Anthony Davis May Return Next Week
Anthony Davis received some good news after meeting with specialists today about his injured finger, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Davis will be evaluated again on Friday and could return to the court by next week, according to his agent, Rich Paul. “It’s a better outcome than we originally feared,” Paul said.
The diagnosis is a volar plate avulsion fracture to the left index finger, and Paul told Wojnarowski that Davis will be “re-evaluated every 48 to 72 hours” after Friday’s examination (Twitter link). “It’s more of an injury of pain tolerance,” Paul explained. “They need to see the swelling go down and the range of motion increase.” He added that the plan is to “proceed with caution” in determining when it’s safe for Davis to start playing again (Twitter link).
Davis displayed “significant improvent” in his range of motion during today’s exam, tweets Scott Kushner of The Advocate. Davis’ doctors and the Pelicans‘ medical staff reached the same diagnosis on the injury, he adds.
Davis was hurt last Friday and was projected to miss one to two weeks of action. A complete fracture could have kept him out for a month or longer. The Pelicans need Davis back as soon as possible to keep their playoff hopes alive as they trail the eighth-place Clippers by three games, but are stuck in 12th place.
Reaching the postseason may be crucial to their hopes of a long-term arrangement with Davis, who will be eligible for a supermax extension this summer and can become a free agent in 2020.
Raptors Notes: Leonard, Trade Deadline, Siakam, Miles
Kawhi Leonard will sit out his third consecutive game tonight, once again because of “load management,” tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports. After playing just nine games last season because of a quad injury, Leonard’s health has been a priority in Toronto ever since he was acquired in an offseason trade. Eric Koreen of The Athletic examines how this decision has affected the Raptors and why it’s the best strategy to keep him healthy enough for the playoffs and maybe happy enough to re-sign this summer.
“I think he said it from day one that health is most important to him, so being attentive, listening, pushing him, all the things you’d want to do with your own health for your long-term future (are important),” GM Bobby Webster said recently. “… Anything we can do health-wise and medical-wise to progress him is great, so I think that’s a big one for us.”
Koreen notes that Leonard is getting considerations that aren’t extended to other players. For more than a month, Fred VanVleet has worn a wrap on his back when not playing, and Kyle Lowry skipped a planned night off last Thursday. However, VanVleet said the players understand the situation and aren’t resentful toward Leonard.
“He doesn’t have to prove anything if there’s three (games) in four nights, back-to-backs,” VanVleet said. “It’s from a health standpoint, from what we are told. He’s important. We’d much rather have him fresh and ready later than wearing him out right now.”
There’s more from Toronto:
- Tax concerns and limited draft picks will affect the Raptors’ options at the trade deadline, according to Blake Murphy of The Athletic. Toronto has the third-highest payroll in the league, which means the third-highest luxury tax bill — projected at $34.7MM without any roster changes. The team sent its 2019 first-round pick to San Antonio in the Leonard trade, which means the 2020 first-rounder is off limits. If this year’s pick doesn’t convey to the Spurs, the Raptors will owe them second-rounders in 2020 and 2023, so those can’t be traded away either.
- Pascal Siakam is a candidate for a Most Improved Player award this spring and for a rookie scale extension this summer. In a separate story, he tells Murphy the extension would be nice, but it’s not what motivates him. “I think it’s bigger just having an impact on kids,” Siakam said. “That’s why I always say I look up to [team president] Masai [Ujiri] and the things he’s been able to do. ‘Cause when people look at [him], they see a reflection of Africa, and I want to be able to be that way.”
- After scoring 13 points in back-to-back games, C.J. Miles is hoping for a turnaround in a nightmarish season, relays Mike Ganter of The Toronto Sun. Miles has an $8.7MM option for next year that he appears likely to exercise.
Gary Payton II Signs 10-Day Deal With Wizards
JANUARY 21: The Wizards have officially signed Payton, the team announced today in a press release. His contract will run through next Wednesday, January 30.
JANUARY 20: The Wizards will fill their roster opening by signing guard Gary Payton II to a 10-day contract, tweets ESPN’s Marc J. Spears. The signing is expected to take place tomorrow, which will be the deadline for Washington to get back to the 14-man roster limit, two weeks after waiving Ron Baker.
This is the latest NBA opportunity for the 26-year-old guard, who was in training camp with the Trail Blazers before being waived prior to the start of the season. Payton appeared in a combined 23 games last season — 12 with the Bucks and 11 with the Lakers — averaging 3.0 points per night. He also played six games for Milwaukee during the 2016/17 season.
Payton returned to the G League last month, signing with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He posted a 19.2/8.2/6.6 line in 13 games.
And-Ones: All-Rookie Teams, Trade Candidates, Europe, J. Young
Dallas guard Luka Doncic is the clear favorite for Rookie of the Year honors midway through the season, writes Ben Nadeau of Basketball Insiders as he selects his all-rookie teams. Doncic has transformed the Mavericks and has a chance to be the first rookie selected for the All-Star Game since 2011. Joining him as Nadeau’s first-team selections are the Suns‘ Deandre Ayton, the Grizzlies‘ Jaren Jackson Jr., the Knicks‘ Kevin Knox and the Hawks‘ Trae Young.
The Cavaliers‘ Collin Sexton, the Hawks‘ Kevin Huerter, the Nets‘ Rodions Kurucs, the Kings‘ Marvin Bagley Jr. and the Suns‘ Mikal Bridges make up the second team, while the Bulls‘ Wendell Carter Jr., the Knicks‘ Allonzo Trier, the Sixers‘ Landry Shamet, the Clippers‘ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Timberwolves‘ Josh Okogie get honorable mention honors.
There’s more NBA-related news to pass along:
- Jabari Parker and Robin Lopez of the Bulls are among the most likely players to be traded before the February 7 deadline, according to Shane Rhodes of Basketball Insiders. Parker couldn’t take advantage of an opportunity when Lauri Markkanen missed the start of the season with an elbow injury, but Rhodes suggests a change of scenery might help. Lopez has seen his playing time reduced this year, but the Bulls are determined to work out a trade rather than consider a buyout. Rhodes lists the Knicks‘ Enes Kanter, the Magic’s Nikola Vucevic and the Mavericks‘ Dennis Smith Jr. as other players with a good chance of being dealt.
- After this week’s sellout for the Wizards and Knicks in London, the NBA is looking at other European venues, relays Martyn Herman of Reuters. NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum indicated that Paris is likely the next destination and Berlin may follow. “There has been a lot of interest in teams wanting to go to Paris because France is a hotbed for basketball,” Tatum said. “We have nine French players in the NBA now. It’s just a matter of building the right business case and having the right partners in those areas. It is an important market for many of our marketing partners. It’s just a matter of time.” He added that Spain and Italy don’t have arenas yet that are capable of hosting a game.
- Former Celtics first-round pick James Young was waived this week by the G League’s Wisconsin Herd, tweets Adam Johnson of 2 Ways & 10 Days. It’s the latest setback for Young, who was waived by the Bucks shortly before the season began.
Knicks Notes: Vonleh, Smith Jr., Tanking, Prospects
Noah Vonleh has achieved his goal of re-establishing himself with the Knicks, but their partnership may not last beyond the February 7 trade deadline, writes Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. Vonleh was looking for playing time when he chose New York last summer instead of the Spurs, Bucks or Cavaliers. He joined the Knicks on a one-year, partially guaranteed contract and has turned in his best NBA season, averaging 8.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game while shooting better than 40% from 3-point range.
“A lot of talented players in the NBA don’t get to showcase certain things because that’s not how the team views them — they already got guys that can do that,” Vonleh said. “So the opportunity and the role is here, so I’m able to showcase some of the things. Coach (David Fizdale) said he has confidence in me, and that’s a big part. If your coach has confidence in you, ain’t no telling where you can go in this league. Sky’s the limit.”
However, Vonleh’s contract status brings some uncertainty to his situation. The Knicks don’t have his Bird Rights, so there’s no advantage to keeping him for the rest of the season. They will have the cap space to bid on him in free agency, although they are hoping to use that money on a top-level talent. A few teams have expressed interest in dealing for Vonleh, sources tell Vorkunov, although the Knicks haven’t said if they’re open to a trade.
There’s more out of New York:
- It doesn’t appear the Knicks are interested in a second chance at Dennis Smith Jr., according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. New York bypassed Smith in the 2017 draft to take Frank Ntilikina and hasn’t pursued him despite rumors that he might be available in the midst of a troubled second season in Dallas. A source tells Berman that the Knicks asked about the Mavericks about Smith before the season, but “not recently.”
- Despite reforming the rules for the draft lottery, the NBA is still faced with a four-team tanking race for the rest of the season, Berman notes in a separate story. The teams with the three worst records will have an equal shot at landing the top pick, and the Knicks are in that competition with the Cavaliers, Suns and Bulls. New York has dropped 17 of its past 19 games to move into third place in our latest Reverse Standings, but all four teams are separated by just two games.
- In another piece, Berman examines the top five prospects the Knicks will be looking at if they land a high lottery pick. He places the Duke trio of Zion Williamson, Cam Reddish and R.J. Barrett and as the top three, followed by Murray State guard Ja Morant and Virginia forward De’Andre Hunter.
Sixers Notes: Embiid, Noel, Butler, Fultz
Joel Embiid‘s back soreness is creating a dilemma for the Sixers as they battle for home court advantage in the playoffs, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia may prefer to rest Embiid, but the team leads Boston by only a game and a half in the race for fourth place and is in the middle of a challenging 12-game portion of its schedule.
Embiid said his back was “pretty tight” after Saturday’s loss to the Thunder, but his first choice is always to play. He missed his first two NBA seasons with a broken bone in his foot and appeared in just 51 games last year as the team was being cautious about his condition.
“I have to keep getting treatment on it,” Embiid said of his back, “and it’s going to get better.”
Pompey observes that Embiid moved gingerly on the court yesterday and used a heating pad on his back when he went to the bench. It could turn into a season-long question for the Sixers as they balance the value of home court advantage against the prospect that Embiid won’t be 100% at playoff time.
There’s more Sixers news to pass along:
- Nerlens Noel‘s appearance in Philadelphia yesterday with the Thunder served as a reminder that he could have been the rim-protecting backup center that the Sixers need, Pompey notes in a separate story. The sixth player chosen in the 2013 draft, Noel spent two and a half seasons in Philly before being traded to the Mavericks. He signed with Oklahoma City last summer.
- Two months after acquiring him from the Timberwolves, the Sixers are still working to make Jimmy Butler fit with all their other pieces, according to Derek Bodner of The Athletic. He finds that Butler’s usage rate when he’s on the court with Embiid is just 18.1%, well below the 28.2% mark when he’s playing without Embiid or 27.8% when he and Ben Simmons are together without Embiid.
- The Sixers welcomed Markelle Fultz back to the team this weekend, but his future remains cloudy, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Fultz will remain with the organization as he does rehab work after being diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, but there’s no timetable for him to start playing again. “It’s great to see him … it’s good to have him back,” said coach Brett Brown, who added that the team needs to assess whether he’s in basketball shape after being away so long.
MRI Planned For Lonzo Ball After Ankle Injury
Lonzo Ball could miss significant time after spraining his ankle in Saturday’s loss to the Rockets, writes Bill Oram of The Athletic. The injury occurred midway through the third quarter when Ball collided with James Ennis. It caused an instant momentum shift as the Lakers, who were leading by 17 points, fell to Houston in overtime.
Ball was taken to an area hospital, where X-rays were negative for fractures. An MRI will be conducted to determine the full extent of the damage, coach Luke Walton told reporters after the game.
“He knew it was something big,” said teammate Lance Stephenson, who helped carry Ball back to the locker room.
Oram notes that the Lakers have been cautious with Ball when he has been injured in the past. He was listed as day-to-day when he suffered a knee injury last season, but wound up sitting out 15 games. Ball only played 52 games as a rookie, then had knee surgery over the summer.
“For Lonzo it’s learning on the go,” Walton said. “He hasn’t had an offseason yet to work on his game. So he’s learning while we’re playing during the season and he’s really done a nice job of turning a corner. We’ll see where we’re at, how long he’s out for, and hopefully get him up and running again and playing at the level he was playing at before he got hurt.”
It’s bad timing for the Lakers, who are on the verge of getting LeBron James and Rajon Rondo back from injuries. Ball has been one of the top contributors in helping L.A. go 5-8 without the two veterans, averaging 12.9 points, 6.9 assists and 6.2 rebounds during that stretch, but it appears the team will continue to be short-handed as it fights to remain in the playoff race.
Texas Notes: Smith Jr., Barea, Nene, Gasol
Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle is willing to welcome Dennis Smith Jr. back to the team whenever he’s ready, relays Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Smith hasn’t played in the past four games — officially because of back soreness and an illness — and didn’t join the Mavs for their current road trip. He also didn’t report for Friday’s practice.
“This is just my feeling, is that he’s being told to stay away for whatever reason,” Carlisle said on his weekly radio show. “I just don’t want people out there to think he is snubbing the Mavs or anything like that. This is just my opinion, I believe there’s business stuff going on, and he’s being told to stay away. Listen, if that’s what they feel is in his best interests, he should trust his advisers. But it’s unlike him not to want to be with his teammates. I do feel strongly that people should not look at Dennis in this situation now and judge him harshly, that he’s doing something against his teammates or the Mavs or anything like that. I just think this is a business-type situation, and this is what he’s being advised to do.”
Sources told MacMahon that Smith is frustrated over changes to his role on the team with the arrival of Luka Doncic, but the Mavericks remain hopeful for a reconciliation. Smith’s agent, Glenn Schwartzman, didn’t return text messages and phone calls seeking a comment. Carlisle said he also reached out to Smith and Schwartzman.
There’s more NBA news out of Texas:
- Mavericks guard J.J. Barea expects to be out of action for six to nine months after surgery to fix a torn right Achilles tendon, tweets Dwain Price of Mavs.com. The 34-year-old, who suffered the injury last week, will be a free agent this summer.
- The Rockets won’t ask Nene to play more minutes with starting center Clint Capela sidelined after thumb surgery, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. The team expects to bolster its frontcourt by signing Kenneth Faried once he clears waivers Monday. “Coach has a plan,” Nene said. “We have other big men. We have young big men, too. They will get those minutes. Coach will decide when I am going to play.”
- Pau Gasol has been back in the Spurs‘ starting lineup in four of the past five games, but the move hasn’t resulted in more playing time, notes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express News. He has averaged just 11 minutes per game during that stretch. “At this point, I’m just doing my best with the opportunity and the conditions I am playing under,” Gasol said.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/19/19
Here are Saturday’s NBA G League assignments and recalls from across the league:
- The Spurs assigned forward Chimezie Metu to their Austin affiliate so he would be available for tonight’s game against Iowa, the team announced on its website. Metu is averaging 14.9 points and 7.2 rebounds in 15 G League games.
Nets Notes: Russell, Dinwiddie, Durant, LeVert
The Nets started winning when D’Angelo Russell and Spencer Dinwiddie figured out how to work together, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Brooklyn’s point guards had an uneasy relationship early in the season, which left coach Kenny Atkinson reluctant to put them on the court at the same time. But with them working in tandem, the Nets have the league’s best record since December 7 at 16-5.
“Now they’re accepting their roles,” DeMarre Carroll said. “Those two are the head of the snake; they’re going to take us as far as we go. They finally realized that and understand they’re not in competition with each other anymore. They can do it collectively. One guy can have one night, and the other guy can have the other night. Or they can do it both together. But that’s maturity. They’re finally growing up, and you can see them maturing on and off the court.”
There may have been a financial component to their competitiveness. Russell is headed toward restricted free agency this summer after not getting an extension in the fall, while Dinwiddie signed a three-year, $34MM extension last month.
There’s more news from Brooklyn:
- Dinwiddie plans to appeal to Kevin Durant to join the Nets in free agency this summer, relays Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Brooklyn will have enough cap space to offer Durant a maximum contract and could get close to two max offers by trading Allen Crabbe for an expiring deal and renouncing the rights to Russell.
- Caris LeVert had a promising workout yesterday, but team officials are refusing to comment on when he might return, Lewis relays in another story. LeVert hasn’t played since suffering a dislocation in his right foot on November 12. “I’m not going to speculate,” Atkinson said. “I don’t want to give you something and be wrong. That’s the last thing I want to do. No specific update. [He’s] progressing. I know he had another great workout [Friday]. That’s as far as my medical background goes, but progressing nicely.”
- Kenneth Faried was waived this morning after agreeing to a buyout, just three weeks after Atkinson complimented him on the way he has handled minimal playing time. “He’s been fantastic,” Atkinson said at the time. “It’s weird, some guys, they check out. He hasn’t.” Acquired from Denver in an offseason trade, Faried appeared in just 12 games for the Nets, averaging 9.8 minutes per night.