And-Ones: Gortat, Felton, Ball, Okoro
Veteran NBA center Marcin Gortat decided to retire from professional basketball last month, walking away from a league where he played for four teams across 12 years.
Gortat, 36, saw his last NBA season come during the 2018/19 campaign with the Clippers and spent much of this season contemplating his future.
“It’s sad but you know, the whole adventure and the whole ‘Polish Hammer’ thing has to end at some point,” Gortat said, according to Mike DePrisco of NBC Sports. “I’m happy that after 12 years I achieved so much being the 57th pick in the draft. Now, I’ve got the good part and I’m going to enjoy my life and enjoy the other guys watching them play on the court.”
Gortat returned to Washington and watched the Wizards play the Hawks on Friday, receiving a video tribute from the organization. He helped the franchise make the playoffs in four of his five seasons, playing physical basketball on both ends of the floor.
Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Free agent Raymond Felton won’t be signing in the Czech Republic after all, according to Niccolo Scavuzzo of Sportando. Felton reportedly reached agreement with Jindřichův Hradec, with the team’s GM suggesting in an official statement that the point guard would report until April, but it appears that announcement was premature.
- LiAngelo Ball is signing with the Oklahoma City Blue, G League affiliate of the Thunder, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. Ball is continuing his pursuit of an NBA deal by way of the G League, with the 21-year-old going undrafted back in 2018.
- In an article for ESPN Insider, Jonathon Givony and Mike Schmitz detail why Isaac Okoro might be a top-five NBA draft pick this June. Okoro, 19, is a 6-foot-6 small forward who currently plays at Auburn.
Cavs Sign Sheldon Mac To 10-Day Contract
The Cavaliers have signed guard Sheldon Mac to a 10-day contract, announcing the move in a press release on Sunday. Spencer Davies of Basketball Insiders first reported (via Twitter) that the two sides had agreed to a 10-day deal.
Mac joins swingman Sir’Dominic Pointer as the two Cleveland players on 10-day contracts, with the team signing Pointer to his deal last week.
“It’s been 3 years since I been on a NBA court…. today it ends!!!” Mac posted on social media. “All them earling mornings & late nights of therapy I will never forget!!!! ROTM is back.”
Mac, a 6’5″ guard, has played 41 games with the Cavs’ G League affiliate in Canton this year. The 27-year-old has averaged 15.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists on the season, going undrafted out of the University of Miami back in 2016.
Cleveland’s roster now stands at 17 players, which includes two players on two-way contracts. Mac, who is set to earn $81,678 during his 10-day deal, is the seventh player to receive a 10-day deal from the Cavs this season, as our tracker shows.
Grizzlies Sign Jontay Porter To Multi-Year Deal
The Grizzlies have signed rookie forward/center Jontay Porter to a multi-year contract, the team announced in a press release on Sunday.
The deal is guaranteed through this season and contains a team option for the 2020/21 season, Omari Sankofa II of The Athletic tweets. Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian adds (via Twitter) that Porter will earn a league-minimum salary.
Porter, the younger brother of Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., has progressed well in his rehab from two separate knee injuries and is projected to be ready by training camp in the fall, the release states. Memphis will use Jarrod Uthoff‘s roster spot to sign Porter, with Uthoff’s 10-day deal recently expiring.
Porter, 20, went undrafted last June after spending multiple seasons at Missouri. Despite the fact that he tore his ACL multiple times during his college career, he was still viewed by ESPN as a top-50 prospect when he declared for the draft last April.
Chandler Hutchison May Be Done For Season
Second-year Bulls small forward Chandler Hutchison may have suited up for his last game this season, according to NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson.
Hutchison is considering arthroscopic surgery to treat the injured right shoulder that has limited him to just 28 games in his second season. A sesamoid foot fracture cut his rookie season short too. He played just 44 games in 2018/19. He will have played just 72 of a possible 164 games heading into his third year with the Bulls.
“This next week is kind of the final push on testing what I can do with [the shoulder] and if I’m going to be able to get out there or do something and make a decision,” Hutchison said. “Hopefully, I can get past the rehab and really focus on the summer.”
The defensive-oriented 6’7″ wing was drafted with the No. 22 pick out of Boise State by Chicago in 2018. He sports season averages of 7.8 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 0.9 APG, and has started in 10 games this year.
Although Bulls have had some players get healthy lately, they’re still down a few. Kris Dunn and Luke Kornet will likely miss the rest of the season with knee and foot injuries, respectively.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Has Minor Knee Sprain
The leading 2019/20 MVP candidate, Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, suffered a minor left knee joint capsule sprain in Friday’s 113-103 loss to the Lakers, per a team press release (hat tip to Malika Andrews of ESPN).
Andrews relays that the Greek Freak will not be available for at least the final two contests of the Bucks’ current road trip, bouts against the bottom-feeding Suns and the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed, the Nuggets.
Antetokounmpo may miss more time than just the next two games. The Bucks’ next home game is Thursday, when they host the East’s No. 3 seeded Celtics. The Bucks will have an update on Giannis’ availability for what could be a pivotal intra-conference contest within the week.
The Bucks are the No. 1 seed in the East with an impressive 53-10 record. They are 8.5 games clear of the No. 2 seed, the 44-18 Raptors. A terrific two-way player, Antetokounmpo’s stellar individual season has been a huge part of that equation: in 57 games, he is averaging 29.6 PPG, 13.7 RPG, and 5.8 APG during just 30.9 MPG.
Pacers, Lance Stephenson Talking Possible Reunion
Two-time Pacers guard Lance Stephenson is reportedly in “strong talks” for his third tour of duty with the franchise that drafted him with the No. 40 pick in 2010, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium (Twitter link). Charania notes that nothing is finalized yet.
Stephenson could be a helpful addition to a Pacers team that has been depleted at the wing due to a season-ending knee injuries to Jeremy Lamb and a quadriceps injury suffered by Malcolm Brogdon, who is now week-to-week.
Indiana needs all the help it can get. The Pacers are currently the No. 5 seed in the East, but their 38-25 record puts them just 0.5 games ahead of the No. 6 seed Sixers.
Stephenson is currently signed to the Liaoning Flying Leopards of the Chinese Basketball Association, which has postponed all its games amidst the developing coronavirus outbreak. Charania notes that Stephenson will need permission from FIBA and the CBA to leave the Flying Leopards and return to the Pacers.
Stephenson has been working out in the U.S. since January, splitting his time between his hometown of New York City and Indiana in the hopes making an NBA comeback, per Scott Agness of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Along with Paul George, David West, George Hill and Roy Hibbert, the pesky 6’6″ off-guard Stephenson was a core cog on some exciting Pacers teams that pushed the Heat in the playoffs during 2011/12, 2012/13 and 2013/14. The latter two teams battled the Heat in two close Eastern Conference Finals finals contests in 2013 and 2014.
After his initial tenure with the Pacers, Stephenson inked a three-year, $27MM contract with the Hornets instead of a five-year, $44MM deal with Indiana. He then bounced around for stints with the Clippers, Grizzlies, Timberwolves and Pelicans before returning to Bankers Life Fieldhouse in 2017.
Stephenson last played for the Lakers in a disappointing 2018/19 season, in which he averaged just 16.5 MPG and put up 7.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG and 2.1 APG.
Southeast Notes: Clifford, Carter, Crowder, Robinson
Magic coach Steve Clifford was at practice with his team yesterday after a health scare Friday night in Minnesota, writes Jenny Dial Creech of The Athletic. Clifford had to leave the game against the Timberwolves in the third quarter after feeling dizzy. He was taken to a local hospital and diagnosed with dehydration.
“I’ve been sick for a few days and I realize now that I didn’t eat at all (Friday),” Clifford explained. “I started to get busy with the game and then when it was going on, I was OK. Then it just got really bad and I knew I needed to leave. Once I got on an IV at the hospital, I started to feel better.”
Health is a constant concern for the 58-year-old, who underwent heart surgery in 2013 and took a leave from coaching in 2017, citing severe exhaustion. He said he got plenty of messages from players and coaches Friday night, including a “stern lecture” from Stan Van Gundy.
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Vince Carter is receiving farewells around the league during his final NBA season, but the Hawks‘ veteran said last night’s tribute in Memphis was special, relays Evan Barnes of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Carter spent three seasons with the Grizzlies and reached the playoffs each year. “It was a great time in my career. This city is different than a lot of places that I’ve been” he said. “They really embrace the players and what they tried to do with the Grit and Grind mentality is a staple not just on the floor but in the city.”
- Heat forward Jae Crowder has been placed in the NBA’s concussion protocol after colliding with Zion Williamson during Friday’s game with the Pelicans, tweets Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Crowder has been a valuable addition to Miami since being acquired at the trade deadline, averaging 12.3 points and 5.5 rebounds in 12 games.
- Wizards coach Scott Brooks wants newly acquired guard Jerome Robinson to be more aggressive in getting shots up, writes Fred Katz of The Athletic. Robinson has started the past two games and Brooks believes he will make better decisions as he gets more minutes. “(The Clippers) are a playoff team last year and a championship (contending) team this year,” Brooks said. “So he wasn’t getting a lot of playing time. … They’re a veteran team, so they probably weren’t practicing a lot. So he’s just getting some rhythm now. I don’t know where it’s gonna end up. I’m looking forward to keeping working with him and seeing where he gets to the rest of the season.”
Lakers Notes: Waiters, LeBron, Clippers Rivalry
Dion Waiters signed with the Lakers on Friday, but it will be “a few games” before he makes his debut with the team, coach Frank Vogel told Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. Waiters, who went through his first practice with his new team Saturday, has barely played this season after falling out of favor in Miami. That’s why Vogel plans to bring him along slowly, unlike Markieff Morris, who played right away after joining the Lakers two weeks ago.
“(Morris had) been playing games for the Pistons; Dion’s played three games this year,” Vogel said. “So it’s a matter of acclimating, getting used to our system, getting a few practices under his belt.”
The 28-year-old guard is ready for a fresh start after a difficult season with the Heat that included three suspensions. The first step was getting to know his new teammates, including LeBron James, whom Waiters briefly played alongside in Cleveland.
“We all grew up on the AAU circuit and things like that, so it wasn’t that hard,” Waiters said. “I could easily just come in here and be myself. I don’t have to be nobody I’m not. So they opened the doors for me and welcomed me in with open arms, so it’s been smooth. It’s been really, really good.”
There’s more Lakers news to pass along:
- Waiters said the team asked about his off-court issues in Miami before deciding to sign him, but that part of the interview was short, Goon adds in the same story. General manager Rob Pelinka was Waiters’ agent for five years, so they already have a relationship in place. “At the end of the day, I’m grown,” Waiters said. “So you learn from your mistakes, at the end of the day. We don’t got to keep drilling on the past, things like that. You live and you learn. And I did that.”
- Although they have much bigger goals in mind, the Lakers enjoyed clinching a playoff spot with Friday’s win over the Bucks, relays Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. It was especially important for James, who missed the postseason last year for the first time in more than a decade. “I came here to put this team and put this franchise back where they needed to be,” he said. “The league is not what it is if the Lakers are not winning. And that was one of my responsibilities, one of my goals when I came here.”
- The Clippers have replaced the Celtics as the Lakers’ most intense rival, claims Arash Markazi of The Los Angeles Times. They occupy the top two spots in the Western Conference and will have their third meeting of the season this afternoon.
The Latest On Kenny Atkinson
Kenny Atkinson‘s surprising departure as coach of the Nets on Saturday may have been instigated by his players, but it was a mutual decision, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Sources tell Lewis that Kyrie Irving bears much of the responsibility for the move, but Atkinson has understood for months that a change might be necessary.
“Kenny and I had these pretty frank conversations. And it wasn’t last night, 24 hours; there wasn’t one game,” general manager Sean Marks said. “This was a culmination of events over the course of the year. Kenny’s brutally honest, and the humility he showed to admit ‘My voice is not what it once was here. It’s time.’ This is a compromise that Kenny and I and ownership came up with; it was time. Kenny grinded and did everything he could, but it was time for another voice in that locker room, and it’s our job to find it.”
Marks and owner Joe Tsai gave Atkinson credit for helping to turn around a franchise that was among the league’s worst when he took over in 2016. He has the Nets on track for their second straight playoff appearance, but what the organization wants in a coach apparently shifted after last summer’s free agency bonanza that brought in Irving and Kevin Durant. Neither of them offered comment on Atkinson’s departure, but the players who did insist that they weren’t involved in the decision.
“I absolutely [had] no ‘Fire Kenny’ conversations with Sean, so I don’t know, not a part of that,” Spencer Dinwiddie said. “It’s not like I called Joe on the phone and was like, ‘Hey you making any moves?’ I like to think we’re cool, but not that cool.”
Lewis adds that one of the first actions from interim coach Jacque Vaughn was to talk to Irving and other players about what changes they would like to see.
“It’s a service business. I’m serving these guys. I’m just a vessel,” Vaughn said. “It’s today’s game and being able to adjust to that, getting the most out of talent on your roster, but also listening and hearing the voices of the No. 1, 2, 3, 4 guys on your roster. It’s crucial, and having that relationship is a must in today’s game.”
There’s more fallout from this season’s most surprising coaching change:
- Irving would like to see the Nets hire Tyronn Lue, his former head coach in Cleveland, reports Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. Currently an assistant with the Clippers, Lue took the Cavaliers to three straight NBA Finals, including two with Irving as his point guard. Irving didn’t like Atkinson’s “rigid” coaching methods and clashed with him almost immediately, sources tell Goodwill. Multiple sources also say Atkinson didn’t mesh with his two new stars and wasn’t looking forward to coaching them next season when both will presumably be healthy. “Oh, it was definitely mutual,” a league source said.
- Alex Schiffer of The Athletic talked to sources around the league and compiled a list of candidates to potentially become the Nets’ next head coach. Vaughn’s name is on the list along with some familiar candidates such as Jeff Van Gundy, Tom Thibodeau, Mark Jackson and former Nets star Jason Kidd. A few possibilities without head coaching experience are Darvin Ham, Ime Udoka, Brian Keefe and Adam Harrington.
- Atkinson may be the perfect choice to take over the cross-town Knicks, suggests Greg Joyce of The New York Post. New York is trying to rebuild with a collection of unproven young talent, much like Brooklyn was when Atkinson was hired there, and he is represented by Creative Artists Agency, which was run by new Knicks president Leon Rose. “It seems like he’s very well respected within players, within the league — players he coached and players he didn’t coach,” said Knicks forward Julius Randle. “I know I respected him.”
Warriors Plan Second 10-Day Contract For Mychal Mulder
Rookie guard Mychal Mulder made a strong impression on his first 10-day contract with the Warriors and appears to have earned another one, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Mulder’s contract expired after last night’s game, but he went out with a flourish, scoring 18 points in a win over the Sixers.
He has gotten into six games since signing with the team on February 27 and is averaging 12.3 PPG in 29.5 minutes per night. He has made 16 total 3-pointers and is shooting 35.6% from long distance. Slater notes that among 22 players who have been on Golden State’s roster this season, Mulder is the only one with a positive plus-minus rating.
“Mike is fantastic,” coach Steve Kerr told reporters after Saturday’s game. “A really good player. Good defensively. We are lucky to have him. I know this is his final day of 10-day, but we are anxious to get him back in some way, so I’m sure that’s going to happen.”
This is Mulder’s first NBA opportunity after three seasons and 134 games in the G League. He spent training camp and the preseason with the Heat after signing an Exhibit 10 contract, but was waived before the season began.
The Warriors don’t play again until Tuesday, so they may hold off on the signing for a couple of days to get maximum value out of Mulder’s next 10-day deal. Once that expires, they will have to sign him for the rest of the season if they want to keep him on the roster.