Southeast Notes: Carter, Wizards, Ball, Martin
The Magic welcomed back starting center Wendell Carter Jr. this week after he missed 20 games due to surgery on a fractured bone in his left hand, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Carter got an immediate test with games on back-to-back nights against Miami and Milwaukee, and he said he’s still getting used to being on the court again.
“It’s solid,” Carter responded when asked how his hand is feeling. “I go through my stretches where I’m just more timid than anything but constantly being out there, I’ll get over it. … Walking right into a back-to-back after missing 20 games was tough, but that’s really no excuse for anything.”
Carter’s return should solidify the frontcourt for an Orlando team that has dropped four straight games after a strong start. He was greeted with two significant challenges right away, facing Bam Adebayo, who posted 18 points and seven rebounds against the Magic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who followed with 37 points and 10 rebounds the next night.
“It just shows that I’ve got to get back to where I was at before I got injured,” Carter said. “A lot of the plays out there, I felt like I was one or two steps slower than I usually am. It just gave me somewhere I can look at in terms of getting back to at some point. I definitely got a lot of respect for the coaches trusting in me [and] putting me out there when I might not be able to play my best game.”
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Suns guard Bradley Beal doesn’t want to see his former team move forward with relocation plans to northern Virginia. Beal, who spent 11 seasons with the Wizards before being traded this summer, appealed to owner Ted Leonsis to reconsider last week’s announcement (video link). “D.C, there is no moving to Virginia, like what is that?” Beal said. “Ted, we love you to death. We understand what you want to do and trying to do, but you can’t take the team out of D.C.”
- It appears unlikely that Hornets guard LaMelo Ball can secure a spot in the All-Star Game even if he returns soon from his right ankle sprain, Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer states in a mailbag column. Ball was making a strong All-Star case, averaging 24.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 8.2 assists before the injury, but he has only played 15 games and his candidacy figures to be affected by Charlotte’s poor record.
- Hornets forward Cody Martin has been cleared to make his season debut tonight, Boone tweets. Martin underwent surgery on his left knee last season and hasn’t played since January 14.
Southeast Notes: Heat, T. Jones, Wizards, Suggs
The Heat used their 16th different starting lineup in 28 games on Wednesday at Orlando, but they keep finding ways to win, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo returned this week, but Jimmy Butler was held out with a strained left calf and Kevin Love had a stomach illness, forcing coach Erik Spoelstra to continue the personnel juggling that has been necessary since the start of the season.
“We do feel like we have great depth,” Spoelstra said. “We have great continuity, so I’m not as concerned when we’ve had to deal with guys missing games. It’s more about developing the consistency to our identity, which we know. We have the continuity. It’s about whoever is out there, we know what we need to try to do. We just need to do it more consistently.”
Chiang notes that only the Grizzlies, Hornets and Pistons have more missed games this season than Miami, and all those teams are near the bottom of the standings. Miami is tied for sixth in the East at 16-12 while getting contributions from up and down its roster. Reserves played a huge role on Wednesday as Josh Richardson, Duncan Robinson, Thomas Bryant and Haywood Highsmith all contributed to the win.
“Thomas was a plus-20. Obviously, (Highsmith) was really good defensively and then knocked down threes,” Spoelstra said. “So that makes everybody else notice out there. But he did a lot of other intangible things to contribute to winning. And J-Rich and Duncan were both so rock solid in this game. We don’t win this game without that production from those guys.”
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- The Wizards traded for point guard Tyus Jones this summer to be the on-court leader for a young team and he has excelled in that role so far, per Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports. Jones is posting career highs with 11.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game, and Washington ranks second in the league in pace and 10th in scoring.“You can have play-makers, but there are a lot of guards in the league who are score first,” coach Wes Unseld Jr. said. “They are capable of making plays and facilitating, but it’s very unique to have a guy who sees the game that way and is able to put other guys in the right spots.”
- With the Wizards off to a 4-22 start, David Aldridge and Josh Robbins of The Athletic examine the roster and look at how management can get the team moving in the right direction. Sources tell the authors that Washington plans to emphasize “positional length,” basketball IQ and work ethic in next summer’s draft.
- Michael Pina of The Ringer talks to Jalen Suggs about how he has helped the Magic improve by taking on a non-glamorous role.
Final Three Years Of Zion Williamson’s Extension No Longer Guaranteed
The five-year, $197MM extension that Zion Williamson signed with the Pelicans in 2022 no longer carries a guarantee for the final three seasons, Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic has learned.
According to Vorkunov, a clause in the contract makes Williamson’s salaries for 2025/26, 2026/27, and 2027/28 non-guaranteed because he missed more than 22 games last season. A year after sitting out an entire season with a foot injury, Williamson managed to play in just 29 games in 2022/23, mainly due to a lingering hamstring issue.
Missing significant time again this season could reduce the guaranteed portion of Williamson’s $36.7MM salary for 2024/25, Vorkunov adds, although his contract contains provisions for him to earn back some of the guarantees by playing in a certain number of games and achieving weigh-in benchmarks. He has been more reliable so far this season, appearing in 23 of 28 games, even though there have been concerns about his conditioning.
Williamson risks losing more guaranteed money if he doesn’t keep adhering to the team’s weight guidelines. As previously reported, the Pelicans are requiring him to keep the total of his weight and body fat percentage below a combined 295, with Vorkunov noting that because Williamson was listed at 285 pounds last season, his body fat would have had to be less than 10% to meet that clause.
The contract also includes protections for the team if Williamson has further problems with the fifth metatarsal in his right foot, which is what sidelined him for the 2021/22 season. If he suffers another fracture or stress injury to that area, he will lose the guarantee on half his base salary for 2024/25, sources tell Vorkunov.
There are provisions for Williamson to regain portions of his guaranteed money, Vorkunov adds. Twenty percent of his 2025/26 salary will be guaranteed if he hits all six of his weight checkpoints next season, another 40% if he’s able to play in at least half the team’s games for 2024/25 and the remaining 20% if he reaches 61 games. Similar pathways exist for the 2026/27 and 2027/28 guarantees.
Vorkunov also reports that Williamson must be waived by July 15 of each year if the Pelicans decide to part with him before any of the final three seasons.
The Pelicans and Williamson’s agent, Austin Brown, refused to comment, but Vorkunov was able to confirm the details with six league sources.
Of course, the guarantees will only come into play if New Orleans decides to release Williamson before the end of the contract, and rival executives believe that would only happen in “extreme circumstances,” Vorkunov adds. Despite all the injury concerns and conditioning questions, the former No. 1 overall draft pick remains a supremely talented player, averaging 22.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game this season while shooting 57.8% from the field.
John Hollinger of The Athletic provides an in-depth look at why the Pelicans are unlikely to part ways with Williamson before the deal expires, projecting that it would require a full-scale rebuild because of the difficulty of finding another star to replace him.
Bulls Notes: Hot Streak, LaVine, White, Terry, Phillips
There are no more calls to break up the Bulls, who improved to 7-3 in their last 10 games by beating the Lakers on Wednesday night, writes Jon Greenberg of The Athletic. Chicago has moved back into the race for a play-in spot with its recent hot streak after stumbling out of the gate with a 5-14 start.
The improvement coincides with the foot inflammation that knocked Zach LaVine out of the lineup, although no one connected with the team wants to say that directly. As Greenberg notes, there are several reasons for the success, such as DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic serving as the foundation of the offense, Alex Caruso becoming team MVP with his all-around play, and Coby White emerging as the star point guard the organization has been lacking since Lonzo Ball‘s injury.
L.A. is considered one of the prime landing spots for LaVine, and Greenberg suggests both teams might benefit from a trade. However, coach Billy Donovan dismissed the idea that the Bulls are better without LaVine and said he still has a role on the team.
“I think the biggest thing for us collectively is we get down the floor and flatten the defense out with everybody,” Donovan said. “I think that’s one of the things we’ve been preaching all along. I think Zach can play any style. For us, with him coming back in, I think he fits into how we’re trying to play.”
There’s more from Chicago:
- With White shooting a career-high 42.6% from long distance this season, Caruso is campaigning for him to be invited to the three-point contest at All-Star Weekend, adds Greenberg, who states that White’s recent play may put him in the All-Star conversation as well. “Yeah, I mean, I don’t like all the attention,” White said. “And that’s probably part of the reason why (Caruso) did it. Because he knows it makes me kind of uncomfortable.”
- The Bulls’ success is a result of playing at a faster tempo, says K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Whether it’s related to LaVine’s absence or not, the players have been more aggressive about pushing the ball upcourt over their last 10 games and creating more scoring opportunities in transition. “We’re all super unselfish guys. I feel like the ball is moving at a high rate,” White said. “The main thing we’ve been doing these last however many games is just playing a lot faster. Even on made baskets, we’re getting the ball out quick and trying to get up the floor, making us hard to guard so we can play less in the halfcourt.”
- Donovan expects Dalen Terry and Julian Phillips to have increased roles in the wake of Torrey Craig‘s plantar fascia injury, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Terry has been the main beneficiary so far, playing 21 minutes against the Lakers.
DeMarcus Cousins Signs 10-Day Deal With Team In Taiwan
11:13am: Cousins’ contract only covers 10 days and four games, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
7:53am: Free agent big man DeMarcus Cousins has reached an agreement to join the Taiwan Beer Leopards, according to Focus Taiwan. The team announced the signing in a press release, calling his addition a significant move for all of Taiwanese basketball.
“We’re confident that with [Cousins’] all-around skills, he’ll bring a totally new chemistry to the Leopards,” CEO Johnny Chang said.
Cousins is expected to join the team midway through next month and will play his first game on January 20, roughly halfway through the team’s T1 League schedule.
The four-time All-Star center told his new fans in a video on the team’s Facebook page that he’s “excited to come over and put on a show for you.”
Cousins, 33, last played in the NBA during the 2021/22 season, appearing in a combined 48 games with Milwaukee and Denver. He signed with the Guaynabo Mets of Puerto Rico in April, hoping it would help him return to the league. He reportedly turned down an opportunity to play in Taiwan last fall.
The Leopards, who have been aggressively pursuing former NBA players, also signed Dwight Howard last season. They are currently second in the five-team T1 League at 5-4.
Central Notes: Mitchell, Stewart, Giannis, Beachamp, A. Jackson
Donovan Mitchell didn’t want to discuss his future on Saturday after leading the Cavaliers to a win in their first game since long-term injuries knocked Darius Garland and Evan Mobley out of the lineup, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. There is already speculation that Mitchell, who has a $37MM player option for 2025/26, will end up somewhere else if he turns down an extension offer from Cleveland. Rumors escalated on Friday when the Cavs announced the prognosis for Garland and Mobley, but it’s not a topic Mitchell feels like addressing.
“My job is to focus on this,” he said, referring to on-court matters. “We have two guys that are out, so I’m not answering anything. And no disrespect. I appreciate that you have to ask the question, but I’m not going there with any of those questions. My focus is on these guys being out, us trying to find a way to get wins.”
Mitchell posted a career-high 13 assists as he took over full-time point guard duties in Garland’s absence. According to Vardon, coach J.B. Bickerstaff talked to Mitchell before the game about the need to get role players involved in the offense as they handle more responsibility with Garland and Mobley sidelined. Bickerstaff is also seeking greater production from center Jarrett Allen, who finished Saturday’s game with 25 points and 14 rebounds.
“J.B. said before the game, it’s not our job to go out there and try to be Superman,” Allen said. “It’s not our job to go out there and try to make up for everything that’s lost. It’s just for us to try to find one area that we can improve in and try to help the team win.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Several contenders, including the Celtics, Thunder and Mavericks, have expressed an interest in Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart, sources tell James L. Edwards of The Athletic. Stewart has been one of the few bright spots in Detroit’s ugly season, averaging 10.2 points and 6.8 rebounds through 25 games. He signed a four-year, $64MM extension this summer and would be subject to the poison pill provision in any trade until July 1. Edwards also addresses trade suggestions from readers, saying he’s heard the Pistons don’t have interest in adding Utah’s John Collins or Charlotte’s P.J. Washington.
- After passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the Bucks‘ career leader in rebounding Sunday night, Giannis Antetokounmpo talked about what it means to eclipse an NBA legend, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “That a kid from Greece, a skinny kid from Greece that was drafted, supposed to play in the G League, be in a position to break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record, I don’t think anybody thought about that,” Antetokounmpo said.
- MarJon Beauchamp and Andre Jackson are both contributing to a Bucks team that needs production from its young wings, Nehm adds in a full story.
Warriors Notes: Green, Curry, Wiggins, Podziemski
Draymond Green has already begun counseling and will likely be suspended for at least three more weeks, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic. The NBA handed down an indefinite suspension after Green hit Phoenix center Jusuf Nurkic in the face in a December 12 game. It’s Green’s second suspension of the season, and the league cited his “repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts” in making it indefinite.
Charania’s sources declined to reveal the nature of the counseling because of privacy concerns, but Green is continuing to work with representatives from the Warriors and the NBA while he’s suspended. Charania adds that Green understands the need for treatment and is “prepared to undergo the process required to return to the team in a full capacity.”
A three-week suspension would have Green back on the court in early January and would result in him missing about 12 games, Charania notes. Golden State has a 2-1 record in the three games since the suspension was imposed.
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Stephen Curry‘s historic streak of making at least one three-pointer ended Sunday after 268 games, but his teammates contributed enough for a win over Portland, ESPN reports. Curry, who has carried Golden State’s offense for most of the season, had a rare bad shooting night, hitting just 2-of-12 from the field and going 0-of-8 from three-point range. “We can’t rely on Steph to bail us out on every single night,” coach Steve Kerr said. “It was a tough night for him. But that’s what a team is supposed to be about — everybody filling in for each other, different guys stepping up each night. That’s a great sign, because he’s carried us for long enough this year. We need to give him more help.”
- Andrew Wiggins had his best game since being moved to the bench last week, posting 25 points and seven rebounds in 29 minutes, writes Michael Wagaman of NBC Sports Bay Area. Wiggins told reporters this is the first time he hasn’t been a starter since a rec league game when he was in sixth grade, and he vowed to keep working to reclaim his starting role. “It’s different, different for sure,” he said. “It’s another thing I have to deal with. Whatever happens happens. Of course I want to get back to my normal spot. But it could take time, who knows? I can’t really dwell on something that’s a decision made by somebody [else]. I just have to keep playing, keep staying aggressive, stay in the gym and just try to do the right things. Anything can happen in this league. I’m blessed to be here and if I want to get out of this little doghouse I just have to keep fighting my way out.”
- Rookie Brandin Podziemski showed why Kerr trusts him to finish games, drawing a charge with less than a second remaining to preserve Sunday’s victory, notes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Podziemski ranks fourth in the league in drawing offensive fouls, which is one of the reasons he’s starting in place of Wiggins.
Eric Montross Dies At 52
Eric Montross, who played eight NBA seasons after starring at North Carolina, has died at age 52, reports Louis Fernandez of WRAL Sports.
Montross’s family announced his passing this morning, stating they are “grateful for the tremendous support and the truly overwhelming love expressed by so many people as he battled with his signature determination and grace.” Montross began treatments for cancer in March.
A seven-foot center, Montross was selected by the Celtics with the ninth overall pick in the 1994 draft. He was a second-team All-Rookie selection after averaging 10.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in his first season, but was only in Boston for two years before being traded to Dallas. He also spent time with the Nets, Sixers, Pistons and Raptors before his NBA career ended after the 2001/02 season.
Montross played for the Tar Heels from 1990-94 under Hall of Fame coach Dean Smith. He was the starting center on the 1993 NCAA championship team and earned first-team All-ACC and Final Four all-tournament recognition.
He worked 18 seasons as an analyst for the Tar Heel Sports Network before stepping away earlier this year.
“Eric was a great player and accomplished student,” Carolina Athletics said in an official statement, “but the impacts he made on our community went way beyond the basketball court. He was a man of faith, a tremendous father, husband and son, and one of the most recognizable ambassadors of the University and Chapel Hill.”
We at Hoops Rumors offer our deepest condolences to Montross’ family and friends.
Pacific Notes: Beal, Toscano-Anderson, Murray, Lakers
The Suns expect Bradley Beal to be sidelined for two to three weeks with the ankle injury he suffered Friday night, sources tell Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Friday marked just the second time all season that Beal, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker were able to start a game together, but Phoenix’s “big three” didn’t last long as Beal’s injury occurred in the first quarter.
“Twisted his ankle, but he’s a strong-minded player, person,” Durant said. “Get ready for the rehab and looking forward to having him back. It’s a tough situation, but he can deal with it.”
It was only the sixth game of the season for Beal, who has been dealing with back soreness since training camp. Rankin notes that Beal missed the first seven games of the season, then played in the next three before re-injuring his back in a November 12 contest. The team rested Beal for three weeks to allow him to heal, and Friday was his third game since returning. The inactivity has affected his scoring as he’s averaging 14.7 PPG, the lowest figure since his rookie season.
“Super unfortunate,” Booker said. “Been waiting on him to get back. Uncontrollable incident. Hate to see it.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Juan Toscano-Anderson is thrilled to be back in the NBA after signing with the Kings on Friday, tweets Marc J. Spears of Andscape. The veteran swingman, who had been with the G League’s Mexico City Capitanes, sees numerous ways he can help his new team. “I’m just hella grateful and blessed to get another opportunity,” Toscano-Anderson said, before listing the attributes he brings to the club. “Leadership. Energy. Toughness. Versatility. Camaraderie. Defense.”
- If the Kings make a trade before the February 8 deadline, it’s extremely unlikely to include second-year forward Keegan Murray, according to James Ham of The Kings Beat. A source tells Ham that Murray hasn’t been included in any trade talks is “considered part of the franchise’s foundation moving forward.”
- The Lakers were missing three starters for Friday’s loss at San Antonio and only had eight available players on standard contracts, notes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. None of the starters’ absences appear to be long-term as Anthony Davis rolled his left ankle in Wednesday’s game, Cam Reddish had soreness in his right knee and D’Angelo Russell was dealing with a non-COVID illness.
Southwest Notes: Zion, Spurs, Popovich, Rose
Throughout his NBA career, Zion Williamson has been criticized for his weight, his effort level and especially for his inability to stay on the court. Pelicans teammate Jose Alvarado tells Christian Clark of NOLA.com that Williamson is aware of the criticism and is trying to find ways to channel it into something positive.
“He learned,” Alvarado said. “He’s young still. We got his back. So it don’t matter about all that other stuff. But he hears it. He’s human. We (are) all human. We all in the generation of going on our phones and stuff is going to pop up. He’s responding. That’s a 23-year-old responding to the whole world telling him something he don’t want to hear. Like I said, it’s whatever. We’ve got his back. We tell him. We told him what he needed to hear. All the other stuff, I feel like was pretty unnecessary.”
Williamson became an easy target after New Orleans was embarrassed by the Lakers during the in-season tournament semifinals. Clark notes that TNT’s Shaquille O’Neal said Williamson “does not run hard,” and ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith called him “fat.” Alvarado said the team has rallied behind Williamson to help him deal with the outside barbs.
“He’s human,” Alvarado said. “He heard all that noise about that game in L.A. One thing about it: We can get on him. But the whole world, they trying to push him to be great. Obviously, we appreciate that. But f–k all that negative towards him. He’s a human being.”
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- There was a mixture of relief and celebration as the Spurs ended their nightmarish 18-game losing streak by beating the Lakers Friday night, per Andrew Lopez of ESPN. Devin Vassell poured in a career-high 36 points in San Antonio’s first victory since November 2. “A hundred percent it didn’t feel like a normal win,” Vassell said. “You see people jumping around on the sideline and everything. … I’m trying to stay composed. But at the end of the day, it’s special. This is a special group.”
- Coach Gregg Popovich doesn’t expect the Spurs to pursue a major trade to turn the season around, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. “Our focus is not immediate other than individual development and team concepts,” Popovich said. “But if there’s a trade that would make sense both now and for long-term, of course, we look at it. (General manager) Brian Wright and his guys are probably doing that already.”
- Hamstring soreness forced Grizzlies guard Derrick Rose to leave Friday’s game, the team tweeted. Rose, who has helped the team weather Ja Morant‘s suspension, managed to play only about eight minutes.