Western Notes: Curry, Green, C. Johnson, Jazz, J. Hall
Warriors veterans Stephen Curry and Draymond Green didn’t make the trip to Phoenix for Thursday’s game and won’t be available, reports Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). It’s a rest day for Curry, who will be participating in the All-Star Game this weekend. As for Green, he’ll get an extra day of rest for his sore ankle before Golden State gets a week off for the All-Star break.
Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- Second-year sharpshooter Cameron Johnson also won’t play in Thursday’s Suns/Warriors contest, as he’s been placed in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. If Johnson is subject to contact tracing, he could be good to go following the All-Star break, but if he has tested positive for COVID-19, he won’t be available for the start of the second half either.
- After waiving Shaquille Harrison last week, the Jazz are still about $1.2MM above the luxury tax line, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic, who suggests Utah could still get out of tax territory by paying a team to take on Juwan Morgan‘s contract before the trade deadline, then filling its open roster spots off-and-on with 10-day contracts for the rest of the season. Of course, a bigger trade that reduces team salary would also work.
- The Thunder recalled rookie two-way player Josh Hall from the G League bubble on Wednesday, per Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman (Twitter link). Hall, who played in just one game for the OKC Blue at Walt Disney World, was listed on Wednesday’s injury report as out due to left knee soreness.
Kings’ Luke Walton Believes Job Is Safe
Two NBA head coaches – Ryan Saunders and Lloyd Pierce – have been let go since the 2020/21 season began, and there has been speculation that Kings head coach Luke Walton could be next, given his team’s recent struggles. After getting off to a 12-11 start, Sacramento has lost 10 of 12 and has slipped into a tie for 12th in the West.
Despite rumors that he might be on the hot seat, Walton believes his job is safe for the time being, sources with knowledge of the situation tell Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.
Following a win over the LeBron James-less Lakers on Wednesday night, Walton spoke positively about his vision for the Kings’ future, telling reporters that “it’s exciting to see where this thing can go” if the team keeps building its culture and developing its young players. And while he didn’t say whether or not he has received any assurances from general manager Monte McNair, Walton feels he has the support of management, as Anderson relays.
“As far as pressure from the front office, no,” Walton said, when asked if he’s feeling mounting pressure to win games. “I feel very connected with them and very locked in as far as where we’re at and where we’re trying to go as a group, and they’ve been very supportive.”
As Anderson points out, firing Walton would be a costly move for a franchise that has felt the financial effects of the coronavirus pandemic. The Kings’ head coach still has two guaranteed years on his contract beyond 2020/21, so a change would mean paying two coaches for multiple seasons.
Additionally, while the recent slump has hurt Sacramento’s playoff chances, it’s worth noting that expectations for the team entering the season weren’t exactly sky-high — oddsmakers projected an over/under of 29.5 wins, and the Kings aren’t far off that pace, so it’s hard to argue the club is significantly underachieving.
While he claims he’s not feeling any additional pressure from the front office, Walton did say he feels pressure to win for his players, according to Anderson. And comments from certain Kings players suggest they’re also feeling some urgency to get back into the playoff hunt, recognizing that changes could be coming in the event of another finish near the bottom of the standings.
“Our backs are against the wall,” Buddy Hield said after Wednesday’s win. “At some point, you have to take this thing seriously. You know that people’s jobs are on the line. Everybody’s fighting for something.”
Kris Dunn Expected To Make Hawks Debut In March
The Hawks are expecting veteran guard Kris Dunn to appear in his first game for the team before the end of the month, as Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes.
Dunn, who signed a two-year, $9.8MM with Atlanta in November, had his Hawks debut delayed after he went under the knife in December to address an ankle injury. According to general manager Travis Schlenk, the team was fully on board with Dunn’s decision to undergo an arthroscopic procedure on his ankle, knowing it would keep him sidelined until the second half.
“He made the decision, and we fully supported him to get that fixed, knowing that it would put us in a situation where he would miss the first half of the season and we’d get him back later on this month,” Schlenk said, per Spencer. “So we’re always going to support the players when it comes to doing the right thing for them, medically.”
Dunn is one of many Hawks 2020 free agent additions who has missed time due to an injury this season. Danilo Gallinari has been sidelined for 12 of Atlanta’s 36 games, while Rajon Rondo has missed 16 and Bogdan Bogdanovic has been out for 25.
The hope is that Dunn, who has a reputation as a strong perimeter defender, can help shore up a unit whose 112.5 defensive rating ranks 13th in the Eastern Conference and 23rd in the NBA.
Raptors Notes: COVID Absences, Depth, Lowry, Harris
After playing without several key rotation players on Wednesday night vs. Detroit due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols, the Raptors will be missing those same players on Thursday in Boston. As Tim Bontemps of ESPN tweets, the club officially announced that Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Malachi Flynn, and Patrick McCaw remain in the protocols and have been ruled out for tonight’s game.
Kyle Lowry and Norman Powell, the only starters unaffected by the protocols, combined to score 57 points on 19-of-31 shooting on Wednesday, but the rest of the Raptors contributed just 48 total points on 15-of-46 shooting. Toronto will need more from its supporting cast on Thursday if the club hopes to knock off the Celtics.
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- While any team would struggle without three of its starters, the Raptors’ blowout loss to the lowly Pistons on Wednesday shone a light on the team’s lack of reliable depth, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. The absences of key players provided a chance for one or two role part-timers to step up and make a case for more minutes, but no one really seized that opportunity, Grange adds.
- There are compelling reasons both for and against trading Kyle Lowry at the deadline, according to Eric Koreen of The Athletic, who explores the dilemma facing the Raptors and notes that the team is under pressure to get the decision right.
- The Raptors have reassigned rookie guard Jalen Harris to the Raptors 905 at Walt Disney World after recalling him for Wednesday’s game, tweets Blake Murphy of The Athletic. Harris now should have a chance to clear the G League bubble’s quarantine protocols in time to play for Toronto’s affiliate in the NBAGL postseason tournament next week.
Charania’s Latest: Wolves, LeVert, Kings, Spurs, More
The Timberwolves continue to explore ways to address their power forward position and have shown interest in the likes of Hawks big man John Collins and Magic forward Aaron Gordon, writes Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Multiple previous reports indicated that Minnesota inquired on Gordon during the offseason, but Charania’s report suggests the Timberwolves and Magic had “substantive discussions” on the power forward before he injured his ankle earlier this season. Those talks are expected to resume as Gordon nears a return to action, per Charania.
The Hawks’ and Magic’s asking prices for Collins and Gordon will be substantial, Charania adds. Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas hasn’t been shy about shaking up the roster since assuming control of the basketball operations department in 2019, but it remains to be seen how aggressive he’ll be at this year’s deadline with Minnesota holding the league’s worst record and at risk of losing its 2021 first-round pick (which is top-three protected).
Here’s more from Charania:
- Pacers guard Caris LeVert, who underwent surgery for kidney cancer in January after being traded to Indiana, is expected to play at some point in the second half, sources tell Charania. LeVert’s exact return timeline remains up in the air, since the club will be cautious and patient with him.
- Kings forwards Harrison Barnes and Nemanja Bjelica are both expected to receive interest from potential trade partners, with the Sixers, Heat, Warriors, Bucks, and Celtics among the clubs to display interest in Bjelica, per Charania.
- The Spurs are receiving and listening to inquiries on their veterans on expiring contracts, including DeMar DeRozan, Rudy Gay, Patty Mills, and Trey Lyles, sources tell The Athletic. Still, San Antonio is firmly in the playoff picture in the West and typically doesn’t make big in-season deals, so a deadline blockbuster seems unlikely.
- Nets point guard Spencer Dinwiddie, who will likely miss the rest of the season due to a knee injury, has drawn interest from multiple teams who value his Bird rights, according to Charania. We heard last week that Brooklyn has made Dinwiddie available in trade discussions.
Jerami Grant, Nikola Vucevic Among Celtics’ Targets
Pistons forward Jerami Grant is among the Celtics‘ top trade targets, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic. According to Charania, the C’s and the Hornets are also among the teams interested in Magic center Nikola Vucevic.
It comes as no surprise that Grant and Vucevic would appeal to Boston. Grant has enjoyed a career year in Detroit so far, boosting his scoring average to 23.4 PPG in an expanded offensive role. Vucevic is playing the best basketball of his career too, averaging 24.6 PPG and 11.6 RPG on .483/.412/.851 shooting and earning his second All-Star berth for Orlando.
Both players also have salaries that would fit into the Celtics’ $28.5MM trade exception. Grant is earning $19MM, while Vucevic has a $26MM cap hit.
However, the odds of the Celtics actually acquiring either player before this year’s deadline seem slim, for multiple reasons. For one, president of basketball operations Danny Ainge has been averse to making major moves at the deadline over the years — since acquiring Isaiah Thomas at the 2015 deadline, his lone in-season trade has been a salary-dump of Jabari Bird in 2019.
Additionally, while the Pistons and Magic are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, Grant and Vucevic are under contract for multiple years and appear to be cornerstone pieces for their respective teams.
Grant, who joined the Pistons in part because he wanted to play for a Black head coach and a Black GM, was the team’s top target in the offseason. According to James Edwards III of The Athletic, Detroit appears to have no interest in moving the 26-year-old, despite receiving interest and trade offers from several teams. Grant “embodies everything Detroit wants its culture to be about,” according to Edwards, who says the forward seems likely to stick with the team for as long as he wants to.
As for Vucevic, Charania says that rival teams believe any trade involving the big man would have to feature a “massive” return for the Magic. Vucevic also told Charania that there’s “something special” about being with the same franchise for a long and building a legacy there, which suggests he has no plans to ask the Magic to move him anytime soon.
If the Celtics do attempt to push for either player, they could offer an appealing combination of draft picks, salary relief, and prospects with upside, though they don’t have an up-and-coming young player who would be the obvious headliner of such a package.
Cavaliers, Pistons Among Definite Deadline Sellers
Because there’s now a potential path to the postseason for the top 10 teams in each NBA conference (via the new play-in tournament), it’s taking longer this season for clear sellers to emerge on the trade market, writes Shams Charania of The Athletic.
“Most teams are still in the playoff chase, which makes everyone bunched together and the trade market less active,” a high-ranking team official told The Athletic.
However, as Charania reports, at least two teams at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings look like definite sellers, according to rival teams. The 13th-seeded Cavaliers and the 15th-seeded Pistons appear to be open for business.
Cleveland’s most obvious trade candidate is Andre Drummond, who has been pulled from the rotation as the team looks to find a taker for him. According to Charania, there have been some exploratory calls on Drummond, with the Bulls among the teams to express some interest, but there’s still skepticism that the Cavs will find an appealing deal for the big man, who has an unwieldy $28.75MM cap hit.
Drummond isn’t the only Cavalier on the trade block. The club has also been open to discussing JaVale McGee, Cedi Osman, and Taurean Prince, according to Charania, who hears that multiple teams have inquired on the Cavs’ wing players. Collin Sexton, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Isaac Okoro are viewed as the club’s core pieces and are presumably off-limits.
Like the Cavs, the Pistons have an expensive big man who is sitting out as the team attempts to move him. However, Blake Griffin, who is making more than Drummond ($36.8MM) and has another guaranteed year left on his contract, will be even harder to trade. Sources tell Charania and James Edwards III of The Athletic that Detroit will likely work toward a buyout with Griffin.
Veteran shooting guard Wayne Ellington is expected to draw interest from contenders on the trade market and should be a far more valuable trade chip than Griffin, given his affordable minimum salary and his strong production in 2020/21 (10.6 PPG, .435 3PT%).
According to Edwards, combo guard Delon Wright and big man Mason Plumlee have also registered interest from rival teams, but both players are under contract beyond this season, so the Pistons won’t necessarily feel compelled to move them. As Edwards explains, while Detroit will be a deadline seller, the sense around the league is that GM Troy Weaver won’t be as aggressive this month as he was during his first offseason on the job, when he remade nearly the entire roster.
Jazz Stars Mitchell, Gobert Blast Officiating After Loss To Sixers
Following a tight 131-123 overtime loss to the Sixers in a battle of No. 1 seeds on Wednesday, Jazz stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert were among those critical of the officiating, suggesting the referees affected the outcome of the game, as relayed by Sarah Todd of The Deseret News and Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
“It’s tough to go out there and see how we fight and compete, and to have a game like that taken from us,” Mitchell said, after praising the Sixers for their performance. “Now, I’m never ever one to blame a ref, to blame an official – I can say I could have done more – but this is getting out of hand. There have been games like this that we’ve won; there have been games like this that we’ve lost. But this whole refereeing stuff. … We’re nice, we don’t complain, we don’t get frustrated, we fight through things, and the fact (is) that we continually get … screwed, in a way, by this.
“We won this game, in my personal opinion. You know?” Mitchell went on. “But like I said, I’m going to give them credit. They won. Whatever. Cool. But it’s been a consistent thing, and the question is, ‘Can we do it? Can we sustain it? Are we for real No. 1?’ And, yeah, the hell we are. And it’s getting f—ing ridiculous that this is what is happening.”
Mitchell was called for a pair of technical fouls in overtime — the second came after he yelled at the game’s officials for what he believed was a missed foul call. The 76ers, who shoot more free throws than any other team in the NBA, had way more opportunities from the foul line than the Jazz on Wednesday, going 27-for-35, compared to 14-of-19 for Utah.
“Our guys are not able to get calls everybody else in the f—ing league gets,” Gobert said. “We know we are the Utah Jazz, and maybe some people don’t want to see us go as far as we can go, but it’s disappointing. Three times in a row, Mike Conley is going to the rim, and they’re grabbing him right in front of the officials, and there’s no calls. And on the other end, there are calls that are invisible that are being made.”
Gobert went on to say that the way the Jazz are treated by officials is “disrespectful,” and that he hopes they feel “ashamed” if they rewatch the game. The All-Star center also pointed to Utah’s small market as one reason he believes the team isn’t getting a fair whistle.
“I don’t want to say that, but I really believe it” Gobert said. “… That’s why I told the guys: ‘When you’re a small market, you’ve got to be better than just better. You’ve got to be elite, and you’ve got to control what you can control.'”
The Jazz’s 27-9 record is the NBA’s best mark by a full three games, so if the team has been held back at all by the officiating in the first half, it hasn’t shown up in the standings.
While the NBA never suspends players for complaints about officiating, fines aren’t uncommon, so it’s probably safe to assume Mitchell and Gobert should prepare to write checks to the league.
Southwest Notes: Harden, Johnson, Gabriel, Spurs
Nets guard James Harden will have his No. 13 jersey retired by his former team, the Rockets, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. In a 132-114 victory tonight, Harden recorded a triple-double in his first game against his Houston since being traded earlier this season. The loss marks Houston’s 13th straight.
“James Harden will always be a Rocket,” team owner Tilman Fertita said via text message. “Of course, we will retire his jersey. He made my first three years of owning this franchise unforgettable. The success he brought this franchise over eight years and the memories he created for our fan base/community (are) truly remarkable.”
In postgame comments made tonight, Harden revealed that he discovered the news of his impending jersey retirement online, per Malika Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link). “My reaction was hopefully I did something right,” he said.
There’s more out of the Southwest Division:
- Second-year Spurs small forward Keldon Johnson returned to the floor for San Antonio yesterday after clearing the league’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols, tweets Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.
- The Pelicans sent forward Wenyen Gabriel to join their G League affiliate, the Erie BayHawks, according to a team press release. The BayHawks clinched a spot in the upcoming NBAGL playoffs thanks to their play on the Orlando “bubble” campus.
- Even with key Spurs rotation players Derrick White, Rudy Gay and Devin Vassell unavailable, a thinned-out San Antonio roster has proved resilient against opponents, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. “They have dug down deep all year,” head coach Gregg Popovich said. “They never give in.” Trey Lyles, in his second year with the club, has flourished as a starter in his last four games for San Antonio, averaging 11.5 PPG and 6.0 RPG.
California Notes: Harrell, Walton, Caruso, Oubre
With All-Star Lakers big man Anthony Davis sidelined through at least the All-Star break, fans may have expected to see more of reigning Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell soaking up minutes at the power forward and center positions. Instead, his minutes are trending in the opposite direction. Jovan Buha of The Athletic examines why that might be the case.
Harrell had been averaging 24.8 MPG through February 14, but in the intervening eight games, his minutes average has declined to 20.3 minutes. “He can play against big lineups and small lineups,” head coach Frank Vogel said. “I have confidence in Trezz in both of those situations. But there’s situations where sometimes a small lineup might be better than him out there.”
There’s more out of California:
- Current Kings head coach Luke Walton could be the next NBA head coach to be axed. He is currently in the second year of a four-year contract he signed with the Kings. Though local Sacramento broadcasters wondered whether the final year in the deal was a team option, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee hears that there is no option year. “I feel very connected with [the Kings’ front office] and very locked in as far as where we’re at and where we’re trying to go as a group,” Walton said.
- Lakers reserve guard Alex Caruso was one of the players who rejected an invitation to compete in the dunk contest during the All-Star festivities on March 7 in Atlanta, according to Bill Oram of The Athletic. Knicks rookie Obi Toppin, Pacers shooting guard Cassius Stanley, and Trail Blazers forward Anfernee Simons have been selected for the contest.
- Warriors swingman Kelly Oubre Jr. sprained his left wrist in a team practice yesterday and had to sit out tonight’s contest against the Trail Blazers, according to Nick Friedell of ESPN. The injury is not expected to be a long-term problem, though head coach Steve Kerr indicated that the team did not yet know whether or not it will require an MRI.