Rockets Waive Ben McLemore
APRIL 4: The move is official, according to a tweet from the team.
APRIL 3: The Rockets are planning to waive sharpshooting swingman Ben McLemore, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Several contending teams are expected to have interest in McLemore, Charania adds.
McLemore, 28, was one of many Rockets players available at the trade deadline but no deal materialized. In 32 games (four starts) with Houston this season, McLemore averaged 7.4 PPG and 2.1 PPG. Those numbers are down from his first year with the Rockets in 2019/20, when he posted 10.1 PPG across 72 contests.
In his eighth NBA season, McLemore will look to join his fourth team after previously having suited up for the Kings, Grizzlies and Rockets.
McLemore becomes the latest casualty of a difficult season in Houston, both on and off the court. The team played through a historic losing streak while dismantling its roster and McLemore is now the latest player set to depart.
Lakers Notes: Gasol, Drummond, Schröder, Fans
Marc Gasol is wondering about his future with the Lakers now that Andre Drummond has been added on the buyout market, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Drummond was given a starting job right away and Gasol was moved to the bench, which already has reigning Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell filling the backup center minutes.
“I think there’s an ‘if’ — ‘if’ they need you. And it’s a big ‘if,'” Gasol said. “You’re not Plan A right now. You’re Plan C, D. … You have to accept it because that’s your job. And that’s what you sign up to do. It’s never easy to accept that.”
The situation is resolved temporarily with Drummond sidelined by a torn nail on his right big toe. Gasol returned to the starting lineup and played 28 minutes in Friday’s win over the Kings. After the game, he spoke to reporters for the first time since Drummond was acquired and indicated that he’s not thinking about a buyout.
“Things can change quickly in the NBA, just as they have changed for me,” Gasol said. “But, I’m committed to this team. It’s a hard pill to swallow because I know I’m going to be out of the lineup at some point. It’s never easy on a player. As a basketball player, you want to play. You want to contribute, especially when you made that commitment for that reason. But, we’ll see.”
There’s more Lakers news to pass along:
- Drummond only played 14 minutes in his first game with the Lakers before suffering the injury, but he seemed to be a good fit with his new team, observes Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Coach Frank Vogel was planning to have him play “starter” minutes, even though it was his first game in a month and a half. “I mean, if you saw the first couple minutes of the game that I was out there, just the energy defensively that I brought, and it kind of boosted everybody on both ends of the court,” Drummond said.
- “In the Summer i will sign,” was Dennis Schröder‘s response in an online exchange with a fan who demanded that he sign an extension with the Lakers, relays Harrison Faigen of Silver Screen and Roll. Schröder doesn’t specify that he will stay in L.A., but the comment reinforces his desire to test free agency once the season is over.
- The Lakers are hoping to start welcoming fans to the Staples Center beginning April 15, tweets Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.
Clippers Notes: Rondo, Batum, George, Mann
Ten days after the Clippers acquired him in a trade with the Hawks, Rajon Rondo may make his debut for his new team Sunday afternoon, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. L.A. could use help in the backcourt as Patrick Beverley continues to deal with a knee issue that has limited him to one brief appearance since March 4.
Rondo has been dealing with an adductor injury and is officially listed as questionable for the Sunday showdown with the Lakers, tweets Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times. Since the trade, Rondo has been resting and trying to learn the Clippers’ playbook. The veteran guard was averaging a career-low 14.9 minutes per game with Atlanta.
“Just kind of plugging him in, just seeing what he picks up,” coach Tyronn Lue said. “It’s easy to go through plays in practice, but then you got a game on the fly, it is a little different. And I know how smart he is. Just seeing what he picks up and just seeing what we can incorporate while he is in the game and just try to go from there. It is going to be good to see him get on the floor.”
There’s more on the Clippers:
- Nicolas Batum was wondering if he still had a future in the NBA after the Hornets benched him last season, but he learned he was still in demand following his release in November, Youngmisuk adds in a separate story. Batum heard from several teams, but the Clippers were the most aggressive, with Lue, owner Steve Ballmer and executive Lawrence Frank all calling to recruit him, along with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard.
- The toe injury that sidelined George for seven games in February has flared up again, writes Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register. George was able to play 32 minutes Thursday against the Nuggets, but he was in pain the entire time. “It’s really no pop on the right foot,” he said. “I can’t really bend my toe and have it flexing all the way on that second toe. It’s just figuring it out. I gotta figure it out. Most importantly, if I can play, and play with minimal pain, that’s what I’m going for. We gotta figure it out though.”
- Second-year guard Terance Mann has become a reliable scorer lately, which made the Clippers feel comfortable with trading Lou Williams in the Rondo deal, states Shaun Powell of NBA.com.
Knicks Notes: Porzingis, Rose, Woodson, Pelle
Knicks fans haven’t forgiven Kristaps Porzingis for requesting a trade two years ago, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. The limited crowd at Madison Square Garden booed the Mavericks‘ center throughout Friday’s game, which Dallas was able to win even though he had a sub-par performance.
“The reaction was what I expected, of course,” Porzingis said. “I’m happy we got the win.”
It was Porzingis’ second game at the Garden since the deal, and the response seemed to rattle him, as he missed six of his first seven shots from the field. Fans began anti-Porzingis chants during introductions and they continued loudly until the Mavericks took control of the game.
Former teammate Derrick Rose is sympathetic, saying he understands Porzingis’ decision to make a trade request.
“When you think about the situation it wasn’t an easy situation for both sides, with him wanting to leave and with them, the fans felt like they put their all into him by supporting him,” Rose said. “I get it. I was in a similar situation when I left Chicago. People felt like it was me.”
There’s more on the Knicks:
- It’s up to Rose to justify the front office’s decision to pass on making a big deal at the trade deadline, states Marc Berman of The New York Post. Rose, who was acquired from the Pistons in early February, represents the only significant trade the Knicks have made since the season began.
- Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said coaches around the league aren’t surprised that Tom Thibodeau has the Knicks in playoff contention in his first year with the team, Berman adds in a separate story. “He’s a guy that has great respect in the coaching ranks, because of what he stands for as a tactician, what he stands for as a guy that believes in tough, hard-nosed play, unselfish play, and particularly on the defensive side,” Carlisle said. “He’s got this team playing to its strengths.’’
- Mike Woodson, who resigned as an assistant with the Knicks to become the head coach at Indiana University, discusses Thibodeau, team executive William Wesley (“World Wide Wes”), president of basketball operations Leon Rose and other topics in an interview with Steve Serby of The New York Post.
- Newly-signed center Norvel Pelle will be available for tonight’s game, but Thibodeau described him as “situational,” which means he won’t be part of the rotation unless something unexpected happens, Bondy tweets. Thibodeau added that the scouting staff likes what it has seen from Pelle.
Rick Carlisle Returns After Positive COVID-19 Test
Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle had to miss Friday’s game in New York after testing positive for COVID-19, but he was cleared to travel with the team and will be back on the sidelines tonight at Washington, tweets Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News.
“Everything was fine,” Carlisle said in today’s pregame session with reporters. “Obviously knowing what those guys went through back in Denver, I wasn’t interested in staying in a hotel room for seven days.”
He was referring to a situation in January where three players were forced to spend a week quarantining at a hotel after testing positive for the virus following a game against the Nuggets.
Carlisle was fully vaccinated in January and said he felt no symptoms of the virus, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Carlisle called the test result “unexpected” and believed right away that it was a false positive.
“This seems like possibly a mistake, but for these reasons I’m entering the (NBA health and safety) protocol,” he told reporters Friday in a pregame videoconference from his hotel room.
Assistant coach Jamahl Mosley took over as head coach for the night and led Dallas to a 99-86 victory. Mosley, the team’s defensive coordinator, had interviews over the past two years for head coaching jobs with the Knicks, Cavaliers and Pelicans.
“Rick has done such a phenomenal job of preparing all of his staff members to take over or just to step up in every moment,” Mosley said. “It’s the same thing with the team — just being prepared in every moment. For me, it was just going off of the guidance that he’s given me. He text and said, ‘You’re ready for this. You’re prepared for this, and just go off of the things we’ve constantly talked about.'”
Draft Notes: McBride, Cooper, Livers, Suggs, Duke, Harper, Anderson
West Virginia sophomore point guard Miles McBride will test the draft waters but maintain his college eligibility, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. McBride is currently ranked No. 35 overall on ESPN’s Best Available list and No. 8 among point guard prospects. He averaged 15.8 PPG, 4.9 APG and 1.9 SPG this season. McBride racked up 30 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists against Morehead State in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
We have more draft-related news:
- Confirming a report earlier this week, Auburn freshman guard Sharife Cooper is declaring for the draft and will forego his remaining college eligibility by hiring an agent, Givony writes in a separate story. Cooper is ranked No. 17 by ESPN. “This season was a roller coaster filled with many ups and some downs,” Cooper said. “But I wouldn’t trade it for anything, even through the bad times I enjoyed every second at Auburn.” Eligibility issues and an ankle injury limited him to 12 games but he averaged 20.2 PPG and 8.1 APG in those contests.
- Michigan forward Isaiah Livers underwent surgery on his right foot and will require a minimum of six months to recover, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports tweets. Livers, ranked No. 47 by ESPN, missed the NCAA Tournament due to the injury. He averaged 13.1 PPG and 6.0 RPG for the Big Ten regular-season champions.
- Gonzaga point guard Jalen Suggs has risen to No. 2 overall behind Cade Cunningham in the latest rankings by The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie. Vecenie notes that Suggs’ “ability to pair powerful athleticism and downhill driving/transition ability with high-IQ passing and legitimate shot-making potential is everything that NBA teams are looking for out of lead ball-handlers in today’s game.”
- Providence’s David Duke will sign with an agent and enter the draft, Rothstein tweets. The junior guard averaged 16.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG and 4.8 APG. He’s listed as the 67th-best prospect by ESPN.
- Rutgers swingman Ron Harper Jr. will test the waters but maintain his eligibility, Rothstein adds in another tweet. He averaged 14.9 PPG and 5.9 RPG for the Scarlet Knights.
- Oklahoma State’s Avery Anderson has also declared while keeping his eligibility option open, according to Rothstein (Twitter link). The sophomore guard averaged 12.2 PPG and 4.0 RPG this season.
Pelicans Sign Isaiah Thomas To 10-Day Contract
APRIL 3: The signing is official, according to a team press release.
APRIL 2: The Pelicans will give Isaiah Thomas the NBA opportunity he has been waiting for, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Sources tell Charania that the veteran guard will sign a 10-day contract with New Orleans.
Thomas, 32, was a starter for the first half of last season with the Wizards before being traded at the 2020 deadline to the Clippers, who waived him three days later. Thomas averaged 12.2 points and 3.7 assists in 40 games for Washington, but defensive issues limited his effectiveness.
He was last seen in action in February as part of Team USA in the FIBA AmeriCup qualifying tournament, where scored 28 total points in victories over the Bahamas and Mexico.
The Pelicans have two roster spots open, so they won’t have to make a move before signing Thomas. They faced a Saturday deadline to add a player to get back to the 14-man roster limit.
Thomas has been undergoing COVID-19 testing in New Orleans and is expected to be available for Sunday’s game with the Rockets, sources tell Andrew Lopez of ESPN (Twitter link). The Pelicans were looking into signing him before a recent rash of injuries to Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson and Josh Hart.
Gordon Hayward Out At Least Four Weeks
Hornets star forward Gordon Hayward has suffered a right foot sprain and will miss at least four weeks of action, according to a team press release. Hayward will be reevaluated after that four-week period.
The injury was suffered during the second quarter of Friday’s win over the Pacers. The initial diagnosis was confirmed via a physician’s exam and studies in Indianapolis on Saturday.
Hayward is averaging 19.6 PPG, 5.9 RPG and 4.1 APG in 34.0 MPG over 44 appearances.
Charlotte has been decimated by injuries in recent weeks. Rookie of the Year candidate LaMelo Ball could miss the rest of the season after undergoing wrist surgery, while top reserve Malik Monk will miss at least two weeks with a right ankle sprain.
Charlotte will have to lean heavily on Cody Martin and Miles Bridges in Hayward’s absence. The Hayward acquisition was one of the biggest moves last offseason, as he agreed to a four-year, $120MM contract and officially joined the team in a sign-and-trade with the Celtics.
And-Ones: Buyout Market, Epps, Stephenson, Ujiri, Ham
When the NBA and NBA Players’ Association hold CBA renewal talks, the league plans to consider bringing up buyout reform as part of a broader discussion, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Some team executives have complained about the plethora of veteran players getting buyouts and joining playoff contenders.
Commissioner Adam Silver‘s office doesn’t see it as an issue of fairness between big and small markets, but rather a process that is contradictory to the financial system’s goals. In the league’s view, teams with big payrolls are adding an impact player without a dramatic impact on their luxury tax penalties, since those salaries after clearing waivers are usually prorated minimums.
The NBA would also like to find a way to make players who have been bought out available to more teams than just the contenders.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- Aaron Epps has signed in Israel with Elitzur Eito Ashkelon, sources told Hoops Rumors’ JD Shaw (Twitter link). Epps holds G League experience with the Northern Arizona Suns and Canton Charge, most recently playing with Canton in the bubble.
- Veteran NBA swingman Lance Stephenson is hopeful of playing in the league again, David Aldridge of The Athletic tweets. He has been working out in New York for the last few weeks, in case a suitor comes calling. The 30-year-old last played in the NBA with the Lakers in 2019.
- There’s some speculation around the league that Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri may eventually wind up in Seattle if the league approves a new franchise, according to Marc Stein of the New York Times. The group heading expansion efforts in Seattle includes longtime sports executive Tim Leiweke, who hired Ujiri as Toronto’s executive vice president and GM in 2013.
- Texas Tech has received permission to interview Bucks assistant Darvin Ham for its head coaching vacancy, Wojnarowski tweets. Ham led the school to the Sweet 16 in 1996 and played in the NBA from ’96 to 2005.
Kings Waive DaQuan Jeffries
12:32pm: Jeffries has officially been waived, the team tweets.
10:43am: The Kings will waive DaQuan Jeffries, according to James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area. Sacramento will reportedly use the roster spot freed up by waiving Jeffries, though it remains to be seen whom the team might sign, Ham adds.
Jeffries was in his second NBA season with the Kings but struggled to stay on the floor. He missed time to begin the season due to an ankle injury and despite cracking the starting lineup, was not able to remain in the rotation.
All told, Jeffries averaged 3.1 PPG and 1.6 RPG across 17 games for the Kings this season. As Ham notes, the 23-year-old has shown potential as a three-and-D weapon but may need more time in the G League to develop his game.