Jayson Tatum Returns For Celtics
Jayson Tatum, who reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus earlier this month, doesn’t appear on the latest injury report and will return to the Celtics‘ lineup on Monday night in Chicago, as Chris Mannix of SI.com tweets.
Tatum last played on January 8, when he scored 32 points vs. Washington. A day later, word broke that the 22-year-old had entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols, with a subsequent report indicating he had tested positive for COVID-19.
Tatum ultimately only missed five games for Boston, since three other contests on the schedule during his absence were postponed. The team went 2-3 without its All-NBA forward in the lineup.
In his first 10 games of 2020/21, Tatum appeared poised to enjoy a career year. His 26.9 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 3.8 APG, and .438 3PT% so far this season would all be career bests.
Although the Celtics will have Tatum back tonight, they’ll be without Kemba Walker, who will sit out the second half of a back-to-back set for injury management purposes.
Nets Reportedly Have Interest In JaVale McGee
The Nets, who are in the market for a veteran center after having traded Jarrett Allen to Cleveland, are said to be eyeing Cavaliers center JaVale McGee, according to a series of reports.
Sam Amico of FortyEightMinutes.com first tweeted that sources expected Brooklyn to pursue a trade for McGee, while Jason Dumas of KRON4 News said today (via Twitter) that the Nets are talking to Cleveland about a possible deal. Brian Lewis of The New York Post also indicated (via Twitter) that he has heard some chatter about the Nets and McGee.
The trade that sent Allen from the Nets to the Cavs left Brooklyn somewhat shorthanded at the five, while Cleveland now has an abundance of options in the middle. Besides DeAndre Jordan, the Nets’ potential fives – Nicolas Claxton, Reggie Perry, and soon-to-be-signed Norvel Pelle – are short on NBA experience. The Cavs, on the other hand, have nine-year veteran Andre Drummond starting at center, with Allen and McGee operating as backups.
As Dumas tweets, the Cavs don’t intend to flip Allen, but they could make Drummond, McGee, and/or power forward Kevin Love available before this season’s trade deadline. Dumas suggests Brooklyn has some interest in Love as well, but it’s hard to imagine how such a deal would work, given his $31MM+ salary and the makeup of the Nets’ roster.
McGee is a more realistic target for Brooklyn — his $4.2MM expiring contract could be absorbed using the Nets’ newly-granted disabled player exception if the team doesn’t want to send out any players to match his salary. The Nets still have multiple open roster spots, so making room on the 15-man squad wouldn’t be an issue either.
The Cavaliers, meanwhile, are expected to seek draft capital for any of the big men they move, per Dumas. Unless they’re willing to take on some unwanted salary, the Cavs probably shouldn’t expect more than a second-round pick for McGee or Drummond.
Southeast Notes: Butler, Bamba, Hawks, Len, Wizards
The Heat may not be without star swingman Jimmy Butler for much longer. According to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, the expectation is that Butler – who hasn’t played since January 9 – will clear the NBA’s health and safety protocols on Monday.
The Heat will be in action tonight in Brooklyn, but Butler will need a little more time to get his conditioning back up to speed and to pass a cardiac screening before he’s cleared to play in a game. Jackson says there’s optimism that Butler will be able to return later this week and that the same is true of Avery Bradley, who has also been in the league’s COVID-19 protocols for over two weeks.
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- The sixth overall pick in 2018, Magic center Mohamed Bamba has an underwhelming NBA résumé so far, but it’s unfair to label him a bust since injuries and a lack of playing time have prevented him from showing what he can do, contends Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer. The 22-year-old has been limited to 33 total minutes across four games so far this season.
- In an official press release, the Hawks shared details on their plan to begin allowing fans into their home games at State Farm Arena. The club will initially only fill the arena to about eight percent of its capacity.
- Alex Len was an ideal addition for the Wizards, who needed to fill a hole in their frontcourt and didn’t want to give up anything to do so, says Fred Katz of The Athletic. As Katz notes, the veteran big man was able to assume a rotation role immediately and looked comfortable in his first game with the team on Sunday.
- While the Wizards were back in action for the first time in nearly two weeks on Sunday, it’ll be a little while longer before things are “back to normal” for the team, writes Ava Wallace of The Washington Post.
NBA Waiver Order Now Based On 2020/21 Records
As of January 25, the NBA’s waiver priority order is determined by teams’ current-year records, rather than the previous season’s results, as Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (via Twitter).
That means the waiver order for this season is now based on teams’ 2020/21 records, with the worst teams getting the highest priority. In other words, if two teams place a claim on the same player, the team lower in this season’s NBA standings will be awarded that player.
Up until today, the waiver claim order was based on which teams had the worst records in 2019/20 prior to the March 11 stoppage. In a normal league year, the changeover to current-year records occurs on December 1, but that date was pushed back this season to account for the late start.
Waiver claims are somewhat rare in the NBA, but it’s still worth noting which teams will have the first crack at intriguing players who may be cut over the next few weeks or months.
[RELATED: 2020/21 NBA Waiver Claims]
Here’s what the teams currently at the top of the NBA’s waiver order look like, as of today:
- Detroit Pistons (3-13)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (4-11)
- Washington Wizards (3-9)
- New Orleans Pelicans (5-10)
- Sacramento Kings (6-10)
In instances where multiple teams have identical records, head-to-head record for the current season is used to break ties, if possible. Otherwise, a coin flip determines priority for those tied teams.
If a waived player can’t be claimed using the minimum salary exception, a team must use a trade exception, a disabled player exception, or cap room to absorb his salary. So a club with a top priority won’t be in position to nab just anyone who reaches waivers.
The Pistons, for example, have no cap space or exceptions available to place a waiver claim on any player earning more than the minimum, so despite their spot at the top of the waiver order, their ability to claim players is fairly limited.
Devonte’ Graham Meets Starter Criteria, Increases QO Value
Hornets guard Devonte’ Graham met the NBA’s “starter criteria” on Sunday, ensuring that he’ll receive a higher qualifying offer if and when he reaches restricted free agency this summer.
[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Starter Criteria]
Typically, a player who will qualify for restricted free agency at season’s end can meet the starter criteria by starting at least 82 games (41 per year) in the two seasons before his contract ends. Because 2019/20 was a shortened season and 2020/21 will be too, the thresholds have been adjusted, as first reported by ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Graham’s Hornets played 65 games last season and have a 72-game schedule this year, meaning he needed to surpass 68.5 total starts (34.25 per season) to meet the starter criteria. The 25-year-old started 53 games a year ago and has now started Charlotte’s first 16 games this season, good for a total of 69 and counting.
As a result of meeting the starter criteria, Graham’s qualifying offer in restricted free agency will now be worth $4,736,102 instead of $2,079,826. While he’s more likely to negotiate a multiyear deal, he could accept the one-year QO if he doesn’t like any offers on the table and/or wants to reach unrestricted free agency in 2022.
An in-season extension that keeps Graham off the 2021 free agent market altogether remains a possibility, though his slow start may dissuade the Hornets from aggressively pursuing a new deal for the time being.
Although he has been more productive within his last few games, Graham’s overall averages are down, from 18.2 points and 7.5 assists per game last season to 13.4 PPG and 6.4 APG in the early going this year. He’s also struggling with his shot so far, making just 33.3% of his field goal attempts.
Graham is the second 2021 RFA-to-be to meet the starter criteria, joining Duncan Robinson. Lonzo Ball (nine more starts), Lauri Markkanen (10 more), and John Collins (13 more) are on track to meet the criteria in February, assuming they stay healthy. Jarrett Allen (five more starts) and Kendrick Nunn (seven more) are close too, but they’re currently coming off the bench for their respective teams.
Southwest Notes: Pelicans, Clarke, Mavericks, Richardson
While the Pelicans need more leadership from second-year forward Zion Williamson, the team still has no shortage of blame to go around for a poor 5-10 start to the season, William Guillory of The Athletic writes.
New Orleans sports an impress nucleus of Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and others, but the team’s overall fit remains in question. The club has two point guards (Ball and Eric Bledsoe) in its starting group, with another questionable offensive pairing in the frontcourt (Williamson and Steven Adams).
“We’ve just got to compete a little bit harder,” Bledsoe said. “It has nothing to do with talent or anything like that. When the games start to pile up, and your body starts to wear down, that’s when you’ve got to lock in the most.”
The question isn’t whether New Orleans has enough talent, but rather how the team uses its talent and whether a consistent effort will be given on both ends.
Here are some other notes from the Southwest Division:
- Evan Barnes of The Memphis Commercial Appeal explores how Grizzlies big man Brandon Clarke has thrived as a starter this season. Clarke, 24, has averaged 13.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 29.3 minutes in the team’s first 13 games, starting in nine of those contests. “Last year, I would rather be in the sixth man role just because I was more comfortable with that but now I feel like that it’s what the team might need,” Clarke said about receiving a larger role. “If I can step up and be the player that I know I can be, I can come in and help us out with the first five.”
- At least two of the Mavericks‘ players who tested positive for COVID-19 were “pretty sick,” Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News tweets. The team received four positive tests, with some of those players recovering quicker than others, according to Townsend.
- Mavericks guard Josh Richardson could return to the lineup this week, Townsend notes in a different tweet. The most likely return order is Richardson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Dwight Powell and Maxi Kleber, Townsend reports, though head coach Rick Carlisle cautioned that everything remains fluid.
Eastern Notes: Haliburton, Knicks, Ellington, Bulls
Kings rookie Tyrese Haliburton made the Knicks pay on Friday for choosing not to draft him last month, Greg Joyce of the New York Post writes.
Haliburton, who was selected with the No. 12 pick in the draft, finished with 16 points and four blocks off the bench in the team’s victory over New York. The Knicks ultimately bypassed Haliburton in the event and chose to draft Obi Toppin at No. 8 instead.
“I guess it fueled me personally,” Haliburton said with a grin, as relayed by Joyce. “But I love it here. I’m glad I slid to 12. … It’s not hard feelings or nothing, it is what it is. It’s a business, I don’t care.
“My job is to make them think about that when they go to sleep. So I’m just going to go out there and be the best player I can be. I’m not that big into that [motivation].”
There’s more from the Eastern Conference tonight:
- Drew Maresca of Basketball Insiders examines three potential trade targets for the Knicks, including Hawks forward John Collins. New York has opened the season with a 8-9 record, last making the playoffs during the 2012/13 campaign. Atlanta could choose to explore Collins’ trade value if the team feels comfortable starting Danilo Gallinari and Clint Capela going forward.
- Pistons veteran Wayne Ellington made the most of his opportunity as a starter on Friday, scoring 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting from deep, Keith Langlois of NBA.com writes. Ellington, one of the league’s most underrated three-point shooters, has shot 48% from behind-the-arc in his first 11 games this season after signing with Detroit in free agency.
- Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report explores whether the Bulls should trade Zach LaVine or Lauri Markkanen. Chicago has opened the campaign at 7-9 under new head coach Billy Donovan after finishing 11th in the Eastern Conference last season.
Bulls-Grizzlies Wednesday Game Postponed
The Bulls–Grizzlies game on Wednesday night has been postponed in accordance with the NBA’s health and safety protocols, the league announced in a press release.
The postponement is a result of contact tracing within the Grizzlies and the length of time preceding the game during which Memphis will be unable to practice, the release said. This marks the Grizzlies’ fifth straight postponed game (Wednesday and Friday against Portland, plus Sunday and Monday against Sacramento).
Although another game has been postponed, Memphis still has no new players entered into the health and safety protocols, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
As our NBA Game Postponement Tracker shows, this is the 21st game suspended by the NBA this season. The Grizzlies (7-6) currently own the sixth-best record in the Western Conference, while the Bulls (7-9) own the tenth-best record in the Eastern Conference.
And-Ones: Young, Sullinger, Transactions, Fans
Bulls forward Thaddeus Young confirmed a report from the New York Times about purchasing a minority stake in the Brisbane Bullets, a team that competes in Australia’s National Basketball League, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago writes.
Young, who has spent the past 14 seasons in the NBA, expects the deal to be finalized soon. The 32-year-old was originally contacted by Kevin Martin, his former teammate and current majority owner of the Bullets, about the possibility.
“I look at that league as primed for growth with young talent,” Young said of the NBL. “More than just a value add through capital, with my expertise and knowledge around the game and relationships I have in the business world, I thought that was a really good move for me.
“I see that as a league where guys can go if they don’t want to go to college and want to come out of high school and be able to grow their games a little.”
Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Former Celtics and Raptors center Jared Sullinger is eyeing an NBA comeback, Ben Stinar of Forbes writes. Sullinger, 28, last played in the NBA with Toronto during the 2016/17 season. “I’m definitely trying to get back to the NBA,” he said. “I feel like I’ve still got a lot of basketball left, I can help a team, I feel like me being not the biggest guy but still strong enough to guard a five and be able to stretch the floor, I’m in better shape.”
- Bobby Marks of ESPN.com (Insider link) explores six underrated transactions that have had a major impact this season. Among them is Gordon Hayward, who signed a four-year deal to join the Hornets in free agency and is currently averaging 23.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
- The NBA will soon have nine teams hosting a reduced amount of fans in their buildings, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets. Both Miami and Atlanta plan to allow fans into their arenas this week, with Indiana, Memphis, Cleveland, Houston, New Orleans, Orlando and Utah already choosing to do so.
J.J. Barea’s Contract In Spain Has NBA Out
When J.J. Barea signed with Estudiantes in Spain this week, a report at the time indicated that he hadn’t given up on the possibility of playing in the NBA later this year. The terms of his new deal will allow for that possibility, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, who tweets that Barea’s contract includes an NBA out.
The exact terms of the opt-out haven’t been specified. As such, it’s not clear whether Barea will be able to return stateside for an NBA opportunity at any time in the coming months or if there’s a specific window during which he’d be able to exercise that out. Either way, Spain’s Liga ACB is scheduled to end its regular season a little before the NBA does, so Barea should be able to return for the postseason if he receives a contract offer.
MacMahon notes that Barea “remains determined” to play in the NBA this season and will look to use his time in Spain’s top basketball league as a showcase against strong competition.
Barea, 36, had his 2018/19 season cut short by a torn Achilles, but was relatively productive in limited minutes upon returning in ’19/20. He averaged 7.7 PPG and 3.9 APG with a .376 3PT% in 29 games (15.5 MPG) for the Mavericks. A roster crunch in Dallas prevented him from earning a spot on this season’s squad.
Given how significantly NBA depth charts have already been shaken up by injuries and COVID-19 in the first five weeks of the season, it seems likely that there will be teams in need of point guard depth who give Barea a look by the spring.