Central Notes: Vucevic, Cunningham, Pistons, Bickerstaff
Nikola Vucevic said the Bulls didn’t try to move him at this year’s trade deadline even though he has an expiring contract, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Whether or not that means Vucevic’s long-term future is in Chicago will be determined in free agency this summer.
Vucevic, who has stated several times that he hopes to remain with the Bulls, acknowledges that the organization paid a hefty price to acquire him from the Magic in 2021. He has gotten past the feeling that he needs to prove himself, allowing him to take a calmer approach this season and find a comfortable fit with his current team.
“Last year, I was just trying to make everything happen so quickly,’’ Vucevic said. “I wanted to be able to be the best version of myself right away, and when that didn’t happen, I started forcing things, overthinking things. I wasn’t letting my natural instincts come into play, and it took me some time to figure it out. It took me time to find my place with my new teammates, new system.
“Not everyone realizes that as a big man, it takes more time. You don’t have the ball in your hand. I feel like late last season and into the playoffs, I found my place and how I can be my best. I came into this year feeling much more comfortable with my teammates. Plus, the new offense helped me, as well. I’m not overthinking, not second-guessing myself. I feel like I’m a better version of myself than I was.’’
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Pistons general manager Troy Weaver is expecting a huge comeback from Cade Cunningham, per James L. Edwards of The Athletic. After a promising rookie year, Cunningham was only able to play 12 games this season before opting for shin surgery. “I think (next) year he’ll probably really turn his career,” Weaver said. “He’s learned process. He is such a great competitor and mental giant, but the young players that learn process, that’s how you step into your greatness. He understands process now after having to go through this injury.”
- The Pistons‘ 17-55 record was disappointing, but the team added two long-term foundation pieces in Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, Edwards adds in a separate story. Given a chance to play regular minutes, both lottery picks showed they could contribute right away. “Jaden and Jalen … I’ve seen a huge improvement in them as far as their comfort level and poise,” Cunningham said. “They continued to get better throughout the year. I’m definitely excited about them.”
- After an NBA odyssey that dates back to his childhood, J.B. Bickerstaff arrived in Cleveland, where he has turned out to be the perfect coach for a young Cavaliers team, states Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.
Raptors Notes: Free Agents, Nurse, Porter, Poeltl
After seeing their season end with Wednesday’s play-in loss to Chicago, the Raptors are about to enter a very expensive era if they hope to keep the team’s current core together, writes Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype. New contracts will have to be negotiated for five veteran players during the next two years, along with a rookie scale extension for Scottie Barnes.
The first priority is this summer when Fred VanVleet, Jakob Poeltl and Gary Trent Jr. are all likely to be free agents. VanVleet, who’s expected to decline a $22.8MM player option, is eligible for an extension through June 30, but he’s in position to land a bigger contract through free agency. Gozlan expects VanVleet’s next deal to be on par with Jrue Holiday, Kyle Lowry and Jalen Brunson.
Poeltl, who was acquired at the trade deadline, is also eligible for an extension, but like VanVleet it will be more profitable for him to become a free agent. Gozlan foresees a new contract that will put him in the neighborhood of Jarrett Allen, Nikola Vucevic and Clint Capela.
Trent could also choose free agency if he turns down an $18.6MM player option. Trent, who no longer starts but remains one of Toronto’s only dependable shooters off the bench, is likely to stay in his same salary range but on a long-term deal, according to Gozlan.
There’s more from Toronto:
- There has been a lot of speculation about coach Nick Nurse’s future, but there’s still “a pathway forward” for him to remain with the Raptors, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on “NBA Countdown” before Wednesday’s game (video link). Nurse has been communicating with team president Masai Ujiri, according to Wojnarowski, who expects those conversations to continue. If Nurse and the team part ways, Woj mentions the Rockets as a potential next destination, saying he’s “very high on their list.”
- Wednesday’s loss capped a frustrating season that began with an injury in training camp to free agent addition Otto Porter Jr., notes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Porter, who signed a two-year, $12.3MM deal, played just eight games before being lost for the season with a dislocated toe, leaving the Raptors with depth problems that were never solved.
- The addition of Poeltl helped to turn Toronto’s season around to some extent, Grange states in another Sportsnet.ca article. He provided a presence in the middle that the team had been lacking and helped the Raptors post a 15-10 record once he entered the starting lineup.
Warriors Notes: Wiggins, Tax Concerns, Green, Curry
The Warriors haven’t determined when Andrew Wiggins will resume playing, but there’s optimism that he’ll be ready when their playoff series with the Kings begins Saturday, writes C.J. Holmes of The San Francisco Chronicle.
Wiggins has participated in two scrimmages since returning to the team last week, and coach Steve Kerr said he was impressive both times. Kerr added that Wiggins will be watched closely for the rest of the week as team officials try to determine whether he can play in Game 1, if he will start, and what type of minutes restriction he might be under.
“A lot of good, positive signs have come out of this past week, and we’ll just play it by ear as we get ready for Saturday,” Kerr said.
General manager Bob Myers expressed similar sentiments in a radio appearance Wednesday, according to Holmes, and Wiggins’ teammates are getting excited about the prospect of bringing back one of the key pieces of last year’s title team.
“He looked good,” Stephen Curry said of Wiggins’ scrimmage performances. “He, for the most part, played most of the action we had. He really hasn’t lost a step. I know it’s just scrimmaging and getting back into the pace of live basketball, but he looked pretty spry, fresh legs. And hopefully that bodes well for his return this weekend.”
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Even though they’re the defending champs, the Warriors may need a long playoff run to keep the core of the team together, states Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. Draymond Green has a $27.6MM player option this summer on the final year of his contract, and Klay Thompson will be eligible for a new extension. Contract extensions for Wiggins and Jordan Poole will kick in next season, and a new CBA contains harsher restrictions for teams that far exceed the luxury tax threshold. Marcus Thompson notes that the team has a projected salary and tax bill for next year that could approach $500MM, which owner Joe Lacob has called untenable.
- Green said on the #thisleague UNCUT podcast that he would like to play four more seasons and retire as a Warrior, relays Shayna Rubin of The East Bay Times. “I would love to finish my career here,” he said. “That’s been my goal since signing this current contract that I’m on. It’s looking like a more realistic thing to be finishing here. And I also don’t want to play 20 years in the NBA, I want to play 15 years in the NBA. In four more years, it’s likely I’ll be contributing at a high level and living up to the contract I’ll be on. As far as the probability, I can’t give you that because it isn’t up to me. If it was up to me, I can tell you 100 percent I would finish my career here.”
- Curry’s new deal with Under Armour includes shares of the company worth $75MM, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.
Heat Notes: Play-In Tournament, Lowry, Zeller, Love
The Heat can’t afford a repeat of Tuesday’s performance when they face the Bulls on Friday with their season on the line, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Miami got off to a lethargic start and trailed by 24 points in the first half against the Hawks before staging a late rally that fell short.
That also means doing a better job on the backboards after the Heat got pushed around by Atlanta. The Hawks held a 22-6 advantage in offensive rebounds, which resulted in a 26-6 edge in second-chance points. Seventeen of those offensive boards came on three-point shots as Miami posted its sixth-worst statistical rebounding night of the season.
“It was at one point like a comedy of errors,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Deflections, missed balls through our hands. Even when we had block outs with two guys there, they ended up with the ball.”
There’s more from Miami:
- A bright spot for the Heat was the performance of Kyle Lowry, who has played well since returning last month from a bout with soreness in his left knee, notes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. The 37-year-old point guard seemed to benefit from being sidelined for five weeks while he rested the knee. “We did a good job of kind of managing the minutes over the last month,” he said. “We understood what time of the year (it is). I wanted to be ready and going and firing.” Lowry came off the bench Tuesday to score 33 points, his highest total since joining the Heat, along with five assists and no turnovers.
- Miami’s top two late-season signings were both ineffective in limited playing time Tuesday, observes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Cody Zeller and Kevin Love combined for less than seven total minutes as their lack of athleticism made them a bad matchup for the Hawks.
- At age 34, Love isn’t thinking about the end of his NBA career, per Wes Goldberg of The Ringer. Love’s main reason for negotiating a buyout with Cleveland was that he wasn’t playing and he believed he could still contribute to a successful team. “I don’t know if I’ll make it to 20 (seasons), but I’ve always had my eyes on that,” said Love, who is in his 15th year.
Larry Nance Jr. To Miss Play-In Game
Pelicans big man Larry Nance Jr. won’t be available for Wednesday’s play-in game against the Thunder due to left ankle soreness, the team announced (via Twitter).
Coach Willie Green told reporters prior to the game that Nance was going to test his ankle in warmups to see how it responded, tweets Andrew Lopez of ESPN.
Nance was added to the injury report on Tuesday, with New Orleans listing him as questionable. He was able to play 17 minutes in Sunday’s regular season finale.
Nance was one of the Pelicans’ most reliable bench players this season, averaging 6.8 points and 5.4 rebounds in 65 games. His absence could lead to more minutes for fourth-year center Jaxson Hayes.
If New Orleans wins tonight, Nance will have two more days to recover before the next play-in contest Friday at Minnesota. Another victory would put the team in a playoff series against the Nuggets that would begin Sunday night.
The Pelicans are already short-handed without Jose Alvarado, who is out with a right tibial stress reaction, and Zion Williamson, who hasn’t played since early January due to a strained right hamstring.
Earlier on Wednesday, Nance responded to rumors that the organization is upset with Williamson over his prolonged absence.
“No one in our locker room is looking at Z any type of way,” Nance tweeted. “We’re with him every step of his rehab, and support his process, physically AND mentally! Don’t listen to people saying things just to get views!!”
Draft Notes: Mitchell, Shannon, Early Entrants, Mock Draft
Texas freshman Dillon Mitchell will test the NBA draft waters while maintaining his college eligibility. The 19-year-old small forward made the announcement this evening on his Twitter page.
Mitchell is ranked 34th on ESPN’s list of the best available players, but he was considered the No. 4 recruit in the nation coming into college, writes Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Mitchell played just 17 minutes per game in his first season with the Longhorns, averaging 4.3 points and 3.9 rebounds. Although he shot 64% from the field, Givony notes that Mitchell’s usage rate would be the lowest of any player drafted over the last 30 years.
Mitchell will have to rely on next month’s draft combine and workouts with individual teams to show that he’s ready for the NBA. Givony points out that his unique combination of physical skills could still make him attractive as a draft prospect.
There’s more on this year’s draft:
- Shooting guard Terrence Shannon Jr. of Illinois, ranked 39th on ESPN’s big board, also announced that he’s declaring for the draft. The senior guard didn’t specify whether he plans to forgo his remaining year of college eligibility. Shannon averaged 17.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 31 games this season.
- Marquette junior wing Olivier-Maxence Prosper (Twitter link), San Jose State senior small forward Omari Moore (Instagram link), Kentucky freshman small forward Chris Livingston (Instagram link) and Gonzaga senior shooting guard Malachi Smith (Instagram link) have all declared that they’re entering the draft. Prosper is 65th in the ESPN rankings, Moore is 81st, Livingston is 84th and Smith isn’t listed.
- Alabama forward Brandon Miller gets the edge over G League guard Scoot Henderson for the No. 2 pick in the latest mock draft compiled by Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN (Insider link). Givony calls Miller an easy fit for just about any NBA team, while Woo notes that Henderson has slipped a little in the eyes of scouts, but still offers a combination of strength, quickness and scoring instincts that make him appealing. Victor Wembanyama occupies the top spot in the mock draft, and Amen Thompson and Jarace Walker round out the top five.
Bulls Notes: Caruso, DeRozan, Offseason, Donovan
Alex Caruso has been recognized as one of the best defenders in the NBA for several years, but he’s never been voted to a spot on the All-Defensive Team, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Caruso has a good chance to change that this season, Johnson adds, noting that the veteran guard played a career-high 67 games for the Bulls while leading the league with 5.2 deflections per 36 minutes and finishing 10th in drawing charges.
“Coming from a spot where I was undrafted and teams didn’t think I was good enough to be in the league to being, in my eyes, one of the best defenders in the league, we’ll see what other people think,” Caruso said. “But I’m really proud of how much work I’ve put in and the growth I’ve had to get to this point. There are a lot of good defenders in the league. It’s a tough list to make, especially being a guard and only four spots. But I think I am (worthy).”
Caruso started just 36 games this season, but he’s in the starting lineup tonight for Chicago’s must-win play-in game against the Raptors. He’ll be matched up with Toronto’s Pascal Siakam, who’s four inches taller, but Caruso likes the challenge of defending bigger players.
“That’s where I think some of the intangibles I have—being tough, being able to compete—really carry me. Because obviously physically with some of those bigger matchups, I’m a little overwhelmed statistically speaking,” Caruso said. “I try to be smart and use the court to my advantage, know where I have help.”
There’s more on the Bulls:
- After years as a fan favorite in Toronto, DeMar DeRozan is ready for his first postseason game in an enemy uniform, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. DeRozan expects to be the focus of Nick Nurse‘s defensive scheme, just as he was during their regular season meetings. “Playing against Nick and those guys, they try to do everything in their power to make sure I don’t beat them,’’ DeRozan said. ‘‘… I’m aware of it, for sure. For my sake, I definitely have my own theory of how I’m going to deal with it.’’
- The Bulls are paying the price for not being more aggressive as sellers at the trade deadline, Darnell Mayberry of the Athletic states in a conversation with fellow Athletic writer Eric Koreen about the play-in matchup. Mayberry notes that limited draft assets and cap space this summer leave Chicago with little hope of improving on this year’s 10th-place finish.
- In a video posted by NBC Sports Chicago, coach Billy Donovan said the Bulls can’t afford to get distracted by the fact that their season is on the line tonight.
Zach Collins Undergoes Surgery On Finger
The laceration on Zach Collins‘ left hand that forced him to miss the final two games of the season wound up requiring surgery, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News.
The Spurs sent Collins home after he experienced finger swelling following Thursday’s game. Doctors discovered that the cut had become infected and determined that surgery was necessary.
“All the bad stuff is out of it now, so now I just have to recover from the operation,” Collins said. “They had to numb me up pretty good. I wasn’t completely out, but I was pretty loopy and couldn’t feel anything. They went in and pretty much flushed out all the infected stuff that was in the finger and now it is just healing. … I was in the hospital overnight. It was just so much for something so small. It was crazy.”
Collins isn’t completely sure what happened to cause the cut in an April 2 game against the Kings. He thinks someone’s fingernail may have lacerated his skin, or it could have been caused by the ball hitting his finger too hard. Collins confirmed that he jammed his left pinky and ring finger during that game.
Even though Collins’ procedure was relatively minor, he hasn’t been cleared to start offseason activities. He hopes that will happen at his next appointment.
“I meet with the doctor again (Thursday), and hopefully he can give me a better idea of when I can go out there again and work out,” Collins said. “He said he wanted me to stay around in San Antonio for about a week so they could monitor it after the surgery. But I don’t think it will be much longer before I can get out there and get going.”
Collins is eager to start preparing for next season now that he appears to have a defined role. He became the Spurs’ staring center after Jakob Poeltl was traded to Toronto in February and responded by averaging 16.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.1 steals over his last 19 games.
Collins’ $7.7MM salary for 2023/24 is non-guaranteed, but his spot on the roster seems secure after coach Gregg Popovich recently called him the starting center for next season. Collins is confident that San Antonio is ready to take a step forward after winning 22 games this year.
“We’ll be coming in with a different mindset next year, especially defensively,” he said. “I love who we have on this team right now, and whoever we add in the summer, I know the organization will grab people who will complement who we already have. And with the way we are coached, I am super optimistic.”
Hawks May Be Willing To Trade Trae Young
An early exit for the Hawks could lead to an offseason shakeup that might include a trade involving Trae Young, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer.
Young has been regarded as Atlanta’s franchise player since he was drafted in 2018, but recent changes to the front office and coaching staff may point the team in a new direction, O’Connor states. Young had a tense relationship with former head coach Nate McMillan before he was replaced in February and may no longer be viewed as indispensable.
Sources tell O’Connor that the Hawks’ front office has received approval from ownership to make any roster changes it believes are necessary this summer. That group includes general manager Landry Fields and assistant general manager Kyle Korver — who have been running the team since former president of basketball operations Travis Schlenk moved into an advisory role in December — along with Quin Snyder, who demanded a say in personnel decisions when he took over as head coach. Many rival teams believe Snyder now has the final say in roster moves, according to O’Connor’s sources.
Snyder has been working to install the motion offense that was successful for him in Utah, but it has been difficult to overhaul the team’s style of play in just a few weeks. He also wants the Hawks to operate at a faster pace than they did under McMillan.
Both those concepts don’t seem to fit well with Young, who has gotten used to monopolizing the ball. O’Connor notes that even after Young pushed for the acquisition of Dejounte Murray as a second ball-handler, he often looks disengaged when he’s not running the offense and rarely cuts to the basket.
Young’s defensive limitations also remain an issue, O’Connor adds, which Snyder understands because he used to target Young on that end of court when he was coaching the Jazz. O’Connor points out that Atlanta has been among the bottom half of the league in defensive rating every season since Young arrived.
Young is in the first season of a five-year, $215MM extension that he agreed to in 2021. He will make $40MM, $43MM and $46MM over the next three years and has an early termination option for his $49MM salary in 2026/27.
While the Hawks will explore their options with Young this summer, O’Connor emphasizes that the odds are always against a major star being traded unless he forces his way out. O’Connor adds that the most likely scenario remains that Atlanta will keep Young and Murray together and try to rebuild the roster around them.
Pacific Notes: Westbrook, George, Biyombo, LeBron
Russell Westbrook is preparing to face Kevin Durant in a playoff series for the first time since their Oklahoma City partnership ended seven years ago, writes Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. The Clippers wrapped up the No. 5 seed Sunday afternoon with a victory over the Suns, setting up a first-round matchup with plenty of star power.
Both players started the season elsewhere, and they got to their current teams in radically different ways. Durant was the centerpiece of the season’s most celebrated trade, being sent from Brooklyn to Phoenix in a four-team deal at the deadline. Westbrook was a salary dump by the Lakers, who had to give up their 2027 first-round pick to get Utah to take his contract. He signed with the Clippers after agreeing to a buyout with the Jazz.
Westbrook is eager to return to the playoffs after missing the postseason last year.
“It’s a blessing and something that I don’t personally take for granted,” he said. “I’m grateful to be in a situation where I have an opportunity to do so, and I’m looking forward to it.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Paul George won’t be available when the Clippers start their series on Sunday, but he’s making “tangible progress” in his recovery from a sprained right knee, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. A report over the weekend said George has started exercising again after having to keep the knee immobilized for a while.
- Suns center Bismack Biyombo sat out Sunday’s game with a right knee bone contusion, but he’s confident that he’ll be ready for the playoffs, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Biyombo said he felt the worst pain of his career when he bumped knees with Lakers big man Anthony Davis Friday night, but the effects have largely subsided. “If it was a big game, I’d probably step on the court and compete, honestly,” Biyombo said on Sunday, “but the medical staff and the trainers that we have, we’re working through the process, but we’re patient enough knowing that we’ve got the playoffs starting. … That’s when things matter, which I’m really excited for.”
- LeBron James is relieved to be in the play-in tournament after a 2-10 start, but he said the Lakers have to keep the same focus that propelled their late-season success, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “We put ourselves in a position where we can move on. That’s all we asked for, to put ourselves in a position to move on,” James said. “We obviously had a very, very slow start. … So, to know where we are today, you can be happy about that but not satisfied.”