Pacific Notes: James, Holmes, Mulder, Davis
Kings rookie guard Justin James received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection on Tuesday to treat patellar tendinitis in his right knee, according to a team press release. An update regarding his status will be provided in 1-2 weeks. A second-round pick out of Wyoming, James has appeared in 34 NBA games, averaging 2.5 PPG in 6.4 MPG. His most recent appearance was a two-minute stint on Saturday.
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- With the return of Richaun Holmes from a shoulder injury, the Kings now have three viable options to center, Akis Yerocostas of the Sacramento Bee points out. Harry Giles and Alex Len performed well in his absence and have also earned playing time. It’s likely Holmes will see the majority of the minutes barring injury or foul trouble, Yerocostas continues, with Len and Giles splitting the bench minutes depending upon whether the Kings need more size and defense (Len) or more offense (Giles).
- The Warriors used a remaining portion of their mid-level exception to sign shooting guard Mychal Mulder to a three-year contract, John Hollinger of The Athletic tweets. The last two years of the contract are not fully guaranteed. Mulder will receive a partial guarantee of $200K if he’s on the opening-night roster next season, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets. His contract for the 2021/22 campaign has no guarantees. Golden State is now $310K below the luxury-tax line, Marks adds.
- Lakers star forward Anthony Davis has struck a balance between basketball and new business ventures, as Mark Medina of USA Today details. Thus far, his off-court ventures haven’t been a distraction. “For the most part,” Davis said, “I’m focusing on playing and doing great things.”
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/10/20
Here are Tuesday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Wizards announced today (via Twitter) that they assigned Admiral Schofield and Gary Payton II to their G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go, before recalling them later in the day. According to the NBAGL’s official assignment log, the team did the same for rehabbing point guard John Wall.
- The Rockets have assigned rookie guard Chris Clemons to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, tweets Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Ben McLemore and Eric Gordon are both available for Tuesday’s game vs. Minnesota, reducing Houston’s need to carry Clemons on its active roster.
- The Cavaliers assigned rookie forward Sir’Dominic Pointer to its G League affiliate, the Canton Charge, per the NBAGL’s official assignment log. Pointer is on a 10-day deal that runs through this Friday night — this is his second G League assignments since he signed that contract.
Latest Notes On Coronavirus Situation
After initially declaring that he wouldn’t play in empty arenas if the NBA is forced to take extreme measures due to coronavirus concerns, Lakers star LeBron James walked back that stance in comments to reporters today. As Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN relays, James said he “had no idea that there was actually a conversation going behind closed doors” about extreme coronavirus precautions when he made his comments last week.
“Obviously, I would be very disappointed not having the fans, because that is what I play for — I play for my family, I play for my fans,” James said. “… But at the same time, you got to listen to the people that’s keeping a track on what’s going on. If they feel like it’s best for the safety of the players, the safety of the franchise, the safety of the league to mandate that, then we all listen to it.”
Thunder forward Danilo Gallinari, whose home country of Italy is among those hit hardest by the international coronavirus outbreak said today that he’d be on board with playing behind closed doors if the situation worsens, writes ESPN’s Royce Young.
“I am in favor, because I see everything that’s been going on in Europe, not just in Italy,” Gallinari said. “In all of Europe, they stopped every game, they stopped every competition, in between countries, too, so it’s not just Italy. The steps they did were playing normal games, then games without fans and now they’re not playing. Hopefully we don’t get to that point where we don’t play games anymore, but maybe as a step forward to play some games with no fans.”
As the NBA continues to weigh next steps, here are a few more notes related to the league’s coronavirus response:
- At an event on Monday night, Heat president Pat Riley expressed skepticism that the situation will get to a point where the league plays games without fans, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “Until the league says something or something else happens, I doubt that that’s going to happen,” Riley said.
- One high-ranking team executive who spoke to Ben Golliver of The Washington Post took the opposing view: “I think there’s a good chance we will be forced to play games in empty arenas at some point. The virus is spreading quickly, it’s not contained, and it will not be contained any time soon. The threat (to NBA players and fans) could carry on into next season.”
- Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced today (via Twitter) that the state is asking for no indoor events with spectators to be held. The Cavaliers would be affected by a stronger edict from the state government, but for now the team figures to defer to the NBA on any major decisions. The Cavs also don’t have a home game until March 24.
- The NCAA issued a statement today announcing that it “continues to assess” how the coronavirus outbreak will impact this month’s tournaments. A decision is expected in the coming days.
Injury Updates: Aldridge, DSJ, Celtics, Sixers, Bagley
A pair of players who have missed some time with injuries are on track to return to action tonight. One of those players is Spurs big man LaMarcus Aldridge, who has been sidelined since February 23 due to a right shoulder strain. Head coach Gregg Popovich said today that Aldridge will be back in action on Tuesday night against Dallas, tweets Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.
Meanwhile, Dennis Smith Jr., who has missed the Knicks‘ last five games, has been cleared from the NBA’s concussion protocol and will be active on Tuesday night in Washington, head coach Mike Miller told reporters this evening (Twitter link via Ian Begley of SNY.tv).
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said today that Jaylen Brown (hamstring), who will miss his fourth straight game tonight, also seems unlikely to play on Thursday. Stevens added that Kemba Walker‘s left knee is feeling good, though the point guard will remain limited to about 30-32 minutes per game (Twitter link via Tim Bontemps of ESPN).
- Both Joel Embiid (shoulder) and Josh Richardson (concussion) returned to practice today for the Sixers, per Bontemps (Twitter link). Embiid is listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game vs. Detroit, while Richardson should be good to go, tweets Jon Johnson of SportsRadio 94WIP.
- As the Kings continue to push for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, there’s no indication that Marvin Bagley‘s return is imminent. The team issued a press release today announcing that Bagley continues to recover from a left midfoot sprain and is doing some on-court running and skill work. Sacramento provided no specific timeline for the big man, simply saying that updates will be provided “as appropriate.”
Central Notes: Wood, Brogdon, Cavs, Bulls
Christian Wood will be reaching the unrestricted free agent market in 2020 on the heels of a career year, and the Pistons‘ big man isn’t pretending that he hasn’t thought about what the offseason might bring, as Keith Langlois of Pistons.com details.
“I know it’s a big summer for me,” Wood said on Tuesday. “I actually think I’m one of the best bigs in this free agency coming up with my ability to shoot and space the floor and be able to play the five and be able to guard and switch on the perimeter. I’ve just got to stay focused. I’ve got to keep with the same mindset, same attitude what I’m doing right now.”
While Wood should draw a good deal of interest on the open market this summer, he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of remaining with the Pistons. The fact that Detroit is the team that finally gave him an opportunity to play a regular role is something he won’t forget as he considers his options, per Langlois.
“It’s a huge factor,” Wood said. “Especially with this team being one of the first to actually give me a legitimate chance and playing in games and believing in me and believing in what I do. Especially with (head coach Dwane) Casey, with us establishing a relationship early and throughout right now. It plays a big factor.”
Here’s more from around the Central:
- The timeline for Malcolm Brogdon‘s recovery from a left hip injury remains murky, but he’s confident he’ll be ready to go for the postseason, writes J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star. The same can’t be said for another Pacers guard, Jeremy Lamb, who suffered a season-ending left knee injury in February. His former college teammate Kemba Walker said this week that Lamb will be undergoing surgery on Wednesday (Twitter link via Scott Agness of The Athletic).
- The length of J.B. Bickerstaff‘s new contract with the Cavaliers lines up with the extension signed by GM Koby Altman in the fall, sources tell Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Bickerstaff’s new deal reportedly runs through the 2023/24 season, which suggests Altman is locked up long-term as well.
- In a pair of Bulls stories, Sam Smith of Bulls.com writes that Coby White is set to make the first start of his NBA career on Tuesday against Cleveland, while K.C. Johnson and Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago examine Zach LaVine‘s past, present, and future in Chicago as the team’s leading scorer approaches extension eligibility.
Cavs, J.B. Bickerstaff Agree To Multi-Year Contract
4:18pm: Bickerstaff’s new deal will run through the 2023/24 season, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
3:01pm: After replacing John Beilein as the Cavaliers‘ head coach last month, J.B. Bickerstaff has received a longer-term commitment from the team, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who reports (via Twitter) that the Cavs and Bickerstaff have reached an agreement on a multi-year contract.
The Cavaliers signed Beilein to a four-year contract with a fifth-year team option last spring, but the veteran college coach didn’t even make it through the first season of that deal. Beilein’s brief, challenging stint in Cleveland came to an end when he stepped down as the team’s head coach at the All-Star break in February, with Bickerstaff taking over the job.
Multiple reports have indicated that Bickerstaff was viewed as Beilein’s eventual successor when the Cavs hired him as their associate head coach in 2019. While the club didn’t expect the transition to happen so soon, today’s agreement – which comes on Bickerstaff’s 41st birthday – signals that Cleveland was serious about its new head coach not just being an interim replacement.
This is the third time that Bickerstaff has taken over for a head coach partway through a season. He went 37-34 with the Rockets in 2015/16 after stepping in for Kevin McHale, then had a 48-97 record with the Grizzlies across two seasons after he replaced David Fizdale in 2017.
So far in Cleveland, Bickerstaff has done an admirable job with one of the NBA’s worst teams, leading the Cavaliers to a 5-5 record since taking the reins from Beilein. The team has won games against Miami, Philadelphia, and Denver during that post-All-Star stretch.
While details of Bickerstaff’s new agreement haven’t yet been reported, it’s officially safe to say the Cavaliers won’t be one of the teams in the market for a new head coach this spring.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Jordan Bell Joins Wizards’ G League Affiliate
Having being waived by the Grizzlies last week, big man Jordan Bell has signed a G League contract, per the NBAGL’s official transactions log. And according to Fred Katz of The Athletic (via Twitter), the Wizards‘ G League affiliate – the Capital City Go-Go – has claimed Bell off waivers.
After starting his NBA career by spending two seasons with the Warriors, Bell has had a tumultuous 2019/20 season. He signed a one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Timberwolves during the summer, but didn’t establish himself as a reliable rotation player in Minnesota, averaging 3.1 PPG and 2.9 RPG in 27 games (8.7 MPG).
Prior to the trade deadline, Bell was sent to Houston in the four-team Clint Capela trade, then was flipped to Memphis in exchange for Bruno Caboclo. Despite the Grizzlies enduring some frontcourt injuries, potentially clearing a path for Bell to earn regular minutes, the team opted to release him, bringing in Anthony Tolliver on a 10-day contract to fill his roster spot. Now, Bell will look to rebuild his value in the G League for the Go-Go.
Although they’ll get a closer look at the 25-year-old by virtue of having him on their NBAGL affiliate, the Wizards won’t have any control over Bell’s NBA rights — he’s free to sign with any NBA team if he gets an offer between now and the end of the regular season.
Suns, Wolves Reached Out To Donatas Motiejunas
3:34pm: Motiejunas is expected to return to China on March 16, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando, who notes (via Twitter) that the Chinese Basketball Association has told its teams it anticipates resuming play in early April. That would take Motiejunas off the table for NBA clubs, unless he wants to try to reach a settlement with his Chinese team, like Randle did.
8:56am: Former NBA forward Donatas Motiejunas, whose Chinese Basketball Association season is on hold because of the coronavirus, was recently contacted by both the Suns and Timberwolves, tweets Lithuanian basketball journalist Donatas Urbonas. Motiejunas, who plays for the Shanghai Sharks, said in a radio interview that he also received interest from Maccabi Tel Aviv.
The CBA’s status is on hold while China tries to contain a massive outbreak of the virus, leaving overseas players uncertain about their future. Chasson Randle reached a settlement with his Chinese club last week and returned to the NBA on a 10-day deal with the Warriors.
Motiejunas, 29, is in his third season in China and his first with the Sharks. He is among the CBA’s most productive players, averaging 22.8 points and 15.1 rebounds through 28 games. He played six seasons in the NBA, mostly with the Rockets, but also had stays with the Pelicans and Spurs.
John Collins Believes He’s In “Max Contract Contention”
The Hawks are facing an important decision this summer on whether to give a rookie-scale extension to John Collins. In a lengthy interview with Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, the third-year power forward says he believes he’s worth the investment.
“I mean, I feel like I am a priority to the Hawks in terms of my value in the young core,” Collins said. “I feel like that’s no question. Priority in terms of — I don’t know. I definitely feel like I am a priority to them. For a lot of money? I just don’t know personally. I feel like it’s been a unique situation, but I feel like my play has garnered a bigger contract. This is when you want to start comparing, but it’s just a matter of if they’re going to reciprocate the respect back.
“I definitely feel like I am in max contract contention. If I finish this season averaging 20 and 10, the other guys who are averaging 20 and 10 are max-caliber guys. I’m in that conversation and feel like I am worthy of being extended as such. That’s for the Hawks to decide and figure it out. If you want to look at numbers and flat-out play, I definitely feel like I’ve earned it. But the team situation, future cap and all that, now you have a contract negotiation.”
Kirschner estimates Collins’ value somewhere between the $77MM extension that the Pacers gave Domantas Sabonis and the maximum-salary extension Pascal Siakam received from the Raptors. Sources tell Kirschner there’s a belief around the league that the Hawks are hesitant to make that kind of commitment to Collins, which is why they received inquiries about him prior to the trade deadline.
There’s not much question about Collins’ on-court value, as he’s putting together his best season, averaging 21.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per night. He has also improved as a 3-point shooter, connecting on 41.1% from long distance. However, he was suspended for 25 games early in the season for violating the NBA’s anti-drug program, sinking any playoff hopes Atlanta might have entertained.
Collins said he won’t be insulted if the Hawks decide against making a full max offer, but his “antennas would be up, for sure.” The team has the option of holding off on an extension and trying to re-sign him as a restricted free agent in the summer of 2021. The Hawks also could decide to avoid the decision by trading him, just as they did with Taurean Prince last year.
“I hope they slide me that sheet of paper,” Collins said. “That’s what I’ve been working towards. I’ve been trying to be a face of the franchise. To be that person and to be that face is what I’ve been working towards. That’s what I want. That’s what I’ve been trying to earn and trying to show them that I am worthy of it. I hope my work and what I’m going to try to continue to do is going to be reciprocated, and they can show that they’ve bought into me. And then I’m going to try to go to a whole other level and live up to that contract.”
Mychal Mulder Signs Multi-Year Deal With Warriors
The Warriors have signed Mychal Mulder to a multi-year contract, the team announced on Twitter. It’s a minimum-salary deal that’s not fully guaranteed beyond this season, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The rookie guard out of Kentucky was briefly a free agent after his 10-day contract with the team expired Saturday night. Golden State could have signed him to a second 10-day deal, but opted for the long-term arrangement.
After spending three years in the G League, Mulder made a strong impression in his first real NBA opportunity. He averaged 12.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists in six games, making two starts. Coach Steve Kerr indicated after Saturday’s contest that the Warriors liked Mulder and intended to bring him back.
The signing leaves Golden State $310K under the luxury tax, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). They have two players on 10-day contracts, which each carry a $91,557 tax hit. Chasson Randle‘s deal will expire Thursday, while Dragan Bender is signed through Saturday. Marks adds that signing Bender for the rest of the season on Sunday would cost the team $293K.