Hawks’ De’Andre Hunter Undergoes Non-Surgical Procedure
Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter underwent a non-surgical procedure at the Emory Sports Medicine Complex earlier today and will return to activity following three days of “unloading,” the team announced today in a press release.
Atlanta’s announcement is light on specifics, but it’s safe to assume the procedure relates to Hunter’s right knee. He underwent meniscus surgery in February and was experiencing some swelling and soreness upon his return. A PRP injection is a logical possibility, tweets Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, though it’s worth noting that’s just informed speculation.
While the Hawks and Hunter certainly would’ve preferred to be able to avoid a follow-up procedure altogether, it doesn’t sound like this one was too serious. As Chris Kirschner of The Athletic tweets, head coach Nate McMillan said today that the procedure “absolutely” won’t keep Hunter sidelined for the rest of the season. We’ll have to wait for more details on his recovery timeline, but it could be a relatively short-term absence for the former lottery pick.
In 20 games so far this season (31.3 MPG), Hunter has averaged 16.0 PPG and 5.1 RPG on .502/.356/.867 shooting. Until he returns, the Hawks figure to lean more heavily on wings like Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kevin Huerter, Tony Snell, and Lou Williams.
Greg Monroe Hoping For NBA Opportunity
Veteran center Greg Monroe hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since the 2019 postseason, having played in Germany and Russia during the last two seasons. However, during an appearance on The Ringer’s Real Ones podcast with Raja Bell and Logan Murdock, Monroe said he has been working out in Miami for the past couple months in the hopes of earning another NBA opportunity.
“Obviously the last couple years I’ve been playing overseas. I’ve been watching the playoffs and not being a part of it, but right now I definitely am focused on trying to get on a team and make a run” Monroe said. “I’ve been focusing on the work. That’s what I can control.”
Monroe’s contract with BC Khimki in Moscow was terminated in January, with the team citing his “personal circumstances” as the reason for the move. Speaking to Bell and Murdock, the 30-year-old referenced “some difficulties on the business side” leading to the end of his stint in Russia.
In 2019/20, Monroe suited up for German club Bayern Munich. His last stint in the NBA came in ’18/19, when he spent time with a handful of Atlantic teams. Monroe started the season with Toronto and was traded to Brooklyn at the deadline. After being waived by the Nets, he signed a 10-day contract with Boston and eventually reached a rest-of-season deal with the Sixers. For the season, he averaged 5.3 PPG and 4.0 RPG in 43 games (11.2 MPG).
Monroe is more of a traditional low-post center who isn’t an outside threat on offense and has struggled when tasked with defending pick-and-rolls or switching onto perimeter players. He told Bell and Murdock during his Real Ones appearance that he has made an effort to modernize his game, adding that he can bring a handful of useful traits to an NBA team, including toughness, rebounding, leadership, and plenty of experience.
“I’m ready to come in and whatever role is there for me, I’m ready to accept it,” Monroe said. “I know what I bring to a team. I know the skills, the versatility that I bring. It’s just about getting an opportunity to showcase that, to show that my game has evolved and I’ve been working on my game to change it to fit more of the style now.”
Notable Veteran NBA Free Agents Still Available
In recent days, some of the NBA’s more noteworthy free agents have come off the board.
Isaiah Thomas signed a 10-day contract with the Pelicans; DeMarcus Cousins agreed to a 10-day deal with the Clippers; Rondae Hollis-Jefferson reached a rest-of-season agreement with the Trail Blazers.
However, even with those players no longer available, there are still several familiar veteran names on our list of free agents. And with a number of teams around the NBA in need of at least one more player, it’s possible that many of those veteran FAs are generating some interest.
Here’s a check-in on some of the more notable names on the market:
Point Guards:
The Pelicans opted for an offense-first player when they signed Thomas, but a team in need of a defensive point guard could look to Shaquille Harrison, who was waived in February by Utah.
Quinn Cook and Jalen Lecque are among the guards who were on NBA rosters for much of this season before being released, while Jeremy Lin and Gary Payton II are among those whose play in the G League bubble in the winter may have boosted their stock a little.
Brandon Knight is seeking an NBA comeback and reportedly worked out recently for the Bucks. Shabazz Napier, Emmanuel Mudiay, Yogi Ferrell, and Tim Frazier are among the other experienced options available.
Wings:
Veterans like J.R. Smith, Dion Waiters, Allen Crabbe, Jamal Crawford, Troy Daniels, Kyle Korver, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Lance Stephenson, Treveon Graham, and Courtney Lee haven’t been on an NBA roster since the season began. If they’re healthy and in game shape, they could be intriguing depth options.
However, teams may look first as players who have been in the NBA more recently. That list includes vets like Austin Rivers, Ben McLemore, Iman Shumpert, Glenn Robinson III, and Sindarius Thornwell, as well as young players such as DaQuan Jeffries, Justin Jackson, and Terrance Ferguson. McLemore, Jeffries, and Jackson remain on waivers, so they’ll need to go unclaimed this week to formally reach free agency.
Teams in need of instant offense on the bench may take a look at Jabari Parker or Allonzo Trier, while clubs seeking a defensive stopper could target Andre Roberson.
Big Men:
It’s a bit surprising that Dewayne Dedmon hasn’t been on an NBA roster since 2020 — if he’s healthy and in shape, he should draw some interest from teams in need of a backup center. John Henson, Anthony Tolliver, Noah Vonleh, Vincent Poirier, and Tyler Zeller are among the other options for clubs seeking veteran depth.
The big man market is, frankly, more intriguing for non-playoff teams looking to take a shot on a younger player. Thon Maker, Mfiondu Kabengele, Justin Patton (once he clears waivers), Skal Labissiere, Anzejs Pasecniks, Donta Hall, T.J. Leaf, Ray Spalding, Henry Ellenson, and Omari Spellman are among the many available 25-and-under players who have some NBA experience.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Thunder Release Justin Jackson
10:13am: The Thunder have officially waived Jackson, the team announced in a press release.
10:04am: The Thunder are waiving fourth-year forward Justin Jackson, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). The move will open up a spot on Oklahoma City’s 15-man roster to go along with the team’s open two-way contract slot.
Jackson, who turned 26 in March, has appeared in 33 games (16.5 MPG) for the Thunder this season, averaging 7.2 PPG and 2.2 RPG on .406/.306/.857 shooting.
The former 15th overall pick began his career in Sacramento in 2017 and also played for Dallas before arriving in OKC in the 2020 offseason along with Trevor Ariza as part of a three-team trade that sent Delon Wright to the Pistons and James Johnson to the Mavs.
With a $5,029,650 cap hit for 2020/21, Johnson had been the third highest-paid player on the Thunder’s active roster. Although Oklahoma City will remain on the hook for that money, the club won’t owe the forward anything beyond this season, since he had been on track for free agency.
Jackson would have been eligible to be a restricted free agent if he had played out his contract, but clearly wasn’t in the Thunder’s long-term plans and always seemed unlikely to receive a qualifying offer. He’ll instead reach the open market later this week as an unrestricted FA, and will be able to sign with any team except the Mavs.
Heat, Warriors, Raptors Among Teams Needing To Add 14th Man
As we detailed last week, a number of teams dipped below the NBA’s required minimum of 14 players (not counting two-way contracts) with their moves leading up to the trade deadline. Teams are only permitted to drop below 14 players for up to two weeks.
Since then, the Pelicans (Isaiah Thomas) and Knicks (Norvel Pelle) have added a 14th man to their respective rosters to get back up to that minimum, but a handful of teams still need to make roster moves this week.
[RELATED: 2020/21 NBA Roster Counts]
First up is the Clippers, who face a Monday deadline for signing a 14th man. By all accounts, that player will be DeMarcus Cousins, who has been going through the coronavirus protocols in advance of signing a 10-day contract with Los Angeles.
Like the Clippers, the Trail Blazers appear to have a 14th man lined up already, as word broke last Friday that they’ve struck a deal with free agent forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. That deal still isn’t official, but Portland has until Thursday to finalize it, so there’s plenty of time to get it done.
Three other teams face a Thursday deadline for filling one of the two current openings on their 15-man rosters — the Heat, Warriors, and Raptors all must sign a player by then.
All three of those teams have players on two-way contracts who could be candidates for promotions to the main roster, including Max Strus (Miami), Juan Toscano-Anderson (Golden State), Nico Mannion (Golden State), and Yuta Watanabe (Toronto). However, those clubs could also opt to bring in outside free agents and keep their two-way players where they are.
For the time being, the only other team to watch on this front is the Cavaliers. Since Quinn Cook‘s second 10-day contract expired last Wednesday night, Cleveland has been carrying just 13 players on standard deals. It doesn’t sound like the Cavs will re-sign Cook, but they’ll need to sign someone to fill his vacated roster spot — unlike the teams mentioned above though, Cleveland won’t need to add a 14th man until next week.
Western Notes: Towns, Powell, Paschall, Hall, Roby
Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns acknowledged that the time to chase stats is over, re-affirming that his only focus is helping Minnesota win in a turbulent season, Dane Moore of Blue Wire Podcasts tweets.
Towns recently put forth a 30-point, 16-rebound performance in a loss to the Grizzlies on Friday, following it up with a 39-point, 14-rebound outing in a loss to the Sixers on Saturday. The Timberwolves are just 12-38 and have dealt with significant injuries and COVID-19 issues throughout the season.
“I’ve had the time to mess up and I guess you could say ‘chase stats.’ That s–t is over,” Towns said. “I’ve proved myself in this league. I truly believe that. I don’t have to prove myself anymore. But now what I have to prove is: can I win? I think that’s the next step.
“I have to do whatever it takes. I look at the stat sheet, ‘Oh, it’s great, it’s wonderful, 30 and 16’. But we lost. I don’t give a s–t then. At the end of the day, the word on me is still gonna be the word. There’s only one way to change the narrative, and that’s to go beat the narrative.”
Here are some other notes from the Western Conference:
- Trail Blazers guard Norman Powell is adjusting quickly in Portland, Casey Holdahl of NBA.com writes. Powell was recently traded to Portland from Toronto and has proven to be effective in his limited time, scoring 15 points in the team’s win over the Thunder on Saturday. “I feel good, I feel like the transition has been really easy,” Powell said. “The coaches, the guys have made it real easy to fit in. I feel like the more time I spend with them, the more practices we get in, the more games, I’ll start to feel better with the chemistry, the flow of the game, the play-calling and rotations on defense. I’m liking it so far.”
- Warriors forward Eric Paschall will miss at least two weeks after undergoing an MRI on Saturday that revealed a left hip flexor strain, the team announced (Twitter link). Paschall, 24, is averaging 9.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 17.3 minutes per game this season.
- The Thunder have released medical updates on Josh Hall and Isaiah Roby, announcing that both players sustained concussions in the team’s game against Portland. They’ll now join second-year player Luguentz Dort in the league’s concussion protocol.
Eastern Notes: Butler, Pistons, Bogdanovic, Oladipo
Heat star Jimmy Butler is appreciative of his teammates’ “disciplined gambles” on defense, Khobi Price details for The Sun Sentinel. Miami most recently defeated Cleveland for its fourth straight victory, winning the contest 115-101 and forcing 15 turnovers.
“I love that we got some guys who’ll gamble,” Butler said, “so I won’t be the only one getting in trouble when I miss an assignment.”
In addition to Butler, the Heat also have defensive-minded players Victor Oladipo, Trevor Ariza and Andre Iguodala on their roster. All three are known for getting in the passing lanes or stripping ball-handlers, which often leads to easy points in transition.
Since Oladipo debuted with Miami, head coach Erik Spoelstra has rolled with a starting lineup of Oladipo, Duncan Robinson, Butler, Ariza, and Bam Adebayo to turn the heat up (no pun intended) defensively.
Here are some other notes from the Eastern Conference:
- Keith Langlois of Pistons.com shared 24 thoughts on the present and future of the Pistons, who currently own the third-worst record in the league at 14-35. Detroit most recently suffered a 125-81 defeat to the Knicks and will visit the Thunder (20-29) on Monday.
- Chris Kirschner of The Athletic recently published a Q&A with Hawks wing Bogdan Bogdanovic, who discussed his role with the team, changes under Nate McMillan, and more. Bogdanovic has poured in 76 points over his last three games, shooting 29-for-52 (56%) from the floor. “I’m just being more aggressive and I feel like we’ve started to build chemistry between us,” Bogdanovic said. “When you really look into it, we’ve only played a couple of games together. It hasn’t been many. Since I got hurt, having the restriction minutes off and now that I’ve been off of it, it’s been fun.”
- Heat guard Victor Oladipo admitted that the major leg injury he suffered in 2019 isn’t fully behind him, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel tweets. “One leg is stronger than the other,” he explained. “So I have some hypertrophy in one leg than the other. So working my way back and finding my balance is something I’m continuing to work at.” Oladipo underwent surgery just over two years ago on a ruptured quad tendon.
New York Notes: Nash, Marks, Toppin, Johnson, Pelle
Nets head coach Steve Nash recently praised general manager Sean Marks for constructing an impressive culture and roster, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. While both areas were strong before the season began, the recent signings of veterans Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge only helped strength Brooklyn’s culture – and roster – as the team continues its quest of winning a championship.
“Sean deserves the credit for pushing these things over the line and for having a vision to execute,” Nash said. “It may look straightforward and simple from the outside, but a lot goes into all these decisions, and Sean is very thorough in his approach, with the whole front office and then opinions from all the other departments as well.
“He’s done an unbelievable job, not just this year but in building the prior culture that was here before this team was here, building that position of strength and leverage for the roster over the course of the year. So I hope everyone understands what a great job he’s done and what a thorough and well-thought-out process he has. It’s been outstanding.”
Here are some other notes out of the Atlantic:
- Knicks rookie Obi Toppin is gaining confidence as he continues to play with aggression, Barbara Barker of Newsday writes. Toppin scored eight points in 15 minutes off the bench against the Pistons on Friday. “I really like the way he’s been playing,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “He played extremely well in the first half.” On the season, Toppin is averaging just 4.3 points and 2.2 rebounds in 11.8 minutes per game.
- Nets guard Tyler Johnson will receive a scan on Monday after sustaining a knee injury against Chicago, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post (Twitter link). The team called the injury a right knee strain before ruling the 28-year-old out for the rest of the game, Malika Andrews of ESPN tweets. Johnson had to be helped off the court and was unable to put any weight on his leg.
- Knicks 10-day player Norvel Pelle showed toughness after suffering a finger injury in his first game with the team on Saturday, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Pelle dislocated his finger, received treatment, and continued to play on despite suffering the injury. “Seeing a player like that that just joined us to go down with an injury and be able to wrap it right back up and make big blocks showed his energy,” Reggie Bullock said. “He’s a Knick type of player with the grit to continue to play in the game. We love that fight from him.’’ Pelle is currently listed a probable to play against Brooklyn on Monday, Berman tweets.
Southeast Notes: Oladipo, Hornets, Gasol, Heat, Hawks
Heat guard Victor Oladipo is confident that the fit between him and Miami will be a great one, telling reporters this past week that he hopes it will last for years to come, as relayed by Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel.
Oladipo, who was acquired by Miami on trade deadline day just over a week ago, has been cited as a potential Heat target for well over a calendar year, with multiple reports indicating that Miami was always his preferred destination. He played his second game with the team on Saturday against the Cavaliers, starting at point guard.
“I think my name has been linked for so many years,” Oladipo said. “Obviously, I spend my offseasons here, the connection with D-Wade and everything like that, I think in some people’s eyes, it would be a good fit.
“For me, personally, I thought I definitely could fit into the Heat culture and what they stood for, how they play, how they get after it and things of that nature. So when told I was being traded there, first and foremost it’s not like I’m going to a foreign land where I don’t know anybody or a foreign experience. It’s something that I’m comfortable with.”
There’s more from the Southeast Division today:
- Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer examines where the Hornets could find offensive production with LaMelo Ball (wrist fracture), Gordon Hayward (foot sprain), and Malik Monk (ankle sprain) sidelined. The trio has combined for 44% of the team’s scoring, meaning other players will have to step up in order for the franchise to sustain success. Charlotte holds the fourth-best record in the East at 25-23, but the club is also just one game ahead of the No. 7 Knicks.
- Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel examines whether Marc Gasol could become a buyout option for the Heat in his “Ask Ira” mailbag. Gasol has an uncertain future with the Lakers, who pegged the recently-signed Andre Drummond as their new starting center last week and already have Montrezl Harrell playing as back-up center. Miami is in the market for a big man and league rules require that they add another player by Thursday.
- Chris Kirschner of The Athletic examines a number of Hawks-related topics in his latest mailbag, including coach Nate McMillan, star big man John Collins and more. Atlanta has climbed back into the playoff picture and currently holds a 25-24 record, trailing the Hornets by half a game.
Southwest Notes: Thomas, New Rockets, Hart, Johnson
With veteran point guard Isaiah Thomas now joining the Pelicans on a 10-day contract, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets that New Orleans will be an additional $110,998 closer to the NBA’s luxury tax cap. Thomas, meanwhile, will earn $159,698 during his 10-day stint with the club.
Marks adds that the Pelicans remains $253,803 below the tax at present, but, assuming new addition James Johnson does not achieve certain bonus clauses in his expiring $16MM deal, the team may save an additional $253K at season’s end.
Thomas will wear jersey No. 24 in tribute to departed Lakers star Kobe Bryant, according to Andrew Lopez of ESPN. He last wore No. 4 with the Wizards during the 2019/20 season. The 5’9″ point guard will not suit up this evening for the Pelicans as they face off against the Rockets, due to the league’s coronavirus protocols, but is expected to join the club Monday, tweets Will Guillory of The Athletic.
There’s more out of the Southwest Division:
- Former Heat and Celtics teammates Avery Bradley and Kelly Olynyk are excited to remain together for the rebuilding Rockets, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Feigen notes that the duo has played more games together than anyone else on Houston. “That’s kind of a crazy stat that [he and I] have played more together than any other two teammates on our team,” Olynyk observed. “Hopefully, we can bring that chemistry.”
- The 21-27 Pelicans will strive to make a playoff push without injured shooting guard Josh Hart. Hart is expected to miss several weeks with a torn UCL in his right thumb, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. “Could he get back by the end of the year? Yeah,” head coach Stan Van Gundy said. “But he’s not going to be back in two weeks. It’s a significant amount of time. He’s going to miss the vast majority of what’s left of the season.” New Orleans, the No. 12 seed, is currently just 1.5 games behind the tenth-seeded Warriors (and a play-in opportunity) in the West at present.
- Second-year Spurs wing Keldon Johnson is discovering how to navigate erratic output as he continues to hone his NBA game, per Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News. “That’s just the NBA for you,” his teammate Derrick White said. “The league kind of figures you out, and you just got to make adjustments.” Even still, Johnson has increased his contributions on the floor for San Antonio. He has started 42 of his 44 contests with the Spurs this year, after starting just one game last season, and has seen his minutes and touches increase significantly.