Donovan Mitchell To Miss At Least One More Week
Jazz star Donovan Mitchell will miss at least one more week as he continues to recover from a sprained ankle, the team announced today (Twitter link). Mitchell was reevaluated by Utah’s medical staff on Saturday — the club said he’s making progress toward a return and will be reevaluated again in a week.
Utah is tied with Phoenix for the NBA’s best record at 45-18, suffering a 21-point loss to the team on Friday night. In addition to missing Mitchell, the Jazz also played without Mike Conley (hamstring) in the game.
Mitchell, 24, is currently enjoying a career-best season. The fourth-year guard is averaging 26.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game, shooting 44% from the floor and 39% from deep.
Utah is 4-3 since Mitchell suffered the injury and has upcoming contests against Toronto on Saturday, plus San Antonio on Monday and Wednesday.
Emoni Bates Decommits From Michigan State
Five-star prospect Emoni Bates, widely considered to be the top player in the Class of 2022, has announced that he has decommitted from Michigan State and re-opened his recruitment. Bates made the announcement in an Instagram post on Friday night.
“I would like to thank (head coach) Tom Izzo and the coaching staff at Michigan State but I have decided to reopen my recruitment,” Bates wrote. “I’m not sure what my future holds but I am keeping all of my options open, both college and pro.”
Bates, a 6’8″ forward, could attend another college, head overseas, or play in the NBA G League with the Ignite. Many industry and coaching sources believe he would be open to playing in the G League for a year, Jeff Borzello of ESPN.com reports.
The Ignite recently landed five-star prospect Michael Foster Jr. and top Chinese prospect Fanbo Zeng, with more young athletes expected to be added in the coming months. Projected high-lottery picks Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga were among those who played for the team this past season.
“Let’s just put it like this. Whatever options that are available to him, we will lay them out and present them to him, but the ultimate decision is his,” Bates’ father, Elgin, said of his son’s situation back in March, according to Adam Zagoria of Forbes.com.
“If the G League is something he wants to do, if he decides that’s what he wants to do, that’s perfectly fine. He can do the G League. If Michigan State is what he wants to do, that’s perfectly fine. If he wants to entertain going overseas, that’s perfectly fine. If he just wants to sit out and train for a year, it’s whatever he wants to do. It’s his decision.”
Bates, 17, currently projects to be the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA draft.
Sacramento Signs Louis King To Two-Way Deal
May 1: The Kings have announced the signing of King to a two-way deal, confirming the news in a press release on Saturday.
April 30: Free agent swingman Louis King will sign a two-way deal with the Kings, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Woj notes that the 6’7″ wing made a 10-game cameo for the Pistons during his rookie season, having spent the year on a two-way contract with Detroit after going undrafted out of Oregon in 2019. He played significantly more meaningful minutes for the Pistons’ then-NBAGL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Drive, during the 2019/20 season. King appeared in 31 games (22 starts) with the Drive.
After signing an Exhibit 10 deal with the Knicks for the preseason, King was waived by the franchise before he could log a game for New York. However, that deal ensured that the Knicks’ G League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks, had the 22-year-old’s rights for the 2020/21 “bubble” season at Walt Disney World.
In 15 games (13 starts) for Westchester this year, King averaged 13.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.9 APG, and 1.6 SPG across 32.2 MPG. He posted a respectable slash line of .517/.456/.810.
Sacramento recently opened up a two-way slot by promoting Chimezie Metu to its 15-man roster.
Central Notes: Tucker, Grant, Doumbouya, LaVine, Pacers
After P.J. Tucker requested a trade for months from the rebuilding Rockets, the veteran big man ended up with the Bucks, an Eastern Conference powerhouse in recent seasons. However, despite leading the league in wins two years in a row and getting back-to-back MVP seasons from Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee has endured multiple disappointing playoff exits.
As Milwaukee prepares for another postseason, and hopefully a deeper run, Tucker spoke about his role with the team as it aims for a championship. The 35-year-old has been limited to 12 games off the bench for the Bucks after some injury woes, but he tells Sports Illustrated’s Rohan Nadkarni that the team has been clear about his role.
“Yeah, definitely. Coach Bud (Mike Budenholzer) is super transparent,” Tucker said. “And I’m at the point in my career where I know why I’m here. I’ve lived through every situation possible. It’s not rocket science. They don’t want me to do nothing I don’t do. What happened last year, and how they lost the couple years, winning so many games in the regular season, not getting as far as they should have, they are looking for different lineups that can help win games. For me, it’s about bringing all the intangible stuff that they need.”
The rest of the interview is worth a read, as Tucker also talks about his long career, trade from Houston and his time alongside Antetokounmpo.
Check out more Central Division notes:
- Jerami Grant raised some eyebrows when he decided to depart from the Nuggets fresh off a deep run into the postseason and join the rebuilding Pistons. However, Grant says he has zero regrets about that decision, NBA.com’s Keith Langlois writes. “Between me and (GM) Troy (Weaver), there’s a lot of trust. Between me and this organization, there’s a lot of trust,” said Grant. “There’s a lot of trust. I’m happy with my decision. I wouldn’t change. I’d go back and do the same thing over and over.”
- One pleasant surprise for the Pistons this season has been the play of Sekou Doumbouya, who has shown flashes of brilliance in 49 games off the bench. As the season winds down, Detroit hopes the 20-year-old can finish strong, Langlois writes in a separate story. “Sekou is one of our best talkers,” head coach Dwane Casey said. “He’s been in the system. He understands it. I see the carryover from last year to this year and he’s out there explaining to guys. That’s good to see, also.”
- At 29-33, the Pacers have endured a frustrating season that has only been exasperated by all their opening night starters currently being sidelined, Scott Agness of The Fieldhouse Files writes (subscription required).
- Bulls guard Zach LaVine joined his teammates on the bench on Friday, marking his first big step in returning to the club. He has missed Chicago’s nine games due to being in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, and while he has cleared quarantine, it remains to be seen when he’ll be back on the court, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago writes.
LeBron James: “I Don’t Think I Will Ever Get Back To 100%”
The Lakers got a major jolt in the arm on Friday with the return of LeBron James, who missed 20 games over a six-week stretch due to an ankle injury. It was the longest injury-related absence in James’ Hall of Fame career.
Los Angeles lost to the Kings despite James’ return as he missed a potential game-winner in the fourth quarter. Nonetheless, LeBron looked good, recording 16 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, two steals and five turnovers in 32 minutes. James admitted he felt his injured ankle at times but was able to come out strong.
“For my first game in six weeks, I felt OK,” James said, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “As far as my wind, I felt pretty good. As far as my ankle, it was a little tight at times, obviously. … But I came out unscathed and pretty good. So it’s a good start.”
James, 36, went on to make a surprising admission in regards to his health for the rest of his career. In his 18th NBA season, James has a lot of mileage on his body and while his performance continues to be strong, he admitted he will likely never be at full strength again.
“I knew I wasn’t going to get back to 100%. It’s impossible,” he said. “I don’t think I will ever get back to 100% in my career.”
The Lakers will hope James can be as close to 100% as possible as the team tries to finish strong heading into the postseason. The defending champions now have James and fellow superstar Anthony Davis back from injury. Los Angeles struggled in their absence, falling to a 36-27 record, good for fifth in the Western Conference.
“It’s only nine games left,” James said. “It’s just been … it’s been a hell of a season, obviously. … But we look forward to the challenge. It is what it is. This is the season, and we’ve got to make the most out of it.”
Cavs Ink Mfiondu Kabengele To Three-Year Deal
MAY 1: The Cavaliers have made their deal with Kabengele official, per a press release on Saturday.
APRIL 30: With the second 10-day deal for Cavaliers big man Mfiondu Kabengele set to expire tonight, Cleveland plans to retain him for the rest of the season, with an opportunity to stick around for two more years, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Woj reports that the Cavaliers will ink Kabengele for the rest of the 2020/21 and will add non-guaranteed salaries for the ’21/22 and ’22/23 seasons to the deal. A three-year contract would mean that the Cavaliers are using a portion of their mid-level exception to complete the move.
Selected with the No. 27 pick out of FSU in 2019, Kabengele spent his rookie season and half of the 2020/21 season with the Clippers. He was included in a trade deadline deal to the Kings and ultimately waived, after which he caught on with Cleveland.
Across six games with the developing Cavaliers thus far, the 6’9″ 23-year-old is averaging 7.3 MPG.
Luke Adams contributed to this story.
Southwest Notes: Jackson, Cuban, Porter, Bilas
Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. has proven worthy of reclaiming his starting role with the club, writes Mark Giannotto of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
“The plan was always for me to just get the rhythm with the guys that are out there,” Jackson said of his acclimation back onto the Grizzlies roster. “It doesn’t really matter what rotation it is because we have so many guys playing.”
“The big picture is we’re having a lot of dialogue about what our rotations are going to look like,” Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins said.
There’s more out of the Southwest Division:
- With new Rockets wing Kevin Porter Jr. scoring a career-high 50 points against the Bucks in a 143-136 win, it’s become clear that head coach Stephen Silas feels confident in the promising 20-year-old, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. “I was just so proud of him,” Silas raved. “He’s been through quite a bit. To see him free and almost getting into the zone, … it was so fun to watch.” Porter registered his respect for his coach as well. “Really, he just gives me that confidence to go out there and play how I play, play how I’ve been playing all my life,” Porter said. “Once a coach gives you basically a green light and the keys, the sky’s the limit.”
- Mavericks team owner Mark Cuban sat down for a conversation with Tim Cato of The Athletic to discuss the NBA’s new play-in tournament, the relationship between All-Star Dallas guard Luka Doncic and former All-Star forward Kristaps Porzingis, and the team’s approach to building around its two most high-impact players.
- Before ultimately hiring Daryl Morey as the Rockets‘ new general manager in 2007, former Houston owner Leslie Alexander apparently gave serious consideration to former player and current college analyst Jay Bilas for the position. Bilas told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski during a recent interview on Woj’s podcast that the Rockets offered him the job, but that the two sides couldn’t agree to terms (hat tip to RealGM).
And-Ones: NBA Calendar, Wainright, COVID-19, More
The idea of switching the order of the NBA’s draft and free agency to emulate the NFL’s offseason has been broached in recent years, but has never gained much momentum, according to Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports, who has heard in the past that about two-thirds of the league’s teams opposed the idea.
While a league official tells Goodwill that there hasn’t been any serious discussion about a possible change recently, the concept may be gathering a bit more support. A pair of general managers who spoke to Yahoo Sports said they believe about half the league’s teams are in favor of the change now, while the other half remains resistant.
“Teams couldn’t comprehend having to do free agency and then the draft, which in their mind was overwhelming,” one GM said. “But the reality of it is that it’s the same amount of time. Change is hard for a lot of people.”
Some teams have logistical concerns about moving free agency up, since the NBA has to calculate its year-end revenues after the Finals, which in terms determines the coming year’s salary cap. The idea of pushing back Summer League deeper into the summer to make sure it still comes after the draft is also a potential stumbling block, as Goodwill notes.
“I am open to it, (although) one issue becomes the extension of the summer,” a second GM told Yahoo Sports. “I do like how football can fill free agent needs first and supplement their rosters with the draft second. … The calendar works in football’s favor.”
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Former Baylor wing Ishmail Wainright, who played for SIG Strasbourg in France in 2020/21, appeared at one point to be close to signing with Lithuania’s Zalgiris Kaunas, but now may be prioritizing an NBA opportunity, tweets Lithuanian journalist Donatas Urbonas. According to Urbonas, Wainright previously received an offer from the Raptors and is still drawing a lot of interest from NBA teams.
- The NBA and NBPA announced on Wednesday that there were two new confirmed positive COVID-19 tests among players during the week of April 21-28. That’s slightly down from the three coronavirus positives among players announced on April 21.
- Paolo Uggetti of The Ringer digs into the experience of playing on a 10-day contract, exploring how the unusual circumstances of this season have made the short-term auditions even more challenging for players than in past years.
LeBron James Returns To Lakers On Friday
7:47pm: The Lakers have officially confirmed that James will be able to play against the Kings, tweets Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register.
1:49pm: Lakers star LeBron James is on the verge of returning from the high ankle sprain that has sidelined him for the team’s last 20 games, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
According to Wojnarowski, James has been upgraded to questionable for Friday’s contest vs. the Kings. The four-time MVP plans to test his ankle during warmups and make a game-time decision on his availability. If he’s not ready to go tonight, he’d tentatively target Sunday vs. Toronto for his comeback, Woj adds.
Although James missed more total games in 2018/19 (27) than he has so far this season (21), the 20-game stretch since March 20 represents his single-longest absence during his 18-year NBA career.
Whether his return comes today, Sunday, or sometime next week, the Lakers will welcome back their All-Star forward with open arms. The team began the season on a 28-13 run, but has gone just 8-13 since the game in which LeBron got hurt.
Home-court advantage is almost certainly out of reach for the Lakers, who are 5.5 games back of the fourth-seeded Nuggets, but getting the 36-year-old back in their lineup would put them in position to secure the No. 5 seed. Currently, L.A. has just a one-game lead on the sixth-seeded Mavs and a two-game lead on the No. 7 Trail Blazers.
Anderson Varejão To Return To Cavs
Longtime Cavaliers center Anderson Varejão is returning to the franchise for the rest of the 2020/21 season, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Selected with the No. 30 pick in 2004 out of Brazil, Varejão proved to be a crucial two-way force on several LeBron James-fronted Cleveland clubs. Varejão’s tenure in Cleveland reached its personal peak when he made a 2009/10 All-Defensive Second Team. The veteran would be plagued by injuries that would cause him to miss more than half of his games during four of the next five seasons.
All told, the Brazilian big man logged nearly 12 full seasons with the team, in addition to spending parts of two years with the Warriors. Varejão last suited up in the NBA for 14 games with Golden State during the team’s eventful 2016/17 season. He holds career league averages of 7.3 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 0.9 SPG and 0.6 BPG.
Varejão most recently served stints in 2018 and 2019 with Brazilian club Flamengo.
The 38-year-old vet could see spot minutes behind starting center Jarrett Allen and his primary backup Isaiah Hartenstein, on a rebuilding Cleveland roster with its eye on the lottery. At 21-41, the Cavaliers are the No. 13 seed in the East, seven games behind the tenth-seeded Wizards for a shot at the NBA’s play-in tournament. Bringing back a fan favorite now will be a fun wrinkle as the team embraces its fate and prepares for the 2021 draft.
Given their plans to re-sign Mfiondu Kabengele, the Cavs won’t technically have an open spot on their 15-man roster to sign Varejão, but the club is hoping to receive approval for a hardship exception to add a 16th man, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who refers to Varejão’s anticipated deal as a “celebratory contract.” It may end up being a 10-day pact rather than a rest-of-season contract, depending on when it’s completed, Fedor adds.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.