Luka Doncic To Undergo MRI On Injured Ankle
Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic is expected to undergo an MRI today on his left ankle after he suffered a sprain in Dallas’ 130-122 loss to the Clippers on Friday which put the team in a 2-1 series hole, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon writes.
Doncic suffered the injury late in the third quarter as he rolled his ankle while Kawhi Leonard drove to the basket. The 21-year-old returned in the fourth quarter but managed to play only briefly before leaving for the remainder of the game.
“It’s not that bad,” Doncic said after the game. “Honestly, I had luck it’s my left ankle. It’s not my right. It’s a little sprained. We’ll know more tomorrow.”
Doncic being forced to miss any games for the remainder of the Mavericks’ first-round series against the Clippers would likely derail their postseason. The Slovenian had been dynamic in the series thus far, recording 42 points in a Game 1 loss and managing to total a triple-double (13 points, 10 assists, 10 rebounds) in Game 3. Doncic is the third-youngest player to ever record a triple-double in the postseason, behind Magic Johnson and LeBron James.
Dallas is set for Game 4 against the Clippers Sunday afternoon which gives Doncic less than 48 hours to recover but head coach Rick Carlise was optimistic about his chances.
“The game is early Sunday, which doesn’t help things, but we’ll see,” Carlisle said. “We’ve got every advanced treatment modality that you can have, as every team here does. We’ll see how this responds in the next 36 hours.”
NBA Updates List Of Early Entrants For 2020 Draft
Following the NBA’s August 17 deadline for early entrants to declare for the 2020 NBA draft, the league has issued an updated list of the early entrants who remain in this year’s draft pool.
The list, which includes 72 college players and 36 international prospects, looks pretty similar to the one you’ll find on our running tracker.
The NBA’s update confirms that Joe Saterfield, a wing from Ranger Community College, is no longer in the draft pool, but guard Michael Lenoir, from Creating Young Minds Academy in Texas, has entered his name.
Meanwhile, in the international pool, center Berke Atar, forward Philippe Bayehe, center Vinicius Da Silva, guard Selim Fofana, center Dut Mabor, forward Yigitcan Saybir, and forward Andrii Voinalovych have removed their names from draft consideration. Croatian forward Darko Bajo, previously believed to be pulling his name out of the draft, remains on the early entrant list, and center Aboubacar Traore from Canada’s Dynasty Sports Institute has entered his name.
The college players who remain in the draft pool have foregone their remaining NCAA eligibility, since the NCAA’s withdrawal deadline for early entrants passed earlier this month. However, the NBA’s own withdrawal deadline doesn’t arrive until 10 days before the draft. Many international prospects figure to pull out by then, and some of the college players could too, if they decide to go pro without becoming immediately draft-eligible.
Currently, the 2020 draft is scheduled for October 16, though there’s still a chance it could be further delayed. If it remains on October 16, the withdrawal deadline for the early entrants listed below will be October 6.
Per the NBA, here’s the list of the 108 early entrants who remain in the 2020 draft pool for now:
College Players:
- Precious Achiuwa, F, Memphis (freshman)
- Milan Acquaah, G, California Baptist (junior)
- Ty-Shon Alexander, G, Creighton (junior)
- Cole Anthony, G, North Carolina (freshman)
- Brendan Bailey, F, Marquette (sophomore)
- Saddiq Bey, F, Villanova (sophomore)
- Tyler Bey, F, Colorado (junior)
- Jermaine Bishop, G, Norfolk State (junior)
- Dachon Burke, G, Nebraska (junior)
- Vernon Carey Jr., C, Duke (freshman)
- Nate Darling, G, Delaware (junior)
- Lamine Diane, F, Cal State Northridge (sophomore)
- Devon Dotson, G, Kansas (sophomore)
- Anthony Edwards, G, Georgia (freshman)
- CJ Elleby, F, Washington State (sophomore)
- Malik Fitts, F, Saint Mary’s (junior)
- Malachi Flynn, G, San Diego State (junior)
- Tony Goodwin II, G/F, Redemption Academy (N/A)
- Josh Green, G/F, Arizona (freshman)
- Ashton Hagans, G, Kentucky (sophomore)
- Tyrese Haliburton, G, Iowa State (sophomore)
- Josh Hall, F, Moravian Prep (N/A)
- Rayshaun Hammonds, F, Georgia (junior)
- Jalen Harris, G, Nevada (junior)
- Niven Hart, G, Fresno State (freshman)
- Nate Hinton, G/F, Houston (sophomore)
- Elijah Hughes, G/F, Syracuse (junior)
- Isaiah Joe, G, Arkansas (sophomore)
- Dakari Johnson, G, Cape Fear CC (freshman)
- C.J. Jones, G, Middle Tennessee (junior)
- Mason Jones, G, Arkansas (junior)
- Tre Jones, G, Duke (sophomore)
- Saben Lee, G, Vanderbilt (junior)
- Michael Lenoir, G, Creating Young Minds Academy (N/A)
- Kira Lewis, G, Alabama (sophomore)
- Nico Mannion, G, Arizona (freshman)
- Naji Marshall, F, Xavier (junior)
- Kenyon Martin Jr., F, IMG Academy (N/A)
- Tyrese Maxey, G, Kentucky (freshman)
- Jaden McDaniels, F, Washington (freshman)
- Isiaha Mike, F, SMU (junior)
- EJ Montgomery, F, Kentucky (sophomore)
- Aaron Nesmith, G, Vanderbilt (sophomore)
- Zeke Nnaji, F, Arizona (freshman)
- Jordan Nwora, F, Louisville (junior)
- Onyeka Okongwu, F/C, USC (freshman)
- Isaac Okoro, F, Auburn (freshman)
- Daniel Oturu, C, Minnesota (sophomore)
- Reggie Perry, F, Mississippi State (sophomore)
- Filip Petrusev, F/C, Gonzaga (sophomore)
- Nate Pierre-Louis, G, Temple (junior)
- Immanuel Quickley, G, Kentucky (sophomore)
- Jahmi’us Ramsey, G, Texas Tech (freshman)
- Paul Reed, F, DePaul (junior)
- Nick Richards, F/C, Kentucky (junior)
- Jay Scrubb, G, John A. Logan College (sophomore)
- Jalen Smith, F, Maryland (sophomore)
- Cassius Stanley, G, Duke (freshman)
- Isaiah Stewart, F/C, Washington (freshman)
- Tyrell Terry, G, Stanford (freshman)
- Xavier Tillman, F/C, Michigan State (junior)
- Obi Toppin, F, Dayton (sophomore)
- Jordan Tucker, F, Butler (sophomore)
- Devin Vassell, G, Florida State (sophomore)
- Nick Weatherspoon, G, Mississippi State (junior)
- Kaleb Wesson, F/C, Ohio State (junior)
- Kahlil Whitney, F, Kentucky (freshman)
- Emmitt Williams, F, LSU (sophomore)
- Patrick Williams, F, Florida State (freshman)
- James Wiseman, C, Memphis (freshman)
- Robert Woodard II, F, Mississippi State (sophomore)
- Omer Yurtseven, C, Georgetown (junior)
International Players:
Note: The country indicates where the player had been playing, not necessarily where he was born.
- Deni Avdija, F, Israel (born 2001)
- Brancou Badio, F, Spain (born 1999)
- Darko Bajo, F, Croatia (born 1999)
- Marek Blazevic, C, Lithuania (born 2001)
- Adrian Bogucki, C, Poland (born 2000)
- Leandro Bolmaro, F, Spain (born 2000)
- Henri Drell, G/F, Italy (born 2000)
- Imru Duke, F, Spain (born 1999)
- Michele Ebeling, F, Italy (born 1999)
- Paul Eboua, F, Italy (born 2000)
- Osas Ehigiator, C, Spain (born 1999)
- Joel Ekamba, G, France (born 2001)
- Miguel Gonzalez, G/F, Spain (born 1999)
- Killian Hayes, G, Germany (born 2001)
- Sehmus Hazer, G, Turkey (born 1999)
- Rokas Jokubaitis, G, Lithuania (born 2000)
- Georgios Kalaitzakis, G, Lithuania (born 1999)
- Vit Krejci, G, Spain (born 2000)
- Arturs Kurucs, G, Latvia (born 2000)
- Yam Madar, G, Israel (born 2000)
- Theo Maledon, G, France (born 2001)
- Karim Mane, G, Canada (born 2000)
- Sergi Martinez, F, Spain (born 1999)
- Nikola Miskovic, F, Serbia (born 1999)
- Aristide Mouaha, G, Italy (born 2000)
- Caio Pacheco, G, Argentina (born 1999)
- Joel Parra, F, Spain (born 2000)
- Aleksej Pokusevski, F, Greece (born 2001)
- Sander Raieste, F, Estonia (born 1999)
- Nikos Rogkavopoulos, F, Greece (born 2001)
- Njegos Sikiras, F, Spain (born 1999)
- Marko Simonovic, C, Serbia (born 1999)
- Mouhamed Thiam, C, France (born 2001)
- Aboubacar Traore, G, Canada (born 2001)
- Uros Trifunovic, G, Serbia (born 2000)
- Arnas Velicka, G, Lithuania (born 1999)
Heat Notes: Closers, Butler-Dragic, Benched Players, Injuries
The Heat have found playoff success thus far with a closing lineup comprising Goran Dragic, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, Andre Iguodala and Bam Adebayo, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. This closing lineup resolved the last 7:57 of the team’s Game 1 victory in Miami’s quarterfinals series against the Pacers (posting a +10 plus-minus), plus the final 7:45 of the Heat’s hard-fought Game 2 win (where the group finished with a +1).
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra praised the groups effectiveness on both sides of the ball. “Defensively, they’ve been good,” Spoelstra said. “Offensively, we’ve been able to keep it simple and get it to either Goran or Jimmy to make the plays and you trust that they’re going to get you something good, a clean look.”
There’s more from South Beach:
- A key duo within the Heat’s closing lineup, guards Goran Dragic and Jimmy Butler, have benefited from their playing minutes together being expanded from 14 MPG to 22.5 MPG in the postseason, according to Manny Navarro of The Athletic. Butler and Dragic have become a very effective dynamic duo for Miami. “One of my all-time favorite teammates,” Butler said. “We just connect.”
- Heat power forward Meyers Leonard and rookie point guard Kendrick Nunn both have yet to crack Miami’s postseason rotation, as Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel details. Nunn started for the Heat all season. Though frustrated about the benching, Leonard voiced optimism that both he and Nunn would see action soon. “[S]taying ready is important, so when I get my opportunity I’ll be prepared,” Leonard said. “There’s going to be a moment that we need Kendrick Nunn, make no mistake.”
- Heat forwards Jae Crowder and Derrick Jones Jr. have both been listed as questionable to play in Game 3 of their series against the Pacers on Saturday due to ankle injuries, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link).
California Notes: Beverley, Warriors, Kings, Rondo
Clippers head coach Doc Rivers has confirmed that starting point guard Patrick Beverley will remain unavailable for tonight’s third game in L.A.’s playoff quarterfinals series against the Mavericks, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (Twitter link).
Beverley’s calf injury has now restricted him from playing in seven of the team’s last eight games. He appeared for just 20 minutes in the Clippers’ playoff opener, a 118-110 win over Dallas. Though Reggie Jackson started in Beverley’s stead for the team’s 127-114 game two loss to the Mavericks, Landry Shamet will replace Jackson as the team’s starting point guard, per Jovan Buha of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Here are more news items and notes for California’s NBA teams:
- Warriors president of basketball operations Bob Myers has yet to tip his hand as to whether or not the team will draft a new young player with the No. 2 pick in the 2020 draft or package it in the trade for a skilled veteran, Nick Friedell of ESPN tweets. “I don’t think I’ll know that anytime soon,” Myers said. Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area posits that the Warriors, just one year removed from five consecutive NBA Finals runs, should move the pick for instant help, due to both the age of core Warriors Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, and the lack of a clear future superstar in this year’s draft.
- The Kings should prioritize talent over need with the No. 12 pick in this year’s NBA draft, writes Jason Jones of The Athletic. Jones examines five prospects who could help Sacramento, including Villanova forward Saddiq Bey, Florida State guard Devin Vassell, and Vassell’s teammate, forward Patrick Williams.
- Lakers point guard Rajon Rondo, still recovering from a July 16 thumb surgery, has been listed as merely “questionable” for the third game in the team’s playoff series against the Trail Blazers on Saturday, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link). With starting guard Avery Bradley opting out of the NBA’s Orlando restart and Rondo injured, the Lakers have been fairly short-handed at the point.
Central Notes: Karnisovas, Holiday, Cavs, Bulls
New Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas has indicated that he intends to prioritize talent over fulfilling any specific roster needs as he approaches the 2020 NBA draft, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
“I don’t think you address needs at four,” Karnisovas said in a Zoom call after the draft lottery Thursday. “You get the best talent. That’s what we’re going to be looking for with the highest upside player.”
K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago notes that the Bulls’ biggest needs appear to be finding a true point guard (Coby White, the No. 7 pick in the 2019 draft, is more of a scoring guard), a long-term solution at the wing, and even possibly adding frontcourt depth, despite the intriguing ceilings of recent big man lottery selections Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter Jr.
There’s more out of the NBA’s Central Division:
- Free agent Pacers wing Justin Holiday has hired a new agent, Bernie Lee, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Lee also represents Heat swingman (and Holiday’s former Bulls teammate) Jimmy Butler. Holiday signed a one-year, $4.8MM contract with Indiana last summer.
- Bulls president Arturas Karnisovas has indicated that September’s forthcoming group workouts for the eight teams (including Chicago) that missed the Orlando 2019/20 season restart will not expedite the team’s search for a new coach, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago tweets. The team fired coach Jim Boylen last week after one-and-a-half lackluster seasons at the helm. Sam Smith of Bulls.com notes that Nuggets assistant coach Wes Unseld Jr. and Sixers assistant coach Ime Udoka appear to number among the top candidates for the position.
- Though the Cavaliers may miss out on top prospects LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards and James Wiseman with the No. 5 pick in the 2020 draft, team general manager Koby Altman thinks the team will have plenty of intriguing options left, per Kelsey Russo of The Athletic. “We are confident that this draft position will allow us to acquire talent that will complement our core mix of young players and established veterans,” Altman said in a statement last night. Russo takes a look at five key prospects who may still be available for Cleveland, including Dayton forward Obi Toppin, Maccabi Tel Aviv forward Deni Avdija, and Auburn wing Isaac Okoro.
Derrick White Undergoes Toe Surgery
Spurs guard Derrick White, fresh off the best season of his three-year NBA career, has undergone surgery on the dislocated second toe of his left foot, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated tweets that White had been dealing with the left toe dislocation since before the NBA’s Orlando restart.
San Antonio traveled to the NBA’s 22-team Orlando restart campus but just barely missed out on qualifying for the play-in game between the eighth and ninth seeds in the West, finishing with a 32-39 record and the No. 11 seed.
White, considered a core part of the Spurs’ future along with backcourt mate Dejounte Murray, will be eligible for an extension of his rookie contract once the 2020/21 league year begins. He averaged 11.3 PPG this season while playing terrific defense, including high marks for block percentage and defensive rebounding percentage. He converted 36.6% of his 3.2 three-point attempts per game.
As ESPN’s Bobby Marks noted in a season review last week, locking in White long-term would be a savvy move for the Spurs as the team continues to rebuild during its first year out of the playoffs since 1997. Marks pegged an extension for White within the range of a four-year, $52MM deal, which would give Spurs team president and head coach Gregg Popovich and GM Brian Wright over $70MM in projected salary cap room for 2021 free agency, when several high-level All-Stars and role players are expected to be available.
The eight-figure contracts of Spurs veterans LaMarcus Aldridge, Rudy Gay and Patty Mills will all come off San Antonio’s books in a year. The jury is out on whether guard DeMar DeRozan, the team’s priciest player, will exercise his $27.7MM player option for the 2020/21 season.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Restart Edition
Throughout the season, Hoops Rumors takes a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents this off-season. With the first round of the playoffs ongoing at the Orlando campus, it’s time to examine if their stock is rising or falling due to performance and other factors.
Jordan Clarkson, Jazz, 27, SG (Up) – Signed to a four-year, $50MM deal in 2016
The late-December deal with the Cavaliers that sent Clarkson to Utah was one of the most impactful trades this season. Clarkson filled a much-needed role as a scorer off the bench for the Jazz. He has reinforced his value during the restart, particularly during the first-round series with Mike Conley leaving Orlando for the birth of a child. Clarkson averaged 22.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG and 3.0 APG in the first two playoff games against Denver and was a team-best +33 in Friday’s Game 3 win. Utah will certainly try to retain Clarkson but the Jazz will have competition for one of the league’s top reserves in the prime of his career.
Paul Millsap, Nuggets, 35, PF (Down) – Signed to a three-year, $90MM deal in 2017
Michael Porter Jr. has been playing some small forward for Denver during the restart due to injuries but his future in the current NBA is at the four, the spot Millsap has occupied when healthy. Millsap’s performances in the restart have been rather forgettable – 10 points or less in five of seven seeding games, along with 21 total points and seven rebounds in 65 minutes during the first three games of the Utah series. Perhaps the Nuggets will bring back Millsap if he’s willing to accept a modest contract and a bench role. It’s hard to see any other team viewing the big man as a starter at this stage of his career, so interest in him may be limited.
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Nets, 25, SG (Up) – Signed to a two-year, $2.48MM deal in 2019
Luwawu-Cabarrot has been one of the big surprises in Orlando. The Nets staggered into Orlando with a depleted roster, but the performances of Luwawu-Cabarrot and other unsung players allowed them to win five seeding games. He scored 24 or more points in three seeding games and has been a major factor off the bench against Toronto in the Nets’ first-round playoff series, averaging 21.5 PPG in the first two games while making 47.4% of his 3-point attempts before the Raptors slowed him down on Friday. His $1.8MM salary for next season is not guaranteed, but he has forced Brooklyn’s hand to retain him beyond this season.
Trey Burke, Mavericks, 27, PG (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $229K deal in 2020
Burke filled a roster spot this summer with Willie Cauley-Stein opting out of the restart. Though the Mavs still had other guard options, Burke has played steady minutes off the bench, averaging 12.0 PPG and 3.8 APG in the eight seeding games. He impacted Game 2 of the playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers, scoring 16 points in 18 minutes. If nothing else, the 6-foot point man who has played for five organizations proved this summer he belongs on an NBA roster as a second-unit floor leader.
Jeff Green, Rockets, 33, PF (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $696K deal in 2020
Raise your hand if you thought Green would be an impact player this postseason after the Jazz lopped him off the roster to add a G League standout. The Rockets rescued him off the scrap heap and he’s been a marvelous fit in Mike D’Antoni’s small ball system. Green scored in double digits in all but one of the seeding games and he’s been a huge factor against Oklahoma City in the playoffs, averaging 18.5 PPG and 6.5 RPG in 35.0 MPG through two games. If D’Antoni remains in Houston beyond this season, Green will likely re-sign there. If not, the journeyman has earned another opportunity to wear an NBA uniform.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Javonte Green Sprains Knee, Out For Game 3
Celtics small forward Javonte Green will miss tonight’s third game against the Sixers with a right knee sprain, per a tweet from the team’s official account. The severity of the sprain and thus the duration of Green’s absence has yet to be disclosed.
Green, a 27-year-old rookie out of Radford, managed to carved out some rotation time for Boston this year after an impressive showing in the 2019 Summer League. He averaged 9.8 MPG in 48 of a possible 72 games this season. Before latching on with Boston for 2019/20, Green played internationally for four seasons after going undrafted in 2015.
Green has yet to crack the Celtics’ playoff rotation. The athletic 6’4″ right-hander has thus far only played mop-up time in one tilt against Philadelphia, logging just under six minutes of game action in a 128-101 route of the Sixers on Wednesday. Green joined Boston on a partially-guaranteed $898,310 deal that became fully-guaranteed for the season in January. He will be a free agent this fall.
Zach Collins To Undergo Ankle Surgery, Done For Season
Starting Trail Blazers power forward Zach Collins will undergo surgery for a stress reaction in his left ankle and has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2019/20 season, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Collins was originally expected to be re-examined next week, but it seems the team decided to address his injury immediately.
Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports clarifies that the Collins injury is officially a hairline medial malleolus stress fracture (Twitter link).
After a surprise 100-93 victory in the first game of their 1-8 quarterfinals matchup with the Lakers, the Trail Blazers fell 111-88 to Los Angeles yesterday, tying the series at 1-1. Collins missed both contests, with rookie power forward Wenyen Gabriel starting in his stead.
This is certainly a blow for the Trail Blazers’ hopes of scoring a historic first round playoff upset against the Lakers, though it is not unfamiliar territory for the team this year. Collins missed most of Portland’s season with a left shoulder injury that kept him sidelined for all but 11 games of the Blazers’ regular season and Orlando campus seeding games.
The Blazers signed 17-year veteran Carmelo Anthony to replace Collins in November. During the season restart, Anthony shifted to the team’s starting small forward position after Trevor Ariza opted to sit out of the Disney World campus due to health concerns. Anthony may see more time at the power forward slot in the series going forward.
In Collins’ absence, the Blazers have also experimented with ultra-big lineups to counter the Lakers’ size during their series, occasionally playing centers Jusuf Nurkic and Hassan Whiteside together.
Mike Conley To Play In Game 3
2:30pm: It has been confirmed that Conley will be available for today’s pivotal third game of the Nuggets-Jazz quarterfinals playoff series, per Eric Walden of the Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link).
9:48am: The Jazz will have point guard Mike Conley back in their lineup for today’s playoff game with the Nuggets, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. He is in the process of clearing quarantine and is expected to be ready for tipoff.
Conley left the Disney World campus on Sunday to be present for the birth of his son in Columbus, Ohio. He returned late Monday, giving him just enough time to complete his quarantine requirements by today.
Utah gained a split in its two games without Conley, dropping an overtime decision in Monday’s opener, then bouncing back with a 19-point win on Wednesday. Conley averaged 18.0 points and 5.0 assists in six seeding games, and his presence could give the Jazz an advantage for the rest of the series.