Tim Hardaway Jr. Played Entire Season With Leg Injury
The extent of Mavericks‘ guard Tim Hardaway Jr.‘s stress reaction in his left tibia that will result in surgery sometime this summer appears to be a bit more involved than previously indicated, relays Gerry Fraley of The Dallas Morning News.
Per Fraley, Hardaway acknowledged earlier today that he actually played the entire 2018/19 campaign with a “sub-par” left leg. An earlier report on Hardaway’s injury in the wake of the Mavericks’ decision to shut the 27-year-old down for the team’s final 11 games indicated that he would no longer play the rest of this season, but did not provide any details on what caused the injury or when the injury occurred.
“I was playing through an injury basically the entire season,” said Hardaway. “I think that shows a lot about my character and how much I care for the guys in that locker room.”
Hardaway, who is expected to be fully recovered and ready to go by the beginning of training camp later this year, averaged a career-high 18.1 PPG this season, but was held to an eFG% of .474, tied for the lowest of his career. Both his assist and rebound numbers were also down from last season.
For Mavericks fans excited about what the future may bring with both Kristaps Porzingis and Luka Doncic now in the fold, the fact that Hardaway wasn’t at full strength this season may be even more reason for optimism.
Stanford’s KZ Okpala Declares For NBA Draft
Stanford sophomore forward and potential lottery pick KZ Okpala has declared for the 2019 NBA draft, per Evan Daniels of 247Sports. Per new rules, he is permitted to sign with an NBA certified agent and still return to school if he withdraws his name by May 29.
“I have decided to declare for the NBA Draft,” Okpala said. “I have learned so much over these last two years at Stanford and am looking forward to continuing to improve along this journey. I am excited to see where it will take me.”
A rather interesting story, Okpala stood only 5’10” as a freshman in high school before spurting to a relatively incredible 6’7” as a senior. He is now listed at 6’9”. Because of his size, he wasn’t recruited by any high-major programs until late in his high school career, when Stanford saw him play on the AAU circuit.
As a sophomore this past season, Okpala averaged 16.8 PPG, 5.7 RPG, and 2.0 APG while connecting on 36.8% of his three-point attempts. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony currently ranks Okpala as 2019’s No. 26 overall prospect, with his scouting report detailing how Okpala fits the modern NBA with his defensive versatility and greatly improved jumper. Per Givony, the 19-year-old may potentially generate some interest in back-end of the lottery.
In addition to Okpala, several other prospects have made themselves early entrants for the 2019 NBA draft:
- Javonte Smart, G, LSU (freshman) (via Instagram)
- Joe Wieskamp, G, Iowa (freshman) (Twitter link via Jeff Goodman of Stadium)
- Armoni Brooks, G, Houston (junior) (Twitter link via Jeff Goodman of Stadium)
- Emmitt Williams, F, LSU (freshman) (Twitter link via Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports)
- Four players from Xavier – Paul Scruggs, Naji Marshall, Quentin Goodin, and Tyrique Jones (Twitter link via Jeff Goodman of Stadium)
Cam Reddish Declares For 2019 NBA Draft
Duke freshman Cam Reddish has declared for the 2019 NBA Draft, as relayed by Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.
Reddish is the second Duke freshman to enter his name into the draft following yesterday’s announcement from R.J. Barrett. Point guard Tre Jones is returning to school for his sophomore season while the all-but-assured top pick in this year’s draft, Zion Williamson, has yet to announce a decision.
Reddish, 19, was a McDonald’s All-American and Mr. Basketball in his home state of Pennsylvania before making his way to Durham as a consensus top-5 recruit for the class of 2018. As a freshman this season, he averaged a respectable 13.5 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and 1.6 SPG while largely playing third fiddle to both Barrett and Williamson. He also started in all but one of the 36 games he played during the 2018/19 campaign.
Once considered a potential top-3 pick, Reddish has slipped a bit in the latest set of prospect rankings by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. The 6’9” wing is now only rated as the No. 7 overall prospect for 2019, but he is still the highest-ranked small forward just ahead of Indiana’s Romeo Langford. Givony’s scouting report notes Reddish’s outstanding size and fluidity for the position, but a lack of effort and consistency overall.
Nets, Magic Clinch Playoff Spots
With wins against the Pacers and Celtics, respectively, both the Nets and Magic with make the 2019 NBA Playoffs and end two of the three longest playoff droughts in the Eastern Conference.
The Nets had not made the postseason since 2015, when they were led by Joe Johnson, Deron Williams, and Brook Lopez, while the Magic had not been to the playoffs since 2012 when they were led by All-NBA first team center Dwight Howard. The Knicks now have the longest playoff drought in the East, having not made the playoffs since 2013.
The star of this year’s Nets’ squad, first time All-Star point guard D’Angelo Russell, credits his teammates with helping his club get back to the postseason for the first time in four years, writes Greg Logan of Newsday.
“We wouldn’t have gotten this far without everybody,” Russell said. “It sounds cliché to say, but so many guys made big shots that you may not have expected and so many guys made big winning plays that got us those games. We’re enjoying this as a group.”
Meanwhile, the Magic will also earn a Southeast Division title, the team’s first in nine years. Their leader, another first-time All-Star in center Nikola Vucevic, is proud of his team’s fight and toughness both this season and through the hard times in seasons’ past, writes Roy Parry of the Orlando Sentinel.
“It feels incredible,” Vucevic said. “A whole year fighting, the ups and downs. We made it the hard way… We’ve lost so many games and we’ve struggled so much these last few years… I’m so proud of this team. No one thought we could make it… It’s an amazing feeling.”
Nickeil Alexander-Walker To Enter 2019 NBA Draft
Sophomore guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker is entering the 2019 NBA draft and hiring an agent, the 20-year-old Canadian announced on Twitter earlier tonight. Alexander-Walker posted a picture thanking Virginia Tech and his collegiate teammates and coaching staff.
The hiring of an agent will not preclude Alexander-Walker from returning to Blacksburg next season, but based upon his projected draft position, it seems unlikely that he will withdraw from the draft and return for his junior year.
Alexander-Walker, a third-team All-ACC selection this past season, averaged 16.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 4.0 APG, and 1.9 SPG for the Hokies during his sophomore campaign after putting up 10.7 PPG as a freshman. He started all 77 games he played during his college career.
Once considered a potential lottery pick, Alexander-Walker currently ranks 22nd overall on ESPN’s Jonathan Givony‘s 2019 big board, behind fellow wings R.J. Barrett, Jarrett Culver, Kevin Porter, and Tyler Herro. Alexander-Walker’s scouting report notes his ability to play on the ball some in the NBA and guard positions 1-3.
Southwest Notes: Bzdelik, Conley, Davis, Holiday
Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni missed a second consecutive game with the stomach flu today, but fortunately for the Rockets, associate head coach Jeff Bzdelik has been able to pick up the slack in D’Antoni’s absence.
Unfortunately, the Rockets do not yet know whether Bzdelik, 66, will return to the team next season after he told Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle that he hasn’t yet thought about his future beyond this season.
“That’s a really good question. I don’t know the answer to it,” Bzdelik said when asked whether he intended to return to the Rockets next season. “First of all, none of us have any guarantees on tomorrow… I work for a great organization, great ownership, great management. I work for a great, great man and basketball coach in Mike. I work with great people. I thoroughly enjoy my job.”
Bzdelik, who retired after the end of last season due to an unspecified personal issue, returned to the Rockets in November.
There’s more out of the Southwest Division this evening:
- Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian takes a detailed look at the value of Mike Conley to the Memphis franchise in the wake of what could be the final few games of the 31-year-old point guard’s career with the Grizzlies. Additionally, Herrington analyzes some variables that may affect whether the team ultimately trades Conley.
- While recognizing that Anthony Davis is the greatest player in franchise history, Scott Kushner of The Advocate writes how Davis’ connection with the Pelicans franchise and the city of New Orleans imploded the second he demanded a trade. Both Davis and the Pelicans are sick of losing, but were never able to come up with a joint solution to the problem.
- In another article for The Advocate, Kushner details how Davis’ inevitable departure may lead to Jrue Holiday being the new face of the Pelicans, a role and challenge that Holiday is ready to embrace. “I’m going to go with it,” Holiday said. “I’m excited to run with it. I guess I’d like to be more involved with decisions and decision-making moving forward.”
Carsen Edwards To Hire Agent, Enter 2019 NBA Draft
Junior point guard Carsen Edwards has announced on Twitter that he intends to hire an agent and declare for the 2019 NBA draft, thanking God, his family, his teammates, and the staff at Purdue (specifically mentioning head coach Matt Painter) in the process.
As we’ve noted previously, the hiring of an agent doesn’t necessarily mean that Edwards will forgo his final season of college eligibility. But, based upon the tone and wording of his message on Twitter and Edwards’ lights out performance in the NCAA tournament, it appears highly unlikely that Edwards will return to West Lafayette for his senior season.
Edwards, a two-time All-American and two-time first-team All-Big Ten recipient, averaged 24.3 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 2.9 APG for the Boilermakers during the 2018/19 season after putting up 18.5 PPG as a sophomore in 2017/18.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony currently has Edwards ranked 25th overall on his 2019 big board, noting the momentum of his tournament performance (Edwards broke the single-tournament 3-point record with 28, in four games no less) and high-level shot-making ability as factors pushing Edwards into the first-round conversation.
Heat Waive Rodney McGruder
The Heat have waived swingman Rodney McGruder, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, in a financially motivated attempt to skirt the luxury tax.
The Heat lost to the Raptors earlier today, putting a large hit on the club’s playoff chances. Wins by the Pistons and the Nets, both playing now, would officially eliminate Miami. Therefore, the Heat were left with a decision — keep McGruder, hope to make the playoffs against long odds, and try to re-sign him this summer, or waive him for potential financial gain. The team chose the latter.
As noted by Bobby Marks of ESPN, the Heat will avoid the luxury tax if McGruder’s $1.54MM minimum-salary contract is claimed by another team. However, any team interested in picking up McGruder would not have the 27-year-old available for the playoffs, so the only incentive to claim him would be to obtain his Early Bird rights and the right to match any offers for him in free agency. McGruder will be a restricted free agent this summer with a qualifying offer of a little more than $3.6MM.
As such, it will be interesting to see whether another franchise claims McGruder and helps out Miami. On the one hand, McGruder is still relatively young and on a cheap contract. Moreover, he will be a restricted free agent this summer, which is always a tantalizing asset for any club. But, he can’t help now, in the playoffs, which is currently the primary focus of many teams. For what it’s worth, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports that the Heat believe McGruder will be claimed.
McGruder started 45 games for the Heat this season, averaging 7.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists. He appeared in 161 games for the Heat over three seasons and led the Heat’s G-League affiliate to a championship back in 2016.
Five Key Stories: 1/12/19 – 1/19/19
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. Below are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days:
Rockets starting center and All-Star candidate Clint Capela will be out of action for the next four to six weeks after undergoing successful surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb. At the time of the injury, the Rockets still had an opening on their 15-man roster, but have since signed swingman James Nunnally to a 10-day contract, as noted below. Last night, it was reported that veteran big man Kenneth Faried will sign with the Rockets as a stopgap for Capela after reaching a buyout agreement with the Nets. It remains to be seen whether the Rockets will wait for Nunnally’s 10-day deal to be completed or trade or waive Carmelo Anthony to create the requisite room on the 15-man roster for Faried.
Turkish prosecutors are seeking an international arrest warrant for, and extradition of, Knicks center Enes Kanter, after accusing him of membership in a terror organization. Prosecutors are reportedly citing Kanter’s ties to Turkish exile Muhammed Fethullah Gulen, the man blamed for a failed coup against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2016. Specifically, Kanter is being accusing of providing financial support to Gulen. Understandably, Kanter did not travel with the Knicks to London this week for their game against the Wizards due to concerns about his safety.
The NBA announced there was no violation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when the Cavaliers signed and subsequently released Patrick McCaw. The NBA could have levied fines or lost-draft-pick penalties on the Cavs if there was evidence of wrongdoing, like testimony that the team signed McCaw solely to free him from his restricted free agency with the Warriors with no plans on keeping him. But, given their injury-ravaged roster, the Cavs had a clear motive for signing McCaw. And given his poor audition for the team, Cleveland also had an obvious motive for moving on from him.
Celtics All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving called former teammate LeBron James to apologize for resisting criticism and not fully appreciating James’ leadership during their time in Cleveland. Irving’s comments came just a few days after he publicly expressed frustration with some of his younger teammates, and while he acknowledged that he made a mistake by calling out his teammates in the press, his admission of his call to James seems to ironically imply that he views his teammates as resisting his criticism and not fully appreciating his leadership.
Here are 11 more notable NBA headlines from the last week:
- Mavericks veteran guard J.J. Barea suffered a torn right Achilles and will miss the remainder of the 2018/19 season after undergoing surgery. Dallas applied for and obtained a disabled player exception as a result.
- The Pistons signed guards Isaiah Whitehead and Kalin Lucas to two-way contracts after waiving both Keenan Evans and Zach Lofton.
- The Sixers signed veteran swingman Corey Brewer to a 10-day contract.
- Heat guard Dion Waiters is not happy with his limited playing time upon his return form injury.
- The Cavaliers signed point guard Cameron Payne to a second 10-day deal.
- Bulls rookie big man Wendell Carter Jr. will be sidelined for 8-12 weeks after suffering ligament damage in his left thumb.
- The Rockets signed former Timberwolves’ swingman James Nunnally to a 10-day contract.
- The Suns signed veteran forward Quincy Acy to a second 10-day contract.
- Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is undecided as to whether he will coach beyond 2018/19 season.
- After it was originally reported that the Mavericks were ramping up trade discussions for point guard Dennis Smith Jr., the team now reportedly hopes to reconcile with the second-year point guard. Smith has not requested a trade.
- The Kings are interested in potentially trading for both Hawks point guard Jeremy Lin (link) and Mavs forward Harrison Barnes (link).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Markelle Fultz To Continue Rehab In Philadelphia
Sixers guard Markelle Fultz has returned to Philadelphia to continue his shoulder rehab with the team, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. There is still no timetable for his return, but he will be attendance for today’s game between the Sixers and Thunder.
Fultz, who was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome in early December, has been rehabbing in Los Angeles since the diagnosis, but now plans to continue his rehab at the Sixers’ team facility in hopes of an eventual return to action this season.
The Sixers have fielded several trade offers for Fultz this season, but it appears that the team remains interested in seeing how the 20-year-old fares throughout the course of his rehab before making a decision on his future with the team.
The No. 1 overall selection in the 2017 NBA Draft, Fultz has had a disappointing start to his young career, averaging a pedestrian 7.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per contest in 33 career games.