Jonathan Isaac Out Indefinitely
The Magic have decided to withhold rookie forward Jonathan Isaac from game action indefinitely while the sixth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft tries to fully recover from a stubborn right ankle sprain suffered back on November 11, reports Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.
Isaac missed 17 consecutive games after initially injuring the ankle before returning to action on December 17. Isaac then reaggravated the injury on December 20, causing him to miss two more games on December 22 and 23. Isaac then returned the day after Christmas, but continued to have problems with his ankle.
Magic officials have put Isaac on a rehabilitation and conditioning program to help him continue his development while out with injury. When specifically asked how Isaac’s development has been impacted by the injury, head coach Frank Vogel stated, “It’s hampered him a lot, but mentally he’s still being taught the game and still being kept engaged in everything. There’s still development. There’s still growing. There’s still experience happening. It’s just a lot slower than it would be if he was in there.”
Vogel also commented on the decision to sit Isaac (per Robbins), stating “It’s really just about getting him to where he’s at his best and not yo-yoing him in and out of games and having him re-tweak it. [We want to] strengthen the ankle and strengthen his legs and conditioning so that it’s not an issue anymore.”
Isaac, 20, had been averaging 5.3 PPG and 3.7 RPG in 15 games during his rookie season.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 12/23/17 – 12/30/17
Every week, we at Hoops Rumors strive to create interesting original content to complement our news feed. Below are our original segments and features from the last 7 days.
- In three different Community Shootaround posts, we asked:
- Has the return of Nikola Mirotic and the breakout play of point guard Kris Dunn made the Bulls a legitimate contender for a playoff spot?
- Which players are most deserving of their first All-Star appearance?
- Will Markelle Fultz fall short, meet, or exceed the expectations of being the top overall selection of the NBA draft?
- In a Weekly Mailbag segment, Arthur Hill answered questions involving the future cap situation of the Timberwolves and the trade values of Mirotic and Julius Randle.
Five Key Stories: 12/23/17 – 12/30/17
Hoops Rumors has you covered in the event you missed any of this past week’s headlines from around the NBA. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last 7 days.
The Lakers‘ goal of trading away some of their players in exchange for cap space in the summers of 2018 and 2019 has been well-documented. This week, details of the Lakers’ plan began to more fully emerge. First, the team is confident that it will be able to unload the contract of guard Jordan Clarkson at some point after the season to help with their pursuit of free agents in the offseason. Moreover, the team has also already looked into moving Julius Randle, with the Lakers and Mavericks discussing a deal swapping Randle for Nerlens Noel. Both reports come on the heels of the news that the Lakers have abandoned hope of being able to trade Luol Deng and his remaining $36.81MM in guaranteed money.
Despite the Bulls’ improved play since the return of Nikola Mirotic from injury, Mirotic is still willing to waive his no-trade clause to join a contender. Likely one of the reasons for Mirotic’s openness to being moved is the rocky relationship he still shares with teammate Bobby Portis after the pair’s infamous altercation in October. Meanwhile, the Bulls are reportedly open to a trade as well given the team’s concerns about its rebuilding plans in the wake of Mirotic’s impressive play since his return from injury.
The Bucks have reportedly spoken to the Warriors about a possible trade for center JaVale McGee or Zaza Pachulia. The Bucks, who traded away Greg Monroe in exchange for Eric Bledsoe, believe that either big man will be able to sure up its rotation, and while Pachulia is likely to stay put, McGee may be a name to keep an eye on. Rookie Jordan Bell has moved ahead of McGee in Golden State’s center rotation and McGee hasn’t been pleased with his playing time or the fact that he was only offered a minimum contract last offseason.
The Rockets signed veteran guard Gerald Green to a non-guaranteed minimum salary deal for the remainder of the season. Green, 31, previously played for Houston during the 2007/08 season but was released after appearing in just one game. Injuries have taken a toll on the Rockets’ lately, with both Chris Paul and Luc Mbah a Moute currently sidelined during the team’s five game losing streak.
The Pacers signed second-year forward Alex Poythress to a standard NBA contract on Thursday, becoming yet another player to sign an NBA deal after beginning the season as a two-way player. Poythress, 24, has played sparingly in 11 games with Indiana this season, but has averaged 20.0 PPG, 9.0 RPG and 2.7 APG with the Pacers’ G League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
Here are 10 more headlines from around the NBA last week.
- Magic center Nikola Vucevic fractured the first metacarpal on his left hand in last Saturday’s game against Washington. Vucevic had successful surgery on his hand and is expected to miss six to eight weeks.
- Former NBA point guard Beno Udrih has signed to play for Zalgiris Kaunas of the Lithuanian Basketball League and EuroLeague.
- Escalating tensions between NBA players and officials led to a recent meeting between the leaders of their respective unions.
- Pistons point guard Reggie Jackson suffered a severe right ankle sprain in Detroit’s game against Indiana on Tuesday and will be out at least six to eight weeks.
- Timberwolves point guard Jeff Teague sprained his left knee chasing a loose ball in Wednesday’s win over Denver and will be sidelined for approximately two to four weeks.
- Spurs forward Rudy Gay will be sidelined for at least the next two weeks with retrocalcaneal bursitis in his right heel.
- Lakers rookie point guard Lonzo Ball sprained his left shoulder in the second quarter of the Lakers’ Saturday night loss to Portland. Ball missed the team’s Christmas Day game against Minnesota and remains out.
- The Cavaliers‘ marquee offseason acquisition, All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas, could make his debut in the Cavs’ game tonight at Utah.
- Heat center Hassan Whiteside returned from injury for Miami’s victory against Orlando on Tuesday. Whiteside missed 13 games after suffering a bone bruise on November 28.
- Marc Gasol made himself available to reporters following Grizzlies practice on Monday to answer any questions pertaining to former coach David Fizdale.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 12/16/17 – 12/23/17
Every week, we at Hoops Rumors strive to create interesting original content to complement our news feed. Below are our original segments and features from the last 7 days:
- We polled our readers as to who they believe will end up winning the 2018 NBA Rookie of the Year award and as to whether they think LaVar Ball‘s Junior Basketball Association will be successful.
- We examined the players who remain ineligible to be traded.
- In two different Community Shootaround posts, we asked for your input on where Kobe Bryant ranks among the all-time greats and what the Hornets should do with their roster in the wake of a disappointing season.
- Luke Adams revisited the Hoops Rumors Glossary to analyze the stretch provision.
- Our Free Agent Stock Watch focused on the Denver Nuggets.
- We reminded our readers how to follow specific players on Hoops Rumors.
- We analyzed five minor offseason trades that are paying dividends for teams now.
- Chris Crouse offered fantasy hoops advice focusing on Michael Beasley, Troy Daniels, and Serge Ibaka, among others.
Five Key Stories: 12/16/17 – 12/23/17
Hoops Rumors has you covered in the event you missed any of this past week’s headlines from around the NBA. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last 7 days.
Isaiah Thomas is expected to be back in uniform for the Cavaliers sometime within the first week of the new year. Thomas, who has been sidelined with a torn labrum in his right hip since last season’s Eastern Conference Finals, apparently feels good enough to play now, but the Cavs are being extra cautious to ensure that Thomas doesn’t re-injure himself. The Cavs begin 2018 with games against Portland (1/2), at Boston (1/3), and at Orlando (1/6).
In what was reported as an unpopular move within the locker room, the Bucks waived Gary Payton II in order to make room for Sean Kilpatrick, whom the Bucks signed to their second two-way contract slot alongside Joel Bolomboy. Kilpatrick was waived by Brooklyn back in early December in order to open up a roster spot for the trade that brought in Jahlil Okafor and Nik Stauskas.
Days after general manager Ryan McDonough spoke about how the Suns planned to keep newly-acquired Isaiah Canaan on the team’s roster moving forward, the team announced that Canaan has been signed for the remainder of the season. In order to make room for Canaan, the Suns had to waive rookie point guard Mike James, the first player to have his two-way contract converted to a standard NBA deal.
In what has become less and less surprising each time it occurs, LaVar Ball made an announcement this week. In it, he proclaimed that he will launch the Junior Basketball Association, a newly-formed professional basketball league for nationally ranked high-school players who have graduated from high school but do not want to go to college. Ball’s Big Baller Brand will fund the league, where players can reportedly expect to make between $3-10K per month.
The Jazz made some roster moves this week, waiving both of their two-way players – Eric Griffin and Nate Wolters. Griffin was released in order to make room for the signing of forward Erik McCree, who profiles as a stretch-4 with three-point range. Wolters was released a day later in order to open up a spot for newly signed two-way player Naz Mitrou-Long.
Here are 10 more headlines from around the NBA last week.
- Turkish prosecutors are seeking a ridiculous prison sentence for Knicks‘ center Enes Kanter in regard to insulting comments he made about Turkey’s president.
- According to the man himself, Vince Carter is confident that he will end up back on the Raptors‘ roster before he calls it a career.
- As expected, the Hawks converted the two-way contract of rookie big man Tyler Cavanaugh into a standard NBA contract.
- Mike Conley continues to undergo therapy and treatment on his left heel, and the Grizzlies do not expect him back before the new year.
- After leaving Monday night’s game against Golden State with a sprained right ankle, Lakers‘ starting center Brook Lopez is expected to miss at least three weeks.
- Despite the relatively rocky start to their season, the Thunder have no plans to trade Paul George.
- Mavericks‘ owner Mark Cuban, whilst discussing the sale of the Carolina Panthers, said he has no interest in owning an NFL franchise.
- The Cavaliers are quietly exploring the possibility of trading for Clippers‘ center DeAndre Jordan.
- After already missing time earlier this season, Clippers‘ offseason acquisition Danilo Gallinari is expected to miss several more weeks after re-injuring his glute.
- The Bulls waived seldom-used second-year guard Kay Felder.
Community Shootaround: Kobe Bryant’s Legacy
Tonight, Kobe Bryant will become the first player in NBA history to have two different numbers retired by the same franchise. Bryant, who played for 20 seasons, all with the Lakers, is widely considered to be one of the greatest players in NBA history. Together with Shaquille O’Neal, Bryant helped lead the Lakers to three straight championships from 2000 to 2002 before leading the team to two more championships in 2009 and 2010 without the services of The Big Aristotle, with Bryant being named NBA Finals MVP in both 2009 and 2010.
Bryant’s 33,643 career points put him third all-time behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone, his 18 All-Star Game appearances are second only to Abdul-Jabbar, and his 15 total All-NBA selections tie him with Abdul-Jabbar and Tim Duncan for the most all-time. Primarily known as one of the greatest scorers in NBA history, Bryant was also an elite defender, tied for second most all-time with 12 All-NBA Defensive Team selections. Accordingly, there is certainly no debate that Bryant deserves to be ranked in the hierarchy of NBA greats. The only question remaining is where/how high?
Obviously, no list would be complete without household names such as Michael Jordan, Abdul-Jabbar, Duncan, LeBron James, Bill Russell, or fellow Laker great Magic Johnson (in no particular order). Other popular selections often include Bryant himself, former teammate O’Neal, Malone, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, Hakeem Olajuwon, Jerry West, and Oscar Robertson, again in no particular order.
So what do you think? In light of tonight’s ceremony, tell us where you think Bryant ranks within the hierarchy of the all-time NBA greats. Is he top-5, top-10? Does he even crack your top-20? Join the discussion and let us know!
Atlantic Notes: Porzingis, Morris, Okafor
Kristaps Porzingis missed his second straight game tonight when the Knicks traveled to Charlotte to take on the Hornets. Porzingis also missed Saturday night’s win over the Thunder in the return of former teammate Carmelo Anthony to the Big Apple. Porzingis has now missed six of the team’s first thirty games and while, as Marc Berman of the New York Post reports, Porzingis understands that it’s a long season, his frustration is growing.
“It’s frustration,’’ Porzingis said. “I want to be on the court as much as possible. Sometimes my head is hot and I want to play even though I shouldn’t play. They have to calm me down and make me think with my head. This [season] is a long-term thing. I want to be on the court as long as possible.”
Porzingis is expected to return to the Knicks lineup for Thursday’s game against Boston at Madison Square Garden.
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- In other Porzingis news, Liz Mullen of the SportsBusiness Journal reports that the Knicks‘ star will continue to be represented by his brothers Janis and Martins after former agent Andy Miller relinquished his NBPA certification in the fallout from the FBI’s investigation into college basketball. Per Janis, “Now that Andy does not have his license anymore, not much is changing.”
- Celtics forward Marcus Morris received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his sore left knee on Saturday, and head coach Brad Stevens says Morris is already feeling better, reports Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. But while the news is generally positive, Stevens added that Morris will return slowly. “He probably won’t play every game, or obviously back-to-back games,” Stevens said. “A game, three days off, a game. Try it that way, and then progressing back to every other day. He won’t play back-to-backs for a while.”
- Brian Lewis of The New York Post is reporting that the Nets want newly-acquired big man Jahlil Okafor to get into better basketball shape before he takes the court again for the team. Okafor played almost as many minutes in his Nets’ debut (23) than he had all season (25). While there is no timetable for Okafor’s return to the line-up, there is a strategic plan in place for that eventuality, per head coach Kenny Atkinson. “We need to integrate him more into the system. It’s going to take some time. I’m not going to give you a date but it’s a strategic plan, just like we’ve done with all our guys, integrating guys into the team. It’s going to take some time.”
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/18/17
Here are Monday’s G League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:
- The Bucks have assigned 2014’s second overall pick Jabari Parker to the Wisconsin Herd, its G League affiliate, per an official report from the team. Parker, who hasn’t played since tearing his left ACL in February, will likely attempt to practice with the Herd tomorrow in Milwaukee.
- Per an official report from the team. the Grizzlies have recalled rookie Ivan Rabb from their G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle, one day after Rabb logged 23 points, 16 rebounds, five assists and five blocks in 38 minutes against the South Bay Lakers.
- As tweeted by their G League affiliate, the Raptors 905, the Raptors have assigned rookie forward Alfonzo McKinnie to the Raptors 905 for tonight’s game against the Salt Lake City Stars. McKinnie is averaging 16.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in six G League contests.
Warriors Notes: Kobe, Jones, McGee
Despite being the defending NBA champions and holding the league’s second best record so far this season at 23-6, the Warriors will be playing second fiddle during tonight’s contest against the Lakers in Los Angeles, reports Monte Poole of NBCS Bay Area.
Of course, tonight marks the Lakers’ retirement of iconic jersey numbers 8 and 24 in recognition of legend Kobe Bryant, who helped lead the Lakers to five championships during his illustrious 20-year career. And given the circumstances, Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr is willing to allow his team the freedom to leave the locker room at halftime to witness the ceremony.
I want our guys to see it,” Kerr said Saturday. “It’ll be a pretty cool moment. Just to experience of one of the greatest players in the history of the game getting his jersey retired and we happen to be there? I’m not going to keep them in the locker room watching tape from the first half. The players would look at me like I was nuts.”
There’s more from the Bay Area:
- The Warriors are happy with the development of young big man Damian Jones, reports Melissa Rohlin of The Mercury News. The Warriors announced that they recalled Jones from the Santa Cruz Warriors on Sunday, one day after assistant coach Mike Brown watched Jones record 20 points, 15 rebounds and six assists against the Westchester Knicks. Asked to discuss Jones mindset on his lack of role with the team thus far in his career, Kerr stated, “He’s handled it really well. He’s such a quiet guy, he doesn’t say a whole lot. It can’t be easy to be gone from the main group so often, but he understands. We talked to him about it. The most important thing is for him to play and gain experience.”
- Teams are going to continue selling their second round picks to the Warriors (and other teams) so long as the price and circumstances are right, as Danny Leroux relays in a mailbag piece for The Athletic. Leroux also tackles questions regarding the futures of Jordan Bell and Patrick McCaw, among others.
- After being an integral part of the Warriors championship run last season, JaVale McGee has seen his playing time significantly drop so far this season. The reduction in minutes is the result of the way the game is changing, reports Mark Medina of The Mercury News. Despite the challenge for McGee, he appears to be accepting of his new role. “He’s handling it well. I think JaVale has been really good as far as understanding things haven’t gone his way and staying with it,” Kerr said. “He works hard in practice. I tell him all the time things will turn. They always do.”
Carlos Boozer Announces Retirement
Two-time All-Star Carlos Boozer announced his retirement on ESPN this afternoon, per Dan Feldman of NBC Sports.
The Cavaliers drafted Boozer with the No. 35 overall pick in the 2002 draft, where he spent two seasons before controversially signing with the Jazz in the summer of 2004. In Utah, Boozer teamed with Deron Williams to form a potent one-two punch that saw the Jazz make the playoffs for four straight seasons from 2007 to 2010, including a Western Conference Finals appearance in 2007.
Boozer was traded to Chicago in the summer of 2010, where he was eventually released by the Bulls with the amnesty clause before the 2014/15 season. The Lakers claimed Boozer off waivers a couple of days later, leading to Boozer spending his final NBA season in Los Angeles, where he averaged a career-low 23.8 minutes per game.
Boozer then sat out the 2015/16 NBA season before spending the 2016/17 season with the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association. Boozer finishes his NBA career with per game averages of 16.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists.