No New Positive COVID-19 Tests Among Players Since May 19
Of the 337 NBA players who have been tested for COVID-19 since May 19, none have returned a new positive confirmed test, the league and the players’ union announced today in a press release.
It’s great news for the NBA and NBPA, who are conducting their first postseason outside of a bubble setting since the coronavirus pandemic began. The league remains concerned about possible positive tests that could affect the playoffs, but things have run smoothly so far.
This is the first time since April 14 that the NBA and NBPA have announced zero new positive COVID-19 tests among players in a given week, though things have been trending in the right direction as of late — the league and the union had just one new positive test during the week of May 12-19 and one during the week of May 5-12.
While the playoff field still features 16 teams for now, it won’t be long before that number starts to decline, so there will be fewer players tested on a daily basis in future weeks.
Community Shootaround: Kawhi Leonard’s Free Agency
When Kawhi Leonard left the Raptors for the Clippers in 2019, he did so in large part because he wanted to return home to Los Angeles.
If Leonard had been prioritizing his ability to keep racking up championships, he may have remained in Toronto, where the Raptors were coming off a 2019 title and were in position to keep it rolling, or joined forces with LeBron James and Anthony Davis on L.A.’s other team, the Lakers.
Even after losing Leonard and Danny Green – who had expressed interest in returning to the Raptors if Kawhi did – Toronto pushed the Celtics to seven games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2020. James and Davis, of course, led the Lakers to a championship in the Orlando bubble.
Leonard’s decision to prioritize family and comfort rather than trying to maximize his ability to win titles is certainly defensible, especially for a player who had already secured two championships. And it’s not as if he was joining an also-ran by signing with the Clippers — the addition of Kawhi and a trade for Paul George made them legitimate title contenders as well.
However, the Clips were unexpectedly eliminated in the second round of the 2020 postseason by the Nuggets, and now find themselves in a 2-0 hole in the first round in 2021, having lost two games at home to the Mavericks.
This series is far from over, and postgame comments from the likes of Leonard, George, and head coach Tyronn Lue on Tuesday stuck to a common theme: the Clippers aren’t concerned about their two-game deficit and remain confident in their abilities to pull out the series (link via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN).
But if the Clippers can’t complete the comeback and are knocked out in the first round, it will be a disaster for a franchise that seemingly tanked its way into a matchup with Dallas during the season’s final weekend. Presumably, the goal was to remain out of the Lakers’ side of the Western Conference bracket, but now the Clips are at risk of being eliminated two rounds before they could even face their L.A. rivals — and they find themselves in this situation just two months before Kawhi could turn down his 2021/22 player option and return to the free agent market.
There has long been a belief that Leonard is where he wants to be and that his free agency will be a mere formality. Sure, it makes sense for him to opt out, but only so he can sign maximize his earnings by signing a new deal with the Clippers now that he’ll be eligible for a maximum salary starting at 35% of the cap.
But a second consecutive playoff disappointment would introduce a whole lot more uncertainty into Leonard’s free agency decision. The Clippers mortgaged many of their future assets when they traded for George — would they have the pieces to continue making roster upgrades, and would those moves be enough to convince Kawhi that they’ll be title contenders going forward?
Again, it’s worth reiterating that being in Los Angeles was what Leonard wanted all along, and a move to the Lakers this offseason isn’t realistic. So even if the Mavs knock out the Clippers, we shouldn’t assume that the two-time Finals MVP will jump ship in search of a better on-court situation.
But Leonard will turn 30 next month, so if he wants to sign a long-term deal this summer, he’ll essentially be choosing where he wants to spend the rest of his prime. Will he feel confident making that sort of commitment to the Clippers after two disappointing playoff runs? Would a short-term contract with the Clips be more realistic?
It’s entirely possible that this discussion will seem silly in a few weeks if Leonard and the Clippers roar back against Dallas and make a deep postseason run. For now though, there’s a ton on the line for Steve Ballmer‘s franchise, and it’s worth considering what’s next for L.A. in a worst-case scenario.
What do you think? If the Clippers are eliminated in the first round, should we expect Leonard to look elsewhere in free agency? Or will his desire to be in Los Angeles ultimately win out, even if he signs a shorter-term deal with the Clippers?
Head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
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And-Ones: Wiggins, Canada, Overtime Elite, Yabusele, More
It has been several years since Warriors wing Andrew Wiggins represented Team Canada in an international competition, but it appears that’s about to change. As Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets, Wiggins posted a message on Instagram strongly suggesting that he’ll suit up for Canada when the team competes in the Olympic qualifiers this summer.
Eight of the 12 teams that will compete in the men’s basketball event at the Tokyo Olympics have clinched their spots, including Team USA. Twenty-four countries will compete in four separate tournaments from June 29 to July 4 for the final four Olympic berths. In order to qualify for the Tokyo games, Canada will have to top Greece, China, Uruguay, Turkey, and the Czech Republic.
While it certainly won’t be a cakewalk, Canada will benefit from home-court advantage – the tournament will take place in Victoria, British Columbia – and could deploy a roster featuring far more NBA players than their opponents. Wiggins, who averaged 18.6 points per game in 71 contests for Golden State this season, would be a key addition.
“I don’t think there’s any question about what he can bring,” Canada Basketball general manager Rowan Barrett said, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. “The versatility he has at 6’8″ with a tremendous wingspan and with the focus he has on defense now will help us. And as an offensive player, it’s clear. He’s got a career average of 20 points a game in the NBA. Clearly he can score the ball.”
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- The Overtime Elite league has secured two more commitments from top high school prospects, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that Florida twins Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson are signing two-year contracts with OTE. The Thompson twins rank 22nd and 23rd in ESPN’s list of top class-of-2022 recruits. Overtime’s first two commits were twin brothers Matt Bewley and Ryan Bewley.
- Speaking of high school basketball, Jeff Borzello and Paul Biancardi of ESPN report that several of the nation’s biggest high school powerhouses are forming an elite national league called the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference in advance of the 2021/22 season. Six programs – including Oak Hill, Montverde, and IMG Academy – have committed so far to the eight-team league that will feature a 10-game regular season and a postseason tournament, per ESPN’s duo.
- Former Celtics first-round pick Guerschon Yabusele is in advanced talks with Real Madrid, reports Lithuanian journalist Donatas Urbonas (via Twitter). If Yabusele doesn’t feel he has an NBA opportunity lined up, he’ll likely sign with Real Madrid, Urbonas adds.
Atlantic Notes: Tatum, J. Green, Simmons, Hill, Raptors
The Celtics and Nets each had a player leave Tuesday’s game early due to an injury, as Tim Bontemps of ESPN details.
The Celtics’ loss was more significant, as star forward Jayson Tatum exited in the third quarter after being inadvertently poked in the eye by Nets forward Kevin Durant. Tatum, who headed to the locker room following the injury, eventually returned to the bench, but he was unable to play any more and his status going forward is uncertain.
“He went back out on the court (and) tried to readjust to the light out there, and he was really struggling,” Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said, per Bontemps. “He got scratched pretty good. It looks pretty red, it looks pretty swollen to me. I don’t know what that means. I don’t know what the exact diagnosis is. But he’s uncomfortable right now.”
Meanwhile, Nets forward Jeff Green left in the second quarter due to a bruised left foot. The veteran has been a reliable role player for Brooklyn this season, averaging 27 minutes per game in 68 regular season contests and matching that minute total in Game 1. However, the Nets – already up 2-0 in the series – are far better positioned to handle any missed time for Green than the Celtics are for Tatum.
Here are a few more items from around the Atlantic:
- After Ben Simmons scored just six points on 3-of-9 shooting in Game 1, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers said he doesn’t understand criticism of the standout guard, who contributed 15 assists and 15 rebounds in the team’s victory. “Only in Philadelphia,” Rivers said, per Rob Maaddi of The Associated Press. “If you guys don’t know the treasure you have by now, then shame on everyone because he’s been fantastic for us. … I’m amazed that people don’t see what he does. We’re so caught up in the amount of points he scored. … Does it matter if Ben had all 125? Would we be mad that Joel (Embiid) didn’t score? Who cares who scores as long as we’re scoring. … When Ben plays, we score more points.”
- It took a while for George Hill to get healthy and make his Sixers debut after he was acquired at the trade deadline, but the veteran guard will be relied upon more heavily now that the postseason is underway, writes Tom Moore of The Bucks County Courier Times.
- The Raptors‘ own first-round pick is in the lottery for the first time since 2012, prompting Blake Murphy of The Athletic to explore whether the team should consider trading its first-rounder. Murphy also looks at trade possibilities for Toronto’s two second-round selections.
Poll: 2021 All-NBA First Team
The competition for the league’s 15 All-NBA spots was fiercer than ever in 2020/21, with tens of millions of dollars up for grabs for certain players based on the voting results. Since the NBA has already started to announce its end-of-season award winners, we want to give you an opportunity to vote on the All-NBA rosters for 2020/21 before they’re officially revealed.
We’re starting today with the First Team before moving onto the Second Team on Friday and the Third Team early next week.
Because we want to essentially put you in the position of the media members who had All-NBA votes, we’re going to make certain players eligible at multiple positions, as they were on the official ballots. Here, via Howard Beck of SI.com (Twitter links), are the most notable multi-position eligible players:
Players eligible at both center and forward:
Players eligible at both forward and guard:
- Devin Booker
- Jaylen Brown
- Jimmy Butler
- Luka Doncic
- Paul George
- LeBron James
- Zach LaVine
- Kawhi Leonard
- Khris Middleton
- Ben Simmons
- Jayson Tatum
Frankly, I find some of these classifications a little ridiculous — if the NBA is going to play this fast and loose with positional designations, why not just remove them altogether and let voters pick the 15 best players?
I don’t think it makes any sense to vote, say, Booker as a forward or Leonard as a guard. And Basketball-Reference’s data suggests Embiid has never played a single minute at forward in his entire NBA career.
Of course, making Embiid and Jokic eligible at two positions allows voters to put those two MVP finalists on the First Team. Beware if you decide to go that route though — placing Jokic and Embiid on the First Team may result in a fourth center making the Third Team over a more deserving guard or forward.
A couple more notes before we move onto the polls:
- If there’s a player you believe deserves All-NBA consideration who isn’t named below, be sure to mention him in the comment section — if I agree, I’ll make sure he’s included in our Second and Third Team polls.
- Be sure to take advantage of the opportunity to select two players apiece in both the guard and forward polls.
Vote for your All-NBA First Team below, then take to the comment section to explain your picks!
Guards
(choose two)
Who are your All-NBA First Team guards?
-
Stephen Curry (Warriors) 37% (1,301)
-
Luka Doncic (Mavericks) 25% (873)
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Damian Lillard (Trail Blazers) 10% (339)
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Bradley Beal (Wizards) 5% (175)
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Chris Paul (Suns) 4% (139)
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Russell Westbrook (Wizards) 3% (97)
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Devin Booker (Suns) 3% (95)
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James Harden (Nets) 3% (91)
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LeBron James (Lakers) 2% (82)
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Donovan Mitchell (Jazz) 1% (42)
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Ben Simmons (Sixers) 1% (39)
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Kyrie Irving (Nets) 1% (37)
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Ja Morant (Grizzlies) 1% (32)
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Jayson Tatum (Celtics) 1% (29)
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Trae Young (Hawks) 1% (29)
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Jrue Holiday (Bucks) 1% (27)
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Kawhi Leonard (Clippers) 1% (26)
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Jimmy Butler (Heat) 1% (23)
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Khris Middleton (Bucks) 1% (18)
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Jaylen Brown (Celtics) 0% (16)
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Zach LaVine (Bulls) 0% (16)
-
De'Aaron Fox (Kings) 0% (10)
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Paul George (Clippers) 0% (6)
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Mike Conley (Jazz) 0% (5)
Total votes: 3,547
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote on the All-NBA First Team guards.
Forwards
(choose two)
Who are your All-NBA First Team forwards?
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Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks) 35% (1,140)
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Joel Embiid (Sixers) 10% (338)
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Luka Doncic (Mavericks) 10% (337)
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Nikola Jokic (Nuggets) 10% (335)
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LeBron James (Lakers) 7% (241)
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Julius Randle (Knicks) 6% (191)
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Kevin Durant (Nets) 5% (150)
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Kawhi Leonard (Clippers) 4% (139)
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Jayson Tatum (Celtics) 3% (108)
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Zion Williamson (Pelicans) 2% (62)
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Anthony Davis (Lakers) 2% (52)
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Devin Booker (Suns) 1% (41)
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Jimmy Butler (Heat) 1% (25)
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Khris Middleton (Bucks) 1% (24)
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Ben Simmons (Sixers) 1% (20)
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Jaylen Brown (Celtics) 1% (17)
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Karl-Anthony Towns (Timberwolves) 0% (16)
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Tobias Harris (Sixers) 0% (15)
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Bam Adebayo (Heat) 0% (11)
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Michael Porter Jr. (Nuggets) 0% (9)
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Zach LaVine (Bulls) 0% (8)
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Paul George (Clippers) 0% (6)
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Brandon Ingram (Pelicans) 0% (5)
Total votes: 3,290
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote on the All-NBA First Team forwards.
Center
Who is your All-NBA First Team center?
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Nikola Jokic (Nuggets) 62% (1,030)
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Joel Embiid (Sixers) 26% (423)
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Rudy Gobert (Jazz) 3% (54)
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Anthony Davis (Lakers) 2% (35)
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Nikola Vucevic (Magic/Bulls) 2% (32)
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Domantas Sabonis (Pacers) 1% (23)
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Clint Capela (Hawks) 1% (21)
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Karl-Anthony Towns (Timberwolves) 1% (21)
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Bam Adebayo (Heat) 1% (9)
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Myles Turner (Pacers) 0% (7)
Total votes: 1,655
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote on the All-NBA First Team center.
Central Notes: Altman, Pacers, Forbes, Draft
The 2021 Cavaliers offseason could include front office changes, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Current GM Koby Altman has been leading the front office since the 2017 offseason.
Fedor reflects that former Cavs general manager Danny Ferry enjoyed the lengthiest run (five years) in power for Cleveland since Dan Gilbert became the team’s majority owner. Alhough the team remains in the midst of a multi-year rebuild, there is a chance that Gilbert’s impatience compels him to make a change and let Altman go, following a 22-50 season, Fedor notes.
Fedor also mentions that Knicks executive Brock Aller, who kicked off his NBA career as Gilbert’s personal assistant before moving up the ranks in the Cavaliers’ front office, could be a potential replacement for Altman. Fedor adds, however, that Aller recently sold his Ohio home, an indication that the exec expects to remain with the Knicks for the immediate future.
There’s more out of the Central Division:
- Though current Pacers head coach Nate Bjorkgren may not be long for Indiana, Bob Kravitz of The Athletic predicts that Indiana’s front office will not be making many significant changes to the team’s on-court personnel. Key players T.J. Warren, Caris LeVert, Jeremy Lamb, Malcolm Brogdon, and Myles Turner all missed significant time for Indiana this season. Kravtiz anticipates that team president Kevin Pritchard will want to assess what a healthy iteration of this lineup looks like before making major moves.
- Bucks reserve shooting guard Bryn Forbes proved his value with a stellar shooting night in the second game of Milwaukee’s first round matchup against the Heat, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Forbes scored 22 points and connected on six of his nine long-range attempts. Forbes has a $2.45MM player option for the 2021/22 NBA season, and may command a raise on the open market should he opt out of his current deal.
- The Pacers are returning to the NBA draft lottery for the first time in six seasons. Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files examines the team’s (slight) odds at landing a top-four pick this season. Ahead of the lottery, the Pacers possess the No. 13 pick in the 2021 draft, with a 1% chance of landing the top pick.
Southeast Notes: Gafford, Lowry, Magic, Wiz Arena
During a recent media session, Wizards head coach Scott Brooks responded to growing fan interest in athletic, defensive-oriented reserve center Daniel Gafford receiving a heavier minutes load, writes Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington.
“There’s always other things to consider; foul situations that we have to be aware of,” Brooks said. “One thing I love about Gaff’ is he understands and he wants to get better. He’s very coachable, he listens to our veterans, he listens to our coaches. He’s a really, really talented young player that’s going to continue to grow into a really good player.”
Gafford is currently averaging 17.7 MPG for the Wizards this season, more than starter Alex Len (15.8 MPG) but fewer than fellow bench big Robin Lopez (19.1 MPG).
There’s more out of the Southeast Division:
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel wonders if the Heat will make another run at current Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry, a free agent this summer. Miami considered trading for the former six-time All-Star at this season’s deadline, but instead opted to add guard Victor Oladipo, who only appeared in four games for the club before requiring another surgery on the right quadriceps tendon he initially ruptured in 2019. Winderman notes that Heat star swingman Jimmy Butler and Lowry are close, as Lowry is the godfather to Butler’s daughter. Winderman adds that adding a high-level veteran point guard to upgrade the position could help the Heat convince Butler to ink a contract extension, which he will be eligible to do this summer.
- With the Magic potentially in position to make two lottery selections in this summer’s tantalizing draft, Josh Robbins of The Athletic examines which Orlando players seem most likely to stick around into the 2021/22 season, and which seem liable to leave. Robbins predicts that shooting guard Dwayne Bacon, forward Ignas Brazdeikis, and big man Donta Hall will all be moving on this summer.
- The Wizards will be boosting the crowd capacity of their home court, the Capital One Arena, to 50% of its total capacity, writes Ava Wallace of the Washington Post. The venue had previously permitted just 25% capacity due to coronavirus-era indoor attendance restrictions. Now, approximately 10,000 fans will be able to watch the Wizards’ first postseason home games in three seasons when the team’s current first-round matchup against the Sixers moves to D.C. on Saturday.
Julius Randle Named 2020/21 Most Improved Player
All-Star Knicks forward Julius Randle has been named the Most Improved Player of the 2020/21 NBA season, the league announced in a press release.
Randle was listed as one of three finalists for the award last week, along with Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. and Porter’s former teammate, current Pistons forward Jerami Grant.
Randle received 98 of 100 possible first-place votes from polled reporters and journalists, while Grant netted the other two. Rockets center Christian Wood and Bulls guard Zach LaVine rounded out the top five vote-getters.
JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors supplies the full voting results here (Twitter link).
Randle, who was drafted with the seventh pick out of Kentucky in 2014 by the Lakers, posted impressive numbers with Los Angeles and later the Pelicans, but has secured a true home while blossoming into an All-NBA talent under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden.
Across 71 of a possible 72 games, the 26-year-old averaged 24.1 PPG, 10.2 RPG, and 6.0 APG, all career-bests, while leading New York to its first playoff berth in eight seasons. The 6’8″ forward also posted a slash line of .456/.411/.811 during the 2020/21 regular season.
Thanks to the improvement of Randle and RJ Barrett and the game-planning expertise of new head coach Tom Thibodeau, the Knicks didn’t just make the postseason under Randle’s leadership — they also nabbed the No. 4 seed in the East with a 41-31 record, clinching home court advantage in the ongoing first round of the playoffs.
Randle, who inked a three-year, $63MM deal with the Knicks in the summer of 2019, will be eligible for a veteran extension this summer, ahead of the non-guaranteed final year of his deal. If Randle and the Knicks agree to a maximum four-year extension, such a deal could carry a $106MM+ base value, with added incentives.
Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram won the award last year.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NBA Fines Kristaps Porzingis $50K For Violating League Protocols
The NBA has fined Mavericks forward Kristaps Porzingis $50K for socializing in a club on Sunday, according to an official league press release (Twitter link).
Tim MacMahon of ESPN tweets that Porzingis attended a Los Angeles-area strip club following the Mavericks’ first game against the Clippers. MacMahon adds that Porzingis has been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus COVID-19.
This appearance violated a league rule designed to prevent players from attending a club, lounge or bar, whether or not the players themselves have received the vaccine for COVID-19.
“In consultation with medical experts, and based on all facts and circumstances, it was determined that his attendance did not create risks related to the spread of COVID-19 and therefore no quarantine is necessary,” the league wrote in its statement.
League spokesman Mike Bass clarified the difference between the fine for Porzingis and the treatment of Lakers All-Star forward LeBron James, who also recently violated the league’s COVID-19 protocols, albeit under different circumstances, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter).
“LeBron briefly attended an outdoor event related to an individual commercial activity where everyone was either required to be vaccinated or return a negative (COVID-19) test,” Bass said. “The league reviews each potential protocol violation on a case-by-case basis, and determines quarantines and imposes discipline based on the individual facts and circumstances of each matter.” James was not penalized with a fine or suspension.