Game, Playoff Appearance Limits For Two-Way Players Lifted
The NBA’s Board of Governors, a group comprising all 30 team owners and league commissioner Adam Silver, has green-lit a deal to remove the 50-game cap on players signed to two-way contracts, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. The Board of Governors will also now let those players join their clubs’ playoff rosters.
Last week, we relayed that the league planned to loosen the restrictions for players on two-way contracts, but was still holding for official ratification from the Board of Governors.
[RELATED: 2020/21 NBA Two-Way Contract Tracker]
Charania adds (via Twitter) that, as was initially reported last week, two-way players who take the floor for their NBA teams for more than the initially-allotted 50 games would get a raise, from their current $449,155 annual rate (half of the rookie minimum) to the league minimum that correlates with their total years logged in the NBA, which can be tracked here.
With several teams facing daunting second-half season schedules and new COVID-19 cases still impacting roster availability, this move will hopefully help teams avoid missing too many scheduled contests during the home stretch of this unique 2020/21 season.
And-Ones: Trade Market, Olympics, Draft
Executives and scouts around the NBA view Rockets forward P.J. Tucker as a logical trade target for the Bucks, whose typically stout defense has fallen off a little this season, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of Bleacher Report. Tucker’s versatility and defensive ability make him a good fit in just about any system, which would make him an ideal option for a team looking to make a deep playoff run.
The execs and scouts who spoke to Blakely also think that the Nuggets will target a versatile frontcourt player and could see the Suns making a run at Andre Drummond if he reaches the buyout market.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- There’s still an expectation that the Tokyo Olympics will move forward as planned this summer, but a report from the Kyodo news agency suggested this week that foreign spectators won’t be permitted to attend (link via CBSNews.com). Team USA announced a list of 57 finalists for its men’s basketball squad today, which will need to be pared down to 12 for the Olympics.
- In his redraft of the 2019 class, John Hollinger of The Athletic leaves the first four picks (Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, RJ Barrett, and De’Andre Hunter) unchanged, but bumps Spurs forward Keldon Johnson all the way up from No. 29 to No. 5. Brandon Clarke (23rd to seventh), Talen Horton-Tucker (45th to 13th), and Luguentz Dort (undrafted to 15th) are among the other big risers, while Jarrett Culver (No. 6) and Jaxson Hayes (No. 8) would fall out of Hollinger’s top 20.
- In an Insider-only story for ESPN.com, Jonathan Givony takes a closer look at the NBA players who looked best on their G League assignments, including Raptors rookie Malachi Flynn, Sixers forward Paul Reed, and a pair of Rockets (Kevin Porter and KJ Martin). In a separate Insider-only piece, Givony and Mike Schmitz of ESPN take a closer look at which players in the 2021 draft class are the biggest risers (including Isaiah Jackson and Franz Wagner) and fallers (Ziaire Williams and David Johnson).
Community Shootaround: Midseason NBA MVP Check-In
Halfway through the NBA season, the 2020/21 Most Valuable Player race is shaping up to be a competitive one.
As David Purdum of ESPN details, Lakers forward LeBron James had been the betting favorite to win his fifth MVP award, but he was surpassed over the All-Star break by Sixers center Joel Embiid, who is the new frontrunner at Caesars Sportsbook. Embiid is followed closely by LeBron and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic.
All three All-Stars have compelling MVP cases. Embiid hasn’t played enough games in past seasons to warrant serious consideration, but he has missed just six of Philadelphia’s first 36 games this season and is posting the best numbers of his career — 30.2 PPG, 11.6 RPG, and 3.3 APG, with an outstanding .521/.416/.856 shooting line.
Embiid is getting to the free throw line more than any other NBA player (11.6 times per game), has anchored a top-five defense, and is the best player on the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed. His on/off-court numbers offer a clear-cut picture of his value, as the 76ers have a +11.1 net rating when he plays, compared to -6.3 when he doesn’t.
Of course, Embiid isn’t the only player whose team crates when he’s off the court. The Lakers are a +9.1 when James plays and a -4.4 when he doesn’t. And LeBron, at age 36, is still improbably putting up his usual monster numbers, including 25.8 PPG, 8.0 RPG, and 7.8 APG on 50.9% shooting. He has helped keep the Lakers (and their top-ranked defense) afloat despite Anthony Davis‘ recent absence, and L.A.’s 24-13 record puts the club just a half-game back of Philadelphia.
The Nuggets’ net rating is about 10 points higher when Jokic is on the court, and the big man is showing off the kind of offensive game rarely seen from a center — in addition to his impressive scoring (27.1 PPG) and rebounding (11.0 RPG) numbers, Jokic is averaging an eye-popping 8.6 assists per contest and is knocking down 41.8% of his three-point attempts.
The Nuggets are currently sixth in the West, and if that doesn’t improve, it’ll hurt Jokic’s case, but Denver was rolling before the All-Star break and is only 2.5 games back of the third-seeded Lakers.
Embiid, James, and Jokic look like the MVP frontrunners for now, but none of them are running away with the award and there’s plenty of time for others to enter the mix. According to Purdum, Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, Warriors guard Stephen Curry, and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo make up the next tier of betting favorites.
It’s hard to imagine Donovan Mitchell or Rudy Gobert receiving serious consideration, even if the Jazz hold the No. 1 spot. Meanwhile, the Nets are knocking on the door of the East’s No. 1 seed, but Kevin Durant will probably miss too much time to get a ton of MVP votes, and James Harden‘s case will be hurt by his start to the season in Houston. But Harden deserves a look, as do Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard and Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard.
In a shortened season, things could change quickly. Injuries, hot streaks, and slumps could shake up the race in the coming weeks. The power of narrative shouldn’t be understated either, as some voters may like the idea of LeBron getting a fifth MVP award, while others may gravitate toward a first-time winner like Embiid or Jokic.
What do you think? Who has been the NBA’s Most Valuable Player so far? And do you think that same player will win the award at season’s end?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!
Southwest Notes: Wood, Aldridge, Jackson, Hinton, Pels
There was some optimism that Rockets center Christian Wood, who has missed the team’s last 13 games due to a right ankle injury, might be able to return to start the second half, but it appears he’ll need a little more time to get back on the court.
Wood has been listed as out for the Rockets’ Thursday game in Sacramento, after ESPN’s Tim MacMahon first reported (via Twitter) that he was expected to miss the game. Wood has resumed basketball activities, per MacMahon, so his absence shouldn’t last much longer.
The odds of the Rockets making a run at a play-in spot are long, but if they want to have a chance, they’ll need Wood back in action — they’ve lost all 13 games he has missed.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- The impending divorce between LaMarcus Aldridge and the Spurs has been a long time coming, according to Mike Finger of The San Antonio Express-News, who suggests the team was starting to move on from the veteran big man last summer, when it made a push for a playoff spot without him. As the Spurs have adopted a new offensive approach, they’ve played better this season with Aldridge off the court (+2.5 net rating) than on it (-5.6 rating).
- Grizzlies power forward Jaren Jackson Jr., who has yet to play at all this season due to a knee injury, will be out for a while longer. A source tells Evan Barnes of The Memphis Commercial Appeal that Jackson is continuing to ramp up his basketball activities and will be back this season, but his status won’t be updated until later this month or early next month.
- With the NBA G League season about to end, more young players are being recalled to their NBA clubs. The Mavericks have transferred two-way guard Nate Hinton back to the NBA from the Santa Cruz Warriors (Twitter link), while the Pelicans brought back Wenyen Gabriel, Naji Marshall, and Will Magnay from the Erie BayHawks (press release).
Atlantic Notes: Lowry, Raptors, Celtics, Thibodeau
Don’t expect the Raptors to trade Kyle Lowry before the March 25 deadline, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca, who makes the case that the odds of a deal happening are “remote.” Grange covers some of the same ground that a Wednesday report from Sam Amick did, noting that the point guard’s $30.5MM salary limits the number of suitors who could realistically acquire him and give the Raptors the sort of turn they’d be looking for.
[RELATED: Kyle Lowry Addresses Trade Rumors]
As Grange observes, the Raptors would be more inclined to move Lowry if he wanted out, but despite rumors to the contrary, that doesn’t appear to be the case. Grange cites multiple league sources who say the six-time All-Star isn’t pushing for a deal, and agent Mark Bartelstein also confirmed as much.
“He has clearly not told anybody that he wants out of Toronto,” Bartelstein said of Lowry. “(Raptors president of basketball operations) Masai (Ujiri) and (GM) Bobby (Webster) and I talk all the time. You can never put anything in concrete in this business, things change, but there is literally nothing to all this chatter about Kyle wanting out or telling his team he wants to go there. That’s just not true.”
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- Eric Koreen and Blake Murphy of The Athletic consider whether the Raptors should buy, sell, or hold steady at the upcoming trade deadline, suggesting the team is in position to seriously consider all three options.
- Appearing this morning on Toucher & Rich on 98.5 WBZ-FM in Boston, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge once again said that his preference would be to use the team’s $28.5MM trade exception in the offseason, when the club will have more options (Twitter link via Sean Deveney of Heavy.com). “That’s for sure. I’ve always felt that,” Ainge said. “We’re hard-capped (this season), using the full thing on one player would be less likely. It’s not impossible.”
- During that same radio appearance, Ainge suggested that if the Celtics make a trade this month, they’d prefer to acquire a player under contract beyond this season, since rival suitors with cap room this summer could make it challenging to re-sign a free-agent-to-be (Twitter link via Keith Smith of RealGM).
- Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau talked to Nick Friedell of ESPN.com about the lessons he learned in his past jobs that he brought to New York. The conversation also touches on a handful of other topics, including what it means to Thibodeau to reunite with former Bulls star Derrick Rose.
Lakers Sign Damian Jones To Second 10-Day Deal
MARCH 11: The Lakers have officially re-signed Jones to a second 10-day deal, the team announced today in a press release. It’ll run through March 20, covering L.A.’s next five games.
MARCH 10: The Lakers intend to re-sign center Damian Jones to a second 10-day contract, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
Jones made a good impression during his first 10 days as a Laker prior to the All-Star Game, putting up eight points in eight minutes in his first appearance and earning a start in Sacramento last Wednesday. Head coach Frank Vogel said prior to the break that Jones should be “optimistic about what’s ahead of him,” hinting that the big man could get another 10-day deal.
The Lakers have two open spots on their roster, so no corresponding move will be necessary to bring back Jones. With the March 25 trade deadline fast approaching, the team may leave its final roster spot open to maximize its flexibility for possible trades or buyout targets.
Since the Lakers aren’t in action until Friday, Jones likely won’t be officially re-signed until then — that would allow his new 10-day deal to run through March 21, covering the club’s first six second-half games. The contract will pay him $119K, with a $111K cap hit, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks, who tweets that L.A. remains about $1.5MM below the hard cap.
A player can only sign two 10-day contracts with the same team during a season, so if the Lakers want to bring back after his next deal expires, they’d need to sign him for the rest of 2020/21. That’s probably only a likely outcome if the team misses out on its top trade and buyout targets.
Bulls Notes: Markkanen, Porter, Young, LaVine
As the Bulls get ready to resume the season, they could have a couple of important players back in the lineup, writes Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. Lauri Markkanen, who has missed 13 games with a strained right shoulder, and Otto Porter Jr., who has been sidelined for 15 games with back spasms, practiced Wednesday and may return tonight. Both players remained in Chicago during the All-Star break to do rehab work.
Markkanen, who wore an undershirt with padding on the shoulder, told reporters he feels “good to go.” The coaching staff doesn’t plan to have him on a minutes restriction whenever he returns. Porter called his back issue a “weird pain” that was easy to reaggravate by doing simple tasks.
“I feel good about what they did today. Both guys went through everything,” coach Billy Donovan said after Wednesday’s practice. “Both guys went through contact. Both guys played. I think the biggest thing for me is when you come out of a late, unnormal practice time where you are finishing up at 7 (p.m. CT) the guys have to go in right now and meet with the medical staff, go through rehab. We’ll see how they are feeling. Certainly they are moving closer and closer to playing.”
There’s more from Chicago:
- The Spurs’ decision to part ways with LaMarcus Aldridge may affect the trade market if the Bulls decide to unload Thaddeus Young, points out K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports. Teams that have been considered possible destinations for Young, such as the Celtics and Trail Blazers, are now believed to be in the running for Aldridge.
- Porter dismissed rumors that he might seek a buyout, saying his focus remains on doing whatever he can to help the Bulls, Johnson adds in the same story. Porter is making $28,489,239 this season and is headed for free agency this summer. “I’ve just been in the gym every day, trying to get my body back,” he said. “Whatever is going on out there, I have no idea about. My agent would probably tell me if something was going on, but he hasn’t said anything.”
- The Bulls didn’t hold a formal organizational meeting during the break to talk about potential trades, but Donovan tells Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times that there have been frequent discussions on the topic among the front office and coaches.
- In case you missed it, Bulls guard Zach LaVine is among the 15 new players under consideration for the U.S. Olympic team.
USA Basketball Expands Finalist List for Olympic Roster
Fifteen players have been added to the list of finalists for the U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team, USA Basketball announced today in a press release. The group will eventually be pared down to 12 players who will participate in the Olympic Games, which are set for July 23 to August 8 in Tokyo.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich will serve as coach for the U.S. team, with Warriors coach Steve Kerr, Villanova coach Jay Wright and former Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce as his assistants.
No tryouts will be held this year. Instead, USA Basketball will choose the final roster by early summer. Training camp is scheduled to being in early July before the conclusion of the NBA playoffs.
“With the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics from 2020 to 2021, it’s important that we continue to remain flexible and consider all players who can contribute to our efforts to field the best USA team possible,” USA Basketball men’s national team managing director Jerry Colangelo said. “These additions we are announcing today will help ensure that we are doing that. Having a larger player pool than what we normally have is critical because of all of the uncertainties we face about availability. But for USA Basketball to receive the commitment of so many outstanding players remains an indicator of the great honor of representing your country means to these men.”
The new names under consideration are:
- Jarrett Allen (Cavaliers)
- Eric Gordon (Rockets)
- Jerami Grant (Pistons)
- Blake Griffin (Nets)
- Jrue Holiday (Bucks)
- DeAndre Jordan (Nets)
- Zach LaVine (Bulls)
- Julius Randle (Knicks)
- Duncan Robinson (Heat)
- Mitchell Robinson (Knicks)
- Fred VanVleet (Raptors)
- John Wall (Rockets)
- Zion Williamson (Pelicans)
- Christian Wood (Rockets)
- Trae Young (Hawks)
Forty-two players remain from the original list, which was announced in February 2020:
- Bam Adebayo (Heat)
- LaMarcus Aldridge (Spurs)
- Harrison Barnes (Kings)
- Bradley Beal (Wizards)
- Devin Booker (Suns)
- Malcolm Brogdon (Pacers)
- Jaylen Brown (Celtics)
- Jimmy Butler (Heat)
- Mike Conley (Jazz)
- Stephen Curry (Warriors)
- Anthony Davis (Lakers)
- DeMar DeRozan (Spurs)
- Andre Drummond (Cavaliers)
- Kevin Durant (Nets)
- Paul George (Clippers)
- Draymond Green (Warriors)
- James Harden (Nets)
- Montrezl Harrell (Lakers)
- Joe Harris (Nets)
- Tobias Harris (76ers)
- Gordon Hayward (Hornets)
- Dwight Howard (Sixers)
- Brandon Ingram (Pelicans)
- Kyrie Irving (Nets)
- LeBron James (Lakers)
- Kyle Kuzma (Lakers)
- Kawhi Leonard (Clippers)
- Damian Lillard (Blazers)
- Brook Lopez (Bucks)
- Kevin Love (Cavaliers)
- Kyle Lowry (Raptors)
- JaVale McGee (Cavaliers)
- Khris Middleton (Bucks)
- Donovan Mitchell (Jazz)
- Victor Oladipo (Rockets)
- Chris Paul (Suns)
- Mason Plumlee (Pistons)
- Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
- Myles Turner (Pacers)
- Kemba Walker (Celtics)
- Russell Westbrook (Wizards)
- Derrick White (Spurs)
Two players removed from that list are Warriors guard Klay Thompson, who is out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon, and Celtics guard Marcus Smart. Sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic that Smart turned down an invitation because of injury concerns due to having a short offseason and playing late into consecutive seasons (Twitter link).
Meyers Leonard Receives Fine, Suspension For Comment
The NBA has fined Heat center Meyers Leonard $50K for making an anti-Semitic comment, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Leonard has also been suspended for a week from all Heat facilities and team activities. The $50K fine is the largest allowable under league rules.
Leonard, who uttered the slur during a video game livestream, will also be required to take part in a cultural diversity program (Twitter link).
“Meyers Leonard’s comment was inexcusable and hurtful, and such an offensive term has no place in the NBA or in our society,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “Yesterday he spoke to representatives of the Anti-Defamation League to better understand the impact of his words and we accept that he is genuinely remorseful. We have further communicated to Meyers that derogatory comments like this will not be tolerated and that he will be expected to uphold the core values of our league — equality, tolerance, inclusion and respect — at all times moving forward.” (Twitter link)
Leonard’s offensive comment came while he was playing “Call of Duty: Warzone” on Twitch. He issued an apology, calling it “not a proper representation of who I am.” Leonard is out for the rest of the season with a shoulder injury and has a $10.1MM team option for next season.
Because Leonard is currently injured, he won’t forfeit salary for the games he misses during his week-long suspension, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Warriors Notes: Wiseman, Oubre, Myers, Curry
Warriors rookie center James Wiseman wasn’t permitted to practice Wednesday and may not be eligible to play tonight after missing a COVID-19 test during the All-Star break, according to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. A source tells Anthony Slater of The Athletic that Wiseman is expected to be cleared as long as he continues to test negative (Twitter link).
“It was a mistake,” coach Steve Kerr said. “He just forgot. It’s disappointing because he could have used the practice tonight. And we needed him out there. So it’s disappointing that he made the mistake.”
Players are required to undergo daily testing and are given two opportunities, one in the morning and one at night. The requirements have been in place since Wiseman entered the league.
“Every practice we have is crucial, but especially the ones where we can actually get some work in,” Kerr said. “The (first) practice after the All-Star break is always an important one because you’ve got to blow it out. You’ve got to get your legs back underneath you. You also have to get your mind right.”
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Getting past the feeling of needing to impress his new team has helped Kelly Oubre turn around his first season with Golden State, writes Marcus Thompson of The Athletic. Oubre struggled with his shot during his first few games with the Warriors, making just two of his first 30 three-point attempts, but he shot 43% from beyond the arc in February while averaging 20.1 PPG. “When I first got here, to the Warriors, I was feeding into all the pressure of, the salary-cap stuff, the contract year,” Oubre said. “You know, the new team that I would really love to make this a home for me in the future. I was kind of putting too much pressure onto myself.”
- General manager Bob Myers wants to keep Golden State in title contention for as long as Stephen Curry remains in his prime, relays Marcus White of NBC Sports Bay Area. Myers talked about the need to maximize the rest of Curry’s peak years during a radio interview on Wednesday. “What’s your responsibility? It’s to help him win a championship, to put the best players around him that you can,” Myers said. “So we try to do that, and I think for a stretch, we did. … And now we say, ‘How do we keep doing that?’ And it never was easy then, and it’s not easy now, but — we don’t ever have it all figured out.”
- Kerr promises changes to the rotation when the second half of the season begins tonight, Poole tweets. Although Kerr wasn’t specific, Poole believes the new look will involve the backcourt.