Sixers Notes: Hield, Covington, Melton, Payne, Martin
Buddy Hield wasn’t surprised by the deal that sent him from the Pacers to the Sixers at last month’s trade deadline, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. Philadelphia was in the market for shooters, also pursuing ex-Pistons marksman Bojan Bogdanovic, who wound up in New York, sources tell Fischer. Even though he hasn’t been on the court yet with Joel Embiid, who suffered a meniscus injury in late January, Hield is glad to be with the Sixers and believes they can become an effective combination.
“You want to go to a team that wants you. You don’t want to go to a team where you’re a piece and it’s like, ‘We’re gonna try this out,’” Hield said. “Other teams are trapping Embiid, so having a three-point shooter to keep guys honest, I know the reason why I was traded here.”
Hield is averaging 15.5 points per game since joining the Sixers while shooting 44% from the field and 42.2% from beyond the arc. He’s also landed a consistent role in the starting lineup, something that didn’t happen in Indiana as coach Rick Carlisle experimented with different backcourt starters alongside Tyrese Haliburton. Hield said he enjoyed the Pacers’ up-tempo approach, but he didn’t believe he had a future with the team after extension talks failed to produce a new contract.
“If a team doesn’t want to re-sign you, we asked them early and you know how it is. It’s the game,” Hield said. “They say they want to sign you and then after it doesn’t happen, the conversations don’t really keep going on the phone, and it’s like talking to a wall, and nobody’s responding back. But after that, you’re under contract, and you have to, like, honor your contract. So it’s one of those deals where you just gotta come in every day and be professional. But I know that the whole vibe was so different.”
There’s more from Philadelphia:
- The Sixers say Robert Covington will be reevaluated in about a week for a bone bruise to his left knee and could resume on-court activities in seven-to-10 days, tweets Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. De’Anthony Melton, who is battling a lumbar spine injury, has started an “offloading” program and will be reevaluated in approximately two weeks.
- Cameron Payne said he was at about 70% because of the flu Tuesday night, but he opted to play because Tyrese Maxey is in concussion protocol, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “I was like, ‘I’m 30 years old. Get out there and play, sick or not,’” Payne said. “‘Just get out there and help your team.’”
- KJ Martin has been effective in his new role as a small-ball big man, observes Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports. Martin was seeing an uptick in his playing time before missing three games with an injury last week.
Jeff Peterson Hopes To Make Hornets NBA’s “Premier Franchise”
New Hornets executive vice president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson is in the unusual position of taking over a front office in the midst of a regular season. In an interview with Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer following today’s introductory press conference, the former Nets executive talked about the advantages of getting a jump on the offseason.
“I think it’s an incredible blessing to have these extra, 20, 21 games, a few weeks left in the season to evaluate,” Peterson said. “And that’s players, roster, the staff — all of it. I’ll look at it as, yeah, maybe it’s a small sample size, but it’s better than nothing. So I’m excited to have this opportunity.”
Peterson is aiming high in his new position, Boone adds, stating several times at the press conference that he wants to turn the Hornets into the NBA’s “premier franchise.” That’s a lofty goal for an organization that hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2017, which is the longest postseason drought in the league. Peterson understands it will take time, but he hopes to make Charlotte a place where the NBA’s best players want to be.
“I think it’s probably a little cliché, but literally it’s one step at a time,” he said. “I’ve seen certain franchises, when you try to skip steps, ultimately you don’t lay that foundation and ultimately it ends up being a failure or a disaster. It doesn’t turn out the way you want it to be. So literally one step at a time.
“We’re going to try to show up every day, be a little bit better, get better in the areas that we need to get better — whether that’s on the court, off the court — being intentional with our details. (Be) process oriented. I can’t give a timeline on it, but hopefully in some years from now we’re in the playoffs and shaving success. But it’s sustainable success.”
Peterson addressed a few more topics in his conversation with Boone, including:
The future of LaMelo Ball, whose last two seasons have been derailed by injuries:
“I’m excited about LaMelo, man. The size, the shooting, the passing, his vision. The way he likes to get others involved. That’s what I like to see in point guards, to control the game. Again, it’s not about him. He also has room to improve, he’s still young. So, we’ve talked a lot about player development, being a staple of the organization and I think all those guys, they’re young and they’ve got a ton of upside.”
The prospects of re-signing Miles Bridges, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer:
“First and foremost, the guy’s durable. He is so robust. He wants to play every game, which quite frankly, you don’t see that in this NBA anymore. So I’m excited about that, a guy that wants to compete night-in and night-out. But his game is impressive. He can shoot, he can guard multiple positions, he’s unselfish. So, I like Miles.”
Other potential changes in the Hornets’ front office:
“I’m going to evaluate the staff. I do think there’s some really, really talented people in that group. I met them now, but previously before getting here I hadn’t met all of them. So, I’m excited to get to know them. We’ll add to the group. For sure we’ll add to the group. But you’ll hear me say this a million times, ‘I can’t do this job all by myself.’ So, I need a staff that’s excited, that’s passionate, loyal, I can trust that wants to be here and help build.”
Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 3/5/2024
Hoops Rumors hosted a live chat today at 11:00 am Central time (noon Eastern).
Hornets Hire Jeff Peterson As New Head Of Basketball Operations
MARCH 5: The Hornets have officially announced in a press release that Peterson has been hired as the club’s executive vice president of basketball operations. The team confirmed that he’ll be the primary basketball decision-maker in addition to leading the front office’s day-to-day operations.
“We’re excited to have Jeff join the Charlotte Hornets as the new leader of our basketball operations,” co-owners Schnall and Gabe Plotkin said in a statement. “He shares our vision, our values and our goal of becoming the premier franchise in the NBA.
“Jeff is a rising star in our league who is known for his player evaluation, his communication skills and his ability to develop strong relationships. His experience of having worked with multiple organizations and different general managers will be a great benefit to us. We look forward to working with Jeff as we continue to build our team and we want to welcome him to Charlotte.”
FEBRUARY 29: Nets executive Jeff Peterson will become the Hornets‘ new head of basketball operations, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
The report is confirmed by Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link), who states that rumors regarding Peterson potentially coming to Charlotte began last summer.
Peterson, 35, worked under Hornets co-owner Rick Schnall in Atlanta early in his career, Wojnarowski notes. Schnall was a minority owner with the Hawks when Peterson started as an intern and worked his way up to assistant general manager within f0ur years.
Peterson also established a strong relationship with Charlotte coach Steve Clifford, who served as a coaching consultant for Brooklyn during the 2021/22 season, Wojnarowski adds.
Sources tell Wojnarowski that the Hornets talked to roughly a dozen candidates before deciding on Peterson. He has been with the Nets since 2019, which is when he became an assistant GM under Sean Marks.
Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link) points out that the Hornets already have some assets in place for their rebuilding project as Peterson takes over. LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller appear to be long-term foundational pieces, and Charlotte will have a high lottery pick in this year’s draft, along with Houston’s second-round selection, which is likely to fall in the top 40.
Shake Milton Signs With Knicks
MARCH 5: The Knicks have officially signed Milton, the team announced today in a press release.
MARCH 2: Shake Milton plans to join the Knicks after clearing waivers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
Multiple contenders were reportedly interested in the 27-year-old shooting guard, who reached a buyout agreement with the Pistons on Friday night, allowing him to appear in the playoffs with another team.
New York will be the third team of the season for Milton, who signed with Minnesota last summer and was shipped to Detroit at the trade deadline. He appeared in just four games for the Pistons and didn’t appear to be in the team’s long-range plans with a non-guaranteed $5MM contract for next season.
The Knicks contacted the Wolves about Milton prior to the deadline, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.
Averaging 4.9 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 42 combined games this season, Milton will provide another wing scoring threat for New York, which is dealing with injuries throughout its roster. He will compete for playing time with two other former Pistons, Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks, who were both acquired in a trade with Detroit last month.
Milton should clear waivers Monday, tweets Steve Popper of Newsday. The Knicks have two roster spots available, with a third opening over night when DaQuan Jeffries‘ 10-day contract expires, so they can add Milton without a corresponding move.
Raptors Sign Gueye To Two-Way Deal, Waive Nowell
1:40pm: The Raptors have officially signed Gueye to a two-way deal. To create roster space, they waived Nowell.
11:02am: G League forward Mouhamadou Gueye will return to the Raptors on a two-way contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Gueye, 25, signed a 10-day deal with the team last month and appeared in one game. He was also in training camp on an Exhibit 10 contract, but was waived before the start of the season.
Gueye has been playing for the Raptors 905, where he’s averaging 14.0 points and 8.7 rebounds in 21 regular season games. This is his second season in the G League after spending last year with the Texas Legends.
After signing D.J. Carton to a two-way deal over the weekend, the Raptors have all three of their two-way slots filled, so another move will have to be made before Gueye’s contract can become official. Markquis Nowell and Jontay Porter are also on two-way contracts and Toronto has an open roster spot, so one of them could be converted to a standard deal.
This is the last day of the season that players can be signed to two-way contracts, so any move will have to be finalized today.
Atlantic Notes: Maxey, Sixers, Simmons, Barnes, Agbaji
Tyrese Maxey capped a rare weekend at home by leading the Sixers to a win at Dallas on Sunday afternoon, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Garland, Texas, native had a large contingent of family members in the crowd to watch his 24-point performance in a much-needed road victory. He had an injury scare when he was struck in the back of the head late in the third quarter, but he said the presence of his family inspired him to keep playing.
“I will say this, when I did hit my head, I saw my twin nieces,” Maxey said. “They were up, like, ‘Boy, you better get up and you better be OK, or we’re coming down there.’”
Pompey notes that Maxey has been forced to become Philadelphia’s primary scorer in the wake of Joel Embiid‘s meniscus injury. At the beginning of the season, coach Nick Nurse wanted Maxey to focus on running the offense and improving his defense. But the loss of Embiid created a need for Maxey to carry more of the offensive load, and the recent addition of Kyle Lowry has taken away some of his play-making duties.
“He’s clearly our best offensive player, like, clearly, and we need him to shoot a lot,” Nurse said. “And he’s still not quite thinking, ‘I’m coming down, I’m going to shoot it like five times in a row if I make one.’ I’m still pushing the aggressive part of it first and foremost, because it’s really not his total nature yet.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Sixers have won back-to-back games since Nurse inserted Lowry and Mohamed Bamba into the starting lineup, Pompey notes in a separate story. Backup big man Paul Reed is coming off the bench again like he was when Embiid was healthy. “I think he’s comfortable in that role,” Maxey said. “That’s the role he plays when the big fella is here. So I think it just got him going. He was out there playing with a lot more energy. I think he likes the new role.”
- Ben Simmons remains on the Nets‘ injury report, although the reason has changed, per Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. Simmons missed the last two games with left leg soreness and sat out the game before that due to rest and maintenance because he hasn’t received medical clearance to play in back-to-backs. He has been ruled out for tonight with a left lower back nerve impingement, a condition that caused him to miss a significant chunk of time earlier this season, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.
- Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said “nothing is off the table” in terms of treatment for Scottie Barnes, who fractured a bone in his left hand last week, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Barnes’ absence has already created an opportunity for Ochai Agbaji, acquired from Utah at the trade deadline, who made his first start with Toronto Sunday night.
Mavericks Sign Alex Fudge To Two-Way Deal
11:42am: Fudge’s new contract is official, the Mavericks announced (via Twitter).
10:17am: Alex Fudge will join the Mavericks on a two-way contract, agent Shayaun Saee of One Legacy Sports tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
The 20-year-old small forward began the season on a two-way deal with the Lakers, appearing in four games before being waived in early January. He returned to the G League’s South Bay Lakers, where he’s averaging 7.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 18 regular season games.
Fudge signed with L.A. last summer after going undrafted out of Florida. He played one season at LSU before joining the Gators.
Dallas will have a full 18-man roster once Fudge’s signing becomes official.
Today marks the last day this season that players can be signed to two-way contracts. Dallas’ deal with Fudge leaves Atlanta, Indiana and New York as the remaining teams that currently have openings.
Devin Booker Expected To Miss 7-10 Days With Sprained Ankle
Suns star Devin Booker will likely be sidelined at least seven-to-10 more days due to the right ankle sprain he suffered Saturday night, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Booker was injured late in Saturday’s game against Houston when he and teammate Royce O’Neale got tangled up on defense. Booker immediately headed to the locker room to get his ankle checked out, and coach Frank Vogel said X-rays were negative.
Booker was held out of Sunday’s game as Oklahoma City staged a late rally to win in Phoenix. Charania notes that the Suns are 31-19 with Booker this season, but only 4-7 when he’s not available.
Phoenix plays three times this week, traveling to Denver on Tuesday before returning home for a game against the Raptors on Thursday and a meeting with the Celtics on Saturday. Booker may be able to play next Monday at Cleveland, but a 10-day absence would push his return to next Thursday in Boston.
Every game without Booker is significant for the Suns, who are currently seventh in the West and are battling to avoid the play-in tournament. He has appeared in 50 of the team’s first 61 contests and continues to be among the league’s most efficient scorers, averaging 27.5 points per game while shooting 49.4% from the field and 37.9% from three-point range.
Southeast Notes: Hornets, Bridges, Fultz, Coulibaly
Injuries and losses continue to pile up for the Hornets after a brief upturn last month, but head coach Steve Clifford won’t consider tanking over the final 21 games, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.
With five rotation members sidelined, Charlotte dropped a close game at Toronto on Sunday night for its fifth loss in the last six games. At 15-46, the Hornets have the league’s fourth-worst record and are two games ahead of San Antonio for a chance to become one of three teams with the best odds at the No. 1 pick, but Clifford doesn’t want to approach the rest of the season that way.
“Look, we’re shorthanded and there’s a big difference between in some of the games you play, there’s going to be a real challenge to win,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean you play losing basketball. And there’s a big difference between teams that just pack it in and teams that play the right way and win. And I think as an organization, I think trying to win every game is a big thing.”
Seth Curry, Cody Martin and Nick Richards are the latest additions to Charlotte’s injured list, and they were on the bench in street clothes Sunday along with LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams. Boone notes that two-way players Amari Bailey and Leaky Black have been called up to provide some depth, and Marques Bolden was re-signed to a two-way contract last week two days after being waived.
Clifford points out that the remainder of the season will be crucial for those inexperienced players as they try to establish themselves in the NBA, and he doesn’t want to expose them to a culture that’s focused on losing.
“With younger players, to me, it’s absolutely critical that they understand the importance of getting better every day,” Clifford said. “I’m a firm believer, especially for younger guys, that their first experience is the way they view the league, the way they have to be taught how to be a good NBA player. I think they have to gain an understanding of how to win.”
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Miles Bridges didn’t experience any customs issues during this trip to Canada, Boone tweets. The Hornets forward was denied access to the country during the team’s December 18 visit because of his legal issues.
- Markelle Fultz was the only Magic reserve to score in double figures Sunday night as he continues to come off the bench after missing three games due to an aching left knee. Fultz told Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel that he isn’t concerned about not starting (Twitter link). “If I’m in the game, [I’m] playing as hard as I can,” Fultz said. “But I don’t really care about that, man. I care about winning any way possible.”
- After missing three games with a pelvic contusion, rookie Bilal Coulibaly isn’t on the Wizards‘ injury report for tonight’s game at Utah, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic.