Kings Sign Damian Jones To 10-Day Deal
APRIL 7: The signing is now official via the Sacramento Kings official team page
APRIL 3: Free agent center Damian Jones will sign a 10-day contract with the Kings, tweets Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Jones will fill the roster spot the team created when it waived DaQuan Jeffries earlier today.
The exact date of Jones’ signing remains uncertain, Anderson adds (via Twitter). He has to clear all the NBA’s testing protocols before he’s eligible for a contract.
The Kings will be the third team of the year for Jones, who started the season with the Suns before being waived in February, then signed a pair of 10-day deals with the Lakers. He played 14 games with Phoenix and eight with L.A., averaging a combined 3.0 points and 2.0 rebounds per night.
The 25-year-old offers another option in the middle if the Kings decide to part with Hassan Whiteside, who has been rumored as a potential buyout candidate.
Warriors Notes: Wiseman, Curry, Poole, Kerr
James Wiseman could be a difference-maker as the Warriors try to reach the playoffs, but head coach Steve Kerr won’t “force the issue” when it comes to playing time for the rookie center, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN.
Wiseman, the second pick in last year’s draft, is averaging 11.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, but he hasn’t provided the consistent production that Golden State was hoping for. He saw just 18 minutes in Sunday’s loss to the Hawks, and Kerr indicated his playing time moving forward will depend on his performance.
“I think development also includes observation from the sidelines, earning time, earning minutes,” Kerr said. “If there are mistakes made in the previous game, let’s work on those mistakes. And if we correct those then we get more playing time; if we don’t correct them then we get less playing time. So it can’t just be throw him out there and let him go for 30 minutes because frankly he’s not ready for that.”
Kerr expressed confidence that Wiseman will eventually reach his potential, but said he needs to take part in summer league and training camp before that can happen. Last year’s summer league was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns, and Wiseman missed most of training camp because he was in the NBA’s health and safety protocols.
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Stephen Curry admitted the team had much higher expectations than battling to reach a play-in game, Friedell adds in a separate story. Curry’s return after missing most of last season with an injury was supposed to make the Warriors a contender again, but they’re clinging to 10th place after losing seven of their last eight games. “I hope it stings. I hope it’s uncomfortable,” Curry said after the latest loss. “I hope it motivates you to keep grinding, challenging yourself to get better. I hope nobody is content just being in this middle-of-the-road situation.”
- Jordan Poole quickly won Draymond Green‘s respect by standing up to him in practice last year, according to Kendra Andrews of NBC Sports Bay Area. The second-year guard has raised his numbers across the board this season and appears to be part of the Warriors’ core for the future.
- This season is Kerr’s biggest challenge since becoming a head coach, writes Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle. Kerr inherited a team that was loaded with talent when he took the job in 2014 and has never had to focus on player development while trying to reach the playoffs.
Jrue Holiday Signs Four-Year Extension With Bucks
1:17pm: The Bucks have announced (via Twitter) that Holiday’s extension is now official.
11:34am: The Bucks have reached an agreement on a four-year maximum extension with guard Jrue Holiday, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Agent Jason Glushon confirms the deal, which could be worth as much as $160MM.
Holiday has been considering the extension since being acquired in a November trade, Charania adds (via Twitter). He wanted to get more familiar with the roster, coaching staff and front office before making a commitment. Charania notes that Milwaukee now has long-term deals with its three stars: Holiday, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton (Twitter link).
The agreement means Holiday will bypass an opportunity to become a free agent this summer. His current contract contained a $26.765MM player option for next season.
Holiday, 30, has been considered one of the NBA’s top two-way players for several years, but Milwaukee provides his best chance to compete for a title since he entered the league in 2009. He’s averaging 17.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists and a league-best 1.8 steals per game in his first season with the Bucks.
The first season of a veteran contract extension can have a starting salary worth up to 120% of the player’s previous salary. Although Holiday has a cap hit of just $25,876,111 in 2020/21 for the time being, that figure doesn’t account for a handful of incentives, which bump up his maximum starting salary further.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the four-year extension has a base value of about $135MM, which means it’ll start at approximately $30.13MM. It can be worth up to a total of $160MM with incentives, though Holiday is unlikely to earn all those bonuses.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Northwest Notes: Porter, Brown, Jerome, Russell
Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. has become a much different player in his second NBA season, writes Kyle Fredrickson of The Denver Post. A year ago, there were concerns about Porter’s effort, especially on defense, as well as his tendency to rely too much on the three-point shot. But now his game is flourishing and he has won the full trust of the coaching staff. The concerns about his back that made him available with the 14th pick in the 2018 draft appear to be gone as well.
“(Porter) is getting so much more comfortable,” Nuggets guard Will Barton said. “He knows that he’s going to play and he knows that we count on him. You’ve seen him grow on the other side of the ball. It’s a nice thing to see, especially for a guy with his talent. When he’s stepping up and playing defense, it’s only going to open up his game more and open up our team’s game. He’s just becoming a heck of a player. You can just see his IQ growing with each game and each possession. It’s a pleasure to see, man. I’m very excited for him and his future.”
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Moses Brown has been one of this season’s most pleasant surprises, writes Nick Gallo of OKCThunder.com. After earning First Team and All-Defensive Team honors in the G League, the 21-year-old center has continued that level of play with the Thunder, averaging 11.5 points and 11.8 rebounds since being added to the rotation after the All-Star break. “I’m just a player that plays hard and does everything that is asked of me to do. I’m very into the game,” Brown said. “This is what I love to do. I can’t really see myself doing anything else. Not saying that I can’t, but I just don’t want to.”
- Teams are starting to notice how dangerous Thunder guard Ty Jerome is as a three-point shooter, states Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. Jerome has been limited to 16 games after suffering a high ankle sprain in the preseason, but he’s shooting 42.5% from beyond the arc.
- The Timberwolves haven’t set a timetable for D’Angelo Russell to return from knee surgery, but there are indications it might happen this week, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Russell underwent an arthroscopic procedure in mid-February and was projected to miss four to six weeks. Minnesota may need him to replace Malik Beasley, who strained a hamstring Friday night. “It’s more minor than it is significant,” coach Chris Finch said, “but these things are tricky with hamstrings.”
Pacific Notes: T. Davis, Kings, Thompson, Craig
Terence Davis hopes last week’s trade to the Kings will give him a fresh start and help him leave off-the-court issues behind, writes James Ham of NBC Sports. After scoring 27 points Saturday in a narrow loss to the Bucks, Davis addressed the legal matters that arose in October when he was still with the Raptors.
Davis was originally charged with seven counts of domestic violence, but all charges relating to an alleged assault were eventually dropped by the New York District Attorney’s office. He still faces two counts of endangering the welfare of a child and criminal mischief, but those will reportedly dissolve in a year if he avoids further legal trouble.
“When you’re going through something like that, it defines you as a person, as a man, for me, as a father,” Davis said. “I’m just excited to be here, excited to be a part of the Kings. I’m happy man, I’m ready to get to work and continue to work. This is a fresh start for me, man, I just want to take advantage of it.
“As an individual, I’m a tough dude. You know, just having to deal with so much. I haven’t really seen my son in a while. I’m getting kinda teary right now, man, just talking about this situation. I’ve been through a lot. I’m just happy to be here and happy that the Kings welcomed me with open arms.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Kings‘ new additions were noticeable for the energy they brought to Saturday’s game, while the holdovers didn’t seem to provide as much toughness and competitiveness, observes James Jones of The Athletic. The Kings have lost some of their veteran leaders in recent years and they’re hoping to get those qualities from Davis, Maurice Harkless and Delon Wright, who were all acquired at the deadline. “I’m excited about these guys our front office brought in,” coach Luke Walton said. “I think that will, with some more time, will continue to get us there faster. But when they come in, there’s an intensity level they’re playing with. And that’s how it has to be at the start of games, middle of games.”
- Klay Thompson delivered a message to his Warriors teammates after a 53-point loss Friday night, according to Nick Friedell of ESPN. The injured guard talked about the need to uphold the tradition that the franchise has built. “He was just kind of going off about how he missed the game and how it’s just not acceptable to lose this way,” Kent Bazemore said. “He’s fired up, man. It’s hard watching, regardless if you’re playing or not playing.”
- The Suns acquired Torrey Craig at the deadline, but they were hoping to add him last offseason, coach Monty Williams tells Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Craig said he wanted to sign with Phoenix at the time, but “pretty crazy and pretty wild and unpredictable” things happened and he chose the Bucks instead.
Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Poirier, Rozier, Trent
Sixers center Joel Embiid feared his season was over when he injured his knee last month, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Embiid landed awkwardly after a dunk and his knee bent backward, causing a hyperextension that forced him to miss 10 games.
“When I got hurt and laying on the floor in Washington, I honestly thought I was done,” he said. “I thought my season was done. You know, the pain, you know how bad it was hurting, I just knew that it was something worse than we saw. (Afterward) I was just crying and asking myself, ‘Why me? Why does it always happen to me?’ When everything seems to be going well for my team and myself, something always has to happen.”
Embiid returned to the court Saturday night, playing 29 minutes and posting 24 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in a win over the Timberwolves. With 23 games remaining, Embiid can still be a strong MVP contender if he avoids any more injuries.
“(Friday) was really the first time I went full court since I got hurt,” he said. “So it’s going to take a while to get back to myself. But my body feels great, obviously game shape is different than how your body feels. But the main thing is my body feels great. I’ve just got to keep putting up these games and these practices and I will be back to where I was before I got hurt.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Sixers coach Doc Rivers refused to respond to comments from Vincent Poirier, who told a French newspaper that Rivers didn’t reach out to him after a trade last week, Pompey adds in a separate story. Poirier was sent to the Knicks, who waived him three days later. “I wish someone had told me, ‘We were wrong. You can’t play with us,’” Poirier said. “I like it when things are straight. The coach didn’t even send a message although I know he sent (one to) others. I’m not asking him to give me compliments, but just a message to wish me good luck.”
- Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports questions whether the Celtics should have invested in Terry Rozier two years ago instead of signing Kemba Walker. Although Walker got off to a strong start in Boston, he has been slowed by knee issues this season and is still owed $73.6MM over the next two years. Rozier is having a career-best season with the Hornets, averaging 20.3 points per game.
- Gary Trent Jr. looks like a perfect fit with the Raptors, writes Scott Rafferty of NBA Canada. In five games since being acquired from the Trail Blazers, Trent is scoring 16.8 PPG and shooting 43.2% from three-point range.
Rockets Sign Armoni Brooks To Two-Way Deal, Waive Justin Patton
APRIL 4: Both moves are official, the Rockets announced on Twitter.
APRIL 3: The Rockets will sign free agent guard Armoni Brooks to a two-way contract, tweets Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Houston will make room by waiving center Justin Patton, who is currently on a two-way deal, sources tell Iko (Twitter link).
Brooks, 22, played for the Rockets’ G League affiliate this season, averaging 16.8 PPG in 15 games in the Orlando bubble. He also played in the NBAGL last season after going undrafted out of the University of Houston. There was an announcement last week that Brooks was headed to France to join Orléans Loiret Basket, but those plans fell through.
“It’s just exciting,” Brooks told Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston. “It’s a dream come true to finally be able to play in the NBA and being able to do it in the city that I went to college in is just great” (Twitter link).
Patton, 23, appeared in 13 games with the Rockets after signing in mid-February. He averaged 5.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game, but fell out of the rotation when Christian Wood returned from an ankle injury. Houston was the fourth team in four years for Patton, who has struggled through injuries since being selected with the 16th pick in the 2017 draft.
The moves continue a roster overhaul for the rebuilding Rockets, who are also planning to waive Ben McLemore. The team doesn’t have any immediate plans to replace McLemore, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle.
Lakers Notes: Gasol, Drummond, Schröder, Fans
Marc Gasol is wondering about his future with the Lakers now that Andre Drummond has been added on the buyout market, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Drummond was given a starting job right away and Gasol was moved to the bench, which already has reigning Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell filling the backup center minutes.
“I think there’s an ‘if’ — ‘if’ they need you. And it’s a big ‘if,'” Gasol said. “You’re not Plan A right now. You’re Plan C, D. … You have to accept it because that’s your job. And that’s what you sign up to do. It’s never easy to accept that.”
The situation is resolved temporarily with Drummond sidelined by a torn nail on his right big toe. Gasol returned to the starting lineup and played 28 minutes in Friday’s win over the Kings. After the game, he spoke to reporters for the first time since Drummond was acquired and indicated that he’s not thinking about a buyout.
“Things can change quickly in the NBA, just as they have changed for me,” Gasol said. “But, I’m committed to this team. It’s a hard pill to swallow because I know I’m going to be out of the lineup at some point. It’s never easy on a player. As a basketball player, you want to play. You want to contribute, especially when you made that commitment for that reason. But, we’ll see.”
There’s more Lakers news to pass along:
- Drummond only played 14 minutes in his first game with the Lakers before suffering the injury, but he seemed to be a good fit with his new team, observes Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Coach Frank Vogel was planning to have him play “starter” minutes, even though it was his first game in a month and a half. “I mean, if you saw the first couple minutes of the game that I was out there, just the energy defensively that I brought, and it kind of boosted everybody on both ends of the court,” Drummond said.
- “In the Summer i will sign,” was Dennis Schröder‘s response in an online exchange with a fan who demanded that he sign an extension with the Lakers, relays Harrison Faigen of Silver Screen and Roll. Schröder doesn’t specify that he will stay in L.A., but the comment reinforces his desire to test free agency once the season is over.
- The Lakers are hoping to start welcoming fans to the Staples Center beginning April 15, tweets Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.
Clippers Notes: Rondo, Batum, George, Mann
Ten days after the Clippers acquired him in a trade with the Hawks, Rajon Rondo may make his debut for his new team Sunday afternoon, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. L.A. could use help in the backcourt as Patrick Beverley continues to deal with a knee issue that has limited him to one brief appearance since March 4.
Rondo has been dealing with an adductor injury and is officially listed as questionable for the Sunday showdown with the Lakers, tweets Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times. Since the trade, Rondo has been resting and trying to learn the Clippers’ playbook. The veteran guard was averaging a career-low 14.9 minutes per game with Atlanta.
“Just kind of plugging him in, just seeing what he picks up,” coach Tyronn Lue said. “It’s easy to go through plays in practice, but then you got a game on the fly, it is a little different. And I know how smart he is. Just seeing what he picks up and just seeing what we can incorporate while he is in the game and just try to go from there. It is going to be good to see him get on the floor.”
There’s more on the Clippers:
- Nicolas Batum was wondering if he still had a future in the NBA after the Hornets benched him last season, but he learned he was still in demand following his release in November, Youngmisuk adds in a separate story. Batum heard from several teams, but the Clippers were the most aggressive, with Lue, owner Steve Ballmer and executive Lawrence Frank all calling to recruit him, along with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard.
- The toe injury that sidelined George for seven games in February has flared up again, writes Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register. George was able to play 32 minutes Thursday against the Nuggets, but he was in pain the entire time. “It’s really no pop on the right foot,” he said. “I can’t really bend my toe and have it flexing all the way on that second toe. It’s just figuring it out. I gotta figure it out. Most importantly, if I can play, and play with minimal pain, that’s what I’m going for. We gotta figure it out though.”
- Second-year guard Terance Mann has become a reliable scorer lately, which made the Clippers feel comfortable with trading Lou Williams in the Rondo deal, states Shaun Powell of NBA.com.
Knicks Notes: Porzingis, Rose, Woodson, Pelle
Knicks fans haven’t forgiven Kristaps Porzingis for requesting a trade two years ago, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. The limited crowd at Madison Square Garden booed the Mavericks‘ center throughout Friday’s game, which Dallas was able to win even though he had a sub-par performance.
“The reaction was what I expected, of course,” Porzingis said. “I’m happy we got the win.”
It was Porzingis’ second game at the Garden since the deal, and the response seemed to rattle him, as he missed six of his first seven shots from the field. Fans began anti-Porzingis chants during introductions and they continued loudly until the Mavericks took control of the game.
Former teammate Derrick Rose is sympathetic, saying he understands Porzingis’ decision to make a trade request.
“When you think about the situation it wasn’t an easy situation for both sides, with him wanting to leave and with them, the fans felt like they put their all into him by supporting him,” Rose said. “I get it. I was in a similar situation when I left Chicago. People felt like it was me.”
There’s more on the Knicks:
- It’s up to Rose to justify the front office’s decision to pass on making a big deal at the trade deadline, states Marc Berman of The New York Post. Rose, who was acquired from the Pistons in early February, represents the only significant trade the Knicks have made since the season began.
- Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said coaches around the league aren’t surprised that Tom Thibodeau has the Knicks in playoff contention in his first year with the team, Berman adds in a separate story. “He’s a guy that has great respect in the coaching ranks, because of what he stands for as a tactician, what he stands for as a guy that believes in tough, hard-nosed play, unselfish play, and particularly on the defensive side,” Carlisle said. “He’s got this team playing to its strengths.’’
- Mike Woodson, who resigned as an assistant with the Knicks to become the head coach at Indiana University, discusses Thibodeau, team executive William Wesley (“World Wide Wes”), president of basketball operations Leon Rose and other topics in an interview with Steve Serby of The New York Post.
- Newly-signed center Norvel Pelle will be available for tonight’s game, but Thibodeau described him as “situational,” which means he won’t be part of the rotation unless something unexpected happens, Bondy tweets. Thibodeau added that the scouting staff likes what it has seen from Pelle.