Five Key Stories: 3/8/20 – 3/14/20
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. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days:
An unprecedented week for the NBA saw the league suspend operations indefinitely due to the spread of the coronavirus. The league is preparing for the shutdown to last at least 30 days as health officials discourage large gatherings in an effort to get the virus under control. Commissioner Adam Silver admitted it’s possible that the current season will not be finished.
The G League also suspended its season this week, while the NBA 2K League season was canceled. The NCAA decided to call off its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments after giving consideration to a 16-team field.
Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus shortly before Wednesday’s scheduled game between the Jazz and Thunder, forcing it to be postponed. Teammate Donovan Mitchell also contracted the virus.
Silver penned a letter to NBA fans to explain the situation. He explained that tickets to all games will be honored once the season begins, and refunds will be issued if they have to be canceled or played in an empty arena.
Many teams around the league announced that arena staff will continue to be paid during the shutdown. Several players have contributed money to make sure that workers can survive financially until the games resume.
Here are 10 more noteworthy headlines from around the basketball world this week:
- Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff has a new contract that runs through the end of the 2023/24 season. He took over when John Beilein stepped down as head coach last month.
- Veteran center Joakim Noah signed a 10-day contract with the Clippers. Both sides were planning to test out the arrangement before working out a deal for the rest of the season.
- The Warriors signed rookie guard Mychal Mulder to a multi-year deal. He impressed the coaching staff with his performance on a 10-day contract that expired last Saturday.
- Sheldon Mac returned to the NBA after a three-year absence, signing a 10-day contract with the Cavaliers. He had been with the team’s G League affiliate in Canton.
- Jontay Porter agreed to a multi-year contract with the Grizzlies. He is still recovering after a pair of knee injuries and is expected to be ready for training camp in September.
- The Suns released two-way player Jared Harper. He got into just three NBA games and played eight total minutes during his time with the organization.
- Bulls forward Chandler Hutchison opted for shoulder surgery, which will sideline him for 12 to 16 weeks. Injuries have limited him to a combined 72 games in his first two NBA seasons.
- Vince Carter addressed the possibility that his long NBA career might be over if the season doesn’t resume.
- Before the season was suspended, Lance Stephenson talked to the Pacers about possibly returning to the team. He is currently under contract with the Liaoning Flying Leopards of the Chinese Basketball Association.
- Disabled Player Exceptions expired this week across the league. Six teams were granted DPEs that weren’t used.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Players Dismayed As Games Continue In Turkey
Most sports leagues around the world have suspended play amid the coronavirus pandemic, but games are still going on in Turkey’s BSL, leading to fear and exasperation among the players.
A presidential spokesman announced Thursday that all sporting events in the nation will be played with no fans present through the end of April, according to EuroHoops, Turkey is one of the least affected countries in the region, with just six cases of COVID-19 reported through Friday.
Former NBA guard Shane Larkin, now a high-scoring star with star for Istanbul’s Anadolu Efes, sent out a tweet last night questioning why the league continues to operate.
“In no way do I mean any disrespect to any of the decision-makers that are responsible for handling this coronavirus pandemic,” he wrote, “but I do not understand why the Turkish league is continuing to play when every other league in the world is either suspended or canceled. I understand playing games behind closed doors makes things somewhat safer, but that is NOT safe enough.”
Larkin, considered one of the top players in Europe, is under contract for one more season, but he has an opt-out clause allowing him to accept an NBA offer this summer. He reportedly turned down opportunities last year, but the current situation might affect his upcoming decision.
Also Friday, players from the Galatasaray team in the BSL issued a joint statement calling for games to be suspended immediately.
“There have been no precautions taken prior to this for our safety,” tweeted Galatasaray center Zach Auguste. “Expecting us to participate in a game tomorrow during this pandemic is asking us to willingly risk not just our own health and safety but our families who live with us as well.”
And-Ones: Mannion, Beilein, WNBA, Pitino
Arizona point guard Nico Mannion, one of the top college players in the country, has not made a decision on whether or not his first season as a Wildcat will be his last, despite reports to the contrary, per Sam Vecenie of The Athletic (Twitter link).
“He will make that decision after the season,” the 19-year-old’s father Pace Mannion told Vecenie on March 8. With the NCAA season officially canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that determination may be coming up sooner than the Mannion family was anticipating.
There’s more from around the basketball world:
- After resigning as Cavaliers head coach last month, John Beilein was hired as an analyst for the Big Ten Network studio team ahead of the anticipated start of the Big Ten Conference Tournament and March Madness, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. With the NCAA season canceled, Beilein may not have much to analyze for a while. Though Beilein is the winningest coach in Michigan basketball history, he struggled in the NBA, coaching the Cavaliers to a 14-40 record during 2019/20.
- Rick Pitino will return to college coaching at Iona College, per Forbes’ Adam Zagoria.“My passion in basketball started in New York and will end there at Iona College,” Pitino said. Pitino has been coaching Greek EuroLeague club Panathinaikos since 2018. He last coached in the NCAA for the University of Louisville from 2001-2017.
- WNBA executive director Terri Jackson spoke with Mark Medina of USA Today about the coronavirus and president Donald Trump’s travel ban precluding foreign nationals from traveling to the US from most European countries. Several WNBA players spend their offseasons overseas to supplement their earnings with more lucrative paydays from the international leagues. “Understanding [President Trump’s European] travel ban and understanding what came out of the White House is tough to grapple with,” Jackson told Medina.
Rudy Gobert Donates $500K To Arena Workers, Coronavirus-Related Services
All-Star Jazz center Rudy Gobert, the first NBA player to be diagnosed with the novel coronavirus COVID-19, has donated $500K to various groups impacted by the virus, per a team press release first relayed by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps (Twitter link).
Those groups include the 800-plus part-time employees at the club’s Vivint Smart Home Arena, in addition to coronavirus-related health service relief in Utah, Oklahoma City (where Gobert was diagnosed with the ailment) and social health care services in France, Gobert’s homeland.
“I know there are countless ways that people have been impacted,” Gobert said in the statement released by the Jazz. “These donations are a small token that reflect my appreciation and support for all those impacted and are the first of many steps I will take to try and make a positive difference.”
Per the press release, $200K of the gift will be donated to the part-time employees. Gobert will supply 100,000 Euros to the French health care system. $100K apiece will be allocated to families impacted in Utah and Oklahoma City.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 3/8/20 – 3/14/20
Every week, the Hoops Rumors writing team creates original content to complement our news feed. Here are our original segments and features from the past seven days:
- Luke Adams broke down the seven NBA players on active 10-day contracts when the NBA suspended its season. The postponed season will pause all the players’ tenure with their current teams.
- Adams examined the 2019/20 disabled player exceptions due to expire last week.
- For our Free Agent Stock Watch, Dana Gauruder took a look at the Southwest Division. Marquese Chriss and Alex Len‘s recent play had both centers on the ascent.
- In this week’s poll, we wondered which team was the biggest threat to an all-L.A. Western Conference Finals. (link)
- In our Community Shootaround this week, we asked you to weigh in on who you felt were the best coaches available in the coming offseason. (link)
Portsmouth Invitational Tournament Canceled
The annual Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, one of the oldest pre-combine scouting showcases for the best college seniors, officially announced its cancellation because of the developing coronavirus pandemic, per P.I.T. Vice Chairman Mike Morris (Twitter link). The P.I.T. has been operating since 1953.
The P.I.T. was scheduled to run from April 15-18, 2020 at Churchland High School in Portsmouth, Virginia. Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium was the first to report the news (Twitter link).
College seniors to have benefited from the P.I.T. include Scottie Pippen (drafted with the No. 5 pick in 1987), Dennis Rodman (the No. 26 pick in 1986), Jimmy Butler (the No. 30 pick in 2011), John Stockton (the No. 16 pick in 1984), Tim Hardaway (the No. 14 pick in 1989), Ben Wallace (who went undrafted in 1996), Rick Barry (the No. 2 pick in 1965), Dave Cowens (the No. 4 pick in 1970) and Earl Monroe (the No. 2 pick in 1967).
Raptors Travel Party Tests Negative
MARCH 14: The Raptors have updated their announcement, indicating that the final test of their travel party has also come back negative for COVID-19, per The Athletic’s Blake Murphy (Twitter link).
MARCH 13: The Raptors announced that all members of their travel party have tested negative for the coronavirus with one test still pending, Tim Bontemps of ESPN tweets.
There was extra concern regarding Toronto’s players and staff since the Raptors faced the Jazz on Monday. Utah center Rudy Gobert tested positive two nights later prior to the team’s game at Oklahoma City, prompting the league to suspend its season.
Among the players who tested negative was Serge Ibaka, who defended Gobert a good portion of the game, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
Jae Crowder Wants To Make Miami His ‘Home’
If and when the NBA season resumes, the future of the Heat roster will involved some major decisions with free agency approaching. One of the biggest decisions will be how Miami allocates its potential cap space as Goran Dragic, Derrick Jones Jr. and Jae Crowder are set to hit unrestricted free agency.
Crowder, who was acquired from the Grizzlies, hopes for a potential long-term union with the Heat beyond the current season, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes.
“I really want to make this my home,” Crowder said. “I feel comfortable here, feel comfortable with the whole organization top to bottom. If everything goes as we plan, I’m sure everybody would like to stay together and build off what we’re doing this year and go into next year with the same mind-set.”
Since being acquired, Crowder has been his usual productive self. In 13 games (one start), Crowder has averaged 11.9 PPG and 5.8 RPG while shooting 39.3% from three. Since 2017, Crowder has bounced around the league, suiting up for the Cavaliers, Jazz, Grizzlies and now Heat.
The 29-year-old would likely favor a long-term deal. Given the NBA suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic though, a lot remains uncertain. If the season resumes, the Heat’s success down the stretch and in the postseason could play a major role in what the roster looks like in 2021.
More Teams To Ensure Arena Workers Are Paid During Hiatus
With the NBA indefinitely suspended, several high-profile players have pledged money toward team employees who are not able to work. Thus far, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Love, Blake Griffin and Zion Williamson have been at the forefront.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was the first to publicly state that employees would be taken care of during the uncertain period and many more teams have stepped forward since then. Per Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register, the Lakers, Clippers and NHL’s Los Angeles Kings are set to announce a partnership that will compensate part-time and contract workers at Staples Center.
As Goon notes, venue ushers and security personnel are expected to be among those compensated during the suspension of play. Additionally, other employees have been asked to work remotely if at all possible, Goon adds.
In addition to the L.A. teams, Grizzlies owner Robert Pera will compensate all part-time employees that work game nights for any games missed through March and into April if necessary, Evan Barnes of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports.
This rounds out recent reports that include the Pistons, Wizards, Kings, Trail Blazers, Rockets, Mavericks, Hawks, Cavaliers, and Nets as teams having pledged to pay their employees.
As we relayed earlier this week, NBA commissioner Adam Silver has stated that the suspension is expected to last at least 30 days.
Western Notes: Mitchell, Kerr, Anthony, Suns
Donovan Mitchell is “extremely frustrated” with Jazz teammate Rudy Gobert after testing positive for the coronavirus, league sources told Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix. Gobert has apologized for his careless actions earlier in the week, prior to being the first NBA player to test positive. The team has a solid young core but how Mitchell responds when play resumes could make or break their relationship, Mannix continues. The Jazz were rising up the Western Conference standings but if this leads to locker room issues, it could have a major impact on the franchise’s playoff expectations, Mannix adds.
We have more from the Western Conference:
- Warriors coach Steve Kerr is upset at himself for not taking the coronavirus more seriously earlier this week and believes social distancing is now paramount, Anthony Slater of The Athletic reports. “I was coaching in a basketball game with 15,000 fans like four nights ago. So I feel like a fool,” Kerr said. “But this goes back to our human condition of denial and vulnerability. But we’ve crossed that threshold now and it’s important that everybody understands what they can do.”
- Trail Blazers forward Carmelo Anthony said on teammate CJ McCollum‘s podcast that he was “embarrassed” that he was a free agent for so long until Portland signed him, according to Casey Holdahl of the team’s website. “I started questioning myself why. Why? What happened? What did I do? Did I do something wrong? Was it me? Am I good? Can I still play? It was like all of these thoughts started to come in and that stuck with me for about four, five months.”
- The Suns could have all their injured players back in action if and when the season resumes, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic relays. That group includes forward Kelly Oubre Jr., who underwent knee surgery earlier this month, and Frank Kaminsky III, who missed the last 32 games due to a knee injury. “You try to make a positive out of a negative,” GM James Jones said. “It could end up being a really good thing for us and if that’s the case, I know our guys will be excited. I know our coaches, myself, I’ll be excited to have our team full strength or close to it, contending and playing in some meaningful games.”