All-Star Game Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Young, Magic, Wizards, Biyombo

February 9th, 2021 at 10:01pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Unlike some other probable All-Stars who have expressed reluctance about playing in a potential March 7 All-Star Game in Atlanta, Hawks point guard Trae Young has said he would relish the opportunity to participate if he earns a second straight All-Star berth, according to Sarah K. Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“I understand both sides,” said Young, who is averaging 26.7 PPG, 9.2 APG, and 4.0 RPG for the 11-12 Hawks. “Obviously, it’s in Atlanta, I’d love to be a part of it, if there is a game.”

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

Magic assistant general manager Matt Lloyd spoke with Josh Robbins of The Athletic about how the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Orlando’s scouting process. “We’ve gotten to the point with technology where we have so much to study,” Lloyd acknowledged. “Every game is on film… But there is still an advantage of being able to see how prospects look in person. There’s always going to be that one element of being in an arena or in a gym and being able to size players up to get some sort of sense of their real physicality, their size, their length and how fast they are.”
The Wizards have been performing better when $41.4MM point guard Russell Westbrook sits, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic. In a somewhat alarming trend, Washington is 4-3 without Westbrook and 2-12 with him this season. Washington is 7.7 points per 100 possessions worse when Westbrook plays for the club this year.
Hornets center Bismack Biyombo is relishing his role as a mentor with a scrappy Charlotte team, according to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports. Biyombo has become a key advisor to rookie guard LaMelo Ball, the No. 3 pick in the 2020 draft. “I was telling LaMelo when I first got to the league I was his age because I came from overseas as well,” Biyombo said. “The transition, how far you grow from playing overseas versus when you see kids who come out of college, it’s totally two different mindsets.”

Community Shootaround: Do We Need An All-Star Game?

February 6th, 2021 at 9:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The NBA has a literal all-star team opposed to playing the All-Star Game this year.

Since an agreement was announced Thursday between the league and the players union to hold the game March 7 in Atlanta, LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard and De’Aaron Fox have all spoken out against it.

Their objections are obvious. Twenty-three games have already been postponed due to COVID-19, and players are required to submit to frequent testing and follow a regimented lifestyle to make sure they haven’t been exposed to the virus. League personnel are even being forbidden to gather outside of their homes to watch the Super Bowl. But the NBA is planning to bring players from all over the country into Atlanta for the game and possibly skills competitions as well.

Leonard offered the best explanation for why the league insists on going through with the event.

“We all know why we’re playing it,” he said Friday. “It’s money on the line; it’s an opportunity to make more money. Just putting money over health right now, pretty much. … We’re playing games now, and it’s still a pandemic, doing all these protocols and rules, so it doesn’t really surprise me.”

The NBA has a serious need for revenue after going through nearly an entire calendar year with no paying customers, apart from severely limited capacity in 11 arenas. One of those is in Atlanta, which is why the city was chosen to host this year in place of Indianapolis, which will be given the 2024 game.

NBPA president Chris Paul is among the strongest advocates for holding a game and hopes to have proceeds benefit historically Black colleges and universities and COVID-19 relief efforts, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Still, prominent players continue to express their opposition, and the league may have to rethink its position if the outcry grows strong enough. Opt-out clauses are believed to be part of the discussions, Wojnarowski reports, so no player would be forced to participate.

We want to get your opinion. Should the NBA hold an All-Star Game under the current conditions? Please leave your responses in the comments section.

Wizards Notes: Brooks, Bertans, Winston, Hachimura, Avdija

February 6th, 2021 at 3:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Wizards head coach Scott Brooks doesn’t think the All-Star Game should be played this season, Fred Katz of The Athletic tweets. The league and the National Basketball Players Association agreed to hold it in Atlanta next month.

“I saw (LeBron James‘) thoughts on it. I agree. I’m upset,” Brooks said. “I love Atlanta, but I don’t want to go. I’ve been to two All-Star Games…and I don’t want to go. I agree with him.”

We have more on the Wizards:

Davis Bertans re-signed with the club for five years and $80MM in November, but his 3-point stroke has been off this season. Katz breaks down Bertans’ struggles in an in-depth Athletic story. Bertans is shooting 33.1% from long range after making 42% of his attempts the past two seasons and it appears he still doesn’t have his legs under him, according to Katz.
Rookie guard Cassius Winston has been transferred to the Erie BayHawks to play in the G League season in Orlando, the team tweets. Washington’s G League team, the Capital City Go-Go, is not participating in the event. The second-round pick out of Michigan State has appeared in six NBA games and will receive much-needed playing time in Orlando.
Prior to Washington’s 27-point loss to Miami on Friday, second-year forward Rui Hachimura and rookie forward Deni Avdija appeared to be trending in the right direction after the team’s COVID-19 pause, Ava Wallace of the Washington Post writes.

And-Ones: All-Star Game, Super Bowl, Trade Restrictions, Jerebko

February 6th, 2021 at 2:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

LeBron James publicly spoke out this week against holding an All-Star Game this year. Several other stars have joined that chorus, according to Eric Woodyard of ESPN.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, James Harden and Kawhi Leonard also made their feelings public on Friday after the league and Players Association agreed to hold an All-Star Game in Atlanta on March 7.

“I’ve got zero energy, zero excitement,” Antetokounmpo said. “At the end of the day, if they tell us we’re going to show up, we’ve got to do our job. … Inside, deep down, I don’t want to do it. I want to get some break.”

We have more from the basketball world:

The league is discouraging players and personnel from holding Super Bowl parties, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. They are not permitted to gather outside of their home for Super Bowl Sunday. At home, individuals are expected to watch the game only with household members. Team members that are on the road may host up to four family members or close friends in a hotel with advance testing.
Trade restrictions on most free agents that signed contracts this offseason have been lifted, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. A total of 90 players that signed offseason deals are trade-eligible, while 29 others are still restricted in some fashion, Marks adds. However, there haven’t been any trades on the date that those restrictions were lifted in prior seasons, dating back to 2012, Marks adds.
Former NBA big man Jonas Jerebko had his contract with BC Khimki Moscow terminated last month and he told Swedish news organization Aftonbladet that his time there was an unpleasant experience, Sportando relays. The dispute began when Jerebko asked permission to visit his family in December. “The day before departure my agent writes me. He told me I could stay at home. Coach said I might not come back. It was not such a difficult decision to stay at home when he said so. Since then, there have been some non-payments and stuff like that.”

And-Ones: Vaccines, Ball, Trade Candidates, Defenders, All-Star Voting

February 5th, 2021 at 6:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

In an effort to alleviate players’ – and some coaches’ – fears and skepticism about receiving COVID-19 vaccines, the NBA is arranging mandatory meetings over the next two weeks between its top medical expert and all 30 teams, Sam Amick, Joe Vardon and David Aldridge of The Athletic report. Teams felt there was a need to provide information and insight on this issue to its players.

The NBA wants everyone associated with the game — players, coaches, referees and chief front office personnel — to get the shots, not only for safety reasons but also as part of a national volunteering-public relations campaign.

We have more from around the basketball world:

LaMelo Ball ranks as the leading candidate for the Rookie of the Year award, according to Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. The Hornets guard ranks first in assists and steals, second in rebounding and third in scoring among all rookies despite coming off the bench in all but two games. Kings guard Tyrese Haliburton sits in second place for Wasserman, who ranks the rookies from 10-1.
With Wizards guard Bradley Beal apparently off the market, there won’t be another blockbuster trade this season to rival the James Harden deal, Tim Bontemps of ESPN opines. Some of the players who could be moved by March’s trade deadline are Lonzo Ball, J.J. Redick, P.J. Tucker, George Hill, Evan Fournier and Aaron Gordon, though Hill and Gordon are currently injured.
Rudy Gobert‘s contract with the Jazz is a rare case in which a defensive stalwart is compensated like a elite scorer, Aldridge notes in a separate Athletic story. Aldridge takes a closer look at why top defenders are generally not as valued as scorers.
Kevin Durant has received the most All-Star votes in the early returns, JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors tweets. Beal is the top vote-getter among Eastern Conference guards. LeBron James has the most votes among Western Conference forwards and Stephen Curry leads all Western Conference guards by a wide margin.

Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Curry, Celtics, Raptors

February 5th, 2021 at 3:40pm CST by JD Shaw

Sixers star Joel Embiid is widely expected to make the All-Star team this season, but the 26-year-old wouldn’t commit to playing in the game when asked about it on Thursday, Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes.

Embiid is currently enjoying a career-best season, averaging 29.1 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per contest. He’s made the All-Star Game in each of his last three campaigns.

“I am not sure if I am going to make it, but hopefully I get the chance to be part of it once again,” Embiid said. “I have always been conservative. I have always voiced my opinion since the pandemic started, starting with the bubble, wasn’t really all [for it] and then the season.”

Embiid isn’t the first player to seemingly voice concerns over the All-Star Game being held, with Kings star De’Aaron Fox recently opposing the decision and Lakers superstar LeBron James also speaking out against the idea on Thursday night. The game is currently set be held on March 7 in Atlanta.

Here are some other notes from the Atlantic Division:

Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer examines how Seth Curry‘s recovery from COVID-19 has impacted his performance. Curry was acquired by the Sixers last offseason, most recently going scoreless in the team’s loss on Thursday (0-for-1 shooting in 12 minutes). He also didn’t record a point on Wednesday, shooting 0-for-3 in nearly 29 minutes.
Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston explores the Celtics‘ 10 most valuable trade assets. Boston has several young players on its roster and a $28.5MM trade exception, making them a team worth watching ahead of the March 25 trade deadline. The club is currently 11-9.
Blake Murphy of The Athletic examines topics related to Raptors guard Malachi Flynn, trade scenarios and Plan B’s in his latest mailbag. Toronto has opened the season with a 9-12 record, though the team is 6-4 in its last 10 games.

LeBron James Speaks Out Against All-Star Game

February 5th, 2021 at 9:47am CST by Arthur Hill

LeBron James has been an All-Star for the past 16 seasons, but he doesn’t believe this year’s game should be played, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

The most prominent voice among NBA players, James told the media after Thursday’s game that he believes it’s a mistake to hold the event while the pandemic continues. Twenty-three games have been postponed since the season began.

“I have zero energy and zero excitement about an All-Star Game this year,” he said. “I don’t even understand why we’re having an All-Star Game.”

James is also unhappy about not having a mid-season break after a short offseason, calling it a “slap in the face” for him and his teammates. Because last year’s NBA Finals lasted through October 11, the Lakers had just 71 days off before training camp began.

The NBA and its players union reached an agreement Thursday to hold the game March 7 in Atlanta, rather than Indianapolis, which had originally been scheduled to host. Atlanta is one of nine cities currently allowing fans at home games. It isn’t clear whether other All-Star weekend events, such as the skills competition, 3-point competition and dunk contest, will be part of the arrangement.

“We’re also still dealing with a pandemic,” James said. “We’re still dealing with everything that’s been going on, and we’re going to bring the whole league into one city that’s open? Obviously, the pandemic has absolutely nothing to do with it at this point when it comes to that weekend. Obviously, you guys can see that I’m not very happy about it.”

Kings guard De’Aaron Fox was the first player to speak out publicly after the agreement was announced, calling it “stupid” and asking, “If we have to wear masks and do all this for a regular game, what’s the point of bringing the All-Star Game back?”

James adds a very loud dissenting voice, although his objections may not matter now that the union has agreed to go through with the game.

“It’s the agreement that the players’ association and the league came about. … It’s out of my hands,” James said. “I’ll be there if I’m selected. But I’ll be there physically, but not mentally.”

NBA, Players Association Agree To Hold All-Star Game

February 4th, 2021 at 7:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

7:45pm: The league and NBPA now expect to officially finalize their agreement for scheduling the Atlanta-based All-Star game by next week, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

8:14am: The NBA and the Players Association have reached an agreement to hold the All-Star Game in Atlanta on March 7, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. They are expected to finalize the plans by Thursday, Charania adds.

The 2021 NBA All-Star weekend was originally scheduled to take place in Indianapolis, but the league postponed it. Indiana will now host the All-Star festivities in 2024.

Chris Paul, the president of the players’ union, has been among those pushing a revamped All-Star Game in Atlanta, which he’d like to use to benefit historically black colleges and universities and COVID-19 relief.

It remains to be seen whether any other events will be held that day. It was previously reported that All-Star weekend would be condensed into a single-night event at State Farm Arena and would also include skills competitions.

Not all potential All-Stars are on board with playing an All-Star Game this year during the pandemic. On Wednesday, Kings guard De’Aaron Fox called the idea of playing an ASG “stupid,” Jason Jones of The Athletic tweets.

“I’m going to be brutally honest, I think it’s stupid,” Fox said. “If we have to wear masks and do all this for a regular game, what’s the point of bringing the All-Star Game back?”

De’Aaron Fox On 2021 All-Star Game: “I Think It’s Stupid”

February 4th, 2021 at 2:03pm CST by JD Shaw

Kings guard De’Aaron Fox is opposed to the NBA holding an All-Star Game this season, giving an honest assessment of the situation after Sacramento defeated Boston 116-111 on Wednesday night.

“If I’m going to be brutally honest, I think it’s stupid,” Fox said, as relayed by Sean Cunningham of ABC 10. “If we have to wear masks and do all of this for a regular game, what’s the point in bringing the All-Star Game back? Obviously, money makes the world go round, so it is what it is. I’m not really worried about it. If I’m voted (in), so be it.”

The pandemic has forced the NBA to postpone 23 games so far this season, as shown in our 2020/21 Game Postponement Tracker. The league announced 16 positive tests on January 13, 11 positive tests on January 20, one positive test the following week, and zero positive tests on Wednesday.

Fox, 23, is averaging a career-high 22.3 points, 6.6 assists and 32.6 minutes per game this season, making him a candidate to become a first-time All-Star. When asked whether he’d play in the game, Fox made it clear there wouldn’t be much of a choice.

“If you’re supposed to be in it, you’re not hurt and you decide not to play, that’s a hefty fine,” Fox said while laughing. “So hell yeah I would play in it.”

The All-Star Game is set to be held in Atlanta on Sunday, March 7, with additional details forthcoming. There has been some chatter that the league won’t make participation mandatory for the players chosen as All-Stars this time around.

NBA, NBPA Progressing Toward Agreement On All-Star Game

February 2nd, 2021 at 10:09am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association are making progress toward an agreement to hold an All-Star Game on Sunday, March 7 in Atlanta, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. If finalized, it would be a single-night event at State Farm Arena that includes both a game and skills competitions, Wojnarowski adds.

The 2021 NBA All-Star weekend was originally scheduled to take place in Indianapolis, but the league postponed it — Indiana will now host the All-Star festivities in 2024.

Chris Paul, the president of the players’ union, has been among those pushing a revamped All-Star Game in Atlanta, which he’d like to use to benefit historically black colleges and universities and COVID-19 relief, Woj notes.

The idea of holding an All-Star Game at all amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has faced “resistance and skepticism” from a number of players and team executives, who view it as an unnecessary risk, according to Wojnarowski.

The safer approach would be to select two All-Star teams but not require players to travel from all over the country to a single site for a game, since one positive test among that group could result in mass postponements around the league at the start of the second half.

Still, the NBA sounds committed to trying to hold an All-Star Game, which is typically one of the league’s top events in terms of fan engagement, Wojnarowski observes. If an agreement can be officially reached, it would include a number of extra safeguards and protocols related to health and safety. Those details are still being negotiated.

The two sides are also believed to be discussing giving players the opportunity to opt out of participating in the game, which is usually mandatory for those selected, sources tell ESPN.