Siakam Expected To Miss Next Three Games
Raptors forward Pascal Siakam is expected to remain sidelined until after the All-Star break due to the league’s health and safety protocols, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
Siakam was placed under those protocols on Friday and missed the team’s game against Houston. A majority of the coaching staff, including head coach Nick Nurse, also missed the game due to those restrictions.
Siakam is averaging 20.1 PPG, 7.5 RPG and 4.8 APG this season. Toronto was able to get past the Rockets 122-111 with Chris Boucher taking his spot in the lineup. Yuta Watanabe received some additional playing time off the bench.
The Raptors, who are sitting at .500, have home dates with Chicago and Detroit and a road trip to Boston prior to the break.
Durant Sidelined Through All-Star Break; Sabonis Gets All-Star Nod
Nets All-Star forward Kevin Durant will not play prior to the All-Star break, according to a team press release. He’ll be replaced on the All-Star roster by Pacers big man Domantas Sabonis, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.
The decision on Durant’s status was made after a follow-up MRI on his strained left hamstring. The MRI led the team’s medical staff to the conclusion that Durant required an “additional recovery period.” The club is confident Durant will return to full strength and the “extra recovery time will allow him to perform at the level at which he was playing this season.” He’ll continue to undergo rehab and will be re-assessed after the break.
Earlier this week, coach Steve Nash said that he expected Durant to return before the break. Durant hasn’t played since February 13 but the Nets have won all six games he’s missed due to the injury. He also sat out the previous week due to COVID-19 contact tracing.
Brooklyn plays at home against Dallas on Saturday before embarking on a two-game Texas trip with stops in San Antonio and Houston before the March 7 All-Star Game.
Durant is averaging 29.0 PPG, 7.3 RPG and 5.3 APG after missing last season due to a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Sabonis, meanwhile, is averaging 21.5 PPG, 11.7 RPG and 5.7 APG. He’ll be making his second straight All-Star appearance and will earn a $1.3MM bonus for making the team, even though he was named as a replacement rather than making the initial 12-man squad, Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (via Twitter).
Protocols Force Raptors Coaches To Work Remotely
Raptors head coach Nick Nurse and five other members of the team’s coaching staff will not be on the bench indefinitely due to the league’s health and safety protocols, according to a team press release.
Toronto plays its next three games at its temporary home in Tampa, beginning with a matchup against Houston on Friday. The Raptors also have home games with Chicago (Sunday) and Detroit (Tuesday) and a road trip to Boston (Thursday) prior to the All-Star break.
It’s unclear who will be running the team from the sidelines before those staff members clear protocols. The Raptors have six assistant coaches, along with other staff members in a variety of roles. Chris Finch was hired as the Timberwolves’ head coach on Monday.
The coaches under quarantine will continue to work remotely, and details on their return will be communicated when appropriate, according to the release. GM Bobby Webster will address the media later this afternoon.
Lakers Sign Damian Jones To 10-Day Contract
The Lakers have signed center Damian Jones to a 10-day contract, ESPN’s Marc Spears relays via a team press release. The team had two open roster spots after waiving Quinn Cook on Wednesday.
Jones was waived by the Suns on Wednesday. He signed a partially-guaranteed two-year deal with Phoenix during the 2020 offseason but played just 6.7 minutes per game in 14 contests.
The 6’11” big man was selected with the No. 30 pick in the 2016 NBA draft by the Warriors out of Vanderbilt. He won two titles with Golden State in 2017 and 2018 as a little-used backup, then played significant minutes as a reserve with the Hawks during the 2019/20 season, averaging 16.1 MPG across 55 games (including 27 starts). Jones holds career NBA averages of 4.3 PPG, 2.8 RPG, and 0.7 BPG in 13.3 MPG across parts of five NBA seasons.
Jones provides a little more depth up front with Anthony Davis sidelined by a calf injury. His 10-day deal will cover the rest of the season’s first half, paying him approximately $119K.
Raptors Notes: Powell, Baynes, Lowry, Cumberland
If the Raptors are buyers at the trade deadline, the contracts of Patrick McCaw, Aron Baynes, Stanley Johnson and Norman Powell are the ones most likely to be included in a deal for an impact player, according to The Athletic’s Eric Koreen. Powell, who holds an $11.6MM option on his contract for next season, and Kyle Lowry ($30.5MM expiring contract) are the players most likely to be traded if Toronto goes into sell mode. However, it’s likely that the team values Powell’s Bird rights to the point where it would take a very strong offer to part with the scoring wing, Koreen speculates.
We have more on the Raptors:
- The success of smaller lineups could alter the front office’s approach to the trade market, Blake Murphy of The Athletic notes. The team has gotten positive results by using OG Anunoby as the de facto starting center and moving Baynes to the bench. That could result in expanding its options beyond an upgrade at center, rather than overpaying a potential trade partner for a big man.
- Lowry deserves to finish out the season, if not his career, with the Raptors, Scott Stinson of The National Post opines. He’s been the only constant in the team’s sustained period of success and his days with the franchise shouldn’t end in pursuit of assets.
- The club’s G League team, Raptors 905, has traded center Dewan Hernandez to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers for guard Jarron Cumberland, JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors tweets. Raptors 905 is also receiving Stockton’s original second-round pick in the 2021/22 G League Draft via Canton. Hernandez, 24, played six games with Toronto last season. The undrafted Cumberland played four college seasons with Cincinnati.
- In case you missed it, the Raptors have signed big man Donta Hall to a 10-day contract.
College Seniors Must Petition NBA To Be Draft Eligible This Year
The NBA will require college seniors to petition the league for inclusion on the early-entry list in order to become draft-eligible this year, ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony reports.
The NCAA granted all winter athletes an extra year of eligibility due to the pandemic, giving every college basketball senior the option of returning for an additional season in 2021/22. The NBA’s decision for seniors to petition for draft eligibility will result in a record-breaking number of players on the early-entry list. In last year’s draft, 163 college underclassmen were on the early entry list.
The NCAA’s ruling regarding this year’s college seniors created a loophole in the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, Givony notes. Normally, graduating college seniors who have exhausted their four years of NCAA eligibility are automatically eligible for the draft. However, college seniors this season still have remaining eligibility.
The timetable for players declaring for this year’s draft and determining whether to remain draft eligible remains murky.
The early-entry deadline is typically 60 days prior to the June draft. A date has not been set for this year’s draft. The Finals are scheduled to be held in July and the draft is usually held approximately a week after the season is completed.
The deadline for college players to decide whether to remain on the early-entry list is different from the NBA’s withdrawal deadline, which also complicates the process. Under NCAA rules, the early entry withdrawal deadline is 10 days after the conclusion of the NBA combine. No date has been established for this year’s combine.
It’s unlikely that draft prospects will begin the pre-draft process or have contact with NBA teams until late May or June, Givony adds.
New York Notes: Claxton, Ntilikina, Buyouts, Nash
Nicolas Claxton is providing a new element to the Nets, Brian Lewis of the New York Post notes. In his second game after recovering from a string of injuries, Claxton delivered 10 points, four steals, three rebounds, and a block in 15 minutes against Orlando Thursday. He fills a role as an athletic, energetic big man.
“He’s somebody we believe in and think he’s got a lot of upside, continue to grow and just take it step-by-step,” Nets coach Steve Nash said of Claxton.
We have more news on the New York City teams:
- Knicks guard Frank Ntilikina looked surprisingly spry in his first appearance in nearly two months on Thursday, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. Ntilikina had been buried on the bench, along with rehabbing a sprained knee and, more recently, being quarantined under COVID-19 contact tracing. Ntilikina received 17 minutes of action against Sacramento and delivered seven points, three steals and two assists in 23 minutes. “His defense was fantastic,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. Ntilikina is likely to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
- Nash indicated the Nets will be active shoppers in the buyout market, Lewis tweets. A capped-out team, the Nets have been shuttling bodies in and out on non-guaranteed and 10-day contracts in order to fulfill NBA roster requirements. Brooklyn will likely seek to add depth at center.
- Nash has gotten tougher on his team and that approach has helped the Nets reel off eight straight victories, Lewis writes in a separate piece. The coaching staff has doled out more constructive criticism and held players accountable for lapses. “I don’t know if we’re coaching them any harder, but we’re definitely trying to cut to the chase and make sure we are pointing out and improving and addressing issues,” he said.
Eastern Notes: Celtics, Cavs, Perry, Markkanen, Porter
The Celtics have a $28.5MM trade exception but in order to acquire an impact player, they’ll also likely have to part with draft picks, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe opines. Boston GM Danny Ainge has admitted he doesn’t feel the team as presently constituted is championship-caliber, and potential trade partners will demand multiple picks to part with a player that the Celtics covet.
We have more from the Eastern Conference:
- The Cavaliers are paying the price for injuries and other issues, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes. They’re on a 10-game losing streak with Andre Drummond in limbo and three other frontcourt players — Kevin Love, Larry Nance Jr. and Taurean Prince — out with injuries. Their reserve corps has been rendered ineffective. “Nobody is coming to bail us out. Nobody is coming to rescue us,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said.
- Knicks executive Scott Perry has played an underrated role in building a more competitive team, Steve Popper of Newsday points out. He was instrumental in bringing in Julius Randle and some other veterans that have put them in playoff contention. The front office now has the assets to make a major deal, Popper adds.
- It’s possible that Otto Porter Jr. (back) and Lauri Markkanen (right shoulder sprain) could return from their injuries prior to the All-Star break, but Bulls coach Billy Donovan doesn’t sound overly optimistic, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times. “I think as this week unfolds and we get closer to the All-Star break, we’ll certainly have to look at OP because he hasn’t been able to do a lot of cardio stuff,’’ Donovan said. “I don’t know if either of those guys will be back before the All-Star Break or not. … I’d imagine both of those guys have been really, really diligent about working out and trying to take care of themselves, and doing what they can to keep their conditioning up.’’
Pacific Notes: Curry, Wiseman, Looney, Cousins, Lakers, Robinson
The Warriors could have most of the regulars back in action on Tuesday against the Knicks. Stephen Curry missed Saturday’s loss to Charlotte but practiced on Monday and is expected to play Tuesday, according to ESPN’s Nick Friedell. Coach Steve Kerr also indicated big men James Wiseman and Kevon Looney could play after participating in the practice. Looney has been out since February 2 with an ankle sprain. Wiseman, the No. 2 pick in the draft, has been sidelined since January 30 with a wrist injury.
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- Executives whom Heavy.com Sean Deveney spoke to believe that DeMarcus Cousins would be a bad fit for the Lakers. Cousins is being held out of action as Houston seeks to deal him. Cousins hasn’t shot it well this season and his diminished mobility makes him a liability on defense. The team also has limited salary available to add another player.
- The absences of Anthony Davis and Dennis Schröder are taking a toll on the Lakers and the schedule isn’t helping, Jovan Buha of The Athletic notes. They had lost two straight heading into Monday’s game against Washington while struggling to find offensive answers. They also play four teams with winning records before the All-Star break.
- Kings swingman Glenn Robinson III is not currently with the team due to personal reasons, James Ham of NBC Sports California tweets. Robinson has appeared in 23 games, averaging 5.3 PPG in 16.0 MPG. Sacramento must decide this week whether to fully guarantee Robinson’s $2MM contract.
Atlantic Notes: Harris, Simmons, Nurse, Finch, Durant
Sixers forward Tobias Harris advised Ben Simmons that the best way to quell trade rumors is to win a title, Harris told Sam Amick of The Athletic. Simmons was mentioned prominently as part of a potential package for James Harden before Harden was dealt to Brooklyn.
“I had conversations with Ben, too,” Harris said. “I was like, ‘The only way you become untradeable, pretty much, is if you win a championship.’ If you win a championship, nobody is breaking apart (that) team. You’ll add pieces to the team, but you’re not breaking up the core pieces. That was one of the things (he talked with Simmons about). I think it was kind of motivating (for him).”
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- Raptors coach Nick Nurse does not anticipate that they’ll receive any compensation from the Timberwolves for assistant coach Chris Finch, Blake Murphy of The Athletic tweets. Finch was hired as Minnesota head coach on Monday, and Nurse was happy to see him get the opportunity, Eric Koreen of The Athletic tweets. “I’ve always seen it as my job to help people (achieve) their career ambitions,” Nurse said.
- The Raptors head coach said he became aware of Minnesota’s interest in Finch over the weekend, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets. “It did all happen really quick. Those things are never done until they’re done but we had a pretty good idea that (last night) would be Chris’ last game and then we would be on the move… It really did happen in like 36 hours.” Nurse will temporarily take more control of offensive duties while re-organizing his assistants’ responsibilities.
- Kevin Durant‘s hamstring is showing improvement, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “I reiterate we’re all optimistic and positive that he’s improving at a rapid rate, and will be back soon,” Nets head coach Steve Nash said. However, Durant will miss his fifth consecutive game on Tuesday, Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press tweets.