Nuggets’ Murray, Porter Not Expected To Return For Playoffs
Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. will both miss the Nuggets‘ final regular season game on Sunday, and sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic they are “unlikely to return to action during the postseason” (Twitter link).
Murray, who hasn’t played since suffering an ACL tear last April, is “very close in his process,” Charania adds. Murray will be permitted to make the final decision on when he’s ready to return, and Charania notes that both players have full support from the entire team.
Charania cautions that neither Murray or Porter has been officially ruled out, suggesting their status could change if they make significant improvement.
In response to Charania’s report, Mike Singer of The Denver Post tweets that Murray was telling people on Thursday that he “did not know” whether he might be ready for the playoffs. Singer adds that Murray teased making a statement to reporters at today’s practice, which was taken as a sign that he may soon have positive news to share.
Murray was having a career-best scoring season at 21.2 PPG when he suffered the injury nearly a full year ago. There have been hopeful reports regarding his status in recent days, but no firm indication on whether he’ll attempt to take the court in the playoffs.
Porter played just nine games this season before undergoing lumbar spine surgery in November. He reportedly suffered a “minor setback” in his rehab process last week.
Wolves Sign Greg Monroe For Rest Of Season
6:04pm: Monroe has officially signed a contract for the rest of the season, the team announced in a press release.
8:12am: Veteran center Greg Monroe will sign a contract with the Timberwolves that covers the final days of the regular season, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The move will cap off an active season for Monroe, who signed a 10-day contract with Minnesota in late December and spent time with the Wizards, Bucks and Jazz as well. He just completed a 10-day deal in Utah that expired Wednesday night. He has played 13 total games, averaging 5.2 points and 4.7 rebounds in 13.6 minutes per night.
Wolves owner Glen Taylor indicated last month that the Wolves had interest in bringing back Monroe to help with rebounding. Minnesota has a roster opening, so no other move will be necessary. Monroe will be postseason-eligible.
The expected signing removes an option for the Jazz as they look to fill a roster spot ahead of the postseason, notes Ryan McDonald of The Deseret News. Utah added Monroe after injuries to backup centers Hassan Whiteside, who has since returned, and Udoka Azubuike, who is out for the season.
McDonald adds that one possibility for Utah is converting the two-way contract of Trent Forrest so he would be eligible for the playoffs.
Knicks Notes: Durant, Irving, Barrett, Quickley, Toppin, Draft
The decision by Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to join the Nets instead of the Knicks as free agents in 2019 set the two franchises in opposite directions, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. The difference in star power was evident Wednesday night as New York built up a big lead before Brooklyn seized control in the fourth quarter for a 12-point win.
“That helps,’’ Knicks coach Tom Thobdeau said about having two superstars after Durant posted a triple-double and Irving scored 24 points. “But I love our young guys. I love what they’re doing and they’re getting better and better. Hey look, those guys over there were once young guys, too. It’s part of this league. Trial and error. Kyrie, Kevin, throw in Patty (Mills) and (Seth) Curry, you get that through experience. The more we go through it, the better we’ll get at it.’’
The Nets are headed for the play-in tournament and appear to be in good position to claim a spot in the playoffs. The Knicks, meanwhile, are wrapping up a disappointing season at 35-45 and are moving into what Berman considers a “make-or-break offseason” for team president Leon Rose. Fans are hoping for a franchise-altering move, possibly involving Donovan Mitchell or Zion Williamson, two clients of Rose’s former CAA agency. Unless something major happens, Berman suggests that owner James Dolan may reconsider his decision to put Rose in charge of the team two years ago.
There’s more from New York:
- Irving told reporters after Wednesday’s game that the Knicks were in a strong position to sign himself and Durant in 2019, but the two stars opted to make an imprint on the Nets (video link from SNY.tv). “They had a good chance of getting us back in free agency,” Irving said, “but we just felt like we wanted to build here and just make our mark on this franchise.”
- RJ Barrett has improved his chances for a rookie scale extension, says Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. The Knicks will have to decide this summer whether to give Barrett the offer, which would be worth a projected $181MM over five years. No matter what happens, Barrett is hoping for a long-term future with the team. “I’ve said it since day one that I wanted to come here. I didn’t work out for any other team (in the draft),” Barrett said. “This is where I wanna be. I love playing for the Knicks. I love playing in the Garden. I love how we got to the playoffs last year and looking to do that again. I love everything about being a Knick. Yeah, 100% the place I wanna be.”
- Strong late-season performances by Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin may be changing the Knicks’ offseason plans, according to Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post. With several veterans sidelined for the rest of the season, Quickley is showing signs that he can handle point guard duties, while Toppin has excelled without Julius Randle on the court, Sanchez notes.
- Fred Katz of The Athletic examines the Knicks’ draft options under five different lottery simulations.
P.J. Tucker Out At Least A Week With Calf Strain
Heat forward P.J. Tucker has a strained calf that will sideline him for the rest of the regular season, tweets Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. An MRI revealed the injury, Chiang adds, and Tucker’s condition will be re-evaluated in about a week.
Tucker has been a starter and a defensive stalwart in his first season with Miami. He has played 71 games, averaging 7.6 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 41.5% from three-point range.
The Heat are close to wrapping up the best record in the Eastern Conference and won’t begin the playoffs until April 16 or 17, so Tucker could be ready by then.
Bucks Waive DeAndre’ Bembry
9:59am: The Bucks have officially waived Bembry, the team announced today (via Twitter).
9:36am: The Bucks will create a roster opening by waiving DeAndre’ Bembry, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Bembry underwent knee surgery last month after tearing his ACL and MCL and will miss the rest of the season.
The 27-year-old swingman signed with Milwaukee on February 16 after being waived by the Nets, who needed to open a roster spot to complete their trade with the Sixers.
Bembry appeared in eight games for the Bucks, averaging 0.8 points and 1.4 rebounds in 9.6 minutes per night. He will be an unrestricted free agent after clearing waivers, but his knee injury will likely sideline him for much of next season as well.
The 21st pick in the 2016 draft, Bembry spent his first four NBA seasons with the Hawks before signing with the Raptors in 2020. He landed a deal with the Nets after being waived by Toronto last summer.
Gabe York, Nate Hinton Sign Two-Way Deals With Pacers
The Pacers have signed G League guards Gabe York and Nate Hinton to two-way contracts, the team announced in a press release.
Indiana also confirmed that Duane Washington and Terry Taylor, who had both been on two-way deals, have received standard contracts that will cover multiple years. The team officially waived Keifer Sykes to make room on the 15-man roster for both players.
York averaged 21.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 34 games with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. The 28-year-old played three seasons in the G League and spent time overseas as well after going undrafted out of Arizona in 2016. His only previous NBA experience came in attending training camp with the Magic in 2018 on an Exhibit 10 contract.
Hinton, 22, averaged 18.1 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists for Fort Wayne in his second G League season. He signed a 10-day contract with the Pacers on December 30 and played two total minutes in two games. Undrafted out of Houston in 2020, he appeared in 21 games with the Mavericks last season.
Lakers Rumors: Coaching Change, Davis, Westbrook, THT, Nunn, Monk
An offseason coaching change seems inevitable for the Lakers, who could see their hopes for the play-in tournament end as early as tonight, writes Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.
Sources tell Fischer that L.A. is expected to fire Frank Vogel after the end of the season. Vogel has reportedly been on the hot seat for some time, and only received a one-year contract extension last summer.
There will be a long list of potential replacements, but Fischer identifies Jazz coach Quin Snyder and Sixers coach Doc Rivers as the most intriguing names to watch. Marc Stein of Substack recently linked Snyder to the Lakers’ job, and possibly to the Spurs as well. Snyder responded by calling it “disrespectful” to the teams involved to discuss rumors while those coaching positions are filled.
Snyder was a Lakers assistant 10 years ago, and Utah may decide to make a coaching change of its own after a late-season slide, but Fischer cites skepticism around the league that he’ll wind up in Los Angeles. The feeling is that Snyder would prefer to wait for the San Antonio job, even if Gregg Popovich returns next season.
Rivers could become available if Philadelphia has an early playoff exit, and he would be considered by the Jazz as well, Fischer adds. Rivers had a long history in Boston with Utah CEO Danny Ainge.
Fischer has more news regarding the Lakers:
- Some rival teams have wondered if Anthony Davis might be available in a trade this summer, but multiple sources told Fischer that won’t be an option the Lakers seriously consider. Davis has been severely limited by injuries the past two years, playing 39 games so far this season and 36 in 2020/21, but L.A.’s front office still believes it has the makings of a championship contender when Davis and LeBron James are healthy.
- The Lakers will try again to trade Russell Westbrook, but they still may not have any options other than a deal with the Rockets for John Wall that would likely also cost them a future first-round pick. Talen Horton-Tucker, who Fischer said was nearly sent to the Raptors at the deadline in a three-way deal that would have included the Knicks, will also be on the market, along with Kendrick Nunn, who is expected to pick up his $5.25MM player option.
- Malik Monk was the Lakers’ best offseason signing, ranking third on the team in points scored and minutes played on a minimum-salary contract, but he may be somewhere else next season. L.A. only holds Non-Bird rights on Monk and will be limited to a contract that starts at the taxpayer mid-level exception, which is projected to be $6.4MM. Rival executives expect him to get offers with a starting salary as high as $10MM, says Fischer.
Pistons Sign Carsen Edwards, Give Two-Way Contract To Braxton Key
4:14pm: Detroit has officially signed Key to a two-way contract, the team announced in a press release. Smith’s waiving was also made official.
1:52pm: The Pistons have officially signed Edwards, the team announced in a press release.
11:24am: To make room for Key, Detroit has waived Smith, a rookie power forward who recently underwent ACL surgery, tweets Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press.
9:55am: The Pistons will sign G League guard Carsen Edwards to a two-year contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Edwards, 24, has been playing for Salt Lake City this season and is averaging 26.7 points in 31 games. The 33rd pick in the 2019 draft, Edwards spent two years with the Celtics, but has been out of the NBA since the end of last season.
In addition, Braxton Key will get a two-way contract from Detroit, sources tell JD Shaw of HoopsRumors (Twitter link).
The rookie small forward was productive on a 10-day deal he signed on March 24. He averaged 6.8 points and 5.2 rebounds in five games and put up 10 points, nine rebounds and two blocks in Friday’s win over the Thunder.
The 25-year-old also played two games for the Sixers on a 10-day hardship contract in January. He was in training camp with Philadelphia and has spent much of this season with the team’s G League affiliate in Delaware.
The Pistons have a 15-man roster opening with Key’s 10-day contract having expired overnight, but both two-way slots are currently filled, so another move will be necessary before he can be signed. Chris Smith and Jamorko Pickett currently hold those spots.
Blazers Sign Eubanks, Dunn To Rest-Of-Season Hardship Deals
2:45pm: The Blazers have officially signed Eubanks and Dunn for the remainder of the season, the team announced.
11:08am: Drew Eubanks and Kris Dunn will sign hardship contracts with the Trail Blazers that cover the rest of the regular season, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Eubanks has taken over as Portland’s starting center after signing with the team in February. He has inked four 10-day contracts, the last of which expired Saturday night. In 18 games, he’s averaging 14.1 points and 8.7 rebounds while shooting 64.9% from the field. Eubanks became available when the Spurs traded him at the deadline to the Raptors, who immediately waived him.
Dunn hadn’t played at all this season before signing a 10-day deal with the Blazers on March 14. He was given a second 10-day contract on March 24 that expired last night. Dunn has appeared in 11 games, averaging 8.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 23.5 minutes per night.
Portland has a full 15-man roster, but qualifies for several injury-related hardship exceptions due to all the players who are out for the rest of the season. Reggie Perry is also under contract on a 10-day hardship deal.
Mavericks, Raptors Would Have Interest In Rudy Gobert Trade
The Mavericks and Raptors are among the teams that would be interested in Rudy Gobert if the Jazz make him available this summer, Marc Stein said in his latest podcast (hat tip to RealGM).
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon mentioned Dallas as a possible destination earlier this week. Stein confirms that and adds Toronto to the mix, saying the Raptors have been in the market for a center for a long time.
Utah’s late-season slump has raised speculation that major changes may be coming in the offseason, which could include breaking up the combination of Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, who have a rocky history as teammates. If that happens, Gobert seems more likely to be dealt.
Gobert expressed frustration Saturday night after the Jazz let a 16-point lead slip away in the fourth quarter of a loss to the Warriors, tweets Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune. “It’s tough. It’s tough,” he said. “I don’t know how many times it’s gonna happen.”
Gobert is a two-time All-Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year who is in contention for his fourth award this season. He has three years and $123MM left on his current contract, plus a $46.65MM player option for the 2025/26 season.