Terence Davis Out At Least Three Months Following Wrist Surgery
After being ruled out indefinitely due to a right wrist ECU tendon injury, Kings shooting guard Terence Davis underwent surgery today on the ailment, the team announced in a press release.
The team stated that Davis is expected to be re-assessed in three months. Thus, barring a playoff run, he’ll miss the rest of the NBA season.
At 18-34 and losers of seven straight, the Kings are currently the No. 13 seed in the West. That said, the club is still just 3.5 games out of the No. 10 seed (and thus, a play-in tournament berth) in the conference.
The 6’4″ vet out of Ole Miss averaged 10.4 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.3 APG and 0.8 SPG across 30 games this season for the Kings, mostly in a bench role. The 24-year-old went undrafted in 2019, but showed plenty of promise after signing with the Raptors ahead of the 2019/20 season.
After being dealt to the Kings during the 2020/21, in part due to disturbing legal issues, Davis entered free agency this past summer, and signed a two-year, $8MM deal to return to the club during the offseason.
Justin Jackson Signs Second 10-Day Deal With Suns
The Suns have signed forward Justin Jackson to a second 10-day contract, the team announced today (via Twitter). Last month, Phoenix signed Jackson to a 10-day deal via a hardship exemption, as the team had several players in the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols at the time.
The Suns don’t currently have any players in the protocols, but they also have a full 15-man roster. It seems likely that Phoenix was granted a more traditional (non-COVID) hardship exception due to its injury situation. Dario Saric, Frank Kaminsky, Abdel Nader, and Cameron Payne are all currently sidelined with longer-term ailments.
Jackson, 26, was selected with the No. 15 pick in the 2017 draft out of North Carolina in 2017 and spent his first season with the Kings. He next suited up for the Mavericks, Thunder, and Bucks.
Earlier this season, Jackson signed a 10-day hardship exception deal with the Celtics, appearing in one game for Boston. He then joined the reigning Western Conference champs in Phoenix in January. Across three games with the Suns, Jackson is averaging 4.3 PPG and 2.0 RPG in 7.7 MPG, shooting 71.4% from the field and 60% on 1.7 looks from the three-point line per game.
In 252 total NBA games, the 6’8″ tweener forward holds career averages of 6.6 PPG, 2.5 RPG, and 1.1 APG, with shooting splits of .428/.323/.799.
Latest On Draymond Green
The Warriors have issued an injury update on Draymond Green, announcing in a press release that the veteran forward “is making steps in a positive direction and the injury is improving.” Green is dealing with a disc issue in his lower back that has also led to calf pain.
Green has already missed 12 games and it doesn’t appear his return is imminent. According to the Warriors, he’ll be reevaluated again prior to the All-Star break.
That wording is pretty vague, but presumably the team means the reevaluation will occur shortly before the All-Star break rather than anytime in the next week or so. Golden State’s final game before the break is on February 16.
Green is the anchor of Golden State’s defense, so the team will need him back if it wants to make a serious postseason run this spring. In the meantime though, the Warriors are managing to get by without him — they’ll take a six-game winning streak into Tuesday’s contest in San Antonio.
Trade Rumors: Brunson, Simmons, Horton-Tucker, More
After Marc Stein reported on Monday that Jalen Brunson is more likely to stay with the Mavericks through February 10 than to be traded at the deadline, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon conveyed a similar sentiment during an appearance on Zach Lowe’s podcast, The Lowe Post.
“I have been assured that they will not move Brunson before the trade deadline unless it is, and I quote, a ‘What the bleep are they thinking?’ type of offer,” MacMahon said, according to NBC Sports.
Brunson has become an integral part of the Mavericks’ offense, posting career highs in PPG (15.7) and APG (5.6) so far this season. While he has generated plenty of interest ahead of his looming free agency, Dallas reportedly remains confident in its ability to re-sign him. However, Lowe – who previously suggested the flight risk for Brunson is “very, very real” – warns that the Mavs should be careful about how they approach those negotiations.
“The thing on Brunson is I wouldn’t mess around too much if I were the Mavs,” Lowe said, per NBC Sports. “That’s all I’ll say. I wouldn’t be too cute with the negotiating. I wouldn’t be too cute, based on what I’ve heard.”
Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Executives around the NBA aren’t fully convinced that the Kings are really finished with the Ben Simmons sweepstakes, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. “The Kings needed to walk away because the Sixers were unreasonable in their demands,” an Eastern Conference executive told Bleacher Report. “If Philly backs off [those demands] some, perhaps Sacramento could still make a run at [Simmons].”
- Lakers guard Talen Horton-Tucker is viewed by rival teams as a “marginal asset,” Pincus writes in the same Bleacher Report story. Even though he’s still a developing prospect, Horton-Tucker earns a higher salary than virtually every other 21-year-old in the NBA and will be able to reach unrestricted free agency as early as 2023, diminishing his value.
- Pincus adds in the same Bleacher Report story that most teams expect Damian Lillard to sign a two-year contract extension with the Trail Blazers in the offseason. That suggests Lillard won’t be asking for a trade anytime soon.
- The Celtics are open to virtually any trade inquiry leading up to the February 10 deadline, but any roster “fireworks” are more likely to happen in the offseason than this month, writes Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com. According to Bulpett, multiple sources believe that if Boston doesn’t play well in the second half, it’s possible Jaylen Brown could “acknowledge that the mix isn’t right and seek a move.”
Tim Hardaway Jr. Undergoes Foot Surgery, Out Indefinitely
Mavericks swingman Tim Hardaway Jr. has undergone surgery to address a fracture to the fifth metatarsal in his left foot, the team announced today in a press release.
According to the Mavs, Hardaway will began the rehab process immediately, but there’s no timetable for his return.
As we relayed last week following the initial diagnosis of Hardaway’s injury, the recovery timeline following a fifth metatarsal fracture generally exceeds two months, per Jeff Stotts of In Street Clothes. This year’s regular season ends on April 10, so there’s no guarantee Hardaway will be able to contribute down the stretch or in the playoffs.
Hardaway, who signed a new four-year, $75MM contract with Dallas in the 2021 offseason, was having a down year. After averaging 16.2 PPG with a .441/.394/.817 shooting line in his previous two seasons with the Mavs, the 29-year-old averaged just 14.2 PPG on .394/.336/.757 shooting in 42 games (29.6 MPG) in 2021/22.
Despite his inconsistent shooting this season, Hardaway was a key piece of the Mavs’ rotation, so the team will have to make up for his missing production in the coming weeks. Reggie Bullock and Josh Green have seen an uptick in minutes since Hardaway went down with the injury.
Jerami Grant Will Return On Tuesday
FEBRUARY 1: Pistons head coach Dwane Casey revealed that Jerami Grant will return to the court for Detroit tonight for the first time in nearly two months, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press tweets.
JANUARY 31: Pistons forward Jerami Grant, who has been sidelined since December 10 due to a thumb injury, could be back in action on Tuesday against New Orleans, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press tweets.
Grant is not listed on the injury report. He averaged 20.1 PPG, 4.8 RPG and 2.6 APG in 24 starts this season before suffering a torn UCL ligament in his right thumb that required surgery.
Grant’s return was delayed when he was placed in the league’s health and safety protocols. He was cleared on January 27, then spent the past few days reconditioning.
Despite the injury, Grant has been one of the hottest names on the trade rumor mill this winter. He has been linked to a variety of teams, including the Hawks, Kings, Lakers, Trail Blazers, Knicks, Jazz, Wizards, Celtics, Pacers and Timberwolves.
However, the Pistons’ brass is reportedly split over the possibility of dealing the combo forward, who is in the second year of a three-year, $60MM contract. If Grant plays well over the next 10 days, it could drive up his price tag as the trade deadline approaches.
Southeast Notes: Dinwiddie, Hornets, Oladipo, Young
Within a larger story on the Clippers this week, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer suggested that the Wizards want to trade Spencer Dinwiddie in part because “his teammates don’t want him there.” It’s an eyebrow-raising claim that’s presented as an aside and isn’t attributed to sources, so it’s unclear how seriously we should take it.
There have perhaps been some recent hints that Dinwiddie’s teammates in D.C. haven’t fully embraced him. As we relayed over the weekend, the veteran point guard stated after Saturday’s game that his attempt to be a vocal leader in the locker room earlier in the season “wasn’t necessarily welcomed.”
Asked on Monday about those comments, Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. said he was unsure whether they were directed at the coaching staff or Dinwiddie’s teammates, per Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Unseld, who said he thinks everyone in the locker room gets along, said that even if the staff doesn’t implement a player’s suggestions, that doesn’t mean those suggestions were “unwelcomed.”
“I think I’ve been open from Day 1 to suggestions from our guys, vets that have been around,” Unseld said. “I’m not sure who [Dinwiddie’s comments were] pointed to. I don’t know if that was directed at staff or teammates, or I’m not sure who that was pointed to, but I think it’s great. I think the more communication we can have and they can have amongst themselves [the better].”
As we keep an eye on the Dinwiddie situation, here’s more from around the Southeast:
- In a column for The Charlotte Observer, Rod Boone argues that the Hornets must make a move at the trade deadline to upgrade their center position. While Boone isn’t advocating for selling the farm, he believes the team would squander a golden opportunity for “significant growth” this season if it stands pat.
- As Victor Oladipo inches closer to a return from last year’s quad tendon surgery, his Heat teammates are encouraged by how he has looked in practices, says Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. “I’ve seen enough to know he’s definitely better than he was last year,” Udonis Haslem said last week. “I haven’t seen any limping. I haven’t seen a lack of confidence. I haven’t seen everything so I can’t make a fair assessment. He looks pretty [good] about where he’s headed.”
- Hawks guard Trae Young, dealing with a right shoulder contusion, sat out Monday’s game vs. Toronto, but the team is hopeful he won’t miss much – if any – more time. “He tried to go out and warm up and wasn’t feeling good, so we’ll give him these next two days to recover,” head coach Nate McMillan said (Twitter link via Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution).
Nassir Little Undergoes Shoulder Surgery, Done For Season
FEBRUARY 1: Little underwent surgery this morning in Florida, with Dr. James Andrews repairing the torn labrum in his left shoulder, the Blazers announced in a press release. According to the team, Little is expected to make a full recovery in time for training camp in the fall.
JANUARY 31: Little will undergo surgery on Tuesday to repair the torn labrum in his left shoulder and will miss the rest of the season, the Blazers confirmed today in a press release.
JANUARY 27: Trail Blazers forward Nassir Little has a labral tear in his left shoulder, the team announced in a press release. Little was hurt in the fourth quarter on Tuesday against Minnesota. An MRI taken Wednesday revealed the injury.
Portland said an update on Little’s status would be provided when available, which is standard among NBA teams. However, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link) that the forward is likely to miss the remainder of the 2021/22 season.
Little, who turns 22 in a couple weeks, in his third year in the league after being selected by the Blazers with the 25th overall pick of the 2019 draft. He was having the best season of his career to date, averaging 9.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 0.9 blocks on .460/.331/.734 shooting through 42 games. Little had been particularly effective in January, putting up 13.1 points and 5.7 rebounds on .454/.403/.727 shooting this month.
An athletic, energetic defensive presence, Little has blossomed into a rotation regular this season after receiving limited playing time during his first two seasons. He reportedly had a terrible bout with COVID-19 at the beginning of last season, losing 20 pounds and suffering grinding headaches, which impacted his development. However, he got back into shape and made a strong impression in the offseason, earning a huge minutes increase — going from 13.3 per game last season to 25.9 this season.
As a third-year former first round pick, Little is eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer. The injury might hurt his leverage in contract negotiations, but Portland has likely seen enough to know that his improvement is legitimate. The Blazers picked up their fourth-year team option on Little in October, a few weeks before the season started. He’ll make $4,171,548 in 2022/23.
Knicks Notes: Randle, Fox, Perry, Arcidiacono
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau has admitted to associates that he hasn’t been able to get Julius Randle to exhibit the same selflessness he had last season, an NBA source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post. Randle’s downturn has been a major reason why the team has fallen into the race for the play-in tournament after finishing fourth in the East a year ago.
Many observers believe the $117MM extension that Randle signed during the offseason has changed his approach to the game, as he now feels that he has to take on a greater part of the scoring load to justify the contract. Berman also cites incidents where Randle has looked disinterested — he didn’t join a team huddle in a game last week and he has walked away from teammates who have been knocked to the ground rather than helping them up.
The Knicks are willing to consider everything heading into the deadline, sources tell Berman, even a deal involving Randle, who emerged as a team leader last season while capturing Most Improved Player honors. Berman suggests that Randle’s regression, along with his battles with fans and media, may convince team president Leon Rose that he’s no longer suited for a leadership role.
There’s more from New York:
- The Kings‘ De’Aaron Fox may be a natural target for the Knicks, who have been searching for a point guard for years, Berman adds in the same piece. New York general manager Scott Perry drafted Fox when he worked in Sacramento, but Berman says it’s no longer clear how much influence Perry has in the organization. He doesn’t accompany the team on the road, and the only executive currently making road trips is William Wesley, who Berman said has surpassed Perry in the team’s power structure.
- Derrick Rose needs to be active at the trade deadline to have any hope of turning this season around, argues Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post. Vaccaro considers RJ Barrett, Rose, and Quentin Grimes to be the team’s untouchable players, along with Cam Reddish, only because the Knicks just gave up a first-round pick to acquire him. Everyone else, Vaccaro adds, should be available in the right deal.
- Ryan Arcidiacono‘s 10-day contract expired over the weekend, Berman tweets. The Knicks will keep the roster spot open for now, which could be an advantage heading into the deadline. Arcidiacono didn’t see any game action during his time with the team.
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 2/1/2022
Our weekly Tuesday chat took place this afternoon. Click here for the transcript.
Our next live chat, with Dana Gauruder, will take place on Thursday at 11:00 am central time.