Kevin Durant To Miss Multiple Games Under COVID-19 Protocols
Nets star forward Kevin Durant is listed out Tuesday against the Jazz due to NBA’s coronavirus health and safety protocols, the team’s PR department tweets.
Durant’s faces a seven-day quarantine because of exposure to a positive COVID-19 case, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Malika Andrews report. That means Durant would also have to sit out three more games. He has continued to register antibodies and has tested negative in multiple recent tests, Wojnarowski adds.
No other player on the team was listed as out for the same reason.
Durant tested positive for the virus back in March, shortly after play was halted. He later stated to ESPN’s Marc Spears he didn’t experience symptoms.
“I didn’t have any symptoms so I am good,” he said this summer. “I couldn’t leave the house. … The unknown was definitely difficult to deal with. But other than that, I was great.”
The NBA is experiencing an uptick in cases without the protection of a bubble. The Bulls are dealing with the virus, as Tomas Satoransky and Chandler Hutchison have tested positive recently and two other Chicago players have simultaneously been held out of action.
Nets Expected To Apply For Disabled Player Exception
The Nets are expected to apply for a disabled player exception following Spencer Dinwiddie‘s ACL reconstruction surgery, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). While Brooklyn hasn’t officially provided a timeline for Dinwiddie’s return, Woj refers to the injury as “season-ending.”
The disabled player exception is a salary cap exception designed to allow teams to add a replacement for a player who suffers a major injury and is deemed highly likely to be sidelined for the season and the postseason. It’s worth either half the injured player’s salary or the value of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, whichever is lesser.
In this case, half of Dinwiddie’s $11,454,048 salary is $5,727,024, so that would be the amount of the Nets’ disabled player exception if their request is approved.
The disabled player exception can be used to sign a free agent, to claim a player off waivers, or to acquire a player in a trade. However, it can only be used on one player and can only accommodate a player on a one-year deal. A free agent signee can’t get a multiyear contract, and any trade or waiver target must be in the final year of his contract.
A disabled player exception doesn’t give a team an extra roster spot, so the Nets would have to create an opening on their 15-man squad if they get a DPE and intend to use it. Any additional team salary would also increase the team’s already-substantial projected luxury tax bill.
So far this season, the Warriors (Klay Thompson) and Magic (Jonathan Isaac) have been granted disabled player exceptions. The deadline to use them is April 19.
NBA Tweaks Rules For Hardship Provision, 10-Day Contracts
The NBA has made a small adjustment to its roster rules for the 2020/21 season, allowing teams to sign players to 10-day contracts via the hardship provision before the annual window for standard 10-day signings opens, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).
As we outlined earlier today, the hardship provision allows a team hit hard by the injury bug to add an extra player to its roster if that club has four injured players who meet certain criteria. The Grizzlies are the first team this season to be granted a hardship exception.
A player signed via the hardship provision later in the season would receive a 10-day contract. But since 10-day deals can’t be signed until January 5 in a normal league year (February 23 this year), players signed via the hardship provision before that date receive minimum-salary contracts that are non-guaranteed but cover the full season. Once those players are cut, their cap hits are adjusted to reflect the amount of days they were under contract.
As Marks explains (via Twitter), allowing teams to sign players to 10-day contracts via the hardship provision earlier in the season opens the door for a hard-capped team to add a player. The cap hit for a 10-day contract worth the veteran’s minimum would be just $110,998 — even the teams that are closest to the hard cap would be able to squeeze that figure onto their books. A number of those teams wouldn’t be able to sign a player to a standard (full-season) minimum contract yet though, even if the contract is non-guaranteed and they’re granted a hardship exception.
Additionally, Marks notes, the rule tweak gives teams some protection in the event of a major injury. If a player suffers a season-ending injury while on a 10-day deal, he’d be owed the rest of his 10-day salary — if he suffers a season-ending injury while on a non-guaranteed standard contract, he’d be owed his full-season salary.
Players are typically only permitted to sign a maximum of two 10-day contracts with the same team in a single league year, but a 10-day deal signed using the hardship provision won’t count against that limit, tweets Marks.
Tim Frazier‘s deal with the Grizzlies via the hardship provision hasn’t been officially announced yet, but it seems likely Memphis will take advantage of this rule tweak and sign the veteran guard to a 10-day contract.
Warriors’ Smailagic Undergoes Knee Surgery
Second-year Warriors power forward Alen Smailagic underwent surgery today to address a minor meniscus tear in his right knee, the club announced in a press release.
According to the Warriors, Smailagic will begin the rehab process immediately. He’ll be re-evaluated in about four weeks, so we won’t see him back on the court until at least February.
The 39th overall pick in the 2019 draft, Smailagic appeared in 14 games as a rookie for Golden State, averaging 4.2 PPG and 1.9 RPG in 9.9 MPG. He has also played in 66 G League contests since the start of the 2018/19 season, recording 10.8 PPG and 4.7 RPG on 50.3% shooting in 19.8 MPG for the Santa Cruz Warriors.
While Smailagic is unlikely to be a regular rotation player for the Warriors in ’20/21 even once he gets healthy, the club still appears to be committed to his development for now. The 20-year-old is on a minimum-salary contract that runs through 2022/23, though it’s not guaranteed beyond this season.
Spencer Dinwiddie Undergoes ACL Reconstruction Surgery
Nets point guard Spencer Dinwiddie underwent successful ACL reconstruction surgery on his right knee this morning, the team announced today in a press release. Dinwiddie, who is expected to make a full recovery, will begin his rehab process next week, according to the Nets.
Dinwiddie suffered a partially torn ACL on December 27 in Brooklyn’s third game of the 2020/21 season. The veteran guard hadn’t gotten off to a particularly hot start, but the Nets enjoyed blowout wins in his only two full games and have since lost four of five, slipping below .500. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot has replaced Dinwiddie in the starting lineup.
The Nets’ announcement today doesn’t mention a specific recovery timeline for Dinwiddie. Because he only sustained a partial ACL tear, there was some speculation that an accelerated return may be possible. However, the fact that he underwent an ACL reconstruction – rather than a repair – likely eliminates any chance that the 27-year-old will play again in 2020/21, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post.
Brooklyn has the option of applying for a disabled player exception that would be worth approximately $5.7MM. It wouldn’t give the Nets an extra roster spot, but would allow them to sign a free agent to a one-year contract or to trade for (or claim) a player on an expiring contract, assuming his salary fits into the DPE.
John Hollinger of The Athletic speculated earlier today that the Nets may not apply for that exception right away, since there’s no rush to use it and the team might have an easier time a few weeks from now proving that Dinwiddie will likely miss the entire season and postseason.
Marvin Bagley III Declines To Discuss Father’s Tweet
Speaking to the media on Sunday for the first time since his father published a tweet asking the Kings to trade him, Marvin Bagley III made it clear he didn’t want to discuss that tweet, which apparently stemmed from Bagley’s lack of recent fourth-quarter playing time and has since been deleted.
“Before we start, I just want to say that if there are no questions about the game tomorrow or what we’re going to do tomorrow, please don’t ask, I don’t want to give any extra information on nothing,” Bagley said on Sunday, per James Ham of NBC Sports California. “If you don’t have any questions about the team and tomorrow’s game, then hold off.”
As Jason Jones of The Athletic writes, Bagley’s statement to open his media session didn’t stop one reporter from asking whether his father’s comments were a distraction or whether the third-year big man wanted to directly dispel the notion that he may want a trade. However, Bagley ignored the question and continued to discuss Sacramento’s next game.
The NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement calls a fine for any player who publicly requests a trade, so it comes as no surprise that Bagley didn’t sign off on his father’s message. Still, his non-answer figures to fuel further speculation. If he’s happy in Sacramento, it would have been easy enough for Bagley to tell reporters that his father doesn’t speak for him and that he wants to stay, notes James Patrick of The Sacramento Bee.
Another Kings dad entered the social media fray on Sunday night, with De’Aaron Fox‘s father writing “Trade him” in reply to a tweet about Bagley, as Sean Cunningham of ABC10 Sacramento relays (via Twitter).
While the developments over the last 48 hours appear somewhat ominous for the Kings, Bagley continues to maintain an open line of communication with head coach Luke Walton, which is an improvement on his relationship with former Kings coach Dave Joerger, according to Jones. Bagley never connected with Joerger, but appears to be on good terms with Walton and spoke on Sunday about wanting to be a good teammate.
“We’ve had very honest talks,” Walton said. “Things we talk about I’m going to keep between us but throughout my time here we’ve had a lot of good talks about honest things which I believe a coach and a player should have. Nothing different, nothing new. But with him and all the guys I coach, I try to make that a high priority. Understanding that not everyone is always going to be happy, but the communication will always be there and always available.”
Bagley, 21, has posted 11.8 PPG and 8.0 RPG in six games this season, but is shooting just 37.5% from the floor and has played a total of two fourth-quarter minutes in Sacramento’s last three games.
Northwest Notes: Wolves, Campazzo, Hartenstein, McCollum
Following a 2-0 start, the Timberwolves have lost four straight games and are struggling to stay competitive without star center Karl-Anthony Towns available. As Chris Hine of The Star Tribune details, head coach Ryan Saunders attempted to jump-start the club on Sunday by shaking up his starting lineup, inserting Juan Hernangomez and Ed Davis in place of Ricky Rubio and Naz Reid.
According to Hine, the plan was to help Russell establish some pick-and-roll chemistry with Davis, his former teammate in Brooklyn, and to reduce Reid’s minutes against Nikola Jokic in the hopes of avoiding foul trouble.
Jarrett Culver, playing the three instead of the four in the new-look lineup, had his best game of the young season, and Davis led the team in rebounding, but the Timberwolves still lost by 15 points and Hernangomez’s early struggles continued. Still, Saunders said after the game that he saw some positive signs from the fifth-year power forward.
“I did think he had some good defensive possessions. I thought that helped us,” Saunders said of Hernangomez. “His size and length helped us a little bit even though we got beat on the glass, I thought he was able to get his hands on a few. He had some good looks, missed a couple that he’ll usually make around the basket. So for that reason, I see progress with Juancho as well.”
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- Former Real Madrid star Facundo Campazzo had looked relatively invisible in his first five NBA games, but he showed on Sunday why the Nuggets brought him over from Spain this offseason, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post. “I thought this was the best version of Facundo Campazzo that you could imagine,” head coach Michael Malone said of the 29-year-old point guard, who had 15 points and three steals in Denver’s win over Minnesota.
- Before he signed with the Nuggets as a free agent in November, Isaiah Hartenstein drew interest from the Trail Blazers, Cavaliers, Pelicans, and Wizards, league sources tell Singer in a separate Denver Post story.
- Typically a slow starter, Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum has been excellent so far in 2020/21, having averaged 28.0 PPG with a .431 3PT% in six games. Jason Quick of The Athletic takes a look at what has fueled the hot start for McCollum, who said he’s motivated by wanting to secure a postseason berth without having to take part in the play-in tournament again.
NBA’s Top 50 Highest-Paid Players For 2020/21
While many of the NBA’s highest-paid players are on contracts considered maximum-salary deals, the 2020/21 salaries for those players vary significantly depending on when the player signed his contract and how much NBA experience he has. That’s why a player like Stephen Curry will earn nearly $16MM more than Brandon Ingram in ’20/21 despite both stars technically being on max deals.
When a player signs a maximum-salary contract, he doesn’t necessarily earn the NBA max for each season of that contract — he earns the max in year one, then gets a series of identical annual raises. In Curry’s case, his 2020/21 salary actually exceeds this year’s maximum, since his deal started in the summer of 2017 and includes 8% annual raises. The annual cap increases haven’t kept up with those 8% raises.
Listed below, with the help of salary data from Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders, are the top 50 highest-paid NBA players for the 2020/21 season. The players on this list don’t necessarily have the contracts with the largest overall value. The list below only considers salaries for ’20/21.
Additionally, we’ve noted players who could potentially increase their earnings via incentives or trade bonuses. We didn’t add those notes for players like Curry who have trade bonuses but are already earning the maximum — their salaries for this season can’t increase beyond their max.
The cutoff for a spot on this year’s top-50 list is a $21.25MM salary, so players like Pacers teammates Victor Oladipo ($21MM) and Malcolm Brogdon ($20.7MM) just missed out.
Here are the NBA’s 50 highest-paid players for the 2020/21 season:
- Stephen Curry, Warriors: $43,006,362
- Chris Paul, Suns: $41,358,814
Russell Westbrook, Wizards: $41,358,814 - James Harden, Rockets: $41,254,920
John Wall, Rockets: $41,254,920 - Kevin Durant, Nets: $40,108,950
- LeBron James, Lakers: $39,219,566
- Blake Griffin, Pistons: $36,810,996
- Paul George, Clippers: $35,450,412
- Klay Thompson, Warriors: $35,361,360
- Mike Conley, Jazz: $34,502,132
- Jimmy Butler, Heat: $34,379,100
Kawhi Leonard, Clippers: $34,379,100
Kemba Walker, Celtics: $34,379,100 - Tobias Harris, Sixers: $34,358,850
- Kyrie Irving, Nets: $33,460,350 (plus incentives; 15% trade kicker)
- Khris Middleton, Bucks: $33,051,724
- Anthony Davis, Lakers: $32,742,000
- Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers: $31,626,953
- Kevin Love, Cavaliers: $31,258,256
- Pascal Siakam, Raptors: $30,559,200
Ben Simmons, Sixers: $30,559,200 - Kyle Lowry, Raptors: $30,500,000
- Steven Adams, Pelicans: $29,592,695
- Joel Embiid, Sixers: $29,542,010
Nikola Jokic, Nuggets: $29,542,010
Andrew Wiggins, Warriors: $29,542,010 - Devin Booker, Suns: $29,467,800
Kristaps Porzingis, Mavericks: $29,467,800
Karl-Anthony Towns, Timberwolves: $29,467,800 - CJ McCollum, Trail Blazers: $29,354,152
- Bradley Beal, Wizards: $28,751,774
Andre Drummond, Cavaliers: $28,751,774 - D’Angelo Russell, Timberwolves: $28,649,250
- Gordon Hayward, Hornets: $28,500,000
- Otto Porter Jr., Bulls: $28,489,239
- DeMar DeRozan, Spurs: $27,739,975
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks: $27,528,088
- Rudy Gobert, Jazz: $27,525,281 (plus incentives)
- Al Horford, Thunder: $27,500,000
- Brandon Ingram, Pelicans: $27,285,000
Jamal Murray, Nuggets: $27,285,000 - Nikola Vucevic, Magic: $26,000,000
- Jrue Holiday, Pelicans: $25,876,111 (plus incentives)
- Buddy Hield, Kings: $24,701,834 (plus incentives)
- LaMarcus Aldridge, Spurs: $24,000,000 (15% trade kicker)
- Jaylen Brown, Celtics: $23,735,118 (plus incentives)
- Draymond Green, Warriors: $22,246,956 (15% trade kicker)
- Harrison Barnes, Kings: $22,215,909
- Fred VanVleet, Raptors: $21,250,000
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Southwest Notes: Spurs, Ingram, Rockets, Gabriel
The Spurs have started the season with a 2-3 record, but the franchise believes the best is still yet to come, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News writes.
Although San Antonio finished with just a 32-39 record last season, the club is recognized as a world-class organization with a proven track record. Before the 2019/20 campaign, the Spurs had reached the playoffs 23 straight seasons.
“It’s about learning now and not later,” DeMar DeRozan said. “As long as you get the heartaches and the learning curve out of the way the first 10 games of the season, it can take a big turn in the next 60 games. We are leaning toward that.”
The Spurs competed with the defending champion Lakers on Friday, ultimately losing 109-103. The team has a healthy mix of veterans and young players that could propel it to the play-in tournament or possibly beyond, with four of those veterans (DeRozan, LaMarcus Aldridge, Patty Mills and Rudy Gay) set to reach free agency next summer.
There’s more out of the Southwest Division tonight:
- Pelicans star Brandon Ingram continued to build on his impressive campaign last game, ESPN’s Andrew Lopez writes. Ingram has been the team’s leading scorer in four of six games so far, and had a season-best 31 points on Saturday. “Brandon has been playing great overall,” teammate Zion Williamson said of Ingram, who recently was named the Western Conference Player of the Week. “He always steps up for us. When we need him, he’s there for us.”
- The Rockets are still searching for answers when it comes to their rotation, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes. Houston has a talented roster led by former Most Valuable Player James Harden, but health issues and COVID-19 protocols have prevented Houston from establishing a consistent rotation so far.
- Pelicans big man Wenyen Gabriel (right knee/quadriceps tendinosis) recently participated in some three-on-three work and hopes to play in Monday’s game against Indiana, according to Andrew Lopez of ESPN (Twitter link). The team is currently listing his status as questionable.
Atlantic Notes: Robinson, Rivers, Siakam, Barrett
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau praised Mitchell Robinson and his confidence, expressing optimism that a rise will come for the 22-year-old center, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes.
Robinson, who was drafted by the Knicks No. 36 overall in 2018, has started in all six of the team’s contests this season. Thibodeau was hesitant to name Robinson as a starter prior to the season, jumpstarting a competition between him and Nerlens Noel.
“Let’s talk about Mitch,” Thibodeau said. “He’s just, every day he’s growing and growing and growing. The way he’s working, studying, preparing for the games. you could see his confidence grow. He’s making multiple effort plays. He’s a hard guy to score over. And he’s really the anchor of the defense back there. And offensively there’s a lot of room for him to grow. He’s putting a lot of time in.”
As for when Robinson could take the next step in his improvement, the veteran coach gave a blunt response: “You guys haven’t seen it yet, but it’s coming.” Robinson has averaged 8.7 points and 7.8 rebounds in 27.8 minutes per game to start the season.
There’s more from the Atlantic Division tonight:
- Sixers coach Doc Rivers has inspired others while reaching a new milestone in his career, Roy Parry of the Orlando Sentinel writes. Rivers, a former head coach with Orlando, is now 10th on the all-time coaching regular-season wins list, though he remains focused on his current team and not on any career achievements. “I don’t look at what I’m doing, honestly. I’d love to say — I know it means something and I know it means a lot to people, but I just I don’t know,” Rivers said. “I’ve never been able to put myself in that place where I’m thinking about what I’m doing. I think I have fooled myself that I’m really young and I have a whole career to go, and maybe that’s why I don’t, but I do feel like I’ve got a lot to do and so I don’t think about it that often.”
- Raptors star Pascal Siakam continued his struggles in the team’s 120-116 loss to New Orleans on Saturday, Doug Smith of The Toronto Star writes. Siakam finished with just 10 points on 4-for-10 shooting, fouling out in less than 25 minutes. “He struggled, no doubt about it,” coach Nick Nurse said. “I thought he had a few decent plays and a few good drives in there, but he obviously struggled. Half-count off rhythm there at both ends a little bit, which is getting him in foul trouble and not letting him be able to finish some plays at the offensive end as well.”
- Knicks guard RJ Barrett vowed to continue shooting despite being in a slump last week, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes. Barrett turned his play around on Saturday, giving New York a 25-point performance on 8-of-15 shooting. He also finished with four threes, five rebounds and three assists in 42 minutes.