Possible First-Rounder Chuma Okeke Tears ACL
Auburn’s Chuma Okeke, a potential first-round pick in this summer’s draft, suffered a torn ACL in his left knee in last night’s win over North Carolina, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Surgery is set for Tuesday, according to Tom Green of AL.com.
The sophomore power forward collapsed to the court on a drive to the basket late in Friday’s regional semifinal game. He grabbed his left knee and remained down for several minutes before limping to the locker room with help from trainers.
“It’s just hard to take in,” teammate Bryce Brown said. “I don’t think Chuma deserves that at all.”
Okeke is listed 29th on the latest ESPN big board of draft prospects. He averaged 12.0 PPG this season and led the Tigers in rebounding, steals and overall plus/minus.
Kyrie Irving May Prefer Nets Over Knicks
There have rumors for months that Kyrie Irving will consider coming to New York when he opts out of his contract this summer. But Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News suggests the Knicks may not be his destination.
Bondy writes that “some sources around the league” believe Brooklyn would be Irving’s preferred choice and cites a recent NBA TV interview by former Cavaliers GM David Griffin, who spent time with Irving in Cleveland.
“I think Brooklyn is the fit that’s better for him in terms of his mindset,” Griffin said. “I think he likes what they’ve done there, culturally.”
The Nets have a huge head start if Irving is looking for an instant contender. Brooklyn is fighting for a playoff spot at 38-38, while the Knicks are limping toward the finish line with a league-worst 14-61 record.
Brooklyn will have enough cap space to extend a max offer to Irving, while the Knicks will be able to offer two max contracts and are hoping to team Irving up with another elite free agent such as Kevin Durant. However, signing Irving would probably mean the Nets will have to part with point guard D’Angelo Russell, who will be a restricted free agent after a breakout season.
Irving promised Celtics fans in October that he would re-sign with the team. However, as losses piled up, speculation has increased that he may go back on that pledge. The Celtics’ performance in the playoffs could go a long way toward determining whether Irving will return to Boston or take his talents elsewhere.
LeBron James Done For Season
LeBron James‘ first season with the Lakers will end early, the team announced in a press release. With a playoff bid out of reach, the organization has decided to shut down James down for the rest of the season.
“After consulting with our team doctors and medical staff, we have decided to hold LeBron out of games for the remainder of the season,” the team said in a statement released by president of basketball operations Magic Johnson and GM Rob Pelinka. “This decision will allow his groin to fully heal, and is best for the future success of both LeBron and the Lakers.” (Twitter link)
The Lakers have just six games to go and are mired in 11th place in the West, so the decision not to play LeBron won’t have much effect on the standings. He will continue to travel with the team as a sign of support.
James appeared in just 55 games, missing significant time after injuring his groin in a Christmas Day game. His numbers remain outstanding — 27.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.3 assists per night — but his durability is becoming a question after playing 82 games and leading the league in minutes last year.
L.A. had a 28-27 record in games that James played, including victories in the last three, tweets ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. The team was in the middle of the Western Conference playoff race before his injury, but dropped off quickly once he was out of the lineup.
James still has two years left on his current contract at $37.4MM and $39.2MM, plus a $41MM player option for 2021/22.
Bulls Sign Walter Lemon Jr.
MARCH 29: The Bulls have officially signed Lemon, the team announced today in a press release.
MARCH 28: Point guard and Chicago native Walter Lemon Jr. will sign with the Bulls for the rest of the season, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Lemon has spent most of this season with Chicago’s Windy City affiliate in the G League, where he averaged 20.1 points per game after being acquired in an early-season trade with Maine. The 26-year-old has played extensively in the G League and overseas since going undrafted out of Bradley in 2014.
Lemon got into five games with the Pelicans after signing a pair of 10-day contracts late last season. He inked a two-way deal with the Celtics last summer, but never played for Boston and was waived in November.
He will provide some help to a Bulls team that has been overwhelmed by injuries. On Wednesday, Lauri Markkanen became the team’s third prominent player to be shut down for the rest of the season, joining Chandler Hutchison and Wendell Carter Jr., who have both been sidelined for weeks. Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine and Otto Porter have also been unavailable recently.
Bulls Notes: Rose, Lopez, Markkanen, Harrison
Derrick Rose‘s latest injury decreases the chances that the Bulls will try to sign him next season, writes K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune in an question-and-answer column. The Chicago native and former MVP revived his career in Minnesota this season, averaging 18.0 PPG and shooting 37% from 3-point range in 51 games. However, his season ended early again due to bone chips in his right elbow that required surgery last week.
Rose will be a free agent this summer after signing a one-year deal with the Timberwolves, and there was talk that the Bulls might be interested in pursuing him to settle their issues at point guard. In light of the injury, however, Johnson suggests Ricky Rubio, Darren Collison and Patrick Beverley as better targets.
There’s more Bulls news to pass along:
- Chicago probably won’t be able to re-sign veteran center Robin Lopez, Johnson writes in the same column. Even though there’s some mutual interest, Lopez will be seeking a situation that offers regular playing time, and Wendell Carter is the Bulls’ center of the future. Coach Jim Boylen has also mentioned the possibility of using Lauri Markkanen at center and Otto Porter at small forward against smaller lineups, which leaves few available minutes for Lopez. Johnson notes that Bulls management likes team-first veterans, so they would try to find a similar player if Lopez leaves.
- Injuries continue to derail the Bulls’ rebuilding process, observes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Markkanen is the latest player to be shut down for the rest of the season after “an episode of rapid heart rate and fatigue.” A source told Cowley that Markkanen was experiencing a rapid heart rate in the locker room during Tuesday’s game. His condition improved after showering and eating, but he became light-headed while waiting for the bus to the airport. Markkanen was limited to 68 games as a rookie because of back issues and managed only 52 games this year after being sidelined at the start of the season with an elbow injury.
- Shaquille Harrison has proven he belongs in the NBA during his time with the Bulls, contends Michael Walton of NBC Sports. Harrison’s defensive prowess is well known, but he has been improving as a scorer, pouring in a game-high 21 points last night. Chicago faces a decision this summer as Harrison’s $1,588,231 salary for next season will become guaranteed on August 15.
Sixers Assistant Becomes Head Coach At St. Joseph’s
The Sixers are losing assistant coach Billy Lange to the college ranks, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojanarowski. Lange has left Philadelphia’s staff to become the next head coach at St. Joseph’s in the Atlantic 10.
Lange has been with the Sixers for the past six seasons. Prior to joining them, he served as an associate coach at Villanova and spent time at Navy, LaSalle and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
“I am proud of his appointment and he and his family will be missed as friends and Billy in a professional capacity, very much,” Sixers coach Brett Brown said in a statement tweeted by the team. “He has been with me from day one and to see where he started and now where he has ended up, is a fantastic human and basketball story. We will be following him closely. Go Hawks.” (Twitter link).
Lakers’ Josh Hart Undergoes Knee Procedure
The Lakers will finish the season without Josh Hart, who had a procedure on his right knee patellar tendon today, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Doctors say Hart should be able to resume full basketball activities in 12 weeks.
This is the second operation of the month for Hart, who underwent surgery to fix a small fracture in his left hand in early March.
Hart played 67 games in his second NBA season after appearing in 63 as a rookie. He started 22 times and posted a 7.8/3.7/1.4 line for the year. He hasn’t played since logging 17 minutes against the Bucks on March 19.
The Lakers picked up Hart’s third-year option last fall, so he will return to the team next season at a salary of $1,934,160. L.A. has a team option on Hart worth nearly $3.5MM for 2020/21.
Pacific Notes: Vucevic, Clippers, Bell, LeBron
The Kings will be among the teams chasing Magic center Nikola Vucevic in free agency this summer, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. In a question-and-answer column, Amick states that Vucevic is a target for Sacramento, adding that it will likely take a maximum offer to land him. The Kings’ cap space will depend on what Harrison Barnes does with his $25.1MM player option, but they may be able to put together a max deal even if Barnes opts in.
At age 28, Vucevic doesn’t quite fit with the Kings’ collection of young players, but Sacramento’s interest could be an indication that the club is speeding up its timeline to become a contender. Signing Vucevic would probably mean the Kings would be done with Willie Cauley-Stein, who will be a restricted free agent this summer.
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler are the free agents most likely to want to join the Clippers if they can open two max salary slots, Amick adds in the same column. However, he adds that sources have told him L.A.’s interest in signing Butler is “slim to none.” Amick also expects the Clippers to be among the teams submitting a trade offer to the Pelicans for Anthony Davis.
- Jordan Bell‘s one-game suspension was the result of charging a hotel purchase to assistant coach Mike Brown, report Amick and Anthony Slater of The Athletic. The amount that Bell charged at a Memphis hotel hasn’t been released and it’s not clear if the purchase was intended as a prank, but the team believed it warranted disciplinary action. “The (press) release was self-explanatory,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters Wednesday. “He’s suspended for tonight’s game for conduct detrimental to the team. Beyond that, it’s our business and nobody else’s. We’ll move on.” This may be Bell’s last season with Golden State, tweets Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports, who notes that Bell is headed toward restricted free agency and the Warriors have one of the league’s largest luxury tax bills.
- With the Lakers out of playoff contention, they are no longer playing LeBron James in both ends of back-to-back games, relays Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. James didn’t make the trip to Utah on Wednesday, with coach Luke Walton saying he remained behind for treatment. The long-term health of the 34-year-old star will be the organization’s top priority for the rest of the season.
Dwight Howard Won’t Return; Focus Moves To Player Option
Dwight Howard played just nine games in his first season with the Wizards, and the team would probably prefer that there won’t be a second one, writes Ben Standig of NBC Sports Washington.
The two-year, $11MM contract Howard signed last summer includes a $5.6MM player option for next season. It appears Washington would rather have the cap flexibility than another year of Howard, especially with the team already well stocked at center.
Thomas Bryant has stepped in as the starter and has enjoyed a breakthrough season. Bobby Portis, who was acquired in a deal with the Bulls last month, has been an effective backup in smaller lineups. They will be restricted free agents this summer and the Wizards would like to re-sign both of them. Washington will also be paying $15.45MM to Ian Mahinmi, who will be entering the final year of his four-year, $64MM contract.
The idea of Howard opting out and testing the free agent market at age 33 after an injury-plagued season is far from a sure thing. He has moved around the league since being traded out of Orlando in 2012 and has changed teams in each of the past three offseasons.
Howard’s physical problems began in November, leading to surgery on his back, then he suffered a hamstring injury while trying to return. He rejoined the team in for non-contact drills in late February, but never seemed close to being cleared for game action.
Hornets, Bucks Will Play In Paris
The NBA will hold its first-ever regular-season game in France, with the Hornets and Bucks squaring off January 24, 2020, in Paris, the league announced this morning.
“Our NBA Paris Game will showcase the continued global growth of basketball in one of the world’s greatest cities,” Commissioner Adam Silver said. “With France leading a record number of players from Europe in the league, we look forward to bringing together basketball fans from across the continent for the NBA’s first regular-season game in Paris.”
This will be the first game in France for the Bucks and the second for the Hornets, who played there during the 1994 preseason. The league has staged 10 preseason games in France and has been televising games in the nation since 1984. The game could be a homecoming for veteran point guard Tony Parker if he remains on Charlotte’s roster, but his $5.25MM salary for next season is non-guaranteed.
Today’s announcement was made on the “NBA Extra” show on beIN SPORTS, the league’s official broadcast partner in France, and included an appearance from former Hornet Muggsy Bogues.
The game will take place at AccorHotels Arena, which has hosted nearly all of the NBA’s games in France. Tickets won’t be available until a later date. It will count as a home game for Charlotte, tweets Matt Velazquez of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
“The Charlotte Hornets are proud to have the opportunity to participate in the first NBA regular-season game in Paris,” team chairman Michael Jordan said. “Having played in the preseason in France during my career, I witnessed first-hand the passion the French fans have for NBA basketball. We are excited to bring our team to Paris for this history-making event.”