Northwest Notes: Timberwolves Sale, Micic, Barton, Porter Jr.
A lawsuit filed by a limited partner regarding the agreement to sell the Timberwolves has revealed that there’s no language in the contract that prevents the team from being moved into a different market, as Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic details. The filing made in district court alleges that team owner Glen Taylor was in breach of contract because limited partner Meyer Orbach, who has a 17% stake in the team, was not given the opportunity to sell his shares before the agreement was completed.
The agreement between Taylor to sell the team to former baseball star Alex Rodriguez and tech entrepreneur Marc Lore was announced earlier this month.
Taylor has repeatedly said he wants the team to stay in Minneapolis. Sources told Krawczynski that Lore and Rodriguez are committed to the Twin Cities market and there haven’t been any discussions about moving the Timberwolves.
According to the The Athletic’s report, Taylor entered a unique arrangement with Lore and Rodriguez, subject to league approval this summer. They’ll initially invest $250MM and will not be majority partners right from the start. The plan is for the duo to purchase shares of the team gradually and gain controlling interest by December 2023.
Taylor would thus retain control over the team for two more seasons unless Lore and Rodriguez can pay him off earlier than that.
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- Thunder draft-and-stash prospect Vasilije Micic was named the EuroLeague’s Final Four Most Valuable Player after leading Anadolu Efes Istanbul to the championship for the first time in club history, according to EuroLeague.net. He averaged 25.0 points and 5.5 assists in the Final Four. He previously was named the league’s MVP after averaging 16.3 PPG and 4.8 APG in 38 EuroLeague games. He is a candidate to come stateside for the 2021/22 season.
- Nuggets swingman Will Barton won’t play against Portland in Game 5 on Tuesday but he could be available for Game 6 and a potential Game 7, Mike Singer of the Denver Post tweets. Barton, who has been sidelined by a right hamstring strain, practiced in full on Monday.
- Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. vows to be much more aggressive in Game 5 after a lackluster outing in Game 4, Singer writes. “It’s on us as a team but a lot of it is on me as well,” he said. “If I’m not getting any actions, I’ve got to figure it out in transition, on the glass. I can’t let myself be as small of a factor as I was the last couple of games.”
Heat Notes: Olympics, Dedmon, Robinson, Haslem
Nine Heat players spoke to reporters today as part of the team’s end-of-season media availability, and many of those players intend to represent their countries in international play this summer, as Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald details.
Nigeria, one of the eight countries to have already clinched its spot in the men’s basketball event at the Tokyo Olympics, has talked to Precious Achiuwa about playing this summer, but he has yet to make a final decision. Teammate Gabe Vincent will train with Nigeria and hopes to make the Olympic roster.
Nemanja Bjelica, meanwhile, plans to play for Serbia at the Tokyo Olympics, while Omer Yurtseven – who signed with the Heat at the end of the season – intends to be part of the Turkish team as the club looks to secure an Olympic berth in next month’s qualifying tournament.
Here’s more on the Heat:
- Veteran center Dewayne Dedmon said that he’d like to return to the Heat next season, but added, “That’s up to the people upstairs.” While Miami’s front office would probably reciprocate Dedmon’s interest, given how he played down the stretch, he’ll only have Non-Bird rights, limiting the team’s ability to give him much of a raise beyond the veteran’s minimum, as Jackson notes.
- Asked about his priorities in free agency, Duncan Robinson offered the following response: “First and foremost, a fit, a place I can really feel comfortable. Winning is a priority for me. And also a business and there’s an opportunity to take care of people that I love.” Robinson will be a restricted free agent, so the Heat will have the ability to match if he signs an offer sheet.
- Udonis Haslem remains undecided on whether he’ll retire or return to the Heat for 2021/22, but he made it clear he doesn’t take his spot on the roster for granted, as Jackson writes. “I don’t have an offseason. I’m 40 years old. If I have an offseason, I might as well retire,” Haslem said. “Straight from the season to back in the gym. I’m calling Bam (Adebayo); his (butt) is coming with me. I’m calling Precious. He’s coming with me.” Haslem added that he doesn’t have interest in coaching, but suggested he wants to eventually own part of a franchise, according to Jackson.
Lakers Notes: Davis, LeBron, Schröder, Kuzma, Caruso
Lakers star Anthony Davis is reportedly considered unlikely to play in a pivotal Game 5 on Tuesday due to a strained groin. But even if they’re missing their second-leading scorer and frontcourt anchor, the Lakers remain confident in their ability to hang with the No. 2 Suns, writes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times.
“There is plenty of confidence that we have now without AD. That’s not even a question for anybody in the locker room,” center Marc Gasol said on Sunday.
“It’s just gonna be more opportunity for (LeBron James) and obviously we need more guys to step up,” head coach Frank Vogel said. “Not one other guy, but everybody. It’s gotta be a group effort. We need contributions from everyone, and we did have a stretch like this where we played without AD that we’ll draw on to take us into Game 5 if AD’s not available.”
As Jovan Buha of The Athletic writes, the Lakers had a winning record (19-17) without Davis this season, including an 11-7 mark in games that James played and Davis didn’t. The club may have also discovered an effective Davis-less lineup in Game 4, as LeBron, Gasol, Wesley Matthews, Alex Caruso, and Dennis Schröder were a plus-six in seven minutes. All five of those players can make outside shots and are solid defenders, Buha observes.
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- James is prepared to shoulder a heavier workload and more responsibilities if the team is missing Davis for the next game or two, as Mark Medina of USA Today relays. “These shoulders were built for a reason,” LeBron said on Sunday. “If it takes for me to put some more on top of it, then so be it. Win, lose or draw. I’m ready for the challenge.”
- Rival executives expect the Lakers to shake up their roster a little if they don’t make it past the first round of the playoffs, says Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. Dennis Schröder will be perhaps the most important free agent worth monitoring — L.A. probably can’t afford to lose him for nothing, so re-signing him or working out a sign-and-trade will be a priority.
- Within the same Bleacher Report story, Fischer cites sources who say that the Lakers discussed potential Kyle Kuzma trades with teams at the deadline in March. Prior to Spencer Dinwiddie‘s ACL injury, Los Angeles inquired about a swap involving the Nets guard and Kuzma, according to Fischer.
- There’s a sense among Lakers officials that Alex Caruso has enjoyed playing alongside LeBron and will be interested in re-signing with the team in free agency this summer, reports Fischer.
Poll: 2021 All-NBA Third 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 started last Wednesday with the First Team before moving onto the Second Team on Friday. We’ve closed those polls and now we’re wrapping things up by focusing on the Third Team.
Here are the voting results so far:
- Guard: Stephen Curry (Warriors)
- Guard: Luka Doncic (Mavericks)
- Forward: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
- Forward: Joel Embiid (Sixers)
- Center: Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
- Guard: Damian Lillard (Trail Blazers)
- Guard: Bradley Beal (Wizards)
- Forward: Julius Randle (Knicks)
- Forward: LeBron James (Lakers)
- Center: Rudy Gobert (Jazz)
Lillard is a lock for the Second Team if he doesn’t make the First Team, and Beal is absolutely a worthy second guard. The forward spot is a little trickier, though I think Randle deserves this spot. A healthy James would’ve been a strong contender for a First Team spot, but since he played just 45 of 72 regular season games, it won’t surprise me if he ends up on the Third Team in the actual vote.
As for the center spot, it’ll be interesting to see how voters handle the NBA’s generous dual positional eligibility for Embiid and Jokic. If they both make the First Team (one as a center, one as a forward), Gobert has a clear path to a Second Team spot. If not, Gobert will be bumped to the Third Team.
On that note, before we move on to the Third Team polls, don’t forget that several players qualify at multiple positions on the NBA’s official ballot. We won’t share that full list of notable multi-position players again here, but you can check it out in our Second Team post.
Be sure to take advantage of the opportunity to select two players apiece in both the guard and forward polls. We’ll leave the polls open for a couple days before sharing and breaking down the results later this week.
Vote for your All-NBA Third Team below, then take to the comment section to explain your picks!
Guards
(choose two)
Who are your All-NBA Third Team guards?
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Chris Paul (Suns) 15% (483)
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Devin Booker (Suns) 15% (466)
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James Harden (Nets) 11% (356)
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Russell Westbrook (Wizards) 7% (232)
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Donovan Mitchell (Jazz) 7% (214)
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Jayson Tatum (Celtics) 6% (202)
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Trae Young (Hawks) 6% (182)
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Kyrie Irving (Nets) 5% (159)
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Kawhi Leonard (Clippers) 4% (138)
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Ben Simmons (Sixers) 4% (112)
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Ja Morant (Grizzlies) 3% (111)
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Jaylen Brown (Celtics) 3% (97)
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Jrue Holiday (Bucks) 3% (92)
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Zach LaVine (Bulls) 3% (83)
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Jimmy Butler (Heat) 3% (82)
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Khris Middleton (Bucks) 2% (55)
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Paul George (Clippers) 1% (43)
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De'Aaron Fox (Kings) 1% (42)
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Mike Conley (Jazz) 1% (40)
Total votes: 3,189
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote on the All-NBA Third Team guards.
Forwards
(choose two)
Who are your All-NBA Third Team forwards?
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Jayson Tatum (Celtics) 19% (508)
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Kawhi Leonard (Clippers) 16% (436)
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Kevin Durant (Nets) 11% (295)
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Zion Williamson (Pelicans) 9% (247)
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Devin Booker (Suns) 5% (129)
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Domantas Sabonis (Pacers) 5% (126)
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Anthony Davis (Lakers) 5% (125)
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Jimmy Butler (Heat) 4% (117)
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Ben Simmons (Sixers) 4% (104)
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Jaylen Brown (Celtics) 4% (94)
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Paul George (Clippers) 3% (80)
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Tobias Harris (Sixers) 2% (66)
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Khris Middleton (Bucks) 2% (66)
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Bam Adebayo (Heat) 2% (64)
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Draymond Green (Warriors) 2% (59)
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Karl-Anthony Towns (Timberwolves) 2% (47)
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Zach LaVine (Bulls) 2% (44)
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DeMar DeRozan (Spurs) 1% (24)
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Brandon Ingram (Pelicans) 1% (24)
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Michael Porter Jr. (Nuggets) 1% (24)
Total votes: 2,679
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote on the All-NBA Third Team forwards.
Center
Who is your All-NBA Third Team center?
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Bam Adebayo (Heat) 18% (240)
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Domantas Sabonis (Pacers) 17% (224)
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Anthony Davis (Lakers) 14% (187)
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Deandre Ayton (Suns) 12% (163)
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Nikola Vucevic (Magic/Bulls) 10% (139)
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Clint Capela (Hawks) 9% (118)
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Karl-Anthony Towns (Timberwolves) 8% (110)
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Draymond Green (Warriors) 5% (68)
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Jonas Valanciunas (Grizzlies) 5% (68)
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Myles Turner (Pacers) 1% (16)
Total votes: 1,333
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote on the All-NBA Third Team center.
Anthony Davis Unlikely To Play In Game 5
Lakers big man Anthony Davis is unlikely to be available for Game 5 on Tuesday, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
As Charania explains, although Davis – who suffered a left groin strain on Sunday – may not be ready to go on Tuesday, there’s optimism that he won’t have to be ruled out for the series. He’ll continue to be evaluated on a daily basis this week. If Davis misses Game 5, his next opportunity to suit up would be on Thursday for Game 6.
The Lakers and Suns are tied at 2-2 in their first-round series, and L.A. has been at its best when Davis has been at his best. He averaged 34.0 points and 10.5 rebounds in the team’s two wins in Game 2 and 3. In a Game 1 loss, he put up just 13 points and seven rebounds. Prior to his early exit in Game 4, he had recorded six points and four rebounds in 19 minutes.
If Davis is sidelined for Game 5, frontcourt players like Markieff Morris, Kyle Kuzma, and Montrezl Harrell could see increased roles, while LeBron James and Dennis Schröder will have to take on added scoring and play-making responsibilities.
Jared Butler, Others Enter 2021 NBA Draft
Ahead of Sunday’s early entry deadline, Baylor junior guard Jared Butler announced (via Twitter) that he was declaring for the 2021 NBA draft. While his announcement doesn’t explicitly state that he’s forgoing his remaining NCAA eligibility, it strongly suggests he intends to go pro.
While it took a while for him to make it official, Butler was always considered a good bet to enter this year’s draft following an impressive 2020/21 campaign in which he averaged 16.7 PPG, 4.8 APG, and 2.0 SPG on .471/.416/.780 shooting in 30 games (30.3 MPG) for the eventual national champs.
A consensus first-team All-American, Butler was named the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player after the Bears defeated Gonzaga in the championship game. He’s the No. 23 prospect on ESPN’s big board, making him a strong candidate to be a first-round pick in July.
Here are a few more draft-related updates:
- Fresno State sophomore guard Deon Stroud is testing the draft waters while maintaining his NCAA eligibility, according to an announcement from the school (Twitter link). Stroud, who began his college career at UTEP, averaged 12.2 PPG on .482/.357/.613 shooting in 23 games (23.1 MPG) in 2020/21.
- Italian wing Gabriele Procida has declared for the draft, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, who tweets that the 18-year-old is a projected second-round pick.
- Givony also published a series of tweets listing several more international players who have entered the 2021 NBA draft pool. Those players are as follows (the countries listed represent where they last played, not where they were born):
- Mert Akay, G, Serbia (born 2000)
- Ibou Badji, C, Spain (born 2002)
- Kenny Baptiste, F, France (born 2000)
- Juhann Begarin, G/F, France (born 2002)
- Hugo Besson, G, France (born 2001)
- Tarik Biberovic, G/F, Turkey (born 2001)
- Vrenz Bleijenbergh, G/F, Belgium (born 2000)
- Tom Digbeu, G/F, Lithuania (born 2001)
- Biram Faye, F/C, Spain (born 2000)
- Gregor Glas, G, Serbia (born 2001)
- Haowen Guo, F, China (born 2000)
- Ariel Hukporti, C, Lithuania (born 2002)
- Jovan Kljajic, G, Spain (born 2001)
- Yoan Makoundou, F, France (born 2000)
- Zsombor Maronka, F/C, Spain (born 2002)
- Ivan Perasovic, F, Croatia (born 2002)
- Ziga Samar, G, Spain (born 2001)
- Pavel Savkov, G/F, Russia (born 2002)
- Amar Sylla, F/C, Belgium (born 2001)
- Bojan Tomasevic, F, Serbia (born 2001)
- Uros Trifunovic, G, Serbia (born 2000)
- Since the NBA’s early entry deadline has now passed, we should get a full, official list of early entrants from the league on Tuesday. In the meantime, our unofficial tracker is here.
Community Shootaround: Playoff Check-In
When we checked in on the NBA playoffs last Monday, we were coming off a weekend of upsets in the Western Conference, where the underdogs had taken a 1-0 lead in all four series.
A week later, the favorites have all won a couple games, but none have taken full control of their respective series.
The closest thing to an overwhelming favorite in the West’s first round? The Jazz, who rebounded from a Game 1 loss to the Grizzlies by winning the next two games and taking a 2-1 lead. Donovan Mitchell‘s return has helped buoy the team’s offense, and with a couple more wins, it’ll be easy to forget that things between him and the Jazz were pretty tense after he was held out of Game 1.
The other three series in the West, however, are all tied at 2-2 and remain very much up for grabs. The Trail Blazers/Nuggets matchup has been particularly back and forth, with betting site BetOnline.ag having made Portland a slight favorite despite the fact that two of the next three games will be played in Denver.
Unfortunately, injuries loom as a major factor in the other two Western series. A healthy Luka Doncic led the Mavericks to an impressive 2-0 lead vs. the Clippers, but a cervical strain hampered him in Los Angeles as Kawhi Leonard‘s squad stormed back to tie the series. If Doncic isn’t his usual self going forward, Dallas might not win another game this postseason.
Meanwhile, the Suns and Lakers are both dealing with injuries. Battling a shoulder ailment, Chris Paul has averaged just 9.5 PPG on .417/.250/.700 shooting in four games following an All-NBA caliber season. While Paul’s limitations seemed to be opening the door for a No. 7 seed to advance, Anthony Davis‘ groin strain will be a major factor going forward, as there’s no guarantee he’ll be available for Game 5. BetOnline.ag has the Suns as slight favorites here.
Over in the Eastern Conference, things aren’t so up in the air. The Bucks have already advanced, and the Sixers and Nets appear on the verge of following suit. Outside of a lone Boston win in Game 3, Philadelphia and Brooklyn have outclassed the Celtics and Wizards so far and seem very unlikely to collapse.
The East’s other series is also potentially just one game away from ending, but the Hawks aren’t viewed as a lock like those top seeds. Still, even though Julius Randle and the Knicks are more evenly matched with their opponents and could still make things interesting, they’ve struggled to match their regular season success so far in the playoffs. Randle, the team’s MVP, is shooting a dismal 27.4% from the floor.
We want to know what you think. Can we pencil in the Sixers, Nets, Hawks, and Jazz for the second round, or is still too early to call one or more of those series? How about the Blazers and Nuggets, the Suns and Lakers, and the Clippers and Mavs? How big a factor will those injuries be? Who do you see advancing beyond the first round?
Take to the comment section below to share your thoughts!
Eastern Notes: Irving, Celtics, Bucks, Cavaliers
After having to address a series of fan-related incidents at games last week, the NBA is dealing with another one to start this week. As the Nets were leaving the TD Garden court on Sunday following a win over the Celtics, a fan threw a water bottle at Brooklyn guard Kyrie Irving.
A TD Garden spokesperson announced late last night that the individual who threw the water bottle was arrested and is subject to a lifetime ban from the arena (link via Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe). The 21-year-old male is facing charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and will be arraigned on Tuesday, according to Boston PD (Twitter link via Shams Charania of The Athletic).
The bottle missed hitting Irving, who had spoken prior to Game 3 about hoping that fans would keep heckling and jeering “strictly basketball” in his return to Boston.
“You can see that people just feel very entitled out here,” Irving said after Game 4, per Malika Andrews and Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “They paid for their tickets — great, I’m grateful that they’re coming in to watch a great performance. But we’re not at the theater. We’re not throwing tomatoes and other random stuff at the people that are performing.”
The water bottle toss was the latest in a series of incidents involving fans. Fans in Philadelphia and New York received indefinite arena bans last week for dumping popcorn on Russell Westbrook and spitting on Trae Young, respectively. Ja Morant‘s father also said that he and his wife had racist, vulgar comments directed toward them in Utah, as Andrews and Bontemps note.
“I know that being in the house for a year and a half with the pandemic got a lot of people on edge, got a lot of people stressed out, but when you come to these games, you have to realize these men are human,” Kevin Durant said on Sunday. “We are not animals; we are not in the circus. You coming to the game is not all about you as a fan. So, have some respect for the game. Have some respect for the human beings, and have some respect for yourself. Your mother wouldn’t be proud of you throwing water bottles at basketball players or spitting on players or tossing popcorn.”
Here’s more from around the East:
- The Celtics played without Kemba Walker (left knee bone bruise) and Robert Williams (turf toe, sprained left ankle) during Sunday’s loss, as Tim Bontemps of ESPN writes, and it’s not clear whether one or both players will be available for the team’s win-or-game-home Game 5 on Tuesday.
- The transformation the Bucks‘ roster underwent during the 2020 offseason paid off in the first round of the 2021 postseason, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. The team – which added Jrue Holiday, Bobby Portis, and Bryn Forbes last fall – figures to face a tougher test in round two, with a potential matchup vs. Brooklyn on tap.
- Jason Lloyd of The Athletic pushes back against GM Koby Altman‘s assertion that the Cavaliers had no young talent or draft assets in place when the team’s rebuild began in 2018 following LeBron James‘ departure. As Lloyd observes, rather than going all-in during LeBron’s final years in Cleveland, as they did during his first stint with the franchise, the Cavs had already traded Kyrie Irving for a lottery pick and had swapped out some veterans for younger players like Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance.
Western Notes: Doncic, K. Antetokounmpo, Ibaka, Warriors
Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic was available to play in Game 4 against the Clippers on Sunday night, as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported he would. Doncic suffered a strained neck in Game 3 and his status was uncertain at the time.
“It’s just weird,” Doncic said of his injury, which also caused some pain in his left arm. “Just some massage, some ice and hopefully it will be good.”
Doncic has played some of the best basketball of his career this series, averaging 38 points, 8.7 rebounds and nine assists through three games. He’s also shot 52% from the floor and 46% from behind-the-arc.
There’s more from the Western Conference tonight:
- Lakers forward Kostas Antetokounmpo has been attending to a personal matter in Greece, explaining his recent absence from the team, according to Adrian Wojnarowski and Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Antetokoumpo is currently on a two-way contract with the club. There’s optimism that he could return if the Lakers advance past the Suns in the first round, the duo notes.
- Clippers big man Serge Ibaka missed Game 4 due to lingering back soreness, as first reported by Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Ibaka has provided valuable production when healthy, averaging 11.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 23.3 minutes in 41 games this season.
- The Warriors still have a ways to go before returning to contention, says Moke Hamilton of Basketball News. Golden State played without Klay Thompson (torn Achilles’ rehab) this season, though Thompson is expected to return for 2021-22. The team would have its championship trio of Stephen Curry, Thompson, and Draymond Green to build around for the future.
Draft Notes: Njie, Chougkaz, Alocen, Diop, Diouf, Camara
International point guard Barra Njie is declaring for the 2021 NBA Draft after spending last season in Sweden, agent Jerry Dianis told Hoops Rumors.
The 6’3″ Njie was the Rookie of the Year in the Swedish Basketball League, averaging 17.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game. His impressive athleticism and crafty scoring ability are two intriguing pieces of his game, possessing a 6’10” wingspan at just 20 years of age.
Njie attended St. Benedict’s Preparatory School before heading overseas. He was also teammates with Precious Achiuwa in 2018-19. Achiuwa was drafted No. 20 overall by Miami in last year’s event.
Here are some other draft decisions announced today:
- Greek forward Nikos Chougkaz has declared for the draft, as relayed by Sportando. Chougkaz plans to keep his name in this year’s pool after averaging 10.6 points and 6.3 rebounds per game with Ionikos in the Greek Basket League last season.
- Spanish senior national team guard Carlos Alocen has also declared for the draft, Jonathan Givony of ESPN tweets. Alocen appeared in 63 games for Real Madrid during the Euroleague, ACB and domestic cups this past season.
- In addition to Njie, Chougkaz and Alocen, Italian-based players Ousmane Diop, Mouhamet Diouf and Gora Camara have also declared for the draft, Givony reports (via Twitter). The deadline for early entrants to declare for the draft is Sunday night at 11:59pm ET. This year’s draft is set to be held on Thursday, July 29.