Pacific Notes: Perry, DeRozan, Booker, Durant, Goodwin, Paul
The Kings are in a familiar place, sitting near the bottom of the Western Conference standings after a 4-13 start. New general manager Scott Perry is preaching something that fans in Sacramento have heard for many years — be patient.
“I totally understand their frustrations to this point,” Perry told Sam Amick of The Athletic. “It hasn’t been what they wanted. But again, it’s the old saying that Rome wasn’t built in a day — and that’s a fact. If you look at a number of the top teams in the league, they all went through a very tough stretch when they were trying to lay a foundation and create an environment that led to sustainable winning. … All I’ve ever asked from the very beginning is just: buckle up, be patient for the ride. We definitely have a plan in place, and we’ll do this thing together.”
Complicating Perry’s mission is the fact that six high-salary players are signed through next season. The highest of the 2026/27 salaries, Zach LaVine‘s $49MM, is a player option and there’s no clarity as to whether he’ll pick it up, according to Amick. The Clippers have shown some interest in the oldest player on the Kings’ roster, DeMar DeRozan, per Amick. He has a partial guarantee ($10MM) on his $25.7MM contract for next season.
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- Kevin Durant will miss the Rockets’ game at Phoenix tonight due to a family matter. Suns guard Devin Booker is disappointed he won’t get to face his former teammate, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets. “I hope everything is OK with his family first, but yeah, I would love a matchup with him,” Booker said.
- Jordan Goodwin won a training camp battle to earn a roster spot after being claimed off waivers by the Suns. Goodwin has been a steady contributor off the bench, averaging 7.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. “He just has a knack not only on offensive rebounds, but deflections. Any type of loose balls. Just has a hunger to get the basketball. That’s part of who he is, that’s part of what made him and that’s part of why we love him,” coach Jordan Ott said, per Rankin (Twitter link).
- Chris Paul evokes a wide range of reaction but The Athletic’s Zach Harper lays out his case of why the Clippers guard should be appreciated by NBA fans. The 12-time All-Star is retiring after the season.
Eastern Notes: Mathurin, Embiid, George, Ivey, Risacher
The Pacers’ losing streak stretched to eight games on Monday but there was a silver lining in their loss to the red-hot Pistons, Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star points out. Bennedict Mathurin, who had missed 11 games due to a toe sprain, scored 23 of his 25 points in the second half.
Mathurin asserts that the team has the ability to turn things around.
“We’re 1-13 right now,” Mathurin said. “There’s teams in the NBA that have won 10 games in a row. Why can’t we be the team that wins 10 games in a row? It’s just about believing. It’s just about doing what’s right for our team. … People act like it’s the end of the world. If we were 1-57 I’d say maybe, but it’s 1-13. We’ve played 14 games. It’s not even 15% percent of the season, so I’m still positive, man.”
Center Isaiah Jackson feels the same way.
“I think energy is everything,” he said. “One guy gets going and it can give us a spark. I think that’s all you need. We’re just gonna continue to keep going.”
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Joel Embiid is listed as doubtful due to right knee injury management for the Sixers’ game against Toronto on Wednesday, Adam Aaronson of The Philly Voice tweets. Paul George won’t play due to what the team describes as left knee injury recovery. Embiid hasn’t played since Nov. 8, while George made his season debut on Monday and played 21 minutes, in which he contributed nine points, seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks in a win over the Clippers. Wednesday’s game is the first of a back-to-back set, so George seems likely to suit up on Thursday.
- The Pistons assigned guard Jaden Ivey to their G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise, for conditioning purposes, their PR department tweets. A restricted free agent after this season, Ivey hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since New Year’s Day, when he suffered a fractured left fibula. He recovered from that injury over the offseason, but underwent right knee surgery during the preseason last month.
- Hawks second-year forward Zaccharie Risacher missed his team’s game against the Pistons on Tuesday due to a left hip contusion but he should return soon, according to Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He suffered a nasty fall during a dunk attempt against the Suns on Sunday. Risacher’s legs swung up and he somersaulted and crashed to the floor, landing on his left side.
Knicks Notes: Brunson, Robinson, Clarkson, 3-Point Defense
Knicks star guard Jalen Brunson was diagnosed with a Grade 1 ankle sprain last week. On Monday, Brunson was already spotted firing up jump shots in Miami’s Kaseya Center, according to Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News.
Now, there’s a possibility he’ll be back as soon as Wednesday. He’s listed as questionable to play against Dallas, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post tweets. Brunson has missed the last two games, in which the Knicks split a home-and-home with the Heat.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Mitchell Robinson logged fewer than 20 minutes against the Heat on Monday and hasn’t exceeded 20 minutes in any games he’s played. However, that could change as soon as the next game. “[His minutes limit] has increased. It’s gone up three times,” coach Mike Brown said, per Bondy. “It’s all part of the load-management thing. So it’s not necessarily a restriction. It’s just continuing the process with our load management. So it’s going up. He could’ve played 27 minutes.”
- Jordan Clarkson admits that spending the last couple of years with the rebuilding Jazz affected his play. He has a different mindset playing for a contender this season. “It’s a level of focus. I’m glad to be back in this and part of this and back contending, be in the playoffs and know that we’re playing for something,” Clarkson told Bondy. “That changes a player’s mindset. It’s just a bunch of focus that goes into it and I’m locked in.” Clarkson scored 24 and 14 points, respectively, in the two matchups with Miami. He’s shooting 46.7% overall and 38.8% from deep this season — both marks would be well above his career averages.
- In a film breakdown, The Athletic’s James Edwards III displays how the Knicks’ defensive schemes, which are focused on sealing off the paint, allows opponents to pursue three-point opportunities. The Knicks are second worst in the league in three-point defense, allowing opponents to shoot 39.4% from beyond the arc.
Nets Notes: Claxton, Saraf, Draft, Schedule
Nets defensive stopper Nic Claxton blocked a season-high four shots in a win over Washington on Sunday. Claxton failed to record a block in his first four appearances but has at least one in each of his last nine games.
“Just getting back to myself,” Claxton said, per Dan Martin of The New York Post. “I started the season off [and] I wasn’t getting any blocks. But the timing is slowly coming back, so I’ve been feeling good on the defensive side of the ball with where I’m where they want me.”
Claxton is in the second year of a four-year, $97MM contract.
Here’s more on the Nets:
- Rookie guard Ben Saraf suffered a left ankle sprain while playing for the G League’s Long Island Nets on Saturday, C.J. Holmes of the New York Daily News reports. Brooklyn announced on Monday that Saraf will be reevaluated in 10 days. Saraf began the season as the NBA team’s starting point guard but the 26th pick in the draft struggled mightily on offense, shooting 21.7% from the field in his first five games. He fell out of the rotation from that point, leading to the G League assignment.
- With three supposed franchise-altering talents — Cameron Boozer, Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa — in next season’s draft, there’s plenty of incentive for the Nets to remain in tank mode this season. However, several other teams are in same boat, Brian Lewis of the New York Post notes, and even though Brooklyn only has two wins so far, there are three other teams with worse records.
- The Nets won’t step out of the Eastern Conference for the remainder of the month. Their next game against a Western Conference opponent comes on Dec. 4 against Utah.
- Michael Porter Jr. has responded to the call of handling more offensive responsibilities. Get the details here.
Southeast Notes: Adebayo, Banchero, Mann, Wizards, Alexander-Walker
Heat center Bam Adebayo hasn’t played since November 5 due to a toe injury, but he could be back in action Wednesday. He’s listed as questionable to play against Golden State, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel tweets.
Miami has posted a 4-2 record in his absence.
Here’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Paolo Banchero will miss his third consecutive game on Tuesday due to a groin strain. However, Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said his star player is making progress, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel tweets. “Paolo’s doing well,” Mosley said. “He’s been going through some non-contact, hard weight room workouts with our training staff. His spirits are great.”
- Hornets guard Tre Mann departed Monday’s game against Toronto with left ankle soreness, the team’s PR department tweets. He played 12 minutes before exiting. Mann is averaging 10.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 22 minutes per game.
- The Wizards have gotten a little too good at tanking, Varun Shankar of the Washington Post writes. They suffered a 23-point blowout at the hands of another rebuilding team, the Nets, on Sunday. It was the Wizards’ 11th straight defeat and their NBA-worst sixth loss by at least 20 points. According to forward Kyshawn George, coach Brian Keefe gave this message to the team after the game, before the players held their own meeting: “Look at yourself in the mirror and answer the deeper questions. It’s more than basketball. What do you really want in life? What do you want to build? What do we want to do here as an organization? Just make sure you answer the question correctly and come up with the correct mindset the next day.”
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker was acquired by the Hawks in a sign-and-trade deal this summer. He delivered in the clutch against Phoenix on Sunday, scoring 16 points in the fourth quarter to help Atlanta erase a 22-point deficit in the two-point victory. That capped a 4-0 road swing. “I just think we have a resilient group. I think we put our head down when we came together this entire trip,” Alexander-Walker said, per Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Bulls Notes: Giddey, White, Collins, Carter
Josh Giddey continues to put up big offensive numbers for the Bulls. The biggest knock against him during his pro career is that he’s soft defensively and often gets exploited at that end of the floor. Head coach Billy Donovan sees more focus from Giddey to overcome that stigma, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.
“[He’s] probably similar to [Bulls guard] Coby [White] early in his career — similar to where they were really targeting him,” Donovan said. “As a player, you have to shut off that running water where [opposing coaches eventually] say, ‘OK, there’s no reason to try and exploit this because it’s not there.’ That comes down to the personal pride of one-on-one guarding.
“I think [Giddey has] tried to do that. The one thing about Josh is the flexibility when we play against teams that are a little bigger — he can play against some of these bigger forwards, too. He’s pretty physical there. I do think Josh has tried to get better. I’ve noticed and seen growth from him from last November to the time now. He’s taken much more pride in that area.”
Giddey had 21 points, 14 rebounds and six assists as the Bulls snapped a five-game losing streak by defeating the Nuggets in Denver on Monday. It was the Nuggets’ first home loss this season.
Here’s more on the Bulls:
- White isn’t playing in back-to-backs yet and is on a minutes limit, but Donovan is hopeful the medical staff will lift those restrictions after Thankgiving, Cowley reports. White sat out against Denver after he played 30 minutes — six more than planned — in a double overtime loss to Utah on Sunday. He’ll also play just one game in this weekend’s back-to-back set against Miami and Washington. “The first half [Sunday], I was pretty tired. I was a little winded,” said White, who had been sidelined by a calf strain. “Second half, I started getting my wind. My legs felt a little heavy, so that’s why some of my shots were short. Missed a lot of chippies around the rim, so that comes with timing.”
- Donovan is hopeful Zach Collins can return to practice next week when the team has three consecutive days off, per Cowley. Collins underwent wrist surgery last month. “Because he’s been in the splint, he’s lost a lot of mobility, flexibility and strength, so he’s got to get that back, so there will be a lot of things he’ll have to do in the weight room to get those back,” Donovan said. “I’m probably being a little eager and optimistic, but I’m hoping he can get into practice in one of those days where we can have a contact practice. . . . How long it will take to get his strength back to be able to go into a practice remains to be seen, but he can start doing things with his hand.”
- With White and Tre Jones sitting out, Jevon Carter posted 15 points in 18 minutes against the Nuggets. “This guy’s work ethic is unbelievable. He’s one of the hardest working people I’ve ever seen,” Donovan said. Carter was grateful for the praise, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network relays (Twitter links). “That means a lot coming from a Hall of Fame coach. That’s my guy. I love Billy,” he said.
Suns Sign Bouyea To Two-Way Contract, Waive Huntley
November 18: The Suns have officially signed to Bouyea to a two-way deal, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets.
November 17: The Suns are signing guard Jamaree Bouyea to a two-way contract, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.
Bouyea has been toiling in the G League with the Austin Spurs while awaiting another NBA opportunity. San Antonio signed and waived him on Oct. 18 with the intent of having him play with the club’s G League affiliate. Bouyea had a two-way contract with the Bucks before they waived him in October.
Bouyea has appeared in a total of 19 NBA games for five teams. He had brief stints with Miami, Washington, Portland and San Antonio before making five appearances with Milwaukee last season. Bouyea, who went undrafted in 2022, has averaged 2.8 points and 1.3 assists in 12.0 minutes per game during those NBA appearances.
CJ Huntley, Koby Brea and Isaiah Livers had been occupying Phoenix’s two-way contract slots, but the Suns waived Huntley to open up room for Bouyea, the team announced (via Twitter).
A 23-year-old forward, Huntley was signed as an undrafted rookie out of Appalachian State and has yet to appear in an NBA game.
Central Notes: White, Davis, Siakam, Martin, Cunningham, Duren
Bulls guard Coby White made his long-awaited season debut and he didn’t disappoint. White, who was sidelined by a calf strain, scored 27 points and delivered eight assists in a double overtime loss to Utah on Sunday.
“The coaching staff talked to me about coming back and being aggressive, being who I was,” White said, per Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times. “Not kind of tiptoeing. I focused on that.”
White will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.
We have more from the Central Division:
- Mavericks big man Anthony Davis was born in Chicago. Would the Bulls consider trading for the highly productive but oft-injured Davis? Cowley doubts that, noting that executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said at the start of training camp, “We have to be patient, we have to do it the right way and we can’t skip steps.” Davis has two guaranteed seasons remaining on his three-year, $175.3MM deal, which includes a player option for 2027/28.
- The Pacers have been decimated by injuries, but forward Pascal Siakam says that’s not a strong enough excuse for a 1-12 start. “We are playing in the NBA, the best league in the world,” he told The Indianapolis Star’s Dustin Dopirak. “There shouldn’t be a reason why you’re out there every single night and not giving your best or trying to be the best that you can be and giving it your all. There’s thousands and millions of people who would give everything they have to be in the situation that we’re in. There’s no excuse. Obviously, it’s been tough on us. We have injuries every single day. Guys are in situations that they’re not supposed to be in. But we can’t find it as an excuse and just go out there every single night and be like, ‘Whatever happens happens.’ It has to matter. We have to fight.”
- Cody Martin‘s 10-day contract under the hardship exception expired on Saturday and the Pacers couldn’t sign him to another, according to Dopirak, since they currently don’t qualify under the hardship rules. Martin appeared in four games during his brief stay with Indiana.
- The Pistons could have three starters back on Monday against Indiana, including star guard Cade Cunningham. Cunningham has missed the last two games due to a left hip contusion, while Ausar Thompson (right ankle sprain) has missed the last three — both players are listed as questionable. Jalen Duren, who has also missed the last two games due to a right ankle sprain, is listed as probable, according to The Detroit Free Press’ Omari Sankofa II.
Ja Morant Out At Least Two Weeks Due To Calf Strain
Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant has a Grade 1 right calf strain and will be reevaluated in two weeks, the team’s PR department tweets.
Morant injured his calf on Saturday during the team’s road game at Cleveland. He played just six minutes in that contest, then underwent an MRI to determine the extent of the injury.
It’s just the latest development in what has already been a tumultuous season for Morant. He had been dealing with right ankle soreness prior to the calf strain.
Trade speculation surrounding Morant began a couple of weeks ago after he had a disagreement with the coaching staff during a loss to the Lakers. Head coach Tuomas Iisalo reportedly confronted Morant about his effort level and focus during halftime and following the game, and Morant expressed frustration over Iisalo’s unorthodox substitution pattern.
The situation has been calmer since Morant returned from a one-game team suspension. The Timberwolves are one of the teams reportedly keeping an eye on Morant, who is in the third season of a five-year extension worth $197.2MM. He’s averaging 17.9 points, his lowest output since his rookie year, and 7.6 assists.
Morant has gained a reputation of being susceptible to injuries. He hasn’t appeared in more than 61 games in any of the past four seasons. He served an NBA suspension to open the 2023/24 campaign, then appeared in only nine games before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery. He was limited to 50 games last season.
Given the timeline of his last injury, Morant will miss a minimum of eight games, beginning with a nationally televised game against San Antonio on Tuesday.
Central Notes: Nesmith, Pistons, Mitchell, Bucks
The injury-riddled Pacers suffered another one on Thursday as forward Aaron Nesmith suffered a left knee sprain. He won’t play in Saturday’s home game against the Raptors but head coach Rick Carlisle believes the team may have “dodged a bullet” regarding his injury, The Indianapolis Star’s Dustin Dopirak reports.
The Pacers think Nesmith avoided a “very serious” injury, according to Carlisle. Nesmith is averaging a career-high 15.5 points per game.
We have more from the Central Division:
- The injury-depleted Pistons made it nine in a row with a win over Philadelphia on Friday. They rallied from a 12-point, third-quarter deficit despite Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson and Tobias Harris watching in street clothes from the bench. “They’ve just got a nastiness to them, and that’s the fun part about our group,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said, per Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. “They like it when it gets thick. They like it when it gets messy and it gets ugly. That’s where they thrive. We like to take people there; we like to push people’s buttons and see how they respond. We’ve just got a bunch of nasty dogs in that locker room, and they love it.”
- The Cavaliers didn’t reach the Finals last season despite being a top seed. That’s why Donovan Mitchell isn’t concerned about regaining the No. 1 seed this season. “Playing well at the right time (is what’s important),” Mitchell told D.J. Siddiqi of VideoGamer.com. “Would we love to do both? 1,000%. I’m not going to sit here and say we wouldn’t want to be the No. 1 seed. At the same token, we saw last year that you can do all the things, but if you’re not ready when that time goes and if you’re not necessarily healthy, it doesn’t really matter what you’ve done during the regular season. Would I love to be the No. 1 seed? Sure. But if we’re not, am I going to be panicking? No. As long as we’re playing our best basketball at the right time, that’s all that really matters.”
- The Bucks are off to an 8-5 start and The Athletic’s Eric Nehm shares his thoughts on what he’s seen from the team this season.