New York Notes: Nets, Simmons, Bridges, Sims, Towns
While dealing Dennis Schröder to Golden State is viewed as a tanking move for a team looking to accumulate assets, the Nets can now play at a faster pace, according to head coach Jordi Fernandez.
“Dennis was bottom ten slowest point guards in the NBA – pace doesn’t mean you’re better or worse – and Ben (Simmons) is 18th-fastest,” Fernandez said, per Lewis (Twitter link). “… We’re going to try to play faster. The ball is going to fly. He’s going to push. He’s going to throw it ahead.”
We have more from the New York teams:
- Simmons, who underwent back surgery in March, hasn’t played more than 27:20 in any game this season. An unrestricted free agent after the season, the Nets‘ new top point guard said his playing time could expand soon, Lewis adds in another tweet. “I think my restriction right now is 27,” he said. “I think it’s around that. So hopefully that changes soon.”
- In an era when playing in all 82 regular-season games is a rarity, Mikal Bridges has established himself as NBA’s iron man. The Knicks wing made his 500th consecutive appearance in Sunday’s 100-91 victory over the Magic, a streak that began with his first game with the Suns as a rookie, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post notes. “Everyone talks about offensive traits and talents and defensive traits and talents, but the most impactful and the greatest trait you can have is availability and he has it and he’s shown it,” Karl-Anthony Towns said. “Shoutout to him. That’s a huge accomplishment.”
- Jericho Sims has garnered some trade interest, according to Bondy. Sims, playing on an expiring $2.1MM contract, has seen his playing time cut in recent games. The center position is the Knicks’ most obvious need, even though Mitchell Robinson is expected to return at some point. But the team doesn’t have many assets left after making two blockbuster trades in the offseason, though Miles McBride and/or Josh Hart could conceivably be dealt for the right player, Bondy suggests.
- Towns will return to Minnesota on Thursday for the first time since he was traded to the Knicks. He’s not sure how he’ll be received, according to Bondy. “I don’t know (how they will embrace me). But I know that every single day that I put on that Timberwolves jersey I gave the absolute best of me even when I wasn’t 100 percent,” Towns said. “I gave them all of me mentally, physically, spiritually. I was there nine years, so I go there with a lot of pride and joy for the memories that I have.”
Southwest Notes: Popovich, Thompson, Morant, Boston
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has released a statement via the team’s PR department regarding his recovery from a stroke and the support he’s received since he stepped away from the team (Twitter link). Popovich mentioned that he anticipated returning to coaching at some point.
“This has certainly been an unexpected six weeks for my family and me,” Popovich said. “As we work together on my recovery, I want to take a moment to share that the outpouring of support we’ve received during this time has been truly overwhelming in the best possible way. While I wish I could get back to each one of you, for now, let me say that my family and I are forever grateful. We’re thankful for our wonderful community, the entire Spurs organization, and our family and friends.
“No one is more excited to see me return to the bench than the talented individuals who have been leading my rehabilitation process. They’ve quickly learned that I’m less than coachable.”
Popovich suffered a mild stroke on Nov. 2. This was his first public statement since the Spurs initially announced he would be away from the team. Assistant Mitch Johnson has served as the club’s acting head coach in Popovich’s absence.
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- Longtime Warriors guard Klay Thompson scored a season-high 29 points in the Mavericks’ win at Golden State on Sunday. It was the second trip back to his former home arena and Thompson said he was much more relaxed. “Way easier,” Thompson said, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “Especially not seeing all the captain’s hats. I saw a few of those. Much easier. Felt more settled in than the first time I was out here.” Warriors employees lined up along the walls of the ramp where the visiting team arrives at Chase Center and saluted Thompson with a tip of a captain’s hat in Dallas’ first trip there last month.
- Grizzlies guard Ja Morant said earlier this month that he doesn’t want to dunk anymore as he tries to avoid injuries any way he can. However, his teammates are somewhat skeptical, according to Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “I don’t think that he’s serious,” forward Brandon Clarke said. “I just don’t think that he’s going to dunk as many on people because that’s when it’s a risk of getting fouled hard or getting hurt.”
- The Pelicans lost their 13th straight road game on Sunday but they got a strong effort from reserve two-way player Brandon Boston, who scored 20 points to lead five Pelicans in double figures. “His confidence is growing more and more as he progresses throughout the season,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said, per the Associated Press. “He’s understanding his role. He’s started some games. Right now he’s in the second unit. He’s getting solid minutes each and every game and he’s very confident in what he can do once he touches the floor.”
Central Notes: Cunningham, Lillard, Middleton, Phillips
The field of contenders is deep, but Pistons guard Cade Cunningham has put himself in the discussion for All-Star consideration, Pistons.com’s Keith Langlois writes.
Cunningham entered Monday’s game against Miami averaging 23.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 9.3 assists per contest. He has admirers around the league not only for his stats but also because he’s establishing himself as a leader and clutch performer, Langlois notes.
However, Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell and Trae Young are likely to be popular in the fan voting for Eastern Conference guards while LaMelo Ball, Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Maxey, Tyler Herro, Tyrese Haliburton, Darius Garland, Zach LaVine and the Boston duo of Derrick White and Jrue Holiday also merit consideration from fans and the coaches who will choose the reserves.
We have more Central Division news:
- With the Bucks preparing for the NBA Cup finals against Oklahoma City on Tuesday, Lillard sat out practice due to a calf issue. However, it was a precautionary move, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic, and Lillard says he’ll suit up for the game. According to the team’s PR department, the Bucks’ point guard has a right calf contusion (Twitter links here).
- Bucks forward Khris Middleton has appeared in four games off the bench since returning from offseason surgeries on both ankles. Middleton was irritated by the notion that he took his sweet time to get back into action, he told Marc J. Spears of Andscape. “People say I was scared to play mentally, or whatever case may be. It was just I wasn’t ready to play physically, mentally,” he said. “When you go through injuries, when you go through surgeries, you have to make sure physically you feel fine and mentally you’re there. All the way around, you have to be ready to play.” Middleton’s status for the Cup final is uncertain; he missed practice on Monday due to an illness, according to an Associated Press report. He’s listed as probable, Nehm tweets.
- Bulls forward Julian Phillips has seen his role diminish since making a couple of starts earlier this month. Phillips, a 2023 second-rounder, needs to expand his game and create offense for teammates in order to get more playing time. “Julian has done a really good job of spacing the floor, shooting his threes, but I think he can do a little bit more off the dribble,” coach Billy Donovan told Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune. “Whether or not we can get there this year, I don’t know.”
Pistons Re-Sign Paul Reed, Waive McCoy
The Pistons have re-signed center Paul Reed and waived wing Javante McCoy, according to the team’s PR department (Twitter links).
Detroit signed McCoy to a standard, non-guaranteed contract on Sunday. That turned out to be just a stopgap in order for the Pistons to reach the minimum salary floor while Reed was on waivers.
Detroit needed to fill a roster spot after cutting Reed on Saturday because that move dropped the Pistons to $1,417,937 below the minimum salary floor, which they were required to reach by the end of Sunday. Detroit is now back at the minimum salary floor as a result of bringing back Reed and is still the only NBA team with cap room, holding about $14MM in space, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets.
Reed had a $7.7MM salary this season that would have become fully guaranteed next month. Instead, he will return as Detroit’s third-string center on a more team-friendly deal. He’ll get the veteran’s minimum, Omari Sankofa of the Detroit Free Press tweets.
Reed, 25, was the 58th overall pick of the 2020 draft out of DePaul. He spent his first four seasons with the 76ers, who waived him in July to create enough cap room to sign all of their external free agents. The Pistons claimed him a couple days later.
Reed was a rotation regular with Philadelphia last season, averaging 7.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 1.0 blocks in 82 games (19.4 MPG). He has appeared in 12 contests this season, averaging 4.8 PPG, 1.9 RPG and 0.8 SPG in 10.4 MPG.
Despite being on the roster for just 24 hours, McCoy will be paid for four days — the two he spent on the roster and the two he’ll spend on waivers. That will result in a prorated salary of $32,596, as cap expert Yossi Gozlan tweets.
It’s likely that McCoy will just rejoin Detroit’s G League team. The 6’5” McCoy has appeared in 12 games this season for the Motor City Cruise, averaging 14.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 26.1 minutes per game. McCoy is also shooting 51.4% from 3-point range.
Central Notes: Bryant, LaVine, Ball, Vucevic, Harris
The Pacers didn’t waste any time getting Thomas Bryant on the court. After officially being acquired on Sunday, Bryant had seven points and two rebounds in 11 minutes against the Pelicans.
“It was a little hectic but everybody accepted me and they helped me through the whole time. It felt great being out there with the guys,” Bryant said via a video posted by the Indianapolis Star’s Dustin Dopirak.
Bryant provides depth at the center spot, a position where Indiana has suffered two season-ending injuries. He appeared in only 10 games with Miami this season.
“I know there’s a big need to have another ‘five’ here. Just trying to fill that role here with the guys and talking with them as well, just trying to see what I can bring, what I can do with them. … They just want me to play my game,” Bryant said.
We have more from the Central Division:
- Bulls wing Zach LaVine is questionable to play against Toronto on Monday due to lower back spasms, K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network tweets. LaVine is averaging 21.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game this season.
- The Bulls continue to aggressively shop Lonzo Ball, Nikola Vucevic and LaVine, among other players, as they look to stay in the loaded 2025 draft lottery, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Chicago owes San Antonio a first-rounder but it’s top-10 protected for 2025. Moving LaVine’s contract this season is more of a pipe dream than a reality, the source told Cowley, unless there’s a major injury or another unexpected development.
- The Pistons won’t have starting forward Tobias Harris against Miami on Monday. He’s dealing with a right thumb sprain, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press tweets.
Pistons Sign Guard Javante McCoy
The Pistons have signed guard Javante McCoy, according to a team press release.
The 6’5” McCoy has appeared in 12 games this season for the Motor City Cruise, the Pistons’ G League affiliate, averaging 14.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 26.1 minutes per game. McCoy is also shooting 51.4% from 3-point range.
He has appeared in 96 career NBA G League games for the South Bay Lakers, Austin Spurs and Motor City Cruise while averaging 11.4 PPG, 3.7 RPG and 2.8 APG in 22.8 minutes per contest.
Detroit needed to fill a roster spot after waiving veteran big man Paul Reed on Saturday. That move dropped the Pistons to $1,417,937 below the minimum salary floor, which they were required to reach by the end of Sunday.
McCoy signed a one-year, non-guaranteed contract, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. His salary is likely just enough above the rookie minimum to allow Detroit to reach the floor — his cap hit will likely be exactly $1,417,937. According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), the Pistons now have about $14MM in cap room.
McCoy was on the Pistons’ training camp roster on an Exhibit 10 contract but was waived in October. McCoy, 26, had his G League rights acquired by the Cruise in August.
McCoy played at Boston University for five seasons (2017-22) but went undrafted after his final college season.
Stein’s Latest: Schröder, Johnson, Pelicans, Lakers, Kings, Reed
The Warriors acquired a valuable rotation piece in Dennis Schröder this weekend, but it’s possible he won’t last the season with his new team. Schröder can traded again this season and could be part of a package to get a star-level player before February’s trade deadline, according to Marc Stein in his latest Substack post.
Miami’s Jimmy Butler could be among the players targeted by the Warriors, whom many rival teams believe will make a splashier move this season. Stein notes the Warriors aggressively pursued Lauri Markkanen and Paul George during the offseason.
The timing of the Warriors’ trade for Schröder was significant. The latest CBA instituted a new exception that allowed players who are traded by Dec. 16th to be aggregated in another deal before the trade deadline.
Golden State had interest in trading for Nets’ forward Cameron Johnson as well as Schröder but would likely have needed to include Jonathan Kuminga in a deal for both players, Stein suggests.
Here’s more from Stein:
- The Pelicans aren’t inclined to trade young pieces Herbert Jones, Yves Missi and Trey Murphy but they are open to trade inquiries for virtually anyone else on the roster.
- The Lakers aren’t looking to make a blockbuster move but they’d like to add depth and are expected to make at least one trade.
- The Kings are dangling the contracts of Kevin Huerter and Trey Lyles in order to upgrade the roster.
- The Sixers have some interest in a reunion with Paul Reed, who waived by the Pistons on Saturday. However, it’s unlikely they’d attempt to add him prior to the trade deadline in order to maximize their roster and cap flexibility. Reed was waived by Philadelphia during the offseason.
Eastern Notes: Pistons Defense, Embiid, George, Ball
The Pistons have lost four of their last five games and eight of their last 11. That’s due to defensive issues that they are trying to clean up after playing just one game this past week.
“We’ve had some slippage because we haven’t had a ton of practice time,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff told Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. “This week has been really, really good for us to be able to get that practice time. And then obviously you play good offensive teams like we’ve played through this stretch, that’s gonna have an impact on it also.”
Guarding the perimeter has been their biggest problem. They’ve dropped to the bottom five in the league in defensive three-point field goal percentage (37.7 percent). They’ll look to bounce back against Miami on Monday.
“You notice and try to recognize things that are trending,” Bickerstaff said. “I think our three-point defense has slipped as of late as far as the quality of shots we’re giving up, the percentages that teams are making from those spots, and the breakdowns that are leading to those. I think we have shown some pretty consistent stretches of it, but we haven’t put together the four quarters that we’re looking for.”
We have more from the Eastern Conference:
- Sixers star center Joel Embiid has officially been listed as out for their game against Charlotte on Monday due to a sinus fracture, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Embiid’s injury occurred during Philadelphia’s game against Indiana on Friday when he was struck in the face by Pacers wing Bennedict Mathurin.
- The Sixers need to get Paul George more involved in the offense, Pompey writes. He is averaging 15.9 points per game while shooting just 31.7% from deep. George has averaged at least 21.5 PPG every year since the 2015/16 season. “I think just moving a little more, just finding my way of moving,” George said. “Running the floor a little bit better. “I think we got to allow each other to create space. So I have to cut to the nail sometimes to allow Tyrese (Maxey) to play in the open court, then I got to do it. But I think for sure, just more clarity for myself.”
- Hornets star guard LaMelo Ball appears to be on the verge of returning to action, having been listed as questionable to play on Monday vs. Philadelphia due to a left calf injury, according to Charlotte’s PR department (Twitter link). Ball hasn’t played since November 27.
Central Notes: Williams, Pacers, Bucks Tourney Run, Lillard
Bulls forward Patrick Williams practiced in full on Thursday and is on track to play approximately 20-to-24 minutes on Friday, head coach Billy Donovan told K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network and other media members (Twitter link). Williams has been sidelined since Nov. 18 due to a foot injury.
The Bulls held guard Josh Giddey (back tightness) out of practice, but there’s optimism he’ll play on Friday against Charlotte.
We have more on the Central Division:
- The Pacers practiced on Tuesday and Thursday due to a gap in their schedule. After losing five of their last six, the team was happy to get some time to try to fix its issues, according to Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. “We certainly would have loved to have been a part of the quarterfinals like we did last year at the in-season tournament,” veteran backup point guard T.J. McConnell said. “But we’ve gotta look at it a different way. It’s a different season. Guys are working their way back so it can be very beneficial to work on getting them back and stuff that we need to improve on.”
- Following a very slow start, the Bucks are above .500 and headed to Las Vegas for the NBA Cup semifinals after defeating Orlando. Coach Doc Rivers said that the NBA Cup has provided some extra incentive. “You set a goal and you try to reach it, right?” Rivers said, per ESPN’s Jamal Collier. “Our goal is not just to get to Vegas, we want to win this thing.”
- Damian Lillard has adjusted his game to fit the Bucks’ style and personnel. He’s driving into the paint more, though it doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll take the shot. It often turn into a “hockey assist” or a direct assist to a teammate, Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes. “It’s like completely changing your game and for someone that’s been the best at what he does his whole career, who’s going down as one of the greatest of all time, that’s such a wild ask,” center Brook Lopez said. “But for him to still be as good as he is and our team to be successful and winning right now, it’s a testament to the player he is. It shows he is one of the greatest of all time.”
Knicks Notes: Cup Loss, Brunson, Inconsistency, Bridges, Nnaji
The Knicks were eliminated from NBA Cup contention with their 108-100 home loss to the Hawks on Wednesday. They shot 26% on 3-point attempts and 60% on free throw tries. They also gave up 22 offensive rebounds, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post notes.
“Finishing possessions defensively [was a problem],” Jalen Brunson said. “They had a lot of offensive rebounds. Just unacceptable.”
Brunson was held to 14 points.
“Just wasn’t our night,” Brunson said. “Just wasn’t my night offensively. They got out in transition and Trae (Young) hit a couple key threes and once it went to a double-digit lead for them and they played well with a lead.”
We have more on the Knicks:
- The loss to Atlanta is more proof that the Knicks are nowhere close to being in the conversation as a potential NBA champion, James Edwards III of The Athletic opines. They have been unable to string together consistent quality performances, instead looking like world-beaters one game, then falling to mediocre or bad teams the next game. The blockbuster moves they made were supposed to make them a great team, but so far they’ve just been a good one, Edwards adds.
- On a positive note, Mikal Bridges seems to be settling in. Bridges, who has averaged 21.8 points over his last six games, had been benched for the better part of two fourth quarters during a four-game stretch in late November, Peter Botte of the New York Post points out.
- The Knicks acquired the rights to big man James Nnaji in the Karl-Anthony Towns deal after Charlotte drafted him in 2023. Nnaji is playing for Basquet Girona and averaging 7.0 points and 5.8 rebounds in 20.0 minutes per night, according to Toni Canyameras of MundoDeportivo.com. “The front office is following his progress. I’ll dig deeper into him in the summer, but I’m obviously excited to have his rights,” coach Tom Thibodeau said.