Eastern Notes: Heat, Crowder, Embiid, Magic, Bulls
The Heat have frequently been cited as a potential trade suitor for Suns forward Jae Crowder, but a source who has spoken to Miami’s front office believes the Heat may only be interested in Crowder if he’s bought out, reports Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
Jackson adds that the Heat would likely still have interest in trading for Crowder if the Suns are willing to accept a “bad contract,” which is presumably a reference to Duncan Robinson‘s deal — it still has three years and $57MM+ left after this season. However, the Suns won’t want to take on Robinson and are a good bet to eventually find a deal they like for Crowder without having to resort to a buyout. In other words, if Jackson’s source is right, it sounds like Miami is a long shot to land the veteran forward.
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- The Sixers will be without star center Joel Embiid on Wednesday vs. Indiana due to left foot soreness, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Embiid landed on Jaxson Hayes‘ foot during the fourth quarter of Monday’s game vs. New Orleans, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link), who says the big man will be considered day-to-day moving forward.
- Magic center Wendell Carter and swingman Gary Harris have played limited roles since returning from injuries on December 23 — neither player has seen more than 25 minutes of action in any of their three games back. However, Carter and Harris will have their minutes restrictions lifted on Wednesday, per head coach Jamahl Mosley. Orlando still has four players serving suspensions and will have just nine players available vs. Oklahoma City, tweets Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel.
- Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago evaluates 11 hypothetical – and perhaps far-fetched – deadline trades for the Bulls submitted by fans.
Obi Toppin Cleared To Return For Knicks
Knicks forward Obi Toppin will be available for Wednesday’s home game against the Spurs, the team announced today (via Twitter).
Toppin has missed the Knicks’ last 13 contests due to a non-displaced fracture in his right fibula head. He sustained the injury on December 7 vs. Atlanta.
A former eighth overall pick, Toppin was a regular part of New York’s rotation prior to his injury, appearing in all 25 of the team’s games and averaging 17.1 minutes per night. He contributed 7.7 PPG and 3.8 RPG on .421/.351/.824 shooting in his part-time role. However, it doesn’t sound as if Toppin will be immediately reinserted into the Knicks’ rotation.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters on Wednesday that the 24-year-old will assume a “situational” role, which is typically what he says about players who only see garbage-time minutes, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link). Although Toppin has been cleared to return, he’ll need more practice time to get fully back up to speed, adds Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link).
Knicks point guard Derrick Rose, who missed Monday’s game due to a left knee contusion, will also be available on Wednesday, per the team, and will also play a “situational” role, per Thibodeau (Twitter link via Begley).
Health Updates: LeBron, Walker, Prince, Bucks, SGA
LeBron James has been helping to keep the Lakers in the play-in race, averaging 36.6 points per game on 58.5% shooting during the club’s 3-2 road trip that wrapped up on Monday.
However, James won’t be available when the Lakers return home and host the Heat on Wednesday. He has been ruled out for the game due to a non-COVID illness, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
Lakers guard Lonnie Walker will also miss his third consecutive contest, McMenamin adds. Previously listed as out due to a tailbone contusion, Walker is now on the injury report with left knee soreness.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Timberwolves forward Taurean Prince intends to make his return to action on Wednesday night vs. Portland, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Prince, who was dealing with a right shoulder subluxation, last played on November 23 — he has missed Minnesota’s last 20 games.
- After playing on Tuesday night vs. Washington, Jrue Holiday (non-COVID illness) and Joe Ingles (left knee injury management) have been ruled out for the second half of the Bucks‘ back-to-back set on Wednesday in Toronto, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Khris Middleton (right knee soreness) and George Hill (non-COVID illness) will also remain sidelined.
- Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed Tuesday’s game due to a non-COVID illness, but he’s not on Wednesday’s injury report, so it appears he’ll be available tonight in Orlando, tweets Rylan Stiles of Locked on Thunder.
Mavericks Open Extension Talks With Christian Wood
JANUARY 4: The Mavericks have begun talking to Wood’s camp about a possible extension, league sources tell Marc Stein (Substack story). Like MacMahon, Stein suggests the team prefers a shorter-term commitment, writing that Dallas is considered unlikely to offer a four-year deal.
Although the Mavs have expressed a desire to retain Wood beyond this season, they’re widely expected to gauge his trade market if they can’t agree to terms on an extension before February 9, Stein adds.
JANUARY 3: The Mavericks are interested in a two-year extension for Christian Wood, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
Wood recently became eligible to sign an extension of up to four years at $77MM, but the team prefers a shorter commitment, sources tell MacMahon. The most the Mavs could offer on a two-year in-season extension would be about $35.7MM.
Wood is still finding his role in Dallas after being acquired from the Rockets in an offseason trade. He’s second on the team in scoring at 17.8 PPG, and he appears to have developed a chemistry with Luka Doncic.
The Mavs were reluctant to give Wood major responsibilities right away due to long-time concerns about his defense and efficiency. But an injury to Maxi Kleber and a disappointing season from JaVale McGee created an opening for Wood to move into the starting lineup. He’s averaging 19.7 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game in that role, and the team is 7-1 in the games that he and Doncic have both started.
Still, the original concerns about Wood haven’t gone away, MacMahon adds, and the Mavericks may not know for sure how reliable he can be until they see him in the playoffs. Dallas gives up 119.8 points per 100 possessions when Wood is the only big man on the court with Doncic, but the offense is compensating by averaging 121.9 points in that situation.
“I’m happy to be here. That’s what I’ll say,” Wood told reporters on Christmas Day. “The vibe is good. … I’m open to it.” However, he responded “I can’t answer that” when asked if it would take a four-year offer to keep him in Dallas.
If the Mavericks can’t work out an extension agreement with Wood, they run the risk of having him leave in free agency, just as Jalen Brunson did last summer. They may look to the trade market to get some value in return, and MacMahon notes that the team could have a difficult decision to make with the February 9 deadline barely five weeks away.
Hornets Deny Being Engaged In Talks With Miles Bridges
A report published two days before Christmas last month indicated that the Hornets and forward Miles Bridges were discussing a possible contract and were “gathering traction” in their negotiations. However, the Hornets deny that they’re in talks with the restricted free agent, according to Paige Masten of The Charlotte Observer.
“We have not been engaged in contract negotiations with Miles Bridges,” the Hornets told Masten in a statement.
Bridges was on track to be one of the top free agents in the class of 2022, but was arrested and charged with felony domestic abuse just days before his rookie contract expired, casting doubt on his NBA future. He was accused of assaulting his then-girlfriend in front of their two children.
Bridges ultimately worked out a plea deal with prosecutors in Los Angeles County, agreeing to plead no contest to one charge of felony domestic violence while two child abuse counts were dismissed. The 24-year-old avoided jail time by accepting three years of probation. He was ordered to attend a year’s worth of domestic violence counseling sessions and parenting classes in addition to completing 100 hours of community service.
Given the details of Bridges’ case, the Hornets are sure to face criticism if they bring back the forward, who may face a lengthy suspension from the NBA before he’s allowed to play. With that in mind, it’s hard to know with any certainty how genuine their statement is.
It’s notable that the Hornets didn’t rush to dispute Adrian Wojnarowski’s report about their alleged talks with Bridges when it was published in December. It’s also worth noting that the Hornets said they “have not been engaged” in discussions with Bridges, rather than simply stating they “have not engaged” in negotiations with him — there may be some semantics at play there, with the team indicating that the talks haven’t been ongoing.
According to Masten, the Hornets declined to comment when asked if they’ve ruled out the possibility of bringing back Bridges.
Based on Woj’s report last month and the fact that the Hornets haven’t made a clear effort to distance themselves from Bridges, I suspect he’ll be back under contract with Charlotte at some point. Still, the team’s statement to Masten suggests it might yet be a while before it happens.
Pistons Hire Brian Adams As Assistant Coach
JANUARY 4: The Pistons have announced the addition of Adams to their staff in a press release, the team’s PR department tweets.
DECEMBER 31: The Pistons are adding another assistant coach to their ranks, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports that Brian Adams is joining Monty Williams‘ staff.
After working as a video coordinator for several years in Boston under Doc Rivers, Adams served as an assistant coach with multiple NCAA programs, including Harvard. He eventually joined the Clippers’ staff as a coaching associate under Rivers in 2014 and was named the head coach of Los Angeles’ G League affiliate in 2018.
Adams left the Clippers organization along with Rivers in 2020 and became an assistant on the Sixers’ staff from 2020-23 before departing Philadelphia following Rivers’ dismissal this past offseason.
Adams subsequently accepted a job as the head coach of Taipei in Taiwan’s T1 League for the 2023/24 season, but according to Wojnarowski, he’s returning stateside and joining the Pistons on their upcoming Western Conference road trip, which begins on Monday and runs through January 7.
As Woj notes, the Pistons have been missing a member of Williams’ bench for nearly the entire season, with assistant Dan Burke away from the club for personal reasons. Williams said just over a month ago that the veteran coach was still part of his staff, but the hiring of Adams is a sign that Detroit may not expect Burke back anytime soon.
Southeast Notes: Suggs, Isaac, Adebayo, Martin
After being a “full go” at practice Monday and Tuesday, Magic guard Jalen Suggs is hoping to be ready for game action this week, according to Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel. Suggs has been sidelined with right ankle soreness since November 25 and has only played in 14 games this season.
It’s been a frustrating start for Suggs, who was limited to 48 games as a rookie after being taken with the fifth pick in the 2021 draft. At Wednesday’s shootaround, coach Jamahl Mosley said Suggs won’t play tonight against the Thunder, but “there’s a possibility” he might be available when Orlando hosts the Grizzlies on Thursday.
“I’ve had the biggest smile on my face these past two weeks, just being able to do more every day, ramping up,” Suggs said. “Going from the weight room to actual on-court workouts to (1-on-1 games) to 3s to now playing 5s. All of it’s been great.”
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Although Jonathan Isaac also practiced this week, the Magic aren’t planning for him to start playing soon, Price tweets. Isaac, who hasn’t played since the NBA bubble at Disney World, is recovering from a torn ACL in 2020 and a setback he suffered in March. “Jalen is obviously going to be further along than (Isaac),” Mosley said. “JI’s going to be sometime down the road. Have to get some more practices under his belt to get comfortable with these guys and group.”
- Heat center Bam Adebayo has responded to management’s desire for him to take on a larger role in the offense by averaging career highs this season with 21.5 points and 15.6 shots per game, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Adebayo posted his second consecutive 30-point game in Monday’s victory over the Clippers. “I saw him this summer,” Victor Oladipo said. “I saw the work he put in, I saw his growth. It’s no shock to people who’ve seen his grind. So, it’s no shock. I’m not surprised he’s having the year he’s having.”
- Hornets forward Cody Martin feels ready to return following his long absence caused by an opening-night knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery, tweets Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Martin has been listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game against Memphis. “It’s just tough,” he said. “Nobody wants to sit out any games, much less however many games I sat out. So, I’m just looking forward to getting back.”
Central Notes: Donovan, LaVine, Ivey, LeVert
Last-Two Minute Reports have shown that the Bulls were on the wrong end of some critical calls during their past two games, but that’s little consolation for coach Billy Donovan, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic.
“It doesn’t do anything,” Donovan said after Monday’s overtime loss at Cleveland. “It’s like, ‘We’re sorry.’”
The NBA determined that officials in that game missed a lane violation on Donovan Mitchell when he sank a game-tying shot with three seconds left in regulation after rebounding his intentionally missed free throw. The league’s report also said a travel by Cleveland center Jarrett Allen was missed before he scored with 8.9 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
The NBA acknowledged that two nights earlier, DeMar DeRozan was fouled by Cavaliers guard Caris LeVert on a potential game-winning shot as time expired. The Bulls also were the victim of a missed call at the end of their second game of the season. Three extra wins would have Chicago on the verge of a top-six spot in the East instead of its current position outside the play-in tournament, but Donovan said the team can’t dwell on officiating mistakes.
“We’ve got to overcome things. I’m just a big believer of that,” he said. “I think a lot of times you can look around and look at what everybody else is doing wrong instead of looking at yourself and what we can do better ourselves and what we have control over.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Bulls guard Zach LaVine said this week that he doesn’t mind seeing the team’s last-second shots going to DeMar DeRozan, but K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago doubts whether LaVine was being honest with that statement. Sources tell Johnson that LaVine has “questioned his role internally” as a complementary player to DeRozan.
- Pistons guard Jaden Ivey is making an impression on rival coaches during the first half of his rookie season, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. Although the No. 5 pick needs to improve his shooting numbers, his athletic gifts suggest that he has a bright NBA future. “You watch him the open floor and he’s dangerous,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “He’ll continue to develop his shot. He’ll get better as time progresses. That’s just how those guys are.”
- LeVert is considered the Cavaliers‘ top trade asset heading into next month’s deadline, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com said on his latest podcast. Fedor explains that LeVert has an expiring contract and his $18.8MM salary is in the range of players that Cleveland might want to acquire.
Wizards Notes: Beal, Davis, Gafford, Three-Point Shooting
Bradley Beal isn’t sure how long soreness in his left hamstring will continue to be an issue, writes Ava Wallace of The Washington Post. Beal returned from a three-game absence Tuesday, but he was only able to play during the first half of the Wizards‘ loss at Milwaukee. He felt the hamstring tighten up and checked out of the game late in the second quarter.
“I tried to make a few accelerations, and (it) kind of prevented me from doing that,” Beal told reporters. “It’s frustrating because I didn’t have that the last 48 hours. Nobody wants to play more than me. But I’ve just got to be smart about it.”
Beal has been available for just 24 of Washington’s 39 games. He missed five games in November while in health and safety protocols and six more in December with a strained right hamstring. Beal couldn’t offer any insight about when he expects to be 100% again, saying that the latest injury can be aggravated by normal basketball activities.
“It’s tough. It is frustrating. I always preach your best ability is your availability, and I haven’t been that. That piece is definitely frustrating, but I have to be encouraged and understand that there’s still more that I can contribute to the game,” Beal said. “… It’s tough because we’re playing good ball. I want to be a part of that.”
There’s more on the Wizards:
- Johnny Davis, a rookie guard out of Wisconsin, didn’t accompany the team for its four-day stay in Milwaukee because he’s being treated for a hip injury, Wallace adds. Although Davis has spent much of the season in the G League, appearing in just 10 NBA games so far, coach Wes Unseld Jr. indicated that he might have been brought on the trip if not for the injury.
- Daniel Gafford also left Tuesday’s game early, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Gafford was pulled from the contest in the fourth quarter with a right elbow issue after a series of collisions with Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Wizards didn’t provide any information on Gafford’s status, but they have two days off for him to recover before their next game.
- Outside shooting may be the team’s priority heading into the trade deadline, Hughes states in a separate story. Washington shot just 8-for-27 (29.5%) from beyond the arc in Tuesday’s loss, and Hughes notes that it’s the 21st time this season that the Wizards have made 10 or fewer three-pointers. They’re last in the league in threes made by their guards, so that could be an area to address in the trade market, particularly if Beal’s playing status remains uncertain.
And-Ones: Campazzo, Vildoza, Two-Ways, Rookies
Serbian team Crvena Zvezda has been sanctioned by the EuroLeague for overdue payments to players and will be prohibited from registering new players until February 28, per BasketNews.com.
That means that former Nuggets and Mavericks point guard Facundo Campazzo, who reached a contract agreement with the team after being waived by Dallas, may not be able to suit up in EuroLeague games until March.
Crvena Zvezda issued a statement calling the sanctions “extremely severe” and announcing that they intend to fight them (link via BasketNews).
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Argentinian guard Luca Vildoza, currently a member of Crvena Zvezda, spent time with the Knicks and Bucks from 2021-22, but injuries and timing prevented him from ever getting a real chance to earn a rotation spot. While Vildoza has some good memories from his time in the NBA, including practicing with Giannis Antetokounmpo, he’s disappointed that things didn’t work out for him stateside. “It’s painful that I didn’t have the right chance,” Vildoza said (link via Eurohoops). “But I’m here now, and I try not to think about it.”
- NBA teams seem more inclined this season to use their two-way contract slots to churn through back-of-the-roster players, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link), who notes that the Heat have signed five different players to seven total two-way deals since July. That trend may continue even when the 10-day contract signing period opens on Thursday, since two-way players don’t count against the cap or tax, Marks writes.
- In the latest update to his rookie rankings for 2022/23, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic has moved Thunder guard Jalen Williams and Hawks forward AJ Griffin into third and fourth place, respectively. Both players are providing relatively steady and efficient production as starting wings, Vecenie says, adding that Griffin’s floor spacing, in particular, has been crucial in Atlanta.