Nets Waive James Johnson, Promote Kessler Edwards
APRIL 10: Edwards’ new contract is now official, the Nets announced (via Twitter). It includes a team option for next season, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
APRIL 7: The Nets have waived forward James Johnson, our JD Shaw tweets, and plan to promote rookie Kessler Edwards to a standard deal so he’s eligible for the postseason, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
Johnson, 35, is a 13-year NBA veteran who’s appeared in a total of 747 regular season games. In 62 games (10 starts) with the Nets this season, he averaged 5.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists on .469/.271/.527 shooting in 19.2 minutes per night.
Edwards, 21, was the 44th overall pick of the 2021 draft after three seasons with Pepperdine. He’s been on a two-way contract this season, and clearly the Nets like what they’ve seen from the young forward, because they want him to keep contributing for a potential playoff run.
Through 46 games (22 starts) this season, Edwards is averaging 5.8 points and 3.5 rebounds on .412/.359/.824 shooting in 20.1 minutes. He took advantage of his opportunity over the winter months when the team was ravaged by players in the health and safety protocols, as he’d rarely seen action to that point.
Edwards is known as a strong, versatile defender and is a better spot-up shooter than Johnson, as evidenced by their respective three-point percentages. Because Johnson was waived so late in the season, he will not be eligible to play in the postseason with another team.
Cavaliers Convert Moses Brown To Standard Contract
Moses Brown, who signed a two-way contract with the Cavaliers in late March, now has a standard deal with the team, according to the NBA.com transactions log. Cleveland had an open roster spot available, so the club was able to convert Brown without any other move.
Although no details were provided, it’s likely a minimum-salary arrangement that covers the final day of the regular season. Brown will now be eligible for the play-in tournament and playoffs, which two-way players cannot participate in.
The 22-year-old center joined the Cavs in March on a pair of 10-day contracts to provide center depth with Jarrett Allen injured and signed a two-way deal at the end of the month. He has appeared in 13 games, starting five, and has averaged 6.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per night while shooting 62.3% from the floor.
Brown also played 23 games for the Mavericks this season before being waived on February 10 when Dallas needed to open a roster spot to complete a trade with Washington.
Juwan Morgan Signs Multi-Year Deal With Celtics
APRIL 10: Morgan’s signing is official, according to the NBA.com transactions log.
APRIL 9: The Celtics will fill their open roster spot before the playoffs by signing Juwan Morgan to a multi-year contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The deal is expected to be for two years, with a non-guaranteed salary for 2022/23, a source tells Keith Smith of CelticsBlog (Twitter link).
The 24-year-old forward recently completed a 10-day contract with Boston, getting into one game and playing four minutes without scoring. He also appeared in a single game with the Raptors on a 10-day deal in December.
Morgan spent most of this season with the Celtics’ G League affiliate in Maine, where he averaged 12.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 29 games. He was in training camp with Boston, but was waived before the start of the regular season.
Morgan began his NBA career with the Jazz after going undrafted out of Indiana in 2019. He spent his first two seasons in Utah, playing a combined 50 games.
No corresponding roster move will be necessary to complete the signing, since Boston’s 15th roster spot had previously been occupied by Morgan on his 10-day contract.
Central Notes: Casey, Bucks, Holiday, York
The Pistons haven’t won much since Dwane Casey became their head coach, but he has impressed owner Tom Gores with the way he has developed young talent, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News. Casey was the reigning Coach of the Year when he was brought in to oversee the Pistons’ rebuilding project, and while the on-court success has been limited, Gores is convinced that Casey has the franchise moving in the right direction.
Casey received a contract extension last spring that will run through the 2023/24 season, and Gores indicated Friday that he wants him to serve as head coach for much longer.
“I want to see Dwane more than next year. Dwane has threaded the needle this year, because to lose a lot — and we lost a lot of games — the key is whether can you keep everybody’s spirit alive,” Gores said. “So, he has the ability to keep everybody’s spirit alive. I just think it’s such a talent. … He really understands how to keep these guys engaged while they’re going through a hard time. So, he’s really threaded the needle. He really has this ability to just to keep everybody inspired, and the players love him, and I do too.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- As the Bucks prepare to defend their NBA championship, they have two players on the roster who understand how hard that can be, notes Lori Nickel of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Serge Ibaka was a member of the Raptors when they staged their title defense in Orlando after the league-wide shutdown due to the pandemic, and Wesley Matthews was on the Lakers, who were knocked out in the first round last season.
- Bucks guard Jrue Holiday has earned a $306K bonus for playing in 66 games, marking the fifth straight season he has achieved the bonus, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. Because the incentive was considered likely, Milwaukee’s luxury tax projection won’t be affected.
- The Pacers awarded a game ball to Gabe York, who made his NBA debut today at age 28, per James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star. York, who signed a two-way contract on Thursday, played 15 minutes and scored seven points. “Gabe is a good player,” said teammate Isaiah Jackson. “I played with him in the G League a couple times, so we’ve always been cool. It was just crazy seeing him out there doing his thing. I was telling him when we was sitting out, ‘I know it’s a lot right now, but just let the game just come to you. Don’t try to force it. … Once you get out there, it’s just natural.'”
Southwest Notes: Morant, Williamson, Pelicans, LeBron
Ja Morant got the pre-playoff tuneup he wanted tonight, playing 27 minutes as the Grizzlies raced past the Pelicans, writes Drew Hill of The Daily Memphian. After missing more than three weeks with soreness in his right knee, the dynamic guard showed little sign of rust as he put up 21 points, nine assists and four rebounds with a few highlight plays mixed in.
“It’s something I’ve been waiting on since March 18,” Morant said. “… I had a lot of fun. I’m just preparing for this stretch we are about to go on in the playoffs. I feel like I needed a game or two to get my legs back under and get a game feel.”
Morant didn’t shy away from contact, Hill adds, as he repeatedly drove into the heart of the New Orleans defense. That’s something coach Taylor Jenkins wanted to see after Morant spent so much time away from NBA conditions.
“There’s nothing comparable (to game action),” Jenkins said. “You can’t fill out. It’s hard to get 10 NBA bodies out there to simulate games for him (in practice). The physicality, the speed, it’s a great tuneup. It’s your natural ramp up, one-on-zero, one-on-one, three-on-three, five-on-five, but nothing replaces NBA games.”
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Zion Williamson was able to take part in what Pelicans coach Willie Green called a “controlled scrimmage” on Thursday, but his prospects of returning remain uncertain, per Andrew Lopez of ESPN. After ending the regular season Sunday night, New Orleans will be in Wednesday’s 9-10 play-in game and will need to defeat the Spurs to avoid elimination, so the time for Williamson to come back is running short. “The beauty of it is that it’s good to see him on the floor,” Green said. “I think he’s feeling more normal, the fact that he gets to play basketball. That’s what he wants to do. That’s what he loves to do. We just want him to get as healthy as he can and continue to progress in that way.”
- The Lakers‘ late-season slide has increased the chances that the Pelicans will receive their first-round pick, tweets Christian Clark of NOLA.com. There’s now a 99.6% chance that the selection will fall in the top 10 and be conveyed to New Orleans. The pick would go to the Grizzlies if it lands outside the top 10.
- The chances of LeBron James leaving the Lakers to team up with Luka Doncic on the Mavericks down the road should be considered remote but not impossible, contends Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.
Isaiah Mobley Among Latest To Enter NBA Draft
USC big man Isaiah Mobley announced on Twitter that he will declare for the NBA draft and hire an agent. Mobley also entered the draft last year, along with his brother Evan, who is among the favorites for Rookie of the Year honors. Isaiah decided to return to school for his junior season and averaged 14.2 points and 8.3 rebounds in 32 games.
“These past three years have been amazing,” he wrote. “I’ve had experiences that I’ll never forget, played with teammates that have become brothers (well, one brother that became a teammate), and I’ve done it all in front of the best fans in the country.”
There are a few more draft decisions to pass along:
- South Carolina forward Keyshawn Bryant also used a tweet to announce his decision to enter the draft and hire an agent. “To Frank Martin and the coaching staff, thank you guys for everything you’ve done,” wrote Bryant, who averaged 8.7 PPG in his senior season with the Gamecocks. “To the fans and the university, this was an amazing four years here. Thanks for all the love and support.”
- Purdue senior guard Eric Hunter Jr. will also forego an extra year of eligibility and enter the draft. Hunter, who averaged 6.2 PPG this year, also made his announcement on Twitter.
- Jalen Adaway, a senior guard at St. Bonaventure, will enter the draft as well (Twitter link). He averaged 15.3 points and 5.9 rebounds in 32 games this season.
- SMU guard Kendric Davis, also a senior, will enter the draft but will keep his college eligibility, tweets Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. Davis scored at a career-best 19.4 PPG clip for the Mustangs this season.
- A report last week stated that TCU guard Mike Miles was expected to remain in the draft, but he now plans to maintain the option to return to college, according to Rothstein (Twitter link).
Donte DiVincenzo Reportedly Thinks Kings Are Attempting To Lower His Value
Donte DiVincenzo and his camp believe the Kings are intentionally trying to suppress his market value ahead of free agency, James Ham of ESPN 1320 says on the latest Kings Beat podcast (audio link from SabonisMuse on Twitter).
According to Ham, DiVincenzo and his representatives think he was kept out of the starting lineup to make him more affordable for Sacramento to re-sign.
Having started 66 games last season for Milwaukee, DiVincenzo would’ve met the “starter criteria” and been eligible for a higher qualifying offer ($7.9MM) if the Kings had started him at least seven times. Head coach Alvin Gentry suggested in mid-March that there was a good chance the 25-year-old would move into the starting lineup down the stretch, but that never happened.
DiVincenzo has appeared in 23 games, starting just one, since being acquired from the Bucks in a four-team trade at the February deadline. He has been a regular part of Sacramento’s rotation, playing 26.8 minutes per night and averaging 10.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists.
Assuming the Kings make a $6.6MM qualifying offer, DiVincenzo will be a restricted free agent since he didn’t reach an agreement with Milwaukee on a rookie-scale extension before the start of the season. That means Sacramento will have the option to match any offer he receives.
Ham adds that DiVincenzo is optimistic about receiving a mid-level exception offer from somebody this summer, while the Kings would prefer to keep him at a salary lower than that.
DiVincenzo had a regular role with the Bucks before suffering a torn ligament in his ankle during last year’s playoffs. He underwent surgery in June and wasn’t able to return until Christmas Day.
Cavaliers Notes: Allen, Garland, Mobley, Love
The Cavaliers are still hoping injured center Jarrett Allen can return at some point, but he will miss Sunday’s regular season finale against the Bucks, tweets Kelsey Russo of The Athletic. Allen, who hasn’t played since fracturing his left middle finger on March 6, is listed as “out” on Cleveland’s official injury report.
Allen went through a 15-minute workout before Friday’s game at Brooklyn, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. He wore a splint over the injured finger and did nearly everything one-handed as he simulated a variety of game situations. Every shot he took was with his right hand, Fedor adds.
A source told Fedor that a major concern involves Allen’s pain tolerance, particularly when he catches passes. Allen and the team remain hopeful that he’ll be ready for the Cavs’ first play-in tournament game, which will take place Tuesday if they’re in the 7-8 matchup or Wednesday if they fall to the 9-10 contest.
There’s more from Cleveland:
- The Cavaliers have slumped lately amid a series of injuries, but Darius Garland believes they’re still a “scary” postseason opponent for anyone, whether or not Allen is able to play, Fedor writes in a separate story. “We’re scary with him or without him,” Garland said. “There’s a lot of teams that don’t want to see us with him or without him. We get him back, great. If we don’t, great. We still got basketball games to play.”
- Although Cleveland lost its third straight game Friday, there was some good news, Fedor adds. Rookie star Evan Mobley returned from a five-game absence with a sprained left ankle and contributed 17 points and seven rebounds in 34 minutes.
- In an interview with Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, Kevin Love said this season is the most fun he’s had since winning the NBA title six years ago. Love, who has been through disputes with management in recent years, credits the trust that coach J.B. Bickerstaff has shown in him. “J.B., he’s like, ‘I want you to play free,’” Love said. “You have the green light … so for me, there was no pushback. And from then on, it took me about, I’d say four to six weeks to really feel right and secure and find how I was going to play within our group and different matchups and who I was going to be playing with. I’d say around December is where I found myself within that sixth man role. And then it just grew from there.”
Luka Doncic’s 16th Technical Foul Rescinded
APRIL 9: The NBA has rescinded Doncic’s 16th technical, and he will be eligible to play Sunday, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.
APRIL 8: Mavericks star Luka Doncic received his 16th technical foul on Friday night against the Blazers and faces an automatic one-game suspension for the team’s season finale, according to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.
There’s a chance that the NBA could rescind the technical, which would allow Doncic to play in the finale, a home game against San Antonio on Sunday. Doncic successfully challenged one other technical this season and had it rescinded after a league review.
As ESPN’s Tim MacMahon relays, Doncic was upset about a non-foul call at the end of the first quarter after he was undercut from behind on a half-court shot attempt. He tried to make his case to the referee closest to him, and when that was ignored, he went to crew chief Tony Brothers and asked about the play, only to be T’d up.
“I asked him, ‘How is that not a foul? How is that not a foul?'” Doncic said, offering an explanation to Mavs VP of basketball communications Scott Tomlin. “He T’d me up. That’s unfair. That’s unfair.”
The impending suspension is significant because it could have a major impact on the Western Conference playoff seedings. Dallas is only one game behind Golden State for the No. 3 seed, but holds the tiebreaker — if the Mavs win their last two games and the Warriors lose at least one, the Mavs would jump up to No. 3. The Warriors have back-to-back road games against San Antonio and New Orleans this weekend to finish their season.
Doncic’s technical fouls will be reset when the playoffs start, so his pending suspension will only impact the seedings, not his availability for the postseason. If the technical holds up and he’s suspended, he’ll lose his game check worth $70,168, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).
Nuggets’ Murray, Porter Not Expected To Return For Playoffs
Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. will both miss the Nuggets‘ final regular season game on Sunday, and sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic they are “unlikely to return to action during the postseason” (Twitter link).
Murray, who hasn’t played since suffering an ACL tear last April, is “very close in his process,” Charania adds. Murray will be permitted to make the final decision on when he’s ready to return, and Charania notes that both players have full support from the entire team.
Charania cautions that neither Murray or Porter has been officially ruled out, suggesting their status could change if they make significant improvement.
In response to Charania’s report, Mike Singer of The Denver Post tweets that Murray was telling people on Thursday that he “did not know” whether he might be ready for the playoffs. Singer adds that Murray teased making a statement to reporters at today’s practice, which was taken as a sign that he may soon have positive news to share.
Murray was having a career-best scoring season at 21.2 PPG when he suffered the injury nearly a full year ago. There have been hopeful reports regarding his status in recent days, but no firm indication on whether he’ll attempt to take the court in the playoffs.
Porter played just nine games this season before undergoing lumbar spine surgery in November. He reportedly suffered a “minor setback” in his rehab process last week.