And-Ones: LeBron, Bronny, Draft, Stephenson, Cap Space
LeBron James was unhappy that son Bronny James was removed from ESPN’s 2024 draft projections and instead placed in a 2025 mock draft, according to Alex Andrejev and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic. The ESPN story had the younger James going in the second round in 2025.
“Can y’all please just let the kid be a kid and enjoy college basketball,” LeBron wrote in since-deleted posts on social media, adding, “These Mock Drafts doesn’t matter one bit! I promise you! Only the WORK MATTERS!! Let’s talk REAL BASKETBALL PEOPLE!”
LeBron has often stated he wanted to stay in the league long enough to play with his son. Bronny, a freshman at USC, is averaging a modest 5.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game through 19 contests and is no longer considered a lock to be a one-and-done prospect.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- Speaking of this year’s draft class, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo address a number of topics, including the potential of UConn’s Stephon Castle and Donovan Clingan, Houston’s Jamal Shead and Weber State’s Dillon Jones.
- Lance Stephenson, 10-year NBA veteran, is currently playing for the NBA G League’s Iowa Wolves. Stephenson feels he could help an NBA team in numerous ways if given a chance to play in the league again. “Leadership. Definitely, helping young guys. Winning mentality, just that edge on the defensive end,” Stephenson told Sam Yip of Hoops Hype. “A lot of teams need help with defense, especially during the playoffs. Tough guys that can play defense and lock down and win games. I can bring any edge that a coach needs.”
- Several teams could have major cap space this summer, with the Sixers, Pistons, Raptors and Magic well-positioned to do some major spending. Hoops Hype’s Mark Deeks breaks down what every team’s cap situation will look like when the offseason arrives.
Heat Notes: Rozier, Herro, Wright, Suspensions, Jovic, Jaquez
Terry Rozier will suit up for the Heat at Portland on Tuesday night after missing the previous four games with a sprained right knee, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports. Rozier is averaging 12.6 points, 5.6 assists and 4.5 rebounds per contest since being acquired from Charlotte.
Miami will also have Jimmy Butler and Nikola Jovic back after they served one-game league suspensions on Monday. Tyler Herro (left knee hyperextension) will sit out once again. Herro was injured on Friday against New Orleans.
Herro underwent an MRI on his injured knee on Monday that showed no structural damage, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
We have more on the Heat:
- Delon Wright played a major role in the shorthanded team’s 121-110 victory over Sacramento on Monday night during his Heat debut, Chiang writes in a separate story. He contributed 13 points, two rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block in 35 minutes. Wright signed with Miami after being bought out by Washington. “The player of the game for us in the locker room was Delon,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “I don’t think his stat line was spectacular by people probably on the outside. But, man, he plays winning basketball.”
- Wright adds depth at the guard spots but it will be tough for him to get consistent minutes when everyone’s healthy, Chiang notes in his latest mailbag. With eight other players locked into the rotation, Wright will have to fight for playing time with Josh Richardson, Haywood Highsmith and Jovic.
- Going back to the altercation with the Pelicans, Spoelstra was grateful that more players weren’t suspended for leaving the bench area. He praised the NBA’s head of basketball operations, Joe Dumars, for not penalizing players who stayed out of the scuffle. “[Dumars] understands it from a player’s perspective and I think that’s really important,” Spoelstra told Chiang. “That it’s not letter of the law, it’s observing it, looking at it, seeing all the context of it and then making the best decision based on everybody’s parties. The league, No. 1, the players and teams.”
- Jovic and Jaime Jaquez Jr. were mentioned prominently in trade rumors last summer when the Heat pursued Damian Lillard before the Trail Blazers dealt the perennial All-Star to Milwaukee. Both players spoke to Winderman about what might have been if a trade had gone through. “Me and Jaime were not the biggest pieces in the trade, but of course you think if you’re going to be in a package,” Jovic said.
Klay Thompson Wants To Re-Sign Despite Sixth Man Role
Klay Thompson‘s new role as a sixth man will not make him less inclined to re-sign with the Warriors, he told Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Thompson, who will be an unrestricted free agent in July if he doesn’t reach an extension agreement with Golden State, came off the bench for the fifth consecutive game on Tuesday.
“You’ve still got to examine all of your options, but I would love to be a Warrior for life,” Thompson said. “Whatever happens though, I’ve got a few more years to play this game, so I’m gonna enjoy every second. I realize that I see light at the end of the tunnel, (and) I’m not sure if I want to play until I’m 40, man. That sounds really exhausting.”
Thompson had a 35-point game against Utah the first time he came off the bench. He scored 23 first-half points against Denver in Golden State’s last game on Sunday and is averaging 18.1 points per night in his reserve role. Until this month, he hadn’t come off the bench since his rookie season.
While Thompson is adamant that moving a bench isn’t a deal-breaker, it’s uncertain whether Golden State’s ownership and front office are willing to go deeper into the luxury tax and above the tax aprons to retain him. Amick hears that Thompson has received no assurances from management that his desire to remain with the Warriors will be a shared priority this summer.
Coach Steve Kerr, who just signed a contract extension, said Thompson has handled his new role with class.
“He’s been great,” Kerr said. “His approach feels so much better than it was even a few weeks ago. This has been an emotional season for him. You guys know this. He’s been grappling with his mortality in some ways as an athlete. He knows how good he was six years ago, and he’s had a hard time reconciling everything after the injuries. The thing that we keep trying to convince him of is he’s still a hell of a player. But he’s at his best when he’s not pressing and he’s not stressed out (or) worried about trying to be the guy he was six years ago.”
His teammates are grateful for the way he’s accepted being a sixth man.
“We can’t win without him being good or without him being a key piece,” big man Kevon Looney said. “Whether that’s starting or off the bench, we’re not contending without him being special. We all care about him. We all want him to succeed. We all want him to be great. So when he’s not doing well or his energy’s not great, it kind of weighs on everybody else. He knows that.”
Knicks Notes: Brunson, Hartenstein, Injury Updates, Anthony
The already depleted Knicks will go without two more prominent players tonight against New Orleans. All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson and center Isaiah Hartenstein won’t play, according to coach Tom Thibodeau.
Brunson woke up with neck spasms this morning after taking some hits in the controversial win over Detroit on Monday. Hartenstein is experiencing Achilles soreness, SNY TV’s Ian Begley relays. (Twitter links).
The Knicks have already been dealing with injuries to OG Anunoby, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson.
We have more on the Knicks:
- Regarding those above-mentioned injured starters, The Athletic’s Shams Charania shared some updates on FanDuel’s Run It Back program: “I’m told [Randle’s] rehab is going well, his goal is still to play this season. He has not had any setbacks yet. … I’m told the hope – and pretty much the expectation – is over the next two to three weeks, OG Anunoby will be be back on the floor. … [Robinson] has got to keep hitting check marks, we know he’s been dealing with foot issues over the course of his career.”
- Health is one of the team’s major issues if it wants to make a sustained playoff run, The New York Post’s Stefan Bondy opines, adding that the Knicks will go as far as Brunson takes them.
- Carmelo Anthony is happy that his former agent, Knicks top exec Leon Rose, has mended fences with Klutch Sports’ Rich Paul, according to The New York Post’s Peter Botte. Anthony made his comments during a “7PM in Brooklyn” podcast. “No matter what, you need New York. You can’t go around New York. You can try to, but you gotta come back here. Especially when you’re in certain industries. When you’re in music, when you’re in sports, you gotta come through New York. So when you don’t have no relationship with the Knicks, you ain’t got no relationship around. Your relationship game ain’t strong around the NBA. So I’m happy, that’s honorable that those parties came together and settled their differences, because it’s gonna benefit everybody in the industry.”
Southwest Notes: Wembanyama, McCollum, Mavs, Exum, Hill
Victor Wembanyama has been posting eye-popping numbers across the board but the Spurs coaching staff knows he’s just scratching the surface of his true potential, Tony Jones of The Athletic writes.
The Spurs wants the star rookie to grow at a comfortable pace.
“We want to continue the process. We consistently remind him to be disciplined, and to do the little things. We want him to be strong when he’s catching the ball. We go over different nuances on the scouting report, things like that,” Spurs assistant coach Mitch Johnson said. “One of the hardest things for us is knowing that he’s capable of doing so much. So, we don’t want to open up the floodgates and put too much on him. We want him to figure things out as he goes. We want to provide the structure where he can continue to grow.”
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- Pelicans guard CJ McCollum didn’t play against Chicago this weekend due to a sore left ankle but he went through a full practice on Monday, Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune tweets. McCollum and Zion Williamson (left foot contusion) are listed as questionable to play against the Knicks on Tuesday, Will Guillory of The Athletic tweets.
- The Mavericks have an open roster spot but that may change in the near future. Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News hears that the front office is definitely looking to add a player if it finds the right fit.
- Mavericks swingman Dante Exum hasn’t played since Jan. 26 due to a knee injury but he’s close to returning. Exum practiced on Monday, though he’s listed as doubtful to suit up against Cleveland on Tuesday, Townsend tweets.
- Malcolm Hill‘s two-way contract with the Pelicans is a two-year deal, Keith Smith of Spotrac tweets. Hill, a third-year swingman, signed his two-way deal on Thursday.
Community Shootaround: Buyout Market
We are fast approaching a significant deadline for some veteran players.
A player on an NBA contract must be waived by the end of the day on Friday in order to retain his playoff eligibility.
As our 2024 Buyout Market Watch shows, there have been seven players bought out or simply waived since the trade deadline expired who have hooked on with other teams – Daniel Theis, Bismack Biyombo, Spencer Dinwiddie, Kyle Lowry, Danilo Gallinari, Delon Wright and Thaddeus Young.
Our Buyout Market Watch also lists numerous players who were recently waived that are still looking for another opportunity. That free agent group includes Ryan Arcidiacono, Danny Green, Joe Harris, Danuel House, Cory Joseph, Kevin Knox, Furkan Korkmaz, Robin Lopez, Chimezie Metu, Frank Ntilikina, Ish Smith, Aleksej Pokusevski and Juan Toscano-Anderson. They could be joined by a few more veterans in the coming days.
While none of the names on the list are likely to make a huge splash on a playoff team, some could provide a boost to a second unit.
House, for example, appeared in 34 games for the Sixers this season and Korkmaz saw action in 35 games for Philadelphia. Either one could fortify a contender’s wing depth. Ditto for Knox, who started 11 games for the Pistons this season.
Smith, Joseph and Ntilikina are all quite capable of stepping in and playing solid minutes at the point.
If a contender needs another power forward, Metu could fill that role. He played 37 games, including five starts, for the Suns this season. Toscano-Anderson was a rotation player two seasons ago on the championship Warriors team. Pokusevski is a young big who has made 65 starts in his career.
That brings us to our topic of the day: How many of the above-mentioned free agents are likely to be signed by a contending team? Which one do you think would make the biggest impact?
Please take to the comments section to weigh on this topic. We look forward to your input.
And-Ones: Edey, 2025 Draft, Bronny, All-Star Game, EuroLeague, Hordges
Purdue’s star center, Zach Edey, will not return to college next season, Boilermakers coach Matt Painter told Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link).
Edey could have stayed for one more season due to the extra year of eligibility granted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The big man is averaging 23.7 points and 11.8 rebounds and might win National Player of the Year honors for the second straight season.
Edey tested the draft waters last summer before deciding to stay in school. He’s currently listed as the No. 13 overall prospect on ESPN’s Best Available list.
We have more news from around the basketball world:
- While there’s still plenty of mystery about this year’s draft class, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has already posted a 2025 mock draft with big man Cooper Flagg, who has committed to Duke, as the No. 1 selection. The No. 39 projected pick is an eyebrow raiser: Bronny James. Givony explained on NBA Today (video link) that Bronny “has not produced like a one-and-done player” at USC. Givony adds that LeBron James‘ son could be a “completely different player” if he returns to college next season.
- Major League Baseball experimented with its All-Star Game, giving the winning league home field advantage in the World Series. Jalen Brunson suggested a similar solution on his podcast to make the NBA’s All-Star Game more competitive (hat tip to Geoff Magliocchetti of Sports Illustated). “I don’t know if baseball does it anymore, but the winner of the All-Star Game (could get) home-court advantage in the Finals,” he said. “That’s cool. I think that’s one way that could at least make it interesting in the fourth quarter.”
- EuroLeague championships to be decided in Dubai? It could happen. Abu Dhabi is reportedly offering 75MM to host three editions of the EuroLeague Final Four, according to Sportando. Negotiations are reportedly in the advanced stages.
- Cedrick Hordges has passed away, NBA Alumni tweets. He played 145 games for the Nuggets from 1980-82 before continuing his pro career in Europe for another 13 seasons.
Pistons Notes: Fournier, Grimes, Umude, Draft, Offseason
Evan Fournier seemed to be a potential buyout candidate when he was traded from the Knicks to the Pistons. However, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack post that all signs point to Fournier remaining on Detroit’s roster for the rest of the season.
Players must be waived by Friday afternoon to become playoff eligible with his next team. Fournier has appeared in four games with the Pistons, one more than he did with the Knicks this season, averaging 11.5 points in 21.5 minutes with his current club.
We have more on the Pistons:
- Detroit’s game against the Knicks on Monday night features two former New York players — Fournier and Quentin Grimes — and two former Pistons — Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks — who were dealt for each other at this month’s deadline. Grimes admitted during Detroit’s shootaround he was jacked up for the contest. “I really don’t look at it like, ‘Oh, I got to go off or something,’” Grimes told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “But you do get a little extra oomph when you wake up and try to go off against a team that traded you.” Grimes lost his starting spot prior to getting traded and knew he wasn’t long for New York. “I knew it was going to happen. I didn’t know it would be Detroit. It was a few teams,” he said. “But I knew it was going to happen, for sure.”
- Stanley Umude‘s two-year contract includes a team option for next season, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. Umude had his two-way contract converted to a standard, minimum-salary deal last week.
- This year’s draft doesn’t have any surefire stars but the Pistons will have a high lottery pick again. Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press takes a look at eight potential lottery picks and considers how they might fit in with the team’s core players.
- The additions of wings Grimes and Simone Fontecchio will allow the front office to concentrate the Pistons’ resources on one or two high-value targets with their cap space this summer, rather than spreading money around to cover multiple needs, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes.
- In case you missed it, rookie guard Marcus Sasser will be sidelined at least a week due to a right knee contusion.
Wizards’ Isaiah Livers To Miss Rest Of Season
Wizards forward Isaiah Livers will miss the remainder of the 2023/24 season due to joint capsule inflammation in his right hip, the team’s PR department tweets.
Livers, who was traded along with Marvin Bagley III and two second-round picks for Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala in mid-January, has been beset by injuries during his young career.
The third-year forward has yet to make his Washington debut due to a combination of being out of the rotation and the hip issue. Livers appeared in 23 games (six starts) for Detroit this season, averaging 5.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 20.4 minutes. He missed nearly a month of action after suffering an ankle sprain during a pre-training camp workout.
Livers saw action in 52 games last season, his second in the league after being drafted in the second round by the Pistons in 2021. He missed 20 games as a result of a right shoulder sprain.
Livers had a foot injury stemming from his college career at Michigan when he was drafted. That limited him to 19 games in his rookie year. Overall, he’s seen action in 94 career games.
He’ll be a restricted free agent this offseason if the Wizards extend him a qualifying offer worth a projected $2.37MM.
Heat Notes: Butler, Bryant, Rozier, Herro
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was disappointed with the league’s decision to suspend Jimmy Butler one game for the altercation between his club and the Pelicans on Friday, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.
Nikola Jovic was also assessed a one-game suspension and Thomas Bryant received a three-game penalty. The Heat will be in action on Monday in Sacramento, so Bryant, Butler, and Jovic will miss that game. Bryant will also si out the team’s contests in Portland on Tuesday and Denver on Thursday.
“I had no idea what to expect,” Spoelstra said. “You know, at this point, it doesn’t really matter. They’ve made their decision on that. It felt like Jimmy shouldn’t have gotten a game on that. It’s really just kind of a tangling and a little bit of pushing. I don’t think that deserves another game because he ended up having to miss the fourth quarter. But it is what it is.”
Butler expected to receive some sort of suspension.
“It doesn’t surprise me, man. It doesn’t,” he said. “I’m basically still on All-Star break.”
We have more on the Heat:
- Bryant had a confrontation with Jose Alvarado after leaving the bench but wasn’t planning on getting involved in any fisticuffs. “From my point of view, I was coming in to be a peacemaker,” Bryant said, per Chiang. “I didn’t want any of my teammates to get hurt, I certainly didn’t want to get hurt at all. It just didn’t work out in the favor that I wanted.”
- In the same story, Chiang reports that Terry Rozier could return on Monday after missing three games with a right knee strain. Rozier is listed as questionable. “He’s on the road trip for a reason,” Spoelstra said. “He’s working toward getting back. When that day will be, I don’t know yet. But he’s definitely making progress. His body will let us know.”
- Tyler Herro will get an MRI after suffering a hyperextended left knee against the Pelicans. He’s also listed as questionable to play Monday and is optimistic that he won’t miss time, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes. “It’s feeling good,” Herro said. “I’m going to get an MRI just for peace of mind, to make sure everything is good.”