Month: May 2024

Skal Labissiere To Miss Time With Knee Injury

December 30th, 2019 at 2:23pm CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers will be down another big man this week, as beat writer Casey Holdhal reports (via Twitter) that the MRI on Skal Labissiere‘s injured left knee this weekend was inconclusive. According to Holdahl, Labissiere has been ruled out of Monday’s game with left knee inflammation and won’t travel with the team on its five-game road trip, which begins on Wednesday in New York.

Labissiere barely played for Portland last season and wasn’t initially expected to have a major role for the club in 2019/20. However, with Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins both on the shelf due to long-term injuries, the former No. 28 overall pick has had the chance to play regular rotation minutes. Labissiere had logged double-digit minutes in 23 consecutive games before leaving Saturday’s loss to the Lakers in the first quarter.

For the season, Labissiere has averaged 5.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 0.9 BPG in 17.2 minutes per contest (33 games). He’ll undergo a second MRI and be re-evaluated once his inflammation subsides, according to Holdahl (Twitter link).

While it’s possible that Labissiere could rejoin the Blazers’ during their road trip, it sounds as if the club expects him to miss that entire five-game stretch. If that’s the case, the earliest date he could return to action would be on January 11, when the Blazers return home to host the Bucks.

Labissiere, 23, will be eligible for restricted free agency at season’s end.

Community Shootaround: NBA All-Decade Team

December 30th, 2019 at 1:30pm CST by Luke Adams

We’re just two days away from turning our calendars to 2020, which means the topic of the NBA’s All-Decade Team for the 2010s has been a popular one as of late.

Picking three All-NBA Teams for a full decade is even more complicated than selecting them for a single season. Longevity comes into play — if a player was only active for half the decade, but excelled during those five years, does that outweigh a solid 10-year run by another player? And how should consistent statistical stardom over a 10-year stretch by a player who didn’t win a title compare to someone who won three championships but didn’t necessarily post incredible numbers?

Among those who have shared their All-Decade Teams is Ben Rohrbach of Yahoo Sports, whose picks followed the usual All-NBA format — Rohrbach selected three teams comprised of two guards, two forwards, and one center each.

The First Team is made up of the usual suspects. LeBron James and Stephen Curry lead the way, with Kevin Durant and James Harden joining them in the frontcourt and backcourt respectively. Those four players combined to win seven of 10 MVP awards since 2010, and six of the 10 champions this decade featured at least one of those four stars. James, Durant, and Harden are also the NBA’s three leading scorers over the last 10 years, while no player has a higher win-share rate than Curry since the start of the 2013/14 season.

No centers have dominated the decade from start to finish, so Rohrbach filled out his First Team with Anthony Davis, who may be the NBA’s best center right now, even if he prefers to play the four.

Rohrbach’s Second Team picks are guards Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul, forwards Kawhi Leonard and Giannis Antetokounmpo, and center Dwight Howard, who was a perennial All-Star for the first half of the decade.

Rohrbach’s Third Team features a few more players whose best years of the decade came in the first half of the 2010s, with guards Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant making the cut, along with center Tim Duncan. Forwards Paul George and Draymond Green fill out the Third Team.

While Rohrbach’s 15 selections are certainly worthy of recognition, a handful of noteworthy stars didn’t make the cut. Forwards Carmelo Anthony, Blake Griffin, and LaMarcus Aldridge, who combined for 16 All-NBA nods in the 2010s, only earn honorable mention, as do guards Jimmy Butler, Damian Lillard, Klay Thompson, and Kyrie Irving, and centers DeMarcus Cousins, Marc Gasol, Pau Gasol, and Joel Embiid. Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Chris Bosh, and Rudy Gobert were also considered.

I would’ve given Kyle Lowry serious consideration for a backcourt spot on the Third Team, so I’m surprised he didn’t even show up in Rohrbach’s honorable mentions, but otherwise I can’t quibble with too many of his picks.

We want to know what you think though. Are there any glaring omissions you’d like to see on the list? Do you think any players on Rohrbach’s Second or Third Teams should be bumped higher, or eliminated from the top 15 altogether?

To help refresh your memory on the full decade, here’s a list of every player who has earned multiple All-Star nods since 2010, sorted by win shares per 48 minutes, via Basketball-Reference.

Let us know in the comment section below who you think belongs on the NBA’s All-Decade Teams for the 2010s!

NBA Dates, Deadlines To Watch In January

December 30th, 2019 at 12:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Near the start of the 2019/20 campaign, we looked ahead and identified several dates and deadlines to watch on the NBA calendar throughout the rest of the season. While that list covered the general highlights, it’s worth taking a closer look at some of those key dates to keep an eye out for in January, which should be a busy month.

Let’s dive in…

Non-guaranteed contracts become guaranteed

January 10 is the date that all non-guaranteed NBA contracts for 2019/20 will officially become guaranteed, but January 7 is really the day to watch. If a team wants to avoid having a salary become guaranteed, the player must clear waivers before January 10, which means he needs to be cut by January 7, at the latest.

Many players without fully guaranteed salaries are in no danger of being waived within the next week, but some teams will take the opportunity to save a little money and open up a roster spot.

Teams can begin signing players to 10-day contracts

Around the same time that some NBA clubs will be opening up a roster spot by waiving a player on a non-guaranteed salary, teams will also be able to use those newly-created openings to sign players to 10-day contracts. Those 10-day deals, which can be signed as of January 5, give teams the opportunity to pick up a short-term injury replacement, or perhaps to get a brief look at a standout G League player.

We extensively outlined the details of 10-day contracts and explained how they work in our glossary entry on the subject.

More players become trade-eligible

A huge percentage of the NBA’s offseason signees became eligible to be traded back on December 15, but there are still many players who can’t be dealt. By the end of next month, that list of players ineligible to be traded will shrink further, since there are 25 players currently on track to have those restrictions lift between now and January 31.

January 15 is the key date, with 20 players becoming trade-eligible as of that Wednesday. That group is primarily made up of players who almost certainly aren’t going anywhere, such as Klay Thompson and Kristaps Porzingis. However, a handful of players on that list could be involved in trade rumors in 2020, including Nene and Rudy Gay.

A few other offseason signees have unique trade-eligible dates in January, since they were signed sometime after September 15 or inked an offseason extension. Those players are Dwight Powell (January 6), Caleb Martin (January 19), Jalen McDaniels (January 20), Wenyen Gabriel (January 21), and CJ McCollum (January 30).

Two-way contract deadlines

NBA teams will face a pair of key deadlines relating to two-way contracts in January. The first of those dates arrives on January 15, which is the last day that a team can sign a player to a two-way contract this season.

Most teams have already filled both of their two-way slots. Still, it’s safe to assume that a number of clubs will make changes at those spots within the next couple weeks, while the one team with a two-way opening – the Suns – will likely fill it.

On January 20, all players on two-way contracts will have their G League salaries for the season become fully guaranteed.

Other odds and ends

There are a few other dates in January that are worth mentioning, despite the fact that they’ll likely come and go without much fanfare.

On January 10, mid-level and room exceptions – along with other cap exceptions like the bi-annual exception – will start to prorate for the year, meaning a team with its full room exception available would no longer be able to offer the full $4.767MM amount to a free agent. Exceptions will decline in value by 1/177th per day, starting on January 10.

January 15 is the last day that teams can apply for a disabled player exception to replace an injured player who is deemed unlikely to return this season. A disabled player exception can give a club extra cap flexibility, though that team may still have to open up a roster spot to add a player using its DPE.

Our glossary entry explaining the disabled player exception can be found right here, while our list of 2019/20 DPEs is here. The Wizards, Pelicans, Trail Blazers, Lakers, and Nets have been granted DPEs this season.

A series of modest trade exceptions created in trades last January will expire within the next month. Two small Rockets TPEs will expire on January 7 and January 22, while the Mavericks will lose the smaller of their two TPEs on January 31 if it goes unused.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Categories:
Hoops Rumors Originals

Kings’ Dewayne Dedmon Confirms Trade Request

December 30th, 2019 at 11:40am CST by Luke Adams

11:40am: The NBA will investigate Dedmon’s comments to determine whether he’ll be fined, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. As noted below, the league’s CBA prohibits players from publicly requesting a trade.

8:55am: Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Friday that Kings center Dewayne Dedmon, who has fallen out of the team’s rotation after signing a three-year, $41MM contract in the summer, wants to be dealt. Speaking on Sunday to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee, Dedmon made no effort to deny Charania’s report or downplay his desire to be moved.

“I would like to be traded,” Dedmon confirmed. “I haven’t been playing, so I would like to go somewhere where my talents are appreciated.”

Dedmon, 30, was coming off two solid seasons in Atlanta when he reached unrestricted free agency this past offseason. In 2018/19, he averaged a career-best 10.8 PPG to go along with 7.5 RPG, 1.1 SPG, 1.1 BPG, and a .382 3PT%. That performance made him a popular target on the open market and resulted in a lucrative contract offer from Sacramento.

However, Dedmon was outplayed by bigs like Richaun Holmes and Nemanja Bjelica in the early going this season. With Marvin Bagley III and Harrison Barnes also in the frontcourt mix, head coach Luke Walton hasn’t found minutes for the former Hawk as of late — Dedmon, who is making just 41.9% of his shots from the field this season, has only played seven total minutes since December 6, and is frustrated that he hasn’t gotten more of a chance to reverse his slow start.

“I’m not the only person struggling with my shot, so if that’s a factor then it’s kind of crazy,” Dedmon told Anderson. “If you’re not allowed to shoot through your slumps, I don’t know how you’re supposed to make shots.”

Dedmon is earning $13MM+ this season and has another fully guaranteed year left on his deal, so the Kings may still want to get him back into the rotation at some point to rebuild his value and salvage their investment. However, the veteran big man sounds skeptical that things will turn around for him in Sacramento.

“I definitely appreciate (the Kings’ investment), but I want to be somewhere where I get to play,” Dedmon said. “That’s my biggest thing. I’m trying to play and I’ve been told I’m no longer in the rotation here, so there’s really nothing to wait on.”

According to Anderson, the Kings are listening to offers for Dedmon and there may be a market for his services, but the front office will insist that any deal must make sense for the team’s future. Sam Quinn of CBS Sports recently speculated that teams like the Clippers, Celtics, Timberwolves, Trail Blazers, and Hawks could be fits for Dedmon. Anderson adds the Mavericks and Magic to that list of hypothetical suitors.

The NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement prohibits players from making public trade demands, so we’ll see if the league responds to Dedmon’s comments. Anthony Davis was fined $50K last winter when agent Rich Paul publicly requested a trade.

And-Ones: I. Taylor, Wiseman, Draft, World Peace

December 30th, 2019 at 11:16am CST by Luke Adams

Free agent guard Isaiah Taylor was one of the Raptors’ final cuts this fall, having been waived just two days before the regular season began in order to create room on the roster for the team to retain Malcolm Miller. Now, Taylor is headed to the G League, where he has joined the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rockets‘ NBAGL affiliate, a source tells JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors (Twitter link).

Taylor, who received a $50K guarantee from Toronto on his training camp deal, has logged 71 regular season NBA games. Most of those came in 2017/18, when he appeared in 67 contests with the Hawks, but the other four occurred in 2016/17 with the Rockets. Taylor has previously signed multiple NBA contracts with Houston and has spent time with the Vipers, so he’ll be re-entering a familiar environment as he looks to play his way back to the NBA.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

James Wiseman, a candidate to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, has officially left the University of Memphis and signed with Excel Sports for representation, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter links). Woj notes that the seven-footer met with several agents before deciding on Excel.
Speaking of the 2020 draft, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic recently shared some of the draft-related tidbits he heard of this month’s G League Showcase. According to Vecenie, draft evaluators are split over who should be the top pick — Anthony Edwards was mentioned most, but Wiseman and LaMelo Ball also have backers.
According to a report out of Puerto Rico relayed by Alessandro Maggi of Sportando, Puerto Rico’s new Mets de Guaynabo expansion team was interested in Metta World Peace as its head coach, but the former NBA forward declined an offer.

2019/20 NBA Reverse Standings Update

December 30th, 2019 at 10:05am CST by Luke Adams

Throughout the 2019/20 NBA season, Hoops Rumors is maintaining a feature that allows you to keep an eye on what the 2020 draft order will look like. Our 2019/20 Reverse Standings tool, which lists the NBA’s 30 teams from worst to first, is updated daily to reflect the outcomes of the previous night’s games.

Our Reverse Standings are essentially a reflection of what 2020’s draft order would look like with no changes to lottery position. We’ve noted each club’s odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick, based on the league’s current lottery format.

In instances where two non-playoff teams or two playoff teams have identical records, the order in our standings isn’t necessarily definitive — for draft purposes, the NBA breaks ties via random drawings, so those drawings would happen at the end of the year. Of course, the 14 non-playoff teams all draft before the 16 playoff teams, even if some non-playoff teams have better records than playoff teams. Our reverse standings account for that.

Traded first-round picks are included via footnotes. For example, the note next to Cleveland’s pick says that the Cavaliers will send their pick to the Pelicans if it’s not in the top 10. As of today, Cleveland has the NBA’s fifth-worst record, meaning that pick wouldn’t change hands, even if several teams were to leapfrog the Cavs in the lottery.

A handful of the NBA’s worst teams have been playing fairly well as of late. The Knicks have a winning record over their last nine games; the Cavaliers have won four of their last five, as have the Warriors; and the Pelicans are currently riding a four-game win streak of their own. As a result, the 6-27 Hawks are currently in the driver’s seat for the most favorable pick in this year’s draft. Atlanta has a 2.5-game “lead” over the NBA’s second-worst team.

While the league’s bottom three teams will all have an equal chance at the No. 1 overall pick and a top-four selection, finishing atop the reverse standings would still benefit the Hawks — the NBA’s worst team can’t fall further than the No. 5 pick, while the third-worst team could end up selecting as low as No. 7.

Our Reverse Standings tracker can be found at anytime on the right sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features” on our desktop site, or on the “Features” page in our mobile menu. It’s a great resource not just for monitoring a team’s draft position, but also for keeping an eye on whether or not traded picks with protection will be changing hands in 2020. So be sure to check back often as the season progresses!

Note: Mobile users are advised to turn their phones sideways when viewing the Reverse Standings in order to see team records and lottery odds.

Western Notes: Kuzma, LeBron, Gay, Spurs

December 29th, 2019 at 10:03pm CST by JD Shaw

A rejuvenated Kyle Kuzma helped the Lakers defeat the Blazers 128-120 on Saturday, with the 24-year-old finally healthy and back to leading the team’s bench unit, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com writes.

Kuzma missed five straight games this month due to a lingering left ankle injury, officially returning to the lineup one week ago in Denver.

“I’m just healthy now,” Kuzma said, as relayed by McMenamin. “I’m confident in my body. I took a little bit of time off, sitting out for five games and really just self-collected what I needed to do and got it done.”

Kuzma scored 20 first-half points against Portland and finished with 24 on the night, proving his worth on 9-for-17 shooting off the bench. He’ll likely be viewed as Los Angeles’ third-leading scorer going forward, naturally behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

“I’m just being in attack mode at all times,” Kuzma said. “Being the third option, you don’t have the luxury of taking it easy sometimes, so just being in attack mode.”

The Lakers broke a four-game losing streak by beating Portland, bringing their record to 25-7 on the season. They’ll begin a five-game homestand by hosting Dallas on Sunday, followed by Phoenix, New Orleans, Detroit and New York.

Here are some other notes from the Western Conference:

Lakers star LeBron James has received the honor of being named The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Decade, joining a list that already includes Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretzky and Arnold Palmer, as relayed by ESPN.com. “You add another 10 years of learning and adversity, pitfalls, good, great, bad, and any smart person who wants to grow will learn from all those experiences,” James told the AP. “A decade ago, I just turned 25. I’m about to be 35 [on Monday], and I’m just in a better [place] in my life and have a better understanding of what I want to get out of life.”
Spurs forward Rudy Gay plans to continue firing away from three-point territory, doing whatever it takes to help the team win this season, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News writes. “We are just trying to figure out how we can help the team and right now it is with three-point shooting,” Gay said of himself and teammate LaMarcus Aldridge. Gay tallied 16 points in 20 minutes against Detroit on Saturday, connecting on 4-of-7 attempts from deep.
The Spurs are ready for a “new season” in 2020, wiping the slate clean and shifting their focus to obtaining a playoff seed this spring, Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News writes. San Antonio has the ninth-best record in the Western Conference at 13-18, winning six of its last 10 games.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/29/19

December 29th, 2019 at 8:34pm CST by JD Shaw

Here are Sunday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA G League:

The Warriors have assigned forward Alen Smailagic to the team’s G League affiliate in Santa Cruz, announcing the news on social media tonight. Smailagic has posted averages of 16.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest in 11 games with Santa Cruz this season.
The Wizards have assigned forward Admiral Schofield and guard Justin Robinson to the Capital City Go-Go, the team announced (Twitter link). The Go-Go hosted the Windy City Bulls tonight, with both Schofield and Robinson making appearances.
The Clippers assigned center Mfiondu Kabengele and guard Terance Mann to the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, according to the team’s public relations department. Agua Caliente will play the Memphis Hustle on Monday.

Pacific Notes: Bagley, Clippers, Green, Suns

December 29th, 2019 at 7:08pm CST by JD Shaw

Kings forward Marvin Bagley III will miss the next few games after suffering a mid-foot sprain to his left foot, the team announced on social media.

Bagley sustained the injury with 4:05 remaining in the third quarter during Sacramento’s game against Minnesota on Thursday. He exited the contest in pain and was wearing a walking boot post-game. He saw a foot specialist on Friday to diagnose the injury.

Bagley’s injury adds to what’s already been an injury-riddled season for the Kings. The team holds a 12-20 record on the year, mostly playing without Bagley and talented third-year guard De’Aaron Fox.

Bagley, the No. 2 overall pick in 2018, has averaged 13.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 23.6 minutes per game in nine contests for the Kings this season. Sacramento has upcoming games scheduled against Denver on Sunday and the Clippers on Tuesday, followed by a three-game homestand starting January 2.

Here are some other notes from the Pacific Division:

The Clippers are believed to have interest in Bulls forward Thaddeus Young with the February 6 trade deadline nearly a month away, writes Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times, citing anonymous NBA sources. Los Angeles could include Maurice Harkless in a deal ahead of the deadline, with Harkless making $11MM in the final season of his contract. “I just focus on what I’ve got going on here. That’s the only thing I can control,” Harkless said. “If I let myself worry about that stuff. … Man, I’ve been in the league long enough where I know how it goes. If it comes to that day, I’ll deal with it when I get there.” Rival executives believe the Clippers are targeting a physical center ahead of the deadline, according to Woike.
Nick Friedell of ESPN.com examines how Draymond Green is navigating his new Warriors world, one without the likes of Stephen Curry (broken left hand), Klay Thompson (torn ACL rehab), Andre Iguodala (Grizzlies), Kevin Durant (Nets) and others. The new-look Warriors have posted a 9-25 record on the season with four straight victories, coping with several different injuries to key players. “I got the same mental preparation for a game that I’ve ever had,” Green said plainly. “It’s the same. I don’t [prepare differently] in terms of who’s playing, who’s on the court.”
Gina Mizell of The Athletic takes a close look at how the Suns snapped a surprising eight-game losing streak, defeating the Kings 112-110 on the road behind Devin Booker‘s 32 points, 10 assists and two steals. Suns coach Monty Williams held a team meeting on Saturday morning for players to clear the air and work together on how to improve, receiving positive feedback from the group. “We kind of just put it all out on the table,” Oubre said. “The long story short was we all just have to hold each other accountable a little bit more. … If we’re not doing the right things, (we told Williams), ‘Do what you have to do. Take us out, show us a lesson, call us up or just motivate us. Monty’s good for that. He’s good for allowing us to unload — keeping it real, just letting us get things off our chest whenever we need to.”

Eastern Notes: Payton II, Isaac, Markkanen, Celtics

December 29th, 2019 at 5:30pm CST by JD Shaw

Gary Payton II, son of Hall of Fame defensive specialist Gary Payton, is proving his worth with the Wizards and could earn a concrete deal with the team this season, Candace Buckner of the Washington Post writes.

Payton, 27, was signed by the injury-riddled Wizards using the team’s hardship exception and thrust into the rotation on short notice. He’s shown efficient production offensively and pesky effort defensively, averaging 11.7 points, four assists and 4.3 steals in three games.

“What makes him so good, I think it’s pretty simple: He’s been cut a few times. When you’re cut a few times, you’re hungry. You’re desperate,” coach Scott Brooks said of Payton. “He plays for the right reasons … I know he’s going to get a good chance to make it here because of his effort and his intensity and his hunger and his desire and his competition and his competitive spirit to compete every possession. That’s what we’re trying to build our program by.”

Payton has held brief stints with the Bucks (18 games) and Lakers (11 games) during his career, also appearing in three contests with the Wizards last season on a 10-day contract. His motivation stems from bouncing around the NBA G League on four teams since going undrafted in 2016.

“I’ve been hungry ever since I got here [in Washington],” Payton said. “In and out of the G League, trying to find somewhere to stick. I think these guys here appreciate what I do and value what I do, so I go to bat for them every day. Just taking advantage of this opportunity.”

There’s more from the Eastern Conference tonight:

Magic forward Jonathan Isaac is living up to his “Minister of Defense” nickname with the team this season, John Denton of NBA.com writes. Isaac, an athletic 6-foot-11 combo forward, is in his third professional season. He’s averaged 12.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game in 30 contests on the year. “I think it’s taken for granted, but defense is 50 percent of the game,’’ Isaac said. “There are schemes and all types of things that go into defense. The same way that you want to get comfortable on offense and learn how the NBA game works, you want to do the same on defense.”
Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times examines the impact of Lauri Markkanen, along with how the Bulls’ overall play changes depending on his level of production. Chicago has accrued just a 13-20 record on the season, but the team is 5-5 in its last 10 contests. “Obviously I can do a better rebounding and pushing the ball, but yeah, I’m more comfortable,’’ Markkanen said. “ I kind of know where I’m going to get my touches and shots. I think everybody is figuring out their role and doing a good job of it. Knowing when to attack, and in our system knowing where the open guy is going to be. That obviously helps when you play the same guys.’’
Celtics coach Brad Stevens is considering lineup changes to help improve the team’s defense, A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston writes. The Celtics have a 22-8 record on the season and dropped a 113-97 home game to Toronto on Saturday. “We’ve got to get back to being a better defensive team,” Stevens said. “And we’ve got to find … we’ve got to find the right mix of guys that will defend well together and that complement our best players to defend well. And just get back to that.”

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