Buddy Hield Signs With New Agent
Kings swingman Buddy Hield has changed his representation, signing with Icona Agency’s Diana Day, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Hield had previously been represented by Brandon Rosenthal of Landmark Sports Agency.
During the 2019 offseason, Hield inked a four-year, $86MM rookie contract extension with Sacramento. The deal also included $20MM in certain contract incentives, tied in to All-Star and NBA Finals appearances. He’s in the second year of that contract, which will expire in 2024.
Hield is enjoying a strong individual season with the Kings as a reserve shooting guard. He is averaging 17.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.1 SPG and 0.9 SPG. Through 14 contests for the 2021/22 season, Hield is shooting .421/.408/.833.
The 6’4″ wing was selected with the sixth pick in the 2016 draft out of Oklahoma by the Pelicans, and was a key part of the trade that sent DeMarcus Cousins to New Orleans.
As of this writing, the 6-8 Kings remain squarely in the hunt for a Western Conference play-in spot. Sacramento is currently the 10th seed in the West.
Klay Thompson Participated In First Post-Injury 5-On-5 Practice
Ahead of tonight’s marquee contest against the Nets, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told Allie LaForce of TNT (Twitter video link) that long-injured shooting guard Klay Thompson partook in his first five-on-five practice since tearing his Achilles last year.
Thompson had already participated in several three-on-three practices at this point, according to LaForce, who noted that five-on-five workouts marked the “next step” for Thompson’s recuperation. A Christmas Day return for Thompson has long been targeted. Without him, the Warriors are a league-leading 12-2, thanks in large part to the MVP caliber play of Thompson’s backcourt mate Stephen Curry.
It’s been a rough two years for Thompson. The former five-time All-Star and three-time champion first missed the entire 2019/20 NBA season due to a torn ACL, then tore his Achilles before the 2021/22 season.
LaForce added that injured Golden State center James Wiseman, meanwhile, has yet to participate in five-on-five workouts with the club. Wiseman suffered a season-ending right meniscus tear last season. He was cleared to begin practicing with the club earlier this month. LaForce cautioned that this isn’t necessarily an indicator that Wiseman would return to the floor for Golden State after Thompson. Wiseman was drafted with the second pick out of Memphis last year.
Khris Middleton Clears COVID-19 Protocols, Will Return To Bucks
Bucks wing Khris Middleton is set to take the floor once again when Milwaukee faces the Lakers on Wednesday, according to Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Middleton has been in the NBA’s health and safety protocols since testing positive for COVID-19 at the beginning of the month.
The 6’7″ wing, a two-time All-Star, has not played for the Bucks since an October 30 loss against the Spurs. Middleton, who rejoined the team for a practice today, has missed eight contests so far. Across his healthy six games this season, Middleton is averaging 20.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 4.5 APG, with a shooting line of .43/.257/.852.
The 30-year-old swingman is among several key players who have been sidelined for the Bucks. Starting shooting guard Donte DiVincenzo, starting center Brook Lopez, and reserve point guard George Hill are all currently absent with injuries. The reigning champs are just 6-8 this season, partially as a result of all these unavailable contributors. Starting point guard Jrue Holiday has also missed six games himself in this early going for the 2021/22 season.
Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer indicated, following a team practice today, that he would impose a minutes restriction on Middleton upon his return.
Pelicans OK One-On-One Drills For Zion Williamson
The Pelicans have green-lit one-on-one contact drills for All-Star forward Zion Williamson, according to a team press release.
The third-year forward, drafted with the top pick out of Duke in 2019, has missed all of the 2021/22 season to this point due to fractured right foot he sustained during the offseason.
The Pelicans add that further medical imaging next week will determine if Williamson can partake in full team practices at this juncture. The latest imaging, conducted on November 11, led to the decision to clear Williamson for the one-on-one drills.
Whenever the 6’7″, 284-pound forward does hit the floor, it will be a massive salve for New Orleans. As of this writing, the club is the No. 14 seed in the Western Conference with a 2-13 record. Forward Brandon Ingram, an All-Star in 2020, missed seven of those 13 losses due to a nagging hip injury.
Williamson has struggled to manage his health and fitness thus far in his NBA career. He played in just 24 games during his rookie season due to a meniscus tear. The 21-year-old holds career averages of 25.7 PPG, 7.0 RPG, and 3.2 APG, on .604/.333/.683 shooting, across 85 contests.
De’Andre Hunter Injures Right Wrist, Will Need Surgery
Starting Hawks small forward De’Andre Hunter has injured a tendon in his right wrist that will require surgery, per a team press release. The 6’8″ wing will undergo a procedure on Monday. Hunter will be sidelined for at least eight weeks while he recuperates, according to the team.
Hunter suffered the injury in a November 8 loss to the Warriors and a subsequent MRI determined the severity. Sarah K. Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution adds (Twitter link) that this means Hunter will now be available, at the earliest, during the second week of January. The 5-9 Hawks need all the help they can get.
In the absence of Hunter today against the Bucks, the Hawks elevated recently-extended swingman Kevin Huerter to the starting small forward slot. Atlanta beat Milwaukee 120-100. Wing Cam Reddish and forward Danilo Gallinari should also play increased roles with Hunter on the shelf.
As our JD Shaw notes (via Twitter), the injury-prone Hunter was also limited to just 23 of 72 contests during the 2020/21 season, and missed most of the Hawks’ Eastern Conference Finals playoff run.
The fourth pick in the 2019 draft out of Virginia, Hunter is averaging 10.8 PPG and 2.7 RPG through 11 games this season, on .450/.395/.400 shooting. That free throw percentage is not a typo.
Atlantic Notes: Simmons, Knicks Chemistry, Thibodeau, Tatum
Should disgruntled Sixers point guard Ben Simmons rejoin his Philadelphia teammates without the proper attitude, the feel-good vibes of the team’s 8-6 season start could take a hit, opines Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Simmons has yet to suit up this season, hoping for a trade out of town.
“I don’t think that’s something we thought about yet,” swingman Danny Green said of a potential Simmons-Sixers reunion this year. “We don’t think it’s going to happen any time soon. But it’s something that hasn’t really crossed our minds yet.”
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- With the Knicks set to play their next three contests at Madison Square Garden, Tommy Beer of Basketball News writes that they have an opportunity to improve the shaky chemistry that has led to the club going 2-4 in its last six games. Starters Julius Randle and RJ Barrett have struggled lately. Beer adds that playing at home will allow for head coach Tom Thibodeau to hold more practices than are possible on the road, which could help the Knicks kick-start their energy.
- To help improve the on-court performance of the Knicks‘ starting five, head coach Tom Thibodeau opted to give his starters stricter set plays and less improvisational optionality in a productive practice today, per Marc Berman of the New York Post. “The first thing you ask [is] are we playing hard enough and executing properly?” Thibodeau said. “If what we’re doing is not good enough, that’s when you change… In all fairness to Julius [Randle] and [starting point guard Kemba Walker], because of who they are, they probably get the brunt of what’s going on. The reality is we have to play well together as a group. It’s not one, two guys. We can say new guys, old guys. We can say first unit, second unit.”
- Celtics All-Star forward Jayson Tatum is struggling through one of his worst-ever shooting stretches, prompting Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe to consider the possible cause of the issue and potential solutions. Tatum currently has a career-worst shooting line of .388/.322/.742.
Bulls’ Coby White To Return From Shoulder Surgery On Monday
Bulls guard Coby White will make his long-awaited return to Chicago’s lineup on Monday night, head coach Billy Donovan said today (Twitter link via K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago).
White has missed all of the 8-4 Bulls’ 2021/22 season to this point while recovering from an offseason surgery on a labrum injury in his left shoulder. The Bulls will face off against the Lakers on the second night of a Los Angeles back-to-back. They play the Clippers later this evening.
A return to action Monday for White had been floated as a possibility earlier this weekend, with the caveat being that he remain healthy in five-on-five contact scrimmages for consecutive days. It appears he has cleared that hurdle.
Selected with the No. 7 pick in the 2019 draft out of North Carolina, White has had an up-and-down first two seasons with the Bulls. During the offseason, front office head honchos Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley almost completely reshaped the team’s roster around All-Star shooting guard Zach LaVine. White is the only other Bull who was on the roster a year ago.
The 6’5″ combo guard is projected to bring some much-needed scoring punch to the team’s bench lineups. Through his first two NBA seasons, the 21-year-old averaged 14.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and 3.8 APG, on .406/.357/.848 shooting splits.
Southeast Notes: Tucker, Kuzma, Avdija, Harrell, Magic
New starting Heat power forward P.J. Tucker has grown comfortable taking on the less-heralded dirty work necessary for contending clubs to thrive, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
“If you want recognition, then my job isn’t a job for you,” Tucker said. “I don’t do highlights. I don’t care. It doesn’t matter to me.” A 36-year-old veteran, Tucker most recently served as a key three-and-D contributor on the 2021 champion Bucks before signing a two-year, $15MM deal with the Heat in free agency. In 13 games with Miami, Tucker is averaging 6.2 PPG and 6.5 RPG. The 8-5 Heat are currently the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.
“He’s just a winning player,” Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said of Tucker. “You’ll notice it when he’s on the other team’s best player defensively. But it’s the block-outs, it’s the rotations, it’s the protect-side defense, and then offensively just getting people open constantly. And he does it in every way possible, whether he’s screening pick-and-roll basketball or off-ball screening. He’s just elite in helping guys get open.”
There’s more out of the Southeast Division:
- Wizards forwards Kyle Kuzma and Deni Avdija are building a quick chemistry both on the hardwood and beyond it, per Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. “I think that he does a great job defending, that’s the No. 1 thing I love about him,” Kuzma said of Avdija. “He’ll mix it up, he’ll defend. He’s coachable, you can talk to him, he receives things. He’s a very sweet kid, a very sweet kid.” Surprisingly, the new-look Wizards have emerged with an Eastern Conference-leading 9-3 record to start the season, and the team’s depth around All-Star shooting guard Bradley Beal is a big reason why. “He’s very professional, he loves the game and likes to work extra,” Avdija said of Kuzma. “Guys that like to work and want to do extra shots or extra work, I’m always getting along with them because I’ve got that mindset, too.”
- New additions Montrezl Harrell and Kyle Kuzma have brought a relentlessness to an improved Wizards team, writes Spencer Davies of Basketball News. “They were around in September, so we didn’t wait ’til the first official day of training camp to say, ‘Hey, let’s start putting in work,'” new head coach Wes Unseld Jr. said. “Those guys were trying to play together, do a small side of [pickup] games, get workouts [in], finding ways to be on the floor and build that chemistry. So it’s paid off for us thus far.” Kuzma explained why he and Harrell appear to be helping contribute to wins right away. “We know how to win in this league. Trezz has always been an underdog his whole entire career being a second-round pick and fighting his way through the G League and all the way to being the Sixth Man [of the Year].”
- Though the rebuilding 3-10 Magic are currently the lowest-seeded team in the Eastern Conference, Austin David of the Orlando Sentinel contends that the team’s young players are showing plenty of promise. Orlando may be struggling to score consistently, but intriguing prospects like point guard Cole Anthony, rookie wing Franz Wagner and even big man Mohamed Bamba have given fans plenty to watch thus far. “We’re a young team that won’t take anything from anybody,” an optimistic Bamba said. “We just want to be a smash-mouth team, making winning plays for not only themselves, but for each other. It’s truly a domino effect.”
Southwest Notes: Kevin Porter Jr., Spurs, Hart, Ingram
Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. has developed a unique sensibility in his new role this season as Houston’s starting point guard, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Porter calls his own style “Scoot ball.”
“Basketball today is hardly traditional,” said Porter of his role with the Rockets. “I tried to become a traditional (point guard), but that’s not me at all. I’m ‘Scoot.’ I get a bucket or set my guy up.”
The 6’4″ guard, who was a small forward during his rookie season with the Cavaliers and a shooting guard last year with the Rockets, is averaging 13.3 PPG, 5.2 APG, 4.2 RPG and 1.2 SPG for a tanking Houston club in the second season of a rebuild.
There’s more out of the Southwest Division:
- Spurs forward Doug McDermott was well aware of teen rookie shooting guard Joshua Primo years before they were teammates, as Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News details. “I’ve been impressed with him for a long time,” McDermott said. “My dad [Creighton head coach Greg McDermott] recruited him really hard at Creighton. I think it came down to Creighton and Alabama. So I’ve been watching Josh for a long time. I’ve always known he was going to be a hell of a player.” The 18-year-old Primo is currently logging significant minutes with San Antonio’s G League affiliate, the Austin Spurs. “[My college decision] came down to [Creighton] and Alabama,” Primo confirmed. “I went to Alabama, but we still kept in touch.”
- Pelicans guard Josh Hart appreciates new head coach Willie Green‘s confidence in his shot creation, per Christian Clark of NOLA.com. “Willie has all the trust in me to go out there and play my game and play with confidence,” Hart said. “I think that’s the biggest thing that we talked about. It wasn’t just standing in the corner and hoping and praying for the ball.”
- Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram returned to action following a seven-game absence due to a hip contusion, and his activity helped fuel just the second New Orleans victory of the year, a 112-101 defeat of the Grizzlies. William Guillory of The Athletic examines how Ingram’s 19 points helped the Pelicans end their nine-game losing streak. Ingram addressed the calming influence of new head coach Willie Green through a tumultuous start to the club’s 2021/22 season. “(He’s) just keeping guys positive — making sure their heads (are) up, making sure they’re staying confident in everything that they’re doing,” Ingram said. “Our guys have put in the work. He sees that, and he just wants everybody to be successful on the basketball floor.”
Timberwolves Notes: Edwards-KAT, Wiggins Trade, Inconsistency
The Timberwolves need to carve out offensive opportunities for both Karl-Anthony Towns and ascendant second-year wing Anthony Edwards, opines Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Towns and Edwards appear to be the current core for Minnesota going forward.
Towns has thrived as a jump shooter but has been somewhat up-and-down scoring from inside the paint this season.
“I think we’ve studied it and just not getting a lot of production out of it, and I think his finishing could be a little better,” Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch said of his post scoring. “I think we can get him to go maybe a little quicker, but by the same token, he’s not getting a lot of the benefit of the doubt down there.”
There’s more out of Minnesota:
- The Timberwolves took a big swing with a 2020 trade that sent swingman Andrew Wiggins and a lightly-protected 2021 first-round draft pick to the Warriors in exchange for D’Angelo Russell, a longtime friend of Towns. Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic revisited the deal, executed by now-former team president Gersson Rosas, in the wake of a big night for Wiggins against Minnesota, noting that Golden State pretty definitively came out the winner. As Krawczynski writes, Wiggins has been a better fit for the Warriors than he was for the Timberwolves. In part because there is less pressure on him to be the 11-1 team’s main scorer, Wiggins can focus more on his improved perimeter defense. Russell, meanwhile, provides little help on defense and has been erratic offensively for the Timberwolves. The Warriors also used the first-rounder to select small forward Jonathan Kuminga with the seventh selection in this summer’s draft.
- After a solid 107-83 victory over the Lakers on Friday night, the Timberwolves struggled to replicate their success against L.A.’s Staples Center neighbors, the Clippers, in a 129-102 loss on Saturday. Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic contends that this is who Minnesota really is: an inconsistent team with issues on both sides of the ball. Krawczynski says the Timberwolves grew complacent following one impressive showing against a Western Conference foe and let their guard down against another. “I feel like that’s really been the problem with us as a team is how do we not get tired of success,” said guard Josh Okogie. “I feel like after we have good performances, we have to be able to put that game behind us and focus on the next one and try to go 1-0 every night.”
- In case you missed it, Luke Adams took a look at the Timberwolves’ offseason, which was focused primarily on retaining some young talent and adding veteran role players around the periphery of its roster.