Eastern Notes: Hampton, Hart, Thomas, Brown
The Pistons were interested in R.J. Hampton leading up to the 2020 draft and even held an in-person interview with him, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press reports in a subscriber-only story.
Hampton, the 24th pick of that draft, wound up in a Pistons uniform this month after getting waived by Orlando. He played five scoreless minutes in his Detroit debut on Saturday but is glad to join GM Troy Weaver’s club.
“Troy’s a great dude,” the Pistons’ newcomer said. “Somebody that’s real, somebody that expects a lot from his players but also knows what it means to develop young guys. That’s something I look forward to, being in an organization that takes the time with players, takes the time to figure out the areas that they’re really good in and weaknesses and coming together and making it all fit. I think he’s great in that aspect and I’m excited about it.”
We have more from the Eastern Conference:
- Josh Hart admits he had some trepidation about being traded by Portland to the Knicks, wondering how he’d mesh with coach Tom Thibodeau. Hart has been pleasantly surprised, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes. “Coming here I didn’t exactly know how Thibs’ system was. But it worked out,” Hart said. He’s averaging 14.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists with his new team. Hart holds a $12.96MM option on his contract for next season, which he’s expected to turn down.
- Cam Thomas scored 22 points off the bench for the Nets on Sunday in a loss to the Hawks. Thomas is averaging 26.1 points per game this month but coach Jacque Vaughn says he’ll continue to use Thomas as an instant offense reserve, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets.
- The Knicks won’t have to deal with the Celtics’ second-leading scorer when the teams square off on Monday. Jaylen Brown is taking the night off for personal reasons, Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston tweets.
Southeast Notes: Butler, Lowry, Herro, Oubre Jr., Porzingis, Morris
The Heat have lost four straight, including a five-point decision to the lottery-bound Hornets on Saturday, and Jimmy Butler is fed up, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. Butler said he was “tired of losing.”
The Heat recently added Kevin Love and Cody Zeller but that hasn’t turned their fortunes around in the short run. “I don’t think anybody in here wants to lose,” Butler said. “We’ve got to figure this out very, very quickly.”
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Kyle Lowry, who has been dealing with left knee soreness, has been upgraded to questionable for the Heat’s game against Philadelphia on Monday, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel tweets. Tyler Herro is listed as questionable due to a rib contusion.
- Forward Kelly Oubre Jr. is headed to unrestricted free agency this summer but it sounds as if he’d like to stay with the Hornets. Oubre said he still has a “lot to give” to the franchise, Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer tweets. I have a lot to give to this city, to this organization, to my teammates as far as my leadership and my life path,” he said.
- Kristaps Porzingis missed the Wizards’ game on Sunday due to left knee soreness, while Monte Morris sat out with lower back soreness, the team’s PR department tweets.
Quin Snyder Named Hawks’ Head Coach
6:48pm: The Hawks have officially named Snyder as their head coach, according to a team press release.
“From our first conversation, it was clear that Quin had all the characteristics we were looking for in our next head coach. He has both an incredible basketball and emotional IQ, and we share the same core values and basketball philosophies of having honest communication and collaboration with players, tremendous attention to detail and placing a great emphasis on player development,” Fields said in a statement.
Snyder is a former Hawks assistant coach.
“I am thrilled to go back to Atlanta as the next head coach of the Hawks,” he said. “Landry has a tremendous reputation as an incredibly bright, high character, high quality individual and it was quickly evident that we share a passion and commitment to building a winning team with a strong foundation and high standards. I am excited to collaborate with Landry to create a successful program that devoted Hawks fans are proud of and cheer for and am grateful to Tony, Jami and the Ressler family for this opportunity. My family and I are looking forward to immersing ourselves in the community and calling Atlanta home.”
6:07pm: Former Jazz coach Quin Snyder has agreed to become the Hawks’ head coach, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
Atlanta will give Snyder a five-year contract and he could be coaching as soon as Tuesday, when the Hawks face Washington.
Snyder replaces Nate McMillan, who was dismissed by the franchise on Tuesday. At the time, the Hawks were expected to conduct a wide-ranging search but they quickly focused on Snyder.
Snyder was Utah’s head coach from 2014-22 and compiled a 372-264 (.585) record during the regular season. However, the Jazz were unable to get over the hump in the postseason. They were 21-30 in the playoffs over the last six seasons, never getting past the Western Conference semifinals.
Assistant Joe Prunty served as the interim coach since McMillan was let go, including in a 129-127 win over Brooklyn on Sunday.
The Hawks chose to hire a permanent coach before the end of the season because they hope to make a deep run in the Eastern Conference playoffs. They also wanted to give Snyder a chance to start implementing his program while evaluating the roster in order to facilitate their offseason approach.
Snyder will have a significant say in player personnel matters, according to Woj. Snyder has been in talks with general manager Landry Fields, assistant GM Kyle Korver and owner Tony Ressler on a number of philosophical, team building and staff budgetary issues, Woj adds.
McMillan was named the club’s interim coach in March 2021 in place of Lloyd Pierce. Atlanta made a surprise run to the Eastern Conference Finals, prompting the Hawks to remove the interim tag and give him a four-year contract in July 2021.
The Hawks finished the regular season at 43-39 and lost in the first round of the playoffs last spring and were 29-30 when they fired him. Atlanta won both of its games under Prunty.
Pacific Notes: Baldwin, Thompson, Russell, Okpala
Warriors rookie forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. is getting some playing time and coach Steve Kerr sees a bright future for the first round pick, C.J. Holmes of the San Francisco Chronicle writes.
“When I watch Patrick I see a future rotation player,” the Warriors coach said. “He fits. You can see it. He makes shots from the perimeter with ease. He shoots it from such a level of extension that you can barely challenge the shot.”
Baldwin contributed 11 points in 10 minutes for the Warriors against the Lakers on Thursday and 11 more points in 16 minutes against Houston on Friday.
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- Klay Thompson has four rings and a contract that runs through next season. The Warriors shooting guard says he’s still hungry at this stage of his career, according to Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Thompson became the first player in NBA history to make 12 three-pointers in multiple games in a season while scoring 42 points against Houston. “I did something that no one else has ever done before,” Thompson said. “I looked at (Stephen Curry) immediately when I did it because, I mean, that man’s got all the records, so it’s fun to push the game forward with him. I’m still so hungry to be great. I’ll never be satisfied.”
- Lakers point guard D’Angelo Russell went through pregame warmups but was ultimately ruled out of the team’s game against Dallas, according to Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register (Twitter links). Acquired from Minnesota at the trade deadline, Russell suffered a sprained right ankle against Golden State on Thursday.
- The Kings still believe KZ Okpala can be a defensive factor in his NBA career, but chose to waive him after determining that he needed knee surgery, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee reports in a subscriber-only story. Okpala, who appeared in 35 games after signing as a free agent, has been sidelined with bilateral knee soreness and is now expected to undergo season-ending surgery. The team consulted with multiple medical professionals to evaluate Okpala’s injury, Anderson adds.
R.J. Hampton Signs With Pistons
FEBRUARY 23: The Pistons have officially signed Hampton, the team announced.
FEBRUARY 21: Former Magic guard R.J. Hampton plans to sign with the Pistons after he clears waivers, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
Hampton, the 24th overall pick in 2020, was waived by Orlando on Tuesday afternoon.
Hampton had a rotation role in his first season-and-a-half with the Magic, but has seen his playing time decline precipitously in 2022/23 after the team turned down the ’23/24 team option on his rookie scale contract. Hampton appeared in just 26 contests this season, averaging 5.7 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists on .439/.340/.838 shooting in 13.9 minutes per game.
It’s not a given that Hampton will join the Pistons, since it’s possible he could be claimed. He has a $2,412,840 cap hit for 2022/23, so a team with cap room or a trade exception big enough to absorb that amount could place a claim.
Detroit has an open roster spot, so it won’t have to make a corresponding move.
The Pistons have been rotating Jaden Ivey, Alec Burks, Killian Hayes and Cory Joseph at the guard positions. Hampton could take over some of Joseph’s minutes as he auditions for a new contract. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer, as James Edwards III of The Athletic hears that he’ll just be signing a rest-of-the-season contract with Detroit (Twitter link).
Bucks Sign Meyers Leonard To 10-Day Deal
FEBRUARY 22: The Bucks have officially signed Leonard to a 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release. The deal will run through March 3, covering Milwaukee’s next four games.
FEBRUARY 20: Veteran big man Meyers Leonard is signing a 10-day contract with the Bucks, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
Leonard hasn’t played in the NBA since March 2021. The Bucks had two roster spots open and needed to fill at least one of them to abide by NBA rules.
Leonard said in a recent TV interview that he suffered nerve damage when he underwent ankle surgery in April 2021 and spent much of the last two seasons rehabbing shoulder and ankle injuries. He was also embroiled in controversy two years ago for uttering an antisemitic slur on a video game stream.
Milwaukee might get some use out of Leonard. Bobby Portis has been sidelined by a knee injury, though he’s expected to return soon. Giannis Antetokounmpo took himself out of the All-Star Game during the first minute due to a wrist injury and Jae Crowder has yet to make his team debut.
The Bucks have been monitoring Leonard’s progress for over a year, and conducted a workout with him last month, according to Wojnarowski. They were looking for a big with shooting ability and a playoff history, Woj adds.
Leonard worked out for the Lakers last month but wasn’t signed. His last stint in the league was with the Thunder, who waived him two seasons ago after they acquired him from the Heat.
He was the 11th pick of the 2012 draft by Portland. He played seven seasons with the Trail Blazers, then appeared in 51 regular season games for the Heat in 2019/20. He only saw action in three games in 2020/21.
Suns Owner Ishbia: Durant Trade Involved “No Risk”
New Suns majority owner Mat Ishbia believes the Kevin Durant blockbuster deal wasn’t risky at all, he told Chris Mannis of Sports Illustrated.
Ishbia made a big splash and acquired of one of the league’s biggest stars right after being approved by the league’s owners to take control of the franchise.
“I don’t look at it like a risk at all. I know what the vision is,” he said. “I’m going to own this team for 50 years, so like zero [risk]. I don’t need to come in and win in the first year. But at the same time, there’s nothing in my life that I don’t want to win at. We’re going to try to win everything we do.”
The fact that Durant is in the first season of a four-year extension played into the decision to make the deal with the Nets. The Suns gave up Cameron Johnson, Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder and several first-rounders in the deal, which turned into a four-team swap.
“It wasn’t a tough decision. We really didn’t want to give up some of the guys, because we love those guys,” Ishbia said. “They were winners and we didn’t want to give them up. But at the end of the day the right decision was, what do we do to maximize our team for today and for the next three to four years? This is going to be what the Phoenix Suns are about.”
Ishbia touched on a number of topics with Mannix:
- Potential luxury tax penalties didn’t factor into the decision to make the trade. Ishbia is also unfazed by any future tax issues: “The financial piece was five seconds. They know I’m ready. That doesn’t bother me.”
- Ishbia won’t meddle with GM James Jones and head coach Monty Williams in their jobs: “James will pick the best player. And that’s his job. I’m not calling Monty Williams to ask him why we played someone. That’s not my thing. I’ll watch the game like a fan and cheer the team on. That’s what my job is to do, is to be the biggest supporter, to give Monty Williams all the support he needs, to give James Jones all the support they need, to give the players all the support they need.”
- Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert was the only owner who abstained from approving him as Phoenix’s owner. Gilbert and Ishbia both own major mortgage companies based in Michigan, but Ishbia says there’s no bad blood between them. “If I saw Dan today, we’d shake hands and say hello. We’re normal people. But we’re not giving each other advice and being friendly in the business side. I have no negativity towards him. He’s probably not one of the first owners I’ll call for advice on ticket sales or sponsorships, but I’m friendly to everybody. But I’m fine talking with him.”
Hornets RFA Miles Bridges Says He Might Return Next Month
Restricted free agent Miles Bridges could return to the Hornets next month, he told Larry Lage of The Associated Press.
“It’s been a long process,” Bridges said. “I might be back in March.”
Bridges was in attendance at Michigan State’s home game against Indiana on Tuesday night. Bridges played his college ball with the Spartans.
However, there’s still a strong possibility Bridges won’t suit up this season. He could face disciplinary action from the league, which is conducting an investigation into Bridges’ conduct.
He was arrested and charged with felony domestic abuse just days before he entered restricted free agency last summer. He was accused of assaulting his then-girlfriend in front of their two children.
Bridges ultimately worked out a plea deal with prosecutors in Los Angeles County, agreeing to plead no contest to one charge of felony domestic violence while two child abuse counts were dismissed. The 24-year-old avoided jail time by accepting three years of probation. He was ordered to attend a year’s worth of domestic violence counseling sessions and parenting classes in addition to completing 100 hours of community service.
The Hornets denied last month they were engaged in negotiations with Bridges. President of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak said this month that the franchise will still awaiting the league’s decision.
“I don’t know when the investigation is going to end,” Kupchak said. “When the investigation ends, we will have more information and we’ll go from there.”
Patrick Beverley Signs With Bulls
FEBRUARY 21: Beverley has officially signed a rest-of-season contract with the Bulls, according to the NBA transactions log.
[RELATED: Beverley: Decision Came Down To Bulls, Warriors]
The Bulls waived Tony Bradley to open up a roster spot for Beverley.
FEBRAURY 20: Point guard Patrick Beverley is expected to sign with the Bulls, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (via Twitter).
The Bulls will have to open up a spot on their 15-man before adding Beverley.
Beverley was waived by the Magic on Feb. 12 after he was acquired in a trade with the Lakers. He had an expiring $13MM contract before working out a buyout arrangement with Orlando.
In 45 games for the Lakers, all starts, the 34-year-old posted averages of 6.4 PPG on .402/.348/.780, plus 3.1 RPG, 2.6 APG and 0.9 SPG.
Chicago has been seeking point guard help and had been in touch with Beverley’s representatives. Lonzo Ball hasn’t played in 2022/23 and will likely not return until next season. Ayo Dosunmu, Goran Dragic, Coby White and Alex Caruso have taken turns at the point guard but none have taken a stronghold on the starting job.
The Bulls entered the All-Star break with a disappointing 26-33 record. However, they’re still just two games behind the Raptors for the final play-in spot.
It’ll be a homecoming for Beverley, who grew up in Chicago.
Community Shootaround: All-Star Game
There’s usually a lot of excitement surrounding All-Star weekend, but the All-Star Game itself has turned into a joke for many fans, with no one particularly interested in playing any defense and hustling up and down the court being optional.
Since 2014, no losing team has failed to score fewer than 150 points. This year’s contest in Utah took it to new levels of absurdity, as both sides would have scored over 200 points if the “target score” rule wasn’t used in the fourth quarter. Nuggets coach Michael Malone called it the “worst basketball game ever played.”
It wasn’t always that way, In 2005 and 2006, the final scores were 125-115 and 122-120. That would be a typical score now for a regular season game.
The NFL finally gave up on the concept of having a Pro Bowl game this year, opting for a flag football extravaganza. Major League Baseball tried to make its annual All-Star Game more meaningful a few years back by awarding the winning league home field advantage in the World Series.
Is it time for the NBA to make its All-Star more meaningful, or at least make it less like a Harlem Globetrotters-style offensive exhibition?
The league did make a major change in 2018, appointing team captains and scrapping the East vs. West conference showdowns. The teams are now chosen by the captains. This year, the league added a little twist, having the captains choose the squads on game night.
It’s up to interpretation whether that format has been more successful, or simply more confusing for fans to choose a side. It’s safe to say no one really cares which team ends up winning.
Erasing the game altogether would probably not fly. Host cities have a lot invested in the game but it would be nice to find some middle ground between the game being a shameless exhibition and a hard-fought contest.
That brings us to today’s topic: Do you like having captains choose the All-Star teams or would you prefer to revert back to the East vs. West matchup? In what ways would you propose to improve the quality of the All-Star Game and make it more meaningful?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.