Nwaba’s G League Rights Acquired By Pistons’ Affiliate
The Motor City Cruise, the Pistons’ G League affiliate, have acquired veteran guard David Nwaba from the Lakeland Magic in exchange for Micah Potter and a second-round pick in the 2023 NBAGL draft, Marc Stein tweets.
Stein reported on Friday that Nwaba was signing a G League contract. Lakeland claimed him off waivers, then dealt him to the Cruise.
Nwaba spent the past couple seasons with Houston, but he was traded to Oklahoma City in September and subsequently waived before the season started. However, his contract for 2022/23 was fully guaranteed at just over $5MM, so the Thunder are paying his salary.
Nwaba is still free to sign with any NBA team. The G League Showcase takes place this week in Las Vegas, so the six-year veteran will be looking to make a strong impression with the Cruise ahead of January 5, when NBA teams can start signing players to 10-day contracts.
Potter is on a two-way contract with the Jazz. His G League rights were technically held by the Cruise, though he has been playing for the Salt Lake City Stars, Utah’s affiliate. If Potter gets waived by the Jazz or his contract expires, Utah loses any G League rights to Potter and Lakeland would control them.
Potter has appeared in two games for the Jazz. He has started 12 games for the Stars, averaging 14.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per night.
Eastern Notes: Collins, Murray, Durant, Claxton, Ball
Hawks forward John Collins could return to action on Monday, Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. Collins is listed as questionable to play against Orlando. Collins has been sidelined by a left ankle sprain since the beginning of the month. At that time, he was expected to miss at least two weeks, so he has progressed on schedule.
Collins is having a down season by his standards — through 22 games (31.5 MPG), he’s averaging 12.3 PPG, 7.5 RPG and 1.4 BPG on .484/.219/.845 shooting. The Hawks big man has been the subject of numerous trade rumors and his return to action could facilitate a potential deal.
Hawks guard Dejounte Murray (left ankle sprain) is also listed as questionable. He hasn’t played since departing early against the Knicks on Dec. 7.
We have more from the Eastern Conference:
- The red-hot Nets are playing at Detroit on Sunday and Kevin Durant believes the team has turned the corner, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. They entered the game against the Pistons on a five-game winning streak. “Yeah, we just figured out, we’re understanding the way we want to play,” Durant said. “That’s always the good part about finding your identity in the league is that now you can start relaxing a bit going into games, preparing. It’s cool because you know your role, you understand exactly how we want to play.”
- Nets big man Nic Claxton isn’t bashful when discussing his defensive prowess. Claxton believes he should be in the discussion for the Defensive Player of the Year award, he said in a YES Network interview (hat tip to NetsDaily.com). “Honestly, I feel that I am one of the best defenders in the league. I feel I should be in the top for the Defensive Player of the Year,” he said. “I feel like I wasn’t getting the respect I deserve. We’re winning, my numbers are good protecting the rim, guarding 1 through 5.” Claxton is averaging 2.3 blocks, including a season-high six against Toronto on Friday.
- Bulls guard Lonzo Ball is “progressing towards (running),” coach Billy Donovan told K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link) and other media members. There’s no timetable on when he’ll be cleared to try running. Ball will require a “significant ramp-up” period for conditioning after he starts running before he can finally return to action. Ball hasn’t played since January due to persistent knee issues.
Cade Cunningham Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery
DECEMBER 16: Cunningham underwent season-ending surgery on Friday, according to the Pistons, who said in a press release today that the procedure will “stabilize and promote complete healing of a left tibial stress fracture.”
The former No. 1 overall pick is expected to return to full basketball activities in the 2023 offseason, per the team.
DECEMBER 12: Pistons second-year guard Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft, has opted for season-ending shin surgery, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
Cunningham appeared in just 12 games this season and hasn’t played since Nov. 9. At that time, the team described his injury as left shin soreness.
Cunningham sat out for over a month, hoping that rest and rehabilitation would solve the problem. He consulted with multiple doctors in recent weeks and ultimately decided – with the Pistons and his representatives at Excel Sports – to undergo the season-ending procedure. He’s expected to be fully recovered by next season’s training camp.
It’s a major setback for a team in the midst of a major rebuild. General manager Troy Weaver has accumulated six first-round picks over the last three seasons, with Cunningham being the crown jewel. The team was hoping Cunningham and this year’s No. 5 pick, point guard Jaden Ivey, could develop chemistry this season with the expectation of a playoff push next season. They could still develop into one of the league’s top backcourts but Cunningham’s injury will delay that possibility.
The franchise is bound for another high lottery pick and is a major contender in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes. The Pistons have a 7-22 record and figure to have one of the league’s worst records with their franchise player out of action.
Cunningham was averaging 19.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and six assists in 12 games this season. He got off to a slow start during his rookie season after suffering an ankle injury during training camp. He came on strong during the second half of the season and finished third in the Rookie of the Year voting behind Scottie Barnes and Evan Mobley.
Cunningham wound up averaging 17.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.6 assists last season, including 21.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 6.5 assists in the second half.
The Pistons will now focus of the development of their other young players this season.
Ivey is off to a relatively strong start in his rookie campaign, averaging 15.3 points and 4.0 assists. Third-year guard Killian Hayes, who was part of Weaver’s first draft class, has shown some improvement while receiving steady playing time in Cunningham’s absence. He’s averaging 8.1 points, 5.1 assists and 1.1 steals, though it’s uncertain whether the front office views him as part of the long-term picture.
With Cunningham out, the team’s brass may be more inclined to trade veterans such as top scorer Bojan Bogdanovic and guard Alec Burks.
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 12/16/2022
The transcript of today’s live chat can be accessed by clicking the link here.
Please join Luke Adams for our next live chat on Tuesday at noon CT.
Brandon Ingram To Miss At Least Four More Games
Brandon Ingram will be sidelined at least another week after what was described as a minor setback in his rehab from a toe injury, according to Andrew Lopez of ESPN.
The Pelicans forward missed his eighth consecutive game on Tuesday due to a left big toe contusion. The Pelicans did more imaging on the injury, Lopez adds, which continued to show just a bruise. However, the team will proceed with caution.
Ingram will be reevaluated in a week, so he’ll be out at least four more games.
New Orleans has cruised along without Ingram, winning seven straight games until falling to the Jazz on Tuesday. Zion Williamson led the club in scoring in all but one of those victories.
Ingram’s stats are down slightly over recent seasons, which is understandable given Williamson’s reemergence. Ingram is averaging 20.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game while shooting a career-best 47.1% from beyond the 3-point arc.
Injuries have nagged Ingram throughout his career. After appearing in 79 games as a rookie with the Lakers, he has not played more than 62 regular-season games in any of the past five seasons.
He’s in the third season of a five-year, $158MM+ contract.
Southwest Notes: Wesley, Green, Bane, Rockets
Spurs rookie guard Blake Wesley was assigned to the G League Austin Spurs on Tuesday for practice, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express News tweets. He’s expected to return to the NBA team on Wednesday. Wesley could soon be back in action after being sidelined since late October with an MCL sprain. At that time, he was expected to be out six-to-eight weeks, so it appears he’s progressing as scheduled.
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- Josh Green will miss the Mavericks‘ game against the Cavaliers on Wednesday, the team’s PR department tweets. Green hasn’t played since Friday due to a right elbow sprain. He did some dribbling drills and an individual shooting workout after practice on Tuesday, Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News tweets.
- The Grizzlies went 1-5 without Desmond Bane at one point but have now won six straight with the shooting guard sidelined by a toe injury. They’ve achieved that due to Ja Morant‘s playmaking, Dillon Brooks getting more minutes with the second unit and Jaren Jackson Jr. becoming a dominant force, according to Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
- The Rockets will have significant cap space after this season. How should they use it? The Athletic’s Kelly Iko and Danny Leroux explore that topic.
Community Shootaround: Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns appear to be in a tricky spot two months into the season.
On the surface, the Suns still rank as one of the league’s top teams. They were two victories from capturing the NBA championship two seasons ago. They proved that was no fluke last season by piling up 64 regular-season victories and entering the postseason as the No. 1 overall seed.
They couldn’t sustain that dominance in the playoffs, as they required six games to knock out the upstart Pelicans, then saw their season end unceremoniously with a Game 7 collapse against the Mavericks in the Western Conference semifinals.
Despite the distraction of owner Robert Sarver’s suspension and injuries to starters Chris Paul and Cameron Johnson, the Suns got off to a strong start this season. They were 16-7 but have since lost four straight.
They were blown out by the Mavs and Celtics before back-to-back losses to New Orleans, which has the look of a serious contender with the return of Zion Williamson.
The Suns should still finish in the top six in the Western Conference. They have one of the league’s premier players in Devin Booker, who is averaging a career-best 27.4 points per game.
After allowing Deandre Ayton to enter restricted free agency over the summer, the Suns chose to match the Pacers’ giant offer sheet. Ayton has remained productive, posting numbers in line with his previous seasons.
Paul has finally returned from his nagging heel ailment. Johnson should return sometime next month from his knee injury.
The Jae Crowder situation still looms over the front office. It’s not a question of if, but rather when, Crowder will be dealt. GM James Jones has patiently waited for an offer that will presumably include a rotation player to help the team this season.
Will that be enough for the Suns to make a deep playoff run? Gerald Bourguet of GoPhnx.com doesn’t think so. He points out the team doesn’t get to the free throw line often enough and lacks the mental toughness of past teams.
Moreover, he sees the roster as being fundamentally flawed, lacking in ball-handling, offensive creation, playmaking and size at power forward.
The Suns have other assets besides Crowder to deal, most notably the expiring contracts of Dario Saric and Torrey Craig. They also own all of their future draft picks.
That brings us to today’s question: What should the Suns do to maintain their status as one of the Western Conference’s top teams? Will roster tweaks be enough or do they have to do something drastic to keep up with the other contenders?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Central Notes: Cunningham, Caruso, Green, Terry, Hield, Haliburton
Pistons general manager Troy Weaver said that Cade Cunningham was resistant to having season-ending surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left shin, according to Mike Curtis of the Detroit News (subscription required). Cunningham hoped that a few weeks of rest would allow him to get back on the court, but he ultimately chose to undergo the procedure this week.
“No player wants to sit out,” the Pistons GM said. “He’s a highly-competitive young player and he wants to play and he wants to be a part of the group. Of course, this is a tough deal for him to have to sit down and get this taken care of.”
The Pistons’ rebuilding timeline won’t be affected by Cunningham’s injury, Weaver insists: “Injuries are a part of it, but it doesn’t change anything. It changes for Cade, but not for what we are trying to accomplish. We’re trying to continue to grow the program and compete every night. … We’re still going full blast ahead.”
We have more from the Central Division:
- Alex Caruso and Javonte Green were inserted into the Bulls‘ starting lineup in place of Ayo Dosunmu and Patrick Williams a couple of weeks ago. That lineup only lasted one game before minor injuries to Caruso and Green led to more adjustments. Caruso and Green could be back in the lineup again when the Bulls host the Knicks on Wednesday, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
- Bulls rookie Dalen Terry isn’t ready to be a rotation piece, coach Billy Donovan told Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Terry has spent a majority of the last two months with the G League Windy City Bulls. “If you’re throwing him in the rotation you’re having to sit somebody else,” Donovan said of the 18th overall pick. “And right now, clearly, I don’t think he’s at the level of some of our guys. “
- Pacers guards Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield have formed a strong bond and are constantly putting each other down in joking fashion. Their relationship has helped bring the entire team closer, Oshae Brissett told Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. “All the time,” Brissett said. “Practice, on the plane, lunch, dinner, they’re always like that. But it’s all love. Brotherly love. If those two are like that, it brings the team together and everyone else has to follow.”
Pacific Notes: DiVincenzo, Garvin, Crowder, Booker, Monk
Warriors guard Donte DiVincenzo says that the Bucks and Milwaukee will always hold a special place in his heart, Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. DiVincenzo won a championship with the Bucks two seasons ago before being traded to Sacramento in a deadline deal last season.
DiVincenzo, who signed a two-year contract with the Warriors as a free agent over the summer, is looking forward to tonight’s game at Milwaukee: “They opened the door to the NBA for me. I can play for every team in the NBA. No matter what, I’m still always going to have that special love for the organization, for that front office for giving me my first shot in the NBA. That goes with the fans as well.”
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- Suns interim governor Sam Garvin is confident the front office will get a solid offer for Jae Crowder, who is sitting out while he awaits a trade. “(GM James Jones and his staff have) had a lot of discussions with a lot of teams that are interested in Jae. As James said, there’s no magic wand of a timeline,” Garvin told Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic (subscription required). “It’s going to happen when it’s going to happen, but I think Jae is going to go somewhere and do well and I think we’re going to get value for Jae.” Garvin addresses other topics in the Q&A, including Jones’ extension and the team’s inability to sign Cameron Johnson to an extension.
- Suns star guard Devin Booker will sit out for the second straight game on Tuesday due to left hamstring tightness, Rankin writes in a separate story. Booker also missed Phoenix’s overtime loss to New Orleans on Sunday. Booker has a history of hamstring issues, Rankin notes.
- Malik Monk has a reputation of being a scorer but the Kings are also using him more as a play-maker, according to Spencer Davies of Basketball News. Monk is not only averaging a career-best 14.4 points per game but also 3.8 assists. His 2.9 APG with the Lakers last season represented a career high. “We’re just try to move it, move the defense as much as possible,” Monk said. “But they can’t help off me as much ’cause I can shoot. They can’t help off of (Domantas Sabonis) that much because he’s a big threat rolling. So whatever they do is going to be wrong, and I’ve just been making the right reads this year.” Monk signed a two-year, $19.4MM contract with Sacramento as a free agent.
Eastern Notes: Horford, Young, Heat, Duarte, Brown
Celtics veteran big man Al Horford will rejoin the team on Friday, Jared Weiss of The Athletic tweets. Horford has been away from the C’s for personal reasons following a stint in the league’s health and safety protocols. Horford, who signed a two-year extension at the beginning of the month, hasn’t played since Dec. 4.
We have more from the Eastern Conference:
- Hawks star guard Trae Young has been fined $25K for throwing the game ball into the spectator stands, Adam Zagoria of NJ.com tweets. The incident occurred at the end of the Hawks’ 123-122 overtime win over the Bulls on Sunday. Young was inactive against Memphis on Monday.
- The struggles of Max Strus, Gabe Vincent and Duncan Robinson have taken some of the shine off the Heat’s vaunted development program but all is not lost, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes. Caleb Martin has developed from a two-way prospect to a steady rotation player and the development program has other potential success stories in Omer Yurtseven, Nikola Jovic and Jamal Cain.
- Pacers wing Chris Duarte joined the G League’s Fort Wayne Mad Ants for practice on Monday and he’ll play for Fort Wayne against the Wisconsin Herd on Wednesday and Friday, Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files tweets. Duarte is working his way back from a Grade 2 ankle sprain suffered in early November.
- Pacers rookie forward Kendall Brown is out indefinitely with a stress reaction in his right tibia, according to Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. Brown will be reevaluated by the team in two weeks. Brown, a second-round pick, is one of the team’s two-way players. He’s appeared in six games with the Pacers.