Five Key Stories: 3/30/19 – 4/6/19
If you missed any of this past week’s biggest headlines from around the NBA, we’ve got you covered with our Week in Review. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days:
Ernie Grunfeld’s long tenure as GM of the Wizards came to an end Tuesday night. Washington got an early jump on the offseason by dismissing Grunfeld, who had been running the team since 2003. The Wizards will be among several organizations looking for a new GM this offseason.
A rape allegation against Kristaps Porzingis was made public. The incident allegedly occurred in New York City on the same day that Porzinigis suffered the ACL tear that ended his season last February. Mavericks officials said they were aware of the accusation when they traded for him in January.
The Lakers shut down LeBron James for the rest of the season to prevent any more damage to the injured groin that has been bothering him. James played just 55 games in his first year in L.A. and wasn’t able to end the team’s streak of non-playoff seasons that now stands at six.
Ja Morant of Murray State, one of the top prospects in college basketball, officially entered this year’s draft. The sophomore guard, who has been grabbing the attention of scouts all season, has been projected as high as No. 2 on many draft boards.
The status of another potential first-rounder is uncertain as Auburn’s Chuma Okeke suffered a torn left ACL in the NCAA Tournament. Okeke had been projected as a possible late first-round pick.
Here are more headlines from the past week:
- The Sixers added a big man for the postseason by signing Greg Monroe. He became available when his 10-day contract with the division rival Celtics expired.
- Michael Carter-Williams signed with the Magic for the rest of the season after impressing the organization with his performance on a pair of 10-day contracts. Isaiah Briscoe was waived to make room on the roster.
- Free agent center Tyler Zeller found a new home with the Grizzlies. He had been searching for an opportunity since being waived by the Bucks in the preseason and had spent 10 days with the Hawks.
- The Wizards decided to waive Wesley Johnson, who was acquired in a deadline deal with the Pelicans. The move allows Washington to get rid of his $9.2MM cap hold.
- The Nets gave extensions to GM Sean Marks, along with coach Kenny Atkinson and his staff. This has been a turnaround season for Brooklyn, which is in the midst of a battle for the playoffs after years of losing.
- The Pelicans started interviews for their open GM position, bringing in former Cavaliers GM David Griffin. Danny Ferry, currently serving as interim GM in New Orleans, is also among the candidates, along with Warriors assistant GM Larry Harris, Nets assistant GM Trajan Langdon, Rockets VP of basketball operations Gersson Rosas and Wizards interim GM Tommy Sheppard.
- Grizzlies assistant Jerry Stackhouse accepted a job as the new head coach at Vanderbilt. Stackhouse was in his first season with Memphis and interviewed for three NBA head coaching positions last year.
- The NBA reduced its projected salary cap for the 2020/21 season. The new projections of a $116MM cap and a $141MM tax level are $2MM less than the original figures.
- Chris Boucher of Raptors 905 was named Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year in the G League. Boucher collected the awards despite playing in just 28 of his team’s 50 games.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Northwest Notes: McCollum, Layden, Wolves, Craig
The Trail Blazers may have injured guard C.J. McCollum back in their lineup tomorrow, tweets Jason Quick of The Athletic. McCollum is listed as probable for a second straight division showdown with the Nuggets. He hasn’t played since suffering a left knee strain on March 16.
The return of McCollum, who is second on the team in scoring at 21.3 PPG, comes at an opportune time for Portland, which is trying to hold onto home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. After last night’s loss to Denver, the Blazers stand at 50-29, just one game ahead of the fifth-place Jazz.
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- The Timberwolves will decide the fate of GM Scott Layden after the season ends, with ESPN broadcaster Chauncey Billups and Nuggets assistant GM Calvin Booth among the top candidates if Minnesota decides to make a change, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times. Wolves owner Glen Taylor was reportedly unhappy with Layden and former coach/executive Tom Thibodeau over the way they handled Jimmy Butler‘s trade request. Thibodeau was dismissed in early January.
- A $9.2MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception will provide the Timberwolves with their best chance to improve this summer, writes Danny Leroux of The Athletic. All five starters will be under contract if Jeff Teague opts in to his $19MM salary, so Minnesota can use the MLE to try to fortify its reserves. Leroux suggests Marcus Morris, Tyreke Evans, Jeremy Lamb, Reggie Bullock, Wayne Ellington and Terrence Ross as possible targets.
- Torrey Craig has become the Nuggets‘ most disruptive force on defense, observes Kyle Fredrickson of The Denver Post. The second-year forward has increased his stats across the board this season and is a valuable part of the rotation heading into the playoffs. “I hate to see guys comfortable, just dribbling easy getting to their spots,” Craig said. “So I make sure they try to feel me all the time no matter what, coming off screens or bringing the ball down court. I just want to be a physical presence on them the whole time.”
Hoops Rumors Originals: 3/30/19 – 4/6/19
Every week, the Hoops Rumors writing team creates original content to complement our news feed. Listed below are our original segments and features from the past seven days:
- Luke Adams broke down how the Eastern Conference playoffs could affect free agency decisions.
- He also examined Western free agents who have increased their value.
- We looked at important dates and deadlines for this year’s draft.
- We had an overview of the 10-day contracts that were issued this year.
- This week’s Community Shootaround asked about Jimmy Butler’s future.
- We identified the teams that still have roster openings.
- We opened our glossary to the Ted Stepien Rule.
2019 Hall Of Fame Class Announced
Several former NBA stars are among the Class of 2019 for the Basketball Hall of Fame, writes Dave Campbell of The Associated Press. The announcements were made today at the site of the Final Four in Minneapolis.
Sidney Moncrief, Vlade Divac, Jack Sikma, Bobby Jones and Paul Westphal are the more modern players chosen for enshrinement, joined by Al Attles, Carl Braun and Chuck Cooper. Also headed to the Hall are coach Bill Fitch, former WNBA star Teresa Weatherspoon, the Tennessee A&I men’s team that became the first back-to-back national champions in any college division from 1957-59 and the Wayland Baptist University women’s team that strung together 131 straight wins in the mid-1950s and captured 10 AAU titles overall.
Weatherspoon was chosen by the Women’s Committee, Attles was selected by the Contributor Direct Election Committee, Cooper was picked by the Early African American Pioneers Committee, Divac was the choice of the International Committee and Braun was tabbed by the Veterans Committee.
“I’m overwhelmed by this honor,” Divac said in a statement released by the Kings. “As a young man, I never would have believed the opportunities afforded to me by this great sport. “Basketball has looked after me for most of my life, and I’ve always done what I can to give back to this special community.”
The enshrinement ceremony is set for September 6 in Springfield, Mass.
Sixers Sign Greg Monroe, Waive Justin Patton
APRIL 4, 11:18am: The Sixers have officially signed Monroe, according to a press release from the club. The team’s roster is now back to 15 players.
APRIL 3, 4:10pm: The Sixers have officially waived Patton, the team announced today in a press release.
APRIL 3, 12:49pm: Philadelphia will be the next stop for Greg Monroe, tweets Jordan Schultz of ESPN, who states that the Sixers will waive center Justin Patton tomorrow and sign Monroe for the rest of the season.
Monroe became available when his 10-day contract with the Celtics expired last night. Boston passed on an opportunity to re-sign him, preferring to keep a roster spot open for other options.
The 10-day contract won’t prevent him from being eligible for the playoffs, notes Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Only players waived since March 1 lose their postseason eligibility, and Monroe hasn’t been waived — his 10-day deal with Boston simply expired.
Monroe will provide a veteran presence in the middle for the Sixers, who have been seeking backup help at center. Philadelphia will be his fourth stop of the season after beginning in Toronto before being traded to Brooklyn and then waived. He averaged 4.8 PPG and 4.1 RPG in 38 games with the Raptors, but played just five total minutes in two games with the Celtics.
Philadelphia won’t be on the hook for much salary with Patton, who is entering the final week of a $2,667,600 contract. Injury problems have limited him to just four games in two NBA seasons after being selected with the 16th pick in the 2017 draft. His 2019/20 option was declined by Minnesota last fall.
Warriors Notes: Durant, Kerr, Cousins, Curry
Kevin Durant is one technical foul away from a one-game suspension after picking up a pair in last night’s win over the Nuggets, writes Mark Medina of The San Jose Mercury News. The Warriors held a 21-point lead in the third quarter when Durant became upset that no foul was called on a 3-point attempt. He screamed repeatedly at official Zach Zarba, who T’d him up twice and ejected him.
It’s an ongoing problem for a team that has 60 technicals and six ejections on the season. Durant ($15,000), Stephen Curry ($25,000) and Draymond Green ($35,000) were all fined for criticizing the officiating against the Timberwolves last week.
“We can be better in terms of keeping (our) poise, myself included,” said coach Steve Kerr, who has collected six technicals. “You go into each game. You’re excited. But you’re going to yell at the refs. Both teams are, but you have to keep your poise and we’ll have to do a better job in the postseason.”
There’s more Warriors news to pass along:
- DeMarcus Cousins offered a reminder that he’s still among the NBA’s elite big men in the win over Denver, Medina notes in a separate story. In a matchup with All-Star center Nikola Jokic, Cousins posted 28 points, 12 rebounds and five assists as the Warriors pulled away in a battle of the top two teams in the West. “He kind of goes at every guy that since his injury a lot of people have tried to put some guys before him,” Green said. “He goes at every one of them. It’s personal for him. When you can back that up with the talent that he has, it’s special to watch.”
- Curry doesn’t have any plans to leave a good situation, relays Marcus White of NBC Sports Bay Area. Asked on a “Today Show” appearance this morning where he sees himself in five years, Curry responded, “Still playing for the Warriors and still hopefully winning championships.” Curry’s current contract expires in 2022, so he would have to re-sign with Golden State to make that happen.
- Curry credits new contact lenses for his improved shooting of late, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Curry revealed that he’s had vision issues throughout his life, dealing with Keratoconus, which has produced an astigmatism that can lead to blurred vision. “It’s like the whole world has opened up,” he said.
Knicks Notes: Kornet, Allen, Mudiay, Oakley
Luke Kornet is making a strong push for a new contract during his late-season audition with the Knicks, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Coach David Fizdale has benched veteran center DeAndre Jordan to take a longer look at rookie Mitchell Robinson alongside Kornet, who will be a free agent this summer. They will be starting for the rest of the season as management evaluates how well they fit together.
Kornet responded to the opportunity with 17 points against the Heat, followed by a career-high 24 against the Bulls. Fizdale has called him the smartest player on the team when it comes to ball movement and helping his teammates on defense.
“They have chemistry together,’’ Fizdale said of the Kornet-Robinson pairing. “Luke stretches the floor for us. Mitch puts pressure on the rim. Both when they get the ball in their hands, they’re looking to get down the floor and get other people involved.”
There’s more out of New York:
- Two-way point guard Kadeem Allen would also be getting a chance to showcase his talents if he hadn’t suffered a concussion Monday, Berman notes in a separate story. Allen was a two-way player with the Celtics last season and reportedly turned down an offer to stay in Boston because he believed the Knicks provided a better opportunity. Berman states that scouts from other teams have shown up since the All-Star break to get a look at Allen. He adds that Fizdale has included Allen in discussions of the team’s future and seems to prefer him to Frank Ntilikina.
- Emmanuel Mudiay started his 41st game Monday, meeting starter criteria and making him eligible for a $5.75MM qualifying offer, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN. The Knicks have a June 29 deadline to make the offer. His $12.88MM cap hold will not change.
- Former Knick Charles Oakley is predicting Amazon founder Jeff Bezos will be the next owner of the team, tweets Bill Simmons of the Ringer. Oakley, who has feuded with current owner James Dolan, made the surprising statement during the filming of a “Tough Chef” segment. Oakley also predicts New York will miss out on free agent targets Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving and will sign Kemba Walker and Jimmy Butler instead.
Central Notes: Brogdon, Wilson, Bulls, Sexton
Even though Malcolm Brogdon is sidelined for the rest of the regular season and probably at least the first round of the playoffs, he says the plantar fascia tear in his right foot isn’t nearly as problematic as the torn quadriceps tendon he suffered last year, relays Matt Velasquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. That injury forced the Bucks guard to miss 30 games before returning just prior to the postseason.
Brogdon said he had been experiencing plantar fasciitis for weeks before suffering the tear March 7. He has already made significant progress toward a comeback, getting rid of crutches and a walking boot last week and doing small exercises to try to rebuild his strength before he starts running again.
“The injury is minor; I’ll come back and be full speed,” Brogdon said. “The team is better this year, so they can hold it down while I’m gone. I just want to get back in time so when we play a tough opponent I can help in the playoffs.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- A summer of intense workouts transformed Bucks forward D.J. Wilson from an afterthought to a valuable reserve in his second NBA season, writes Lori Nickel of The Journal Sentinel. Wilson is playing 17.6 minutes per night this year after averaging just 3.2 in 22 games as a rookie. “I’ve always kind of been that guy to be the first one out and then the last to leave,” he said. “I think that’s the mentality my mom and my godfather instilled in to me at a young age.”
- Finding a point guard to pair with their young talent should be the Bulls‘ top priority this summer, observes Sean Deveney of Sporting News. The ideal scenario would be to land the No. 2 pick in the draft and add Ja Morant, and the team is likely to turn to the free agent market if that doesn’t happen. Deveney states that Chicago isn’t in position to compete for top-tier players like Kyrie Irving or Kemba Walker, but may pursue Utah’s Ricky Rubio, a pass-first point guard who doesn’t need a lot of shots to be productive.
- After a rough start to his NBA career, Cavaliers point guard Collin Sexton has become a candidate for the All-Rookie Team, according to Joe Gabriele of NBA.com.
Ja Morant To Enter NBA Draft
Murray State guard Ja Morant, who is expected to be among the first players selected, will formally declare for the draft in a press conference today, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Morant is listed as the number two prospect on Jonathan Givony’s latest “big board” for ESPN. The talented sophomore steadily rose up the draft ranks with a spectacular season that saw him average 24.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 10.0 assists per night. He followed that by posting the eighth triple-double in NCAA Tournament history with 17 points, 16 assists and 11 rebounds in a victory over Marquette.
The Knicks, Suns and Bulls, who have three of the four worst records in the league, figure to jump on Morant if they land the No. 2 pick. The Cavaliers, who are also in that mix, seem set at point guard with the performance of rookie Collin Sexton.
Celtics Won’t Re-Sign Greg Monroe
The Celtics will part with veteran center Greg Monroe, whose 10-day contract expired Tuesday night, tweets Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald.
Monroe got into two games during his return to Boston and played just five total minutes. He was signed to provide insurance for the front court after a wave of injuries to Al Horford, Aron Baynes and Robert Williams.
This marks the second trip to the waiver wire this season for Monroe, who was released by the Nets in February after being acquired from the Raptors in a deadline deal. He was a playoff contributor for the Celtics after signing with the team in February of last season, but never got close to that level this time around.
Boston will likely fill its open roster spot before the regular season ends next week, but a source tells Murphy that a move isn’t expected today. Thomas Robinson played well after joining the organization’s G League affiliate in Maine and was considered for the opening before the Celtics opted for Monroe.