And-Ones: Evans, Spellman, Buyouts, Lauvergne, Mathias
The Pelicans’ NBAGL affiliate, the Erie BayHawks, has acquired guard Jacob Evans and forward Omari Spellman to replace Jordan Bell, who was recently called up to the Wizards on a 10-day deal, and Rawle Alkins, whom the BayHawks waived, per Michael Somrak of GLeague.com.
Evans and Spellman will join the BayHawks for the G League’s 2021 season in an Orlando “bubble” campus environment. Evans has logged parts of the last two seasons with the Warriors and Timberwolves. Spellman has played for the Warriors and the Hawks across his two years of NBA action.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Zach Harper of The Athletic takes an early gander at buyout possibilities around the NBA, two months before most buyouts transpire. Harper expects contenders like the Nets, Lakers, Clippers, Sixers and Bucks to be aggressive in seeking to build out their contending rosters. Harper anticipates the list of available names to potentially include veterans like Cavaliers center Andre Drummond, Pistons point guard Derrick Rose, Hornets center Cody Zeller, Cavs center JaVale McGee, and Bulls forward Otto Porter.
- Former NBA big man Joffrey Lauvergne has inked a two-year extension with Lithuanian EuroLeague club Žalgiris, the team announced on its site. The deal, which includes a guaranteed season and an option, will keep him under contract through the 2022/23 season. Lauvergne is averaging 11.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 1.5 APG with Žalgiris. The 6″11″ center/power forward enjoyed NBA stints with the Nuggets, Thunder, Bulls and Spurs, averaging 5.6 PPG (on 47.9% shooting from the floor), 3.8 RPG, and 0.9 APG across 208 total NBA contests.
- Ex-Sixers shooting guard Dakota Mathias is set to join the Team USA roster for the AmeriCup qualifying tournament for two games in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on February 19 and 20, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. Fellow NBA alumni Isaiah Thomas and Joe Johnson will also represent USA Basketball. By benefit of a 4-0 record across prior qualifying contests, Team USA has technically already qualified for the 2022 AmeriCup tournament.
Pacific Notes: Kawhi/PG-13, CP3, Green, Saric
Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue has noted that his stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, absent thus far from the club’s six-game road trip due to coronavirus protocols, are “feeling well,” but he would not elaborate on when he expected them to return to the team, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.
“Mentally, they’re in a great place,” Clippers reserve point guard Reggie Jackson said of the two unavailable wings. “They are doing all they can to get back as soon as possible.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Suns All-Star point guard Chris Paul has verbalized his frustration with his club following Phoenix’s third straight loss, according to Royce Young of ESPN. “I’m not going to say we’re not good enough, but we’re not playing well enough right now,” Paul said following a 102-97 home loss to the Thunder.
- After being traded from the Lakers this offseason, Sixers small forward Danny Green holds no ill will toward Los Angeles, per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. In fact, Green stays in touch with his old teammates. “I still call them brothers,” Green said. “We still have a bond forever, because of what we achieved together and the time we spent in the bubble.”
- The Suns are hopeful that forward Dario Saric, who has been conditioning for several days after being absent due to the league’s coronavirus protocols, can return for the team’s game against the Mavericks this Saturday, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM tweets. In seven games this season, Saric is averaging 10.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 1.0 APG. He is connecting on 35.7% of his 4.0 three-point attempts per game.
NBA Announces February Schedule Shifts, Moves Four Game Dates
The NBA has announced several adjustments to its upcoming February schedule, JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors tweets. Four games will be moved up in the NBA’s schedule. The start times of 16 games have been affected thus far, to accommodate for same-day RT-PCR molecular test results for the novel coronavirus.
The Celtics–Raptors game initially penciled in for February 12 will be moved up one day to February 11. The Celtics’ next contest, hosting the Pistons, will move up from February 14 to February 12.
Finally, Boston’s trip to D.C. for a game against the Wizards – which had been expected to transpire in the second half of the 2020/21 season – has been moved up to an afternoon Valentine’s Day time slot. A Pistons home bout against the Pelicans that had been set for the second half of the compressed year has now also been moved up to February 14.
Fred Katz of The Athletic adds (Twitter link) that, with their rescheduled Celtics game now moved, the Wizards are now set to play 16 games, with five back-to-backs, for the month of February. The club was severely hamstrung by COVID-19 health and safety protocols this month, resulting in six postponements.
Southeast Notes: Butler, Dunn, Richards, Hawks
Heat All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler will remain out of commission for tonight’s contest against the Clippers, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN tweets. The 31-year-old forward has been out since January 9 due to the league’s coronavirus protocols. He has been doing conditioning work this week, though there is no timetable for him to return to the court, according to Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press (Twitter link).
After a stellar postseason run that resulted in an all-time 2020 NBA Finals performance, Butler has appeared in just six games for the Heat this season. Miami has struggled in his absence, going 3-8 without him. The Heat will also be without several other rotation players tonight, including Goran Dragic, Avery Bradley, Andre Iguodala, Maurice Harkless, Meyers Leonard and Chris Silva, per Reynolds (Twitter link).
There’s more from around the Southeast:
- As he recovers from a December 29 right ankle surgery, Hawks reserve wing Kris Dunn will miss at least two more weeks before being re-assessed, according to press release from the team. The Hawks indicated that Dunn has been able to partake in individual on-court practice activities.
- The Hornets have recalled rookie Nick Richards from the NBA G League’s Orlando “bubble” campus, per Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Richards was added back to the club so that Charlotte could have 12 active players, the required threshold unless a team is limited by injuries or COVID-19 protocols. After sending five players to suit up for their NBAGL squad, the Greensboro Swarm, yesterday, the Hornets were left with just 11 available players. Bonnell anticipates that Richards return to the “bubble” at some point this season (Twitter link).
- Although the Hawks made a splash with several big-money veteran free agent signings during the offseason, it is the 9-9 club’s incumbent youngsters that have had the biggest impact so far this season, as Chris Kirschner of The Athletic details. Second-year swingmen De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish, both 2019 lottery selections, have made impressive strides as scorers, while big man John Collins has vastly improved on defense. “We feel like we can be in the mix with some of these top teams,” third-year All-Star point guard Trae Young said. “For us, we’re just going to go out there and believe we should win each and every game, which we should.”
Trio Of Wizards Returning From COVID-19 Protocols
A triumvirate of Wizards big men in Dāvis Bertāns, Rui Hachimura and Moritz Wagner have cleared the NBA’s health and safety protocols and will be joining their teammates in a battle with the Hawks tomorrow, per Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Bertāns, Hachiumura and Wagner represent crucial additions to Washington’s frontcourt rotation, especially given the absence of injured starting center Thomas Bryant, who tore his left ACL and is out of commission for the rest of the season. With Bryant out, second-year starting power forward Hachimura, the No. 9 pick in the 2019 draft, becomes the team’s third-leading scorer at 13.6 PPG.
Bertāns will add much-needed outside shooting for the Wizards. The team expected him to be a key contributor when it re-signed him to a lucrative five-year, $80MM contract during the 2020 offseason. Bertāns is averaging 36.0% from long range on 7.8 attempts per night this season.
Katz notes that Wizards rookie forward Deni Avdija, reserve small forward Troy Brown Jr. and backup point guard Ish Smith are still in the league’s coronavirus health and safety protocols and will be unavailable for the immediate future. Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington adds that Avdija, Brown, and Smith will need to log practice minutes once they clear protocols before a return to game action.
The depleted Wizards saw several games postponed for 13 days after the club was unable to field eight healthy players. At 3-11, the team currently holds the worst record in the NBA by percentage.
Western Notes: Davis, Grizzlies, Jazz, Popovich
Lakers star Anthony Davis will miss Thursday’s game vs. Detroit due to a bruised right quad, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. As McMenamin notes, Davis seemed to be favoring his right leg during Wednesday’s loss to Philadelphia, but downplayed the issue after the game and said he felt “physically fine.”
This will be the third time this season that Davis has missed one half of a Lakers back-to-back set. Assuming the injury is minor, he should be able to return on Saturday when L.A. faces the Celtics in Boston.
Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- After five straight postponed games, the Grizzlies returned to practice on Wednesday night, writes Evan Barnes of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. That’s a strong signal that the team will be ready to resume its schedule against San Antonio on Saturday, though it remains to be seen how many players will be available, says Barnes.
- With the Jazz on a 10-game winning streak, forward Joe Ingles told reporters on Wednesday that the team is “just a really fun group to play with,” tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “There’s no egos involved,” Ingles said, adding, “It’s not as unsalvageable as some people think.” His last comment is a tongue-in-cheek reference to an Athletic report from last April in which a source suggested the relationship between Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert didn’t appear “salvageable.”
- Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, who is celebrating his 72nd birthday today, received the COVID-19 vaccine as part of an NBA-sponsored PSA (YouTube link). The NBA has said it won’t jump the line for the vaccine, but Popovich’s age made him a higher priority to be vaccinated. Mark Medina of USA Today has more details.
Warriors Notes: Oubre, Wiseman, Lost Revenue
Earlier this week, a report from Shams Charania of The Athletic indicated that the Warriors and Pelicans had discussed a possible trade involving Kelly Oubre. Asked on Wednesday about that rumor, head coach Steve Kerr made it clear he didn’t appreciate the leak.
“It’s unfortunate,” Kerr said, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). “Team called us and asked about him. Didn’t even make an offer, asked about Kelly. Next thing it’s online.”
Kerr spoke directly to Oubre about the report, and the veteran forward told reporters that he appreciated the transparency, as Slater tweets. “At the end of the day, I’m a Warrior,” Oubre added.
Here’s more out of Golden State:
- James Wiseman has adjusted smoothly to a bench role since being removed from the starting lineup earlier this week, averaging 19.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 2.0 BPG on 68.4% shooting in two games (20.0 MPG) vs. Minnesota. “I’m more effective because I’m just studying (Kevon Looney) and how he can be able to guard the defense,” Wiseman said, according to Nick Friedell of ESPN.com. “And just trying to figure out the different coverages, so it’s really helping me out a lot. So most definitely coming off the bench is something that’s very effective so far.”
- As Friedell details, Kerr reiterated on Wednesday that the Warriors envision Wiseman as their “long-term” starting center, but will play his current role by ear as they look to maximize his development.
- While the Warriors project to have the NBA’s most expensive roster this season, team owner Joe Lacob estimates that the franchise is missing out on about 70% of its projected revenue as a result of not being able to get fans into the Chase Center, writes Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico.
NBA, NBPA Reach Impasse In Negotiations For 18th Roster Spot
The NBA and NBPA have reached a stalemate in their negotiations for the possible addition of an 18th roster spot for teams in 2020/21, reports Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link).
Word broke nearly two weeks ago that the league and the players’ union were discussing the possibility of adding a third two-way contract slot. Currently, clubs are permitted to carry up to 15 players on standard contracts and two on two-way deals, for a total of 17.
The idea, which was previously said to be gaining some momentum, was broached at a time when a series of games were being postponed because teams didn’t have the required minimum of eight players available.
According to Stein (Twitter link), the league has maintained that if an 18th roster spot is added, it should be a third two-way slot only open to players with fewer than four years of NBA experience, as the other two-way slots are. The players’ union wants that 18th spot to be open to all veteran free agents.
Stein adds (via Twitter) that there’s some concern that adding an 18th roster spot open to any veteran free agent would give a competitive advantage to hard-capped teams (such as the Lakers, Clippers, and Bucks), allowing them to add another quality player despite their current financial constraints.
A player on a two-way contract this season is earning a $449K salary (half of the rookie minimum) and doesn’t count against his team’s salary cap.
Community Shootaround: Eastern All-Star Starters
We don’t know yet whether the NBA will play an All-Star Game this season, but voting for the starters is now underway. Whether or not a game is played, two All-Star teams will be selected, and fans will play a part in choosing the 10 starters — fan voting will make up 50% of the total tally, while media members (25%) and players (25%) will also have a say.
With that in mind, we want to take a closer look at which players are deserving of the five All-Star starting spots in each conference, starting today with the East.
No team has played more than 20 games so far this season, and some have played as few as 13 or 14 due to coronavirus-related postponements. In other words, it’s awfully early to decide which players have emerged as the top five in each conference. But we can at least evaluate which players are making the strongest cases to be considered for a spot in that group.
Guards (2)
The NBA’s leading scorer, by a wide margin, is Wizards star Bradley Beal, who is averaging a whopping 35.4 PPG so far. But he has only played 13 games and his team has the NBA’s worst record at 3-11. Beal missed out on an All-Star spot last season due in large part to his team’s spot in the standings, and said on Wednesday that he’s not getting his hopes up about an All-Star nod this time around.
Zach LaVine (27.0 PPG for the 7-10 Bulls), Trae Young (26.2 PPG for the 9-9 Hawks), and Collin Sexton (25.2 PPG for the 9-9 Cavaliers) are in a similar boat, putting up big offensive numbers for middle-of-the-pack teams. Young’s 8.8 assists per contest and Atlanta’s .500 record amidst injury woes should strength his case.
Nets stars James Harden and Kyrie Irving have each put up huge numbers and would typically be leading contenders for these backcourt spots, but Harden’s behavior on his way out of Houston and Irving’s personal leave may damper enthusiasm for their cases. Additionally, Irving has only played 12 games, while Harden only has seven appearances with Brooklyn so far.
Raptors guard Kyle Lowry has been an All-Star for six straight seasons and is having another strong season in 2020/21, but it probably hasn’t been quite All-Star-starter worthy, especially given his team’s 7-11 record.
Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon (22.8 PPG, 7.1 APG) and Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (27.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG) are having career years so far for top-five seeds in the conference. Both players are solid on defense too, with Brown’s two-way play on the wing making him an especially strong candidate.
Sixers guard Ben Simmons has posted very modest scoring numbers (13.0 PPG), but he continues to fill up the stat sheet with 8.6 RPG, 8.0 APG, and 1.6 SPG, and his team currently sits atop the Eastern Conference.
Frontcourt (3)
Unlike his two star teammates, who have been at the center of some off-court drama and have been fined for COVID-19 protocol violations, Nets forward Kevin Durant has made headlines for all the right reasons this season, looking better than ever coming off his Achilles tear (30.5 PPG on .517/.444/.860 shooting).
Reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (26.8 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 5.6 APG for the 11-6 Bucks) and Sixers center Joel Embiid (27.7 PPG, 11.1 RPG) have been two-way forces for the top seeds in the conference and look like All-Star locks.
Those three players are probably the frontcourt favorites, but there’s no shortage of good candidates across the East. Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis have helped lead the Pacers to a No. 3 seed so far. Celtics forward Jayson Tatum has missed some time due to COVID-19, but when he’s healthy, has looked even better than he did in his first All-NBA season last year.
Bucks forward Khris Middleton, meanwhile, has mostly flown under the radar again, but he has been one of the NBA’s most efficient scorers, with a .519/.441/.925 shooting line. He’s averaging 21.9 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 5.8 APG, all of which would be career highs, and his 2.6 win shares place him second in the conference.
Magic center Nikola Vucevic, Knicks big man Julius Randle, Pistons forward Jerami Grant, Heat big man Bam Adebayo, and Hornets forward Gordon Hayward have been standouts for sub-.500 teams.
While I like Durant, Giannis, and Embiid in the frontcourt, I’m having a much harder time deciding on two Eastern guards, as many of the most compelling contenders also have compelling factors working against them. With voting remaining open until February 16, I may take another week or two to finalize my choices there.
What do you think? Are you ready to pencil in your five choices for the Eastern All-Star starting lineup or is it too early to make a call? If you’re ready to vote, which five are you taking? If you’re on the fence, which players do you view as the top candidates?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!
Richaun Holmes Hopes To Re-Sign With Kings
Richaun Holmes will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2020/21 season, giving him the opportunity to sign with any NBA team. However, he said this week that he “absolutely” wants to sign a new contract with the Kings when his current deal expires, as James Ham of NBC Sports California relays.
“I absolutely love playing in Sacramento. Love the fans in Sacramento. Love stepping out in that arena with Sacramento across my jersey,” Holmes said. “So I would love to play here and hopefully everything works out, but Sacramento is a great place to play. They’ve embraced me with open arms and it’s somewhere I can definitely see myself playing (going forward).”
It’s not uncommon for a player to publicly express a desire to stick with his current team even if he expects to move on, so it’s fair to take Holmes’ comments with a grain of salt. Still, it would make sense for him to want to remain in Sacramento, where he has enjoyed the best stretch over the last two seasons, emerging as the club’s full-time starting center.
After signing with the Kings in 2019, Holmes averaged 12.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game in 44 contests (28.2 MPG) in ’19/20. So far this season, he’s up to 13.8 PPG, 8.2 RPG, and 1.6 BPG through 16 games (30.8 MPG). Prior to arriving in Sacramento, he had career averages of 7.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 0.9 BPG in 226 games (16.9 MPG) across four years in Philadelphia and Phoenix.
As Ham notes, Holmes’ increased role and production makes him a good bet to receive a contract exceeding his current two-year, $10MM deal. Sacramento will hold the 27-year-old’s Early Bird rights, giving the team the ability to offer a starting salary up to 105% of the NBA’s previous average salary. That would likely work out to a first-year number in the $10-11MM range.
Of course, in order for Holmes to remain in Sacramento, the Kings will have to reciprocate his interest. While there’s no reason to think the team wouldn’t want him back at the right price, it’s worth noting that former general manager Vlade Divac was the one who brought Holmes aboard in 2019. New GM Monte McNair showed when he let Bogdan Bogdanovic walk in free agency in the fall that he’s not necessarily attached to the players acquired by Divac, even if they’ve been productive.