Myles Turner Out Indefinitely With Partial Toe Tear
Pacers starting center Myles Turner will be out indefinitely after partially tearing the plantar plate in the great toe of his right foot, per a team announcement.
An MRI today shed light on the injury. Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files tweets that, before returning to the court yesterday, Turner had sat for the prior six games as he struggled with a left ankle sprain. Agness notes that this toe setback appears unrelated.
The 6’11” Turner, still just 24, had been enjoying a solid run with the Pacers for the 2020/21 season. Across 47 games, he’s averaging 12.6 PPG, 6.5 RPG, an unreal 3.4 BPG, and 0.9 SPG. He boasts a shooting line of .477/.335/.782.
Losing their defensive anchor for any extended period of time is a major blow for the Pacers as they continue to fight for a play-in appearance. The team is currently the No. 9 seed in the East. At 26-30, the Pacers are currently two games behind the eighth-seeded Hornets, a team saddled with a litany of its own major injuries, and three games ahead of the tenth-seeded Raptors.
With Turner absent, the team will lean on the kinds of small-ball lineups it employed during Turner’s prior injury, with All-Star Domantas Sabonis moving to center and 6’4″ forward Edmond Sumner once again being promoted from the bench to fill out the starting front court alongside 6’6″ forward Justin Holiday. Goga Bitadze and Oshae Brissett could see bigger roles for themselves in the front court rotation this season.
“Pain is temporary,” Turner said of his recovery in a Twitter message. “[I’m going to] attack this rehab and we right back to it!”
Jeff Stotts of InStreetClothes.com tweets that current Nets power forward Blake Griffin‘s 2016/17 playoff run with the Clippers came to an abrupt end when he incurred a similar ailment, eventually requiring corrective surgery.
Warriors Give Gary Payton II Another 10-Day Contract
APRIL 19: The Warriors have officially re-signed Payton, per a team tweet.
APRIL 18: Gary Payton II will sign a second 10-day contract with the Warriors, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
The versatile guard appeared in five games during his first 10-day deal, averaging 2.4 points and 1.4 rebounds in 3.6 minutes per night. He was effective in Saturday’s loss to the Celtics, Slater notes, displaying his defensive skills in seven minutes of action.
Payton, 28, has logged brief stays with four teams in a five-year NBA career. He has also spent extensive time in the G League and was named Defensive Player of the Year during the league’s abbreviated season in Orlando.
Payton will earn $118,983 during his second 10-day contract. If it’s finalized today, it will expire April 27, and the Warriors would have to sign him for the rest of the season if they want to keep him on the roster beyond that.
Clippers Sign Yogi Ferrell To 10-Day Deal
APRIL 19: The Clippers have officially signed Ferrell to a 10-day contract, the team announced today. The club opened up a spot on its roster when Malik Fitts‘ 10-day deal expired overnight.
APRIL 11: The Clippers intend to ink free agent combo guard Yogi Ferrell to a 10-day deal next week, provided he clears the league’s COVID-19 health and protocols, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter).
Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times cautions (Twitter link) that Ferrell is one of a few options the Clippers are eyeing to shore up their guard depth, and a signing of Ferrell is not a lock due to the NBA’s coronavirus protocols.
If he does sign, Ferrell may be able to help spell veteran point guards Reggie Jackson and Rajon Rondo, both of whom have seen a minutes increase (with Jackson starting) necessitated by another long-term injury absence for starting guard Patrick Beverley, out indefinitely with a fractured bone in his left hand. Beverley will be reassessed by the club in three-to-four weeks.
This marks Ferrell’s second 10-day deal of the season, as he previously signed such a contract with the Cavaliers in January. The 27-year-old appeared in two games with Cleveland this season. He averaged 9.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 2.5 APG across 20.0 MPG.
After his stint with the Cavaliers, Ferrell joined the Jazz’s NBAGL affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars, for the G League’s truncated Orlando “bubble” campus season. He started in all 14 of his games with Salt Lake City, averaging 15.4 PPG, 4.0 APG, 2.7 RPG, and 1.3 SPG, and boasted stellar shooting splits of .451/.388/1.000.
Ferrell went undrafted in 2016 out of Indiana. Prior to this season, he logged stints with the Nets, Mavericks, and Kings. A career 36.7% three-point shooter, Ferrell could potentially see time off the ball in limited minutes for L.A. At 36-18, the Clippers are currently the No. 3 seed in the West. The Nuggets, riding high on an eight-game win streak, are within a single game of tying LA.
Jalen Suggs To Enter 2021 NBA Draft
Standout Gonzaga guard and probable top-five pick Jalen Suggs has opted to enter the 2021 NBA draft and will forgo his remaining college eligibility, he announced today on ESPN’s The Jump (link via Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com).
As a freshman on a star-studded Zags squad, Suggs put up relatively modest scoring numbers compared to other top prospects, ranking third on his team with 14.4 points per game.
However, Suggs filled up the box score with 5.3 RPG, 4.5 APG, and 1.9 SPG to go along with a .503/.337/.761 shooting line in 30 games (28.9 MPG), and had some memorable moments during Gonzaga’s run to the NCAA championship game, including a game-winning overtime buzzer beater in the team’s Final Four matchup against UCLA. He was voted a consensus Second Team All-American.
Suggs is part of the top tier of 2021 prospects, currently ranking third on ESPN’s big board. In his scouting report, Mike Schmitz notes that Suggs is a bit of a streaky shooter and has average length relative to his height, but says that he’s already a mature decision-maker and a tough defender.
While they’re awaiting draft decisions from some of their other key players, Gonzaga may not miss a beat as Suggs departs, having secured a commitment from No. 1 high school recruit Chet Holmgren.
2021 NBA Free Agency To Begin On August 2
The NBA’s 2021 free agency period will begin on Monday, August 2 at 5:00pm central time, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Teams and players will be able to reach contract agreements at that point. However, with a few exceptions, they won’t be able to formally complete those deals until after the moratorium lifts.
As Charania details, the free agency moratorium will officially begin at 11:01pm CT on the night of August 2 and will end on Friday, August 6. The NBA has confirmed Charania’s reporting, announcing that the moratorium will lift at 11:01am ET on August 6, at which point agreed-upon trades and free agent signings can be officially finalized.
Typically, the NBA Finals would end in mid-June, followed about a week later by the draft, with free agency beginning on the evening of June 30 and the moratorium covering the first few days of July. However, the NBA’s calendar has been pushed back by about a month this offseason due to the revamped schedule. The draft will take place on July 29.
Kawhi Leonard (player option), John Collins (RFA), Lonzo Ball (RFA), Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, Mike Conley, Dennis Schroder, Victor Oladipo, Spencer Dinwiddie (player option), and Jarrett Allen (RFA) are expected to be some of the top free agents available this summer.
It’s also worth noting that, with Olympic qualifying tournaments scheduled to take place from June 29 to July 4 and the Olympics themselves set to begin on July 24, several players who don’t have contracts yet for 2021/22 may have to decide whether or not they feel comfortable participating in the Tokyo games – or the qualifiers – before having secured their next deals.
And-Ones: Holmgren, Travel, Mirotic, Giddey
Seven-foot center Chet Holmgren, the top player in this year’s high school recruiting class and a candidate to be the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA draft, has committed to Gonzaga, as Jeff Goodman of Stadium tweets.
While Jalen Suggs and Corey Kispert, among other Zags, appear headed to the NBA, the addition of Holmgrem and the possible return of players like Drew Timme and Andrew Nembhard should make Gonzaga a powerhouse again next season, Goodman notes.
When ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz completed their first 2022 mock draft in December, they wrote that Holmgren is “in a class of his own” and “checks every box” teams want in a top pick. The young center is considered an ideal big man, possessing the ability to block shots, knock down three-pointers, and even handle the ball. He’ll look to cement his place as next year’s first overall pick in his freshman year at Gonzaga.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- The NBA sent a memo to teams announcing that it will eliminate restrictions on international travel for fully vaccinated individuals, reports ESPN’s Givony. Scouts and executives have been prohibited from making international scouting trips all season long, but many will now have the opportunity to do so before the July 29 draft.
- Speaking of international players, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype polled 15 NBA talent evaluators about the best players currently in leagues around the world. Former NBA forward Nikola Mirotic topped the list, with potential 2021 lottery pick Josh Giddey of the Adelaide 36ers coming in second.
- Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report examines the impact the compressed schedule and the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols have had on players and coaches, touching on many of the same points that Baxter Holmes of ESPN did last week.
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Northwest Notes: Gordon, Clarkson, Dort, Wolves
In a conversation with Sam Amick of The Athletic, Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon spoke about how he impressed he has been with Nikola Jokic during his first few weeks in Denver, and said his team still has championship aspirations this season, even with Jamal Murray unavailable for the postseason.
Additionally, acknowledging rumors that the Celtics tried hard to acquire him at last month’s deadline, Gordon said he would’ve enjoyed playing in Boston, but stated that he views the Nuggets as an ideal fit for his skill set.
“Obviously Boston has those guys with (Jayson) Tatum and (Jaylen) Brown, and they would have been hell of fun to play with,” Gordon told Amick. “But I feel like Denver was just the best fit to showcase my well-roundedness as a ballplayer, the defensive aspect and the offensive (aspect) — basically just (the) glue that I can bring. The guy who can fill in, do a little bit of everything on the offensive end and then lock up the other team’s best player, or at least make their night hard, make it a frustrating night for them.”
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson is considered the frontrunner for this year’s Sixth Man of the Year award, but he tells Mark Medina of USA Today that his “main goal” is trying to win games and to win a title — but he’d be honored to win the award. “If the Sixth Man of the Year award comes and I don’t get it, I don’t need the validation because my teammates, coaching staff and a lot of my peers gave me that,” Clarkson said. “They’re telling me, ‘I respect what you do’ and all of that. So, I know that goes a long way as well. But it’s definitely something I want to get accomplished one of these years. Hopefully it’s this year.”
- Thunder wing Luguentz Dort expressed interest in representing Team Canada in the Olympic qualifiers this summer, tweets Steven Loung of Sportsnet. While Dort said he was willing to “try out” for the team, it’s a safe bet that Team Canada would welcome him onto the roster if he wants a spot.
- As we wait for Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor to work out a sale agreement with potential new owners Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore, Lee Schafter of The Star Tribune explains why he thinks Taylor’s pledge to keep the team in Minnesota should be successful, while Chris Hine of The Star Tribune looks at the roadblocks that would be in the way of the new ownership group attempted a move.
- While the plan is for Rodriguez and Lore to begin as limited partners before they eventually assume majority control of the Timberwolves, sources told Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic last week that the new owners will still have a “significant influence” on the team’s basketball and business operations right away. Krawczynski also heard that the Wolves’ financial situation isn’t in bad shape, signaling that the NBA remains viable in the market.
This Season’s Disabled Player Exceptions Set To Expire
The disabled player exceptions that teams have been granted throughout the 2020/21 season will expire if they go unused on Monday. April 19 is this year’s deadline to use or lose those exceptions.
As our breakdown shows, the Warriors, Nets, Heat, and Wizards each received a disabled player exception this season for injuries to Klay Thompson, Spencer Dinwiddie, Meyers Leonard, and Thomas Bryant, respectively. The Magic were given a pair of DPEs due to season-ending injuries suffered by Jonathan Isaac and Markelle Fultz.
None of those five teams have used their disabled player exceptions — the Heat forfeited theirs when they decided to trade Leonard to the Thunder in a deal for Trevor Ariza, but the rest are still available.
We go into more detail on how exactly disabled player exceptions work in our glossary entry on the subject. But essentially, a DPE gives a team the opportunity to add an injury replacement by either signing a player to a one-year contract, trading for a player in the final year of his contract, or placing a waiver claim on a player in the final year of his contract.
At this point in the season, any free agent on the open market typically commands no more than the minimum salary. And since the trade deadline has passed, it’s extremely unlikely that Golden State, Brooklyn, Washington, or Orlando will use their exceptions before the end of the day.
Theoretically, any one of those teams could use its DPE to place a waiver claim on Moritz Wagner‘s $2.16MM expiring contract, but he’ll likely end up just clearing waivers later today.
Injury Notes: Durant, Harden, Davis, Hornets
Nets forward Kevin Durant had his bad injury luck continue on Sunday, as he left the team’s loss to Miami after just four minutes due to a left thigh contusion, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Brooklyn is expected to assess the injury further today to determine whether Durant will miss some time.
“He’s sore, but we don’t know how severe. We’ll see (Monday) how he wakes up and go from there. But right now nothing’s been determined,” Nets head coach Steve Nash said. “Honestly, I don’t know (if he’ll undergo an MRI or other testing) … I haven’t heard, but I imagine they’re going to assess him in the morning and see if a scan is necessary.”
Given the initial diagnosis, it seems unlikely that Durant’s injury is serious, but even so, it’s the latest setback in a season full of health issues for both the star forward and the Nets as a whole, and another hurdle in the team’s efforts to establish chemistry, writes Alex Schiffer of The Athletic. The former MVP has appeared in just 24 of Brooklyn’s 57 games.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA, including a note on another Brooklyn star:
- While James Harden is accompanying the Nets on their current three-game road trip, it sounds like that’s more about making sure he’s working out around the time, as Nash explained on Saturday (link via Petter Botte of The New York Post). Harden won’t necessarily be ready to return to action during the road trip, which concludes on Wednesday in Tampa.
- Lakers star Anthony Davis is expected to be back on the court soon, but it won’t happen on Monday, as the team has officially ruled him out for today’s game vs. Utah, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
- The Hornets have been hit hard by the injury bug this month, but got a key player back on Sunday, when PJ Washington (right ankle sprain) returned and played 34 minutes in a win over Portland. As Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer writes, Devonte’ Graham (left quad contusion) didn’t play, but had been listed as questionable for that game, suggesting his return is close.