Southeast Notes: Butler, Ntilikina, Hayward, Murray
Heat forward Jimmy Butler was able to play 40 minutes on Monday after missing 11 of the previous 12 games with a toe and calf injuries. Butler supplied 31 points in the overtime win over the Nets.
“I got my rhythm as I was coming back,” he said. “Guys were looking for me, got out in open court.”
It was only the ninth time all season that the Heat’s top three players — Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro — all played in the same game, and the seventh time all season they finished the game, Tim Bontemps of ESPN notes.
“We just have to keep playing basketball the right way with or without myself, Tyler, and Bam in the lineup,” Butler said. “We’ve always found a way to win games. We will continue to do so. But I like the idea of us three being on the court at the same time.”
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Frank Ntilikina has yet to make his Hornets debut, but that should change soon, according to Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer. The guard is currently in the advanced stages of his rehab and on-court work. He suffered a non-displaced fracture in his left tibia in the preseason finale. Ntilikina had a non-guaranteed deal but the team chose to keep him past the league-wide January 10 salary guarantee date. “I want one thing: “I just to get back on the court with these guys. I feel like everybody out here trusts me, the coach, my teammates,” Ntilikina said. He’s listed as questionable to play Wednesday against New Orleans, Boone tweets.
- Another injured Hornets player, Gordon Hayward, will need more time to recover from his latest injury. Hayward has missed the last nine games with a strained left calf and has only been able to do light work, Boone reports. “It’s a tricky situation with a calf strain like that,” Hayward said. “I’m not there yet, so it’s not like there’s a timeline or anything. But it is getting better.” Hayward’s $31.5MM salary will come off the Hornets’ books after the season, if he’s not dealt in the coming weeks.
- Hawks guard Dejounte Murray is well aware of the trade rumors enveloping him. Murray told Andscape’s Marc J. Spears “I love my teammates,” adding that he tries to keep the chatter out of mind. “I know what the main goal is. The main goal is today,” he said. “Today, I’m an Atlanta Hawk and that’s all that matters. Help do my job and try to get a win. That’s the most important.”
Central Notes: Burks, Dosunmu, Williams, Jackson Jr.
Pistons reserve guard Alec Burks continues to pump up his trade value, despite the team’s woeful season. Burks tied his career high with 34 points on Monday as the Pistons defeated the Wizards and collected just their fourth win this season.
Burks is averaging 18.7 points over the last 11 games. He has an expiring $10.9MM contract and could help a contender in need of a shooter.
“I’m happy for AB, man. He’s a great vet. He can really score the ball,” forward Isaiah Stewart said, per Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. “I love playing with him. Every time he steps out on the floor, he’s in range. He’s the type of guy that just hits all types of shots, and once he’s hot, he’s hot. Seeing him have a performance like that today, he deserved that and I’m happy for him.”
We have more from the Central Division:
- Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu is dealing with a shoulder stinger, though he’s hopeful he won’t miss any games, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “In the San Antonio game, I had caught a stinger and it was bothering me. Pretty much all year but it wasn’t every day, just on the occasion when I got hit,” Dosunmu said. “And I got hit in San Antonio (on Saturday). (Monday), I went for an offensive rebound and there was some contact and my shoulder just went numb, dead and weak.”
- Patrick Williams missed Monday’s loss to Cleveland with a right ankle sprain but the Bulls power forward hasn’t contributed much on the stat sheet since Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic returned from injuries, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times notes. Williams moved back to the second unit and averaged 6.0 points and 2.6 rebounds before injuring his ankle. “What I try to explain to Pat is everything you go through as a young guy will mold you and turn you into the pro you need to be,” DeMar DeRozan said. “Right now it can be tough trying to constantly figure out what’s needed from him, but my thing is once you get it you’ll find the appreciation of the ups and downs.”
- Bucks rookie Andre Jackson Jr., who won a national championship with UConn, recorded his first NBA double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds against Golden State on Saturday. Jackson was drafted with the No. 36 overall pick and traded to Milwaukee on draft night. “He made big-time plays,” coach Adrian Griffin told the Milwaukee Sun Sentinel’s Jim Owczarski and other media members. “He’s a big-time player. he was a winner in college. Has a motor like i haven’t seen in a long time. Imposes his will on the game. He just made big-time plays, he made winning plays. That’s who ‘Dre is. That was his first double-double. We needed every rebound. He had six offensive rebounds, he’s guarding the best layer on the other side. He’s shaping into being a really, really special player in this league.”
Northwest Notes: Porter Jr., Brown, Jazz, Leonard
Nuggets coach Michael Malone marvels at what Michael Porter Jr. can do athletically after three back surgeries. Porter wears a brace on his left leg due to those back injuries.
“I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves,” Malone told Bennett Durando of the Denver Post. “What he’s doing has never been done before, from a medical standpoint. If you’re really gonna understand and look at what he’s doing, from a medical standpoint, the brace he wears every night and for him to go out and do what he’s doing — if you just take a step back, it’s just incredible.”
Porter is averaging 16.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game and hasn’t missed a game this season.
“I’ve gotta remind myself of that,” Malone said. “Because no one else has done what he’s doing, and I really admire that.”
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- The Nuggets couldn’t afford to keep Bruce Brown, who played a sixth man role in last season’s championship run. Brown left for a lucrative deal with the Pacers and Denver misses him, Sean Keeler of The Denver Post writes. Denver’s fast break hasn’t been the same without Brown and the team also misses his defensive intensity and swagger.
- The Jazz’s recent hot streak has pushed them over the .500 mark. Coach Will Hardy said that surge has set the team up for a meaningful second half of the season. “I would describe the first 41 games as a success because of what we have a chance to do going forward,” Hardy told The Athletic’s Tony Jones. “It’s not the record that I’m happy with. I’m happy with how we got here. I think the team has shown grit and character. Because of that, I think this team has developed a lot of confidence. When we’re going through game preparations, the players walk away knowing if they do certain things they can win the game that night. That’s a big step in the right direction for us.”
- Clippers star Kawhi Leonard noticed how well the Timberwolves are connected on defense, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic relays. The Timberwolves collected a four-point win over the Clippers on Sunday. “They’re very long,” Leonard said. “They help each other out. They want you to shoot shots outside the paint. It’s not a team where you make one pass and you’re able to score on them. You gotta move it around a little bit, try to get some open looks and share it.”
Hawks Notes: Murray, Young, Rebuild, Forrest, Milestone
Hawks guard Dejounte Murray, whose name has been mentioned prominently in trade circles, made an interesting comment during Monday’s TNT broadcast. In an interview with Dennis Scott relayed by Paul Garcia of ProjectSpurs (Twitter link), Murray indicated he wouldn’t mind playing for Spurs coach Gregg Popovich again.
“Pop is like a father to me, I would welcome that,” Murray said. “But right now, I’m a Hawk, I’m going to stay professional and play the right way.”
The Hawks gave up three first-rounders in a package to acquire Murray from San Antonio in the summer of 2022. However, the Spurs reportedly have some interest in reacquiring the standout guard.
We have more on the Hawks:
- They are on a fast track toward major changes, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer opines. While a Trae Young trade probably won’t happen this season, it may come to a point where Young and the franchise decide it’s best if he goes elsewhere to pursue a title. In the meantime, the Hawks may sit Young later in the season if they keep losing in order to improve their lottery odds, O’Connor suggests.
- In terms of Murray, O’Connor reports that the Hawks are asking for two first-round picks as part of the package but no one has met their demands. O’Connor adds that Murray would prefer to play for a contender, although the Spurs would seem to be the exception.
- Fourth-year guard Trent Forrest has carved out a rotation spot, Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. He’s averaging 16 minutes per game this month. Forrest is on a two-way deal.
- Young reached a milestone in the Hawks’ 10-point win over San Antonio on Monday. He passed 10,000 points for his career while scoring 36 against the Spurs. “It was not on my mind at all,” Young said, as relayed by The Associated Press’ Charles Odum. “I was just trying to go out there and win and put on a show.”
Bulls’ LaVine: Not Thinking About Trades At All
When it comes to trade rumors, Bulls wing Zach LaVine is near the top of the list. Speculation about LaVine’s future has been rampant ever since a report surfaced in mid-November that he was increasingly open to being traded.
With the trade deadline only a few weeks out, LaVine says he’s only thinking about the Bulls’ recent surge. They were 4-1 since LaVine returned from a foot injury entering their game against Cleveland on Monday night.
“We’re winning,” said LaVine said, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “There’s nothing better than that. I don’t think about (trades) at all. Unless I get a call from my agent, it’s just another day at the office for me. I’m glad to be out here playing. I’ve been in trade talks for a long time, obviously. I think this year was bigger than years prior. But at the end of the day, it’s nothing new.”
LaVine’s maximum-salary contract, injury history and iffy defense has made it difficult to build a market for him. The two-time All-Star is also averaging just 20.1 points per game, his lowest figure since the 2017/18 season.
He’s taken fewer shots this month while averaging 16.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists per night. In two of the five games, LaVine only attempted eight field goals.
LaVine says he’s fine with that.
“We’re in a good rhythm. Offensively, I didn’t have as much output scoring,” he said. “But I feel like I impacted the game the right way and we got the wins. I know who I am and what I can do on the court. So we’ll keep going with it.”
The fact he’s been able to play 35.6 minutes per game after missing over a month of action has been encouraging.
“Couple overtime games, back-to-back kicks you in shape pretty quick. I’m tired, sore but I feel good overall and happy to be back on the court,” LaVine said. “And I think I’ve been solid considering the fact I missed 17 games. I feel I found a rhythm pretty quickly and been able to do a lot of things on the court, including defensively.”
At this point, LaVine seems content with staying put.
“As long as I have a Bulls jersey on, I have no inclination of looking into the future of if I’ll be here,” he said.
Spurs Notes: Wembanyama, Barlow, Murray, Young
Victor Wembanyama started the season at power forward but he’s mainly manned the center position in recent weeks. The first pick of the draft says he’s eager to find out where he best fits, ESPN’s Andrew Lopez writes.
“I’m glad we can experience stuff and figure out my role. I’m a rookie,” he said. “It’s also me figuring out how I want to play now but also for the future how we want to build. We’re still trying some stuff.”
The Spurs also want him to develop chemistry with wing Devin Vassell.
“Those are two of the people we want to have the ball a lot since they’re our skilled players in a sense,” coach Gregg Popovich said. “Seeing those two guys meld together is important for us. They’re doing pretty well.”
We have more on the Spurs:
- Wembanyama is planning to participate in the Skills Challenge during All-Star weekend in Indianapolis next month, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
- With Wembanyama sitting out against Chicago over the weekend, Dominick Barlow got a chance to start on Saturday. He didn’t dazzle, Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News notes, as he contributed five points, six rebounds and a block in 22 minutes. It was still a milestone for an undrafted two-way player. He’s been backing up the super rookie since Zach Collins was sidelined by an ankle injury.
- The Spurs have been linked to Dejounte Murray, but Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer argues that they should pursue the Hawks’ other starting guard, Trae Young. Wembanyama and Young could form a dynamic duo that teams wouldn’t want to switch screens against. Young is also one of the league’s best at creating easy shots for bigs, which would allow Wembanyama to score off of rolls and cuts on a regular basis, O’Connor notes.
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 1/15/2024
The transcript from our live chat today can be accessed at this link.
Luke Adams will field your questions in our next live chat on Thursday.
Western Notes: Jazz Streak, Edwards, Blazers, Allen
The Jazz have moved one game above .500 by winning 11 of their last 13 games. They’re now ninth in the Western Conference and the players have taken note of the team’s rise in the standings, Sarah Todd of the Deseret News writes.
“Of course,” big man John Collins said of checking the standings. “All the time, and I see us popping up in the standings a little bit. I like it. I’m enjoying all this good energy right now.”
The coaching staff hasn’t made it a point of emphasis.
“I haven’t mentioned the standings once to the team but they all know,” coach Will Hardy said. “I can promise you that with the way social media is now and friends and family and agents and all of you guys, they know where we are, but it’s my job to try to keep them focused on the present moment.”
We have more from the Western Conference:
- Timberwolves star guard Anthony Edwards is shooting more free throws this season — 6.5 attempts per game compared to 5.3 last season. Edwards is falling short of his goal of averaging eight free throws a game, but he’s pleased that he’s getting more calls. “I worked on it all summer because that was an emphasis,” Edwards told Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “Being able to draw fouls, get to the line, stop the clock, especially when we’re down, I think I’m doing a pretty good job at it right now.”
- While the expectations for the Trail Blazers dropped after they traded away Damian Lillard, they’ve still been worse than projected this season, Sean Highkin of RoseGardenReport.com writes. They are coming off a road trip in which they went 1-6 and got outscored by 192 points. The games have been as non-competitive as Portland’s post-trade deadline tanking during the past two springs, Highkin notes.
- Could Grayson Allen be the Suns’ best bargaining chip? Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes reported on TNT during Phoenix’s 127-109 road win over the Lakers that the Suns are more interested in acquiring an athletic wing player, rather than a point guard. Allen, who has an expiring $8.5MM contract, might be the only player the Suns could move and get that type of wing in return to help improve the team’s perimeter defense, according to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic.
Grizzlies’ Desmond Bane Out At Least Six Weeks
The Grizzlies’ lengthy injury list added two more names on Sunday, the team announced (via Twitter).
Guard Desmond Bane suffered a Grade 3 left ankle sprain during the third quarter against the Clippers on Friday. He will be reevaluated in six weeks.
Forward Jake LaRavia has a Grade 2 high left ankle sprain, which he suffered during the first quarter against the Knicks on Saturday. He will be reevaluated in three weeks.
Ja Morant and Steven Adams have already suffered season-ending injuries. The team announced on Thursday that Marcus Smart will be out at least six weeks due to a finger injury, and Brandon Clarke (Achilles) and Derrick Rose (hamstring) are also currently sidelined.
Bane is enjoying a career year, averaging 24.4 points, 5.3 assists and 4.6 rebounds. He officially leads the teams in scoring and assists, as Morant only appeared in nine games before a shoulder injury ended his season.
LaRavia has appeared in 11 games this season, averaging 3.6 points and 1.5 rebounds.
As was the case earlier this season, Memphis will soon become eligible for multiple hardship exceptions. The Grizzlies carried as many as 17 players on their standard roster in the fall when they was beset by injuries, adding Jaylen Nowell and Shaquille Harrison to 10-day contracts.
Community Shootaround: Two-Day Draft
The NBA has tinkered with the draft lottery in recent years, mainly to discourage tanking.
The draft itself has gone relatively untouched for decades. The NBA switched to a two-round format in 1989 with all the picks being made in one frenzied night.
The second round often runs past midnight Eastern time and by then, most NBA fans have already tuned out and turned in for the night.
With a nod toward the NFL, which stretches its draft across three days, the NBA is expected to change to a two-night format. The Players Association still must sign off on the proposal, but that seems likely.
Front office executives should benefit from the alteration. There is usually a flurry of activity in the second round and now the deal-makers will have more time to map out their strategies and ponder what moves they need to make. They’ll also have more time to decide which undrafted prospects they might look to add to their summer league teams and training camp rosters.
It’s unknown whether more time will be allotted between first-round picks but at least it should end at a more reasonable hour. The change could be nerve-wracking for prospects who are borderline first-round picks and second-rounders, since they might have to go through an extra night of suspense to find out if their names are called.
Considering most of the suspense of the NBA draft comes during the lottery, it’s also fair to wonder whether holding the second round on the following night will draw much of a TV audience.
That brings us to our topic of the day: What do you think of the NBA possibly switching to a two-night format for the annual draft?
Please take to the comments section to weigh on this topic. We look forward to your input.