James Harden Fined $25K For Criticizing Officials
Rockets star James Harden has been hit with a $25K fine for comments he made about the officiating after Thursday’s loss to the Lakers, the NBA announced on Twitter.
After fouling out of the game, Harden told reporters that referee Scott Foster has a “personal” issue with the Rockets and suggested that he shouldn’t be allowed to work any more of the team’s games. The calls against Harden included four offensive fouls.
“Scott Foster, man. I never really talk about officiating or anything like that, but just rude and arrogant,” Harden said in comments relayed by Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “I mean, you aren’t able to talk to him throughout the course of the game, and it’s like, how do you build that relationship with officials? And it’s not even that call [on the sixth foul]. It’s just who he is on that floor.
“It’s pretty frustrating. And I’m probably going to get hit [with a fine], but honestly, I don’t really say anything. I’m a pretty quiet guy, to myself, but it’s one of those things where you can’t voice your opinion. You can’t have a conversation with someone that’s officiating the game. You’re getting a tech. It’s pretty sad.”
MacMahon notes that Houston’s Chris Paul had a similar incident last January after a game in which Foster gave him a technical foul, calling Foster “who they pay to see.” Paul also received a technical and fouled out of Thursday’s game with the Lakers.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 2/16/19 – 2/23/19
Every week, the Hoops Rumors writing team creates original content to complement our news feed. Below are the original segments and features from the past seven days:
- Luke Adams examined the state of the buyout market.
- We looked at projected mid-level and bi-annual exception values for next year.
- Chris Crouse speculated on how Enes Kanter‘s move to the Trail Blazers affects his fantasy value.
- Our Weekly Mailbag took questions on Anthony Davis, the Warriors and the Hall of Fame.
- In this week’s polls, we asked our readers:
- Where will Kyrie Irving play next season?
- Who’s the second-best team in the Western Conference?
- Where will Anthony Davis wind up next year?
- In this week’s Community Shootaround posts, we asked:
- What are the Lakers‘ playoff chances?
- Does the NBA need stronger anti-tanking measures?
- Will the Nets match any offer for D’Angelo Russell?
Zion Williamson Day-To-Day With Grade 1 Knee Sprain
FEBRUARY 21, 5:06pm: Williamson sustained a Grade 1 right knee sprain and will be listed as day-to-day moving forward, the school announced. The injury news comes as a sigh of relief for Williamson, who exited the game shortly after suffering the injury on Wednesday.
FEBRUARY 20, 10:30pm: Duke — along with several NBA teams — received a scare when star forward Zion Williamson left tonight’s game with an injury in the opening minute. However, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said the consensus No. 1 pick has been diagnosed with only a mild knee sprain, tweets AP basketball writer Tim Reynolds. He added that doctors found the knee to be stable, and more news is expected Thursday.
“We’re very concerned about Zion,” Krzyzewski said in a tweet sent out by the university. “It’s a mild knee sprain. We will know about length of time tomorrow. It’s stable. Obviously it has an impact. You lose the (National Player of the Year) on the first play.”
Williamson was hurt 36 seconds into a marquee matchup with North Carolina when his left shoe tore open, causing him to lose his balance. He left the court under his own power, but remained in the locker room for the rest of the game.
Several NBA players posted messages of support for Williamson on social media, relays ESPN. LeBron James and Spencer Dinwiddie both said they hoped Williamson would be OK, while Donovan Mitchell made a case that college athletes should be paid in a tweet that was supported by Trae Young.
Puma posted a message blaming the injury on Williamson’s Nike shoes, but later took it down (Twitter link from The Sporting News).
Warriors Notes: Cousins, Durant, Cook, Roster Spot
For the first time since returning from an Achilles injury, Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins will be playing without a minutes restriction, according to Nick Friedell of ESPN. Cousins is averaging 23.4 minutes per night in 11 games and has rarely played more than 25 minutes. Coach Steve Kerr said game flow will determine how long Cousins is actually on the court, but there are no more medical restrictions.
“We’ll see how the games go,” Kerr said after today’s practice. “I don’t think we’ll change the plan too much in terms of how we’re going to play him in the rotations and all that, but I think once we get back into the rhythm we can absolutely play him for longer stretches, play him down the stretch if we like.”
He added that the plan was always to ease Cousins back into action for a month or so before unleashing him for full-time duty. The upcoming free agent has posted 13.9 PPG and 6.8 RPG in his limited playing time.
“He did a great job, DeMarcus did,” Kerr said. “So now we’re entering a different phase of the season. We’ll see how it goes, but nothing’s set in stone.”
There’s more Warriors news tonight:
- Golden State officials are as uncertain as anyone about Kevin Durant‘s plans for free agency, writes Frank Isola of The Athletic. “We have no idea what he’s going to do,” a team source said. “Everyone wants him to stay. There’s not much more we can sell him on. If he leaves, we’ll think of it as being lucky to have him for three great years.”
- No matter where Durant winds up, teammate Quinn Cook could be with him, suggests Marc Berman of The New York Post. Cook and Durant have been friends since their AAU days and may be a package deal in free agency. “Any time you get to play with one of your best friends at the highest level is obviously a great thing,’’ Cook said. “He helps me so much off the floor and even more on the floor. He gets me so many open shots. We have a great connection out there. We know each other. We’ve been playing together the past 10-plus years.”
- Two-way player Damion Lee appears to be the favorite to fill the 15th roster spot before the playoffs, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. The Warriors haven’t given up on Bulls center Robin Lopez, but he won’t be playoff eligible if he’s not bought out before March 1. Another center, such as ex-Clipper Marcin Gortat, is possible, but Slater states that Damian Jones could recover from a pectoral tear by May, which would provide backup help in the middle.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/20/19
Here are Wednesday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA G League:
- The Rockets assigned Isaiah Hartenstein to their Rio Grande Valley affiliate, tweets Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Clint Capela‘s expected return from injury tomorrow night reduces the need to have Hartenstein with the NBA team.
- The Kings sent Caleb Swanigan to their affiliate in Stockton, tweets James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area. Swanigan was acquired from the Trail Blazers at the trade deadline and hasn’t played yet for Sacramento.
- The Suns assigned rookie guard De’Anthony Melton to Northern Arizona, the team announced on its website. This is the fourth G League assignment for Melton, who has been sidelined since January 24 with a sprained right ankle.
- The Heat shipped newly signed Emanuel Terry to their Sioux Falls affiliate, according to a press release from the team. Terry inked a 10-day contract with Miami earlier today.
Central Notes: Mirotic, Bulls, Lopez, Draft Prospects
Nikola Mirotic appears ready to make his Bucks debut when the season resumes tomorrow, writes Matt Valazquez of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Acquired from the Pelicans in a deal at the trade deadline, Mirotic has been sidelined since January 23 by a strain in his right calf.
Mirotic spent the All-Star break in Milwaukee, getting treatments from the Bucks’ training staff and doing strength and conditioning exercises. The coaches were busy in Charlotte, but they left plenty of material for Mirotic to study. He was able to participate in five-on-five activities at today’s practice and will likely be listed as probable for Thursday’s game against the Celtics.
“It was great; I feel way, way better,” Mirotic said. “Today was huge for me to practice with the team. It was great being back with the team and doing some work, some scrimmage.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- The Bulls will prioritize winning over draft position for the rest of the season, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Chicago entered the All-Star break at 14-44, fourth in our latest Reverse Standings and just two games away from a chance to share the best odds for the No. 1 pick. However, building for the future is more important to the organization than tanking for a shot at Zion Williamson. “I don’t make all those big picture decisions,” coach Jim Boylen said. “Again, I’m doing what I’ve been asked to do, which is coach the team as hard as I can in the best way possible. I’m just trying to do that, and our guys have been great and they’ve improved. We’ve got to get more out of them and they’ve got to improve more, and we’re going to coach them that way.’’
- The Bulls‘ stance seems to include a commitment to center Robin Lopez, tweets K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. Lopez saw his minutes cut back late last season and previously appeared to be a buyout candidate with a $14.4MM expiring contract. “We have not discussed a diminished role for him at all.” Boylen said.
- With Duke and North Carolina dominating the basketball spotlight tonight, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com talked to Cavaliers officials to get their view of NBA prospects from both schools. One member of the Cavs’ coaching staff compares Williamson to Charles Barkley, while Channing Frye believes Cameron Reddish is the best of the group.
Kevin Love Wants To Play Every Remaining Game
Kevin Love sat out 50 games because of foot surgery, but the Cavaliers‘ star forward doesn’t expect to miss any more, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.
Love told reporters today that he plans to play in all 24 remaining games, even though the Cavaliers have fallen far out of the playoff race and are in a four-way competition to be among the three teams with the best odds at landing the top pick in the draft.
“I think you’ll see me more on a steady basis and not miss games after the break, I’m hoping,” Love said. “So just continue to improve the minutes and make sure that I’m feeling good and go from there.”
Love has seen brief action since making his return on February 8. He played about six minutes that night against the Wizards, skipped the next game, then played 16 minutes February 11 against the Knicks. The Cavs rested him for the final contest before the All-Star break.
Love will be kept on a minutes restriction until team doctors clear him for full-time duty, coach Larry Drew told Fedor. He was able to play five-on-five today without any physical problems and is working to regain his conditioning.
Love has four years and more than $120MM left on the extension he signed last summer. He has insisted he wants to remain in Cleveland even as the team undergoes a rebuilding process.
Knicks Notes: Ntilikina, Mudiay, Middleton, Kanter
The Knicks are about to have an overcrowded situation at point guard, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Frank Ntilikina is close to returning from a groin strain and Emmanuel Mudiay has nearly recovered from a strained left shoulder. Mudiay practiced today, tweets ESPN’s Ian Begley, while Ntilikina was held out of practice and will be re-evaluated Friday.
When they’re cleared to play, both guards will be sharing time with Dennis Smith Jr., who took over the starting role after being acquired from the Mavericks in late January, and possibly Kadeem Allen, who has impressed coaches since being signed to a two-way contract last month.
Allen could be sent to the G League once everyone is healthy, Berman notes, or the Knicks may want to see more of what he can do at the NBA level. Mudiay could be the odd man out as he’s headed toward free agency and seemingly has little prospect of re-signing in New York now that the organization has committed to Smith.
There’s more Knicks news to pass along:
- If Kyrie Irving is unavailable, New York might target Bucks swingman Khris Middleton in hopes of pairing him with Kevin Durant, Berman speculates in a separate story. Middleton had a 20-point performance in his first All-Star game, then sidestepped questions about free agency. “I’m having a great career so far — that’s all I’m worrying about,” Middleton said. “I’ll think about the summertime in the summertime. We have a lot more work to do, hopefully. We’re playing great basketball. That’s all I’m worrying about.” Because Middleton doesn’t necessarily project as a full max player, Berman suggests the Knicks could sign him and have money left over to keep DeAndre Jordan, who is a friend of Durant’s.
- The Knicks might find it more difficult to lure Durant as long as James Dolan remains the team’s owner, states Frank Isola of The Athletic. A rumor that Dolan might have interest in selling the team was dismissed as “100% false” by MSG Co. on Monday. Isola notes that the organization’s long history of failure under Dolan could make Durant think twice about coming to New York.
- Although his time with the Knicks didn’t end well, Enes Kanter would still endorse the franchise to any free agents who ask him, tweets New York sportswriter Brian Heyman. “It’s a very good organization. Good people. … Amazing city,” Kanter said. “So I think that they have a really good chance to get good superstars.”
Sixers Notes: Harris, Fultz, Brown, Z. Smith
Tobias Harris has been traded five times since entering the NBA in 2011, but he probably could have ensured stability with the Clippers if he had accepted an $80MM extension offer last summer. However, Harris tells Jonathan Gold of The Washington Post that he was willing to take the gamble in hopes of landing a max deal as a free agent this summer.
“Eighty million is a lot of money,” Harris said. “People said, ‘How you turn that down?’ . . . Look, I know my trajectory. I know when to bet on myself. We looked at the salary cap, looked at free agents, and with all the work I put in, we thought I’d be one of the top guys.”
The acquisition of Harris means “The Process” is now complete in Philadelphia, Gold adds. The team has entered win-now territory and is no longer focused on developing young talent, something it emphasized by trading former No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz to Orlando. Harris marked the second aggressive move of the season for the Sixers, who swung a deal in November to acquire Jimmy Butler and are now poised for a playoff run with one of the most talented starting fives in the league.
“I feel like this is the third team I’ve coached this season,” coach Brett Brown said, reflecting on the two major trades.
There’s more from Philadelphia:
- Brown doesn’t believe Fultz was being disrespectful with comments he made at his introductory press conference with the Magic, relays Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “It just excites me to know that I have a coach that’s going to push you to be better and not just going to tell you what you want to hear,” Fultz told reporters, while adding that he looks forward to a “fresh start.” Brown said he has talked to Fultz since then and was assured it wasn’t intended as a swipe at the Sixers’ coaching staff. “He’s a good kid,” Brown said. “He’s a good young man, and, truly, we wish him well.”
- First-round pick Zhaire Smith probably won’t play for the Sixers this season, but may see some G League action, Pompey tweets. Smith participated in practice today and is considered about 60% recovered from a Jones fracture in his left foot (Twitter link).
- Although the Sixers’ approach to rebuilding has drawn criticism from many circles, including the commissioner’s office, the franchise has been able to assemble a contender fairly quickly, notes Derek Bodner of The Athletic.
Weekly Mailbag: 2/11/19 – 2/17/19
We have an opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap or the NBA draft? Drop us a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com.
If the Pelicans fall into the lottery and get a chance to draft Zion Williamson, do you think Anthony Davis might change his mind and stick with the Pelicans? — Greg Dizon
Davis has lost confidence in New Orleans’ ability to build a contender around him, and it’s too late for any personnel moves to change his mind. At 26-33, the Pelicans seem like a lock for the lottery, but their odds of landing the No. 1 pick are remote. And even if that were to happen, Williamson may not be a difference maker in his first year in the league. Davis wants to win right away and won’t go back on his desire to be traded.
Who are some realistic options for the Warriors on the buyout market? — Patrick Cavanaugh
Golden State doesn’t have many weaknesses, but the defending champs could use another veteran big man, if only to provide insurance in the event of another injury to DeMarcus Cousins. Chicago’s Robin Lopez has been rumored for a while as a possible target, but the Bulls may prefer to keep him for the rest of the season. Marcin Gortat and Greg Monroe recently agreed to buyouts, but neither seems like an ideal fit for the Warriors. Zach Randolph may be a possibility if Golden State isn’t afraid to gamble on a player who hasn’t suited up yet this season. For an even bigger wild card, how about J.R. Smith, who has been waiting months to resolve his situation in Cleveland and would provide another another outside shooter with playoff experience.
The Hall of Fame announced its 13 finalists over the weekend. Who’s the biggest omission from that list? – M.N.N., via twitter
Rudy Tomjanovich, a finalist in 2017 and 2018, was inexplicably left off of this year’s list. He not only led the Rockets to two NBA titles in the 1990s, he paved the way for the modern game by expanding the use of the 3-point shot and introducing the concept of a stretch four. His coaching resume includes 527 NBA wins and an Olympic gold medal. He should have been a Hall of Famer years ago.