Kawhi Leonard Could Return Sooner Than Anticipated
Kawhi Leonard was expected to miss most or all of this season after undergoing surgery in July to repair a partially torn ACL. According to Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes, there’s increasing optimism that Leonard will be in uniform this season.
The Clippers’ superstar is ahead of schedule in his rehab and a return this season is a strong possibility, sources told Haynes. Leonard has ramped up his workload in recent weeks and is gaining strength.
The Clippers entered Thursday as a .500 team (19-19) and it stands to reason Leonard wouldn’t come back unless they remain in the playoff hunt. He’d certainly make them a dangerous lower seed should he be healthy enough to play.
Otherwise, the team might be wise to wait until next year, since its franchise player made a multi-year commitment after undergoing the surgery. Leonard signed a four-year, maximum salary contract worth approximately $176.3MM. He holds a player option on the final year of the deal.
Knicks Notes: Randle, Toppin, Fournier, Trade Deadline, Barrett
After a slow start to the season, Knicks All-Star forward Julius Randle says he’s not concerned with the reactions from the media or fans, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
I really don’t give a f— what anybody has to say, to be honest,” Randle said Wednesday. “I’m out there playing. Nobody knows the game out there better than I do, compared to what everybody has to say. So I really don’t give a s—. I just go out there and play.”
Randle scored 30 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and dished out four assists in New York’s 104-94 victory over Indiana on Tuesday, his first game back after contracting COVID-19. His season averages of 19.6 PPG, 10.1 RPG, and 4.9 APG on .423/.327/.767 shooting are down from last season’s All-Star campaign, when he averaged 24.1 PPG, 10.2 RPG, and 6.0 APG on .456/.411/.811 shooting.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- In a member-only article for the New York Post, Marc Berman spoke to NBA experts to explore what has been hindering Obi Toppin‘s three-point shot. The second-year forward has carved out a rotational role off the bench this season, but is shooting just 21.1% from deep on 1.7 attempts per game.
- Free agent addition Evan Fournier had been struggling of late, but coach Tom Thibodeau didn’t consider sending him to the bench, according to Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post. “Not really,” Thibodeau said Wednesday, when asked if he had considered trying Fournier with the second unit. Never known for his defense, Fournier was shooting a career-low 40.3% from the field through 37 games this season, all starts. “Even when he’s not shooting, he spaces the floor for us, so I do like that aspect,” Thobodeau said. “The one thing [is] about trying to get our second unit to stay intact as much as we can. Those guys have played really well together for a while now.” Fournier justified Thibodeau’s faith by erupting for 41 points against Boston on Thursday.
- Thibodeau was a driving force behind the team signing Fournier in the offseason, sources tell Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, who explores moves the Knicks might consider making at the trade deadline. Fischer notes that the Knicks have had internal discussions about acquiring Ben Simmons, but they’ve never called the Sixers with any type of deal structure, according to league sources. Fischer also writes that freeing a roster spot by becoming involved in the Rajon Rondo trade gives New York added flexibility ahead of the deadline.
- In order for the Knicks to become a legitimate title contender, the team needs 21-year-old RJ Barrett to develop into a star, Ian O’Connor of the New York Post opines. Like Randle, Barrett had a strong performance on Tuesday, scoring 32 points, but his shooting percentages are down this season compared to last. Barrett banked in a game-winning three at the buzzer to beat the Celtics 108-105 on Thursday night.
And-Ones: Kerr, 2022 Draft, Mitchell, 10-Day Contracts, Kings
Warriors coach Steve Kerr is pushing for fouls committed to prevent fast breaks to be upgraded to technicals, Tim MacMahon of ESPN tweets. That would mirror the FIBA rule regarding transition-stopping take fouls. “It’s terrible,” Kerr said. “It’s terrible for the game. It’s terrible for the fans.”
Kerr added that the NBA is “very serious” about changing its current rule. The league’s competition committee has discussed an increased penalty for take fouls.
We have more from around basketball world:
- The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie has posted his latest mock draft and the first player taken doesn’t play for Gonzaga of Duke. He projects Auburn forward Jabari Smith going off the board first due to his superior shooting ability for a big man, giving him a slight edge over Duke’s Paolo Banchero and Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren.
- Smith is also No. 1 on the latest rankings from Chad Ford of NBABigBoard.com. Ford even goes as far to say that’s he’s a consensus No. 1 among scouts and GMs he’s talked to, with Holmgren ranking No. 2.
- Former Pistons forward Tony Mitchell is signing in Uruguay with Club Trouville, JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors tweets. The 29-year-old last played in Venezuela. He saw action in 21 NBA games with Detroit during the 2013/14 season.
- What has it been like for NBA executives to try to bring in players when members of their 15-man roster enter protocols? ESPN’s Brian Windhorst takes an in-depth look at the frenzy of free agent signings on 10-day deals to fill in for players who test positive.
- The Kings have been fined $50K for violating league rules prohibiting team owners and executives from interacting with scorer’s table personnel during game play, NBA Communications tweets. Assistant GM Wes Wilcox was fined $15K.
Sixers Notes: Roberts, Simmons, Fox, Haliburton, Embiid, Drummond
Outgoing NBPA executive director Michele Roberts blames the Sixers‘ front office for the acrimonious standoff with Ben Simmons, as Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays. Roberts addressed the situation in a SiriusXM Radio interview.
“Candidly, I think a lot of this stuff could be resolved if everyone behaved like a grown-up,” she said. “I think what’s happening in Philadelphia frankly is ridiculous and I don’t know why we’re playing chicken with each other. It just strikes that this is something that could be worked out. It’s difficult.”
We have more on the Sixers:
- Speaking of Simmons, the front office continues to ask for a massive haul in return for the disgruntled playmaker, Sam Amick of The Athletic reports. That is a source of frustration for some opposing team executives. It’s believed that president of basketball operations Daryl Morey is still hoping Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal will eventually be made available, perhaps this summer.
- Could Sacramento wind up being Simmons’ destination? Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com explores that possibility with the notion that De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton are no longer considered untouchable.
- The 76ers went with a jumbo look against the Magic this week and outscored Orlando 11-6 during that four-minute stretch, Derek Bodner of DailySix.com notes. Andre Drummond and Joel Embiid shared the court and limited the Magic to one offensive rebound during that time. However, the Twin Towers combination is not something the team should do very much, due to the issues it would create with the perimeter defense, Bodner opines.
Warriors Guarantee Gary Payton II’s Contract
The Warriors are guaranteeing the remainder of Gary Payton II‘s $1.94MM salary this season, coach Steve Kerr told Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link) and other media members.
It’s no surprise Golden State will retain Payton. It was reported two weeks ago that it was likely the Warriors would keep him around.
Payton has been a regular part of the rotation, appearing in 36 games (seven starts) and averaging a career-best 7.9 PPG and 3.7 RPG in 16.9 MPG.
All players still under contract will have their salaries fully guaranteed for the rest of the 2021/22 season on Monday but the true deadline is tomorrow, since waivers must be requested. Damion Lee is the other Warrior without a fully guaranteed salary.
Jazz Sign Danuel House To 10-Day Contract
JANUARY 6: House’s 10-day contract with Utah is now official, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.
JANUARY 5: The Jazz intend to sign forward Danuel House to a 10-day contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
House, who averaged 9.7 PPG and 3.9 RPG on .431/.373/.759 shooting in 138 games (27.7 MPG) for the Rockets in the three years preceding 2021/22, struggled and fell out of Houston’s rotation this season. He was waived by the Rockets in December and signed a 10-day hardship contract with the Knicks a few days later, appearing briefly in just one game for New York before his deal expired over the weekend.
It’s unclear whether House will be added on a standard 10-day contract or if it will be a hardship deal. The Jazz do have one player (Joe Ingles) in the health and safety protocols, but they’re also below the standard roster minimum, carrying just 13 players. Teams are permitted to dip below 14 players, but only for up to two weeks at a time.
We’ve seen teams with 14 players complete hardship signings that don’t count against the cap this season, but it remains to be seen if a club carrying just 13 players would be granted the same leeway.
COVID Updates: Gobert, Holiday, Jackson, Moon, Mykhailiuk
Rudy Gobert has entered the league’s health and safety protocols. The Jazz center returned two rapid negative tests on Thursday but his PCR test overnight came back positive, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter links). Of course, Gobert’s COVID-19 positive in March 2020 led to postponements and cancellations across the sports world. The big man is having another fine season, averaging 15.5 PPG and 15.1 RPG.
We have more on players entering or exiting the health and safety protocols:
- Bucks point guard Jrue Holiday has entered the protocols, Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets. Holiday, who was also in protocols last season, joins teammates George Hill, Grayson Allen and Pat Connaughton.
- After eight teammates exited protocols this week, Pistons guard Frank Jackson entered the protocols, Rod Beard of the Detroit News tweets. Jackson is currently sidelined with an ankle injury.
- Clippers guard Xavier Moon has entered the protocols, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Moon signed a second 10-day contract under the hardship exception on Tuesday.
- Raptors swingman Svi Mykhailiuk has cleared the protocols and is available for Friday’s game against Utah, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets.
Bucks Waive DeMarcus Cousins
JANUARY 6: The Bucks have officially requested waivers on Cousins, Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets.
JANUARY 5: On the night he scored 15 points, pulled down 10 boards, and chipped in three steals and a block across just 20 minutes for the Bucks, center DeMarcus Cousins, signed to a non-guaranteed deal, is set to be waived by Milwaukee, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The news comes two days ahead of the deadline for all contracts to be guaranteed for the rest of the year across the NBA. Cousins’ salary for 2021/22 isn’t fully guaranteed.
Across 17 contests with the Bucks, the former four-time All-Star is averaging 9.1 PPG and 5.8 RPG this season. Charania adds that Cousins will likely merit a look from other clubs.
The 6’10” veteran joined the Bucks a month into the season. He spent the 2020/21 NBA season with the Rockets and Clippers. The 31-year-old has never been the same since suffering Achilles and ACL tears, but has proven himself to be a volume bench contributor when healthy in recent seasons.
Shooting guard Wesley Matthews, the team’s other player signed to a non-guaranteed deal, remains with the team as of this writing. With Cousins slated to be waived, the Bucks will create one open roster spot.
Milwaukee GM Jon Horst commented on the decision to move on from Cousins, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link): “We wouldn’t have been able to get through this difficult stretch of the season as successfully as we did without DeMarcus.”
In further comments reported by Woj (via Twitter), Horst hinted at a potential reunion following the trade deadline, should Cousins be available: “We made a strategic decision to have an open roster spot, but there’s nothing that would prevent us from partnering with DeMarcus again down the road.”
Spurs Sign Tyler Johnson To 10-Day Deal
4:28pm: The signing, which uses a hardship exception, is official, according to a team press release.
12:38pm: The Spurs intend to sign Tyler Johnson to a 10-day deal, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Johnson’s most recent NBA stint was a 10-day contract with the Sixers, which expired on December 31. In three games with Philadelphia in a limited role, Johnson averaged 3.7 PPG and 2 RPG in 12.7 MPG.
Johnson, 29, has plenty of NBA experience, having appeared in a total of 351 games for the Heat, Suns, Nets, and Sixers since 2014. After going undrafted out of Fresno State in 2014, Johnson caught on with the Heat and developed into a solid two-way player for the club. He averaged 5.4 PPG and 2.0 RPG on .393/.364/.857 shooting in 39 games (17.5 MPG) for Brooklyn last season, but didn’t catch on with a new team during the offseason after his deal with the Nets expired.
Johnson holds career averages of 9.9 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 2.3 APG on .427/.360/.779 shooting (24.7 MPG). His 10-day contract with the Spurs will likely be through a hardship exception, but that hasn’t been confirmed yet. San Antonio has a full 15-man roster, but is eligible to sign a second hardship player with Doug McDermott and Lonnie Walker still in the league’s health and safety protocols. The team’s other 10-day hardship deal is with Jaylen Morris.
Spurs Sign Anthony Lamb After Four Players Enter Protocols
4:27pm: The Lamb signing is official, according to a team press release.
1:32pm: The Spurs plan to sign Anthony Lamb to a 10-day contract via a hardship exception after Keldon Johnson, Derrick White, Thaddeus Young and Devin Vassell entered the league’s health and safety protocols, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News was the first to break the four players entering the COVID-19 protocols (via Twitter). The good news is that Lonnie Walker has cleared the protocols and could return to action Friday against the Sixers, a league source told Orsborn (Twitter link).
Lamb, 23, played in the G League bubble with the Canton Charge and Rio Grande Valley Vipers in 2020/21 after going undrafted out of Vermont in 2020. His solid showing for Houston’s G League affiliate (the Vipers) earned him a two-way deal with the Rockets last March. He averaged 5.5 PPG and 2.9 RPG in 24 games (17.3 MPG) for Houston, then accepted his two-way qualifying offer this offseason. However, he was waived on October 18 so that the Rockets could claim Garrison Mathews.
Lamb has spent this season playing with the Vipers, putting up 15.0 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 2.8 APG on .460/.415/.821 shooting in 13 games (10 starts). The Spurs now have five players in the protocols (the fifth being Doug McDermott), and Lamb will be their third 10-day hardship deal, along with Tyler Johnson and Jaylen Morris.