the postseason, the Clippers are very immersed in trying to best their cross-town rivals, especially when they might be competing with the Lakers for the same free agents.
- JaMychal Green and Garrett Temple didn’t have to wait long after the trade deadline for their return to Memphis, Woike writes in a separate story. They faced the Grizzlies Friday, helping their new team pick up a key win in the playoff race. “It’s just a competitive thing,” Rivers explained. “Sometimes it’s free agency, sometimes it’s trades, sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad. You still want to beat your old team.”
- Discussions with Inglewood officials about building a new arena began 10 months earlier than anyone previously admitted, according to Nathan Fenno of The Los Angeles Times, who reviewed more than 1,100 pages of emails and other documents that were made public. Ballmer wants his own facility for greater control of scheduling dates, but the project is locked up in a legal battle.
G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/23/19
Here are Saturday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA G League:
- The Wizards recalled rookie forward Troy Brown Jr. so he could play in tonight’s game against the Pacers, Washington announced in a tweet. It’s the 30th NBA game of the season for Brown, who entered the night averaging 2.4 PPG in about seven minutes per game.
- The Raptors assigned Chris Boucher and Malcolm Miller for today’s game against Long Island, according to a tweet from Raptors 905.
Community Shootaround: Who Will The Lakers Add?
When LeBron James signed with the Lakers last summer, anticipation began building about who the next star would be to join him in L.A. It’s a question that still hasn’t been answered.
As LeBron tries to make a run to the playoffs surrounded by a collection of young players and veterans on one-year contracts, the organization’s long-term picture remains fuzzy. The front office made a strong pitch for Pelicans star Anthony Davis before the trade deadline, but all its offers were rebuffed, and now the Lakers will have to compete with teams such as the Celtics and Knicks that might have more assets they’re willing to offer to New Orleans.
L.A. will enter the summer with enough cap room to offer a max contract, but the team may not be the front-runner for anyone in a talented free agent class. ESPN’s Tim Bontemps examined some of the elite free agents this week and found that the Lakers won’t have an easy path toward landing any of them.
The Knicks are believed to have the inside track on Kevin Durant if he decides to leave the Warriors. The Celtics remain confident they can keep Kyrie Irving, but Bontemps thinks it’s more likely that he would team up with Durant in New York than accept a reunion with James. Kawhi Leonard has indicated a desire to play in Los Angeles, but reportedly prefers a lead role with the Clippers over becoming part of LeBron’s supporting cast.
Klay Thompson will stay with the Warriors if they comes through with a max offer. Kemba Walker has strong ties to Charlotte, which can give him a supermax contract worth more than $200MM over five years. The Bucks’ Khris Middleton and the Sixers’ Tobias Harris both appear destined to stay with their current teams.
Bontemps pegs Jimmy Butler as the most likely option for the Lakers if the Sixers decide they don’t want to max out him and Butler at the same time Ben Simmons becomes eligible for an extension. The ESPN writer sees DeMarcus Cousins as another possibility if the Lakers are willing to take a risk on his long-term health so soon after a major Achilles injury.
We want to get your input on the Lakers’ future. Who do you believe will be the best player that team president Magic Johnson and GM Rob Pelinka will add this summer? Please leave your responses in the space below.
Heat Notes: Wade, Ellington, Dragic, Draft Age
Coach Erik Spoelstra cites “an instant and inherent built-in level of urgency” for the Heat to reach the playoffs in Dwyane Wade‘s final season, relays Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Miami is stuck in ninth place at 26-31, a game behind the Pistons, whom they host tonight. Wade announced before the start of the season that this would be his final year in the NBA, and the organization wants to send him off with a playoff appearance.
Wade won’t be moved into the starting lineup, but Spoelstra plans to expand his role. Wade has remained productive in his 16th season, averaging 14.1 points per night in 47 games, all as a reserve.
“You can see what’s happening,” Spoelstra said. “He’s going to be starting to play starter’s minutes. We’ve made it through this far of the season and he’s feeling great. We’ve protected each other to this point — but now it’s go time. I’m going to keep the dynamics as much as I can the same. I don’t want too many moving parts this late in the season.”
There’s more Heat news to pass along:
- Miami will see a couple of players in the next three days who were traded just before the deadline, Winderman adds in the same story. The Pistons feature Wayne Ellington, who wasn’t getting consistent playing time in Miami, and Spoelstra said the organization worked with Ellington’s representatives to find him a better situation. “He decided at this point of his career he wanted to go to a place where he could play going into free agency,” Spoelstra explained. Tyler Johnson and the Suns will face the Heat on Monday.
- Goran Dragic will play tonight for the first time since having knee surgery in December, but his minutes will be limited, Winderman tweets.
- Wade is a strong proponent of lowering the draft age so that players who believe they’re ready for the NBA won’t be forced into a year of college basketball, Winderman adds in a separate piece. The NBA submitted a proposal to the players union this week to lower the draft age from 19 to 18, but the change that won’t take effect until 2022 if it’s approved. “I just think the rule should be that if a guy, if he’s good enough to come out at 18, at 17, he should be able to,” Wade said. “Just like other sports and other things in the world, you’re able to go to the war early.”
Five Key Stories: 2/16/19 – 2/23/19
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:
MSG Co. released a statement denying that James Dolan has considered selling the Knicks. A report this week from Bill Simmons of The Ringer said Dolan was “courting offers” for the team, according to sources that Simmons talked to at All-Star Weekend. The MSG statement called the story “100% false.”
Projected No. 1 pick Zion Williamson of Duke was diagnosed with a Grade 1 knee sprain after suffering an injury that looked like it could have been much worse. Williamson’s left shoe tore open in the first minute of Wednesday’s game against North Carolina. He left the floor under his own power, but didn’t return.
The NBA submitted a proposal to its players union that would lower the draft age from 19 to 18. Any changes aren’t expected to be implemented before the 2022 draft.
Pelicans interim GM Danny Ferry explained the team’s plans for Anthony Davis for the remainder of the season. Davis will continue to play a regular schedule, but his nightly minutes will be reduced to lessen the chance of injury. The league has threatened to fine New Orleans $100K per game if Davis sits out while he’s healthy.
The Hawks unveiled plans for their new G League affiliate, which will begin play next season. The team will be known as the College Park Skyhawks and will replace the Erie Bayhawks, who will be taken over by the Pelicans.
Here are 10 more notable NBA headlines from the past week:
- Michael Beasley will resume his career in China instead of waiting for an NBA offer. Beasley was waived by the Clippers after they acquired him from the Lakers at the trade deadline.
- Frank Kaminsky would like to negotiate a buyout with the Hornets so he can restart his career somewhere else. Kaminsky hasn’t played more than 10 minutes in a game since January 2, but Charlotte might want to keep him around as insurance against injuries.
- Milos Teodosic isn’t expected to play anymore this season after being waived by the Clippers. He plans to join Serbia’s national team in the World Cup qualifiers, then rest to prepare for next season.
- Headed to free agency, Klay Thompson expressed a desire to be part of the Warriors‘ future. Owner Joe Lacob said recently that cost concerns won’t force him to break up a championship-level team.
- After sitting out 50 games due to foot surgery, Kevin Love wants to be active for the rest of the season. The Cavaliers will keep him on a minutes restriction until their medical staff clears him for full-time duty.
- Veteran forward Udonis Haslem may not be ready to end his career. The 38-year-old Heat big man indicated that he would like to return to the team next season.
- The Bucks might have interest in J.R. Smith if he agrees to a buyout with the Cavaliers. However, Cleveland is expected to hold onto Smith, who has been away from the team and hasn’t played since November 19.
- Hawks GM Travis Schlenk confirmed that Atlanta would have drafted Luka Doncic if the team would had kept the No. 3 pick instead of trading it to Dallas. The Hawks got a top-five protected 2019 selection in the deal.
- Jordan Crawford reached a deal to play in the Chinese Basketball Association. His Sichaun team isn’t expected to make the playoffs, so he could be back in the NBA before the season ends.
- The Knicks signed high scoring G Leaguer John Jenkins to a two-year contract. He averaged 24.8 PPG in 19 games with New York’s affiliate in Westchester.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Nets Notes: Rotation, Kurucs, LeVert, Davis
Now that the Nets have a healthy lineup again, it’s up to coach Kenny Atkinson to find the right combinations to break them out of a slump, writes Greg Joyce of The New York Post. Caris LeVert, Allen Crabbe and Jared Dudley recently returned from injuries, leaving Spencer Dinwiddie, who had thumb surgery in late January, as the only player still sidelined. However, Brooklyn has lost six of its last eight games and has fallen back to .500.
“I think part of getting healthy again is just getting that chemistry and getting our lineups right,” Atkinson said. “That’s where we’re a little — confused is the wrong word, but we’re trying to figure it out what the best thing is and who’s getting the minutes and all that. It’s almost like another new season for us with all our returning players.”
LeVert was off to a sizzling start before suffering a dislocated foot in November, and backcourt partner D’Angelo Russell didn’t begin to excel until LeVert got injured. Atkinson has to find a way for them to be effective together, while also working out a logjam at power forward, where Treveon Graham, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Dudley are all battling for playing time.
There’s more today out of Brooklyn:
- Also competing for minutes at forward will be rookie forward Rodions Kurucs, even though he was held out of the lineup Thursday, Joyce adds in a separate story. Atkinson said the 21-year-old, who was part of the Rising Stars Challenge, will remain in the mix for a spot in the rotation.
- LeVert expected to be out for the season when he first suffered his injury, relays Bryan Fonseca of NetsDaily. “I looked down and I was like, ‘Man, this is bad,’” LeVert said in an appearance on ESPN’s SportsCenter. “But I think, probably 15-20 minutes after it happened, they kind of told me that it may have only been a dislocation. And that was the best case scenario in that situation.”
- Ed Davis was happy to get a one-year, $4.4MM offer from the Nets last summer, but he wasn’t sure he would be joining a contender, notes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “When I signed here in July, I didn’t think this was a playoff team, honestly,” Davis said. “But when I got here and started to see players and how good guys were — and see coach, his philosophies and his schemes — my mindset changed.”
James Harden Fined $25K For Criticizing Officials
Rockets star James Harden has been hit with a $25K fine for comments he made about the officiating after Thursday’s loss to the Lakers, the NBA announced on Twitter.
After fouling out of the game, Harden told reporters that referee Scott Foster has a “personal” issue with the Rockets and suggested that he shouldn’t be allowed to work any more of the team’s games. The calls against Harden included four offensive fouls.
“Scott Foster, man. I never really talk about officiating or anything like that, but just rude and arrogant,” Harden said in comments relayed by Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “I mean, you aren’t able to talk to him throughout the course of the game, and it’s like, how do you build that relationship with officials? And it’s not even that call [on the sixth foul]. It’s just who he is on that floor.
“It’s pretty frustrating. And I’m probably going to get hit [with a fine], but honestly, I don’t really say anything. I’m a pretty quiet guy, to myself, but it’s one of those things where you can’t voice your opinion. You can’t have a conversation with someone that’s officiating the game. You’re getting a tech. It’s pretty sad.”
MacMahon notes that Houston’s Chris Paul had a similar incident last January after a game in which Foster gave him a technical foul, calling Foster “who they pay to see.” Paul also received a technical and fouled out of Thursday’s game with the Lakers.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 2/16/19 – 2/23/19
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 examined the state of the buyout market.
- We looked at projected mid-level and bi-annual exception values for next year.
- Chris Crouse speculated on how Enes Kanter‘s move to the Trail Blazers affects his fantasy value.
- Our Weekly Mailbag took questions on Anthony Davis, the Warriors and the Hall of Fame.
- In this week’s polls, we asked our readers:
- Where will Kyrie Irving play next season?
- Who’s the second-best team in the Western Conference?
- Where will Anthony Davis wind up next year?
- In this week’s Community Shootaround posts, we asked:
- What are the Lakers‘ playoff chances?
- Does the NBA need stronger anti-tanking measures?
- Will the Nets match any offer for D’Angelo Russell?
Anthony Davis To Miss Pelicans’ Game Against Lakers
Pelicans All-Star Anthony Davis will miss New Orleans’ Saturday night game against the Lakers due to rest, the team announced.
Davis played for 20 minutes in New Orleans’ loss to the Pacers Friday, notching 15 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Following Davis’ public announcement that he would not re-sign with the Pelicans, the team has implemented plans to limit his minutes for the rest of the 2018/19 season.
“League rules made it clear Anthony has to play,” Pelicans interim general manager Danny Ferry said in reference to the organization’s plan for Davis. “As we’ve done previously, we will continue to follow their lead but also be focused on the future of the team.”
In 46 games this season, Davis has averaged 27.8 PPG and 12.8 RPG for the Pelicans. In addition to Davis likely missing the back end of back-to-backs for the rest of year, Ferry indicated that Davis’ minutes per game will sit between 20-25.
New Orleans weighed trading Davis after he and his agent went public with the big man’s future plans. The Lakers were reportedly the most aggressive team in pursuit of the six-time All-Star.
Timberwolves Will Not Sign Isaiah Canaan For Rest Of Season
The Timberwolves will not sign Isaiah Canaan for the rest of the season after his second 10-day contract expired, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN.
With injuries to Derrick Rose, Jeff Teague and Tyus Jones, Minnesota signed Canaan for depth purposes. In seven games (one start) covering his two 10-day pacts, Canaan averaged 4.7 PPG and 2.7 APG while shooting an impressive 37% from three. However, with all three point guards healthy, the Timberwolves do not have a fit for the 27-year-old.
Canaan appeared in 19 games for the Suns earlier this season, averaging 7.5 PPG.
While Canaan is free to pursue opportunities for the remainder of the season, the door is open for a possible reunion over the summer, tweets Michael Scotto of The Athletic.