Community Shootaround: Utah Jazz
The team with the best record in the NBA gets precious little respect.
The Jazz reached the All-Star break ahead of the pack in the rugged Western Conference but no one seems to take them seriously. Back in January, TNT analysts Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal refused to give Donovan Mitchell the superstar label, claiming that Mitchell doesn’t impact the game beyond scoring.
When it came time to choose sides in the NBA All-Star draft last week, Mitchell and Rudy Gobert were the last two picks by Kevin Durant and LeBron James.
“There’s no slander to the Utah Jazz,” James claimed. “You guys got to understand, just like in video games growing up, we never played with Utah. Even as great as Karl Malone and John Stockton was, we would never pick those guys in video games. Never.”
Mitchell was not pleased by the perceived insult.
The best way for the Jazz to respond is to finish what they started. The Jazz have been a playoff team the last four seasons. They got knocked out in the first round the last two years after getting eliminated in the conference semifinals in back-to-back seasons.
Last season, Mitchell tried to will his team past Denver, averaging 36.3 PPG in an epic seven-game series, but the Jazz came up just short in Game 7.
Utah didn’t have Bojan Bogdanovic in that series due to a wrist injury. Otherwise, the Jazz have virtually the same rotation as they did at the end of last year. Their chemistry makes them tough to beat in the regular season but the postseason is a different animal, when the biggest stars shine.
That brings us to our topic of the day: Can the Jazz finally overcome their recent history and make a deep playoff run? Or is the team with the best record in the NBA destined for another early-round flameout?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Atlantic Notes: Morey, Embiid, Raptors, Griffin, Harden
Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has been blown away by Joel Embiid‘s talent, comparing him favorably to former Most Valuable Player James Harden. In an interview with Howard Beck of Sports Illustrated, Morey lavished praise on his MVP candidate. “I get in trouble when I say stuff like this but he’s the most unstoppable thing I’ve ever seen,” he said. “And I’ve seen a lot. You know who I’ve seen. But I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Morey also admits he’s irritated by the Nets’ collection of stars. “I mean, it’s annoying,” he said. “I would rather have all the good players in the West. So that’s probably annoying. But you know, everything else will get me fined, I think.”
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Raptors will allow up to 3,500 fans at Tampa’s Amalie Arena beginning on March 19, according to a team press release. Toronto begins its post-All-Star break schedule at home against Atlanta on Thursday, then heads out for a three-game road swing. The Raptors, who have 18 home games remaining after Thursday’s contest, began the season allowing fans in Amalie Arena, but closed their doors in early January following an increase in coronavirus cases in the area.
- James Harden is sure that the Nets’ latest addition, Blake Griffin, will be highly motivated to win a ring, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. Harden noted that Griffin gave back $13.3MM to the Pistons in his buyout. “I’m sure he wants to win. If he’s passed up on money to stay in Detroit, he wants to win, and he wants to have an opportunity to play meaningful minutes. I’m assuming that’s one of the reasons why he came.” Harden also believes Griffin can contribute with his improved ball-handling and 3-point shooting in recent seasons, Scotto relays in another tweet.
- Griffin’s play-making from the power forward position gives the Nets a new dimension, according to Alex Schiffer of The Athletic. Schiffer breaks down all of Griffin’s assists this season to demonstrate how he could help in that aspect.
Rockets Add Anthony Lamb, Waive Mason Jones
5:55pm: Both moves are official, according to a team press release.
5:20pm: The Rockets are signing forward Anthony Lamb on a two-way contract, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
Concurrently, Houston is requesting waivers on rookie guard Mason Jones, Kelly Iko of The Athletic tweets.
Lamb, 23, was playing for the Rockets’ G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He was with the Pistons this December on a training camp invitation but was waived. He averaged 11.2 PPG, 5.6 RPG and 2.1 APG in 12 games at the G League bubble in Orlando.
The 6’6” Lamb was a four-year starter at Vermont and the two-time America East Conference Player of the Year. He averaged 16.7 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 2.5 APG and 1.2 BPG as a senior.
Jones, who was on a two-way deal, averaged 5.5 RPG, 2.1 RPG and 1.3 APG in 22 appearances with the Rockets. Jones declared for the draft after his sophomore year with Arkansas but wasn’t selected. He led the SEC in scoring last year with 22.0 PPG.
NBA Trade Candidate Watch: RFAs-To-Be
With the March 25 trade deadline fast approaching, Hoops Rumors is taking a closer look at players around the NBA who are candidates to be moved this month, breaking them down into several categories based on their age, contracts, on-court value, and other categories. Today, we’ll zero in on players who will be eligible for restricted free agency at season’s end.
Players eligible for restricted free agency make for interesting trade candidates. On one hand, they generally don’t make a ton of money, making them tricky to include in a deal for an impact veteran whose salary must be matched. And many RFAs-to-be will require a significant investment when their contracts expire in a few months, which reduces their trade value.
Conversely though, if a team is unsure about its willingness to match an offer sheet for an RFA-to-be during a coming offseason, or if it knows that player isn’t in its long-term plans, it can make sense to explore the market in the hopes of getting something for that player, rather than letting him walk in a few months for nothing.
In one of 2020’s biggest trade deadline deals, the Timberwolves acquired Malik Beasley and Juan Hernangomez, then signed them to multiyear contracts as restricted free agents a few months later. In 2019, the Mavericks did the same with Kristaps Porzingis.
Who are the likeliest candidates among this year’s RFAs-to-be? Let’s dive in and take a look…
The top RFAs-to-be:
John Collins, Hawks- Duncan Robinson, Heat
- Lonzo Ball, Pelicans
- Lauri Markkanen, Bulls
- Gary Trent Jr., Trail Blazers
It’s a safe bet that the players in this group will do well for themselves in free agency this summer. Collins should get a maximum-salary offer or close to it; Robinson could command Davis Bertans– or Joe Harris-type money; and Ball and Markkanen have flashed enough of the upside that made them lottery picks to entice a team to make a big multiyear commitment.
The Hawks, Heat, Pelicans, and Bulls will have to decide how much they’re willing to pay to retain their respective players. If they’re worried the price tag will exceed their comfort level, trying to work out a sign-and-trade in the offseason could work — they could also match a summer offer sheet in the hopes of trading the player down the road. But it might be wise to gauge what they could get at this month’s deadline.
Of these four, I think Robinson is probably the least likely to be moved at the deadline — it would only make sense for the Heat to trade him if it’s part of a package for a star, and I don’t expect that sort of star to be available this month.
Ball, and Markkanen are more interesting trade candidates, though I won’t be surprised if the Pelicans and Bulls ultimately don’t feel as if the offers on the table are strong enough to accept. Rival suitors may believe they’ll be able to poach Ball or Markkanen away from their current teams with an aggressive offer sheet, lessening the need to give up assets for them now.
Trent is a key part of the Blazers’ rotation and one of the team’s top outside shooting threats, but it’s unclear if the team will be eager to invest big money in another guard. He’d be an appealing trade chip in a package for an impact player.
Collins is the most intriguing case in this group. Although the Hawks weren’t comfortable going up to the maximum salary when they discussed an extension last fall, I could see them matching a max offer sheet this summer to make sure they don’t lose him for nothing. If a team really wants Collins, now may be the time to make a play for him.
The wild cards:
- Devonte’ Graham, Hornets
- Kendrick Nunn, Heat
- Talen Horton-Tucker, Lakers
- Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, Pistons
- Terence Davis, Raptors
- Malik Monk, Hornets
The first six names in this list are former second-round draft picks or undrafted free agents whose solid play has put them in line for significant raises on their next contracts. Those raises could come from their current teams, but it’s unclear whether they’re all part of the long-term plans for their respective clubs.
Graham, for instance, may be the odd man out in a backcourt that now features LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier. Nunn has been in and out of the Heat’s rotation since last year’s playoffs, raising questions about whether he’s viewed as a long-term fixture in Miami.
Horton-Tucker was a preseason star in December, and while he’s been just okay during the regular season, he’s just 20 years old and has plenty of potential, so he’ll be a popular target in free agency. It remains to be seen whether the Lakers are committed to keeping him as part of an increasingly expensive roster.
Mykhailiuk is a talented young shooter, but he wasn’t acquired by the Pistons’ current front office, and GM Troy Weaver has almost entirely turned the roster over since he arrived — Mykhailiuk could be the next player shipped out.
Davis recently had domestic assault charges against him dismissed, but the Raptors’ front office may not view that outcome as an exoneration. That case could factor into the club’s enthusiasm for a new long-term deal with Davis.
The one player who doesn’t quite fit in this group is Monk. A former lottery pick, he looked for a long time like a disappointment at the NBA level and a player who wouldn’t be part of the Hornets’ future, but that changed, beginning in late January.
In his last 16 games, Monk has averaged 16.9 PPG with a .436 3PT%, and is making a strong case to receive a $7MM+ qualifying offer that seemed extremely unlikely just a few weeks ago. Presumably, Charlotte would still trade him in the right deal, but he has more value than just a salary throw-in now.
The players who probably won’t even become RFAs:
- Frank Ntilikina, Knicks
- D.J. Wilson, Bucks
- Justin Jackson, Thunder
- Terrance Ferguson, Sixers
This group is made up of players who are technically eligible for restricted free agency but probably won’t receive qualifying offers, and will instead become unrestricted FAs.
In some cases, these guys may end up as salary-matching filler in a deadline trade — the Sixers, for instance, could include Ferguson in a package to acquire a player who would actually see regular minutes. Ditto for Wilson and the Bucks.
Ntilikina and Jackson may still have a small amount of value if there are teams out there that believe they can get more out of these former first-round picks than their current clubs have. Ntilikina has at least shown he can defend at the NBA level, while Jackson is only a couple years removed from knocking down 35.5% of his threes as a regular rotation player (19.9 MPG) across 81 games.
Dennis Smith Jr. would have been included in this group as well, but he has already been dealt to a new team, with the Pistons auditioning him in advance of his free agency.
The full list of potential 2021 restricted free agents – including Josh Hart, Zach Collins, and others – can be found right here.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
And-Ones: ASG, Embiid, Simmons, J. Young, Singh
When word broke on Sunday that Sixers stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons had been ruled out of the All-Star Game due to being in close contact with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus, there was some concern that the NBA was at risk of its worst-case scenario – a COVID-19 outbreak at All-Star weekend – playing out. However, Embiid and Simmons didn’t have any contact with their fellow All-Stars and the game was able to take place as planned, with no other players affected.
Now, the NBA is expressing confidence that its mini-bubble in Atlanta for the All-Star Game was a success. As Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press writes, the league said in a statement on Monday that all players, coaches, and officials involved in the event were tested three times in Atlanta, including right before the game, and there were no positives.
As for Embiid and Simmons, there’s no indication so far that their close contact with a barber who tested positive will result in positive tests for them as well. Head coach Doc Rivers said after the game that his two stars continued to register negative tests and that he hopes that continues for a few more days (Twitter link via Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer).
“Both of them, their biggest concern would be if they could play the first two games when we get back,” Rivers said, per Reynolds. “So we don’t know the answer to that yet. That’s going to be really important for us. It would be tough to start the second half of the year and not have either one.”
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Former NBA first-round pick James Young has signed with Hapoel Tel Aviv, the Israeli team announced today (Twitter link; hat tip to Sportando). It’s the second stint in Israel for Young, who played for Maccabi Haifa in 2019/20. The veteran wing played for the Westchester Knicks in this year’s G League bubble but hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since 2018.
- In an in-depth piece for HoopsHype, Yossi Gozlan explores what each team can and should do at the trade deadline, including which clubs can afford to be aggressive buyers or sellers, and which ones have more limited trade options.
- Michael Lee of The Washington Post takes a closer look at 20-year-old G League forward Princepal Singh‘s goal of becoming the first Indian-born player to appear in an NBA game, and why his development is important for a league trying to establish a foothold in India.
O’Connor’s Latest: Ball, Rockets, Dieng, A. Johnson
While Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball was a subject of frequent trade speculation earlier in the season, trade talks involving the former No. 2 overall pick have “fizzled” for the time being, sources tell Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. A report last week also suggested that a Ball deal is becoming less likely as the trade deadline nears.
Still, that doesn’t mean that Ball will be untouchable before March 25. As O’Connor writes, New Orleans will have to assess how high it’s willing to go to retain the fourth-year point guard in restricted free agency this summer. If they think there’s a chance a rival team will give him an offer sheet they won’t want to match, the Pelicans have to at least consider getting something in return for Ball now.
Executives around the NBA still aren’t sure whether the Pelicans will end up as buyers or sellers, according to O’Connor, so they’ll be a team worth keeping a close eye on at the start of the second half.
Here are a few more items of interest from O’Connor:
- While the Rockets are getting calls about veterans like Victor Oladipo, Eric Gordon, and P.J. Tucker, multiple league sources believe that young wing Sterling Brown will garner interest and is another candidate to be moved, per O’Connor.
- Multiple front office executives believe Grizzlies big man Gorgui Dieng is a trade candidate to watch, says O’Connor. His $17.3MM cap hit may be a challenge to match for some teams, but his contract is expiring and he’s a solid role player.
- Raptors 905 forward Alize Johnson, who has played well in the G League bubble, is receiving interest from the Raptors, Magic, Rockets, Spurs, and Suns for a possible NBA contract, a league source tells The Ringer.
Vucevic, Other Magic Vets Drawing Trade Interest
The Celtics aren’t the only team that has Magic center Nikola Vucevic high on its wish list. The Heat, Spurs, and Hornets have also expressed “significant” interest in the All-Star big man, sources tell Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer.
Miami, San Antonio, and Charlotte would all be intriguing landing spots for Vucevic. The Heat presumably envision him playing alongside Bam Adebayo up front; the Spurs have seen LaMarcus Aldridge‘s production decline this season and may view Vucevic as an eventual replacement for the veteran; and the Hornets could use an impact player at the five to complement primary play-makers LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward.
However, O’Connor cautions that front office executives around the NBA are skeptical that the Magic will move Vucevic at this month’s trade deadline, since he still has multiple years left on his contract. After earning $26MM this season, the 30-year-old will make $24MM in 2021/22 and $22MM in ’22/23.
Even if the Magic are open to considering a Vucevic trade, they’d seek a substantial return, according to O’Connor. Shams Charania of The Athletic conveyed a similar sentiment last week, writing that Orlando would want a “massive” package for its All-Star center.
While the Magic seem unlikely to deal Vucevic, there are other solid veterans on their roster whom they could be more open to moving. O’Connor reports that the club is receiving calls on guards Evan Fournier and Terrence Ross, with the Hornets among the clubs inquiring on Fournier, while the Nuggets have asked about Ross.
Aaron Gordon is viewed as a possible trade candidate too, and the Magic have some lower-priced veterans who could appeal to contenders as depth pieces. However, Orlando hasn’t shown much enthusiasm for making major trades in recent years, so it would be a bit of a surprise if the team goes into full-fledged fire-sale mode, despite its record (13-23) and place in the Eastern Conference standings (14th).
Lakers Eyeing Drummond As Potential Buyout Target
The Lakers are in the market for frontcourt help and have some interest in a reunion with free agent center DeMarcus Cousins, league sources Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. However, according to O’Connor, Los Angeles’ preference would be to sign Andre Drummond if he receives a buyout from the Cavaliers.
Marc Stein of The New York Times adds (via Twitter) that the Lakers are optimistic they’ll receive “strong consideration” from Drummond if he reaches the free agent market.
In order for the Lakers to get a shot at the 27-year-old, they’ll need the Cavaliers to accept that there are no Drummond trades out there worth making. Cleveland has thus far been unwilling to concede that point — Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reported last week that the Cavs’ front office still believes it will be able to move him, even though others around the league are skeptical.
Drummond’s $28.75MM cap hit is the biggest impediment to a trade, since it will be a challenge for most teams to match that salary without giving up a more valuable rotation player. When Drummond was traded from Detroit to Cleveland a year ago, the Cavs gave up a pair of non-rotation players on expiring contracts, plus a distant second-round pick.
The Nets have been viewed as the most logical fit for Drummond if he receives a buyout, but if Blake Griffin plays well in Brooklyn, the team might not feel the same urgency to further address its frontcourt, which could open the door for the Lakers or another team to sign Drummond. Marc Gasol and Montrezl Harrell are L.A.’s centers, while Anthony Davis will also be in the mix later in the year once he gets healthy.
If the Lakers can’t land Drummond, Cousins could be an appealing option, assuming he hasn’t already signed with another team. Cousins joined the Lakers for the 2019/20 season but ended up not playing at all for the team after tearing his ACL — he still spent much of the season on the roster and was said to be a good locker-room presence.
Kings center Hassan Whiteside has been cited as another potential target for the Lakers, via either trade or – if he’s bought out – free agency.
Bulls Telling Teams Thaddeus Young Not Available
Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas has been telling teams that veteran forward Thaddeus Young isn’t available via trade, reports Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer.
Young is a highly coveted trade target for contending teams, O’Connor notes. His contract is relatively team-friendly ($13.55MM in 2020/21, with a partial guarantee on his $14.19MM salary for ’21/22); he’s a veteran leader with plenty of playoff experience; and he’s having a nice year on the court, recording 12.1 PPG, 5.9 RPG, and 4.4 APG on 60.9% shooting to go along with strong, versatile defense.
The Bulls have just a 16-18 record and could get a nice return for Young if they’re willing to sell, so rival teams are wondering if Karnisovas is trying to increase his leverage by saying the 32-year-old is off the table, per O’Connor.
Still, Chicago is tied for ninth in the East, putting the team right in the thick of the playoff race — Young has been a key part of the Bulls’ success, and the club would like to see its young players (especially Zach LaVine) get some postseason experience. As such, it’s no surprise that Karnisovas would be opposed to selling off Young for draft assets or other pieces that wouldn’t help Chicago in the short term.
The Bulls will have a challenging stretch of games to begin the second half, including contests this week against Philadelphia (Thursday), Miami (Friday), and Toronto (Sunday). If they start slipping down the Eastern Conference standings, they could become more inclined to be sellers at the March 25 trade deadline, but if they’re still in the hunt in a couple weeks, it will be difficult for suitors to pry Young away.
Nets Sign Blake Griffin
MARCH 8, 10:08am: The Nets have officially signed Griffin, the team announced today in a press release.
“We’re fortunate to be able to add a player of Blake’s caliber to our roster at this point in the season,” Nets general manager Sean Marks said in a statement. “Blake is a versatile frontcourt player with a long track record of success in our league, and we’re excited about the impact he’ll make for us both on and off the court in Brooklyn.”
Griffin’s minimum-salary deal will pay him $1,229,676 for the rest of the season, with Brooklyn taking on a $776,983 cap hit, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
MARCH 7, 6:08pm: Griffin has formally agreed to a deal with the Nets for the rest of the season, his agent told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. It’ll be a veteran’s minimum contract.
Wojnarowski adds that Brooklyn envisions using Griffin as a small-ball center option off the bench.
MARCH 7, 4:16pm: Free agent Blake Griffin has cleared waivers and is expected to sign a contract with the Nets, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (via Twitter). No corresponding roster move will be necessary, since Brooklyn has three open roster spots.
Griffin recently agreed to a buyout with the Pistons, allowing the six-time All-Star to reach free agency after he gave up more than $13MM on his previous contract. The 31-year-old quickly registered interest from multiple teams, including Brooklyn, Golden State, Miami and Portland, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
By signing a deal with the Nets, Griffin will reunite with former teammate DeAndre Jordan in the frontcourt. Griffin has averaged just 12.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 31.3 minutes per game this season, shooting 36.5% from the field in 20 contests.
Brooklyn currently holds the second-best record in the East at 24-13. The team has won nine of its last 10 games and must decide whether to start Griffin or bring him off the bench, which would likely allow sharpshooter Joe Harris to remain as a starter.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.